set 1

emphasize |ˈɛmfəsʌɪz| (also emphasise)
verb [ with obj. ]
1 give special importance or value to (something) in
speaking or writing: they emphasize the need for daily, one-
to-one contact between parent and child | [ with clause ] : I
would emphasize that I am not an economist.
2 lay stress on (a word or phrase) when speaking. his
father emphasized the wrong words in his sentence.
3 make (something) more clearly defined: a hip-length
jacket which emphasized her shape.
up to 1 as far as: I could reach just up to his waist. • (also
up until) until: up to now I hadn't had a relationship. 2
indicating a maximum amount: the process is expected to
take up to two years. 3 [ with negative or in questions ]
good enough for: I was not up to her standards. • capable
of or fit for: he is simply not up to the job. 4 the
responsibility or choice of (someone): it was up to them togauge the problem. 5 informal occupied or busy with:
what's he been up to?
uncombed |ʌnˈkəʊmd|
adjective
(of a person's hair) not combed: his hair was matted and
uncombed.
disputation |dɪspjuːˈteɪʃ(ə)n, -pjʊˈt-|
noun [ mass noun ]
debate or argument: promoting consensus rather than
disputation | [ count noun ] : a lengthy disputation about the
rights and wrongs of a particular request.
• formal academic debate: the founding father of logical
disputation | [ count noun ] : scholastic disputations.
DERIVATIVES
disputative |dɪˈspjuːtətɪv| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin disputatio(n-),
from the verb disputare (see dispute) .disputation
noun
we'll have no politics and no religious disputation in this
house: debate, discussion, dispute, argument, arguing,
argumentation,
dissension,
altercation,
disagreement,
wrangling, sparring,
disharmony, conflict,
contention, controversy; polemics; rare contestation,
velitation.
discontent |dɪskənˈtɛnt|
noun [ mass noun ]
dissatisfaction
with
one's
circumstances;
lack
of
contentment: voters voiced discontent with both parties |
[ count noun ] : the discontents of the working class.
• [ count noun ] a person who is dissatisfied, typically
with the prevailing social or political situation: the cause
attracted a motley crew of discontents and zealots.
adjectivedissatisfied. he was discontent with his wages.
DERIVATIVES
discontentment noun
disrespectful |dɪsrɪˈspɛk(t)f(ʊ)l|
adjective
showing a lack of respect or courtesy; impolite: a deeply
disrespectful attitude towards women.
DERIVATIVES
disrespectfully adverb
disrespectful
adjective
he was cheeky and disrespectful towards his parents:
discourteous, rude, impolite, uncivil, unmannerly, ill-
mannered,
bad-mannered,
ungracious,
irreverent,
inconsiderate; insolent, impudent, impertinent, cheeky,
flippant,
insubordinate,
churlish;
contemptuous,disdainful, derisive, scornful, disparaging, insulting,
abusive; informal fresh. ANTONYMS respectful, polite.
ecology |ɪˈkɒlədʒi, ɛ-|
noun [ mass noun ]
the branch of biology that deals with the relations of
organisms to one another and to their physical
surroundings.
• (Ecology)the political movement concerned with
protection of the environment.
DERIVATIVES
ecologist noun
ORIGIN late 19th cent. (originally as oecology): from
Greek oikos ‘house’ + -logy.
angry |ˈaŋgri|
adjective (angrier, angriest)
feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or
hostility; full of anger: why are you angry with me? | I'm
angry that she didn't call me.• (of the sea or sky) stormy, turbulent, or threatening: the
wild, angry sea.
• (of a wound or sore) red and inflamed. the bruise below
his eye looked angry and sore.
DERIVATIVES
angrily adverb
cast 1 |kɑːst|
verb (past and past participlecast) [ with obj. ]
1 [ usu. with adverbial of direction ] chiefly literary
throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction: he
cast the book down on to the chair angrily | the fishermen cast
a large net around a school of tuna | figurative : individuals
who do not accept the norms are cast out from the group.
• throw the hooked and baited end of (a fishing line) out
into the water.
• let down (an anchor or sounding line).2 [ with adverbial of place ] cause (light or shadow) to
appear on a surface: the moon cast a pale light over the
cottages.
• [ with adverbial of direction ] direct (one's eyes or a
look) at something: she cast down her eyes | [ with two
objs ] : she cast him a desperate glance.
• cause (uncertainty or disparagement) to be associated
with
something:
journalists
cast
doubt
on
the
government's version of events.
3 [ with adverbial of direction ] discard: he jumped in,
casting caution to the wind.
• shed (skin or horns) in the process of growth: the antlers
are cast each year.
• (of a horse) lose (a shoe).
4 shape (metal or other material) by pouring it into a
mould while molten. when hammered or cast, bronze could
be made into tools.
• make (a moulded object) by casting metal: a bell was
cast for the church.• arrange and present in a specified form or style: he
issued statements cast in tones of reason.
5 register (a vote): votes have been cast in 40 per cent of the
seats.
6 cause (a magic spell) to take effect: the witch cast a spell
on her to turn her into a beast | figurative : the city casts a
spell on the visitor.
7 calculate and record details of (a horoscope). you can
look at the star chart cast at somebody's birth.
8 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of direction ] (in country
dancing) change one's position by moving a certain
number of places in a certain direction along the outside
of the line in which one is dancing. cross the set and cast
down one place.
9 [ no obj. ] Hunting (of a dog) search in different
directions for a lost scent: the dog cast furiously for the
vanished rabbit.
• [ with obj. ] let loose (hounds) on a scent. casting the
hounds into cover, we stood and listened.10 immobilize (an animal, especially a cow) by using a
rope to cause it to fall on its side.
noun
1 an object made by shaping molten metal or similar
material in a mould: bronze casts of the sculpture.
• (also plaster cast)a mould used to make an object by
casting. the artist's casts and moulds became the property of
the museum.
• (also plaster cast)a bandage stiffened with plaster of
Paris, moulded to the shape of a limb that is broken and
used to support and protect it. I had to spend a month in a
cast.
2 an act of throwing something forcefully: he grabbed a
spear for a third cast.
• Fishing a throw of a fishing line. I swung the rod out for a
cast.
• Brit.the leader of a fishing line.
• archaic a throw or a number thrown at dice: 'tis no
winning cast.3 [ in sing. ] [ with adj. or noun modifier ] the form or
appearance of something, especially someone's features
or complexion: she had a somewhat masculine cast of
countenance | the colours he wore emphasized the olive cast of
his skin.
• the character of something: this question is for minds of a
more philosophical cast than mine.
4 a slight squint: he had a cast in one eye.
5 short for worm cast.
6 a pellet regurgitated by a hawk or owl.
7 Hunting a wide search made by a hound or pack of
hounds to find a trail.
• Austral./NZa wide sweep made by a sheepdog in
mustering sheep.
PHRASES
be cast in a —— mould (of a person) be of the type
specified: he was cast in a cautious mould.
cast one's bread upon the waters see bread.cast one's eyes over have a quick appraising look at. he
was invited to cast his eyes over the exhibition.
cast light on see light 1 .
cast lots see lot.
cast one's mind back think back to a particular event or
time: he cast his mind back to the fatal evening.
cast the (or one's) net search for suitable options or
candidates in a specified way: Martin vowed he would cast
the net far and wide in the search for the best person. he is
prepared to cast his net wide to find workable solutions.
PHRASAL VERBS
cast about (or around or round)search far and wide
(physically or mentally): he is restlessly casting about for
novelties.[from cast 1 ( sense 9 of the verb).]
be cast away be stranded after a shipwreck. he returned
home three years after being cast away on the island.
be cast down feel depressed: she was greatly cast down by
abusive criticism of her novels.cast off (or cast something off) 1 Knitting take the
stitches off the needle by looping each over the next to
finish the edge. when the piece of knitting is long enough,
cast off. cast off a few stitches at the armhole. 2 set a boat or
ship free from her moorings: the boatmen cast off and rowed
downriver. • (cast off) (of a boat or ship) be set free from
her moorings. the ferry cast off and made a beeline for the
pier. 3 let loose a hunting hound or hawk. 4 Printing
estimate the space that will be taken in print by
manuscript copy.
cast someone off exclude someone from a relationship:
you told me your family had cast you off.
cast on (or cast something on)Knitting make the first
row of a specified number of loops on the needle. cast on
and knit a few rows of stocking stitch. cast on 14 stitches.
cast something up 1 (of the sea) deposit something on
the shore. she would collect objects cast up by the tides. 2
dated add up figures. he could cast up intricate accounts in
his head.ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse kasta ‘to cast
or throw’.
cast 2 |kɑːst|
noun [ treated as sing. or pl. ]
the actors taking part in a play, film, or other production:
he draws sensitive performances from his inexperienced cast.
verb (past and past participlecast) [ with obj. ]
assign a part in a play or film to (an actor): he was cast as
a young knight in her lavish historical epic.
• allocate parts in (a play or film). assembling a great
baseball team is as tricky as casting a play.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: a special use of cast 1 in cast 1
( sense 4 of the verb).
cast
verb
1 he cast the stone into the stream: throw, toss, fling, pitch,
hurl, bowl, dash, shy, lob, launch, flip, let fly, direct,discharge, project, propel, send; informal chuck, heave,
sling, bung.
2 fishermen cast their nets into the sea: spread, throw, lay
out, open out, unroll, fan out, stretch out.
3 she cast a fearful glance over her shoulder: direct, shoot,
turn, throw, send, dart, bestow, give.
4 each adult citizen has the right to cast a vote: register,
record, enter, file, lodge, post, set down, vote; allot,
assign, give.
5 the fire cast a soft light: emit, give off, send out, send
forth, shed, radiate, diffuse, spread out.
6 the figures cast dancing shadows on the carpet: form,
create, make, produce, cause; project, throw.
7 the stags' antlers are cast each year: shed, discard, slough
off, throw off, get rid of, let fall, let drop; moult, peel off;
technical exuviate.
8 until the 1880s printing type was cast by hand: mould,
fashion, form, shape, model; sculpt, sculpture, frame,
forge, carve; make, create, build, manufacture.9 he gave lectures on astrology and cast horoscopes in his spare
time: calculate, devise, compute, reckon, determine,
assess, work out, formulate, record, write; predict,
forecast, foretell, foresee, prophesy.
10 they were cast as extras in the film: choose, select, pick,
name, nominate, assign, appoint, give/assign the part to.
PHRASES
cast aside he glanced down at a newspaper that had been cast
aside: discard, reject, cast/throw away, cast/throw out,
dispense with, get rid of, dispose of, abandon.
cast away he returned home three years after being cast away
on the island: shipwreck, wreck; strand, leave stranded,
maroon, cast ashore, abandon, leave behind, leave;
informal leave high and dry; archaic forsake.
cast down she could not bear to see him so miserable and cast
down: depressed, downcast, unhappy, sad, miserable,
gloomy, down, low, blue, melancholy, doleful, mournful;
dejected,
dispirited,
downhearted,
discouraged,
demoralized,
daunted,
disheartened,
dismayed,desolate, disconsolate, crestfallen, crushed, sapped,
shaken,
undermined,
despondent,
weighed
down,
oppressed, wretched.
noun
1 a cast of the writer's hand was taken: mould, die, form,
matrix,
shape,
casting,
template,
pattern,
frame;
sculpture, model, replica, copy, representation, mock-up,
imitation, reproduction, figure.
2 a cast of the dice: throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, shy, lob,
flip; informal chuck, heave, sling, bung, go.
3 a child with an enquiring, ironical cast of mind: type, sort,
kind, variety, class, style, stamp, nature, manner, pattern,
grain, mould, ilk, kidney, strain, brand, genre; turn,
inclination, bent.
4 he had a pronounced cast in one eye : squint, cross-eyes;
Brit. informal boss-eye; technical strabismus.
5 he joined the cast of ‘The Barber of Seville’: actors,
performers,
players,
personae, characters.
company,
troupe;
dramatisby far this would be by far the best solution: by a great
amount, by a good deal, by a long way/chalk/shot, by a
mile, far and away; undoubtedly, doubtlessly, without
doubt, without question, decidedly, markedly, positively,
absolutely,
easily,
immeasurably;
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, much; informal as sure as eggs is
eggs.
far and away they were far and away the most powerful
union. See by far.
by any means [ with negative ] in any way; at all: I'm not
poor by any means.
by and large on the whole; everything considered:
mammals have, by and large, bigger brains than reptiles.
[originally in nautical use, describing the handling of a
ship both to the wind and off it.by |bʌɪ|
preposition
1 identifying the agent performing an action:
• after a passive verb: the door was opened by my cousin
Annie | damage caused by fire.
• after a noun denoting an action: a clear decision by the
electorate | years of hard fund-raising work by local people.
• identifying the author of a text, idea, or work of art: a
book by Ernest Hemingway.
2 [ often with verbal noun ] indicating the means of
achieving something: malaria can be controlled by attacking
the parasite | they substantiate their opinions by the use of
precise textual reference | they plan to provide further
working capital by means of borrowing.
• indicating a term to which an interpretation is to be
assigned: what is meant by ‘fair’?
• indicating a name according to which a person is
known: she mostly calls me by my last name.• indicating the means of transport selected for a
journey: the cost of travelling by bus | I travelled to
Folkestone by rail.
• indicating the other parent of someone's child or
children: Richard is his son by his third wife.
• indicating the sire of a pedigree animal, especially a
horse: a black filly by Goldfuerst.
• (followed by a noun without a determiner) in various
phrases indicating how something happens: I heard by
chance that she has married again | Anderson, by contrast,
rejects this view | she ate by candlelight.
3 indicating the amount or size of a margin: the shot
missed her by miles | the raising of VAT by 2.5%.
• indicating a quantity or amount: billing is by the minute
| the drunken yobbos who turned up by the cartload.
• in phrases indicating something happening repeatedly
or progressively, typically with repetition of a unit of
time: colours changing minute by minute | the risk becomes
worse by the day.• identifying a parameter: a breakdown of employment
figures by age and occupation.
• expressing multiplication, especially in dimensions: a
map measuring 400 by 600 mm | she multiplied it by 89.
4 indicating a deadline or the end of a particular time
period: I've got to do this report by Monday | by now Kelly
needed extensive physiotherapy.
5 indicating location of a physical object beside a place or
object: remains were discovered by the roadside | the pram
was by the dresser.
• past and beyond: I drove by our house.
6 indicating the period in which something happens: this
animal always hunts by night.
7 concerning; according to: anything you do is all right by
me | she had done her duty by him.
8 used in mild oaths: it was the least he could do, by God | I
swear by Almighty God.
adverbso as to go past: a car flashed by on the other side of the road
| he let only a moment go by.
noun (pl.byes)
variant spelling of bye 1 .
PHRASES
by and by before long; eventually.
by the by (or bye)incidentally: where's Hector, by the by?
by and large on the whole; everything considered:
mammals have, by and large, bigger brains than reptiles.
[originally in nautical use, describing the handling of a
ship both to the wind and off it.]
by oneself 1 alone: she lives in the apartment by herself. 2
unaided: the patient often learns to undress by himself.
by way of see way.
ORIGIN Old English bī, bi, be, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch bij and German bei .
means |miːnz|
pluralnoun1 [ treated as sing. or pl. ] (often means of/to do
something) an action or system by which a result is
achieved; a method: technology seen as a means to bring
about emancipation | resolving disputes by peaceful means.
2 financial resources; income: a woman of modest but
independent means.
• substantial resources; wealth: a man of means.
PHRASES
beyond (or within) one's means beyond (or within)
one's budget or income. the government is living beyond its
means. a flat that was within her means.
by all means of course; certainly (granting a permission):
‘May I make a suggestion?’ ‘By all means.’.
by any means [ with negative ] in any way; at all: I'm not
poor by any means.
by means of with the help of; by using: supplying water to
cities by means of aqueducts.
by no means (or by no manner of means)not at all;
certainly not: the outcome is by no means guaranteed.means of grace Christian Theology the sacraments and
other religious agencies viewed as the means by which
divine grace is imparted to the soul, or by which growth
in grace is promoted.
means of production (in a political context) the facilities
and resources for producing goods. in this society the
means of production are communally owned.
a means to an end a thing that is not valued or important
in itself but is useful in achieving an aim: higher education
was seen primarily as a means to an end.
ORIGIN late Middle English: plural of mean 3 , the early
sense being ‘intermediary’.
far
adverb
1 not far from the palace a fine garden was built: a long way,
a great distance, a good way, afar. ANTONYMS near.
2 the liveliness of the production far outweighs any flaws:
much,
very
much,
considerably,
markedly,immeasurably,
decidedly,
greatly,
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, signally;
to a great extent/degree, by much, by a great amount, by
a great deal, by a long way, by far, by a mile, easily.
ANTONYMS slightly.
PHRASES
by far this would be by far the best solution: by a great
amount, by a good deal, by a long way/chalk/shot, by a
mile, far and away; undoubtedly, doubtlessly, without
doubt, without question, decidedly, markedly, positively,
absolutely,
easily,
immeasurably;
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, much; informal as sure as eggs is
eggs.
far and away they were far and away the most powerful
union. See by far.
far and near guests had travelled from far and near to be
there. See everywhere.
far and wide he was known far and wide. See everywhere.far from staff were far from happy with the outcome: not, not
at all, nowhere near, a long way from, the opposite of.
go far she was a girl who would go far: be successful,
succeed, prosper, flourish, thrive, get on, get on in the
world, make good, make one's way in the world, make
headway/progress, gain advancement, climb the ladder
of success, rise in the world, set the world on fire; Brit.
set the Thames on fire; informal make a name for oneself,
make one's mark, go places, make it, make the grade, cut
it, get somewhere, do all right for oneself, arrive, find a
place in the sun, be someone. ANTONYMS fail.
go too far they locked him up because he went too far: go
over the top, go to extremes, go overboard, not know
when to stop.
so far 1 nobody had taken any notice of me so far: until now,
up till/to now, up to this point, as yet, thus far, hitherto,
up to the present, until/till the present, to date, by this
time; rare heretofore, thitherto. 2 his liberalism only extends
so far: to a certain extent, to a limited extent, up to apoint, to a degree, to some extent, within reason, within
limits.
adjective
1 he'd travelled to far places in the war: distant, faraway, far
off; remote, out of the way, far flung, far removed,
outlying, obscure, isolated, cut-off, inaccessible, off the
beaten track, in the back of beyond, godforsaken.
ANTONYMS near; neighbouring.
2 a building on the far side of the campus: further, more
distant; opposite. ANTONYMS near.
obstacle |ˈɒbstək(ə)l|
noun
a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders
progress: the major obstacle to achieving that goal is money.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
obstaculum, from obstare ‘impede’, from ob- ‘against’ +
stare ‘stand’.obstacle
noun
lack of childcare provision was cited as a major obstacle for
women who wish to participate in training initiatives: barrier,
hurdle,
stumbling
block,
bar,
block,
impediment,
hindrance, snag, catch, drawback, hitch, handicap,
deterrent,
complication,
difficulty,
problem,
disadvantage, baulk, curb, check, stop, interference;
obstruction, barricade, blockade; informal fly in the
ointment, hiccup, facer; Brit. informal spanner in the
works; N. Amer. informal monkey wrench in the works;
dated
cumber;
literary
trammel.
ANTONYMS
advantage, asset, aid.
denouement |deɪˈnuːmɒ̃ | (also dénouement)
noun
the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the
strands of the plot are drawn together and matters areexplained
or
resolved.
the
film's
denouement
was
unsatisfying and ambiguous.
• the outcome of a situation, when something is decided
or made clear: I waited by the eighteenth green to see the
denouement.
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: French dénouement, from
dénouer ‘unknot’.
denouement, dénouement
noun
1 the film's denouement was unsatisfying and ambiguous:
finale, final scene, final act, last act, epilogue, coda, end,
ending, finish, close; culmination, climax, conclusion,
resolution, solution, clarification, unravelling; informal
wind-up. ANTONYMS beginning.
2 the debate had an unexpected denouement: outcome,
upshot, consequence, result, end result, end, ending,
termination, culmination, climax; informal pay-off; dated
issue; archaic success. ANTONYMS origin.cessation |sɛˈseɪʃ(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end:
the cessation of hostilities | [ count noun ] : a cessation of
animal testing of cosmetics.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin cessatio(n-),
from cessare ‘cease’.
cessation
noun
the cessation of hostilities: end, ending, termination,
stopping, halting, ceasing, finish, finishing, stoppage,
closing,
closure,
discontinuation,
close,
conclusion,
discontinuance,
winding
breaking
up,
off,
abandonment, interruption, suspension, cutting short;
pause,
break,
respite,
resumption.
mollify |ˈmɒlɪfʌɪ|
let-up.
ANTONYMS
start;verb (mollifies, mollifying, mollified) [ with obj. ]
appease the anger or anxiety of (someone): nature reserves
were set up around the power stations to mollify local
conservationists.
• rare reduce the severity of (something). the women
hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment.
DERIVATIVES
mollification |-fɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
mollifier noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense ‘make soft
or supple’): from French mollifier or Latin mollificare,
from mollis ‘soft’.
mollify
verb
1 nature reserves were set up to mollify local conservationists:
appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, humour, soothe, calm,
calm down, still, quieten, propitiate; Austral. square
someone off. ANTONYMS enrage.2 the government's undertaking mollified the fears of the
public: allay, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, ease, lessen,
reduce, moderate, lull, temper, tone down, cushion,
quell, soften, blunt. ANTONYMS inflame, aggravate.
assuage |əˈsweɪdʒ|
verb [ with obj. ]
make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense: the letter
assuaged the fears of most members.
• satisfy (an appetite or desire): an opportunity occurred to
assuage her desire for knowledge.
DERIVATIVES
assuagement noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French assouagier,
asouagier, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) +
suavis ‘sweet’.
assuage
verb1 an aching pain that could never be assuaged: relieve, ease,
alleviate, soothe, mitigate, dampen, allay, calm, palliate,
abate, lull, temper, suppress, smother, stifle, subdue,
tranquillize, mollify, moderate, modify, tone down,
attenuate, dilute, lessen, diminish, decrease, reduce,
lower; put an end to, put a stop to, take the edge off;
informal kill; rare lenify. ANTONYMS aggravate.
2 her physical hunger could be quickly assuaged: satisfy,
fulfil, gratify, appease, indulge, relieve, slake, sate,
satiate, quench, quell, overcome, check, keep in check,
dull,
blunt,
allay,
take
the
edge
off,
diminish.
ANTONYMS intensify.
boisterous |ˈbɔɪst(ə)rəs|
adjective
noisy, energetic, and cheerful: a group of boisterous lads.
• (of weather or water) wild or stormy: the boisterous
wind was lulled.
DERIVATIVESboisterously adverb,
boisterousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘rough, stiff’):
variant of earlier boistuous‘rustic, coarse, boisterous’, of
unknown origin.
boisterous
adjective
1 a boisterous game of handball: lively, active, animated,
exuberant, spirited, bouncy, frisky, excited, overexcited,
in high spirits, high-spirited, ebullient, vibrant, rowdy,
unruly, wild, uproarious, unrestrained, undisciplined,
uninhibited, uncontrolled, abandoned, rough, romping,
rollicking, disorderly, knockabout, riotous, rip-roaring,
rumbustious,
roistering,
tumultuous;
noisy,
loud,
clamorous, clangorous. ANTONYMS quiet, restrained.
2 a boisterous wind: blustery, gusting, gusty, breezy,
windy, stormy, wild, squally, rough, choppy, turbulent,tempestuous, howling, roaring, raging, furious; informal
blowy. ANTONYMS calm, quiet.
WORD TOOLKIT
boisterous
See rowdy.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
industrious |ɪnˈdʌstrɪəs|
adjective
diligent and hard-working. an industrious people striving
to make their country prosperous.
DERIVATIVES
industriously adverb,
industriousness noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘skilful, clever,
ingenious’): from French industrieux or late Latin
industriosus, from Latin industria ‘diligence’.industrious
adjective
he was honest, sober, and industrious: hard-working,
diligent, assiduous, sedulous, conscientious, steady,
painstaking,
persistent,
persevering,
pertinacious,
unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, studious;
busy, busy as a bee, active, bustling, energetic, on the go,
vigorous,
determined,
dynamic,
driven,
zealous,
productive; with one's shoulder to the wheel, with one's
nose to the grindstone; archaic laborious. ANTONYMS
indolent.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
industrious, diligent, hard-working
See hard-working.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
uncaring |ʌnˈkɛːrɪŋ|
adjective1 not displaying sympathy or concern for others: an
uncaring father.
2 not feeling interest in or attaching importance to
something: she had always been uncaring of her appearance.
DERIVATIVES
uncaringly adverb
daring |ˈdɛːrɪŋ|
adjective
(of a person or action) adventurous or audaciously bold:
a daring crime.
• causing outrage or surprise by being boldly
unconventional: a pretty girl in daring clothes.
noun [ mass noun ]
adventurous courage. the daring of the players brings
fortune or ruin.
DERIVATIVES
daringly adverb
dare |dɛː|verb (3rd sing. present usu. dare before an expressed or
implied infinitive)
1 (as modal usu. with infinitive with or without to often
with negative) have the courage to do something: a story
he dare not write down | she leaned forward as far as she
dared.
• (how dare you) used to express indignation at
something: how dare you talk to me like that!
• (don't you dare) used to order someone threateningly
not to do something: don't you dare touch me.
2 [ with obj. and infinitive ] defy or challenge (someone)
to do something: she was daring him to disagree | [ with
obj. ] : swap with me, I dare you.
3 [ with obj. ] literary take the risk of; brave: few dared his
wrath.
noun
a challenge, especially to prove courage: she ran across a
main road for a dare.
PHRASESI dare say (or daresay)used to indicate that one believes
something is probable: I dare say you've heard about her.
DERIVATIVES
darer noun
ORIGIN Old English durran, of Germanic origin; related
to Gothic gadaursan, from an Indo-European root shared
by Greek tharsein and Sanskrit dhṛṣ- ‘be bold’.
daring
adjective
a lone torpedo-bomber attempted a daring attack on the
battleship:
bold,
audacious,
adventurous,
intrepid,
venturesome, fearless, brave, unafraid, unshrinking,
undaunted, dauntless, valiant, valorous, heroic, dashing;
confident, enterprising; madcap, rash, reckless, heedless;
informal
gutsy,
adventuresome,
cautious.
noun
spunky,
venturous.
peppy,
pushy;
ANTONYMS
rare
cowardly;this recording eclipses the others by its sheer daring:
boldness, audacity, temerity, audaciousness, fearlessness,
intrepidity, bravery, courage, courageousness, valour,
valorousness, heroism, pluck; recklessness, rashness,
foolhardiness; adventurousness, enterprise, dynamism,
spirit, mettle, confidence; informal nerve, guts, gutsiness,
spunk, grit; Brit. informal bottle, ballsiness; N. Amer.
informal moxie, cojones, sand; vulgar slang balls; rare
venturousness,
temerariousness.
ANTONYMS
cowardice; caution.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
daring, bold, audacious
See bold.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
dare
verb
1 nobody dared to say a word: be brave enough, have the
courage, pluck up courage, take the risk; venture, havethe nerve, have the temerity, make so bold as, be so bold
as, have the effrontery, have the audacity, presume, go so
far as; risk doing, hazard doing, take the liberty of doing;
informal stick one's neck out, go out on a limb; N. Amer.
informal take a flyer; archaic make bold to.
2 she dared him to go: challenge, provoke, goad, taunt,
defy, summon, invite, bid; throw down the gauntlet to.
noun
she didn't quite know why she accepted the dare: challenge,
provocation, goad, taunt; gauntlet, invitation, ultimatum,
summons.
audacious |ɔːˈdeɪʃəs|
adjective
1 showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks: a
series of audacious takeovers.
2 showing an impudent lack of respect: he made an
audacious remark.
DERIVATIVESaudaciously adverb,
audaciousness noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin audax, audac-
‘bold’ (from audere ‘dare’) + -ious.
audacious
adjective
1 the audience were left gasping at his audacious exploits:
bold,
daring,
unflinching,
fearless,
courageous,
intrepid,
valiant,
brave,
unafraid,
valorous,
heroic,
dashing, plucky, daredevil, devil-may-care, death-or-
glory,
reckless,
venturesome,
wild,
madcap;
enterprising,
adventurous,
dynamic,
spirited,
mettlesome; informal game, gutsy, spunky, ballsy, have-
a-go,
go-ahead;
rare
venturous,
temerarious.
ANTONYMS timid.
2 Des made some audacious remark to her: impudent,
impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, forward, cheeky,
irreverent, discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, unmannerly, rude, crude,
brazen, brazen-faced, brash, shameless, pert, defiant,
bold, bold as brass, outrageous, shocking, out of line;
informal brass-necked, cocky, lippy, mouthy, fresh, flip;
Brit. informal saucy, smart-arsed; N. Amer. informal
sassy,
nervy,
smart-assed;
archaic
malapert,
contumelious; rare tossy, mannerless. ANTONYMS
polite.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
audacious, bold, daring
See bold.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
disseminate |dɪˈsɛmɪneɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
spread (something, especially information) widely: health
authorities should foster good practice by disseminating
information.• (usu. as adj.disseminated) spread throughout an organ
or the body: disseminated colonic cancer.
DERIVATIVES
disseminator noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin disseminat-
‘scattered’, from the verb disseminare, from dis- ‘abroad’
+ semen, semin- ‘seed’.
disseminate
verb
health authorities should foster good practice by disseminating
information: spread, circulate, distribute, disperse, diffuse,
proclaim,
promulgate,
propagate,
publicize,
communicate, pass on, make known, put about;
dissipate, scatter; broadcast, put on the air/airwaves,
publish; herald, trumpet; literary bruit abroad/about.
contradict |kɒntrəˈdɪkt|
verb [ with obj. ]deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite:
the survey appears to contradict the industry's claims |
[ with clause ] : he did not contradict what he said last week.
• assert the opposite of a statement made by (someone):
he did not contradict her but just said nothing | within five
minutes he had contradicted himself twice.
• be in conflict with: the existing layout of the city
contradicted the logic of the new centre.
DERIVATIVES
contradictor noun
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin contradict- ‘spoken
against’, from the verb contradicere, originally contra
dicere ‘speak against’.
contradict
verb
1 this statement was contradicted by the foreign minister:
deny, refute, rebut, dispute, counter; say the opposite of;formal gainsay; rare controvert, confute, negative.
ANTONYMS confirm, verify, agree with.
2 nobody dared to contradict him: challenge, oppose, argue
against, go against, be at variance with; formal gainsay,
impugn.
3 this research contradicts computer models which predict a
warmer, wetter world: conflict with, be at odds with, be at
variance with, disagree with, be inconsistent with, clash
with, run counter to, give the lie to, belie; negate;
informal fly in the face of, make a nonsense of, shoot full
of holes, drive a coach and horses through. ANTONYMS
corroborate, support.
persuade |pəˈsweɪd|
verb [ with obj. and infinitive ]
induce (someone) to do something through reasoning or
argument: it wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right
thing.• [ with obj. ] cause (someone) to believe something,
especially after a sustained effort; convince: health boards
were finally persuaded of the desirability of psychiatric units
| [ with obj. and clause ] : he did everything he could to
persuade the police that he was the robber.
• (of a situation or event) provide a sound reason for
(someone) to do something: the cost of the manor's
restoration persuaded them to take in guests.
DERIVATIVES
persuasible adjective
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from Latin persuadere, from per-
‘through, to completion’ + suadere ‘advise’.
usage: For a discussion of the difference between
persuade and convince, see usage at convince.
persuade
verb
1 he tried to persuade her to come with him: prevail on, talk
someone into, coax, convince, make, get, press someoneinto, induce, win someone over, bring someone round,
argue someone into, pressure someone into, pressurize
someone into, coerce, influence, sway, prompt, inveigle,
entice, tempt, lure, cajole, wheedle someone into, get
round, blarney, prod someone into, reason someone into;
Law procure; informal sweet-talk, smooth-talk, soft-soap,
twist someone's arm. ANTONYMS dissuade, discourage,
deter.
2 shortage of money persuaded them to abandon the scheme:
cause, lead, move, dispose, incline, motivate, induce.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
persuade, convince, induce
See convince.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
plummet |ˈplʌmɪt|
verb (plummets, plummeting, plummeted) [ no obj. ]fall or drop straight down at high speed: a climber was
killed when he plummeted 300 feet down an icy gully.
• decrease rapidly in value or amount: hardware sales
plummeted.
noun
1 a steep and rapid fall or drop. the bird has a circular
display flight followed by an earthward plummet.
2 a plumb or plumb line.
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Old
French plommet ‘small sounding lead’, diminutive of
plomb ‘lead’. The current verb sense dates from the
1930s.
plummet
verb
1 the plane plummeted to the ground: plunge, fall headlong,
hurtle, nosedive, dive, drop, crash, descend rapidly.2 share prices plummeted: fall steeply/sharply, plunge,
tumble, drop/decrease rapidly, go down, sink, slump;
informal crash, nosedive, take a nosedive.
stable 1 |ˈsteɪb(ə)l|
adjective (stabler, stablest)
(of an object or structure) not likely to give way or
overturn; firmly fixed: specially designed dinghies that are
very stable.
• (of a patient or their medical condition) not
deteriorating in health after an injury or operation: he is
now in a stable condition in hospital.
• sane and sensible; not easily upset or disturbed: the
officer concerned is mentally and emotionally stable.
• not likely to change or fail; firmly established: a stable
relationship | prices have remained relatively stable.
• not liable to undergo chemical decomposition,
radioactive decay, or other physical change. isocyanic acidreacts with amino groups to form a stable compound. stable
nuclei.
DERIVATIVES
stably adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French,
from Latin stabilis, from the base of stare ‘to stand’.
stable 2 |ˈsteɪb(ə)l|
noun
a building set apart and adapted for keeping horses. the
horse was led from its stable.
• an establishment where racehorses are kept and
trained. racing stables. the horse make his debut for the Mick
Naughton stable.
• the racehorses of a particular training establishment.
• an organization or establishment training or producing
a particular type of person or product: the player comes
from the same stable as Agassi.
verb [ with obj. ]put or keep (a horse) in a stable. they must be stabled and
fed.
• put or base (a train) in a depot. one of the two locomotives
stabled at Fort William.
PHRASES
shut (or bolt) the stable door after the horse has bolted
Brit.try to avoid or prevent something undesirable when
it is already too late to do so. to lock up young car thieves is
another example of bolting the stable door after the horse has
fled.
DERIVATIVES
stableful noun (pl.stablefuls)
ORIGIN Middle English: shortening of Old French
estable ‘stable, pigsty’, from Latin stabulum, from the
base of stare ‘to stand’.
stable
adjective1 a very stable tent: firm, solid, steady, secure, fixed,
strong, fast, stout, sturdy, safe, moored, anchored, stuck
down,
immovable,
well
built,
well
constructed,
substantial. ANTONYMS unstable, rickety.
2 a stable person: well balanced, balanced, sound,
mentally sound, of sound mind, sane, normal, right in
the head, in possession of all one's faculties, able to
think/reason
clearly,
lucid,
clear-headed,
rational,
coherent, steady, reasonable, sensible, sober, down-to-
earth, matter-of-fact, with both one's feet on the ground;
Latincompos mentis; informal all there. ANTONYMS
unstable, unbalanced.
3 a stable relationship | prices have remained relatively stable:
secure, solid, strong, steady, firm, sure, steadfast, level,
unwavering,
unvarying,
unfaltering,
unfluctuating,
unswerving; established, long-lasting, long-lived, deep-
rooted, well founded, well grounded, abiding, durable,
enduring,
lasting,
constant,
permanent,
reliable,dependable,
true.
ANTONYMS
unstable,
rocky,
changeable.
fresh |frɛʃ|
adjective
1 not previously known or used; new or different: the
court had heard fresh evidence.
• recently created or experienced and not faded or
impaired: the memory was still fresh in their minds.
• (of a person) attractively youthful and unspoilt. a fresh
young girl.
2 (of food) recently made or obtained; not tinned, frozen,
or otherwise preserved: fresh fruit.
3 [ predic. ] (of a person) full of energy and vigour: they
are feeling fresh after a good night's sleep.
• (of a colour or a person's complexion) bright or healthy
in appearance. a young constable with a fresh complexion.
the foliage was still a fresh colour.
4 (of water) not salty. all the fresh water in the world's lakes.5 (of the wind) cool and fairly strong. a fresh northerly
wind was speeding the ship southwards.
• Brit. informal (of the weather) rather cold and windy.
She shivered in the chilly air. ‘A bit fresh, isn't it?’.
• pleasantly clean and cool: a bit of fresh air does her good.
6 (fresh from/out of) (of a person) having just had (a
particular experience) or come from (a particular place):
we were fresh out of art school.
7 informal presumptuous towards someone, especially in
a sexual way: some of the men tried to get fresh with the
girls.
8 W. Indianhaving an unpleasant, slightly rotten smell:
this place was covered in water and smelled fresh like hell.
adverb [ usu. in combination ]
newly; recently: fresh-baked bread | fresh-cut grass.
PHRASES
be fresh out of informal have just sold or run out of a
supply of (something). we're fresh out of Stilton.
be (as) fresh as a daisy see daisy.fresh blood see blood.
DERIVATIVES
freshness noun
ORIGIN Old English fersc‘not salt, fit for drinking’,
superseded in Middle English by forms from Old French
freis, fresche; both ultimately of Germanic origin and
related to Dutch vers and German frisch .
fresh
adjective
1 salads made with fresh, wholesome ingredients: newly
harvested, garden-fresh, not stale, crisp, firm, unwilted,
unfaded;
raw,
natural,
unprocessed,
unpreserved,
undried, uncured, unsmoked, without additives, without
preservatives. ANTONYMS stale; processed.
2 she drew on a fresh sheet of paper: clean, blank, empty,
bare,
clear,
plain,
white;
unused,
new,
pristine,
unmarked, unfilled, untouched. ANTONYMS used.3 a fresh approach to studying: new, brand new, recent,
latest, up to date, modern, modernistic, ultra-modern,
newfangled;
original,
novel,
different,
innovative,
unusual, uncommon, unwonted, out of the ordinary,
unconventional,
unorthodox,
offbeat,
radical,
revolutionary; Brit. out of the common. ANTONYMS
old, well-worn.
4 the general knew fresh forces were coming: additional,
further, extra, added, supplementary, supplemental,
auxiliary; more, other, new.
5 a row of fresh recruits: young, youthful, juvenile,
adolescent,
boyish,
girlish,
new,
newly
arrived;
inexperienced, untrained, unqualified, untried, raw,
callow, green, immature, artless, ingenuous, naive;
informal wet behind the ears. ANTONYMS experienced.
6 I must be fresh for work in the morning: refreshed, rested,
restored, revived, like a new person; fresh as a daisy,
energetic, vigorous, invigorated, full of vim and vigour,
vital, lively, vibrant, spry, sprightly, bright, alert,bouncing, perky; informal full of beans, raring to go,
bright-eyed
and
bushy-tailed,
chirpy,
chipper.
ANTONYMS tired.
7 she had the fresh complexion of a true Celt: healthy,
healthy-looking,
clear,
bright,
youthful,
youthful-
looking, wholesome, blooming, glowing, unblemished;
fair, rosy, rosy-cheeked, pink, pinkish, reddish, ruddy,
flushed, blushing. ANTONYMS unhealthy.
8 the morning was clear and fresh: cool, crisp, refreshing,
invigorating, tonic; pure, clean, clear, unpolluted,
uncontaminated, untainted.
9 a fresh wind had sprung up from the east: chilly, cool, cold,
brisk, bracing, invigorating; bleak, wintry, snowy, frosty,
icy, ice-cold, icy-cold, glacial, polar, arctic, raw, bitter,
bitterly cold, biting; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky;
literary chill; rare gelid, brumal. ANTONYMS warm,
sultry.
10 informal that young man has been getting a little too fresh:
impudent,
impertinent,
insolent,
presumptuous,audacious, forward, cheeky, irreverent, discourteous,
disrespectful, insubordinate, rude, crude, brazen, brazen-
faced, brash, shameless, pert, defiant, bold, (as) bold as
brass, outrageous, shocking, out of line; informal brass-
necked, cocky, lippy, mouthy, flip; Brit. informal saucy,
smart-arsed; N. Amer. informal sassy, nervy, smart-assed;
rare
malapert,
contumelious,
tossy,
mannerless.
ANTONYMS polite.
favourable |ˈfeɪv(ə)rəb(ə)l| (USfavorable)
adjective
1 expressing approval: the exhibitions received favourable
reviews.
• giving consent: their demands rarely received a favourable
response.
2 to the advantage of someone or something: favourable
conditions for vegetation growth | the settlement was
favourable to the unions.• (of a wind) blowing in the direction of travel. by sailing
towards the land first you will find more favourable wind.
• suggesting a good outcome: a favourable prognosis.
DERIVATIVES
favourableness noun
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
favorabilis, from favor (see favour) .
favourable
adjective
1 a favourable assessment of his ability: approving,
commendatory, commending, praising, complimentary,
flattering, glowing, appreciative, enthusiastic; good,
pleasing, agreeable, successful, positive; informal rave.
ANTONYMS unfavourable; critical.
2
the
birds
nest
where
conditions
are
favourable:
advantageous, beneficial, of benefit, in one's favour, on
one's side, helpful, good, right, conducive, convenient,
suitable, fit, fitting, appropriate; propitious, auspicious,hopeful, promising, fair, encouraging. ANTONYMS
disadvantageous.
3 he hoped for a favourable reply to his request: positive,
affirmative, assenting, agreeing, concurring, approving,
in the affirmative; encouraging, reassuring, supportive,
in one's favour. ANTONYMS negative.
angry |ˈaŋgri|
adjective (angrier, angriest)
feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or
hostility; full of anger: why are you angry with me? | I'm
angry that she didn't call me.
• (of the sea or sky) stormy, turbulent, or threatening: the
wild, angry sea.
• (of a wound or sore) red and inflamed. the bruise below
his eye looked angry and sore.
DERIVATIVES
angrily adverbangry
adjective
1 Vivienne got angry and started shouting | she shot him an
angry look: irate, annoyed, cross, vexed, irritated,
exasperated,
indignant,
aggrieved,
irked,
piqued,
displeased, provoked, galled, resentful; furious, enraged,
infuriated, in a temper, incensed, raging, incandescent,
wrathful, fuming, ranting, raving, seething, frenzied, in a
frenzy, beside oneself, outraged, in high dudgeon;
irascible,
bad-tempered,
hot-tempered,
choleric,
splenetic, dyspeptic, tetchy, testy, crabby, waspish;
hostile, antagonistic, black, dark, dirty, filthy; informal
mad, hopping mad, wild, livid, as cross as two sticks,
boiling, apoplectic, aerated, hot under the collar, riled, on
the warpath, up in arms, with all guns blazing, foaming
at the mouth, steamed up, in a lather, in a paddy, fit to be
tied, aggravated, snappy, snappish; Brit. informal shirty,
stroppy, narky, ratty, eggy; N. Amer. informal sore, bent
out of shape, soreheaded, teed off, ticked off; Austral./NZ informal ropeable, snaky, crook; W. Indian informal
vex; Brit. informal, dated in a bate, waxy; vulgar slang
pissed off; N. Amer. vulgar slang pissed; literary ireful,
wroth. ANTONYMS calm; pleased.
2 an angry debate erupted: heated, hot, passionate, furious,
fiery, stormy, tempestuous, lively; bad-tempered, ill-
tempered,
acrimonious,
bitter. ANTONYMS
good-
humoured, peaceful.
3 he had an angry spot on the side of his nose: inflamed, red,
swollen, sore, painful.
PHRASES
get angry lose one's temper, become enraged, go into a
rage, rant and rave, go berserk, fume, seethe, flare up,
bristle; informal go/get mad, go crazy, go wild, go
bananas, hit the roof, go through the roof, go up the wall,
jump up and down, see red, go off the deep end, fly off
the handle, blow one's top, blow a fuse/gasket, lose
one's rag, go ape, burst a blood vessel, breathe fire, flip,
flip one's lid, foam at the mouth, get all steamed up, getworked up, have a fit, explode, have steam coming out
of one's ears, gnash one's teeth, go non-linear, go
ballistic, go into orbit, go psycho; Brit. informal go spare,
go crackers, do one's nut, get one's knickers in a twist,
throw a wobbly; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow
one's lid/stack, have a cow, go postal, have a conniption
fit; vulgar slang go apeshit.
volatile |ˈvɒlətʌɪl|
adjective
1 (of a substance) easily evaporated at normal
temperatures. volatile solvents such as petroleum ether,
hexane, and benzene.
2 liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially
for the worse: the political situation was becoming more
volatile.
• (of a person) liable to display rapid changes of
emotion. a passionate, volatile young man.3 (of a computer's memory) retaining data only as long
as there is a power supply connected.
noun (usu. volatiles)
a volatile substance.
DERIVATIVES
volatility |-ˈtɪlɪti| noun
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘creature that flies’,
also, as a collective, ‘birds’): from Old French volatil or
Latin volatilis, from volare ‘to fly’.
volatile
adjective
1 her sister was headstrong and volatile: unpredictable,
changeable, variable, inconstant, inconsistent, uncertain,
erratic,
irregular,
unstable,
turbulent,
unsteady,
unsettled, unreliable, undependable, changing, ever-
changing, varying, shifting, fluctuating, fluid, mutable,
protean, fitful, wavering, full of ups and downs;
mercurial, capricious, whimsical, fickle, flighty, giddy,impulsive, wayward, temperamental, highly strung,
excitable,
choleric,
emotional,
stormy,
overemotional,
tempestuous,
fiery,
volcanic;
moody,
informal
blowing hot and cold; technical labile; rare fluctuant,
changeful. ANTONYMS stable, constant.
2 the atmosphere in the capital seems far too volatile for any
talk
of
elections:
uncomfortable,
tense,
strained,
charged,
fraught,
explosive,
uneasy,
eruptive,
inflammatory, turbulent, in turmoil, full of upheavals;
informal hairy, nail-biting, white-knuckle; Brit. informal
dodgy. ANTONYMS stable, calm.
3 a plume of pollution caused by a volatile organic compound:
evaporative, vaporous, vaporescent; explosive, eruptive,
inflammable; unstable; technical labile.
foul |faʊl|
adjective1 offensive to the senses, especially through having a
disgusting smell or taste or being dirty: a foul odour | his
foul breath.
• informal very disagreeable or unpleasant: the news had
put Michelle in a foul mood.
2 wicked or immoral: murder most foul.
• (of language) obscene. foul oaths. foul language.
• done contrary to the rules of a sport: a foul tackle.
3 containing or full of noxious matter; polluted: foul,
swampy water.
• (foul with) clogged or choked with: the land was foul
with weeds.
• Nautical (of a rope or anchor) entangled.
• (of a ship's bottom) overgrown with weed, barnacles,
or similar matter.
4 (of the weather) wet and stormy. he walked in fair and
foul weather. the weather turned foul.• Sailing (of wind or tide) opposed to one's desired
course. it sometimes becomes advantageous to anchor during
the periods of foul tide.
noun
(in sport) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play,
especially one involving interference with an opponent.
the midfielder was booked for a foul on Ford.
• a collision or entanglement in riding, rowing, or
running.
adverb
contrary to the rules; unfairly.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 make foul or dirty; pollute: factories which fouled the
atmosphere.
• (of an animal) make (something) dirty with excrement:
make sure that your pet never fouls paths.
• (foul oneself) (of a person) defecate involuntarily.
2 (in sport) commit a foul against (an opponent). United
claim their keeper was fouled.3 (of a ship) collide with or interfere with the passage of
(another). the ships became overcrowded and fouled each
other.
• cause (a cable, anchor, or other object) to become
entangled or jammed: watch out for driftwood which might
foul up the engine.
PHRASES
foul one's (own) nest do something damaging or
harmful to oneself or one's own interests. we seem to have
fouled our own nest, running up huge debts and deficits.
PHRASAL VERBS
foul something up (or foul up)make a mistake with or
spoil something: leaders should admit when they foul things
up.
DERIVATIVES
foully adverb,
foulness noun
ORIGIN Old English fūl, of Germanic origin; related to
Old Norse fúll ‘foul’, Dutch vuil ‘dirty’, and Germanfaul ‘rotten, lazy’, from an Indo-European root shared by
Latin pus,Greek puos ‘pus’, and Latin putere ‘to stink’.
spiritless |ˈspɪrɪtlɪs|
adjective
lacking courage, vigour, or vivacity: Ruth and I played a
spiritless game of Scrabble.
DERIVATIVES
spiritlessly adverb,
spiritlessness noun
spiritless
adjective
Lilian was a pallid, spiritless woman | a spiritless
performance: apathetic, passive, unenthusiastic, lifeless,
listless, lacking in vitality, weak, feeble, spineless,
droopy, limp, languid, bloodless, insipid, characterless,
submissive, meek, irresolute, indecisive; lacklustre, flat,
colourless, passionless, uninspiring, uninspired, wooden,dry, desiccated, unimpassioned, anaemic, vapid, dull,
boring; informal wishy-washy; Brit. vulgar slang half-
arsed. ANTONYMS spirited, lively.
heartless |ˈhɑːtlɪs|
adjective
displaying a complete lack of feeling or consideration:
heartless thieves stole the pushchair of a two-year-old boy.
DERIVATIVES
heartlessly adverb,
heartlessness noun
heartless
adjective
heartless thieves stole the pushchair of a two-year-old boy:
unfeeling, unsympathetic, unkind, uncaring, unloving,
unmoved, unconcerned, insensitive, inconsiderate, hard-
hearted, stony-hearted, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, with
a heart of stone, lacking compassion, mean-spirited,without sentiment, hard as nails; cold, hard, harsh, stern,
callous,
cruel,
brutal,
merciless,
pitiless,
ruthless,
inhuman. ANTONYMS compassionate.
mindless |ˈmʌɪndlɪs|
adjective
1 acting or done without justification and with no
concern for the consequences: a generation of mindless
vandals | mindless violence.
• (of an activity) so simple or repetitive as to be
performed automatically. the monotony of housework turns
it into a mindless task.
2 (mindless of) not thinking of or concerned about:
mindless of the fact she was in her nightie, she rushed to the
door.
DERIVATIVES
mindlessly adverb,
mindlessness nounmindless
adjective
1 some mindless idiot nearly drove into me: stupid, idiotic,
brainless, imbecilic, imbecile, asinine, witless, foolish,
empty-headed, vacuous, unintelligent, half-witted, dull,
slow-witted,
obtuse,
weak-minded,
feather-brained,
doltish, blockish; informal dumb, moronic, pig-ignorant,
dead from the neck up, brain-dead, cretinous, thick,
thickheaded,
birdbrained,
pea-brained,
pinheaded,
dopey, dim, dim-witted, dippy, pie-faced, fat-headed,
blockheaded, boneheaded, lamebrained, chuckleheaded,
dunderheaded,
wooden-headed,
damfool,
muttonheaded; Brit. informal divvy; Scottish & N.
English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass,
chowderheaded; S. African informal dof; W. Indian
informal dotish. ANTONYMS intelligent.
2 mindless acts of vandalism: unthinking, thoughtless,
senseless, gratuitous, careless, wanton, indiscriminate,unreasoning, uncalled for, brutish, barbarous, barbaric.
ANTONYMS thoughtful, considered, premeditated.
3 a mindless, repetitive task: mechanical, automatic,
routine, robotic; tedious, boring, monotonous, brainless,
mind-numbing. ANTONYMS interesting.
PHRASES
mindless of she was mindless of the consequences of her
actions: indifferent to, heedless of, unaware of, unmindful
of, careless of, insensible to, blind to.
ebullient |ɪˈbʌljənt, -ˈbʊl-|
adjective
1 cheerful and full of energy: she sounded ebullient and
happy.
2 archaic (of liquid or matter) boiling or agitated as if
boiling: misted and ebullient seas.
DERIVATIVES
ebulliently adverb,
ebulliency nounORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘boiling’): from Latin
ebullient- ‘boiling up’, from the verb ebullire, from e-
(variant of ex-)‘out’ + bullire ‘to boil’.
ebullient
adjective
the superb weather put him in an ebullient mood: exuberant,
buoyant, cheerful, joyful, cheery, merry, sunny, breezy,
jaunty, light-hearted, in high spirits, high-spirited,
exhilarated, elated,
euphoric,
sparkling, effervescent,
jubilant,
vivacious,
animated,
enthusiastic,
irrepressible; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, zingy,
upbeat, chipper, chirpy, smiley, sparky, full of beans; N.
Amer.
informal
peart;
literary
gladsome,
blithe,
blithesome; dated gay; archaic as merry as a grig, of
good cheer. ANTONYMS depressed.
ebullient
adjectivethe superb weather put him in an ebullient mood: exuberant,
buoyant, cheerful, joyful, cheery, merry, sunny, breezy,
jaunty, light-hearted, in high spirits, high-spirited,
exhilarated, elated,
euphoric,
sparkling, effervescent,
jubilant,
vivacious,
animated,
enthusiastic,
irrepressible; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, zingy,
upbeat, chipper, chirpy, smiley, sparky, full of beans; N.
Amer.
informal
peart;
literary
gladsome,
blithe,
blithesome; dated gay; archaic as merry as a grig, of
good cheer. ANTONYMS depressed.
fall
verb
1 bombers screamed above and bombs began to fall: drop,
drop down, plummet, descend, come down, go down,
plunge, sink, dive, nosedive, tumble, pitch; cascade;
technical gravitate. ANTONYMS rise.
2 he lost his balance and fell: topple over, tumble over, keel
over, fall down, fall over, go head over heels, go end overend, fall headlong, go headlong, collapse, fall in a heap,
take a spill, pitch forward; trip, trip over, stumble,
stagger, slip, slide; informal come a cropper, go for six;
dated measure one's length. ANTONYMS get up.
3 inflation is expected to fall: decrease, decline, diminish,
fall off, drop off, go down, grow less, lessen, dwindle;
plummet, plunge, slump, sink; depreciate, decrease in
value, lose value, decline in price, cheapen, devalue;
informal hit the floor, go through the floor, nosedive,
take a nosedive, take a header, go into a tailspin, crash.
ANTONYMS rise, increase.
4 the Mogul empire fell several centuries later: decline,
deteriorate, degenerate, go downhill, go to rack and ruin;
die, decay, atrophy, wither, fade, fail; informal go to the
dogs, go to pot, hit the skids, go down the toilet, go
down the tubes; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack;
rare retrograde. ANTONYMS flourish.
5 a monument to those who fell in the Civil War: die, be
killed, be slain, be a casualty, be a fatality, be lost, loseone's life, perish, drop dead, meet one's end, meet one's
death; informal bite the dust, croak, buy it; Brit. informal
snuff it, peg out; N. Amer. informal bite the big one;
archaic decease.
6 the town fell to the barbarians: surrender, yield, submit,
give in, give up, give way, capitulate, succumb; be
overthrown by, be taken by, be defeated by, be conquered
by, be overcome by, be overwhelmed by, lose one's
position to, pass into the hands of, fall victim to.
ANTONYMS resist.
7 Easter falls on 23rd April: occur, take place, happen,
come about, come to pass.
8 he waited for night to fall: come, arrive, appear, occur,
arise, materialize.
9 my grandmother fell ill: become, come/get to be, grow,
get, turn.
10 more of the domestic tasks may fall to him: be the
responsibility of, be the duty of, be borne by, be one's job,
be one's task; come someone's way.PHRASES
fall about laughing I didn't know whether to get angry or
fall about laughing: guffaw, chuckle, chortle, cackle, howl,
roar, ha-ha, fall about, roar/hoot with laughter, shake
with laughter, be convulsed with laughter, dissolve into
laughter, split one's sides, be doubled up; informal be in
stitches, die laughing, be rolling in the aisles, laugh like a
drain, bust a gut, break up, be creased up, crease up,
crack up.
fall apart 1 my boots fell apart: fall to pieces, come to
pieces, fall to bits, come to bits, come apart (at the
seams); disintegrate, fragment, break up, break apart,
crumble, dissolve, degenerate, decay, moulder, perish; go
downhill,
go
to
rack
and
ruin;
informal
bust.
ANTONYMS remain intact. 2 I was gentle with him when
he fell apart: break down, have a breakdown, go to pieces,
fall to pieces, lose control, lose one's self-control,
crumble; informal crack up, freak, freak out.fall asleep Claire tried not to fall asleep: doze off, drop off,
go to sleep; informal nod off, go off, drift off, crash, crash
out, flake out, conk out, go out like a light; N. Amer.
informal sack out, zone out. ANTONYMS stay awake;
wake up.
fall away the ground fell away abruptly: slope down, slope,
slant
down,
go
down,
incline
downwards,
tilt
downwards, drop away, drop, descend, dip, sink,
plunge; rare decline. ANTONYMS rise.
fall back the force of her blow caused him to fall back: retreat,
withdraw, back off, draw back, pull back, pull away,
move away, retire, pull out; turn tail, flee, take flight, beat
a (hasty) retreat. ANTONYMS advance.
fall back on you can always fall back on the support of
relatives: resort to, turn to, look to, call on, call into play,
call into action, call into service, press into service, have
recourse to, make use of, use, employ; rely on, depend
on, lean on.fall behind 1 she walked so fast that the others soon fell
behind: lag, lag behind, trail, trail behind, be left behind,
fall back, drop back, not keep up, lose one's place, not
keep pace, bring up the rear; straggle, dally, dawdle,
hang back, drag one's feet, take one's time. ANTONYMS
overtake. 2 customers fell behind on their payments: get
into debt, get into arrears, default, be in the red, be late,
be overdue; not keep up with. ANTONYMS be up to
date.
fall down 1 I spin round and round till I fall down: fall over,
fall, topple over, tumble down, keel over, collapse, fall in
a heap, trip, take a spill, stumble, stagger; informal come
a cropper, go for six; dated measure one's length. 2 the
federation fell down in some areas: fail, be unsuccessful, not
succeed, lack success, not make the grade, not come up
to expectations, fall short, fall flat, disappoint; miss the
mark, run aground, go astray, suffer defeat; informal
come a cropper, flop. ANTONYMS come through,
succeed.fall for 1 she fell for a younger man: fall in love with,
become infatuated with, lose one's heart to, take a liking
to, take a fancy to, be smitten by, be attracted to, desire;
informal fancy, be turned on by, have the hots for. 2
Jenkins is far too astute to fall for that trick: be deceived by,
be duped by, be fooled by, be taken in by, accept, believe,
trust, be convinced by, have confidence in; informal go
for, buy, swallow, {swallow something hook, line, and
sinker}, take something as gospel.
fall in 1 the roof of our house fell in: collapse, cave in, come
down about one's ears, crash in, fall down; subside, sag,
slump, sink inwards; give way, crumple, crumble,
disintegrate, fall to pieces. ANTONYMS hold up. 2 he
ordered his troops to fall in: get in formation, get in line,
line up, take one's position, get in order, get into rows/
columns; Military dress; Brit. informal form a crocodile.
ANTONYMS fall out.
fall into place 1 it was at this point that everything began to
fall into place: become clear, come home to one, makesense, dawn, register, get through, sink in; informal click.
2 almost miraculously, the pieces fell into place: take shape,
come together, take form, become definite.
fall in with 1 he fell in with a bad crowd: get involved with,
take up with, join up with, go around with, string along
with, become friendly with, make friends with, strike up
a friendship with, start seeing, make the acquaintance of;
informal hang out with, hang about with, knock about/
around with. 2 he refused to fall in with their demands:
comply with, go along with, support, back, give one's
backing to, cooperate with, act in accordance with, obey,
yield to, submit to, bow to, defer to, adhere to, conform
to; agree to, agree with, accept, assent to, concur with.
ANTONYMS disobey.
fall off the amount of container shipping has fallen off:
decrease, decline, diminish, drop off, go down, go
downhill, grow less, lessen, dwindle, plummet, plunge,
slump, sink; informal hit the floor, go through the floor,nosedive, take a nosedive, take a header, go into a
tailspin, crash. ANTONYMS increase.
fall on 1 the army fell on the besiegers: attack, assail,
assault, make an assault on, fly at, let fly at, launch
oneself at, set about, set upon, pounce upon, ambush,
surprise, accost, rush, storm, charge; informal jump, lay
into, lace into, tear into, sail into, pitch into, get stuck
into, let someone have it, beat someone up; Brit. informal
have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. 2 the cost
should not fall on the students: be borne by, be carried by,
be the responsibility of, be paid by.
fall out 1 let's not fall out over silly things: quarrel, argue,
row, fight, have a row, have a fight, squabble, bicker,
have words, disagree, differ, have a difference of opinion,
have a disagreement, be at odds, clash, wrangle, get into
conflict, get into a dispute, cross swords, lock horns, be at
loggerheads, be at each other's throats; informal scrap,
argufy, go at it hammer and tongs, argy-bargy; archaic
altercate,
chop
logic;
Scottish
archaic
threap.ANTONYMS make up. 2 the soldier fell out without
permission: move out of formation, move out of line, get
out of line, get out of formation; stand at ease.
ANTONYMS fall in. 3 it fell out that we lost: happen,
occur, come about, take place, turn out, chance, arise,
befall, result.
fall short the results fall short of what was expected: fail to
meet, fail to reach, fail to live up to; be deficient, be
inadequate, be insufficient, be wanting, be lacking,
disappoint, fail, fail to live up to one's expectations;
informal not come up to scratch. ANTONYMS measure
up (to).
fall through unfortunately the deal fell through: fail, be
unsuccessful, come to nothing, come to naught, fail to
happen, miscarry, abort, go awry, be frustrated, collapse,
founder, come to grief; come to a halt, grind to a halt,
end, terminate; informal fizzle out, flop, fold, come a
cropper, blow up in someone's face, go down like a lead
balloon. ANTONYMS succeed.fall to dated you must take off your coats and fall to. See
start (sense 4 of the verb).
noun
1 he had an accidental fall: tumble, trip, spill, topple,
stumble, slip; collapse; informal nosedive, header,
cropper.
2 September's reports showed a fall in sales: decline, fall-off,
drop, dropping off, decrease, cut, lessening, lowering,
dip,
diminishing,
dwindling,
reduction,
plummet,
plunge, slump, deterioration, downswing; informal
nosedive, crash, let-up. ANTONYMS increase.
3 the fall of the Roman Empire: downfall, ruin, ruination,
collapse, failure, decline, deterioration, degeneration,
destruction, overthrow, demise. ANTONYMS rise.
4 the fall of the city to the enemy: surrender, surrendering,
capitulation,
yielding,
giving
in,
submission,
acquiescence, succumbing, resignation, laying down of
arms; defeat.5 there is a fall of some fifty feet down to the ocean: descent,
declivity, slope, downward slope, downward slant,
incline; N. Amer. downgrade. ANTONYMS ascent.
6 Christianity the Fall of Man: sin, sinning, wrongdoing,
transgression, error, yielding to temptation, offence,
lapse, fall from grace, backsliding; original sin.
7 (falls) they went on rafting trips below the falls: waterfall,
cascade, cataract, chute, torrent; rapids, white water; N.
English force; Scottish archaic linn.
stagnate
verb
1 there should be no points in the system where cleaning
solutions can stagnate: stop flowing, become stagnant,
become trapped; stand; become foul, become stale; fester,
putrefy. ANTONYMS flow.
2 imports rose while exports stagnated: become stagnant, do
nothing, stand still, be sluggish, lie dormant, be inert,languish, decline, deteriorate, fall. ANTONYMS rise,
boom.
equate |ɪˈkweɪt|
verb [ with obj. ] (often equate something to/with)
consider (one thing) to be the same as or equivalent to
another: customers equate their name with quality.
• [ no obj. ] (equate to/with) (of one thing) be the same
as or equivalent to (another): that sum equates to half a
million pounds today.
• cause (two or more things) to be the same in quantity
or value: the level of prices will move to equate supply and
demand.
DERIVATIVES
equatable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘make equal,
balance’): from Latin aequat- ‘made level or equal’, from
the verb aequare, from aequus (see equal). Current
senses date from the mid 19th cent.equate
verb
1 his single-mindedness led him to equate criticism with
treachery: regard as the same as, regard as identical to;
identify, liken to, compare; bracket, class, associate,
connect, pair, link, relate, ally, think of together, set side
by side.
2 the rent equates to £24 per square foot: correspond, be
equivalent, amount; equal, be the same as.
3 the price moved to equate supply and demand: equalize,
balance, even out/up/off, level up/off, square, tally,
match; make equal, make even, make level, make
equivalent, make identical, make the same, make
uniform.
sore |sɔː|
adjective1 (of a part of one's body) painful or aching: she had a sore
throat.
• suffering pain from a part of one's body: he was sore
from the long ride.
2 [ predic. ] informal, chiefly N. Amer.upset and angry: I
didn't even know they were sore at us.
3 [ attrib. ] severe; urgent: we're in sore need of him.
noun
a raw or painful place on the body: all of us had sores and
infections on our hands.
• a cause or source of distress or annoyance: there's no
point raking over the past and opening old sores.
adverb archaic
extremely; severely: they were sore afraid.
PHRASES
sore point an issue about which someone feels distressed
or annoyed and which it is therefore advisable to avoid
raising with them.stand (or stick) out like a sore thumb be very obviously
different from the surrounding people or things. you stick
out like a sore thumb in that ghastly uniform.
DERIVATIVES
soreness noun
ORIGIN Old English sār (noun and adjective), sāre
(adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zeer ‘sore’
and German sehr ‘very’. The original sense was ‘causing
intense pain, grievous’, whence the adverbial use.
sore
adjective
1 a sore leg: painful, in pain, hurting, hurt, aching,
throbbing,
smarting,
stinging,
burning,
irritating,
irritated, agonizing, excruciating; inflamed, angry, red,
reddened, sensitive, tender, delicate, chafed, raw,
bruised, wounded, injured. ANTONYMS healthy.
2 N. Amer. informal I didn't even know they were sore at us:
upset, angry, annoyed, cross, angered, furious, enraged,in a temper, bothered, vexed, displeased, disgruntled,
dissatisfied, indignant, exasperated, irritated, galled,
irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, resentful,
piqued, nettled, ruffled, in high dudgeon; informal
aggravated, miffed, peeved, riled, hacked off, peed off;
Brit. informal narked, eggy, cheesed off, browned off,
brassed off, not best pleased; N. Amer. informal teed off,
ticked off, steamed; vulgar slang pissed off. ANTONYMS
happy.
3 we are in sore need of you: dire, urgent, pressing,
desperate, critical, crucial, acute, grave, serious, intense,
crying, burning, compelling, drastic, extreme, life-and-
death, great, very great, terrible; archaic or humorous
parlous; rare exigent. ANTONYMS some, slight.
noun
a sore on his leg: inflammation, swelling, lesion; wound,
scrape, abrasion, chafe, cut, laceration, graze, contusion,
bruise; running sore, ulcer, ulceration, boil, abscess,
carbuncle, canker.plummet |ˈplʌmɪt|
verb (plummets, plummeting, plummeted) [ no obj. ]
fall or drop straight down at high speed: a climber was
killed when he plummeted 300 feet down an icy gully.
• decrease rapidly in value or amount: hardware sales
plummeted.
noun
1 a steep and rapid fall or drop. the bird has a circular
display flight followed by an earthward plummet.
2 a plumb or plumb line.
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Old
French plommet ‘small sounding lead’, diminutive of
plomb ‘lead’. The current verb sense dates from the
1930s.
plummet
verb1 the plane plummeted to the ground: plunge, fall headlong,
hurtle, nosedive, dive, drop, crash, descend rapidly.
2 share prices plummeted: fall steeply/sharply, plunge,
tumble, drop/decrease rapidly, go down, sink, slump;
informal crash, nosedive, take a nosedive.
play ducks and drakes with trifle with; treat frivolously.
who is this man, to play ducks and drakes with a scientific
expedition?
ducks and drakes
noun [ mass noun ]
a game of throwing flat stones so that they skim along
the surface of water.
PHRASES
play ducks and drakes with trifle with; treat frivolously.
who is this man, to play ducks and drakes with a scientific
expedition?ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from the movement of the stone
over the water.
play |pleɪ|
verb
1 [ no obj. ] engage in activity for enjoyment and
recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose: the
children were playing by a pool | her friends were playing
with their dolls.
• [ with obj. ] engage in (a game or activity) for
enjoyment: I want to play Snakes and Ladders.
• amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence: the
boys were playing at soldiers.
• (play at) engage in without proper seriousness or
understanding: it would be wrong to assume that he is
simply playing at right-wing politics.
• (play with) treat inconsiderately for one's own
amusement: she likes to play with people's emotions.
• (play with) fiddle or tamper with: has somebody been
playing with these taps?• [ with negative or in questions ] (be playing at) used to
convey one's irritation at someone's actions or one's
failure to understand their motives: what on earth do you
think you're playing at?
2 [ with obj. ] take part in (a sport): I play squash and
badminton.
• participate in (a sporting match or contest): the squad
will have played 14 games in six weeks.
• compete against (another player or team) in a sporting
match: the team will play France on Wednesday.
• [ no obj. ] be part of a team, especially in a specified
position, in a sporting contest: he played in goal.
• strike (a ball) or execute (a stroke) in a game. was he in
an offside position when his teammate played the ball?
• [ no obj., with adverbial ] (of a cricket ground) be in
such condition as to have a specified effect on play.
• assign to take part in a match, especially in a specified
position: the manager played his strongest side of the season.• move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one's turn
in a game: he played his queen.
• bet or gamble at or on: he didn't gamble or play the
ponies.
3 [ no obj. ] [ usu. with negative ] be cooperative: he needs
financial backing, but the building societies won't play.
4 [ with obj. ] represent (a character) in a theatrical
performance or a film: early in her career she played
Ophelia.
• [ no obj. ] perform in a film or theatrical production: he
was proud to be playing opposite a famous actor.
• put on or take part in (a theatrical performance, film, or
concert): the show was one of the best we ever played.
• give a dramatic performance at (a particular theatre or
place). the company are playing 11 cities around the country.
• behave as though one were (a specified type of
person): the skipper played the innocent, but smuggled goods
were found on his vessel.• (play someone for) treat someone as being of (a
specified type): don't imagine you can play me for a fool.
5 [ with obj. ] perform on (a musical instrument): a man
was playing a guitar.
• possess the skill of performing on (a musical
instrument): he taught himself to play the violin.
• produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a
piece of music): they played a violin sonata.
• make (a music player, disc, radio, etc.) produce sounds.
someone is playing a record—I can hear the drum.
• [ no obj. ] (of a musical instrument, music player, radio,
etc.) produce sounds: somewhere within, a harp was
playing.
• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] accompany
(someone) with music as they are moving in a specified
direction: the bagpipes played them out of the dining room.
6 [ no obj. ] move lightly and quickly, so as to appear and
disappear; flicker: little beams of light played over the sea.• (of a fountain or similar source of water) emit a stream
of gently moving water. a fountain played in the courtyard.
7 [ with obj. ] allow (a fish) to exhaust itself pulling
against a line before reeling it in. no fisherman ever played a
bonita more carefully or with greater wile.
noun [ mass noun ]
1 activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation,
especially by children: a child at play may use a stick as an
aeroplane.
• behaviour or speech that is not intended seriously: I
flinched, but only in play.
• [ as modifier ] designed to be used in games of
pretence; not real: play families are arranged in play houses.
2 the conducting of a sporting match: rain wrecked the
second day's play.
• the action or manner of engaging in a sport or game: he
maintained the same rhythm of play throughout the game.
• the status of the ball in a game as being available to be
played according to the rules: the ball was put in play.• the state of being active, operative, or effective. someone
has a bright idea and decides to put it into play. the forces of a
worldwide economy are in play.
• [ count noun ] a move or manoeuvre in a sport or
game: the best play is to lead the 3 of clubs.
• archaic the activity of gambling. a young nobleman,
ruined by play.
3 [ count noun ] a dramatic work for the stage or to be
broadcast: the actors put on a new play.
4 the space in or through which a mechanism can or does
move: the steering rack was loose, and there was a little play.
• scope or freedom to act or operate: our policy allows the
market to have freer play.
5 light and constantly changing movement: the artist
exploits the play of light across the surface.
PHRASES
bring (or call) into play cause something to start
working so that one can make use of it: he cannot afford tobring into play the kind of leadership veto that operated all
those years ago.
come into play becoming active, operative, or effective:
luck comes into play.
make a play for informal attempt to attract or attain. we
invited men to make a play for the award. she started to make a
play for the young man.
make (great) play of (or with)draw attention to in an
ostentatious manner, typically to gain prestige or
advantage: the company made great play of their recent
growth in profits.
make play with treat frivolously. leaders should not make
play with values and ideals.
not playing with a full deck see deck.
play ball see ball 1 .
play both ends against the middle keep one's options
open by supporting or favouring opposing sides.
play something by ear perform music without having to
read from a score. she could play both by ear and by reading.• (play it by ear) informal proceed instinctively
according to results and circumstances rather than
according to rules or a plan. we'll just have to play it by ear
until we can get something definite sorted out.
play by the rules follow what is generally held to be the
correct line of behaviour. some women refused to play by the
rules and allow motherhood to put an end to their career
prospects.
play one's cards close to one's chest see chest.
play one's cards right (or well) see card 1 .
play ducks and drakes with see ducks and drakes.
play fair observe principles of justice; avoid cheating. he
decided to play fair and own up.
play someone false deceive or cheat someone. the
Assembly played us false. his memory plays him false if he
thinks I chose this post.
play fast and loose behave irresponsibly or immorally. I
am not someone who plays fast and loose with other people's
lives.play favourites N. Amer.show favouritism towards
someone or something. the Soviet diplomat said he wasn't
playing favourites in the presidential campaign.
play the field see field.
play for time use specious excuses or unnecessary
manoeuvres to gain time. he played for time by establishing
an advisory committee.
play the game see game 1 .
play God see God.
play havoc with see havoc.
play hell see hell.
play hookey see hookey.
play a (or one's) hunch make an instinctive choice. it had
only been a shot in the dark—playing a hunch, really.
play
oneself
in
Brit.become
accustomed
to
the
circumstances and conditions of a game or activity. once
he had played himself in he was an excellent stroke-maker.
play into someone's hands act in such a way as
unintentionally
to
give
someone
an
advantage.overreaction to the threats would be playing into the hands of
the terrorists.
play it cool informal make an effort to be or appear to be
calm and unemotional. the band wanted the deal badly, but
were determined to play it cool.
play the market speculate in stocks. these investors know
how to play the market and win.
a play on words a pun. every page contains a subtle play on
words or arresting metaphor.
play a part make a contribution to a situation: social and
economic factors may have also played a part | he personally
wanted to thank those nurses and staff who had played a part
in his recovery.
play (or play it) safe (or for safety)take precautions;
avoid risks. I think we'll play safe and get another set of X-
rays done.
play to the gallery see gallery.play a trick (or joke) on behave in a deceptive or teasing
way towards. she played a trick on me by not telling me what
to expect.
play truant see truant.
play with oneself informal masturbate.
play with fire take foolish risks. an urge to play with fire
made her provoke him.
played out informal used or seen too many times before
so no longer interesting: the melodrama is a little played out
to be entirely satisfying.
PHRASAL VERBS
play about (or around)behave in a casual, foolish, or
irresponsible way: you shouldn't play around with a
child's future. • informal (of a married person) have a
love affair. was her husband playing around?
play along perform a piece of music at the same time as
it is playing on a tape or record. I could make harmonies by
playing along with the tape. • pretend to cooperate: she had
to play along and be polite.play someone along informal deceive or mislead
someone over a period of time. he'd play her along till she
got fed up.
play away Brit.play a sports fixture on an opponent's
ground. • informal (of a married person) have a love
affair.
play something back play sounds that one has recently
recorded, especially to monitor recording quality. I did a
lot of recording and then played it back.
play something down represent something as being less
important than it in fact is: he tried to play down the
seriousness of his illness.
play someone off bring people into conflict or
competition for one's own advantage: top footballers were
able to play clubs off against each other to gain higher pay.
play off (of two teams or competitors) play an extra
match to decide a draw or tie. the top two teams would play
off at Twickenham.play on exploit (a weak or vulnerable point in someone):
he played on his opponent's nerves.
play out 1 develop in a particular way: the position of the
sub-tropical jet stream across North America will determine
how winter plays out. 2 happen; take place: this scenario
plays out all across the country.
play someone out drain someone of strength or life. she
was played out, too exhausted even to weep.
play something out act the whole of a drama; enact a
scene or role. they were playing out a familiar scenario.
play up Brit. 1 informal (of a child) misbehave: I hadn't
had much sleep – the kids had been playing up. • fail to
function properly: his phone line was constantly playing up.
2 put all one's energy into a game. the captain told his team
to play up.
play someone up (of a part of the body or an illness)
cause pain or discomfort to someone. my rheumatism's
playing me up.play something up emphasize the extent or importance
of something: the mystery surrounding his death was played
up by the media.
play up to exploit, trade on, or make the most of.
DERIVATIVES
playability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
playable adjective
ORIGIN Old English pleg(i)an‘to exercise’, plega‘brisk
movement’, related to Middle Dutch pleien ‘leap for joy,
dance’.
curtain lecture
noun dated
an instance of a wife reprimanding her husband in
private.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: originally a reprimand given
behind bed curtains.
smoke |sməʊk|
noun1 [ mass noun ] a visible suspension of carbon or other
particles in air, typically one emitted from a burning
substance: bonfire smoke.
2 an act of smoking tobacco: I'm dying for a smoke.
• informal a cigarette or cigar. you're going to buy some
smokes of your own.
3 (the Smoke or the Big Smoke)Brit. informal a big city,
especially London: she was offered a job in the Smoke.
verb
1 [ no obj. ] emit smoke or visible vapour: heat the oil until
it just smokes.
2 [ no obj. ] inhale and exhale the smoke of tobacco or a
drug: Janine was sitting at the kitchen table smoking | [ with
obj. ] : he smoked forty cigarettes a day.
3 [ with obj. ] treat, fumigate, or cleanse by exposure to
smoke.
• (often as adj.smoked) cure or preserve (meat or fish) by
exposure to smoke: smoked salmon.• (usu. as adj.smoked) treat (glass) so as to darken it: the
smoked glass of his lenses.
• subdue (insects, especially bees) by exposing them to
smoke. they then smoke the bees until they are stupid.
• (smoke someone/thing out) drive someone or
something out of a place by using smoke: we will fire the
roof and smoke him out.
• (smoke someone out) force someone to make
something known: as the press smokes him out on other
human rights issues, he will be revealed as a social
conservative.
4 [ with obj. ] N. Amer. informal kill (someone) by
shooting. they gotta go smoke this person.
• defeat overwhelmingly in a fight or contest. I got
smoked in that fight.
5 [ with obj. ] archaic make fun of (someone). we baited
her and smoked her.
PHRASESgo up in smoke informal be destroyed by fire. three
hundred tons of straw went up in smoke. • (of a plan) come
to nothing: more than one dream is about to go up in smoke.
no smoke without fire (N. Amer. also where there's
smoke there's fire) proverb there's always some reason
for a rumour.
smoke
and
mirrors
N.
Amer.the
obscuring
or
embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading
or irrelevant information: the budget process is an exercise
in smoke and mirrors.[with reference to illusion created by
conjuring tricks.]
smoke like a chimney smoke tobacco incessantly. ironic
—you smoke like a chimney and the lungs are OK.
DERIVATIVES
smokable (also smokeable)adjective
ORIGIN Old English smoca (noun), smocian (verb), from
the Germanic base of smēocan ‘emit smoke’; related to
Dutch smook and German Schmauch .smoke
verb
1 the peat fire was smoking: smoulder, emit smoke, emit
fumes; archaic reek.
2 Henry lay back in the chair and smoked his cigarette: puff
on, draw on, pull on; inhale; light up; informal take a
drag of, drag on.
3 they smoke their own salmon: cure, preserve, dry.
noun
the smoke from the bonfire: fumes, exhaust, gas, vapour;
smog.
set 1 |sɛt|
verb (sets, setting; past and past participleset)
1 [ with obj. and usu. with adverbial ] put, lay, or stand
(something) in a specified place or position: Delaney set
the mug of tea down | Catherine set a chair by the bed.
• (be set) be situated or fixed in a specified place or
position: the village was set among olive groves on a hill.• represent (a story, play, film, or scene) as happening at
a specified time or in a specified place: a private-eye novel
set in Berlin.
• mount a precious stone in (something, typically a piece
of jewellery): a bracelet set with emeralds.
• mount (a precious stone) in something. a huge square-
cut emerald set in platinum.
• Printing arrange (type) as required. the compositors
refused to set the type for an editorial.
• Printing arrange the type for (a piece of text): article
headings will be set in Times fourteen point.
• prepare (a table) for a meal by placing cutlery, crockery,
etc. on it in their proper places. she set the table and began
breakfast.
• (set something to) provide (music) so that a written
work can be produced in a musical form: a form of poetry
which can be set to music.• Bell-ringing move (a bell) so that it rests in an inverted
position ready for ringing. the ringer gradually increases
the swing until the bell is balanced or set.
• cause (a hen) to sit on eggs. you had to set the clucking
hens.
• put (a seed or plant) in the ground to grow. I set the
plants in shallow hollows to facilitate watering.
• Sailing put (a sail) up in position to catch the wind. a
safe distance from shore all sails were set.
2 [ with obj. and usu. with adverbial ] put or bring into a
specified state: the Home Secretary set in motion a review of
the law | [ with obj. and complement ] : the hostages were
set free.
• [ with obj. and present participle ] cause (someone or
something) to start doing something: the incident set me
thinking.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] instruct (someone) to do
something: he'll set a man to watch you.• give someone (a task or test) to do: schools will begin to
set mock tests | [ with two objs ] : the problem we have been
set.
• establish as (an example) for others to follow, copy, or
try to achieve: the scheme sets a precedent for other
companies.
• establish (a record): his time in the 25 m freestyle set a
national record.
• decide on and announce: they set a date for a full hearing
at the end of February.
• fix (a price, value, or limit) on something: the unions had
set a limit on the size of the temporary workforce.
3 [ with obj. ] adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show
the right time. set your watch immediately to local time at
your destination. figurative : to revert to an old style would
be to try to set back the clock and deny the progress which had
been made.
• adjust (an alarm clock) to sound at the required time. I
usually set my alarm clock for eight.• adjust (a device) so that it performs a particular
operation: you have to be careful not to set the volume too
high.
• Electronics cause (a binary device) to enter the state
representing the numeral 1.
4 [ no obj. ] harden into a solid or semi-solid state: cook for
a further thirty-five minutes until the filling has set.
• [ with obj. ] arrange (the hair) while damp so that it
dries in the required style: she had set her hair on small
rollers.
• [ with obj. ] put parts of (a broken or dislocated bone or
limb) into the correct position for healing. he lined up the
bones and set the arm.
• (of a bone) be restored to its normal condition by
knitting together again after being broken: children's
bones soon set.
• (with reference to a person's face) assume or cause to
assume a fixed or rigid expression: [ no obj. ] : her featuresnever set into a civil parade of attention | [ with obj. ] :
Travis's face was set as he looked up.
• (of a hunting dog) adopt a rigid attitude indicating the
presence of game.
5 [ no obj. ] (of the sun, moon, or another celestial body)
appear to move towards and below the earth's horizon
as the earth rotates: the sun was setting and a warm red
glow filled the sky.
6 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a tide or
current) take or have a specified direction or course: a fair
tide can be carried well past Land's End before the stream sets
to the north.
7 [ with obj. ] chiefly N. Amer.start (a fire). the school had
been broken into and the fire had been set.
8 [ with obj. ] (of blossom or a tree) form into or produce
(fruit). wait until first flowers have set fruit before planting
out the peppers.• [ no obj. ] (of fruit) develop from blossom. once fruits
have set, feed weekly with a high potash liquid tomato
fertilizer.
• (of a plant) produce (seed): the herb has flowered and
started to set seed.
9 [ no obj. ] dialect sit: the rest of them people just set there
goggle-eyed for a minute.
PHRASES
set one's heart (or hopes) on have a strong desire for or
to do: she had her heart set on going to university.
set sail hoist the sails of a boat. • begin a voyage:
tomorrow we set sail for France.
set one's teeth clench one's teeth together. • become
resolute: they have set their teeth against a change which
would undermine their prospects of forming a government.
set the wheels in motion do something to begin a
process or put a plan into action. Jane set the wheels in
motion to find somewhere small to live.
PHRASAL VERBSset about 1 start doing something with vigour or
determination: it would be far better to admit the problem
openly and set about tackling it. 2 Brit. informal attack
(someone). the policeman began to set about him with his
truncheon.
set someone against cause someone to be in opposition
or conflict with: he hadn't meant any harm but his few words
had set her against him.
set something against offset something against: wives'
allowances can henceforth be set against investment income.
set someone apart give someone an air of unusual
superiority: his ability and self-effacing modesty have set him
apart.
set something apart separate something and keep it for a
special purpose: there were books and rooms set apart as
libraries.
set something aside 1 save or keep something, typically
money or time, for a particular purpose: the bank expected
to set aside about $700 million for restructuring. • removeland from agricultural production. with 15 per cent of land
set aside, cereal production will fall. 2 annul a legal decision
or process. he applied by summons to set aside the fourth
party notice served on them.
set someone/thing back 1 delay or impede the progress
of someone or something: this incident undoubtedly set
back research. 2 informal (of a purchase) cost someone a
particular amount of money: that must have set you back a
bit.
set something by archaic or USsave something for future
use.
set someone down Brit.stop and allow someone to alight
from a vehicle. we will set you down at your gates.
set something down record something in writing. that
evening he set down his thoughts in brief notes. • establish
something as a rule or principle to be followed: the
Association set down codes of practice for all members to
comply with.set forth (or forward) archaic begin a journey. we set forth
to enjoy the countryside.
set something forth state or describe something in
writing or speech: the principles and aims set forth in the
Social Charter.
set in (of something unpleasant or unwelcome) begin
and seem likely to continue: tables should be treated with
preservative before the bad weather sets in.
set something in insert something, especially a sleeve,
into a garment.
set off begin a journey: they set off together in the small car.
set someone off cause someone to start doing
something, especially laughing or talking: anything will
set him off laughing.
set something off 1 detonate a bomb. police do not know
how the bomb was set off. • cause an alarm to go off. a
smoke detector set off an alarm soon after midnight. • cause a
series of things to occur: the fear is that this could set off a
chain reaction in other financial markets. 2 serve asdecorative embellishment to: a pink carnation set off nicely
by a red bow tie and cream shirt.
set something off against another way of saying set
something against above.
set on (or upon)attack (someone) violently: he and his
friends were set upon by a gang.
set someone/thing on (or upon)cause or urge a person
or animal to attack: I was asked to leave and threatened with
having dogs set upon me.
set out begin a journey. • aim or intend to do something:
she drew up a grandiose statement of what her organization
should set out to achieve.
set something out arrange or display something in a
particular order or position. they had a picnic by the river
where there was a jetty and rustic tables and chairs set out. •
present information or ideas in a well-ordered way in
writing or speech: this chapter sets out the debate
surrounding pluralism.set to 1 begin doing something vigorously: she set to with
bleach and scouring pads to render the vases spotless. 2 (of a
dancer) acknowledge another dancer, typically one's
partner, using the steps prescribed. the gentleman sets to
and turns with the lady on his left hand.
set someone up 1 establish someone in a particular
capacity or role: his father set him up in business. •
informal arrange a meeting between one person and
another, with the aim of encouraging a romantic
relationship between them: Todd tried to set her up with one
of his friends. 2 restore or enhance the health of someone:
after my operation the doctor recommended a cruise to set me
up again. 3 informal make an innocent person appear
guilty of something: suppose Lorton had set him up for
Newley's murder?
set something up 1 place or erect something in position:
police set up a roadblock on Lower Thames Street. 2 establish
a business, institution, or other organization. she set up
the business with a £4,000 bank loan. clergy have a prime rolein setting up schools. • make the arrangements necessary
for something: he asked if I would like him to set up a
meeting with the president. 3 begin making a loud sound: a
colony of monkeys had set up a racket in the canopy.
set oneself up as establish oneself in (a particular
occupation): she set herself up as an acupuncturist in
Leamington. • claim to be or act like a specified kind of
person: he set himself up as a crusader for higher press and
broadcasting standards.
ORIGIN Old English settan, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch zetten,German setzen, also to sit.
transpire |tranˈspʌɪə, trɑːn-|
verb [ no obj. ]
1 [ with clause ] (usu. it transpires) (of a secret or
something unknown) come to be known; be revealed: it
transpired that millions of dollars of debt had been hidden in
a complex web of transactions.
• prove to be the case: as it transpired, he was right.• occur; happen: I'm going to find out exactly what
transpired.
2 Botany (of a plant or leaf) give off water vapour
through the stomata. a cactus does not transpire as freely as
most plants. [ with obj. ] : moisture is transpired from plants
much more quickly than is realized.
DERIVATIVES
transpiration |-spɪˈreɪʃ(ə)n| nountranspire ( sense 2)
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘emit as
vapour through the surface’): from French transpirer or
medieval Latin transpirare, from Latin trans- ‘through’ +
spirare ‘breathe’. Sense 1 (mid 18th cent.) is a figurative
use comparable with ‘leak out’.
usage: The standard general sense of transpire is ‘come
to be known’ (as in it transpired that millions of dollars of
debt had been hidden in a complex web of transactions). From
this, a looser sense has developed, meaning ‘happen or
occur’ ( I'm going to find out exactly what transpired). This
looser sense, first recorded in US English towards theend of the 18th century, is criticized for being jargon, an
unnecessarily long word used where occur and happen
would do just as well. The newer sense is very common,
however, accounting for around half of the citations for
transpire in the Oxford English Corpus.
transpire
verb
1 it transpired that Mr. Washington had been in London
throughout the period of the robberies: become known,
become apparent, be revealed, be disclosed, come to
light, emerge, come out, get out, be discovered, be
uncovered, materialize, leak out, turn out, be made
public.
2 the visitors explained where they had come from and what
had transpired there: happen, occur, take place, come
about, come to pass, crop up, turn up, arise, chance,
ensue, befall, be realized, take shape; pan out, end up.deficit |ˈdɛfɪsɪt, ˈdiː-|
noun
the amount by which something, especially a sum of
money, is too small.
• an excess of expenditure or liabilities over income or
assets in a given period: an annual operating deficit |
[ mass noun ] : the balance of payments is again in deficit.
• (in sport) the amount or score by which a team or
individual is losing: a 3–0 deficit.
• technical a deficiency or failing, especially in a
neurological or psychological function: deficits in speech
comprehension.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: via French from Latin deficit ‘it
is lacking’, from the verb deficere (see defect 1 ) .
deficit
nounthere was a large, continuing deficit in the federal budget:
shortfall, deficiency, shortage, undersupply, slippage;
indebtedness, debt, arrears; minus amount, negative
amount, loss. ANTONYMS surplus, profit.
obligation |ɒblɪˈgeɪʃ(ə)n|
noun
an act or course of action to which a person is morally or
legally bound; a duty or commitment: [ with infinitive ] :
I have an obligation to look after her.
• [ mass noun ] the condition of being morally or legally
bound to do something: they are under no obligation to
stick to the scheme.
• a debt of gratitude for a service or favour: she didn't
want to be under an obligation to him.
• Law a binding agreement committing a person to a
payment or other action.
PHRASESday of obligation (in the Roman Catholic Church) a day
on which all are required to attend Mass.
DERIVATIVES
obligational adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘formal promise’):
via Old French from Latin obligatio(n-), from the verb
obligare (see oblige) .
obligation
noun
1 I have an obligation to look after her | he seemed able to fulfil
his
professional
obligations:
duty,
commitment,
responsibility, moral imperative; function, task, job,
chore,
assignment,
commission,
business,
burden,
charge, onus, liability, accountability, requirement, debt,
engagement; dated office; archaic devoir; literary trust.
2 she took him in solely out of a sense of obligation: duty,
compulsion, indebtedness, duress, necessity, pressure,
constraint.3 the company's export obligations: contract, agreement,
deed, covenant, bond, treaty, deal, pact, compact,
understanding, transaction.
PHRASES
under an obligation she didn't want to be under an
obligation to him: owing someone a favour, obliged,
beholden, in someone's debt, indebted, obligated, owing
someone a debt of gratitude, duty-bound, honour-
bound, grateful, owing someone thanks.
behind |bɪˈhʌɪnd|
preposition
1 at or to the far side of (something), typically so as to be
hidden by it: the recording machinery was kept behind
screens | the sun came out from behind a cloud.
• underlying (something) but not apparent to the
observer: the agony behind his decision to retire.
2 following or further back than (another member of a
moving group): we were stuck behind a slow-moving tractor.• at the back of (someone), after they have passed
through a door: she ran out of the room, slamming the door
behind her.
3 in support of or giving guidance to (someone else):
whatever you decide to do, I'll be behind you | the power
behind the throne.
• controlling or responsible for (an event or plan): the
chances were that he was behind the death of the girl | the
meticulous organization behind the coup.
4 after the departure or death of (someone): he left behind
him a manuscript which was subsequently published.
5 less advanced than (someone or something) in
achievement or development: the government admitted it is
ten years behind the West in PC technology.
6 having a lower score than (another competitor):
Woosnam moved to ten under par, five shots behind Fred
Couples.
adverb1 at or to the far side of something: Campbell grabbed him
from behind.
2 in a particular place after leaving or after others have
moved on: don't leave me behind.
3 further back than other members of a moving group:
Ben led the way, with Joe a short distance behind.
4 (in a contest or match) having a score lower than that of
the opposing team: England were still 382 runs behind.
5 late in accomplishing a task: I'm getting behind with my
work.
• in arrears: she was behind with her rent.
noun
1 informal a person's buttocks: she slid inelegantly down a
few steps on her behind.
2 Australian Rules a kick that sends the ball over a
behind line, or a touch that sends it between the inner
posts, scoring one point.
ORIGIN Old English behindan, bihindan, from bi‘by’ +
hindan‘from behind’.behind
preposition
1 he slept in a hut behind their house: at the back of, at the
rear of, beyond, on the other side of, on the far side of, on
the further side of; N. Amer. in back of. ANTONYMS in
front of.
2 behind her was a small child: after, following, to the rear
of, in the wake of, at the back of, close on, hard on the
heels of, on the trail of.
3 you are way behind the rest of the class: less advanced
than, slower than, weaker than, inferior to.
4 work on the car is months behind schedule: later than, late
in relation to, after.
5 he was believed to have been behind a number of bombings:
responsible for, at the bottom of, at the back of, the cause
of, the source of, the organizer of; to blame for, culpable
of, guilty of; causing, instigating, initiating, urging.6 the All Blacks have the whole nation behind them:
supporting, backing, for, on the side of, in agreement
with; financing.
PHRASES
put something behind one the team have to put this
morning's result behind them: consign something to the
past, put something down to experience, forget about
something, pay no heed to something, ignore, regard as
water under the bridge.
adverb
1 each plane took off with a glider following on behind: after,
afterwards, at the back, in the rear, in the wake, at the
end, at six o'clock. ANTONYMS ahead, in front.
2 ‘I'm off to dance!’ he called behind: over one's shoulder, to
the rear, to the back, towards the rear, towards the back,
backwards. ANTONYMS ahead.
3 he stayed behind to sign autographs: afterwards,
remaining after departure.4 we're behind so don't stop: running late, late, behind
schedule, behindhand, delayed, not on time, behind
time. ANTONYMS ahead.
5 he was behind with his subscription payments: in arrears,
overdue, in debt, in the red; late, unpunctual, tardy,
behindhand, behind target. ANTONYMS ahead.
noun
See bottom (sense 6 of the noun).
difficulty |ˈdɪfɪk(ə)lti|
noun (pl.difficulties) [ mass noun ]
the state or condition of being difficult: Guy had no
difficulty in making friends | I managed with difficulty to
struggle upright.
• [ count noun ] a thing that is hard to accomplish, deal
with, or understand: there is a practical difficulty | a club
with financial difficulties.
• (difficulties) a situation that is difficult or dangerous:
they went for a swim but got into difficulties.ORIGIN late Middle English (in the senses ‘requiring
effort or skill’ and ‘something difficult’): from Latin
difficultas, from dis- (expressing reversal) + facultas
‘ability, opportunity’.
difficulty
noun
1 her note had been penned with obvious difficulty: strain,
struggling,
awkwardness,
laboriousness,
trouble,
strenuousness,
toil,
labour,
arduousness;
pains,
problems, trials and tribulations; informal hassle, stress;
literary dolour, travails. ANTONYMS ease.
2 the questions are arranged in order of difficulty: complexity,
complicatedness,
awkwardness;
intricacy,
difficultness,
perplexity,
trickiness,
knottiness,
hardness;
obscurity, abstruseness. ANTONYMS simplicity.
3 the cost of the journey was not an insurmountable difficulty:
problem, complication, issue, disadvantage, snag, hitch,
drawback, pitfall, handicap, impediment, hindrance,
obstacle, hurdle, stumbling block, obstruction, barrier;informal fly in the ointment, prob, headache, hiccup,
facer; Brit. informal spanner in the works; N. Amer.
informal monkey wrench in the works; dated cumber;
literary trammel.
4 they felt unable to ask for help when they were in difficulty:
trouble, distress, crisis, hardship; adversity, extremity,
need; hard times, dire straits; predicament, quandary,
dilemma, plight; informal hot water, deep water, a fix, a
jam, a spot, a scrape, a stew, a hole, a pickle.
harridan |ˈharɪd(ə)n|
noun
a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman: a bullying old
harridan.
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (originally slang): perhaps from
French haridelle ‘old horse’.
harridan
nounshrew, virago, harpy, termagant, vixen, nag, hag, crone,
dragon, ogress; fishwife, hellcat, she-devil, fury, gorgon,
martinet, tartar, spitfire; informal old bag, old bat, old
trout, old cow, bitch, battleaxe, witch; rare scold,
Xanthippe.
shrew |ʃruː|
noun
1 a small mouse-like insectivorous mammal with a long
pointed snout and tiny eyes.
●Family Soricidae: many genera, in particular Sorex and
Crocidura, and numerous species.
2 a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman. the
girls became shrews and harridans.
ORIGIN Old English scrēawa, scrǣwa, of Germanic origin;
related words in Germanic languages have senses such
as ‘dwarf’, ‘devil’, or ‘fox’.
shrew
nounMatilda has the reputation of being a shrew: virago, dragon,
termagant, vixen, cat, fishwife, witch, hellcat, she-devil,
tartar, spitfire, hag, gorgon, harridan, fury, ogress, harpy;
informal battleaxe, old bag, old bat, bitch; archaic scold;
rare Xanthippe.
siren |ˈsʌɪr(ə)n|
noun
1 a device that makes a loud prolonged signal or
warning sound: ambulance sirens.
2 Greek Mythology each of a number of women or
winged creatures whose singing lured unwary sailors on
to rocks.
• a woman who is considered to be alluring or
fascinating but also dangerous in some way.
3 an eel-like American amphibian with tiny forelimbs, no
hindlimbs, small eyes, and external gills, typically living
in muddy pools.●Family Sirenidae: genera Siren and Pseudobranchus,
and three species, including the greater siren (S.
lacertina).
PHRASES
siren song (or call)used in reference to the appeal of
something that is alluring but also potentially harmful or
dangerous: a mountaineer who hears the siren song of K2.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting an imaginary type of
snake): from Old French sirene, from late Latin Sirena,
feminine of Latin Siren, from Greek Seirēn .
siren
noun
1 the wail of an air-raid siren: alarm, alarm bell, warning
bell, danger signal; whistle, horn; Brit. hooter; archaic
tocsin.
2 seamed stockings are the trademark of a true siren:
seductress,
temptress,
femme
fatale,
Mata
Hari,enchantress, Circe, Lorelei, Delilah; flirt, coquette, Lolita;
informal mantrap; N. Amer. informal vamp.
conundrum |kəˈnʌndrəm|
noun (pl.conundrums)
a confusing and difficult problem or question: one of the
most difficult conundrums for the experts.
• a question asked for amusement, typically one with a
pun in its answer; a riddle.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: of unknown origin, but first
recorded in a work by Thomas Nashe, as a term of abuse
for a crank or pedant, later coming to denote a whim or
fancy, also a pun. Current senses date from the late 17th
cent.
labyrinth |ˈlab(ə)rɪnθ|
noun
1 a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in
which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze:labyrinth 1
you lose yourself in a labyrinth of little streets.
• an intricate and confusing arrangement: a labyrinth of
conflicting laws and regulations.
2 Anatomy a complex structure in the inner ear which
contains the organs of hearing and balance. It consists of
bony cavities (the bony labyrinth) filled with fluid and
lined with sensitive membranes (the membranous
labyrinth).• Zoology an accessory respiratory organ of certain fish.
DERIVATIVES
labyrinthian |-ˈrɪnθɪən| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English (referring to the maze
constructed by Daedalus to house the Minotaur): from
French labyrinthe or Latin labyrinthus, from Greek
laburinthos .
maze |meɪz|
noun
a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle
through which one has to find a way. the house has a maze
and a walled Italian garden.
• a complex network of paths or passages: they were
trapped in a menacing maze of corridors.
• a confusing mass of information: a maze of petty
regulations.
verb (be mazed) archaic or dialectbe dazed and confused: she was still mazed with the drug
she had taken.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting delirium or delusion):
probably from the base of amaze, of which the verb is a
shortening.
maze
noun
1 a maze in the castle grounds: labyrinth, network of paths.
2 a maze of corridors | a maze of petty regulations: complex
network, labyrinth, web, tangle, warren, mesh, jungle,
snarl, imbroglio.
capitalism |ˈkapɪt(ə)lɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
an economic and political system in which a country's
trade and industry are controlled by private owners for
profit, rather than by the state. an era of free-market
capitalism. private ownership is a key feature of capitalism.capitalism
noun
private enterprise, free enterprise, private ownership,
privatized industries, the free market, individualism;
laissez-faire. ANTONYMS communism.
imperialism |ɪmˈpɪərɪəlɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
a policy of extending a country's power and influence
through colonization, use of military force, or other
means: the struggle against imperialism | figurative :
French ministers protested at US cultural imperialism.
• chiefly historical rule by an emperor. in Russia,
imperialism had developed alongside a semi-feudal agrarian
structure.
DERIVATIVES
imperialistic |-ˈlɪstɪk| adjective,
imperialistically |-ˈlɪstɪk(ə)li| adverbcommunism |ˈkɒmjʊnɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
a theory or system of social organization in which all
property is owned by the community and each person
contributes and receives according to their ability and
needs. See also Marxism.
The most familiar form of communism is that established
by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution of 1917,
and it has generally been understood in terms of the
system practised by the former Soviet Union and its
allies in eastern Europe, in China since 1949, and in some
developing countries such as Cuba, Vietnam, and North
Korea. In this form of communism it was held that the
state would wither away after the overthrow of the
capitalist system. In practice, however, the state grew to
control all aspects of communist society. Communism in
eastern Europe collapsed in the late 1980s and early
1990s against a background of failure to meet people's
economic expectations, a shift to more democracy inpolitical life, and increasing nationalism such as that
which led to the break-up of the Soviet Union.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French communisme, from
commun (see common) .
communism
noun
the
social
collectivism,
socialism;
and
economic
state
Sovietism,
principles
ownership,
of
communism:
socialism,
Bolshevism,
Marxism,
radical
neo-
Marxism, Leninism, Marxism–Leninism, Trotskyism,
Maoism.
internationalism |ɪntəˈnaʃ(ə)n(ə)lɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the state or process of being international: the
internationalism of popular music.
• the advocacy of cooperation and understanding
between nations.2 (Internationalism)the principles of any of the four
Internationals.
DERIVATIVES
internationalist noun
etymology |ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi|
noun (pl.etymologies) [ mass noun ]
the study of the origin of words and the way in which
their meanings have changed throughout history. the
decline of etymology as a linguistic discipline.
• [ count noun ] the origin of a word and the historical
development of its meaning. the etymology of the word
‘devil’.
DERIVATIVES
etymological |-məˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
etymologically |-məˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li| adverb,
etymologist noun
ORIGIN
late
Middle
English:
from
Old
French
ethimologie, via Latin from Greek etumologia, frometumologos ‘student of etymology’, from etumon, neuter
singular of etumos ‘true’.
ethnology |ɛθˈnɒlədʒi|
noun [ mass noun ]
the study of the characteristics of different peoples and
the differences and relationships between them.
DERIVATIVES
ethnologic |-nəˈlɒdʒɪk| adjective,
ethnological |-nəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
ethnologically adverb,
ethnologist noun
polyglot |ˈpɒlɪglɒt|
adjective
knowing or using several languages: a polyglot career
woman.
• (of a book) having the text translated into several
languages. polyglot and bilingual technical dictionaries.noun
a person who knows and is able to use several
languages. Slovenians, being surrounded by many countries,
are mostly polyglots.
DERIVATIVES
polyglottal |-ˈglɒt(ə)l| adjective,
polyglottic |-ˈglɒtɪk| adjective,
polyglottism noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French polyglotte, from
Greek poluglōttos, from polu- ‘many’ + glōtta ‘tongue’.
omnibus |ˈɒmnɪbəs|
noun
1 a volume containing several books previously
published separately: an omnibus of her first trilogy.
• Brit.a single edition of two or more consecutive
television or radio programmes previously broadcast
separately. Coronation Street's rival EastEnders was boosted
by a weekend omnibus.
2 dated a bus. a horse-drawn omnibus.adjective
comprising several items: omnibus editions of novels.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: via French from Latin, literally
‘for all’, dative plural of omnis .
anthology |anˈθɒlədʒi|
noun (pl.anthologies)
a published collection of poems or other pieces of
writing. an anthology of European poetry.
• a collection of songs or musical compositions issued in
one album. a double-CD anthology of Moby Grape, the
legendary Sixties San Francisco band.
DERIVATIVES
anthologist noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: via French or medieval Latin
from Greek anthologia, from anthos ‘flower’ + -logia
‘collection’ (from legein ‘gather’). In Greek, the word
originally denoted a collection of the ‘flowers’ of verse,
i.e. small choice poems or epigrams, by various authors.biography |bʌɪˈɒgrəfi|
noun (pl.biographies)
an account of someone's life written by someone else.
• [ mass noun ] biographies considered as a literary
genre. the basic difference of approach to autobiography and
biography.
• the course of a person's life: although their individual
biographies are different, both are motivated by a similar
ambition.
DERIVATIVES
biographer noun
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from French biographie or
modern Latin biographia, from medieval Greek, from
bios ‘life’ + -graphia ‘writing’.
destruct |dɪˈstrʌkt|
verb [ with obj. ]cause deliberate, terminal damage to. the boys' war to
destruct things.
noun [ in sing. ] [ usu. as modifier ]
the deliberate causing of terminal damage: press the
destruct button.
DERIVATIVES
destructor noun
ORIGIN 1950s (originally US): back-formation from
destruction.
arson |ˈɑːs(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property:
police are treating the fire as arson | [ as modifier ] : an arson
attack.
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: an Anglo-Norman French legal
term, from medieval Latin arsio(n-), from Latin ardere
‘to burn’.arsonist |ˈɑːs(ə)nɪst, ˈɑːsənɪst|
noun
a person who commits arson: police believe arsonists were
responsible for both fires.
vandal |ˈvand(ə)l|
noun
1 a person who deliberately destroys or damages
property belonging to others: the rear window of the car
was smashed by vandals.
2 (Vandal)a member of a Germanic people that ravaged
Gaul, Spain, Rome (455), and North Africa in the 4th–5th
centuries.
ORIGIN from Latin Vandalus, of Germanic origin. Sense
1 dates from the mid 17th cent.
fusillade |ˌfjuːzɪˈleɪd, -ˈlɑːd|
nouna series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same
time or in quick succession: marchers had to dodge a
fusillade of missiles.
verb [ with obj. ] archaic
fire a fusillade at (a place or person). the Mahdi's adherents
fusilladed his palace at Khartoum.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from French, from fusiller ‘to
shoot’, from fusil (see fusil 1 ) .
rattle |ˈrat(ə)l|
verb
1 make or cause to make a rapid succession of short,
sharp knocking sounds: [ no obj. ] : the roof rattled with
little gusts of wind | [ with obj. ] : he rattled some change in
his pocket.
• [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a vehicle or
its occupants) move or travel with a knocking sound:
trains rattled past at frequent intervals.
• [ no obj. ] (rattle about/around in) be in or occupy (an
unnecessarily spacious room or building): the house was
too big—we just rattled around in it.
2 [ with obj. ] informal make (someone) nervous,
worried, or irritated: she turned quickly, rattled by his
presence.
noun
1 a rapid succession of short, sharp, sounds: the rattle of
teacups on the tray.
• a gurgling sound in the throat of a dying person. there
was a choking rattle and his eyes turned upwards.
2 a thing used to make a rattling sound, in particular:
• a baby's toy consisting of a container filled with small
pellets, which makes a noise when shaken.
• Brit.a wooden device that makes a loud noise when
whirled around, formerly used by spectators at football
matches.
• the set of horny rings at the end of a rattlesnake's tail,
shaken as a warning.3 archaic a person who talks incessantly in a lively or
inane way. he is such a rattle!
PHRASES
rattle someone's cage (or chain) informal anger or
irritate someone. put the pressure on him—rattle his cage.
rattle sabres threaten to take aggressive action. we've got
the miners rattling sabres again. See also sabre-rattling.
PHRASAL VERBS
rattle something off say, perform, or produce something
quickly and effortlessly: he rattled off some instructions.
rattle on/away talk rapidly and at length, especially in an
inane way: she found herself rattling on about unhappiness
and happiness.
DERIVATIVES
rattly adjective (rattlier, rattliest)
ORIGIN Middle English: related to Middle Dutch and
Low German ratelen, of imitative origin.
Rattle, Sir Simon |ˈrat(ə)l|(b.1955), English conductor; full name Sir Simon Denis
Rattle. Principal conductor with the City of Birmingham
Symphony
Orchestra
1980–91,
he
became
chief
conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000
and its artistic director in 2002.
archery |ˈɑːtʃəri|
noun [ mass noun ]
shooting with a bow and arrows, especially at a target as
a sport.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French archerie,
from archier (see archer) .
shoot |ʃuːt|
verb (past and past participleshot |ʃɒt| )
1 [ with obj. ] kill or wound (a person or animal) with a
bullet or arrow: he was shot in the leg during an armed
robbery | [ with obj. and complement ] : troops shot dead
29 people.• [ no obj. ] fire a bullet from a gun or discharge an arrow
from a bow: he shot at me twice | the troops were ordered to
shoot to kill | [ with obj. ] : they shot a volley of arrows into
the village.
• [ no obj., with adverbial ] use a firearm with a specified
degree of skill: we shot well against Spain.
• cause (a gun) to fire. I learned to shoot a 9 mm pistol.
• [ no obj. ] hunt game with a gun: we go to Scotland to
shoot every autumn.
2 move or cause to move suddenly and rapidly in a
particular direction: [ no obj., with adverbial of
direction ] : the car shot forward | Ward's hand shot out,
grabbing his arm | [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] :
he would have fallen if Marc hadn't shot out a hand to stop
him.
• [ no obj. ] (of a pain) move with a sharp stabbing
sensation: Claudia felt a pain shoot through her chest |
figurative : a pang of regret shot through her.• [ no obj. ]
extend sharply in a particular direction: a
road that seemed to just shoot upwards at a terrifying angle.
• [ with obj. ] move (a bolt) to fasten or unfasten a door.
she shot the bolt on the bathroom door.
• [ with obj. ] (of a boat) sweep swiftly down or under
(rapids, a waterfall, or a bridge). those of you looking for
adventure can shoot the rapids.
• [ with obj. ] informal (of a motor vehicle) pass (a traffic
light at red). drivers could lose their licences for shooting too
many red lights.
• [ no obj. ] Cricket (of a ball) dart along the ground after
pitching. a ball pitching on that spot would sometimes shoot.
3 [ no obj. ] (in football, hockey, basketball, etc.) kick, hit,
or throw the ball or puck in an attempt to score a goal:
Williams twice shot wide | [ with obj. ] : after school, we'd go
straight out in the alley to shoot baskets.
• [ with obj. ] informal make (a specified score) for a
round of golf: in the second round he shot a 65.• [ with obj. ]
N. Amer. informal play a game of (pool,
dice, or cards). although we never shot dice, my friends and I
played every variation of poker.
4 [ with obj. ] direct (a glance, question, or remark) at
someone: [ with two objs ] : Luke shot her a quick glance |
[ with direct speech ] : ‘I can't believe what I'm hearing,’ she
shot back.
• [ no obj., in imperative ] used to invite a comment or
question: ‘May I just ask you one more question?’ ‘Shoot.’.
5 [ with obj. ] film or photograph (a scene, film, etc.): she
has just been commissioned to shoot a video.
6 [ no obj. ] (of a plant or seed) send out buds or shoots;
germinate. some years one or other plant fails to shoot.
• (of a bud or shoot) appear; sprout. they move up into the
stem where they induce buds to shoot.
7 [ with obj. ] informal inject oneself or another person
with (a narcotic drug): he shot dope into his arm.
8 [ with obj. ] plane (the edge of a board) accurately. I shot
the longer edge down on the planer.noun
1 a young branch or sucker springing from the main
stock of a tree or other plant: he nipped off the new shoots
that grew where the leaves joined the stems.
2 an occasion when a group of people hunt and shoot
game for sport: a grouse shoot.
• Brit.an area of land used for shooting game. we rented a
rough shoot of about a thousand acres.
• a shooting match: activities include a weekly rifle shoot.
3 an occasion when a professional photographer takes
photographs or when a film or video is being made: a
photo shoot | a fashion shoot.
4 variant spelling of chute 1 .
5 a rapid in a stream: follow the portages that skirt all nine
shoots of whitewater.
exclamationN. Amer. informal
used as a euphemism for ‘shit’: shoot, it was a great day to
be alive.
PHRASEShave shot one's bolt see bolt 1 .
shoot the breeze (or the bull)N. Amer. informal have a
casual conversation. we've been shooting the breeze for well
over an hour now.
shoot one's cuffs pull one's shirt cuffs out to project
beyond the cuffs of one's jacket or coat.
shoot from the hip informal react without careful
consideration of one's words or actions. he is shooting
from the hip in an act of political desperation.
shoot oneself in the foot informal inadvertently make a
situation worse for oneself. the company must stop shooting
itself in the foot if it wants to get over its troubles.
shoot it out informal engage in a decisive confrontation,
typically a gun battle. I was forced to shoot it out with
detectives before being overpowered.
shoot a line Brit. informal describe something in an
exaggerated or untruthful way: he never shot a line about
his escapades.shoot one's mouth off informal talk boastfully or
indiscreetly. we don't go shooting our mouths off saying that
we're the best band in Britain.
PHRASAL VERBS
shoot someone/thing down bring down an aircraft or
missile by shooting at it: their helicopter was shot down by
an air-to-air missile. • kill or wound someone by shooting
them, especially in a ruthless way: troops shot down 28
demonstrators. • crush someone or their opinions by
forceful criticism: she tried to argue and got shot down in
flames for her trouble.
shoot through Austral./NZ informal leave, typically to
escape from or avoid someone or something: me wife's
shot through and I can't pay the rent.[1940s: from shoot
through like a Bondi tram (Bondi being a Sydney suburb).]
shoot up (especially of a child) grow taller rapidly. when
she hit thirteen she shot up to a startling 5 foot 9. • (of a price
or amount) rise suddenly. the price of milk had shot up.shoot someone/thing up
1 cause great damage to
something by shooting: the police shot up our building. 2
(also shoot up) informal inject oneself (or someone else)
with a narcotic drug: she went home and shot up alone in her
room | shoot people up with the new chemical and see what
happens.
DERIVATIVES
shootable adjective
ORIGIN Old English scēotan, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch schieten and German schiessen, also to
sheet 1 ,shot 1 , and shut.
chute 1 |ʃuːt| (also shoot)
noun
a sloping channel or slide for conveying things to a lower
level. cement was loaded on to barges via chutes.
• a water slide into a swimming pool.
ORIGIN early 19th cent. (originally a North American
usage): from French, ‘fall’ (of water or rocks), from OldFrench cheoite,
feminine past participle of cheoir ‘to fall’,
from Latin cadere; influenced by shoot.
baroque |bəˈrɒk, -ˈrəʊk|
adjective
relating to or denoting a style of European architecture,
music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that
followed Mannerism and is characterized by ornate
detail. In architecture the period is exemplified by the
palace of Versailles and by the work of Wren in England.
Major composers include Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel;
Caravaggio and Rubens are important baroque artists.
• highly ornate and extravagant in style. the candles were
positively baroque.
noun [ mass noun ]
the baroque style or period. the interior of the church is in
lavish baroque. the sculptural group in Rome is a key work of
the baroque.ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French (originally
designating a pearl of irregular shape), from Portuguese
barroco,Spanish
barrueco,
or
Italian
barocco;
of
unknown ultimate origin.
irresistible |ɪrɪˈzɪstɪb(ə)l|
adjective
too attractive and tempting to be resisted: he found the
delicious-looking cakes irresistible.
• too powerful or convincing to be resisted: she felt an
irresistible urge to object.
DERIVATIVES
irresistibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
irresistibly adverb
ORIGIN
late
16th
cent.:
from
medieval
Latin
irresistibilis, from in- ‘not’ + resistibilis (from resistere
‘resist’).
irresistibleadjective
1 her irresistible smile: tempting, enticing, alluring,
inviting,
seductive;
attractive,
desirable,
fetching,
glamorous, appealing; captivating, ravishing, beguiling,
enchanting, fascinating, tantalizing; informal, dated
come-hither.
2 it was an irresistible impulse—I couldn't stop myself:
uncontrollable,
compelling,
overwhelming,
compulsive,
overpowering,
besetting,
irrepressible,
ungovernable; unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable,
inexorable,
driving,
forceful,
potent,
oppressive,
imperative, urgent; obsessive.
WORD TOOLKIT
irresistible
See enchanting.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
susceptibility |səˌsɛptɪˈbɪlɪti|noun (pl.susceptibilities)
1 [ mass noun ] the state or fact of being likely or liable to
be influenced or harmed by a particular thing: lack of
exercise increases susceptibility to disease.
2
(susceptibilities)
a
person's
feelings,
typically
considered as being easily hurt: I was so careful not to
offend their susceptibilities.
3 Physics the ratio of magnetization produced in a
material to the magnetizing force.
susceptibility
noun
1 his susceptibility to flattery: vulnerability, sensitivity,
openness,
defencelessness,
receptiveness,
responsiveness. ANTONYMS immunity, resistance.
2 old age brings with it an increased susceptibility to illness:
liability,
proneness,
vulnerability,
propensity,
inclination;
weakness;
ANTONYMS immunity, resistance.
predisposition,
likelihood.liability |lʌɪəˈbɪlɪti|
noun (pl.liabilities)
1 [ mass noun ] the state of being legally responsible for
something: once you contact the card protection scheme your
liability for any loss ends.
• [ count noun ] (usu. liabilities) a thing for which
someone is responsible, especially an amount of money
owed: valuing the company's liabilities and assets.
2 [ usu. in sing. ] a person or thing whose presence or
behaviour is likely to put one at a disadvantage: she said
the party had become a liability to green politics.
liability
noun
1 journalists cannot avoid liability for defamation merely by
avoiding
the
responsibility,
naming
legal
of
names: accountability,
responsibility, answerability;
incrimination, blame, blameworthiness, culpability, guilt,
onus, fault; informal the rap. ANTONYMS immunity.
2 they have some huge assets and some equally big liabilities:
financial
obligation,
debt,
indebtedness,
debit;
(liabilities) debts, arrears, dues. ANTONYMS asset.
3 she had come to be seen as an electoral liability: hindrance,
encumbrance,
burden,
handicap,
nuisance,
inconvenience; obstacle, impediment, drawback, drag,
disadvantage, weakness, shortcoming, problem, weak
spot/point; millstone round one's neck, stumbling block,
cross to bear, cross, albatross; Achilles heel; informal
minus, fly in the ointment; archaic cumber. ANTONYMS
asset, advantage.
4 their liability to the disease: susceptibility, vulnerability,
proneness, tendency, predisposition, propensity; risk,
chance, likelihood, threat. ANTONYMS immunity.
accountability |əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti|
noun [ mass noun ]the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility:
lack of accountability has corroded public respect for business
and political leaders.
accountability
noun
1 there must be clear accountability for the expenditure of
public
money:
responsibility,
liability,
answerability.
ANTONYMS unaccountability.
2 ministers' accountability to parliament: answerability,
responsibility, reporting, obedience.
responsibility |rɪˌspɒnsɪˈbɪlɪti|
noun (pl.responsibilities) [ mass noun ]
1 the state or fact of having a duty to deal with
something or of having control over someone: women
bear children and take responsibility for childcare.
2 the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for
something: the group has claimed responsibility for a string of
murders.• [ in sing. ] (responsibility to/towards) a moral
obligation to behave correctly towards or in respect of:
individuals have a responsibility to control their behaviour.
3 the opportunity or ability to act independently and
take
decisions
without
authorization:
we
expect
individuals to take on more responsibility.
• [ count noun ] (often responsibilities) a thing which
one is required to do as part of a job, role, or legal
obligation: he will take over the responsibilities of Overseas
Director.
PHRASES
on one's own responsibility without authorization. he
postponed, on his own responsibility, a proposal for a broadcast
by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
responsibility
noun
1 it was his responsibility to find witnesses: duty, task,
function, job, role, place, charge, business, onus, burden,liability, accountability, answerability, province; Brit.
informal pigeon.
2 the organization denied responsibility for the bomb attack at
the
airport:
blame,
fault,
guilt,
culpability,
blameworthiness, liability.
3 teenagers may not be shemphasize |ˈɛmfəsʌɪz| (also emphasise)
verb [ with obj. ]
1 give special importance or value to (something) in
speaking or writing: they emphasize the need for daily, one-
to-one contact between parent and child | [ with clause ] : I
would emphasize that I am not an economist.
2 lay stress on (a word or phrase) when speaking. his
father emphasized the wrong words in his sentence.
3 make (something) more clearly defined: a hip-length
jacket which emphasized her shape.
up to 1 as far as: I could reach just up to his waist. • (also
up until) until: up to now I hadn't had a relationship. 2
indicating a maximum amount: the process is expected to
take up to two years. 3 [ with negative or in questions ]
good enough for: I was not up to her standards. • capable
of or fit for: he is simply not up to the job. 4 the
responsibility or choice of (someone): it was up to them togauge the problem.
5 informal occupied or busy with:
what's he been up to?
uncombed |ʌnˈkəʊmd|
adjective
(of a person's hair) not combed: his hair was matted and
uncombed.
disputation |dɪspjuːˈteɪʃ(ə)n, -pjʊˈt-|
noun [ mass noun ]
debate or argument: promoting consensus rather than
disputation | [ count noun ] : a lengthy disputation about the
rights and wrongs of a particular request.
• formal academic debate: the founding father of logical
disputation | [ count noun ] : scholastic disputations.
DERIVATIVES
disputative |dɪˈspjuːtətɪv| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin disputatio(n-),
from the verb disputare (see dispute) .disputation
noun
we'll have no politics and no religious disputation in this
house: debate, discussion, dispute, argument, arguing,
argumentation,
dissension,
altercation,
disagreement,
wrangling, sparring,
disharmony, conflict,
contention, controversy; polemics; rare contestation,
velitation.
discontent |dɪskənˈtɛnt|
noun [ mass noun ]
dissatisfaction
with
one's
circumstances;
lack
of
contentment: voters voiced discontent with both parties |
[ count noun ] : the discontents of the working class.
• [ count noun ] a person who is dissatisfied, typically
with the prevailing social or political situation: the cause
attracted a motley crew of discontents and zealots.
adjectivedissatisfied. he was discontent with his wages.
DERIVATIVES
discontentment noun
disrespectful |dɪsrɪˈspɛk(t)f(ʊ)l|
adjective
showing a lack of respect or courtesy; impolite: a deeply
disrespectful attitude towards women.
DERIVATIVES
disrespectfully adverb
disrespectful
adjective
he was cheeky and disrespectful towards his parents:
discourteous, rude, impolite, uncivil, unmannerly, ill-
mannered,
bad-mannered,
ungracious,
irreverent,
inconsiderate; insolent, impudent, impertinent, cheeky,
flippant,
insubordinate,
churlish;
contemptuous,disdainful, derisive, scornful, disparaging, insulting,
abusive; informal fresh. ANTONYMS respectful, polite.
ecology |ɪˈkɒlədʒi, ɛ-|
noun [ mass noun ]
the branch of biology that deals with the relations of
organisms to one another and to their physical
surroundings.
• (Ecology)the political movement concerned with
protection of the environment.
DERIVATIVES
ecologist noun
ORIGIN late 19th cent. (originally as oecology): from
Greek oikos ‘house’ + -logy.
angry |ˈaŋgri|
adjective (angrier, angriest)
feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or
hostility; full of anger: why are you angry with me? | I'm
angry that she didn't call me.• (of the sea or sky) stormy, turbulent, or threatening: the
wild, angry sea.
• (of a wound or sore) red and inflamed. the bruise below
his eye looked angry and sore.
DERIVATIVES
angrily adverb
cast 1 |kɑːst|
verb (past and past participlecast) [ with obj. ]
1 [ usu. with adverbial of direction ] chiefly literary
throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction: he
cast the book down on to the chair angrily | the fishermen cast
a large net around a school of tuna | figurative : individuals
who do not accept the norms are cast out from the group.
• throw the hooked and baited end of (a fishing line) out
into the water.
• let down (an anchor or sounding line).2 [ with adverbial of place ]
cause (light or shadow) to
appear on a surface: the moon cast a pale light over the
cottages.
• [ with adverbial of direction ] direct (one's eyes or a
look) at something: she cast down her eyes | [ with two
objs ] : she cast him a desperate glance.
• cause (uncertainty or disparagement) to be associated
with
something:
journalists
cast
doubt
on
the
government's version of events.
3 [ with adverbial of direction ] discard: he jumped in,
casting caution to the wind.
• shed (skin or horns) in the process of growth: the antlers
are cast each year.
• (of a horse) lose (a shoe).
4 shape (metal or other material) by pouring it into a
mould while molten. when hammered or cast, bronze could
be made into tools.
• make (a moulded object) by casting metal: a bell was
cast for the church.• arrange and present in a specified form or style: he
issued statements cast in tones of reason.
5 register (a vote): votes have been cast in 40 per cent of the
seats.
6 cause (a magic spell) to take effect: the witch cast a spell
on her to turn her into a beast | figurative : the city casts a
spell on the visitor.
7 calculate and record details of (a horoscope). you can
look at the star chart cast at somebody's birth.
8 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of direction ] (in country
dancing) change one's position by moving a certain
number of places in a certain direction along the outside
of the line in which one is dancing. cross the set and cast
down one place.
9 [ no obj. ] Hunting (of a dog) search in different
directions for a lost scent: the dog cast furiously for the
vanished rabbit.
• [ with obj. ] let loose (hounds) on a scent. casting the
hounds into cover, we stood and listened.
10 immobilize (an animal, especially a cow) by using a
rope to cause it to fall on its side.
noun
1 an object made by shaping molten metal or similar
material in a mould: bronze casts of the sculpture.
• (also plaster cast)a mould used to make an object by
casting. the artist's casts and moulds became the property of
the museum.
• (also plaster cast)a bandage stiffened with plaster of
Paris, moulded to the shape of a limb that is broken and
used to support and protect it. I had to spend a month in a
cast.
2 an act of throwing something forcefully: he grabbed a
spear for a third cast.
• Fishing a throw of a fishing line. I swung the rod out for a
cast.
• Brit.the leader of a fishing line.
• archaic a throw or a number thrown at dice: 'tis no
winning cast.3 [ in sing. ] [ with adj. or noun modifier ] the form or
appearance of something, especially someone's features
or complexion: she had a somewhat masculine cast of
countenance | the colours he wore emphasized the olive cast of
his skin.
• the character of something: this question is for minds of a
more philosophical cast than mine.
4 a slight squint: he had a cast in one eye.
5 short for worm cast.
6 a pellet regurgitated by a hawk or owl.
7 Hunting a wide search made by a hound or pack of
hounds to find a trail.
• Austral./NZa wide sweep made by a sheepdog in
mustering sheep.
PHRASES
be cast in a —— mould (of a person) be of the type
specified: he was cast in a cautious mould.
cast one's bread upon the waters see bread.
cast one's eyes over have a quick appraising look at. he
was invited to cast his eyes over the exhibition.
cast light on see light 1 .
cast lots see lot.
cast one's mind back think back to a particular event or
time: he cast his mind back to the fatal evening.
cast the (or one's) net search for suitable options or
candidates in a specified way: Martin vowed he would cast
the net far and wide in the search for the best person. he is
prepared to cast his net wide to find workable solutions.
PHRASAL VERBS
cast about (or around or round)search far and wide
(physically or mentally): he is restlessly casting about for
novelties.[from cast 1 ( sense 9 of the verb).]
be cast away be stranded after a shipwreck. he returned
home three years after being cast away on the island.
be cast down feel depressed: she was greatly cast down by
abusive criticism of her novels.cast off (or cast something off)
1 Knitting take the
stitches off the needle by looping each over the next to
finish the edge. when the piece of knitting is long enough,
cast off. cast off a few stitches at the armhole. 2 set a boat or
ship free from her moorings: the boatmen cast off and rowed
downriver. • (cast off) (of a boat or ship) be set free from
her moorings. the ferry cast off and made a beeline for the
pier. 3 let loose a hunting hound or hawk. 4 Printing
estimate the space that will be taken in print by
manuscript copy.
cast someone off exclude someone from a relationship:
you told me your family had cast you off.
cast on (or cast something on)Knitting make the first
row of a specified number of loops on the needle. cast on
and knit a few rows of stocking stitch. cast on 14 stitches.
cast something up 1 (of the sea) deposit something on
the shore. she would collect objects cast up by the tides. 2
dated add up figures. he could cast up intricate accounts in
his head.ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse kasta ‘to cast
or throw’.
cast 2 |kɑːst|
noun [ treated as sing. or pl. ]
the actors taking part in a play, film, or other production:
he draws sensitive performances from his inexperienced cast.
verb (past and past participlecast) [ with obj. ]
assign a part in a play or film to (an actor): he was cast as
a young knight in her lavish historical epic.
• allocate parts in (a play or film). assembling a great
baseball team is as tricky as casting a play.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: a special use of cast 1 in cast 1
( sense 4 of the verb).
cast
verb
1 he cast the stone into the stream: throw, toss, fling, pitch,
hurl, bowl, dash, shy, lob, launch, flip, let fly, direct,discharge,
project, propel, send; informal chuck, heave,
sling, bung.
2 fishermen cast their nets into the sea: spread, throw, lay
out, open out, unroll, fan out, stretch out.
3 she cast a fearful glance over her shoulder: direct, shoot,
turn, throw, send, dart, bestow, give.
4 each adult citizen has the right to cast a vote: register,
record, enter, file, lodge, post, set down, vote; allot,
assign, give.
5 the fire cast a soft light: emit, give off, send out, send
forth, shed, radiate, diffuse, spread out.
6 the figures cast dancing shadows on the carpet: form,
create, make, produce, cause; project, throw.
7 the stags' antlers are cast each year: shed, discard, slough
off, throw off, get rid of, let fall, let drop; moult, peel off;
technical exuviate.
8 until the 1880s printing type was cast by hand: mould,
fashion, form, shape, model; sculpt, sculpture, frame,
forge, carve; make, create, build, manufacture.
9 he gave lectures on astrology and cast horoscopes in his spare
time: calculate, devise, compute, reckon, determine,
assess, work out, formulate, record, write; predict,
forecast, foretell, foresee, prophesy.
10 they were cast as extras in the film: choose, select, pick,
name, nominate, assign, appoint, give/assign the part to.
PHRASES
cast aside he glanced down at a newspaper that had been cast
aside: discard, reject, cast/throw away, cast/throw out,
dispense with, get rid of, dispose of, abandon.
cast away he returned home three years after being cast away
on the island: shipwreck, wreck; strand, leave stranded,
maroon, cast ashore, abandon, leave behind, leave;
informal leave high and dry; archaic forsake.
cast down she could not bear to see him so miserable and cast
down: depressed, downcast, unhappy, sad, miserable,
gloomy, down, low, blue, melancholy, doleful, mournful;
dejected,
dispirited,
downhearted,
discouraged,
demoralized,
daunted,
disheartened,
dismayed,desolate, disconsolate, crestfallen, crushed, sapped,
shaken,
undermined,
despondent,
weighed
down,
oppressed, wretched.
noun
1 a cast of the writer's hand was taken: mould, die, form,
matrix,
shape,
casting,
template,
pattern,
frame;
sculpture, model, replica, copy, representation, mock-up,
imitation, reproduction, figure.
2 a cast of the dice: throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, shy, lob,
flip; informal chuck, heave, sling, bung, go.
3 a child with an enquiring, ironical cast of mind: type, sort,
kind, variety, class, style, stamp, nature, manner, pattern,
grain, mould, ilk, kidney, strain, brand, genre; turn,
inclination, bent.
4 he had a pronounced cast in one eye : squint, cross-eyes;
Brit. informal boss-eye; technical strabismus.
5 he joined the cast of ‘The Barber of Seville’: actors,
performers,
players,
personae, characters.
company,
troupe;
dramatisby far this would be by far the best solution: by a great
amount, by a good deal, by a long way/chalk/shot, by a
mile, far and away; undoubtedly, doubtlessly, without
doubt, without question, decidedly, markedly, positively,
absolutely,
easily,
immeasurably;
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, much; informal as sure as eggs is
eggs.
far and away they were far and away the most powerful
union. See by far.
by any means [ with negative ] in any way; at all: I'm not
poor by any means.
by and large on the whole; everything considered:
mammals have, by and large, bigger brains than reptiles.
[originally in nautical use, describing the handling of a
ship both to the wind and off it.by |bʌɪ|
preposition
1 identifying the agent performing an action:
• after a passive verb: the door was opened by my cousin
Annie | damage caused by fire.
• after a noun denoting an action: a clear decision by the
electorate | years of hard fund-raising work by local people.
• identifying the author of a text, idea, or work of art: a
book by Ernest Hemingway.
2 [ often with verbal noun ] indicating the means of
achieving something: malaria can be controlled by attacking
the parasite | they substantiate their opinions by the use of
precise textual reference | they plan to provide further
working capital by means of borrowing.
• indicating a term to which an interpretation is to be
assigned: what is meant by ‘fair’?
• indicating a name according to which a person is
known: she mostly calls me by my last name.
• indicating the means of transport selected for a
journey: the cost of travelling by bus | I travelled to
Folkestone by rail.
• indicating the other parent of someone's child or
children: Richard is his son by his third wife.
• indicating the sire of a pedigree animal, especially a
horse: a black filly by Goldfuerst.
• (followed by a noun without a determiner) in various
phrases indicating how something happens: I heard by
chance that she has married again | Anderson, by contrast,
rejects this view | she ate by candlelight.
3 indicating the amount or size of a margin: the shot
missed her by miles | the raising of VAT by 2.5%.
• indicating a quantity or amount: billing is by the minute
| the drunken yobbos who turned up by the cartload.
• in phrases indicating something happening repeatedly
or progressively, typically with repetition of a unit of
time: colours changing minute by minute | the risk becomes
worse by the day.• identifying a parameter: a breakdown of employment
figures by age and occupation.
• expressing multiplication, especially in dimensions: a
map measuring 400 by 600 mm | she multiplied it by 89.
4 indicating a deadline or the end of a particular time
period: I've got to do this report by Monday | by now Kelly
needed extensive physiotherapy.
5 indicating location of a physical object beside a place or
object: remains were discovered by the roadside | the pram
was by the dresser.
• past and beyond: I drove by our house.
6 indicating the period in which something happens: this
animal always hunts by night.
7 concerning; according to: anything you do is all right by
me | she had done her duty by him.
8 used in mild oaths: it was the least he could do, by God | I
swear by Almighty God.
adverbso as to go past: a car flashed by on the other side of the road
| he let only a moment go by.
noun (pl.byes)
variant spelling of bye 1 .
PHRASES
by and by before long; eventually.
by the by (or bye)incidentally: where's Hector, by the by?
by and large on the whole; everything considered:
mammals have, by and large, bigger brains than reptiles.
[originally in nautical use, describing the handling of a
ship both to the wind and off it.]
by oneself 1 alone: she lives in the apartment by herself. 2
unaided: the patient often learns to undress by himself.
by way of see way.
ORIGIN Old English bī, bi, be, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch bij and German bei .
means |miːnz|
pluralnoun1 [ treated as sing. or pl. ] (often means of/to do
something) an action or system by which a result is
achieved; a method: technology seen as a means to bring
about emancipation | resolving disputes by peaceful means.
2 financial resources; income: a woman of modest but
independent means.
• substantial resources; wealth: a man of means.
PHRASES
beyond (or within) one's means beyond (or within)
one's budget or income. the government is living beyond its
means. a flat that was within her means.
by all means of course; certainly (granting a permission):
‘May I make a suggestion?’ ‘By all means.’.
by any means [ with negative ] in any way; at all: I'm not
poor by any means.
by means of with the help of; by using: supplying water to
cities by means of aqueducts.
by no means (or by no manner of means)not at all;
certainly not: the outcome is by no means guaranteed.
means of grace Christian Theology the sacraments and
other religious agencies viewed as the means by which
divine grace is imparted to the soul, or by which growth
in grace is promoted.
means of production (in a political context) the facilities
and resources for producing goods. in this society the
means of production are communally owned.
a means to an end a thing that is not valued or important
in itself but is useful in achieving an aim: higher education
was seen primarily as a means to an end.
ORIGIN late Middle English: plural of mean 3 , the early
sense being ‘intermediary’.
far
adverb
1 not far from the palace a fine garden was built: a long way,
a great distance, a good way, afar. ANTONYMS near.
2 the liveliness of the production far outweighs any flaws:
much,
very
much,
considerably,
markedly,immeasurably,
decidedly,
greatly,
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, signally;
to a great extent/degree, by much, by a great amount, by
a great deal, by a long way, by far, by a mile, easily.
ANTONYMS slightly.
PHRASES
by far this would be by far the best solution: by a great
amount, by a good deal, by a long way/chalk/shot, by a
mile, far and away; undoubtedly, doubtlessly, without
doubt, without question, decidedly, markedly, positively,
absolutely,
easily,
immeasurably;
significantly,
substantially, appreciably, noticeably, materially, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, much; informal as sure as eggs is
eggs.
far and away they were far and away the most powerful
union. See by far.
far and near guests had travelled from far and near to be
there. See everywhere.
far and wide he was known far and wide. See everywhere.
far from staff were far from happy with the outcome: not, not
at all, nowhere near, a long way from, the opposite of.
go far she was a girl who would go far: be successful,
succeed, prosper, flourish, thrive, get on, get on in the
world, make good, make one's way in the world, make
headway/progress, gain advancement, climb the ladder
of success, rise in the world, set the world on fire; Brit.
set the Thames on fire; informal make a name for oneself,
make one's mark, go places, make it, make the grade, cut
it, get somewhere, do all right for oneself, arrive, find a
place in the sun, be someone. ANTONYMS fail.
go too far they locked him up because he went too far: go
over the top, go to extremes, go overboard, not know
when to stop.
so far 1 nobody had taken any notice of me so far: until now,
up till/to now, up to this point, as yet, thus far, hitherto,
up to the present, until/till the present, to date, by this
time; rare heretofore, thitherto.
2 his liberalism only extends
so far: to a certain extent, to a limited extent, up to apoint, to a degree,
 to some extent, within reason, within
limits.
adjective
1 he'd travelled to far places in the war: distant, faraway, far
off; remote, out of the way, far flung, far removed,
outlying, obscure, isolated, cut-off, inaccessible, off the
beaten track, in the back of beyond, godforsaken.
ANTONYMS near; neighbouring.
2 a building on the far side of the campus: further, more
distant; opposite. ANTONYMS near.
obstacle |ˈɒbstək(ə)l|
noun
a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders
progress: the major obstacle to achieving that goal is money.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
obstaculum, from obstare ‘impede’, from ob- ‘against’ +
stare ‘stand’.obstacle
noun
lack of childcare provision was cited as a major obstacle for
women who wish to participate in training initiatives: barrier,
hurdle,
stumbling
block,
bar,
block,
impediment,
hindrance, snag, catch, drawback, hitch, handicap,
deterrent,
complication,
difficulty,
problem,
disadvantage, baulk, curb, check, stop, interference;
obstruction, barricade, blockade; informal fly in the
ointment, hiccup, facer; Brit. informal spanner in the
works; N. Amer. informal monkey wrench in the works;
dated
cumber;
literary
trammel.
ANTONYMS
advantage, asset, aid.
denouement |deɪˈnuːmɒ̃ | (also dénouement)
noun
the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the
strands of the plot are drawn together and matters areexplained
or
resolved.
the
film's
denouement
was
unsatisfying and ambiguous.
• the outcome of a situation, when something is decided
or made clear: I waited by the eighteenth green to see the
denouement.
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: French dénouement, from
dénouer ‘unknot’.
denouement, dénouement
noun
1 the film's denouement was unsatisfying and ambiguous:
finale, final scene, final act, last act, epilogue, coda, end,
ending, finish, close; culmination, climax, conclusion,
resolution, solution, clarification, unravelling; informal
wind-up. ANTONYMS beginning.
2 the debate had an unexpected denouement: outcome,
upshot, consequence, result, end result, end, ending,
termination, culmination, climax; informal pay-off; dated
issue; archaic success. ANTONYMS origin.cessation |sɛˈseɪʃ(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end:
the cessation of hostilities | [ count noun ] : a cessation of
animal testing of cosmetics.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin cessatio(n-),
from cessare ‘cease’.
cessation
noun
the cessation of hostilities: end, ending, termination,
stopping, halting, ceasing, finish, finishing, stoppage,
closing,
closure,
discontinuation,
close,
conclusion,
discontinuance,
winding
breaking
up,
off,
abandonment, interruption, suspension, cutting short;
pause,
break,
respite,
resumption.
mollify |ˈmɒlɪfʌɪ|
let-up.
ANTONYMS
start;verb (mollifies, mollifying, mollified) [ with obj. ]
appease the anger or anxiety of (someone): nature reserves
were set up around the power stations to mollify local
conservationists.
• rare reduce the severity of (something). the women
hoped to mollify the harsh wilderness environment.
DERIVATIVES
mollification |-fɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
mollifier noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense ‘make soft
or supple’): from French mollifier or Latin mollificare,
from mollis ‘soft’.
mollify
verb
1 nature reserves were set up to mollify local conservationists:
appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, humour, soothe, calm,
calm down, still, quieten, propitiate; Austral. square
someone off. ANTONYMS enrage.
2 the government's undertaking mollified the fears of the
public: allay, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, ease, lessen,
reduce, moderate, lull, temper, tone down, cushion,
quell, soften, blunt. ANTONYMS inflame, aggravate.
assuage |əˈsweɪdʒ|
verb [ with obj. ]
make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense: the letter
assuaged the fears of most members.
• satisfy (an appetite or desire): an opportunity occurred to
assuage her desire for knowledge.
DERIVATIVES
assuagement noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French assouagier,
asouagier, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) +
suavis ‘sweet’.
assuage
verb1 an aching pain that could never be assuaged: relieve, ease,
alleviate, soothe, mitigate, dampen, allay, calm, palliate,
abate, lull, temper, suppress, smother, stifle, subdue,
tranquillize, mollify, moderate, modify, tone down,
attenuate, dilute, lessen, diminish, decrease, reduce,
lower; put an end to, put a stop to, take the edge off;
informal kill; rare lenify. ANTONYMS aggravate.
2 her physical hunger could be quickly assuaged: satisfy,
fulfil, gratify, appease, indulge, relieve, slake, sate,
satiate, quench, quell, overcome, check, keep in check,
dull,
blunt,
allay,
take
the
edge
off,
diminish.
ANTONYMS intensify.
boisterous |ˈbɔɪst(ə)rəs|
adjective
noisy, energetic, and cheerful: a group of boisterous lads.
• (of weather or water) wild or stormy: the boisterous
wind was lulled.
DERIVATIVESboisterously adverb,
boisterousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘rough, stiff’):
variant of earlier boistuous‘rustic, coarse, boisterous’, of
unknown origin.
boisterous
adjective
1 a boisterous game of handball: lively, active, animated,
exuberant, spirited, bouncy, frisky, excited, overexcited,
in high spirits, high-spirited, ebullient, vibrant, rowdy,
unruly, wild, uproarious, unrestrained, undisciplined,
uninhibited, uncontrolled, abandoned, rough, romping,
rollicking, disorderly, knockabout, riotous, rip-roaring,
rumbustious,
roistering,
tumultuous;
noisy,
loud,
clamorous, clangorous. ANTONYMS quiet, restrained.
2 a boisterous wind: blustery, gusting, gusty, breezy,
windy, stormy, wild, squally, rough, choppy, turbulent,tempestuous,
howling, roaring, raging, furious; informal
blowy. ANTONYMS calm, quiet.
WORD TOOLKIT
boisterous
See rowdy.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
industrious |ɪnˈdʌstrɪəs|
adjective
diligent and hard-working. an industrious people striving
to make their country prosperous.
DERIVATIVES
industriously adverb,
industriousness noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘skilful, clever,
ingenious’): from French industrieux or late Latin
industriosus, from Latin industria ‘diligence’.industrious
adjective
he was honest, sober, and industrious: hard-working,
diligent, assiduous, sedulous, conscientious, steady,
painstaking,
persistent,
persevering,
pertinacious,
unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, studious;
busy, busy as a bee, active, bustling, energetic, on the go,
vigorous,
determined,
dynamic,
driven,
zealous,
productive; with one's shoulder to the wheel, with one's
nose to the grindstone; archaic laborious. ANTONYMS
indolent.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
industrious, diligent, hard-working
See hard-working.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
uncaring |ʌnˈkɛːrɪŋ|
adjective1 not displaying sympathy or concern for others: an
uncaring father.
2 not feeling interest in or attaching importance to
something: she had always been uncaring of her appearance.
DERIVATIVES
uncaringly adverb
daring |ˈdɛːrɪŋ|
adjective
(of a person or action) adventurous or audaciously bold:
a daring crime.
• causing outrage or surprise by being boldly
unconventional: a pretty girl in daring clothes.
noun [ mass noun ]
adventurous courage. the daring of the players brings
fortune or ruin.
DERIVATIVES
daringly adverb
dare |dɛː|verb (3rd sing. present usu. dare before an expressed or
implied infinitive)
1 (as modal usu. with infinitive with or without to often
with negative) have the courage to do something: a story
he dare not write down | she leaned forward as far as she
dared.
• (how dare you) used to express indignation at
something: how dare you talk to me like that!
• (don't you dare) used to order someone threateningly
not to do something: don't you dare touch me.
2 [ with obj. and infinitive ] defy or challenge (someone)
to do something: she was daring him to disagree | [ with
obj. ] : swap with me, I dare you.
3 [ with obj. ] literary take the risk of; brave: few dared his
wrath.
noun
a challenge, especially to prove courage: she ran across a
main road for a dare.
PHRASESI dare say (or daresay)used to indicate that one believes
something is probable: I dare say you've heard about her.
DERIVATIVES
darer noun
ORIGIN Old English durran, of Germanic origin; related
to Gothic gadaursan, from an Indo-European root shared
by Greek tharsein and Sanskrit dhṛṣ- ‘be bold’.
daring
adjective
a lone torpedo-bomber attempted a daring attack on the
battleship:
bold,
audacious,
adventurous,
intrepid,
venturesome, fearless, brave, unafraid, unshrinking,
undaunted, dauntless, valiant, valorous, heroic, dashing;
confident, enterprising; madcap, rash, reckless, heedless;
informal
gutsy,
adventuresome,
cautious.
noun
spunky,
venturous.
peppy,
pushy;
ANTONYMS
rare
cowardly;this recording eclipses the others by its sheer daring:
boldness, audacity, temerity, audaciousness, fearlessness,
intrepidity, bravery, courage, courageousness, valour,
valorousness, heroism, pluck; recklessness, rashness,
foolhardiness; adventurousness, enterprise, dynamism,
spirit, mettle, confidence; informal nerve, guts, gutsiness,
spunk, grit; Brit. informal bottle, ballsiness; N. Amer.
informal moxie, cojones, sand; vulgar slang balls; rare
venturousness,
temerariousness.
ANTONYMS
cowardice; caution.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
daring, bold, audacious
See bold.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
dare
verb
1 nobody dared to say a word: be brave enough, have the
courage, pluck up courage, take the risk; venture, havethe nerve,
have the temerity, make so bold as, be so bold
as, have the effrontery, have the audacity, presume, go so
far as; risk doing, hazard doing, take the liberty of doing;
informal stick one's neck out, go out on a limb; N. Amer.
informal take a flyer; archaic make bold to.
2 she dared him to go: challenge, provoke, goad, taunt,
defy, summon, invite, bid; throw down the gauntlet to.
noun
she didn't quite know why she accepted the dare: challenge,
provocation, goad, taunt; gauntlet, invitation, ultimatum,
summons.
audacious |ɔːˈdeɪʃəs|
adjective
1 showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks: a
series of audacious takeovers.
2 showing an impudent lack of respect: he made an
audacious remark.
DERIVATIVESaudaciously adverb,
audaciousness noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin audax, audac-
‘bold’ (from audere ‘dare’) + -ious.
audacious
adjective
1 the audience were left gasping at his audacious exploits:
bold,
daring,
unflinching,
fearless,
courageous,
intrepid,
valiant,
brave,
unafraid,
valorous,
heroic,
dashing, plucky, daredevil, devil-may-care, death-or-
glory,
reckless,
venturesome,
wild,
madcap;
enterprising,
adventurous,
dynamic,
spirited,
mettlesome; informal game, gutsy, spunky, ballsy, have-
a-go,
go-ahead;
rare
venturous,
temerarious.
ANTONYMS timid.
2 Des made some audacious remark to her: impudent,
impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, forward, cheeky,
irreverent, discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, ill-mannered,
bad-mannered, unmannerly, rude, crude,
brazen, brazen-faced, brash, shameless, pert, defiant,
bold, bold as brass, outrageous, shocking, out of line;
informal brass-necked, cocky, lippy, mouthy, fresh, flip;
Brit. informal saucy, smart-arsed; N. Amer. informal
sassy,
nervy,
smart-assed;
archaic
malapert,
contumelious; rare tossy, mannerless. ANTONYMS
polite.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
audacious, bold, daring
See bold.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
disseminate |dɪˈsɛmɪneɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
spread (something, especially information) widely: health
authorities should foster good practice by disseminating
information.• (usu. as adj.disseminated) spread throughout an organ
or the body: disseminated colonic cancer.
DERIVATIVES
disseminator noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin disseminat-
‘scattered’, from the verb disseminare, from dis- ‘abroad’
+ semen, semin- ‘seed’.
disseminate
verb
health authorities should foster good practice by disseminating
information: spread, circulate, distribute, disperse, diffuse,
proclaim,
promulgate,
propagate,
publicize,
communicate, pass on, make known, put about;
dissipate, scatter; broadcast, put on the air/airwaves,
publish; herald, trumpet; literary bruit abroad/about.
contradict |kɒntrəˈdɪkt|
verb [ with obj. ]deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite:
the survey appears to contradict the industry's claims |
[ with clause ] : he did not contradict what he said last week.
• assert the opposite of a statement made by (someone):
he did not contradict her but just said nothing | within five
minutes he had contradicted himself twice.
• be in conflict with: the existing layout of the city
contradicted the logic of the new centre.
DERIVATIVES
contradictor noun
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin contradict- ‘spoken
against’, from the verb contradicere, originally contra
dicere ‘speak against’.
contradict
verb
1 this statement was contradicted by the foreign minister:
deny, refute, rebut, dispute, counter; say the opposite of;formal gainsay;
rare controvert, confute, negative.
ANTONYMS confirm, verify, agree with.
2 nobody dared to contradict him: challenge, oppose, argue
against, go against, be at variance with; formal gainsay,
impugn.
3 this research contradicts computer models which predict a
warmer, wetter world: conflict with, be at odds with, be at
variance with, disagree with, be inconsistent with, clash
with, run counter to, give the lie to, belie; negate;
informal fly in the face of, make a nonsense of, shoot full
of holes, drive a coach and horses through. ANTONYMS
corroborate, support.
persuade |pəˈsweɪd|
verb [ with obj. and infinitive ]
induce (someone) to do something through reasoning or
argument: it wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right
thing.• [ with obj. ] cause (someone) to believe something,
especially after a sustained effort; convince: health boards
were finally persuaded of the desirability of psychiatric units
| [ with obj. and clause ] : he did everything he could to
persuade the police that he was the robber.
• (of a situation or event) provide a sound reason for
(someone) to do something: the cost of the manor's
restoration persuaded them to take in guests.
DERIVATIVES
persuasible adjective
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from Latin persuadere, from per-
‘through, to completion’ + suadere ‘advise’.
usage: For a discussion of the difference between
persuade and convince, see usage at convince.
persuade
verb
1 he tried to persuade her to come with him: prevail on, talk
someone into, coax, convince, make, get, press someoneinto,
induce, win someone over, bring someone round,
argue someone into, pressure someone into, pressurize
someone into, coerce, influence, sway, prompt, inveigle,
entice, tempt, lure, cajole, wheedle someone into, get
round, blarney, prod someone into, reason someone into;
Law procure; informal sweet-talk, smooth-talk, soft-soap,
twist someone's arm. ANTONYMS dissuade, discourage,
deter.
2 shortage of money persuaded them to abandon the scheme:
cause, lead, move, dispose, incline, motivate, induce.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
persuade, convince, induce
See convince.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
plummet |ˈplʌmɪt|
verb (plummets, plummeting, plummeted) [ no obj. ]
fall or drop straight down at high speed: a climber was
killed when he plummeted 300 feet down an icy gully.
• decrease rapidly in value or amount: hardware sales
plummeted.
noun
1 a steep and rapid fall or drop. the bird has a circular
display flight followed by an earthward plummet.
2 a plumb or plumb line.
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Old
French plommet ‘small sounding lead’, diminutive of
plomb ‘lead’. The current verb sense dates from the
1930s.
plummet
verb
1 the plane plummeted to the ground: plunge, fall headlong,
hurtle, nosedive, dive, drop, crash, descend rapidly.
2 share prices plummeted: fall steeply/sharply, plunge,
tumble, drop/decrease rapidly, go down, sink, slump;
informal crash, nosedive, take a nosedive.
stable 1 |ˈsteɪb(ə)l|
adjective (stabler, stablest)
(of an object or structure) not likely to give way or
overturn; firmly fixed: specially designed dinghies that are
very stable.
• (of a patient or their medical condition) not
deteriorating in health after an injury or operation: he is
now in a stable condition in hospital.
• sane and sensible; not easily upset or disturbed: the
officer concerned is mentally and emotionally stable.
• not likely to change or fail; firmly established: a stable
relationship | prices have remained relatively stable.

DERIVATIVES
stably adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French,
from Latin stabilis, from the base of stare ‘to stand’.
stable 2 |ˈsteɪb(ə)l|
noun
a building set apart and adapted for keeping horses. the
horse was led from its stable.
• an establishment where racehorses are kept and
trained. racing stables. the horse make his debut for the Mick
Naughton stable.
• the racehorses of a particular training establishment.
• an organization or establishment training or producing
a particular type of person or product: the player comes
from the same stable as Agassi.
verb [ with obj. ]put or keep (a horse) in a stable. they must be stabled and
fed.
• put or base (a train) in a depot. one of the two locomotives
stabled at Fort William.
PHRASES
shut (or bolt) the stable door after the horse has bolted
Brit.try to avoid or prevent something undesirable when
it is already too late to do so. to lock up young car thieves is
another example of bolting the stable door after the horse has
fled.
DERIVATIVES
stableful noun (pl.stablefuls)
ORIGIN Middle English: shortening of Old French
estable ‘stable, pigsty’, from Latin stabulum, from the
base of stare ‘to stand’.
stable
adjective1 a very stable tent: firm, solid, steady, secure, fixed,
strong, fast, stout, sturdy, safe, moored, anchored, stuck
down,
immovable,
well
built,
well
constructed,
substantial. ANTONYMS unstable, rickety.
2 a stable person: well balanced, balanced, sound,
mentally sound, of sound mind, sane, normal, right in
the head, in possession of all one's faculties, able to
think/reason
clearly,
lucid,
clear-headed,
rational,
coherent, steady, reasonable, sensible, sober, down-to-
earth, matter-of-fact, with both one's feet on the ground;
Latincompos mentis; informal all there. ANTONYMS
unstable, unbalanced.
3 a stable relationship | prices have remained relatively stable:
secure, solid, strong, steady, firm, sure, steadfast, level,
unwavering,
unvarying,
unfaltering,
unfluctuating,
unswerving; established, long-lasting, long-lived, deep-
rooted, well founded, well grounded, abiding, durable,
enduring,
lasting,
constant,
permanent,
reliable,dependable,
true.
ANTONYMS
unstable,
rocky,
changeable.
fresh |frɛʃ|
adjective
1 not previously known or used; new or different: the
court had heard fresh evidence.
• recently created or experienced and not faded or
impaired: the memory was still fresh in their minds.
• (of a person) attractively youthful and unspoilt. a fresh
young girl.
2 (of food) recently made or obtained; not tinned, frozen,
or otherwise preserved: fresh fruit.
3 [ predic. ] (of a person) full of energy and vigour: they
are feeling fresh after a good night's sleep.
• (of a colour or a person's complexion) bright or healthy
in appearance. a young constable with a fresh complexion.
the foliage was still a fresh colour.
4 (of water) not salty. all the fresh water in the world's lakes.
5 (of the wind) cool and fairly strong. a fresh northerly
wind was speeding the ship southwards.
• Brit. informal (of the weather) rather cold and windy.
She shivered in the chilly air. ‘A bit fresh, isn't it?’.
• pleasantly clean and cool: a bit of fresh air does her good.
6 (fresh from/out of) (of a person) having just had (a
particular experience) or come from (a particular place):
we were fresh out of art school.
7 informal presumptuous towards someone, especially in
a sexual way: some of the men tried to get fresh with the
girls.
8 W. Indianhaving an unpleasant, slightly rotten smell:
this place was covered in water and smelled fresh like hell.
adverb [ usu. in combination ]
newly; recently: fresh-baked bread | fresh-cut grass.
PHRASES
be fresh out of informal have just sold or run out of a
supply of (something). we're fresh out of Stilton.
be (as) fresh as a daisy see daisy.fresh blood see blood.
DERIVATIVES
freshness noun
ORIGIN Old English fersc‘not salt, fit for drinking’,
superseded in Middle English by forms from Old French
freis, fresche; both ultimately of Germanic origin and
related to Dutch vers and German frisch .
fresh
adjective
1 salads made with fresh, wholesome ingredients: newly
harvested, garden-fresh, not stale, crisp, firm, unwilted,
unfaded;
raw,
natural,
unprocessed,
unpreserved,
undried, uncured, unsmoked, without additives, without
preservatives. ANTONYMS stale; processed.
2 she drew on a fresh sheet of paper: clean, blank, empty,
bare,
clear,
plain,
white;
unused,
new,
pristine,
unmarked, unfilled, untouched. ANTONYMS used.
3 a fresh approach to studying: new, brand new, recent,
latest, up to date, modern, modernistic, ultra-modern,
newfangled;
original,
novel,
different,
innovative,
unusual, uncommon, unwonted, out of the ordinary,
unconventional,
unorthodox,
offbeat,
radical,
revolutionary; Brit. out of the common. ANTONYMS
old, well-worn.
4 the general knew fresh forces were coming: additional,
further, extra, added, supplementary, supplemental,
auxiliary; more, other, new.
5 a row of fresh recruits: young, youthful, juvenile,
adolescent,
boyish,
girlish,
new,
newly
arrived;
inexperienced, untrained, unqualified, untried, raw,
callow, green, immature, artless, ingenuous, naive;
informal wet behind the ears. ANTONYMS experienced.
6 I must be fresh for work in the morning: refreshed, rested,
restored, revived, like a new person; fresh as a daisy,
energetic, vigorous, invigorated, full of vim and vigour,
vital, lively, vibrant, spry, sprightly, bright, alert,bouncing, perky;
informal full of beans, raring to go,
bright-eyed
and
bushy-tailed,
chirpy,
chipper.
ANTONYMS tired.
7 she had the fresh complexion of a true Celt: healthy,
healthy-looking,
clear,
bright,
youthful,
youthful-
looking, wholesome, blooming, glowing, unblemished;
fair, rosy, rosy-cheeked, pink, pinkish, reddish, ruddy,
flushed, blushing. ANTONYMS unhealthy.
8 the morning was clear and fresh: cool, crisp, refreshing,
invigorating, tonic; pure, clean, clear, unpolluted,
uncontaminated, untainted.
9 a fresh wind had sprung up from the east: chilly, cool, cold,
brisk, bracing, invigorating; bleak, wintry, snowy, frosty,
icy, ice-cold, icy-cold, glacial, polar, arctic, raw, bitter,
bitterly cold, biting; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky;
literary chill; rare gelid, brumal. ANTONYMS warm,
sultry.
10 informal that young man has been getting a little too fresh:
impudent,
impertinent,
insolent,
presumptuous,audacious, forward, cheeky, irreverent, discourteous,
disrespectful, insubordinate, rude, crude, brazen, brazen-
faced, brash, shameless, pert, defiant, bold, (as) bold as
brass, outrageous, shocking, out of line; informal brass-
necked, cocky, lippy, mouthy, flip; Brit. informal saucy,
smart-arsed; N. Amer. informal sassy, nervy, smart-assed;
rare
malapert,
contumelious,
tossy,
mannerless.
ANTONYMS polite.
favourable |ˈfeɪv(ə)rəb(ə)l| (USfavorable)
adjective
1 expressing approval: the exhibitions received favourable
reviews.
• giving consent: their demands rarely received a favourable
response.
2 to the advantage of someone or something: favourable
conditions for vegetation growth | the settlement was
favourable to the unions.• (of a wind) blowing in the direction of travel. by sailing
towards the land first you will find more favourable wind.
• suggesting a good outcome: a favourable prognosis.
DERIVATIVES
favourableness noun
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
favorabilis, from favor (see favour) .
favourable
adjective
1 a favourable assessment of his ability: approving,
commendatory, commending, praising, complimentary,
flattering, glowing, appreciative, enthusiastic; good,
pleasing, agreeable, successful, positive; informal rave.
ANTONYMS unfavourable; critical.
2
the
birds
nest
where
conditions
are
favourable:
advantageous, beneficial, of benefit, in one's favour, on
one's side, helpful, good, right, conducive, convenient,
suitable, fit, fitting, appropriate; propitious, auspicious,hopeful,
 promising, fair, encouraging. ANTONYMS
disadvantageous.
3 he hoped for a favourable reply to his request: positive,
affirmative, assenting, agreeing, concurring, approving,
in the affirmative; encouraging, reassuring, supportive,
in one's favour. ANTONYMS negative.
angry |ˈaŋgri|
adjective (angrier, angriest)
feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or
hostility; full of anger: why are you angry with me? | I'm
angry that she didn't call me.
• (of the sea or sky) stormy, turbulent, or threatening: the
wild, angry sea.
• (of a wound or sore) red and inflamed. the bruise below
his eye looked angry and sore.
DERIVATIVES
angrily adverbangry
adjective
1 Vivienne got angry and started shouting | she shot him an
angry look: irate, annoyed, cross, vexed, irritated,
exasperated,
indignant,
aggrieved,
irked,
piqued,
displeased, provoked, galled, resentful; furious, enraged,
infuriated, in a temper, incensed, raging, incandescent,
wrathful, fuming, ranting, raving, seething, frenzied, in a
frenzy, beside oneself, outraged, in high dudgeon;
irascible,
bad-tempered,
hot-tempered,
choleric,
splenetic, dyspeptic, tetchy, testy, crabby, waspish;
hostile, antagonistic, black, dark, dirty, filthy; informal
mad, hopping mad, wild, livid, as cross as two sticks,
boiling, apoplectic, aerated, hot under the collar, riled, on
the warpath, up in arms, with all guns blazing, foaming
at the mouth, steamed up, in a lather, in a paddy, fit to be
tied, aggravated, snappy, snappish; Brit. informal shirty,
stroppy, narky, ratty, eggy; N. Amer. informal sore, bent
out of shape, soreheaded, teed off, ticked off; Austral./NZ
informal ropeable, snaky, crook; W. Indian informal
vex; Brit. informal, dated in a bate, waxy; vulgar slang
pissed off; N. Amer. vulgar slang pissed; literary ireful,
wroth. ANTONYMS calm; pleased.
2 an angry debate erupted: heated, hot, passionate, furious,
fiery, stormy, tempestuous, lively; bad-tempered, ill-
tempered,
acrimonious,
bitter. ANTONYMS
good-
humoured, peaceful.
3 he had an angry spot on the side of his nose: inflamed, red,
swollen, sore, painful.
PHRASES
get angry lose one's temper, become enraged, go into a
rage, rant and rave, go berserk, fume, seethe, flare up,
bristle; informal go/get mad, go crazy, go wild, go
bananas, hit the roof, go through the roof, go up the wall,
jump up and down, see red, go off the deep end, fly off
the handle, blow one's top, blow a fuse/gasket, lose
one's rag, go ape, burst a blood vessel, breathe fire, flip,
flip one's lid, foam at the mouth, get all steamed up, getworked up,
have a fit, explode, have steam coming out
of one's ears, gnash one's teeth, go non-linear, go
ballistic, go into orbit, go psycho; Brit. informal go spare,
go crackers, do one's nut, get one's knickers in a twist,
throw a wobbly; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow
one's lid/stack, have a cow, go postal, have a conniption
fit; vulgar slang go apeshit.
volatile |ˈvɒlətʌɪl|
adjective
1 (of a substance) easily evaporated at normal
temperatures. volatile solvents such as petroleum ether,
hexane, and benzene.
2 liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially
for the worse: the political situation was becoming more
volatile.
• (of a person) liable to display rapid changes of
emotion. a passionate, volatile young man.3 (of a computer's memory)
retaining data only as long
as there is a power supply connected.
noun (usu. volatiles)
a volatile substance.
DERIVATIVES
volatility |-ˈtɪlɪti| noun
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘creature that flies’,
also, as a collective, ‘birds’): from Old French volatil or
Latin volatilis, from volare ‘to fly’.
volatile
adjective
1 her sister was headstrong and volatile: unpredictable,
changeable, variable, inconstant, inconsistent, uncertain,
erratic,
irregular,
unstable,
turbulent,
unsteady,
unsettled, unreliable, undependable, changing, ever-
changing, varying, shifting, fluctuating, fluid, mutable,
protean, fitful, wavering, full of ups and downs;
mercurial, capricious, whimsical, fickle, flighty, giddy,impulsive,
wayward, temperamental, highly strung,
excitable,
choleric,
emotional,
stormy,
overemotional,
tempestuous,
fiery,
volcanic;
moody,
informal
blowing hot and cold; technical labile; rare fluctuant,
changeful. ANTONYMS stable, constant.
2 the atmosphere in the capital seems far too volatile for any
talk
of
elections:
uncomfortable,
tense,
strained,
charged,
fraught,
explosive,
uneasy,
eruptive,
inflammatory, turbulent, in turmoil, full of upheavals;
informal hairy, nail-biting, white-knuckle; Brit. informal
dodgy. ANTONYMS stable, calm.
3 a plume of pollution caused by a volatile organic compound:
evaporative, vaporous, vaporescent; explosive, eruptive,
inflammable; unstable; technical labile.
foul |faʊl|
adjective1 offensive to the senses, especially through having a
disgusting smell or taste or being dirty: a foul odour | his
foul breath.
• informal very disagreeable or unpleasant: the news had
put Michelle in a foul mood.
2 wicked or immoral: murder most foul.
• (of language) obscene. foul oaths. foul language.
• done contrary to the rules of a sport: a foul tackle.
3 containing or full of noxious matter; polluted: foul,
swampy water.
• (foul with) clogged or choked with: the land was foul
with weeds.
• Nautical (of a rope or anchor) entangled.
• (of a ship's bottom) overgrown with weed, barnacles,
or similar matter.
4 (of the weather) wet and stormy. he walked in fair and
foul weather. the weather turned foul.• Sailing (of wind or tide)
opposed to one's desired
course. it sometimes becomes advantageous to anchor during
the periods of foul tide.
noun
(in sport) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play,
especially one involving interference with an opponent.
the midfielder was booked for a foul on Ford.
• a collision or entanglement in riding, rowing, or
running.
adverb
contrary to the rules; unfairly.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 make foul or dirty; pollute: factories which fouled the
atmosphere.
• (of an animal) make (something) dirty with excrement:
make sure that your pet never fouls paths.
• (foul oneself) (of a person) defecate involuntarily.
2 (in sport) commit a foul against (an opponent). United
claim their keeper was fouled.3 (of a ship) collide with or interfere with the passage of
(another). the ships became overcrowded and fouled each
other.
• cause (a cable, anchor, or other object) to become
entangled or jammed: watch out for driftwood which might
foul up the engine.
PHRASES
foul one's (own) nest do something damaging or
harmful to oneself or one's own interests. we seem to have
fouled our own nest, running up huge debts and deficits.
PHRASAL VERBS
foul something up (or foul up)make a mistake with or
spoil something: leaders should admit when they foul things
up.
DERIVATIVES
foully adverb,
foulness noun
ORIGIN Old English fūl, of Germanic origin; related to
Old Norse fúll ‘foul’, Dutch vuil ‘dirty’, and Germanfaul ‘rotten, lazy’,
from an Indo-European root shared by
Latin pus,Greek puos ‘pus’, and Latin putere ‘to stink’.
spiritless |ˈspɪrɪtlɪs|
adjective
lacking courage, vigour, or vivacity: Ruth and I played a
spiritless game of Scrabble.
DERIVATIVES
spiritlessly adverb,
spiritlessness noun
spiritless
adjective
Lilian was a pallid, spiritless woman | a spiritless
performance: apathetic, passive, unenthusiastic, lifeless,
listless, lacking in vitality, weak, feeble, spineless,
droopy, limp, languid, bloodless, insipid, characterless,
submissive, meek, irresolute, indecisive; lacklustre, flat,
colourless, passionless, uninspiring, uninspired, wooden,dry,
 desiccated, unimpassioned, anaemic, vapid, dull,
boring; informal wishy-washy; Brit. vulgar slang half-
arsed. ANTONYMS spirited, lively.
heartless |ˈhɑːtlɪs|
adjective
displaying a complete lack of feeling or consideration:
heartless thieves stole the pushchair of a two-year-old boy.
DERIVATIVES
heartlessly adverb,
heartlessness noun
heartless
adjective
heartless thieves stole the pushchair of a two-year-old boy:
unfeeling, unsympathetic, unkind, uncaring, unloving,
unmoved, unconcerned, insensitive, inconsiderate, hard-
hearted, stony-hearted, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, with
a heart of stone, lacking compassion, mean-spirited,without sentiment,
hard as nails; cold, hard, harsh, stern,
callous,
cruel,
brutal,
merciless,
pitiless,
ruthless,
inhuman. ANTONYMS compassionate.
mindless |ˈmʌɪndlɪs|
adjective
1 acting or done without justification and with no
concern for the consequences: a generation of mindless
vandals | mindless violence.
• (of an activity) so simple or repetitive as to be
performed automatically. the monotony of housework turns
it into a mindless task.
2 (mindless of) not thinking of or concerned about:
mindless of the fact she was in her nightie, she rushed to the
door.
DERIVATIVES
mindlessly adverb,
mindlessness nounmindless
adjective
1 some mindless idiot nearly drove into me: stupid, idiotic,
brainless, imbecilic, imbecile, asinine, witless, foolish,
empty-headed, vacuous, unintelligent, half-witted, dull,
slow-witted,
obtuse,
weak-minded,
feather-brained,
doltish, blockish; informal dumb, moronic, pig-ignorant,
dead from the neck up, brain-dead, cretinous, thick,
thickheaded,
birdbrained,
pea-brained,
pinheaded,
dopey, dim, dim-witted, dippy, pie-faced, fat-headed,
blockheaded, boneheaded, lamebrained, chuckleheaded,
dunderheaded,
wooden-headed,
damfool,
muttonheaded; Brit. informal divvy; Scottish & N.
English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass,
chowderheaded; S. African informal dof; W. Indian
informal dotish. ANTONYMS intelligent.
2 mindless acts of vandalism: unthinking, thoughtless,
senseless, gratuitous, careless, wanton, indiscriminate,unreasoning,
 uncalled for, brutish, barbarous, barbaric.
ANTONYMS thoughtful, considered, premeditated.
3 a mindless, repetitive task: mechanical, automatic,
routine, robotic; tedious, boring, monotonous, brainless,
mind-numbing. ANTONYMS interesting.
PHRASES
mindless of she was mindless of the consequences of her
actions: indifferent to, heedless of, unaware of, unmindful
of, careless of, insensible to, blind to.
ebullient |ɪˈbʌljənt, -ˈbʊl-|
adjective
1 cheerful and full of energy: she sounded ebullient and
happy.
2 archaic (of liquid or matter) boiling or agitated as if
boiling: misted and ebullient seas.
DERIVATIVES
ebulliently adverb,
ebulliency nounORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘boiling’): from Latin
ebullient- ‘boiling up’, from the verb ebullire, from e-
(variant of ex-)‘out’ + bullire ‘to boil’.
ebullient
adjective
the superb weather put him in an ebullient mood: exuberant,
buoyant, cheerful, joyful, cheery, merry, sunny, breezy,
jaunty, light-hearted, in high spirits, high-spirited,
exhilarated, elated,
euphoric,
sparkling, effervescent,
jubilant,
vivacious,
animated,
enthusiastic,
irrepressible; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, zingy,
upbeat, chipper, chirpy, smiley, sparky, full of beans; N.
Amer.
informal
peart;
literary
gladsome,
blithe,
blithesome; dated gay; archaic as merry as a grig, of
good cheer. ANTONYMS depressed.
ebullient
adjectivethe superb weather put him in an ebullient mood: exuberant,
buoyant, cheerful, joyful, cheery, merry, sunny, breezy,
jaunty, light-hearted, in high spirits, high-spirited,
exhilarated, elated,
euphoric,
sparkling, effervescent,
jubilant,
vivacious,
animated,
enthusiastic,
irrepressible; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, zingy,
upbeat, chipper, chirpy, smiley, sparky, full of beans; N.
Amer.
informal
peart;
literary
gladsome,
blithe,
blithesome; dated gay; archaic as merry as a grig, of
good cheer. ANTONYMS depressed.
fall
verb
1 bombers screamed above and bombs began to fall: drop,
drop down, plummet, descend, come down, go down,
plunge, sink, dive, nosedive, tumble, pitch; cascade;
technical gravitate. ANTONYMS rise.
2 he lost his balance and fell: topple over, tumble over, keel
over, fall down, fall over, go head over heels, go end overend,
fall headlong, go headlong, collapse, fall in a heap,
take a spill, pitch forward; trip, trip over, stumble,
stagger, slip, slide; informal come a cropper, go for six;
dated measure one's length. ANTONYMS get up.
3 inflation is expected to fall: decrease, decline, diminish,
fall off, drop off, go down, grow less, lessen, dwindle;
plummet, plunge, slump, sink; depreciate, decrease in
value, lose value, decline in price, cheapen, devalue;
informal hit the floor, go through the floor, nosedive,
take a nosedive, take a header, go into a tailspin, crash.
ANTONYMS rise, increase.
4 the Mogul empire fell several centuries later: decline,
deteriorate, degenerate, go downhill, go to rack and ruin;
die, decay, atrophy, wither, fade, fail; informal go to the
dogs, go to pot, hit the skids, go down the toilet, go
down the tubes; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack;
rare retrograde. ANTONYMS flourish.
5 a monument to those who fell in the Civil War: die, be
killed, be slain, be a casualty, be a fatality, be lost, loseone's life, perish,
drop dead, meet one's end, meet one's
death; informal bite the dust, croak, buy it; Brit. informal
snuff it, peg out; N. Amer. informal bite the big one;
archaic decease.
6 the town fell to the barbarians: surrender, yield, submit,
give in, give up, give way, capitulate, succumb; be
overthrown by, be taken by, be defeated by, be conquered
by, be overcome by, be overwhelmed by, lose one's
position to, pass into the hands of, fall victim to.
ANTONYMS resist.
7 Easter falls on 23rd April: occur, take place, happen,
come about, come to pass.
8 he waited for night to fall: come, arrive, appear, occur,
arise, materialize.
9 my grandmother fell ill: become, come/get to be, grow,
get, turn.
10 more of the domestic tasks may fall to him: be the
responsibility of, be the duty of, be borne by, be one's job,
be one's task; come someone's way.PHRASES
fall about laughing I didn't know whether to get angry or
fall about laughing: guffaw, chuckle, chortle, cackle, howl,
roar, ha-ha, fall about, roar/hoot with laughter, shake
with laughter, be convulsed with laughter, dissolve into
laughter, split one's sides, be doubled up; informal be in
stitches, die laughing, be rolling in the aisles, laugh like a
drain, bust a gut, break up, be creased up, crease up,
crack up.
fall apart 1 my boots fell apart: fall to pieces, come to
pieces, fall to bits, come to bits, come apart (at the
seams); disintegrate, fragment, break up, break apart,
crumble, dissolve, degenerate, decay, moulder, perish; go
downhill,
go
to
rack
and
ruin;
informal
bust.
ANTONYMS remain intact. 2 I was gentle with him when
he fell apart: break down, have a breakdown, go to pieces,
fall to pieces, lose control, lose one's self-control,
crumble; informal crack up, freak, freak out.fall asleep Claire tried not to fall asleep:
doze off, drop off,
go to sleep; informal nod off, go off, drift off, crash, crash
out, flake out, conk out, go out like a light; N. Amer.
informal sack out, zone out. ANTONYMS stay awake;
wake up.
fall away the ground fell away abruptly: slope down, slope,
slant
down,
go
down,
incline
downwards,
tilt
downwards, drop away, drop, descend, dip, sink,
plunge; rare decline. ANTONYMS rise.
fall back the force of her blow caused him to fall back: retreat,
withdraw, back off, draw back, pull back, pull away,
move away, retire, pull out; turn tail, flee, take flight, beat
a (hasty) retreat. ANTONYMS advance.
fall back on you can always fall back on the support of
relatives: resort to, turn to, look to, call on, call into play,
call into action, call into service, press into service, have
recourse to, make use of, use, employ; rely on, depend
on, lean on.fall behind 1 she walked so fast that the others soon fell
behind: lag, lag behind, trail, trail behind, be left behind,
fall back, drop back, not keep up, lose one's place, not
keep pace, bring up the rear; straggle, dally, dawdle,
hang back, drag one's feet, take one's time. ANTONYMS
overtake. 2 customers fell behind on their payments: get
into debt, get into arrears, default, be in the red, be late,
be overdue; not keep up with. ANTONYMS be up to
date.
fall down 1 I spin round and round till I fall down: fall over,
fall, topple over, tumble down, keel over, collapse, fall in
a heap, trip, take a spill, stumble, stagger; informal come
a cropper, go for six; dated measure one's length. 2 the
federation fell down in some areas: fail, be unsuccessful, not
succeed, lack success, not make the grade, not come up
to expectations, fall short, fall flat, disappoint; miss the
mark, run aground, go astray, suffer defeat; informal
come a cropper, flop. ANTONYMS come through,
succeed.fall for 1 she fell for a younger man: fall in love with,
become infatuated with, lose one's heart to, take a liking
to, take a fancy to, be smitten by, be attracted to, desire;
informal fancy, be turned on by, have the hots for. 2
Jenkins is far too astute to fall for that trick: be deceived by,
be duped by, be fooled by, be taken in by, accept, believe,
trust, be convinced by, have confidence in; informal go
for, buy, swallow, {swallow something hook, line, and
sinker}, take something as gospel.
fall in 1 the roof of our house fell in: collapse, cave in, come
down about one's ears, crash in, fall down; subside, sag,
slump, sink inwards; give way, crumple, crumble,
disintegrate, fall to pieces. ANTONYMS hold up. 2 he
ordered his troops to fall in: get in formation, get in line,
line up, take one's position, get in order, get into rows/
columns; Military dress; Brit. informal form a crocodile.
ANTONYMS fall out.
fall into place 1 it was at this point that everything began to
fall into place: become clear, come home to one, makesense, dawn, register, get through, sink in; informal click.
2 almost miraculously, the pieces fell into place: take shape,
come together, take form, become definite.
fall in with 1 he fell in with a bad crowd: get involved with,
take up with, join up with, go around with, string along
with, become friendly with, make friends with, strike up
a friendship with, start seeing, make the acquaintance of;
informal hang out with, hang about with, knock about/
around with. 2 he refused to fall in with their demands:
comply with, go along with, support, back, give one's
backing to, cooperate with, act in accordance with, obey,
yield to, submit to, bow to, defer to, adhere to, conform
to; agree to, agree with, accept, assent to, concur with.
ANTONYMS disobey.
fall off the amount of container shipping has fallen off:
decrease, decline, diminish, drop off, go down, go
downhill, grow less, lessen, dwindle, plummet, plunge,
slump, sink; informal hit the floor, go through the floor,nosedive, take a nosedive, take a header, go into a
tailspin, crash. ANTONYMS increase.
fall on 1 the army fell on the besiegers: attack, assail,
assault, make an assault on, fly at, let fly at, launch
oneself at, set about, set upon, pounce upon, ambush,
surprise, accost, rush, storm, charge; informal jump, lay
into, lace into, tear into, sail into, pitch into, get stuck
into, let someone have it, beat someone up; Brit. informal
have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. 2 the cost
should not fall on the students: be borne by, be carried by,
be the responsibility of, be paid by.
fall out 1 let's not fall out over silly things: quarrel, argue,
row, fight, have a row, have a fight, squabble, bicker,
have words, disagree, differ, have a difference of opinion,
have a disagreement, be at odds, clash, wrangle, get into
conflict, get into a dispute, cross swords, lock horns, be at
loggerheads, be at each other's throats; informal scrap,
argufy, go at it hammer and tongs, argy-bargy; archaic
altercate,
chop
logic;
Scottish
archaic
threap.ANTONYMS make up. 2 the soldier fell out without
permission: move out of formation, move out of line, get
out of line, get out of formation; stand at ease.
ANTONYMS fall in. 3 it fell out that we lost: happen,
occur, come about, take place, turn out, chance, arise,
befall, result.
fall short the results fall short of what was expected: fail to
meet, fail to reach, fail to live up to; be deficient, be
inadequate, be insufficient, be wanting, be lacking,
disappoint, fail, fail to live up to one's expectations;
informal not come up to scratch. ANTONYMS measure
up (to).
fall through unfortunately the deal fell through: fail, be
unsuccessful, come to nothing, come to naught, fail to
happen, miscarry, abort, go awry, be frustrated, collapse,
founder, come to grief; come to a halt, grind to a halt,
end, terminate; informal fizzle out, flop, fold, come a
cropper, blow up in someone's face, go down like a lead
balloon. ANTONYMS succeed.fall to dated you must take off your coats and fall to. See
start (sense 4 of the verb).
noun
1 he had an accidental fall: tumble, trip, spill, topple,
stumble, slip; collapse; informal nosedive, header,
cropper.
2 September's reports showed a fall in sales: decline, fall-off,
drop, dropping off, decrease, cut, lessening, lowering,
dip,
diminishing,
dwindling,
reduction,
plummet,
plunge, slump, deterioration, downswing; informal
nosedive, crash, let-up. ANTONYMS increase.
3 the fall of the Roman Empire: downfall, ruin, ruination,
collapse, failure, decline, deterioration, degeneration,
destruction, overthrow, demise. ANTONYMS rise.
4 the fall of the city to the enemy: surrender, surrendering,
capitulation,
yielding,
giving
in,
submission,
acquiescence, succumbing, resignation, laying down of
arms; defeat.5 there is a fall of some fifty feet down to the ocean: descent,
declivity, slope, downward slope, downward slant,
incline; N. Amer. downgrade. ANTONYMS ascent.
6 Christianity the Fall of Man: sin, sinning, wrongdoing,
transgression, error, yielding to temptation, offence,
lapse, fall from grace, backsliding; original sin.
7 (falls) they went on rafting trips below the falls: waterfall,
cascade, cataract, chute, torrent; rapids, white water; N.
English force; Scottish archaic linn.
stagnate
verb
1 there should be no points in the system where cleaning
solutions can stagnate: stop flowing, become stagnant,
become trapped; stand; become foul, become stale; fester,
putrefy. ANTONYMS flow.
2 imports rose while exports stagnated: become stagnant, do
nothing, stand still, be sluggish, lie dormant, be inert,languish, decline, deteriorate, fall. ANTONYMS rise,
boom.
equate |ɪˈkweɪt|
verb [ with obj. ] (often equate something to/with)
consider (one thing) to be the same as or equivalent to
another: customers equate their name with quality.
• [ no obj. ] (equate to/with) (of one thing) be the same
as or equivalent to (another): that sum equates to half a
million pounds today.
• cause (two or more things) to be the same in quantity
or value: the level of prices will move to equate supply and
demand.
DERIVATIVES
equatable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘make equal,
balance’): from Latin aequat- ‘made level or equal’, from
the verb aequare, from aequus (see equal). Current
senses date from the mid 19th cent.equate
verb
1 his single-mindedness led him to equate criticism with
treachery: regard as the same as, regard as identical to;
identify, liken to, compare; bracket, class, associate,
connect, pair, link, relate, ally, think of together, set side
by side.
2 the rent equates to £24 per square foot: correspond, be
equivalent, amount; equal, be the same as.
3 the price moved to equate supply and demand: equalize,
balance, even out/up/off, level up/off, square, tally,
match; make equal, make even, make level, make
equivalent, make identical, make the same, make
uniform.
sore |sɔː|
adjective1 (of a part of one's body) painful or aching: she had a sore
throat.
• suffering pain from a part of one's body: he was sore
from the long ride.
2 [ predic. ] informal, chiefly N. Amer.upset and angry: I
didn't even know they were sore at us.
3 [ attrib. ] severe; urgent: we're in sore need of him.
noun
a raw or painful place on the body: all of us had sores and
infections on our hands.
• a cause or source of distress or annoyance: there's no
point raking over the past and opening old sores.
adverb archaic
extremely; severely: they were sore afraid.
PHRASES
sore point an issue about which someone feels distressed
or annoyed and which it is therefore advisable to avoid
raising with them.stand (or stick) out like a sore thumb be very obviously
different from the surrounding people or things. you stick
out like a sore thumb in that ghastly uniform.
DERIVATIVES
soreness noun
ORIGIN Old English sār (noun and adjective), sāre
(adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zeer ‘sore’
and German sehr ‘very’. The original sense was ‘causing
intense pain, grievous’, whence the adverbial use.
sore
adjective
1 a sore leg: painful, in pain, hurting, hurt, aching,
throbbing,
smarting,
stinging,
burning,
irritating,
irritated, agonizing, excruciating; inflamed, angry, red,
reddened, sensitive, tender, delicate, chafed, raw,
bruised, wounded, injured. ANTONYMS healthy.
2 N. Amer. informal I didn't even know they were sore at us:
upset, angry, annoyed, cross, angered, furious, enraged,in a temper, bothered, vexed, displeased, disgruntled,
dissatisfied, indignant, exasperated, irritated, galled,
irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, resentful,
piqued, nettled, ruffled, in high dudgeon; informal
aggravated, miffed, peeved, riled, hacked off, peed off;
Brit. informal narked, eggy, cheesed off, browned off,
brassed off, not best pleased; N. Amer. informal teed off,
ticked off, steamed; vulgar slang pissed off. ANTONYMS
happy.
3 we are in sore need of you: dire, urgent, pressing,
desperate, critical, crucial, acute, grave, serious, intense,
crying, burning, compelling, drastic, extreme, life-and-
death, great, very great, terrible; archaic or humorous
parlous; rare exigent. ANTONYMS some, slight.
noun
a sore on his leg: inflammation, swelling, lesion; wound,
scrape, abrasion, chafe, cut, laceration, graze, contusion,
bruise; running sore, ulcer, ulceration, boil, abscess,
carbuncle, canker.plummet |ˈplʌmɪt|
verb (plummets, plummeting, plummeted) [ no obj. ]
fall or drop straight down at high speed: a climber was
killed when he plummeted 300 feet down an icy gully.
• decrease rapidly in value or amount: hardware sales
plummeted.
noun
1 a steep and rapid fall or drop. the bird has a circular
display flight followed by an earthward plummet.
2 a plumb or plumb line.
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Old
French plommet ‘small sounding lead’, diminutive of
plomb ‘lead’. The current verb sense dates from the
1930s.
plummet
verb1 the plane plummeted to the ground: plunge, fall headlong,
hurtle, nosedive, dive, drop, crash, descend rapidly.
2 share prices plummeted: fall steeply/sharply, plunge,
tumble, drop/decrease rapidly, go down, sink, slump;
informal crash, nosedive, take a nosedive.
play ducks and drakes with trifle with; treat frivolously.
who is this man, to play ducks and drakes with a scientific
expedition?
ducks and drakes
noun [ mass noun ]
a game of throwing flat stones so that they skim along
the surface of water.
PHRASES
play ducks and drakes with trifle with; treat frivolously.
who is this man, to play ducks and drakes with a scientific
expedition?ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from the movement of the stone
over the water.
play |pleɪ|
verb
1 [ no obj. ] engage in activity for enjoyment and
recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose: the
children were playing by a pool | her friends were playing
with their dolls.
• [ with obj. ] engage in (a game or activity) for
enjoyment: I want to play Snakes and Ladders.
• amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence: the
boys were playing at soldiers.
• (play at) engage in without proper seriousness or
understanding: it would be wrong to assume that he is
simply playing at right-wing politics.
• (play with) treat inconsiderately for one's own
amusement: she likes to play with people's emotions.
• (play with) fiddle or tamper with: has somebody been
playing with these taps?• [ with negative or in questions ] (be playing at) used to
convey one's irritation at someone's actions or one's
failure to understand their motives: what on earth do you
think you're playing at?
2 [ with obj. ] take part in (a sport): I play squash and
badminton.
• participate in (a sporting match or contest): the squad
will have played 14 games in six weeks.
• compete against (another player or team) in a sporting
match: the team will play France on Wednesday.
• [ no obj. ] be part of a team, especially in a specified
position, in a sporting contest: he played in goal.
• strike (a ball) or execute (a stroke) in a game. was he in
an offside position when his teammate played the ball?
• [ no obj., with adverbial ] (of a cricket ground) be in
such condition as to have a specified effect on play.
• assign to take part in a match, especially in a specified
position: the manager played his strongest side of the season.• move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one's turn
in a game: he played his queen.
• bet or gamble at or on: he didn't gamble or play the
ponies.
3 [ no obj. ] [ usu. with negative ] be cooperative: he needs
financial backing, but the building societies won't play.
4 [ with obj. ] represent (a character) in a theatrical
performance or a film: early in her career she played
Ophelia.
• [ no obj. ] perform in a film or theatrical production: he
was proud to be playing opposite a famous actor.
• put on or take part in (a theatrical performance, film, or
concert): the show was one of the best we ever played.
• give a dramatic performance at (a particular theatre or
place). the company are playing 11 cities around the country.
• behave as though one were (a specified type of
person): the skipper played the innocent, but smuggled goods
were found on his vessel.• (play someone for) treat someone as being of (a
specified type): don't imagine you can play me for a fool.
5 [ with obj. ] perform on (a musical instrument): a man
was playing a guitar.
• possess the skill of performing on (a musical
instrument): he taught himself to play the violin.
• produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a
piece of music): they played a violin sonata.
• make (a music player, disc, radio, etc.) produce sounds.
someone is playing a record—I can hear the drum.
• [ no obj. ] (of a musical instrument, music player, radio,
etc.) produce sounds: somewhere within, a harp was
playing.
• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] accompany
(someone) with music as they are moving in a specified
direction: the bagpipes played them out of the dining room.
6 [ no obj. ] move lightly and quickly, so as to appear and
disappear; flicker: little beams of light played over the sea.• (of a fountain or similar source of water) emit a stream
of gently moving water. a fountain played in the courtyard.
7 [ with obj. ] allow (a fish) to exhaust itself pulling
against a line before reeling it in. no fisherman ever played a
bonita more carefully or with greater wile.
noun [ mass noun ]
1 activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation,
especially by children: a child at play may use a stick as an
aeroplane.
• behaviour or speech that is not intended seriously: I
flinched, but only in play.
• [ as modifier ] designed to be used in games of
pretence; not real: play families are arranged in play houses.
2 the conducting of a sporting match: rain wrecked the
second day's play.
• the action or manner of engaging in a sport or game: he
maintained the same rhythm of play throughout the game.
• the status of the ball in a game as being available to be
played according to the rules: the ball was put in play.• the state of being active, operative, or effective. someone
has a bright idea and decides to put it into play. the forces of a
worldwide economy are in play.
• [ count noun ] a move or manoeuvre in a sport or
game: the best play is to lead the 3 of clubs.
• archaic the activity of gambling. a young nobleman,
ruined by play.
3 [ count noun ] a dramatic work for the stage or to be
broadcast: the actors put on a new play.
4 the space in or through which a mechanism can or does
move: the steering rack was loose, and there was a little play.
• scope or freedom to act or operate: our policy allows the
market to have freer play.
5 light and constantly changing movement: the artist
exploits the play of light across the surface.
PHRASES
bring (or call) into play cause something to start
working so that one can make use of it: he cannot afford tobring into play the kind of leadership veto that operated all
those years ago.
come into play becoming active, operative, or effective:
luck comes into play.
make a play for informal attempt to attract or attain. we
invited men to make a play for the award. she started to make a
play for the young man.
make (great) play of (or with)draw attention to in an
ostentatious manner, typically to gain prestige or
advantage: the company made great play of their recent
growth in profits.
make play with treat frivolously. leaders should not make
play with values and ideals.
not playing with a full deck see deck.
play ball see ball 1 .
play both ends against the middle keep one's options
open by supporting or favouring opposing sides.
play something by ear perform music without having to
read from a score. she could play both by ear and by reading.• (play it by ear) informal proceed instinctively
according to results and circumstances rather than
according to rules or a plan. we'll just have to play it by ear
until we can get something definite sorted out.
play by the rules follow what is generally held to be the
correct line of behaviour. some women refused to play by the
rules and allow motherhood to put an end to their career
prospects.
play one's cards close to one's chest see chest.
play one's cards right (or well) see card 1 .
play ducks and drakes with see ducks and drakes.
play fair observe principles of justice; avoid cheating. he
decided to play fair and own up.
play someone false deceive or cheat someone. the
Assembly played us false. his memory plays him false if he
thinks I chose this post.
play fast and loose behave irresponsibly or immorally. I
am not someone who plays fast and loose with other people's
lives.play favourites N. Amer.show favouritism towards
someone or something. the Soviet diplomat said he wasn't
playing favourites in the presidential campaign.
play the field see field.
play for time use specious excuses or unnecessary
manoeuvres to gain time. he played for time by establishing
an advisory committee.
play the game see game 1 .
play God see God.
play havoc with see havoc.
play hell see hell.
play hookey see hookey.
play a (or one's) hunch make an instinctive choice. it had
only been a shot in the dark—playing a hunch, really.
play
oneself
in
Brit.become
accustomed
to
the
circumstances and conditions of a game or activity. once
he had played himself in he was an excellent stroke-maker.
play into someone's hands act in such a way as
unintentionally
to
give
someone
an
advantage.overreaction to the threats would be playing into the hands of
the terrorists.
play it cool informal make an effort to be or appear to be
calm and unemotional. the band wanted the deal badly, but
were determined to play it cool.
play the market speculate in stocks. these investors know
how to play the market and win.
a play on words a pun. every page contains a subtle play on
words or arresting metaphor.
play a part make a contribution to a situation: social and
economic factors may have also played a part | he personally
wanted to thank those nurses and staff who had played a part
in his recovery.
play (or play it) safe (or for safety)take precautions;
avoid risks. I think we'll play safe and get another set of X-
rays done.
play to the gallery see gallery.play a trick (or joke) on behave in a deceptive or teasing
way towards. she played a trick on me by not telling me what
to expect.
play truant see truant.
play with oneself informal masturbate.
play with fire take foolish risks. an urge to play with fire
made her provoke him.
played out informal used or seen too many times before
so no longer interesting: the melodrama is a little played out
to be entirely satisfying.
PHRASAL VERBS
play about (or around)behave in a casual, foolish, or
irresponsible way: you shouldn't play around with a
child's future. • informal (of a married person) have a
love affair. was her husband playing around?
play along perform a piece of music at the same time as
it is playing on a tape or record. I could make harmonies by
playing along with the tape. • pretend to cooperate: she had
to play along and be polite.play someone along informal deceive or mislead
someone over a period of time. he'd play her along till she
got fed up.
play away Brit.play a sports fixture on an opponent's
ground. • informal (of a married person) have a love
affair.
play something back play sounds that one has recently
recorded, especially to monitor recording quality. I did a
lot of recording and then played it back.
play something down represent something as being less
important than it in fact is: he tried to play down the
seriousness of his illness.
play someone off bring people into conflict or
competition for one's own advantage: top footballers were
able to play clubs off against each other to gain higher pay.
play off (of two teams or competitors) play an extra
match to decide a draw or tie. the top two teams would play
off at Twickenham.play on exploit (a weak or vulnerable point in someone):
he played on his opponent's nerves.
play out 1 develop in a particular way: the position of the
sub-tropical jet stream across North America will determine
how winter plays out. 2 happen; take place: this scenario
plays out all across the country.
play someone out drain someone of strength or life. she
was played out, too exhausted even to weep.
play something out act the whole of a drama; enact a
scene or role. they were playing out a familiar scenario.
play up Brit. 1 informal (of a child) misbehave: I hadn't
had much sleep – the kids had been playing up. • fail to
function properly: his phone line was constantly playing up.
2 put all one's energy into a game. the captain told his team
to play up.
play someone up (of a part of the body or an illness)
cause pain or discomfort to someone. my rheumatism's
playing me up.play something up emphasize the extent or importance
of something: the mystery surrounding his death was played
up by the media.
play up to exploit, trade on, or make the most of.
DERIVATIVES
playability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
playable adjective
ORIGIN Old English pleg(i)an‘to exercise’, plega‘brisk
movement’, related to Middle Dutch pleien ‘leap for joy,
dance’.
curtain lecture
noun dated
an instance of a wife reprimanding her husband in
private.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: originally a reprimand given
behind bed curtains.
smoke |sməʊk|
noun1 [ mass noun ] a visible suspension of carbon or other
particles in air, typically one emitted from a burning
substance: bonfire smoke.
2 an act of smoking tobacco: I'm dying for a smoke.
• informal a cigarette or cigar. you're going to buy some
smokes of your own.
3 (the Smoke or the Big Smoke)Brit. informal a big city,
especially London: she was offered a job in the Smoke.
verb
1 [ no obj. ] emit smoke or visible vapour: heat the oil until
it just smokes.
2 [ no obj. ] inhale and exhale the smoke of tobacco or a
drug: Janine was sitting at the kitchen table smoking | [ with
obj. ] : he smoked forty cigarettes a day.
3 [ with obj. ] treat, fumigate, or cleanse by exposure to
smoke.
• (often as adj.smoked) cure or preserve (meat or fish) by
exposure to smoke: smoked salmon.• (usu. as adj.smoked) treat (glass) so as to darken it: the
smoked glass of his lenses.
• subdue (insects, especially bees) by exposing them to
smoke. they then smoke the bees until they are stupid.
• (smoke someone/thing out) drive someone or
something out of a place by using smoke: we will fire the
roof and smoke him out.
• (smoke someone out) force someone to make
something known: as the press smokes him out on other
human rights issues, he will be revealed as a social
conservative.
4 [ with obj. ] N. Amer. informal kill (someone) by
shooting. they gotta go smoke this person.
• defeat overwhelmingly in a fight or contest. I got
smoked in that fight.
5 [ with obj. ] archaic make fun of (someone). we baited
her and smoked her.
PHRASESgo up in smoke informal be destroyed by fire. three
hundred tons of straw went up in smoke. • (of a plan) come
to nothing: more than one dream is about to go up in smoke.
no smoke without fire (N. Amer. also where there's
smoke there's fire) proverb there's always some reason
for a rumour.
smoke
and
mirrors
N.
Amer.the
obscuring
or
embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading
or irrelevant information: the budget process is an exercise
in smoke and mirrors.[with reference to illusion created by
conjuring tricks.]
smoke like a chimney smoke tobacco incessantly. ironic
—you smoke like a chimney and the lungs are OK.
DERIVATIVES
smokable (also smokeable)adjective
ORIGIN Old English smoca (noun), smocian (verb), from
the Germanic base of smēocan ‘emit smoke’; related to
Dutch smook and German Schmauch .smoke
verb
1 the peat fire was smoking: smoulder, emit smoke, emit
fumes; archaic reek.
2 Henry lay back in the chair and smoked his cigarette: puff
on, draw on, pull on; inhale; light up; informal take a
drag of, drag on.
3 they smoke their own salmon: cure, preserve, dry.
noun
the smoke from the bonfire: fumes, exhaust, gas, vapour;
smog.
set 1 |sɛt|
verb (sets, setting; past and past participleset)
1 [ with obj. and usu. with adverbial ] put, lay, or stand
(something) in a specified place or position: Delaney set
the mug of tea down | Catherine set a chair by the bed.
• (be set) be situated or fixed in a specified place or
position: the village was set among olive groves on a hill.• represent (a story, play, film, or scene) as happening at
a specified time or in a specified place: a private-eye novel
set in Berlin.
• mount a precious stone in (something, typically a piece
of jewellery): a bracelet set with emeralds.
• mount (a precious stone) in something. a huge square-
cut emerald set in platinum.
• Printing arrange (type) as required. the compositors
refused to set the type for an editorial.
• Printing arrange the type for (a piece of text): article
headings will be set in Times fourteen point.
• prepare (a table) for a meal by placing cutlery, crockery,
etc. on it in their proper places. she set the table and began
breakfast.
• (set something to) provide (music) so that a written
work can be produced in a musical form: a form of poetry
which can be set to music.• Bell-ringing move (a bell) so that it rests in an inverted
position ready for ringing. the ringer gradually increases
the swing until the bell is balanced or set.
• cause (a hen) to sit on eggs. you had to set the clucking
hens.
• put (a seed or plant) in the ground to grow. I set the
plants in shallow hollows to facilitate watering.
• Sailing put (a sail) up in position to catch the wind. a
safe distance from shore all sails were set.
2 [ with obj. and usu. with adverbial ] put or bring into a
specified state: the Home Secretary set in motion a review of
the law | [ with obj. and complement ] : the hostages were
set free.
• [ with obj. and present participle ] cause (someone or
something) to start doing something: the incident set me
thinking.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] instruct (someone) to do
something: he'll set a man to watch you.• give someone (a task or test) to do: schools will begin to
set mock tests | [ with two objs ] : the problem we have been
set.
• establish as (an example) for others to follow, copy, or
try to achieve: the scheme sets a precedent for other
companies.
• establish (a record): his time in the 25 m freestyle set a
national record.
• decide on and announce: they set a date for a full hearing
at the end of February.
• fix (a price, value, or limit) on something: the unions had
set a limit on the size of the temporary workforce.
3 [ with obj. ] adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show
the right time. set your watch immediately to local time at
your destination. figurative : to revert to an old style would
be to try to set back the clock and deny the progress which had
been made.
• adjust (an alarm clock) to sound at the required time. I
usually set my alarm clock for eight.• adjust (a device) so that it performs a particular
operation: you have to be careful not to set the volume too
high.
• Electronics cause (a binary device) to enter the state
representing the numeral 1.
4 [ no obj. ] harden into a solid or semi-solid state: cook for
a further thirty-five minutes until the filling has set.
• [ with obj. ] arrange (the hair) while damp so that it
dries in the required style: she had set her hair on small
rollers.
• [ with obj. ] put parts of (a broken or dislocated bone or
limb) into the correct position for healing. he lined up the
bones and set the arm.
• (of a bone) be restored to its normal condition by
knitting together again after being broken: children's
bones soon set.
• (with reference to a person's face) assume or cause to
assume a fixed or rigid expression: [ no obj. ] : her featuresnever set into a civil parade of attention | [ with obj. ] :
Travis's face was set as he looked up.
• (of a hunting dog) adopt a rigid attitude indicating the
presence of game.
5 [ no obj. ] (of the sun, moon, or another celestial body)
appear to move towards and below the earth's horizon
as the earth rotates: the sun was setting and a warm red
glow filled the sky.
6 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a tide or
current) take or have a specified direction or course: a fair
tide can be carried well past Land's End before the stream sets
to the north.
7 [ with obj. ] chiefly N. Amer.start (a fire). the school had
been broken into and the fire had been set.
8 [ with obj. ] (of blossom or a tree) form into or produce
(fruit). wait until first flowers have set fruit before planting
out the peppers.• [ no obj. ] (of fruit) develop from blossom. once fruits
have set, feed weekly with a high potash liquid tomato
fertilizer.
• (of a plant) produce (seed): the herb has flowered and
started to set seed.
9 [ no obj. ] dialect sit: the rest of them people just set there
goggle-eyed for a minute.
PHRASES
set one's heart (or hopes) on have a strong desire for or
to do: she had her heart set on going to university.
set sail hoist the sails of a boat. • begin a voyage:
tomorrow we set sail for France.
set one's teeth clench one's teeth together. • become
resolute: they have set their teeth against a change which
would undermine their prospects of forming a government.
set the wheels in motion do something to begin a
process or put a plan into action. Jane set the wheels in
motion to find somewhere small to live.
PHRASAL VERBSset about 1 start doing something with vigour or
determination: it would be far better to admit the problem
openly and set about tackling it. 2 Brit. informal attack
(someone). the policeman began to set about him with his
truncheon.
set someone against cause someone to be in opposition
or conflict with: he hadn't meant any harm but his few words
had set her against him.
set something against offset something against: wives'
allowances can henceforth be set against investment income.
set someone apart give someone an air of unusual
superiority: his ability and self-effacing modesty have set him
apart.
set something apart separate something and keep it for a
special purpose: there were books and rooms set apart as
libraries.
set something aside 1 save or keep something, typically
money or time, for a particular purpose: the bank expected
to set aside about $700 million for restructuring. • removeland from agricultural production. with 15 per cent of land
set aside, cereal production will fall. 2 annul a legal decision
or process. he applied by summons to set aside the fourth
party notice served on them.
set someone/thing back 1 delay or impede the progress
of someone or something: this incident undoubtedly set
back research. 2 informal (of a purchase) cost someone a
particular amount of money: that must have set you back a
bit.
set something by archaic or USsave something for future
use.
set someone down Brit.stop and allow someone to alight
from a vehicle. we will set you down at your gates.
set something down record something in writing. that
evening he set down his thoughts in brief notes. • establish
something as a rule or principle to be followed: the
Association set down codes of practice for all members to
comply with.set forth (or forward) archaic begin a journey. we set forth
to enjoy the countryside.
set something forth state or describe something in
writing or speech: the principles and aims set forth in the
Social Charter.
set in (of something unpleasant or unwelcome) begin
and seem likely to continue: tables should be treated with
preservative before the bad weather sets in.
set something in insert something, especially a sleeve,
into a garment.
set off begin a journey: they set off together in the small car.
set someone off cause someone to start doing
something, especially laughing or talking: anything will
set him off laughing.
set something off 1 detonate a bomb. police do not know
how the bomb was set off. • cause an alarm to go off. a
smoke detector set off an alarm soon after midnight. • cause a
series of things to occur: the fear is that this could set off a
chain reaction in other financial markets. 2 serve asdecorative embellishment to: a pink carnation set off nicely
by a red bow tie and cream shirt.
set something off against another way of saying set
something against above.
set on (or upon)attack (someone) violently: he and his
friends were set upon by a gang.
set someone/thing on (or upon)cause or urge a person
or animal to attack: I was asked to leave and threatened with
having dogs set upon me.
set out begin a journey. • aim or intend to do something:
she drew up a grandiose statement of what her organization
should set out to achieve.
set something out arrange or display something in a
particular order or position. they had a picnic by the river
where there was a jetty and rustic tables and chairs set out. •
present information or ideas in a well-ordered way in
writing or speech: this chapter sets out the debate
surrounding pluralism.set to 1 begin doing something vigorously: she set to with
bleach and scouring pads to render the vases spotless. 2 (of a
dancer) acknowledge another dancer, typically one's
partner, using the steps prescribed. the gentleman sets to
and turns with the lady on his left hand.
set someone up 1 establish someone in a particular
capacity or role: his father set him up in business. •
informal arrange a meeting between one person and
another, with the aim of encouraging a romantic
relationship between them: Todd tried to set her up with one
of his friends. 2 restore or enhance the health of someone:
after my operation the doctor recommended a cruise to set me
up again. 3 informal make an innocent person appear
guilty of something: suppose Lorton had set him up for
Newley's murder?
set something up 1 place or erect something in position:
police set up a roadblock on Lower Thames Street. 2 establish
a business, institution, or other organization. she set up
the business with a £4,000 bank loan. clergy have a prime rolein setting up schools. • make the arrangements necessary
for something: he asked if I would like him to set up a
meeting with the president. 3 begin making a loud sound: a
colony of monkeys had set up a racket in the canopy.
set oneself up as establish oneself in (a particular
occupation): she set herself up as an acupuncturist in
Leamington. • claim to be or act like a specified kind of
person: he set himself up as a crusader for higher press and
broadcasting standards.
ORIGIN Old English settan, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch zetten,German setzen, also to sit.
transpire |tranˈspʌɪə, trɑːn-|
verb [ no obj. ]
1 [ with clause ] (usu. it transpires) (of a secret or
something unknown) come to be known; be revealed: it
transpired that millions of dollars of debt had been hidden in
a complex web of transactions.
• prove to be the case: as it transpired, he was right.• occur; happen: I'm going to find out exactly what
transpired.
2 Botany (of a plant or leaf) give off water vapour
through the stomata. a cactus does not transpire as freely as
most plants. [ with obj. ] : moisture is transpired from plants
much more quickly than is realized.
DERIVATIVES
transpiration |-spɪˈreɪʃ(ə)n| nountranspire ( sense 2)
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘emit as
vapour through the surface’): from French transpirer or
medieval Latin transpirare, from Latin trans- ‘through’ +
spirare ‘breathe’. Sense 1 (mid 18th cent.) is a figurative
use comparable with ‘leak out’.
usage: The standard general sense of transpire is ‘come
to be known’ (as in it transpired that millions of dollars of
debt had been hidden in a complex web of transactions). From
this, a looser sense has developed, meaning ‘happen or
occur’ ( I'm going to find out exactly what transpired). This
looser sense, first recorded in US English towards theend of the 18th century, is criticized for being jargon, an
unnecessarily long word used where occur and happen
would do just as well. The newer sense is very common,
however, accounting for around half of the citations for
transpire in the Oxford English Corpus.
transpire
verb
1 it transpired that Mr. Washington had been in London
throughout the period of the robberies: become known,
become apparent, be revealed, be disclosed, come to
light, emerge, come out, get out, be discovered, be
uncovered, materialize, leak out, turn out, be made
public.
2 the visitors explained where they had come from and what
had transpired there: happen, occur, take place, come
about, come to pass, crop up, turn up, arise, chance,
ensue, befall, be realized, take shape; pan out, end up.deficit |ˈdɛfɪsɪt, ˈdiː-|
noun
the amount by which something, especially a sum of
money, is too small.
• an excess of expenditure or liabilities over income or
assets in a given period: an annual operating deficit |
[ mass noun ] : the balance of payments is again in deficit.
• (in sport) the amount or score by which a team or
individual is losing: a 3–0 deficit.
• technical a deficiency or failing, especially in a
neurological or psychological function: deficits in speech
comprehension.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: via French from Latin deficit ‘it
is lacking’, from the verb deficere (see defect 1 ) .
deficit
nounthere was a large, continuing deficit in the federal budget:
shortfall, deficiency, shortage, undersupply, slippage;
indebtedness, debt, arrears; minus amount, negative
amount, loss. ANTONYMS surplus, profit.
obligation |ɒblɪˈgeɪʃ(ə)n|
noun
an act or course of action to which a person is morally or
legally bound; a duty or commitment: [ with infinitive ] :
I have an obligation to look after her.
• [ mass noun ] the condition of being morally or legally
bound to do something: they are under no obligation to
stick to the scheme.
• a debt of gratitude for a service or favour: she didn't
want to be under an obligation to him.
• Law a binding agreement committing a person to a
payment or other action.
PHRASESday of obligation (in the Roman Catholic Church) a day
on which all are required to attend Mass.
DERIVATIVES
obligational adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘formal promise’):
via Old French from Latin obligatio(n-), from the verb
obligare (see oblige) .
obligation
noun
1 I have an obligation to look after her | he seemed able to fulfil
his
professional
obligations:
duty,
commitment,
responsibility, moral imperative; function, task, job,
chore,
assignment,
commission,
business,
burden,
charge, onus, liability, accountability, requirement, debt,
engagement; dated office; archaic devoir; literary trust.
2 she took him in solely out of a sense of obligation: duty,
compulsion, indebtedness, duress, necessity, pressure,
constraint.3 the company's export obligations: contract, agreement,
deed, covenant, bond, treaty, deal, pact, compact,
understanding, transaction.
PHRASES
under an obligation she didn't want to be under an
obligation to him: owing someone a favour, obliged,
beholden, in someone's debt, indebted, obligated, owing
someone a debt of gratitude, duty-bound, honour-
bound, grateful, owing someone thanks.
behind |bɪˈhʌɪnd|
preposition
1 at or to the far side of (something), typically so as to be
hidden by it: the recording machinery was kept behind
screens | the sun came out from behind a cloud.
• underlying (something) but not apparent to the
observer: the agony behind his decision to retire.
2 following or further back than (another member of a
moving group): we were stuck behind a slow-moving tractor.• at the back of (someone), after they have passed
through a door: she ran out of the room, slamming the door
behind her.
3 in support of or giving guidance to (someone else):
whatever you decide to do, I'll be behind you | the power
behind the throne.
• controlling or responsible for (an event or plan): the
chances were that he was behind the death of the girl | the
meticulous organization behind the coup.
4 after the departure or death of (someone): he left behind
him a manuscript which was subsequently published.
5 less advanced than (someone or something) in
achievement or development: the government admitted it is
ten years behind the West in PC technology.
6 having a lower score than (another competitor):
Woosnam moved to ten under par, five shots behind Fred
Couples.
adverb1 at or to the far side of something: Campbell grabbed him
from behind.
2 in a particular place after leaving or after others have
moved on: don't leave me behind.
3 further back than other members of a moving group:
Ben led the way, with Joe a short distance behind.
4 (in a contest or match) having a score lower than that of
the opposing team: England were still 382 runs behind.
5 late in accomplishing a task: I'm getting behind with my
work.
• in arrears: she was behind with her rent.
noun
1 informal a person's buttocks: she slid inelegantly down a
few steps on her behind.
2 Australian Rules a kick that sends the ball over a
behind line, or a touch that sends it between the inner
posts, scoring one point.
ORIGIN Old English behindan, bihindan, from bi‘by’ +
hindan‘from behind’.behind
preposition
1 he slept in a hut behind their house: at the back of, at the
rear of, beyond, on the other side of, on the far side of, on
the further side of; N. Amer. in back of. ANTONYMS in
front of.
2 behind her was a small child: after, following, to the rear
of, in the wake of, at the back of, close on, hard on the
heels of, on the trail of.
3 you are way behind the rest of the class: less advanced
than, slower than, weaker than, inferior to.
4 work on the car is months behind schedule: later than, late
in relation to, after.
5 he was believed to have been behind a number of bombings:
responsible for, at the bottom of, at the back of, the cause
of, the source of, the organizer of; to blame for, culpable
of, guilty of; causing, instigating, initiating, urging.6 the All Blacks have the whole nation behind them:
supporting, backing, for, on the side of, in agreement
with; financing.
PHRASES
put something behind one the team have to put this
morning's result behind them: consign something to the
past, put something down to experience, forget about
something, pay no heed to something, ignore, regard as
water under the bridge.
adverb
1 each plane took off with a glider following on behind: after,
afterwards, at the back, in the rear, in the wake, at the
end, at six o'clock. ANTONYMS ahead, in front.
2 ‘I'm off to dance!’ he called behind: over one's shoulder, to
the rear, to the back, towards the rear, towards the back,
backwards. ANTONYMS ahead.
3 he stayed behind to sign autographs: afterwards,
remaining after departure.4 we're behind so don't stop: running late, late, behind
schedule, behindhand, delayed, not on time, behind
time. ANTONYMS ahead.
5 he was behind with his subscription payments: in arrears,
overdue, in debt, in the red; late, unpunctual, tardy,
behindhand, behind target. ANTONYMS ahead.
noun
See bottom (sense 6 of the noun).
difficulty |ˈdɪfɪk(ə)lti|
noun (pl.difficulties) [ mass noun ]
the state or condition of being difficult: Guy had no
difficulty in making friends | I managed with difficulty to
struggle upright.
• [ count noun ] a thing that is hard to accomplish, deal
with, or understand: there is a practical difficulty | a club
with financial difficulties.
• (difficulties) a situation that is difficult or dangerous:
they went for a swim but got into difficulties.
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the senses ‘requiring
effort or skill’ and ‘something difficult’): from Latin
difficultas, from dis- (expressing reversal) + facultas
‘ability, opportunity’.
difficulty
noun
1 her note had been penned with obvious difficulty: strain,
struggling,
awkwardness,
laboriousness,
trouble,
strenuousness,
toil,
labour,
arduousness;
pains,
problems, trials and tribulations; informal hassle, stress;
literary dolour, travails. ANTONYMS ease.
2 the questions are arranged in order of difficulty: complexity,
complicatedness,
awkwardness;
intricacy,
difficultness,
perplexity,
trickiness,
knottiness,
hardness;
obscurity, abstruseness. ANTONYMS simplicity.
3 the cost of the journey was not an insurmountable difficulty:
problem, complication, issue, disadvantage, snag, hitch,
drawback, pitfall, handicap, impediment, hindrance,
obstacle, hurdle, stumbling block, obstruction, barrier;
informal fly in the ointment, prob, headache, hiccup,
facer; Brit. informal spanner in the works; N. Amer.
informal monkey wrench in the works; dated cumber;
literary trammel.
4 they felt unable to ask for help when they were in difficulty:
trouble, distress, crisis, hardship; adversity, extremity,
need; hard times, dire straits; predicament, quandary,
dilemma, plight; informal hot water, deep water, a fix, a
jam, a spot, a scrape, a stew, a hole, a pickle.
harridan |ˈharɪd(ə)n|
noun
a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman: a bullying old
harridan.
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (originally slang): perhaps from
French haridelle ‘old horse’.
harridan
nounshrew, virago, harpy, termagant, vixen, nag, hag, crone,
dragon, ogress; fishwife, hellcat, she-devil, fury, gorgon,
martinet, tartar, spitfire; informal old bag, old bat, old
trout, old cow, bitch, battleaxe, witch; rare scold,
Xanthippe.
shrew |ʃruː|
noun
1 a small mouse-like insectivorous mammal with a long
pointed snout and tiny eyes.
●Family Soricidae: many genera, in particular Sorex and
Crocidura, and numerous species.
2 a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman. the
girls became shrews and harridans.
ORIGIN Old English scrēawa, scrǣwa, of Germanic origin;
related words in Germanic languages have senses such
as ‘dwarf’, ‘devil’, or ‘fox’.
shrew
nounMatilda has the reputation of being a shrew: virago, dragon,
termagant, vixen, cat, fishwife, witch, hellcat, she-devil,
tartar, spitfire, hag, gorgon, harridan, fury, ogress, harpy;
informal battleaxe, old bag, old bat, bitch; archaic scold;
rare Xanthippe.
siren |ˈsʌɪr(ə)n|
noun
1 a device that makes a loud prolonged signal or
warning sound: ambulance sirens.
2 Greek Mythology each of a number of women or
winged creatures whose singing lured unwary sailors on
to rocks.
• a woman who is considered to be alluring or
fascinating but also dangerous in some way.
3 an eel-like American amphibian with tiny forelimbs, no
hindlimbs, small eyes, and external gills, typically living
in muddy pools.●Family Sirenidae: genera Siren and Pseudobranchus,
and three species, including the greater siren (S.
lacertina).
PHRASES
siren song (or call)used in reference to the appeal of
something that is alluring but also potentially harmful or
dangerous: a mountaineer who hears the siren song of K2.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting an imaginary type of
snake): from Old French sirene, from late Latin Sirena,
feminine of Latin Siren, from Greek Seirēn .
siren
noun
1 the wail of an air-raid siren: alarm, alarm bell, warning
bell, danger signal; whistle, horn; Brit. hooter; archaic
tocsin.
2 seamed stockings are the trademark of a true siren:
seductress,
temptress,
femme
fatale,
Mata
Hari,enchantress, Circe, Lorelei, Delilah; flirt, coquette, Lolita;
informal mantrap; N. Amer. informal vamp.
conundrum |kəˈnʌndrəm|
noun (pl.conundrums)
a confusing and difficult problem or question: one of the
most difficult conundrums for the experts.
• a question asked for amusement, typically one with a
pun in its answer; a riddle.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: of unknown origin, but first
recorded in a work by Thomas Nashe, as a term of abuse
for a crank or pedant, later coming to denote a whim or
fancy, also a pun. Current senses date from the late 17th
cent.
labyrinth |ˈlab(ə)rɪnθ|
noun
1 a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in
which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze:labyrinth 1
you lose yourself in a labyrinth of little streets.
• an intricate and confusing arrangement: a labyrinth of
conflicting laws and regulations.
2 Anatomy a complex structure in the inner ear which
contains the organs of hearing and balance. It consists of
bony cavities (the bony labyrinth) filled with fluid and
lined with sensitive membranes (the membranous
labyrinth).• Zoology an accessory respiratory organ of certain fish.
DERIVATIVES
labyrinthian |-ˈrɪnθɪən| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English (referring to the maze
constructed by Daedalus to house the Minotaur): from
French labyrinthe or Latin labyrinthus, from Greek
laburinthos .
maze |meɪz|
noun
a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle
through which one has to find a way. the house has a maze
and a walled Italian garden.
• a complex network of paths or passages: they were
trapped in a menacing maze of corridors.
• a confusing mass of information: a maze of petty
regulations.
verb (be mazed) archaic or dialectbe dazed and confused: she was still mazed with the drug
she had taken.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting delirium or delusion):
probably from the base of amaze, of which the verb is a
shortening.
maze
noun
1 a maze in the castle grounds: labyrinth, network of paths.
2 a maze of corridors | a maze of petty regulations: complex
network, labyrinth, web, tangle, warren, mesh, jungle,
snarl, imbroglio.
capitalism |ˈkapɪt(ə)lɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
an economic and political system in which a country's
trade and industry are controlled by private owners for
profit, rather than by the state. an era of free-market
capitalism. private ownership is a key feature of capitalism.capitalism
noun
private enterprise, free enterprise, private ownership,
privatized industries, the free market, individualism;
laissez-faire. ANTONYMS communism.
imperialism |ɪmˈpɪərɪəlɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
a policy of extending a country's power and influence
through colonization, use of military force, or other
means: the struggle against imperialism | figurative :
French ministers protested at US cultural imperialism.
• chiefly historical rule by an emperor. in Russia,
imperialism had developed alongside a semi-feudal agrarian
structure.
DERIVATIVES
imperialistic |-ˈlɪstɪk| adjective,
imperialistically |-ˈlɪstɪk(ə)li| adverbcommunism |ˈkɒmjʊnɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
a theory or system of social organization in which all
property is owned by the community and each person
contributes and receives according to their ability and
needs. See also Marxism.
The most familiar form of communism is that established
by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution of 1917,
and it has generally been understood in terms of the
system practised by the former Soviet Union and its
allies in eastern Europe, in China since 1949, and in some
developing countries such as Cuba, Vietnam, and North
Korea. In this form of communism it was held that the
state would wither away after the overthrow of the
capitalist system. In practice, however, the state grew to
control all aspects of communist society.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French communisme, from
commun (see common) .
communism
noun
the
social
collectivism,
socialism;
and
economic
state
Sovietism,
principles
ownership,
of
communism:
socialism,
Bolshevism,
Marxism,
radical
neo-
Marxism, Leninism, Marxism–Leninism, Trotskyism,
Maoism.
internationalism |ɪntəˈnaʃ(ə)n(ə)lɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the state or process of being international: the
internationalism of popular music.
• the advocacy of cooperation and understanding
between nations.2 (Internationalism)the principles of any of the four
Internationals.
DERIVATIVES
internationalist noun
etymology |ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi|
noun (pl.etymologies) [ mass noun ]
the study of the origin of words and the way in which
their meanings have changed throughout history. the
decline of etymology as a linguistic discipline.
• [ count noun ] the origin of a word and the historical
development of its meaning. the etymology of the word
‘devil’.
DERIVATIVES
etymological |-məˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
etymologically |-məˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li| adverb,
etymologist noun

singular of etumos ‘true’.
ethnology |ɛθˈnɒlədʒi|
noun [ mass noun ]
the study of the characteristics of different peoples and
the differences and relationships between them.
DERIVATIVES
ethnologic |-nəˈlɒdʒɪk| adjective,
ethnological |-nəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
ethnologically adverb,
ethnologist noun
polyglot |ˈpɒlɪglɒt|
adjective
knowing or using several languages: a polyglot career
woman.
• (of a book) having the text translated into several
languages. polyglot and bilingual technical dictionaries.noun
a person who knows and is able to use several
languages. Slovenians, being surrounded by many countries,
are mostly polyglots.
DERIVATIVES
polyglottal |-ˈglɒt(ə)l| adjective,
polyglottic |-ˈglɒtɪk| adjective,
polyglottism noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French polyglotte, from
Greek poluglōttos, from polu- ‘many’ + glōtta ‘tongue’.
omnibus |ˈɒmnɪbəs|
noun
1 a volume containing several books previously
published separately: an omnibus of her first trilogy.
• Brit.a single edition of two or more consecutive
television or radio programmes previously broadcast
separately. Coronation Street's rival EastEnders was boosted
by a weekend omnibus.
2 dated a bus. a horse-drawn omnibus.adjective
comprising several items: omnibus editions of novels.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: via French from Latin, literally
‘for all’, dative plural of omnis .
anthology |anˈθɒlədʒi|
noun (pl.anthologies)
a published collection of poems or other pieces of
writing. an anthology of European poetry.
• a collection of songs or musical compositions issued in
one album. a double-CD anthology of Moby Grape, the
legendary Sixties San Francisco band.
DERIVATIVES
anthologist noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: via French or medieval Latin
from Greek anthologia, from anthos ‘flower’ + -logia
‘collection’ (from legein ‘gather’). In Greek, the word
originally denoted a collection of the ‘flowers’ of verse,
i.e. small choice poems or epigrams, by various authors.biography |bʌɪˈɒgrəfi|
noun (pl.biographies)
an account of someone's life written by someone else.
• [ mass noun ] biographies considered as a literary
genre. the basic difference of approach to autobiography and
biography.
• the course of a person's life: although their individual
biographies are different, both are motivated by a similar
ambition.
DERIVATIVES
biographer noun
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from French biographie or
modern Latin biographia, from medieval Greek, from
bios ‘life’ + -graphia ‘writing’.
destruct |dɪˈstrʌkt|
verb [ with obj. ]cause deliberate, terminal damage to. the boys' war to
destruct things.
noun [ in sing. ] [ usu. as modifier ]
the deliberate causing of terminal damage: press the
destruct button.
DERIVATIVES
destructor noun
ORIGIN 1950s (originally US): back-formation from
destruction.
arson |ˈɑːs(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property:
police are treating the fire as arson | [ as modifier ] : an arson
attack.
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: an Anglo-Norman French legal
term, from medieval Latin arsio(n-), from Latin ardere
‘to burn’.arsonist |ˈɑːs(ə)nɪst, ˈɑːsənɪst|
noun
a person who commits arson: police believe arsonists were
responsible for both fires.
vandal |ˈvand(ə)l|
noun
1 a person who deliberately destroys or damages
property belonging to others: the rear window of the car
was smashed by vandals.
2 (Vandal)a member of a Germanic people that ravaged
Gaul, Spain, Rome (455), and North Africa in the 4th–5th
centuries.
ORIGIN from Latin Vandalus, of Germanic origin. Sense
1 dates from the mid 17th cent.
fusillade |ˌfjuːzɪˈleɪd, -ˈlɑːd|
nouna series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same
time or in quick succession: marchers had to dodge a
fusillade of missiles.
verb [ with obj. ] archaic
fire a fusillade at (a place or person). the Mahdi's adherents
fusilladed his palace at Khartoum.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from French, from fusiller ‘to
shoot’, from fusil (see fusil 1 ) .
rattle |ˈrat(ə)l|
verb
1 make or cause to make a rapid succession of short,
sharp knocking sounds: [ no obj. ] : the roof rattled with
little gusts of wind | [ with obj. ] : he rattled some change in
his pocket.
• [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a vehicle or
its occupants) move or travel with a knocking sound:
trains rattled past at frequent intervals.• [ no obj. ]
2 [ with obj. ] informal make (someone) nervous,
worried, or irritated: she turned quickly, rattled by his
presence.
noun
1 a rapid succession of short, sharp, sounds: the rattle of
teacups on the tray.
• a gurgling sound in the throat of a dying person. there
was a choking rattle and his eyes turned upwards.
2 a thing used to make a rattling sound, in particular:
• a baby's toy consisting of a container filled with small
pellets, which makes a noise when shaken.
• Brit.a wooden device that makes a loud noise when
whirled around, formerly used by spectators at football
matches.
• the set of horny rings at the end of a rattlesnake's tail,
shaken as a warning.3 archaic a person who talks incessantly in a lively or
inane way. he is such a rattle!
PHRASES
rattle someone's cage (or chain) informal anger or
irritate someone. put the pressure on him—rattle his cage.
rattle sabres threaten to take aggressive action. we've got
the miners rattling sabres again. See also sabre-rattling.
PHRASAL VERBS
rattle something off say, perform, or produce something
quickly and effortlessly: he rattled off some instructions.
rattle on/away talk rapidly and at length, especially in an
inane way: she found herself rattling on about unhappiness
and happiness.
DERIVATIVES
rattly adjective (rattlier, rattliest)

archery |ˈɑːtʃəri|
noun [ mass noun ]
shooting with a bow and arrows, especially at a target as
a sport.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French archerie,
from archier (see archer) .
shoot |ʃuːt|
verb (past and past participleshot |ʃɒt| )
1 [ with obj. ] kill or wound (a person or animal) with a
bullet or arrow: he was shot in the leg during an armed
robbery | [ with obj. and complement ] : troops shot dead
29 people.• [ no obj. ] fire a bullet from a gun or discharge an arrow
from a bow: he shot at me twice | the troops were ordered to
shoot to kill | [ with obj. ] : they shot a volley of arrows into
the village.
• [ no obj., with adverbial ] use a firearm with a specified
degree of skill: we shot well against Spain.
• cause (a gun) to fire. I learned to shoot a 9 mm pistol.
• [ no obj. ] hunt game with a gun: we go to Scotland to
shoot every autumn.
2 move or cause to move suddenly and rapidly in a
particular direction: [ no obj., with adverbial of
direction ] : the car shot forward | Ward's hand shot out,
grabbing his arm | [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] :
he would have fallen if Marc hadn't shot out a hand to stop
him.
• [ no obj. ] (of a pain) move with a sharp stabbing
sensation: Claudia felt a pain shoot through her chest |
figurative : a pang of regret shot through her.• [ no obj. ] extend sharply in a particular direction: a
road that seemed to just shoot upwards at a terrifying angle.
• [ with obj. ] move (a bolt) to fasten or unfasten a door.
she shot the bolt on the bathroom door.
• [ with obj. ] (of a boat) sweep swiftly down or under
(rapids, a waterfall, or a bridge). those of you looking for
adventure can shoot the rapids.
• [ with obj. ] informal (of a motor vehicle) pass (a traffic
light at red). drivers could lose their licences for shooting too
many red lights.
• [ no obj. ] Cricket (of a ball) dart along the ground after
pitching. a ball pitching on that spot would sometimes shoot.
3 [ no obj. ] (in football, hockey, basketball, etc.) kick, hit,
or throw the ball or puck in an attempt to score a goal:
Williams twice shot wide | [ with obj. ] : after school, we'd go
straight out in the alley to shoot baskets.
• [ with obj. ] informal make (a specified score) for a
round of golf: in the second round he shot a 65.• [ with obj. ] N. Amer. informal play a game of (pool,
dice, or cards). although we never shot dice, my friends and I
played every variation of poker.
4 [ with obj. ] direct (a glance, question, or remark) at
someone: [ with two objs ] : Luke shot her a quick glance |
[ with direct speech ] : ‘I can't believe what I'm hearing,’ she
shot back.
• [ no obj., in imperative ] used to invite a comment or
question: ‘May I just ask you one more question?’ ‘Shoot.’.
5 [ with obj. ] film or photograph (a scene, film, etc.): she
has just been commissioned to shoot a video.
6 [ no obj. ] (of a plant or seed) send out buds or shoots;
germinate. some years one or other plant fails to shoot.
• (of a bud or shoot) appear; sprout. they move up into the
stem where they induce buds to shoot.
7 [ with obj. ] informal inject oneself or another person
with (a narcotic drug): he shot dope into his arm.
8 [ with obj. ] plane (the edge of a board) accurately. I shot
the longer edge down on the planer.noun
1 a young branch or sucker springing from the main
stock of a tree or other plant: he nipped off the new shoots
that grew where the leaves joined the stems.
2 an occasion when a group of people hunt and shoot
game for sport: a grouse shoot.
• Brit.an area of land used for shooting game. we rented a
rough shoot of about a thousand acres.
• a shooting match: activities include a weekly rifle shoot.
3 an occasion when a professional photographer takes
photographs or when a film or video is being made: a
photo shoot | a fashion shoot.
4 variant spelling of chute 1 .
5 a rapid in a stream: follow the portages that skirt all nine
shoots of whitewater.
exclamationN. Amer. informal
used as a euphemism for ‘shit’: shoot, it was a great day to
be alive.
PHRASEShave shot one's bolt see bolt 1 .
shoot the breeze (or the bull)N. Amer. informal have a
casual conversation. we've been shooting the breeze for well
over an hour now.
shoot one's cuffs pull one's shirt cuffs out to project
beyond the cuffs of one's jacket or coat.
shoot from the hip informal react without careful
consideration of one's words or actions. he is shooting
from the hip in an act of political desperation.
shoot oneself in the foot informal inadvertently make a
situation worse for oneself. the company must stop shooting
itself in the foot if it wants to get over its troubles.
shoot it out informal engage in a decisive confrontation,
typically a gun battle. I was forced to shoot it out with
detectives before being overpowered.
shoot a line Brit. informal describe something in an
exaggerated or untruthful way: he never shot a line about
his escapades.shoot one's mouth off informal talk boastfully or
indiscreetly. we don't go shooting our mouths off saying that
we're the best band in Britain.
PHRASAL VERBS
shoot someone/thing down bring down an aircraft or
missile by shooting at it: their helicopter was shot down by
an air-to-air missile. • kill or wound someone by shooting
them, especially in a ruthless way: troops shot down 28
demonstrators. • crush someone or their opinions by
forceful criticism: she tried to argue and got shot down in
flames for her trouble.
shoot through Austral./NZ informal leave, typically to
escape from or avoid someone or something: me wife's
shot through and I can't pay the rent.[1940s: from shoot
through like a Bondi tram (Bondi being a Sydney suburb).]
shoot up (especially of a child) grow taller rapidly. when
she hit thirteen she shot up to a startling 5 foot 9. • (of a price
or amount) rise suddenly. the price of milk had shot up.

DERIVATIVES
shootable adjective
ORIGIN Old English scēotan, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch schieten and German schiessen, also to
sheet 1 ,shot 1 , and shut.
chute 1 |ʃuːt| (also shoot)
noun
a sloping channel or slide for conveying things to a lower
level. cement was loaded on to barges via chutes.
• a water slide into a swimming pool.

baroque |bəˈrɒk, -ˈrəʊk|
adjective
relating to or denoting a style of European architecture,
music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that
followed Mannerism and is characterized by ornate
detail. In architecture the period is exemplified by the
palace of Versailles and by the work of Wren in England.
Major composers include Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel;
Caravaggio and Rubens are important baroque artists.
• highly ornate and extravagant in style. the candles were
positively baroque.
noun [ mass noun ]
the baroque style or period. the interior of the church is in
lavish baroque. the sculptural group in Rome is a key work of
the baroque.ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French (originally
designating a pearl of irregular shape), from Portuguese
barroco,Spanish
barrueco,
or
Italian
barocco;
of
unknown ultimate origin.
irresistible |ɪrɪˈzɪstɪb(ə)l|
adjective
too attractive and tempting to be resisted: he found the
delicious-looking cakes irresistible.
• too powerful or convincing to be resisted: she felt an
irresistible urge to object.
DERIVATIVES
irresistibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
irresistibly adverb
ORIGIN
late
16th
cent.:
from
medieval
Latin
irresistibilis, from in- ‘not’ + resistibilis (from resistere
‘resist’).
irresistibleadjective
1 her irresistible smile: tempting, enticing, alluring,
inviting,
seductive;
attractive,
desirable,
fetching,
glamorous, appealing; captivating, ravishing, beguiling,
enchanting, fascinating, tantalizing; informal, dated
come-hither.
2 it was an irresistible impulse—I couldn't stop myself:
uncontrollable,
compelling,
overwhelming,
compulsive,
overpowering,
besetting,
irrepressible,
ungovernable; unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable,
inexorable,
driving,
forceful,
potent,
oppressive,
imperative, urgent; obsessive.
WORD TOOLKIT
irresistible
See enchanting.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
susceptibility |səˌsɛptɪˈbɪlɪti|noun (pl.susceptibilities)
1 [ mass noun ] the state or fact of being likely or liable to
be influenced or harmed by a particular thing: lack of
exercise increases susceptibility to disease.
2
(susceptibilities)
a
person's
feelings,
typically
considered as being easily hurt: I was so careful not to
offend their susceptibilities.
3 Physics the ratio of magnetization produced in a
material to the magnetizing force.
susceptibility
noun
1 his susceptibility to flattery: vulnerability, sensitivity,
openness,
defencelessness,
receptiveness,
responsiveness. ANTONYMS immunity, resistance.
2 old age brings with it an increased susceptibility to illness:
liability,
proneness,
vulnerability,
propensity,
inclination;
weakness;
ANTONYMS immunity, resistance.
predisposition,
likelihood.liability |lʌɪəˈbɪlɪti|
noun (pl.liabilities)
1 [ mass noun ] the state of being legally responsible for
something: once you contact the card protection scheme your
liability for any loss ends.
• [ count noun ] (usu. liabilities) a thing for which
someone is responsible, especially an amount of money
owed: valuing the company's liabilities and assets.
2 [ usu. in sing. ] a person or thing whose presence or
behaviour is likely to put one at a disadvantage: she said
the party had become a liability to green politics.
liability
noun
1 journalists cannot avoid liability for defamation merely by
avoiding
the
responsibility,
naming
legal
of
names: accountability,
responsibility, answerability;
incrimination, blame, blameworthiness, culpability, guilt,
onus, fault; informal the rap. ANTONYMS immunity.
2 they have some huge assets and some equally big liabilities:
financial
obligation,
debt,
indebtedness,
debit;
(liabilities) debts, arrears, dues. ANTONYMS asset.
3 she had come to be seen as an electoral liability: hindrance,
encumbrance,
burden,
handicap,
nuisance,
inconvenience; obstacle, impediment, drawback, drag,
disadvantage, weakness, shortcoming, problem, weak
spot/point; millstone round one's neck, stumbling block,
cross to bear, cross, albatross; Achilles heel; informal
minus, fly in the ointment; archaic cumber. ANTONYMS
asset, advantage.
4 their liability to the disease: susceptibility, vulnerability,
proneness, tendency, predisposition, propensity; risk,
chance, likelihood, threat. ANTONYMS immunity.
accountability |əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti|
noun [ mass noun ]the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility:
lack of accountability has corroded public respect for business
and political leaders.
accountability
noun
1 there must be clear accountability for the expenditure of
public
money:
responsibility,
liability,
answerability.
ANTONYMS unaccountability.
2 ministers' accountability to parliament: answerability,
responsibility, reporting, obedience.
responsibility |rɪˌspɒnsɪˈbɪlɪti|
noun (pl.responsibilities) [ mass noun ]
1 the state or fact of having a duty to deal with
something or of having control over someone: women
bear children and take responsibility for childcare.
2 the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for
something: the group has claimed responsibility for a string of
murders.• [ in sing. ] (responsibility to/towards) a moral
obligation to behave correctly towards or in respect of:
individuals have a responsibility to control their behaviour.
3 the opportunity or ability to act independently and
take
decisions
without
authorization:
we
expect
individuals to take on more responsibility.
• [ count noun ] (often responsibilities) a thing which
one is required to do as part of a job, role, or legal
obligation: he will take over the responsibilities of Overseas
Director.
PHRASES
on one's own responsibility without authorization. he
postponed, on his own responsibility, a proposal for a broadcast
by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
responsibility
noun
1 it was his responsibility to find witnesses: duty, task,
function, job, role, place, charge, business, onus,
 burden,liability, accountability, answerability, province;
2 the organization denied responsibility for the bomb attack at
the
airport:
blame,
fault,
guilt,
culpability,
blameworthiness, liability.
3 teenagers may not be showing enough sense of responsibility
to be safely granted privileges: trustworthiness, level-
headedness, rationality, sanity, reason, reasonableness,
sense, common sense, stability, maturity, adultness,
reliability, dependability, competence.
4 we train those staff who show an aptitude for managerial
responsibility:
authority,
control,
management, influence; duty.
power,
leadership,owing enough sense of responsibility
to be safely granted privileges: trustworthiness, level-
headedness, rationality, sanity, reason, reasonableness,
sense, common sense, stability, maturity, adultness,
reliability, dependability, competence.
4 we train those staff who show an aptitude for managerial
responsibility:
authority,
control,
management, influence; duty.
power,
leadership,