Set 8

consider |kənˈsɪdə|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 think carefully about (something), typically before making a
decision: each application is considered on its merits | (as
adj.considered) : I may not have time to give a considered reply to
suggestions.
• think about and be drawn towards (a course of action): he had
considered giving up his job.
• believe to be; think: [ with obj. and infinitive ] : at first women
were considered to be at low risk from HIV | [ with clause ] : I don't
consider that I'm to blame.
• [ with obj. and complement ] regard (someone or something)
as having a specified quality: I consider him irresponsible.
• take (something) into account when making a judgement: one
service area is not enough when you consider the number of cars using this
motorway.
2 look attentively at: the old man considered his granddaughter
thoughtfully.
PHRASES
all things considered taking everything into account. so, all
things considered, I think I have done all right.
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ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French considerer,
from Latin considerare ‘examine’, perhaps based on
sidus, sider- ‘star’.
consider
verb
1 Isabel hesitated, considering her choices: think about, contemplate,
give thought to, reflect on, examine, appraise, review; study,
mull over, ponder, deliberate over, cogitate about, chew over,
meditate on/over, ruminate over, turn over in one's mind;
assess, evaluate, compare, weigh up, judge, consider the pros
and cons of, sum up; informal size up.
2 I consider him irresponsible: regard as, deem, hold to be, think,
think of as, reckon, believe, judge, adjudge, rate, class as,
account, count, gauge, look on as, view as, see as, take for,
interpret as, suppose, find; esteem.
3 embarrassed, he considered the ceiling: look at, contemplate,
observe, regard, survey, view, scrutinize, scan, examine, inspect;
informal check out, have a gander at, have a squint at, get a
load of; Brit. informal have a butcher's at, take a dekko at, take
a shufti at, clock; N. Amer. informal eyeball.
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4 I hope the inquiry will consider all those issues: take into
consideration, take into account, take account of, make
allowances for, respect, bear in mind, be mindful of, have
regard to, reckon with, remember, mind, mark, heed, note, not
forget, make provision for, take to heart, pay/have regard to,
be guided by. ANTONYMS ignore.
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evolution |ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n, ˈɛv-|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the process by which different kinds of living organism are
believed to have developed from earlier forms during the
history of the earth.
The idea of organic evolution was proposed by some ancient
Greek thinkers but was long rejected in Europe as contrary to
the literal interpretation of the Bible. Lamarck proposed a
theory that organisms became transformed by their efforts to
respond to the demands of their environment. Lyell
demonstrated that geological deposits were the cumulative
product of slow processes over vast ages. This helped Darwin
towards a theory of gradual evolution over a long period by
the natural selection of those varieties of an organism slightly
better adapted to the environment and hence more likely to
produce descendants. Combined with the later discoveries of
the cellular and molecular basis of genetics, Darwin's theory of
evolution has, with some modification, become the dominant
unifying concept of modern biology.
2 the gradual development of something: the forms of written
languages undergo constant evolution.
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3 Chemistry the giving off of a gaseous product, or of heat. the
evolution of oxygen occurs rapidly in this process.
4 [ count noun ] a pattern of movements or manoeuvres: flocks
of waders often perform aerial evolutions.
5 Mathematics, dated the extraction of a root from a given
quantity.
DERIVATIVES
evolutional adjective,
evolutionally adverb,
evolutionarily adverb,
evolutionary adjective,
evolutive adjective
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin
evolutio(n-)‘unrolling’, from the verb evolvere (see
evolve). Early senses related to movement, first recorded in
describing a ‘wheeling’ manoeuvre in the realignment of
troops or ships. Current senses stem from a notion of ‘opening
out’, giving rise to the sense ‘development’.
evolution
noun
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1 the evolution of the Internet as an advertising medium: development,
advancement, growth, rise, progress, progression, expansion,
extension, unfolding; transformation, adaptation, modification,
revision, reworking, reconstruction, recasting, change;
humorous transmogrification; rare evolvement.
2 early ecologists were not interested in evolution: Darwinism, natural
selection.
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dialect |ˈdʌɪəlɛkt|
noun
a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific
region or social group: the Lancashire dialect seemed like a foreign
language.
• Computing a particular version of a programming language.
DERIVATIVES
dialectal |-ˈlɛkt(ə)l| adjective,
dialectally adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (denoting the art of investigating the
truth of opinions): from French dialecte, or via Latin from
Greek dialektos ‘discourse, way of speaking’, from
dialegesthai ‘converse with’ (see dialogue) .
dialect
noun
Hilary found it hard to understand the moorland dialect: regional
language, local language, local tongue, local speech, local
parlance, variety of language; vernacular, patois, non-standard
language, idiom; regionalisms, localisms, provincialisms;
informal lingo, local lingo, -ese, -speak; Linguistics acrolect,
basilect, sociolect, idiolect.
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painstaking |ˈpeɪnzteɪkɪŋ|
adjective
done with or employing great care and thoroughness:
painstaking attention to detail | he is a gentle, painstaking man.
DERIVATIVES
painstakingly adverb,
painstakingness noun
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painstaking
adjective
careful, meticulous, thorough, assiduous, sedulous, attentive,
diligent, industrious, laborious, hard-working, conscientious,
ultra-careful, punctilious, scrupulous, demanding, exacting,
searching, close, elaborate, minute, accurate, correct, studious,
rigorous, particular; religious, strict; pedantic, fussy.
ANTONYMS careless, negligent, slapdash.
forge 1 |fɔːdʒ|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or
furnace and hammering it. he forged a great suit of black armour.
2 create (something) strong, enduring, or successful: the two
women forged a close bond | the country is forging a bright new future.
3 produce a fraudulent copy or imitation of (a document,
signature, banknote, or work of art). the signature on the cheque was
forged.
noun
a blacksmith's workshop; a smithy.
• a furnace for melting or refining metal.
• a workshop or factory containing a furnace for melting metal.
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DERIVATIVES
forgeable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (also in the general sense ‘make,
construct’): from Old French forger, from Latin fabricare
‘fabricate’, from fabrica ‘manufactured object,
workshop’. The noun is via Old French from Latin fabrica .
forge 2 |fɔːdʒ|
verb [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ]
move forward gradually or steadily: he forged through the crowded
streets.
PHRASAL VERBS
forge ahead take the lead or make good progress: it may be
that exports are forging ahead whilst home sales sag.
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: perhaps an aberrant pronunciation
of force 1 .
forge 1
verb
1 the smith forged swords and knives: hammer out, beat into shape,
found, cast, mould, model; fashion, form, shape, make,
manufacture, produce, turn out; informal knock together,
knock up, knock off.
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2 they forged a partnership with city government: build, build up,
construct, form, create, establish, set up, put together.
3 it took great skill to forge the signature: fake, falsify, counterfeit,
copy fraudulently, copy, imitate, reproduce, replicate, simulate;
informal pirate.
forge 2
verb
he forged through the busy side streets: advance steadily, advance
gradually, press on, push on, soldier on, march on, push
forward, move forward, move along, proceed, progress, make
progress/headway.
PHRASES
forge ahead Jack's horse forged ahead and took the lead: advance
rapidly, progress quickly, make swift progress, increase speed,
put a spurt on.
moral |ˈmɒr(ə)l|
adjective
1 concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour:
the moral dimensions of medical intervention | a moral judgement.
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• concerned with or derived from the code of behaviour that is
considered right or acceptable in a particular society: they have a
moral obligation to pay the money back.
• [ attrib. ] examining the nature of ethics and the foundations
of good and bad character and conduct: moral philosophers.
2 holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct: he
prides himself on being a highly moral and ethical person. he is a caring,
moral man.
noun
1 a lesson that can be derived from a story or experience: the
moral of this story was that one must see the beauty in what one has.
2 (morals) standards of behaviour; principles of right and
wrong: the corruption of public morals | they believe addicts have no
morals and cannot be trusted.
DERIVATIVES
morally adverb theories which assert that all inequality is morally
wrong his morally bankrupt lifestyle the task of education was to
reinvigorate citizenship in order that pupils might act morally
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin moralis, from
mos, mor- ‘custom’, (plural) mores ‘morals’. As a noun
the word was first used to translate Latin Moralia, the title of
St Gregory the Great's moral exposition of the Book of Job,
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and was subsequently applied to the works of various classical
writers.
moral
adjective
1 moral issues: ethical; social, behavioural; to do with right and
wrong.
2 a very moral man: virtuous, good, righteous, upright,
upstanding, high-minded, right-minded, principled, proper,
honourable, honest, just, noble, incorruptible, scrupulous,
respectable, decent, irreproachable, truthful, law-abiding,
clean-living, chaste, pure, blameless, sinless. ANTONYMS
immoral, bad, dishonourable.
3 moral support: psychological, emotional, mental.
noun
1 the moral of the story: lesson, message, meaning, significance,
signification, import, point, precept, teaching.
2 (morals) he has no morals and cannot be trusted: moral code, code
of ethics, moral standards, moral values, principles, principles
of right and wrong, rules of conduct, standards/principles of
behaviour, standards, morality, sense of morality, scruples,
ideals.
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knowledge |ˈnɒlɪdʒ|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or
education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a
subject: a thirst for knowledge | her considerable knowledge of
antiques.
• the sum of what is known: the transmission of knowledge.
• information held on a computer system.
• Philosophy true, justified belief; certain understanding, as
opposed to opinion.
2 awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or
situation: the programme had been developed without his
knowledge | he denied all knowledge of the incidents.
3 archaic sexual intercourse.
PHRASES
come to someone's knowledge become known to
someone.
to (the best of) someone's knowledge as far as someone
knows; judging from the information someone has: the text is free
of factual errors, to the best of my knowledge.
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ORIGIN Middle English (originally as a verb in the sense
‘acknowledge, recognize’, later as a noun): from an Old English
compound based on cnāwan (see know) .
knowledge
noun
1 his knowledge of history was small | technical knowledge:
understanding, comprehension, grasp, grip, command,
mastery, apprehension; expertise, skill, proficiency, expertness,
accomplishment, adeptness, capacity, capability; Frenchsavoir
faire; informal know-how. ANTONYMS ignorance.
2 people anxious to display their knowledge: learning, erudition,
education, scholarship, letters, schooling, science; wisdom,
enlightenment, philosophy. ANTONYMS ignorance, illiteracy.
3 he slipped away without my knowledge: awareness, consciousness,
realization, recognition, cognition, apprehension, perception,
appreciation; formal cognizance. ANTONYMS unawareness.
4 National Trust staff develop an intimate knowledge of the
countryside: familiarity with, acquaintance with, conversance
with, intimacy with.
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5 it is your duty to inform the police of your knowledge: information,
facts, data, intelligence, news, reports; lore; informal info, gen,
low-down.
WORD LINKS
gnostic relating to knowledge
epistemology science of knowledge
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus because
they are not actual synonyms.
invent |ɪnˈvɛnt|
verb [ with obj. ]
create or design (something that has not existed before); be the
originator of: he invented an improved form of the steam engine.
• make up (an idea, name, story, etc.), especially so as to deceive
someone: I did not have to invent any tales about my past.
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘find out, discover’): from
Latin invent- ‘contrived, discovered’, from the verb
invenire, from in- ‘into’ + venire ‘come’.
invent
verb
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1 Louis Braille invented an alphabet to help blind people: originate,
create, innovate, design, devise, contrive, formulate, develop;
conceive, think up, come up with, hit on, mastermind, pioneer;
discover, find; coin, mint; informal dream up.
2 he admitted that they invented the story for a laugh: make up,
fabricate, concoct, hatch, dream up, trump up, manufacture;
informal cook up.
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expect |ɪkˈspɛkt, ɛk-|
verb [ with obj. ]
regard (something) as likely to happen: it's as well to expect the
worst | [ with obj. and infinitive ] : the hearing is expected to last a
week | [ with clause ] : one might expect that Hollywood would adjust
its approach.
• regard (someone) as likely to do or be something: [ with obj.
and infinitive ] : they were not expecting him to continue.
• believe that (someone or something) will arrive soon: Celia was
expecting a visitor.
• require (something) as rightfully due or appropriate in the
circumstances: we expect great things of you.
• require (someone) to fulfil an obligation: [ with obj. and
infinitive ] : we expect employers to pay a reasonable salary.
• (I expect) informal used to indicate that one supposes
something to be so but has no firm evidence: they're just friends of
his, I expect | [ with clause ] : I expect you know them?
PHRASES
be expecting (a baby) informal be pregnant. his wife was
expecting again.
(only) to be expected completely normal: he had a few lines
about the eyes, but at forty-seven that was only to be expected.
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what can (or do) you expect? used to emphasize that there
was nothing unexpected about a person or event, however
disappointed one might be. What do you expect? He was just like all
the others, only you were too thick to see it.
DERIVATIVES
expectable adjective,
expectably adverb,
expectedly adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘defer action, wait’): from
Latin exspectare ‘look out for’, from ex- ‘out’ + spectare
‘to look’ (frequentative of specere ‘see’).
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expect
verb
1 I expect she'll be late: suppose, presume, think it likely, think,
believe, imagine, assume, conjecture, surmise, calculate, judge;
trust; informal guess, reckon; N. Amer. informal figure.
2 I'm expecting a letter from him | a 10 per cent rise in profits was
expected: anticipate, await, look for, hope for, watch for, look
forward to, look ahead to, have in prospect; contemplate,
bargain for/on, bank on, be prepared for, plan for; predict,
forecast, foresee, prophesy, envisage, envision.
3 we expect total discretion and loyalty: require, ask for, call for, look
for, wish, want, hope for; count on, rely on; insist on, demand.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
expect, anticipate, foresee
See anticipate.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
except |ɪkˈsɛpt, ɛk-|
preposition
not including; other than: I was naked except for my socks | they
work every day except Sunday.
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conjunction
used before a statement that forms an exception to one just
made: I didn't tell him anything, except that I needed the money |
our berets were the same except mine was blue.
• archaic unless: she never offered advice, except it were asked of her.
verb [ with obj. ] formal
specify as excluded from a category or group: five classes of
advertisement are excepted from control.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin except- ‘taken
out’, from the verb excipere, from ex- ‘out of ’ + capere
‘take’.
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except
preposition
the shop is open every day except Monday | there was no sound except
for the rain: excluding, not including, excepting, omitting,
leaving out, not counting, but, besides, barring, bar, other than,
exclusive of, saving, save, apart from, aside from; with the
exception of, with the omission of, with the exclusion of;
informal outside of; archaic forbye. ANTONYMS including.
verb
you're all crooks, present company excepted: exclude, omit, leave out,
rule out, count out, disregard, pass over, bar. ANTONYMS
include.
access |ˈaksɛs|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] (often access to) the means or opportunity to
approach or enter a place: the staircase gives access to the top floor |
wheelchair access.
• the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something: do
you have access to a computer? | awards to help people gain
access to training.
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• the right or opportunity to approach or see someone: we were
denied access to our grandson.
• the process of obtaining or retrieving information stored in a
computer's memory. this prevents unauthorized access or inadvertent
deletion of the file.
• [ as modifier ] denoting broadcasting produced by minority
and specialist interest groups, rather than by professionals:
access television.
2 [ in sing. ] literary an attack or outburst of an emotion: I was
suddenly overcome with an access of rage.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 approach or enter (a place): single rooms have private facilities
accessed via the balcony.
2 obtain or retrieve (computer data or a file). information can be
accessed from several files and displayed at the same time.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘sudden attack of
illness’): from Latin accessus, from the verb accedere ‘to
approach’ (see accede). Sense 1 of the noun is first
recorded in the early 17th cent.
access
noun
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1 the building has a side access: entrance, entry, way in, means of
entry, ingress; approach, means of approach.
2 they were denied access to the stadium: admission, admittance,
entry, entrée, ingress, right of entry, permission to enter, the
opportunity to enter.
3 students have access to a photocopier: (the) use of, the
opportunity to use, permission to use.
4 an access of rage: fit, attack, bout, outpouring, eruption,
explosion, outburst, burst, outbreak, flare-up, blow-up, blaze,
spasm, paroxysm, seizure, rush; gale, flood, storm, hurricane,
torrent, surge, upsurge; spurt, effusion, outflow, outflowing,
welling up; informal splurt; rare ebullition, boutade.
verb
the program that is used to access the data: retrieve, gain, gain access
to, acquire, obtain; read, examine.
suffer |ˈsʌfə|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant):
he suffered intense pain | [ no obj. ] : he'd suffered a great deal since his
arrest.
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• [ no obj. ] (suffer from) be affected by or subject to (an
illness or ailment): his daughter suffered from agoraphobia.
• [ no obj. ] become or appear worse in quality: his relationship
with Anne did suffer.
• [ no obj. ] archaic undergo martyrdom or execution.
2 archaic tolerate: France will no longer suffer the existing government.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] allow (someone) to do something:
my conscience would not suffer me to accept any more.
PHRASES
not suffer fools gladly be impatient or intolerant towards
people one regards as foolish or unintelligent. he was a
perfectionist who didn't suffer fools gladly.[with biblical allusion to 2
Cor. 11–19.]
DERIVATIVES
sufferable adjective,
sufferer noun arthritis sufferers a deterioration in the sufferer's
condition
ORIGIN Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French
suffrir, from Latin sufferre, from sub- ‘from below’ +
ferre ‘to bear’.
illusion |ɪˈl(j)uːʒ(ə)n|
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noun
an instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a
sensory experience: stripes embellish the surface to create the illusion of
various wood-grain textures.
• a deceptive appearance or impression: the illusion of family
togetherness.
• a false idea or belief: he had no illusions about the trouble she was in.
PHRASES
be under the illusion that believe mistakenly that: the world
is under the illusion that the original painting still hangs in the Winter
Palace.
be under no illusion (or illusions)be fully aware of the
true state of affairs.
DERIVATIVES
illusional adjective,
illusionary adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘deceiving, deception’):
via Old French from Latin illusio(n-), from illudere ‘to
mock’, from in- ‘against’ + ludere ‘play’.
illusion
noun
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1 I was under no illusion about the difficulty of my job | he had destroyed
her illusions: delusion, misapprehension, misconception,
deception, false impression, mistaken impression; fantasy,
dream, chimera, fool's paradise, self-deception, castles in the
air, castles in Spain; fallacy, error, misjudgement, fancy.
2 the lighting helps to increase the illusion of depth: appearance,
impression, imitation, semblance, pretence, sham; false
appearance, deceptive appearance, deception, misperception;
rare simulacrum. ANTONYMS reality.
3 the magical illusion is created using mirrors, lights, and paint: mirage,
hallucination, apparition, phantasm, phantom, vision, spectre,
fantasy, figment of the imagination, will-o'-the-wisp, trick of
the light; Latinignis fatuus.
4 he is keen to dispel any impression that his illusions are achieved using
TV trickery: magic trick, conjuring trick, trick, deception;
(illusions) magic, conjuring, sleight of hand, legerdemain,
trickery.
doubt |daʊt|
noun [ mass noun ]
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a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction: some doubt has
been cast upon the authenticity of this account | [ count noun ] : they
had doubts that they would ever win.
verb
1 [ with obj. ] feel uncertain about: I doubt my ability to do the job
| [ with clause ] : I doubt if anyone slept that night.
• question the truth or fact of (something): who can doubt the value
and necessity of these services?
• disbelieve or lack faith in (someone): I have no reason to doubt
him.
• [ no obj. ] feel uncertain, especially about one's religious
beliefs.
2 [ with clause ] archaic fear; be afraid: I doubt not any ones
contradicting this Journal.
PHRASES
beyond doubt allowing no uncertainty: you've proved it beyond
doubt.
in doubt open to question: the outcome is no longer in doubt. •
feeling uncertain about something: by the age of 14 he was in no
doubt about his career aims.
no doubt used to indicate the speaker's firm belief that
something is true: those who left were attracted, no doubt, by higher
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pay. • used to introduce a concession which is subsequently
dismissed as unimportant or irrelevant: they no doubt did what they
could to help her, but their best proved insufficient.
without (a) doubt indisputably: he was without doubt the very
worst kind of reporter.
DERIVATIVES
doubtable adjective,
doubting adjective,
doubtingly adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French doute (noun),
douter (verb), from Latin dubitare ‘hesitate’, from dubius
‘doubtful’ (see dubious) .
doubt
noun
1 there was some doubt as to the caller's identity: uncertainty, lack of
certainty, unsureness, indecision, hesitation, hesitancy,
dubiousness, suspicion, confusion; question mark, queries,
questions; rare dubiety, incertitude. ANTONYMS certainty.
2 a weak, indecisive leader racked by doubt: indecision, hesitation,
diffidence, uncertainty, insecurity, inhibition, unease,
uneasiness, apprehension; hesitancy, wavering, vacillation,
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irresolution, lack of conviction, demurral. ANTONYMS
conviction, confidence.
3 there is doubt about the motive behind this move: scepticism, distrust,
mistrust, lack of trust, doubtfulness, suspicion, cynicism,
disbelief, incredulity, unbelief, misbelief, lack of confidence/
conviction, uneasiness, apprehension, wariness, chariness,
questioning; reservations, misgivings, suspicions, qualms;
informal leeriness; rare dubiety. ANTONYMS trust.
PHRASES
in doubt 1 the issue was never in doubt: doubtful, uncertain, open
to question, unsure, unconfirmed, unknown, unsettled,
undecided, moot, unresolved, debatable, open to debate, in the
balance, pending, in limbo, up in the air, confused,
problematic, ambiguous; informal iffy. ANTONYMS settled. 2
if you are in doubt, ask for advice: irresolute, hesitant, tentative,
vacillating, dithering, wavering, teetering, fluctuating, faltering,
ambivalent, divided; doubtful, unsure, uncertain, in two minds,
shilly-shallying, undecided, indefinite, unresolved,
undetermined; in a quandary/dilemma; informal sitting on the
fence. ANTONYMS sure, confident.
no doubt it was all necessary, no doubt: doubtless, undoubtedly,
indubitably, doubtlessly, without (a) doubt, beyond (a) doubt,
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beyond the shadow of a doubt; unquestionably, beyond
question, indisputably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, irrefutably;
unequivocally, clearly, plainly, obviously, patently, positively,
absolutely, certainly; decidedly, definitely, surely, assuredly, of
course, indeed. ANTONYMS possibly.
verb
1 they did not doubt my story: disbelieve, distrust, mistrust, suspect,
lack confidence in, have doubts about, be suspicious of, have
suspicions about, have misgivings about, feel uneasy about, feel
apprehensive about, call into question, cast doubt on, query,
question, challenge, dispute, have reservations about; archaic
misdoubt. ANTONYMS trust.
2 I doubt whether he will come: think something unlikely, have
(one's) doubts about, question, query, be dubious, lack
conviction, have reservations about. ANTONYMS be
confident.
3 stop doubting and believe more firmly! be undecided, have doubts,
be irresolute, be hesitant, be tentative, be ambivalent, be
divided, be doubtful, be unsure, be uncertain, be in two minds,
hesitate, shilly-shally, waver, falter, vacillate, dither, demur;
informal sit on the fence. ANTONYMS believe.
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hallucinate |həˈluːsɪneɪt|
verb [ no obj. ]
experience a seemingly real perception of something not
actually present, typically as a result of a mental disorder or of
taking drugs: Ben began hallucinating and having fits.
• [ with obj. ] experience a hallucination of (something). I don't
care if they're hallucinating purple snakes. [ with clause ] : he starts
hallucinating that he is Jesus.
DERIVATIVES
hallucinant adjective& noun,
hallucinator noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘be deceived, have
illusions’): from Latin hallucinat- ‘gone astray in
thought’, from the verb hallucinari, from Greek alussein
‘be uneasy or distraught’.
hallucinate
verb
the drug was making me hallucinate: have hallucinations, imagine
things, see things, see visions, be delirious, have delirium
tremens, fantasize, daydream, dream; informal have a trip, trip,
see pink elephants, have daymares.
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imagination |ɪˌmadʒɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n|
noun
the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or
concepts of external objects not present to the senses: she'd never
been blessed with a vivid imagination | her story captured the public's
imagination.
• [ mass noun ] the ability of the mind to be creative or
resourceful: she was set in her ways and lacked imagination.
• the part of the mind that imagines things: a girl who existed only
in my imagination.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
imaginatio(n-), from the verb imaginari ‘picture to
oneself ’, from imago, imagin- ‘image’.
imagination
noun
1 he had a very vivid imagination: imaginative faculty, creative
power, fancy; informal mind's eye.
2 the government needs imagination in dealing with these problems:
creativity, imaginativeness, creativeness; vision, inspiration,
insight, inventiveness, invention, resourcefulness, initiative,
ingenuity, enterprise; originality, innovation, innovativeness;
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individuality, unorthodoxy, nonconformity; cleverness, wit,
quick-wittedness, genius, flair, panache; artistry, artistic power.
3 every once in a while an album captures the public's imagination:
interest, fascination, attention, passion, curiosity,
preoccupation.
prefer |prɪˈfəː|
verb (prefers, preferring, preferred) [ with obj. ]
1 like (one thing or person) better than another or others; tend
to choose: I prefer Venice to Rome | [ with infinitive ] : I would
prefer to discuss the matter in private | [ with clause ] : Val would
presumably prefer that you didn't get arrested.
2 formal submit (a charge or a piece of information) for
consideration: the police will prefer charges.
3 archaic promote or advance (someone) to a prestigious
position: he was eventually preferred to the bishopric of Durham.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French preferer,
from Latin praeferre, from prae ‘before’ + ferre ‘to bear,
carry’.
prefer
verb
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1 I prefer white wine to red | those who prefer to travel by rail: like
better, would rather (have), would sooner (have), favour, be
more partial to, lean/incline towards, think preferable; choose,
select, pick, opt for, go for, vote for, plump for, single out, elect,
wish, desire, want; informal fancy.
2 formal do you want to prefer charges? bring, press, file, lodge,
tender, present, place, lay, submit, put forward, proffer, offer,
propose.
3 archaic he was preferred to the post in 1589: promote, upgrade,
advance, raise, move up, elevate, aggrandize.
open |ˈəʊp(ə)n|
adjective
1 allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space;
not closed or blocked: he climbed through the open window | she was
put in a cubicle with the curtains left open | the pass is kept open by
snowploughs.
• (of a container) not fastened or sealed: the case burst open and its
contents flew all over the place.
• (of a garment or its fastenings) not done up: his tie was knotted
below the open collar of his shirt.
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• (of the mouth or eyes) with lips or lids parted: his eyes were open
but he could see nothing | [ as complement ] : the boy's mouth dropped
open in shock.
• (of the bowels) not constipated.
2 [ attrib. ] exposed to the air or to view; not covered: an open
fire burned in the grate | he crossed the ocean in an open boat.
• (of land) not covered with buildings or trees: the plans allow
increasing numbers of new houses in open countryside.
• [ as complement ] damaged by a deep cut in the surface: he
had his arm slashed open.
• (open to) likely to suffer from or be affected by; vulnerable or
subject to: the system is open to abuse.
• (of a goalmouth or other object of attack in a game)
unprotected by defenders.
• (of a town or city) officially declared to be undefended, and so
immune under international law from bombardment.
3 with the outer edges or sides drawn away from each other;
unfolded or spread out: the trees had buds and a few open flowers.
• (of a book or file) with the covers parted allowing it to be
read: she was copying verses from an open Bible.
• (of a hand) not clenched into a fist.
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• (of a game or style of play) characterized by action which is
spread out over the field. both sides played fast, open rugby to produce
a high-scoring game.
4 [ predic. ] (of a business, place of entertainment, etc.)
admitting customers or visitors; available for business: the shop
stays open until 9 p.m | parts of the castle are open to the public.
• (of a bank account) available for transactions. I withdrew all my
money except the minimum required to keep the account open.
• (of a telephone line) ready to take calls. our free advice line is open
from 8.30 to 17.30.
5 freely available or accessible; unrestricted: the service is open
to all students.
• (of an offer or opportunity) still available: the offer is open while
stocks last | we need to consider what options are left open.
• (also Open)with no restrictions on those allowed to
participate: open discussion meetings | each horse had won two open
races.
• (also Open)(of a victor) having won an open competition. an
Open champion.
• (of a ticket) not restricted as to day of travel. I have an open
ticket, so I can travel any day I like.
• Brit.(of a cheque) not crossed.
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• Mathematics (of a set) not containing any of its limit points.
6 not concealing one's thoughts or feelings; frank and
communicative: she behaved in an open and cheerful manner | I was
quite open about my views.
• not concealed: his eyes showed open admiration as they swept over
her.
• [ attrib. ] (of conflict) fully developed and unconcealed: the
dispute erupted into open war.
• welcoming public discussion, criticism, and enquiry: the party's
commitment to open government.
7 (of a matter or decision) not finally settled; still admitting of
debate: students' choice of degree can be kept open until the second year.
• (of the mind) accessible to new ideas: I'm keeping an open mind
about my future.
• (open to) receptive to: the union was open to suggestions for
improvements.
• (open to) admitting of; making possible: the message is open to
different interpretations.
8 Phonetics (of a vowel) produced with a relatively wide
opening of the mouth and the tongue kept low.
• (of a syllable) ending in a vowel.
9 Music (of a string) allowed to vibrate along its whole length.
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• (of a pipe) unstopped at each end.
• (of a note) sounded from an open string or pipe.
10 (of an electric circuit) having a break in the conducting
path.
11 (of a fabric) loosely knitted or woven.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 move (a door or window) so as to leave a space allowing
access and vision: she opened the door and went in | [ no obj., in
imperative ] : ‘ Open up!’ he said.
• [ no obj. ] (of a door or window) be moved to leave a space
allowing access: the door opened and a man came out.
• undo or remove the lid, cover, or fastening of (a container,
package, letter, etc.) to get access to the contents: he opened a
bottle inexpertly, spilling some of the wine | can we open the presents now?
• part the lips or lids of (one's mouth or eye). she opened her mouth
to argue.
• [ no obj. ] (of the mouth or eyes) have the lips or lids parted:
her eyes slowly opened.
• [ no obj. ] come apart; lose or lack its protective covering: old
wounds opened and I bled a little bit.
• [ no obj. ] (open on to/into) (of a room, door, or window)
give access to: the kitchen opened into a pleasant sitting room.
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• cause evacuation of (the bowels).
2 unfold or be unfolded; spread out: [ with obj. ] : the eagle
opened its wings and circled up into the air | the tail looks like a fan when
it is opened out fully | [ no obj. ] : the flowers only open during
bright weather.
• [ with obj. ] part the covers of (a book or file) to read it: she
opened her book at the prologue.
• [ no obj. ] (open out) become wider: the path opened out into a
glade.
• [ no obj., with adverbial ] (of a prospect) extend into view:
stop to marvel at the views that open out below.
• [ with obj. ] Nautical achieve a clear view of (a place) by
sailing past a headland or other obstruction: we shall open Torbay
shortly.
3 make or become formally ready for customers, visitors, or
business: [ with obj. ] : she raised $731 by opening her home and
selling coffee and tea | [ no obj. ] : the shops didn't open until 10.
• [ with obj. ] ceremonially declare (a building, road, etc.) to be
completed and ready for use: the Queen opened the power plant on
17 October 1956.
• [ with obj. ] make possible access to or passage through: the
President announced that his government would open the border.
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4 formally establish or begin (a new business, movement, or
enterprise): she began to teach and opened her own school | we
opened up a branch in Madrid.
• [ no obj. ] (of an enterprise, meeting, or event) begin or be
formally established: two new restaurants open this week.
• take the action required to begin using: they have the £10
necessary to open a savings account | click twice to open a file for the
software selected.
• [ no obj. ] (of a piece of writing or music) begin: the chapter
opens with a discussion of Anglo-Irish relations.
• [ no obj. ] (open up) (of a process) start to develop: a new and
dramatic phase was opening up.
• (of a counsel in a law court) make a preliminary statement in
(a case) before calling witnesses. Bernard had opened the case. [ no
obj. ] : Comyn opened for the plaintiff.
• Cricket another term for open the batting below.
• Bridge make (the first bid) in the auction. West opened 2NT.
[ no obj. ] : do not open with fewer than twelve points.
5 make available or more widely known: new technologies open
up thousands of different opportunities.
• [ no obj. ] (open out/up) become more communicative or
confiding: he was very reserved and only opened out to her slowly.
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• make (one's mind) more receptive or sympathetic: open your
mind to what is going on around you.
• (open someone to/up to) make someone vulnerable to: the
process is going to open them to a legal threat.
6 break the conducting path of (an electric circuit). the switch
opens the motor circuit.
• [ no obj. ] (of an electric circuit or device) suffer a break in its
conducting path. the problem was caused when a switch opened at the
substation.
noun
1 [ mass noun ] (the open) outdoors or in the countryside:
guests were sitting in the open on the terrace.
• (in/into the open) not subject to concealment; made
public: we have never let our dislike for him come into the open.
2 (Open)a championship or competition with no restrictions
on who may compete: his victory in the 2003 Australian Open.
3 an accidental break in the conducting path for an electric
current.
PHRASES
be open with speak frankly to: I had always been completely open
with my mother.
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an open book a person or thing that is easy to understand or
about which everything is known: her mind was an open book to
him.
in open court in a court of law, before the judge and the
public. judgement was delivered in open court.
open-and-shut (of a case or argument) admitting no doubt
or dispute; straightforward. he thought it was an open-and-shut case
until the prime suspect was murdered.
open the batting Cricket play as one of the pair of batsmen
who begin a side's innings.
open the door to see door.
open someone's eyes see eye.
open fire begin to shoot. troops opened fire on crowds armed
with staves and knives.
with one's eyes open see eye.
with open arms see arm 1 .
PHRASAL VERBS
open up begin shooting: the enemy artillery had opened up.
open something up 1 informal accelerate a motor vehicle:
Sam took me back on the motorway to open her up. 2 (of a player or
team) create an advantage for one's side: he opened up a lead of
14–8.
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DERIVATIVES
openable adjective,
openness |ˈəʊp(ə)nnɪs| noun
ORIGIN Old English open (adjective), openian (verb), of
Germanic origin; related to Dutch open and German offen,
from the root of the adverb up.
open
adjective
1 the door's open: not shut, not closed, unlocked, unbolted,
unlatched, off the latch, unfastened, unbarred, unsecured; ajar,
wide open, agape, gaping, yawning. ANTONYMS shut,
closed.
2 a blue silk shirt, open at the neck: unfastened, not done up,
undone, unbuttoned, unzipped, loose; unbuckled, untied,
unlaced.
3 the council used several tonnes of grit in a bid to keep the main roads
open: clear, passable, navigable, unblocked, free from
obstructions, unobstructed; snow-free, ice-free. ANTONYMS
blocked.
4 an eighteenth-century farmhouse with lovely views over open countryside
| her love of open spaces: unenclosed, rolling, sweeping, extensive,
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wide, wide open, broad, unfenced, exposed, unsheltered;
spacious, airy, uncrowded, uncluttered; undeveloped, unbuilt-
up. ANTONYMS enclosed, built-up, developed.
5 a map of the area was open beside him: spread out, unfolded,
unfurled, unrolled, straightened out; extended, stretched out.
ANTONYMS closed, put away.
6 the shop is open daily: open for business, open to the public.
ANTONYMS shut, closed.
7 I could keep the position open for a week or two, to give you time to
think: available, vacant, free, unfilled, unoccupied; informal on
hold, up for grabs.
8 he criticized the system for being open to abuse: at risk of,
vulnerable, subject, susceptible, allowing of, permitting, liable,
an easy target for, exposed, at the mercy of. ANTONYMS
immune.
9 she was quite open about her feelings: frank, candid, honest,
forthright, direct, unreserved, blunt, plain-spoken, outspoken,
free-spoken, downright, not afraid to call a spade a spade;
straightforward, genuine, natural, ingenuous, innocent, artless,
transparent, guileless, simple; communicative, forthcoming,
uninhibited; informal upfront; archaic round. ANTONYMS
secretive, deep, devious.
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10 they eyed one another with open hostility: overt, obvious, patent,
manifest, palpable, conspicuous, plain, undisguised,
unconcealed, unhidden, clear, noticeable, visible, apparent,
evident; blatant, flagrant, barefaced, brazen. ANTONYMS
concealed.
11 the case is still open: unresolved, not yet settled, yet to be
settled, undecided, unsettled, up in the air; open to debate,
open for discussion, arguable, debatable, moot. ANTONYMS
decided, concluded.
12 I'm keeping an open mind on the subject: impartial, unbiased,
unprejudiced, objective, disinterested, uncommitted, non-
partisan, non-discriminatory, neutral, dispassionate, detached.
ANTONYMS biased.
13 I'm always open to suggestions: receptive, amenable, willing/
ready/disposed to listen, responsive.
14 what other options are open to us? available, accessible, on hand,
obtainable, on offer.
15 they are required by law to hold an open meeting: public, general,
unrestricted, non-exclusive, accessible to everyone, non-
restrictive. ANTONYMS private.
verb
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1 she opened the front door: unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unbolt,
unbar; throw wide. ANTONYMS close, shut.
2 when Katherine opened the parcel, she found a copy of ‘Daisy Miller’:
unwrap, undo, untie, unseal.
3 shall I open another bottle? uncork, broach, crack (open).
4 Adam opened the Ordnance Survey map: spread out, unfold, unfurl,
unroll, straighten out; extend, stretch out. ANTONYMS close,
fold up.
5 a statement in which he opened his heart as never before: reveal,
uncover, expose, lay bare, bare, pour out, exhibit, show,
disclose, divulge.
6 we're hoping to open next month: start trading, open for business,
be ready for customers/visitors, admit customers, begin
business, set up shop, put up one's plate; N. Amer. informal
hang out one's shingle.
7 Sir Bryan opened the meeting by welcoming the Commissioner | the film
opens with a long sex scene: begin, start, initiate, set in motion,
launch, get going, get under way, start/get/set the ball rolling,
get off the ground; inaugurate; informal kick off, get the show
on the road; formal commence. ANTONYMS end, finish.
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8 the lounge opens on to a terrace: give access, give on to, lead,
be connected, communicate with; command a view of, face,
overlook.
WORD LINKS
agoraphobia fear of open places
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus because
they are not actual synonyms.
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seize |siːz|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] take hold of suddenly and forcibly: she jumped up
and seized his arm | he seized hold of the door handle.
• take forcible possession of: army rebels seized an air force base | the
current President seized power in a coup.
• (of the police or another authority) take possession of
(something) by warrant or legal right: police have seized 726 lb of
cocaine.
2 take (an opportunity) eagerly and decisively: he seized his chance
to attack as Carr hesitated.
3 (of a feeling or pain) affect (someone) suddenly or acutely: he
was seized by the most dreadful fear.
4 strongly appeal to or attract (the imagination or attention): the
story of the king's escape seized the public imagination.
• formal understand (something) quickly or clearly: he always
strains to seize the most sombre truths.
• (be seized of) be aware or informed of: the judge was fully
seized of the point.
5 [ no obj. ] (of a machine with moving parts) become
jammed: the engine seized up after only three weeks.
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6 (also seise) (be seized of) English Law be in legal
possession of: the court is currently seized of custody applications.
• historical have or receive freehold possession of (property):
any person who is seized of land has a protected interest in that land.
PHRASES
seize the day make the most of the present moment.
[translating carpe diem.]
PHRASAL VERBS
seize on/upon take eager advantage of (something): any
momentary upturn was seized upon as evidence of recovery.
DERIVATIVES
seizable adjective,
seizer noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French seizir ‘give
seisin’, from medieval Latin sacire, in the phrase ad
proprium sacire ‘claim as one's own’, from a Germanic
base meaning ‘procedure’.
seize
verb
1 a protester seized the microphone: grab, grasp, snatch, seize hold of,
grab hold of, take hold of, lay hold of, lay (one's) hands on, get
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one's hands on, take a grip of, grip, clutch, take, pluck.
ANTONYMS let go of.
2 army rebels seized an air force base: capture, take, overrun, annex,
occupy, take possession of, conquer, take over, subjugate,
subject, colonize. ANTONYMS relinquish, retreat from;
liberate.
3 the drugs were seized by customs officers at Kennedy Airport:
confiscate, impound, commandeer, requisition, appropriate,
expropriate, take possession of, sequester, sequestrate, take
away, take over, take; Law distrain, attach, disseize; Scottish
Law poind. ANTONYMS release.
4 kidnappers seized his wife: kidnap, abduct, take captive, take
prisoner, take hostage, hold to ransom; hijack; informal snatch;
Brit. informal nobble, nab. ANTONYMS release, ransom.
PHRASES
seize on governments have seized on recycling as the best way to reduce
rubbish: grasp, grasp with both hands, grab (at), leap at, snatch,
jump at, pounce on, exploit. ANTONYMS overlook, fail to
take advantage of.
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size 1 |sʌɪz|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the relative extent of something; a thing's
overall dimensions or magnitude; how big something is: the
schools varied in size | a forest the size of Wales | [ count
noun ] : firms of all sizes.
• extensive dimensions or magnitude: she seemed slightly awed by
the size of the building.
2 each of the classes, typically numbered, into which garments
or other articles are divided according to how large they are: I
can never find anything in my size.
• a person or garment corresponding to a particular numbered
size: she's a size 10.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 alter or sort in terms of size or according to size: twist drills are
sized in millimetres.
2 (size something up) estimate or measure something's
dimensions: she was trying to size up a room with a tape measure.
• (size someone/thing up) informal form an estimate or
rough judgement of someone or something: the two men sized
each other up.
adjective [ in combination ]
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having a specified size; sized: marble-size chunks of hail.
PHRASES
of a size (of two or more people or things) having the same
dimensions. I reckon they're of a size.
of some size fairly large. a city of some size.
that's about the size of it informal said to confirm
someone's assessment of a situation, especially of one regarded
as bad. ‘So if I drop my opposition to the road you'll fix it so I don't lose
my job?’ ‘That's about the size of it.’.
to size to the dimensions wanted: the PVC sheet is easily cut to
size.
DERIVATIVES
sized adjective [ usu. in combination ] : a pocket-sized computer,
sizer noun
ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘assize, ordinance
fixing a rate of payment’): from Old French sise, from assise
‘ordinance’, or a shortening of assize.
size 2 |sʌɪz|
noun [ mass noun ]
a gelatinous solution used in glazing paper, stiffening textiles,
and preparing plastered walls for decoration.
verb [ with obj. ]
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treat with size to glaze or stiffen. (as adj. sized) : paper will
adhere to sized walls better.
ORIGIN Middle English: perhaps the same word as size 1 .
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size
noun
the room was of medium size | she seemed slightly awed by the size of the
building: dimensions, measurements, proportions, magnitude,
largeness, bigness, bulk, area, expanse, square footage, footage,
acreage; breadth, width, length, height, depth; extent, scope,
range, scale; volume, capacity, mass, weight, avoirdupois;
immensity, amplitude, hugeness, vastness.
verb
the drills are sized in millimetres: sort, categorize, classify.
PHRASES
size someone/something up having sized up the competition, I
was confident that I had nothing to fear: assess, appraise, form an
estimate of, measure up, take the measure of, weigh up,
estimate, judge, take stock of, evaluate, gauge, rate; Brit.
informal suss out.
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sneeze |sniːz|
verb [ no obj. ]
make a sudden involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and
mouth due to irritation of one's nostrils: the smoke made her sneeze.
noun
an act or the sound of sneezing: he stopped a sudden sneeze.
PHRASES
not to be sneezed at informal not to be rejected without
careful consideration; worth having or taking into account: a
saving of £550 was not to be sneezed at.
DERIVATIVES
sneezer noun,
sneezy adjective (sneezier, sneeziest)
ORIGIN Middle English: apparently an alteration of Middle
English fnese due to misreading or misprinting (after initial fn-
had become unfamiliar), later adopted because it sounded
appropriate.
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sneeze
verb
PHRASES
not to be sneezed at informal the average saving of £550 was
not be sneezed at: worth having, considerable, substantial,
sizeable, fairly large, largish, biggish, significant; fairly good,
passable, reasonable, moderately good, not bad, worth taking
into account; informal OK.
duplicity |djuːˈplɪsɪti, djʊ-|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 deceitfulness: the president was accused of duplicity in his dealings
with Congress.
2 archaic the state of being double.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French duplicite or
late Latin duplicitas, from Latin duplic- ‘twofold’ (see
duplex) .
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deceitful |dɪˈsiːtfʊl, -f(ə)l|
adjective
guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving or misleading others: a
deceitful politician | such an act would have been deceitful and
irresponsible.
DERIVATIVES
deceitfully adverb,
deceitfulness noun
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deceive |dɪˈsiːv|
verb [ with obj. ]
deliberately cause (someone) to believe something that is not
true, especially for personal gain: I didn't intend to deceive people
into thinking it was French champagne.
• (of a thing) give (someone) a mistaken impression: the area may
seem to offer nothing of interest, but don't be deceived.
• (deceive oneself) fail to admit to oneself that something is
true. it was no use deceiving herself any longer—she loved him with all
her heart.
• be sexually unfaithful to (one's regular partner): he had deceived
her with another woman.
DERIVATIVES
deceivable adjective,
deceiver noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French deceivre, from
Latin decipere ‘catch, ensnare, cheat’.
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deceive
verb
1 she had been deceived by a clever confidence trickster: swindle,
defraud, cheat, trick, hoodwink, hoax, dupe, take in, mislead,
delude, fool, outwit, misguide, lead on, inveigle, seduce,
ensnare, entrap, beguile, double-cross, gull; informal con,
bamboozle, do, sting, gyp, diddle, fiddle, swizzle, rip off, shaft,
bilk, rook, pull a fast one on, pull someone's leg, take for a ride,
pull the wool over someone's eyes, throw dust in someone's
eyes, put one over on, sell a pup to, take to the cleaners; N.
Amer. informal sucker, snooker, stiff, euchre, bunco,
hornswoggle; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; archaic cozen,
sharp; rare mulct.
2 he had deceived her with another woman: be unfaithful to, be
disloyal to, be untrue to, be inconstant to, cheat on, cheat,
betray, break one's promise to, play someone false, fail, let
down; informal two-time.
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artless |ˈɑːtlɪs|
adjective
without guile or deception: an artless, naive girl | artless sincerity.
• without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple: an artless
literary masterpiece.
• without skill or finesse: her awkward, artless prose.
DERIVATIVES
artlessly adverb
artless
adjective
she described her characters with apparently artless sincerity: natural,
naive, simple, innocent, childlike, pure, ingenuous, guileless,
candid, open, honest, sincere, frank, straightforward,
unaffected, unpretentious, modest, unassuming; N. Amer. on
the up and up. ANTONYMS scheming.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
artless, naive, ingenuous
See naive.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
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deceit |dɪˈsiːt|
noun [ mass noun ]
the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or
misrepresenting the truth: a web of deceit | hypocrisy and deceit were
anathema to her | [ count noun ] : a series of lies and deceits.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, past participle
(used as a noun) of deceveir ‘deceive’.
deceit
noun
1 we are caught in an endless round of lies and deceit: deception,
deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud, fraudulence,
cheating, trickery, duping, hoodwinking, chicanery,
underhandedness, deviousness, slyness, cunning, craftiness,
craft, wiliness, artfulness, guile, dissimulation, dissembling,
bluff, bluffing, lying, pretence, artifice, treachery; informal
crookedness, monkey business, funny business, hanky-panky,
jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines; Irish
informal codology; archaic management, knavery.
ANTONYMS honesty.
2 their life is all a deceit: sham, fraud, pretence, imposture, hoax,
fake, misrepresentation, blind, wile, artifice, Trojan horse; trick,
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stratagem, device, ruse, scheme, dodge, manoeuvre,
contrivance, machination, deception, subterfuge, cheat,
swindle, confidence trick; informal con, con trick, set-up, game,
scam, sting, gyp, leg-pull, flimflam; Brit. informal wheeze; N.
Amer. informal bunco, grift; Austral. informal lurk, rort; S.
African informal schlenter; Brit. informal, dated flanker;
archaic shift, fetch, rig.
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vanguard |ˈvangɑːd|
noun
a group of people leading the way in new developments or
ideas: the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard.
• a position at the forefront of new developments or ideas: the
prototype was in the vanguard of technical development.
• the foremost part of an advancing army or naval force.
ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting the foremost part of
an army): shortening of Old French avan(t)garde, from
avant ‘before’ + garde ‘guard’.
vanguard
noun
women are often in the vanguard of linguistic change: forefront, van,
advance guard, avant-garde, spearhead, front, front line, front
rank, fore, lead, leading position, cutting edge, driving force;
leaders, founders, founding fathers, pioneers, architects,
creators, instigators, trailblazers, pathfinders, avant-gardists,
trendsetters, innovators, groundbreakers. ANTONYMS rear;
followers.
fortitude |ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd|
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noun [ mass noun ]
courage in pain or adversity: she endured her illness with great
fortitude.
ORIGIN Middle English: via French from Latin fortitudo,
from fortis ‘strong’.
fortitude
noun
he accepted his increasing illness with fortitude: courage, bravery,
strength of mind, strength of character, moral strength,
toughness of spirit, firmness of purpose, strong-mindedness,
resilience, backbone, spine, mettle, spirit, nerve, pluck,
pluckiness, doughtiness, fearlessness, valour, intrepidity, stout-
heartedness, endurance; stoicism, steadfastness, patience, long-
suffering, forbearance, tenacity, pertinacity, perseverance,
resolve, resolution, resoluteness, determination; Brit. Dunkirk
spirit; informal guts, grit, spunk. ANTONYMS faint-
heartedness.
isthmus |ˈɪsθməs, ˈɪstməs, ˈɪsməs|
noun (pl.isthmuses)
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1 a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link
between two larger areas of land.
2 (pl.isthmi) Anatomy a narrow organ, passage, or piece of
tissue connecting two larger parts.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek isthmos .
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critic |ˈkrɪtɪk|
noun
1 a person who expresses an unfavourable opinion of
something: critics of the new legislation say it is too broad.
2 a person who judges the merits of literary or artistic works,
especially one who does so professionally: a film critic.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin criticus, from Greek
kritikos, from kritēs ‘a judge’, from krinein ‘judge,
decide’.
critic
noun
1 he was the foremost literary critic of the 1840s: commentator,
observer, monitor, pundit, expert, authority, arbiter, interpreter,
exponent, expounder; writer, author, speaker; reviewer,
appraiser, evaluator, analyst, judge; rare scholiast, exegete.
2 he has fewer weaknesses than his critics have claimed: detractor,
censurer, attacker, fault-finder, carper, backbiter, caviller, reviler,
vilifier, traducer, disparager, denigrator, deprecator, belittler;
informal knocker, nitpicker; rare asperser.
gulf |gʌlf|
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noun
1 a deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land, with a
narrow mouth.
• (the Gulf) informal name for Persian Gulf.
2 a deep ravine, chasm, or abyss.
3 a large difference or division between two people or groups,
or between viewpoints, concepts, or situations: the widening gulf
between the rich and the poor.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French golfe, from
Italian golfo, based on Greek kolpos ‘bosom, gulf ’.
gulf
noun
1 our ship sailed east into the gulf: inlet, creek, bight, fjord, estuary,
sound, arm of the sea; bay, cove; Scottish firth, frith; in Orkney
& Shetlandvoe; technical ria; rare fleet, armlet.
2 the ice gave way and a gulf widened slowly: opening, gap, fissure,
cleft, split, rift, crevasse, hole, pit, cavity, chasm, abyss, void;
ravine, gorge, canyon, gully.
3 there is a growing gulf between the rich and the poor: divergence,
contrast, polarity, divide, division, separation, difference, wide
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area of difference; schism, breach, rift, split, severance,
rupture, divorce; chasm, abyss, gap; rare scission.
 70 OF 138






vulnerable |ˈvʌln(ə)rəb(ə)l|
adjective
exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either
physically or emotionally: we were in a vulnerable position | small
fish are vulnerable to predators.
• Bridge (of a partnership) liable to higher penalties, either by
convention or through having won one game towards a rubber.
the authors advise a variable no-trump opening bid which means weak
non-vulnerable and strong vulnerable.
DERIVATIVES
vulnerability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun (pl.vulnerabilities) ,
vulnerableness noun,
vulnerably adverb
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from late Latin vulnerabilis, from
Latin vulnerare ‘to wound’, from vulnus ‘wound’.
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vulnerable
adjective
1 they evacuated children from the most vulnerable cities: in danger, in
peril, in jeopardy, at risk, endangered, unsafe, unprotected, ill-
protected, unguarded; open to attack, attackable, assailable,
exposed, wide open; undefended, unshielded, unfortified,
unarmed, without arms, without weapons, defenceless, easily
hurt/wounded/damaged, powerless, helpless; rare pregnable,
impuissant, resistless. ANTONYMS well protected,
invulnerable, resilient.
2 he is extremely sensible and less vulnerable to criticism than most:
exposed to, open to, wide open to, liable to, prone to, prey to,
susceptible to, subject to, not above, in danger of, at risk of, at
the mercy of, an easy target for, easily affected by; in the firing
line; rare susceptive of. ANTONYMS immune to, above.
naive |nʌɪˈiːv, nɑːˈiːv| (also naïve)
adjective
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom,
or judgement: the rather naive young man had been totally misled.
• (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent: Andy had a
sweet, naive look when he smiled.
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• of or denoting art produced in a style which deliberately
rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold
directness resembling a child's work, typically in bright colours
with little or no perspective.
DERIVATIVES
naively adverb,
naiveness noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French naïve, feminine of
naïf, from Latin nativus ‘native, natural’.
naive
adjective
I was very naive to begin with, but I learnt fast: innocent,
unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless,
unworldly, childlike, trusting, trustful, dewy-eyed, starry-eyed,
wide-eyed, fond, simple, natural, unaffected, unpretentious;
gullible, credulous, easily taken in, easily deceived,
unsuspecting, over-trusting, over-trustful, born yesterday,
unsuspicious, deceivable, dupable, immature, callow, raw,
green, as green as grass, ignorant; informal wet behind the
ears. ANTONYMS sophisticated, disingenuous, experienced,
worldly.
 73 OF 138






CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
naive, artless, ingenuous
■ Naive is by far the most common of these adjectives. It is
generally used critically or pityingly of people lacking
experience, wisdom, or judgement, or of their actions (the rather
naive young man had been totally misled | it may be naive to think that
much of the population really believes specific election pledges). It can,
however, also be used more approvingly of a person seen as
natural and unaffected (Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled).
■ Ingenuous is a more literary term, expressing approval or
acceptance of people or actions that are innocent and
unsuspecting (an ingenuous young art student, fresh from college).
■ Artless is quite rare and means ‘without guile or deception’,
the opposite of the much more common artful (what she knew of
him was picked up from his wife's artless prattle). Again approvingly, it
can mean ‘without effort or pretentiousness’ (the children had been
directed to give very real, artless performances). However, an older
sense denoting things or actions that are considered to lack
aesthetic imagination or practical skill is enjoying a revival (this
awful, artless building).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
 74 OF 138






sensitive |ˈsɛnsɪtɪv|
adjective
1 quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or
influences: the new method of protein detection was more sensitive than
earlier ones | spiders are sensitive to vibrations on their web.
• easily damaged, injured, or distressed by slight changes: the
committee called for improved protection of wildlife in environmentally
sensitive areas.
• (of photographic materials) prepared so as to respond rapidly
to the action of light.
• (of a market) unstable and liable to quick changes of price
because of outside influences. the Japanese were successfully entering
many of the most sensitive markets.
2 having or displaying a quick and delicate appreciation of
others' feelings: I pay tribute to the Minister for his sensitive handling of
the bill.
• easily offended or upset: I suppose I shouldn't be so sensitive.
3 kept secret or with restrictions on disclosure to avoid
endangering security: he was suspected of passing sensitive
information to other countries.
noun
a person who is believed to respond to paranormal influences.
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DERIVATIVES
sensitively adverb,
sensitiveness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘sensory’): from Old
French sensitif, -ive or medieval Latin sensitivus, formed
irregularly from Latin sentire ‘feel’. The current senses date
from the early 19th cent.
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sensitive
adjective
1 as people get older, their bodies often grow less sensitive to changes
in external temperature: responsive to, quick to respond to,
sensitized to, reactive to, sentient of; aware of, conscious of,
alive to; susceptible to, easily affected by, vulnerable to; attuned
to, tuned in to; rare susceptive of. ANTONYMS unresponsive,
impervious, insensitive.
2 don't use facial scrubs if your skin is sensitive | his innocent words
touched sensitive spots within her own heart: delicate, easily damaged,
fragile; tender, sore, painful, raw. ANTONYMS resilient,
tough.
3 these matters will need sensitive handling by the social services | a
poignant, sensitive movie: tactful, careful, thoughtful, diplomatic,
delicate, subtle, finely tuned, kid-glove; sympathetic,
compassionate, understanding, empathetic, intuitive, feeling,
responsive, receptive; perceptive, discerning, acute, insightful.
ANTONYMS insensitive, clumsy, like bull in a china shop.
4 I didn't realize he was so sensitive | her father was sensitive about his
bald patch: easily offended, easily upset, easily hurt, thin-
skinned, touchy, oversensitive, hypersensitive, defensive;
emotional, volatile, temperamental; paranoid, neurotic;
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informal twitchy, uptight; rare umbrageous. ANTONYMS
thick-skinned.
5 a politically sensitive issue: difficult, delicate, tricky, awkward,
problematic, ticklish, precarious; controversial, emotive;
informal sticky. ANTONYMS uncontroversial.
oligarch |ˈɒlɪgɑːk|
noun
1 a ruler in an oligarchy.
2 (especially in Russia) a very rich businessman with a great
deal of political influence.
ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek oligarkhēs, from oligoi
‘few’ + arkhein ‘to rule’.
oligarchy |ˈɒlɪgɑːki|
noun (pl.oligarchies)
a small group of people having control of a country or
organization: the ruling oligarchy of military men around the president.
• a country governed by an oligarchy. he believed that Britain was
an oligarchy.
• [ mass noun ] government by an oligarchy.
DERIVATIVES
oligarchic |-ˈgɑːkɪk| adjective,
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oligarchical |-ˈgɑːkɪk(ə)l| adjective,
oligarchically |-ˈgɑːkɪk(ə)li| adverb
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from Greek oligarkhia, from oligoi
‘few’ and arkhein ‘to rule’.
democracy |dɪˈmɒkrəsi|
noun (pl.democracies) [ mass noun ]
a system of government by the whole population or all the
eligible members of a state, typically through elected
representatives: a system of parliamentary democracy.
• [ count noun ] a state governed under a system of
democracy: a multiparty democracy.
• control of an organization or group by the majority of its
members: the intended extension of industrial democracy.
• the practice or principles of social equality: demands for greater
democracy.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French démocratie, via late
Latin from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos ‘the people’ +
-kratia ‘power, rule’.
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democracy
noun
representative government, elective government, constitutional
government, popular government; self-government,
government by the people, autonomy; republic,
commonwealth. ANTONYMS tyranny; dictatorship.
anarchy |ˈanəki|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of
authority or other controlling systems: he must ensure public order
in a country threatened with anarchy.
2 absence of government and absolute freedom of the
individual, regarded as a political ideal.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: via medieval Latin from Greek
anarkhia, from anarkhos, from an- ‘without’ + arkhos
‘chief, ruler’.
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anarchy
noun
the country is threatened with anarchy: lawlessness, absence of
government, nihilism, mobocracy, revolution, insurrection, riot,
rebellion, mutiny, disorder, disorganization, misrule, chaos,
tumult, turmoil, mayhem, pandemonium. ANTONYMS
government; order.
peninsula |pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə|
noun
a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out
into a body of water.
DERIVATIVES
peninsular adjective
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin paeninsula, from
paene ‘almost’ + insula ‘island’.
usage: The spelling of the noun as peninsular instead of
peninsula is a common mistake. The spelling peninsula
should be used when a noun is intended ( the end of the Cape
Peninsula), whereas peninsular is the spelling of the adjective
( the peninsular part of Malaysia).
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peninsula
noun
cape, promontory, point, head, headland, foreland, ness, horn,
bill, bluff, limb; Scottish mull; archaic half-island, half-isle,
demi-island.
numismatics |ˌnjuːmɪzˈmatɪks|
pluralnoun [ usu. treated as sing. ]
the study or collection of coins, banknotes, and medals.
DERIVATIVES
numismatist |njuːˈmɪzmətɪst| noun
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ornithology |ˌɔːnɪˈθɒlədʒi|
noun [ mass noun ]
the scientific study of birds.
DERIVATIVES
ornithological |-θəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
ornithologically |-θəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li| adverb,
ornithologist noun
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from modern Latin ornithologia,
from Greek ornithologos ‘treating of birds’.
philately |fɪˈlat(ə)li|
noun [ mass noun ]
the collection and study of postage stamps.
DERIVATIVES
philatelic |ˌfɪləˈtɛlɪk| adjective,
philatelically |fɪləˈtɛlɪk(ə)li| adverb,
philatelist noun
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French philatélie, from philo-
‘loving’ + Greek ateleia ‘exemption from
payment’ (from a- ‘not’ + telos ‘toll, tax’), used to mean a
franking mark or postage stamp exempting the recipient from
payment.
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avaricious |avəˈrɪʃəs|
adjective
having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material
gain: an avaricious, manipulative woman.
DERIVATIVES
avariciously adverb,
avariciousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French avaricieux,
based on Latin avarus ‘greedy’.
rare 1 |rɛː|
adjective (rarer, rarest)
(of an event, situation, or condition) not occurring very often: a
rare genetic disorder | [ with infinitive ] : it's rare to see a house so little
altered.
• (of a thing) not found in large numbers and so of interest or
value: one of Britain's rarest birds, the honey buzzard.
• unusually good or remarkable: he plays with rare sensitivity.
DERIVATIVES
rareness noun
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ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘widely spaced,
infrequent’): from Latin rarus .
rare 2 |rɛː|
adjective (rarer, rarest)
(of meat, especially beef) lightly cooked, so that the inside is
still red. rare roast beef. Stephen likes his steak rare.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: variant of obsolete rear‘half-
cooked’ (used to refer to soft-boiled eggs, from the mid 17th to
mid 19th centuries).
rare
adjective
1 their rare moments of privacy: infrequent, few and far between,
scarce, sparse, scattered, thin on the ground, golden, like gold
dust, as scarce as hen's teeth; occasional, limited, odd, isolated,
sporadic, intermittent, unaccustomed, unwonted; Brit. out of
the common. ANTONYMS common, frequent.
2 a collector of rare stamps and coins | one of Britain's rarest birds:
unusual, uncommon, unfamiliar, out of the ordinary, atypical,
singular, remarkable, recherché, special, precious.
ANTONYMS ordinary, commonplace.
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3 he's a man of rare talent: exceptional, outstanding, unparalleled,
peerless, matchless, unique, unequalled, incomparable,
unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare, beyond comparison,
without equal, second to none, unsurpassed, surpassing,
exquisite, superb, consummate, superior, superlative, first-class,
first-rate, special, choice, excellent, very fine; informal A1,
stellar, top-notch; rare unexampled. ANTONYMS common,
everyday.
call |kɔːl|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] cry out to (someone) in order to summon them
or attract their attention: she heard Terry calling her | [ no obj. ] : I
distinctly heard you call.
• cry out (a word or words): he heard an insistent voice calling his
name | Meredith was already calling out a greeting.
• [ no obj. ] (of an animal, especially a bird) make its
characteristic cry: the mother bird was calling from the twig.
• shout out or chant (the steps and figures) to people
performing a square dance or country dance.
• telephone (a person or telephone number): could I call you
back?
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• summon (an emergency service, taxi, etc.) by telephone: if you
are suspicious, call the police.
• bring (a witness) into court to give evidence. four expert witnesses
were called.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] archaic inspire or urge (someone)
to do something: I am called to preach the Gospel.
• fix a date or time for (a meeting, strike, or election). she intends
to call a meeting of the committee early next week. there appeared to be no
alternative but to call a general election.
• Bridge make (a particular bid) during the auction. her partner
called 6♠.
• [ no obj. ] guess the outcome of tossing a coin: ‘You call,’ he
said. ‘Heads or tails?’.
• predict the result of (a future event, especially an election or a
vote): in the Midlands the race remains too close to call.
• Cricket (of an umpire) no-ball (a bowler) for throwing. the
umpire never called him in a first-class match, only in a festival game.
• Computing cause the execution of (a subroutine). one
subroutine may call another subroutine (or itself).
2 [ with obj. and complement ] give (an infant or animal) a
specified name: they called their daughter Hannah.
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• (be called) have a specified name: her companion was called
Ethel | he has written a book called The Secret Life of Wombats.
• address or refer to (someone) by a specified name, title, etc.:
please call me Lucy.
• refer to or consider (someone or something) as being: he's the
only person I would call a friend.
• (of an umpire or other official in a game) pronounce (a ball,
stroke, etc.) to be the thing specified: the linesman called the ball
wide.
3 [ no obj., with adverbial of place ] chiefly Brit.(of a person)
pay a brief visit: I've got to call at the bank to get some cash | he had
promised Celia he would call in at the clinic.
• (call for) stop to collect (someone) at the place where they
are living or working: I'll call for you around seven.
• (call at) (of a train or coach) stop at (a specified station or
stations) on a particular route: the 8.15 service to Paddington, calling
at Reading.
noun
1 a cry made as a summons or to attract someone's attention:
in response to the call, a figure appeared.
• [ with modifier ] a series of notes sounded on a brass
instrument as a signal to do something: a bugle call to rise at 8.30.
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• a telephone communication or conversation: I'll give you a call
at around five.
• (a call for) an appeal or demand for: the call for action was
welcomed.
• a summons: a messenger arrived bringing news of his call to the
throne.
• [ in sing., with infinitive ] a vocation: his call to be a disciple.
• [ in sing. ] a powerful force of attraction: walkers can't resist the
call of the Cairngorms.
• [ usu. with negative ] (call for) demand or need for (goods or
services): there is little call for antique furniture.
• a shout by an official in a game indicating that the ball has
gone out of play or that a rule has been breached.
• Bridge a bid, response, or double. the alternative call of 2♠ would
be quite unsound.
• a direction in a square dance given by the caller.
• a demand for payment of lent or unpaid capital.
• Stock Exchange short for call option.
2 the characteristic cry of a bird or other animal: it is best
distinguished by its call, a loud ‘pwit’.
3 a brief visit: we paid a call on an elderly Spaniard.
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• a visit or journey made in response to an emergency appeal
for help: the doctor was out on a call.
PHRASES
at call another way of saying on call ( sense 2).
call attention to cause people to notice: he is seeking to call
attention to himself by his crimes.
call someone's bluff see bluff 1 .
call collect N. Amer.make a telephone call reversing the
charges.
call something into (or in) question cast doubt on
something: these findings call into question the legitimacy of the
proceedings.
call it a day see day.
call someone names see name.
call of nature see nature.
call the shots (or tune)take the initiative in deciding how
something should be done. we believe in parents and teachers calling
the shots.
call a spade a spade see spade 1 .
call someone to account see account.
call someone/thing to mind cause one to think of
someone or something, especially through similarity: the still lifes
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call to mind certain of Cézanne's works. • [ with negative ]
remember someone or something: [ with clause ] : I cannot call
to mind where I have seen you.
call someone/thing to order ask those present at a
meeting to be silent so that business may proceed. Randy McGill
called the large gathering to order.
don't call us, we'll call you informal used as a dismissive
way of saying that someone has not been successful in an
audition or job application.
good call (or bad call) informal used to express approval (or
criticism) of a person's decision or suggestion. So you asked her to
leave? Good call.[with reference to decisions made by referees or
umpires.]
on call 1 (of a person) able to be contacted in order to provide
a professional service if necessary, but not formally on duty.
your local GP may be on call round the clock. 2 (of money lent)
repayable on demand.
to call one's own used to describe something that one can
genuinely feel belongs to one: I had not an item to call my own.
within call near enough to be summoned by calling: she moved
into the guest room, within call of her father's room.
PHRASAL VERBS
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call for 1 make necessary: desperate times call for desperate
measures. 2 publicly ask for or demand: the report calls for an audit
of endangered species. 3 N. Amer.predict or describe (the likely
weather conditions) for a period of time in the future: the forecast
is calling for more rain. they're calling for temperatures in the 80s for the
rest of the week.
call something forth elicit a specified response: few things call
forth more compassion.
call someone/thing down 1 cause or provoke someone or
something to appear or occur: nothing called down the wrath of
Nemesis quicker. 2 dated reprimand someone. he called down
Clarence Drum about being so high and mighty.
call someone in enlist someone's aid or services. you can either
do the work yourself or call in a local builder to help you.
call something in require payment of a loan or promise of
money. the bank would call in loans and foreign donations.
call someone/thing off order a person or dog to stop
attacking someone. Gunda pleaded with him to call the dog off.
call something off cancel an event or agreement. they held a
ballot on whether to call off industrial action.
call on 1 pay a visit to (someone): he's planning to call on Katherine
today. 2 (also call upon) have recourse to: we are able to call on
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academic staff with a wide variety of expertise. • [ with infinitive ]
demand that (someone) do something: he called on the government
to hold a vote.
call someone out 1 summon someone to deal with an
emergency or to do repairs. patients are to be told to stop calling
doctors out unnecessarily at night. 2 order or advise workers to
strike. 3 archaic challenge someone to a duel.
call something over dated read out a list of names to
determine those present. a gentleman proceeded to call over the names
of the jury.
call someone up 1 informal, chiefly N. Amer.telephone
someone. I have a list of people to call up in the morning. 2 summon
someone to serve in the army. they have called up more than 20,000
reservists. • select someone to play in a team: he was called up for
the international against Turkey.
call something up summon for use something that is stored
or kept available: icons which allow you to call up a graphic. • evoke
something: the imaginative intensity with which he called up the Devon
landscape.
ORIGIN late Old English ceallian, from Old Norse kalla
‘summon loudly’.
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call
verb
1 ‘Wait for me!’ she called: cry out, cry, shout, yell, sing out,
whoop, bellow, roar, halloo, bawl, scream, shriek, screech;
exclaim; informal holler, yoo-hoo, cooee; rare ejaculate,
vociferate.
2 I got so tired, Mum had to call me at least three times every morning:
wake up, wake, awaken, waken, rouse; informal give someone
a shout; Brit. informal knock up.
3 I'll call you tomorrow: phone, telephone, get on the phone to,
get someone on the phone, dial, make/place a call to, get,
reach; Brit. ring up, ring, give someone a ring; informal call up,
give someone a call, give someone a buzz, buzz; Brit. informal
give someone a bell, bell, give someone a tinkle, get on the
blower to; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.
4 you'd better call the doctor | Rose called a taxi: summon, send for,
ask for; order; .
5 he called at Ashgrove Cottage on his way home: pay a visit to, pay
a brief visit to, visit, pay a call on, call in on, look in on;
informal drop in on, drop by, stop by, pop into.
6 the prime minister called a meeting of senior cabinet ministers | there
was no alternative but to call a general election: convene, summon,
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call together, order, assemble; arrange, arrange a time/date for;
announce, declare; formal convoke.
7 they called their daughter Hannah: name; christen, baptize;
designate, style, term, dub, label, entitle; archaic clepe; rare
denominate; (be called) answer to the name of, go by the
name of.
8 he's the only person I would call a friend: describe as, regard as,
look on as, consider to be, judge to be, think of as, class as,
categorize as.
PHRASES
call for 1 desperate times call for desperate measures: require, need,
necessitate, make necessary, demand; be grounds for, justify,
warrant, be a justification/reason for; involve, entail. 2 I'll call
for you around seven: pick up, collect, fetch, go/come to get, come
for.
call something into question the safety of milk was never really
called into question: doubt, distrust, mistrust, suspect, lack
confidence in, have doubts about, be suspicious of, have
suspicions about, have misgivings about, feel uneasy about, feel
apprehensive about, cast doubt on, query, question, challenge,
dispute, have reservations about; archaic misdoubt.
ANTONYMS trust.
 95 OF 138






call something off the proposed tour to Australia was called off:
cancel, abandon, shelve, scrap, drop, mothball; informal axe,
scrub, scratch, nix; N. Amer. informal redline.
call on 1 I thought I might call on her later today: visit, pay a visit to,
pay a call on, go and see, look in on; N. Amer. visit with, go
see; informal look up, drop in on, pop in on. 2 he called on the
government to hold a plebiscite: appeal to, ask, request, apply to,
petition; urge; beg, implore, entreat, beseech, plead with. 3 we
are able to call on academic staff with a wide variety of expertise: have
recourse to, avail oneself of, turn to, draw on, look to, make
use of, use, utilize, bring into play.
call the shots directors call the shots and nothing happens on set
without their say-so: be in charge, be in control, be in command,
be the boss, be at the helm, be in the driving seat, be at the
wheel, be in the saddle, pull the strings, hold the purse strings;
informal run the show, rule the roost; Brit. informal wear the
trousers.
call to mind 1 the still lifes call to mind Cézanne's works: evoke,
put one in mind of, recall, bring to mind, call up, summon up,
conjure up; echo, allude to. 2 I cannot call to mind where I have seen
you: remember, recall, recollect, think; Scottish mind; archaic
bethink oneself of.
 96 OF 138






call someone up 1 informal Roland called me up at the crack of
dawn: phone, telephone, call, get on the phone to, get someone
on the phone, dial, make/place a call to, get, reach; Brit. ring
up, ring, give someone a ring; informal give someone a call,
give someone a buzz, buzz; Brit. informal give someone a bell,
bell, give someone a tinkle, get on the blower to; N. Amer.
informal get someone on the horn. 2 they have called up more than
20,000 reservists: enlist, recruit, sign up; conscript; US draft. 3 he
was called up for England's final Test at the Oval: select, pick, choose;
Brit. cap; informal give someone the nod.
noun
1 I heard calls of ‘Come on Steve’ from the auditorium: cry, shout, yell,
whoop, roar, scream, shriek; exclamation; informal holler; rare
vociferation.
2 the call of the water rail: cry, song, sound.
3 I'll give you a call tomorrow: phone call, telephone call; Brit.
ring; informal buzz; Brit. informal bell, tinkle.
4 later that day, he paid a call on Harold Shoesmith: visit, social call.
5 the President issued a call for party unity: appeal, request, plea,
entreaty; demand, order, command.
6 the last call for passengers on flight BA701: summons, request.
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7 there's no call for that kind of language: need, necessity, occasion,
reason, justification, grounds, excuse, pretext; cause.
8 there's no call for expensive wine here: demand, desire, want,
requirement, need; market.
9 walkers can't resist the call of the Cairngorms: attraction, appeal,
lure, allure, allurement, fascination, seductiveness; magic,
beauty, spell, pull, draw.
PHRASES
on call one of the team will be on call around the clock: on duty, on
standby, standing by, ready, available.
perhaps |pəˈhaps|
adverb
used to express uncertainty or possibility: perhaps I should have
been frank with him.
• used when one does not wish to be too definite or assertive in
the expression of an opinion: perhaps not surprisingly, he was
cautious about committing himself.
• used when making a polite request, offer, or suggestion: would
you perhaps consent to act as our guide?
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from per + hap.
 98 OF 138






perhaps
adverb
perhaps he'll come tomorrow: maybe, for all I know, for all you
know, it could be (that), it may be (that), it is possible (that),
possibly, conceivably, feasibly; N. English happen; literary
peradventure, perchance, mayhap, haply; rare percase.
complex |ˈkɒmplɛks|
adjective
1 consisting of many different and connected parts: a complex
network of water channels.
• not easy to analyse or understand; complicated or intricate: a
complex personality | the situation is more complex than it appears.
2 Mathematics denoting or involving numbers or quantities
containing both a real and an imaginary part.
3 Chemistry denoting an ion or molecule in which one or
more groups are linked to a metal atom by coordinate bonds. in
naming complex ions, the names of the ligands are cited first.
noun
1 a group or system of different things that are linked in a close
or complicated way; a network: a complex of mountain roads.
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• a group of similar buildings or facilities on the same site: a
leisure complex | a complex of hotels.
2 Psychoanalysis a related group of repressed or partly
repressed emotionally significant ideas which cause psychic
conflict leading to abnormal mental states or behaviour.
• informal a strong or disproportionate concern or anxiety
about something: there's no point having a complex about losing
your hair.
3 Chemistry an ion or molecule in which one or more groups
are linked to a metal atom by coordinate bonds. two guanine
bases can attach themselves to the same platinum atom, forming a stable
complex.
• any loosely bonded species formed by the association of two
molecules: cross-linked protein–DNA complexes.
verb [ with obj. ] Chemistry
make (an atom or compound) form a complex with another: the
DNA was complexed with the nuclear extract.
DERIVATIVES
complexation noun(Chemistry),
complexly adverb
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘group of related
elements’): from Latin complexus, past participle (used as a
 100 OF 138






noun) of complectere ‘embrace, comprise’, later
associated with complexus ‘plaited’; the adjective is partly
via French complexe .
complex
adjective
1 a complex situation | criminal law is an extremely complex subject:
complicated, involved, intricate, convoluted, tangled, elaborate,
serpentine, labyrinthine, tortuous, impenetrable, Byzantine,
Daedalian, Gordian; difficult, hard, knotty, tricky, thorny,
problematical; informal fiddly; rare involute, involuted.
ANTONYMS simple, straightforward.
2 a complex structure: compound, composite, compounded,
multiplex.
noun
1 a complex of mountain roads: network, system, interconnected
system/structure/scheme, nexus, web, tissue; combination,
composite, synthesis, fusion, aggregation.
2 informal there's no point having a complex about losing your hair:
obsession, phobia, fixation, preoccupation; neurosis;
Frenchidée fixe; informal hang-up, thing, bee in one's bonnet.
WORD TOOLKIT
 101 OF 138






complex
See intricate.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms
by means of words typically used with them.
 102 OF 138






opinion |əˈpɪnjən|
noun
1 a view or judgement formed about something, not
necessarily based on fact or knowledge: that, in my opinion, is
right | the area's residents share vociferous opinions about the future.
• [ mass noun ] the beliefs or views of a group or majority of
people: the changing climate of opinion.
• an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or
something: I had a higher opinion of myself than I deserved.
2 a statement of advice by an expert on a professional matter:
if in doubt, get a second opinion.
• Law a barrister's advice on the merits of a case. the solicitor took
counsel's opinion.
• Law a formal statement of reasons for a judgement given. a
dissenting opinion adjudged that the government had the right to protect ‘the
symbolic value of the flag’.
PHRASES
be of the opinion that believe or maintain that. the
complainant being of the opinion that this provided grounds for legal
proceedings.
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difference of opinion a disagreement or mild quarrel: there
was a difference of opinion between myself and the chief
planner.
a matter of opinion something not capable of being proven
either way. relativism tends to regard different beliefs as just a matter of
opinion.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
opinio(n-), from the stem of opinari ‘think, believe’.
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opinion
noun
she did not share her husband's opinion: belief, judgement, thought(s),
school of thought, thinking, way of thinking, mind, point of
view, view, viewpoint, outlook, angle, slant, side, attitude,
stance, perspective, position, standpoint; theory, tenet,
conclusion, verdict, estimation, thesis, hypothesis, feeling,
sentiment, impression, reflections, idea, notion, assumption,
speculation, conception, conviction, contention, persuasion,
creed, dogma.
PHRASES
a matter of opinion whether this is desirable or not is a matter of
opinion: open to question, a debatable point, debatable, open to
debate, a moot point, open to/for discussion, up to the
individual.
be of the opinion I'm of the opinion that this is not necessary:
believe, think, consider, maintain, imagine, be of the view,
reckon, guess, estimate, conjecture, fancy, suspect, feel, have a/
the feeling, assume, presume, take it, suppose, expect, gather;
contend, put forward, be convinced, be of the conviction,
reason, deduce, conclude, theorize, hypothesize, take as a
 105 OF 138






hypothesis; N. Amer. informal allow; formal opine; archaic
ween.
in my opinion we have very little choice, in my opinion: as I see it,
in my view, to my mind, (according) to my way of thinking,
from my standpoint, personally, in my estimation, in my
judgement, in my book, for my money, if you ask me.
 106 OF 138






extent |ɪkˈstɛnt, ɛk-|
noun [ in sing. ]
1 the area covered by something: an enclosure ten acres in extent.
• the size or scale of something: the extent of global warming.
2 the particular degree to which something is or is believed to
be the case: everyone will have to compromise to some extent | decision-
making was to a large extent outside his control.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘valuation of property,
especially for taxation’): from Anglo-Norman French extente,
from medieval Latin extenta, feminine past participle of Latin
extendere ‘stretch out’ (see extend) .
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extent
noun
1 the garden was about two acres in extent: area, size, expanse,
length, stretch, range, scope, compass; proportions, dimensions.
2 she kept the full extent of her father's illness from her cousin: degree,
scale, level, magnitude, scope, extensiveness, amount, size;
coverage, breadth, width, reach, range, compass,
comprehensiveness, thoroughness, completeness, all-
inclusiveness.
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conclude |kənˈkluːd|
verb
1 bring or come to an end: [ with obj. ] : they conclude their study
with these words | [ no obj. ] : the talk concluded with slides.
• [ with obj. ] formally and finally settle or arrange (an
agreement): an attempt to conclude a ceasefire.
2 [ with clause ] arrive at a judgement or opinion by reasoning:
the doctors concluded that Esther had suffered a stroke | what do you
conclude from all this?
• [ with direct speech ] say in conclusion: ‘It's a wicked old world,’
she concluded.
• [ with infinitive ] US dated decide to do something: we found
some bread, which we concluded to eat.
PHRASES
conclude missives Scots Law (of a buyer) sign a contract
with the vendor of a property or piece of land to signify
change of ownership.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘convince’): from Latin
concludere, from con- ‘completely’ + claudere ‘to shut’.
conclude
verb
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1 the meeting concluded at 9 o'clock: finish, end, come to an end,
draw to a close, wind up, be over, stop, terminate, close, cease;
culminate. ANTONYMS start, begin, commence.
2 he concluded the press conference with another announcement about
welfare reform: bring to an end, bring to a close, finish, close,
wind up, terminate, dissolve; round off; informal wrap up;
dated put a period to. ANTONYMS start, begin, open.
3 an attempt to conclude a ceasefire: negotiate, reach an agreement
on, agree, come to terms on, reach terms on, broker, settle,
seal, set the seal on, clinch, finalize, tie up, complete, shake
hands on, close, bring about, arrange, effect, engineer,
accomplish, establish, resolve, work out, pull off, bring off,
thrash out, hammer out; informal sew up, swing, button up.
4 from this letter, one can only conclude that he was a rather unpleasant
man: come to the conclusion, deduce, infer, draw the inference,
gather, judge, decide; assume, presume, suppose, conjecture,
surmise; N. Amer. figure; informal reckon; archaic collect.
marine |məˈriːn|
adjective
relating to or found in the sea: marine plants | marine biology.
• relating to shipping or naval matters: marine insurance.
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• (of artists or painting) depicting scenes at sea. marine painters.
noun
a member of a body of troops trained to serve on land or sea,
in particular (in the UK) a member of the Royal Marines or (in
the US) a member of the Marine Corps. a contingent of 2,000
marines.
PHRASES
tell that to the marines a scornful expression of disbelief.
most intelligent people will ask him to tell that to the marines.[from the
saying that will do for the marines but the sailors won't believe it,
referring to the horse marines, an imaginary corps of cavalrymen
serving as marines (thus out of their element).]
ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun in the sense ‘seashore’):
from Old French marin, marine, from Latin marinus, from
mare ‘sea’.
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marine
adjective
1 marine plants: saltwater, seawater, sea, oceanic, aquatic; rare
pelagic, thalassic. ANTONYMS freshwater.
2 a marine insurance company: maritime, nautical, naval, seafaring,
seagoing, ocean-going.
 112 OF 138






natural |ˈnatʃ(ə)r(ə)l|
adjective
1 existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by
humankind: carrots contain a natural antiseptic | natural disasters such
as earthquakes.
• having had a minimum of processing or preservative
treatment: natural food | our nutritional products are completely natural.
• (of fabric) having a colour characteristic of the unbleached
and undyed state; off-white.
2 in accordance with the nature of, or circumstances
surrounding, someone or something: sharks have no natural
enemies.
• [ attrib. ] (of a person) having an innate skill or quality: he was
a natural entertainer.
• (of a skill or quality) coming instinctively to a person; innate:
Laura's natural adaptability enabled her to settle quickly.
• (of a person or their behaviour) relaxed and unaffected;
spontaneous: he replied with just a little too much nonchalance to sound
natural.
• entirely to be expected: Ken was a natural choice for chairman.
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• [ attrib. ] (of law or justice) felt instinctively to be morally
right and fair. you might feel that holding the teacher responsible for the
results contravenes natural justice.
3 [ attrib. ] (of a parent or child) related by blood. such adopted
children always knew who their natural parents were.
• chiefly archaic (of a child) illegitimate. the Baron left a natural
son by his mistress.
4 Music (of a note) not sharp or flat: the bassoon plays G natural
instead of A flat.
• (of a brass instrument) having no valves and able to play only
the notes of the harmonic series above a fundamental note.
• relating to the notes and intervals of the harmonic series.
5 Christian Theology relating to earthly human or physical
nature as distinct from the spiritual or supernatural realm.
6 Bridge (of a bid) straightforwardly reflecting one's holding of
cards. his bid of one heart was natural and positive. Often contrasted
with conventional or artificial.
noun
1 a person having an innate talent for a particular task or
activity: she was a natural for television work.
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2 Music a sign ( ) denoting a natural note when a previous
sign or the key signature would otherwise demand a sharp or a
flat.
• a natural note.
• any of the longer, lower keys on a keyboard instrument that
are normally white.
3 [ mass noun ] an off-white colour. colour for the summer is defined
by the trend towards naturals.
4 a hand of cards, throw of dice, or other result which wins
immediately, in particular:
• a hand of two cards making 21 in the first deal in blackjack
and similar games.
• a first throw of 7 or 11 at craps.
5 Fishing an insect or other small creature used as bait, rather
than an artificial imitation.
6 archaic a person born with a learning disability.
adverb informal or dialect
naturally: keep walking—just act natural.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘having a certain status
by birth’): from Old French, from Latin naturalis, from
natura ‘birth, nature, quality’ (see nature) .
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natural
adjective
1 a natural occurrence: normal, ordinary, everyday, usual, regular,
common, commonplace, typical, routine, standard, established,
customary, accustomed, habitual, run-of-the-mill, stock,
unexceptional. ANTONYMS abnormal, unnatural,
exceptional.
2 her policy of using fresh, natural produce: unprocessed, organic,
pure, wholesome, unrefined, pesticide-free, chemical-free,
additive-free, unbleached, unmixed, real, plain, virgin, crude,
raw. ANTONYMS artificial, refined.
3 Alex is a natural leader: born, naturally gifted, untaught.
4 his natural instincts: innate, inborn, inherent, native, native-
born, intrinsic, instinctive, instinctual, intuitive, natural-born,
ingrained, built-in; gut; hereditary, inherited, inbred,
congenital; rare connate, connatural. ANTONYMS acquired.
5 she's very natural | the conversation was natural and easy: unaffected,
spontaneous, uninhibited, straightforward, relaxed,
unselfconscious, genuine, open, artless, guileless, ingenuous,
unsophisticated, unpretentious, without airs, easy; unstudied,
unforced, uncontrived, unmannered, unstilted, unconstrained.
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ANTONYMS affected, false; stilted, strained; awkward, self-
conscious.
6 it was quite natural for him to think she admired him: reasonable,
logical, understandable, unsurprising, expected, (only) to be
expected, predictable; inevitable. ANTONYMS unreasonable.
7 his natural son: illegitimate, born out of wedlock; informal,
dated born on the wrong side of the blanket; archaic bastard,
misbegotten, baseborn, spurious; rare adulterine.
ANTONYMS legitimate.
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envision |ɛnˈvɪʒ(ə)n|
verb [ with obj. ]
imagine as a future possibility; visualize: she envisioned the admiring
glances of guests seeing her home.
envision
verb
we now have the chance to build the world envisioned by the founders of the
UN: visualize, imagine, envisage, picture, see in one's mind's
eye, conjure up an image of; intend, propose, mean; conceive
of, think of, see; rare ideate.
zone |zəʊn|
noun
1 an area or stretch of land having a particular characteristic,
purpose, or use, or subject to particular restrictions: a pedestrian
zone | a 40-km demilitarized zone | figurative : United are still in the
relegation zone.
• Geography a well-defined region extending around the earth
between definite limits, especially between two parallels of
latitude: a zone of easterly winds.
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• (also time zone)a range of longitudes where a common
standard time is used.
• (the zone) informal (especially in sport) a state of such
concentration that one is able to perform at the peak of one's
physical or mental capabilities: I was in the zone, completing the
first nine holes in one under par.
2 chiefly Botany & Zoology an encircling band or stripe of
distinctive colour, texture, or character.
3 archaic a belt or girdle worn round a person's body.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 divide into or assign to zones.
• (often as nounzoning) divide (a town or piece of land) into
areas subject to particular planning restrictions: an experimental
system of zoning.
• designate (a specific area) for use or development as a
particular zone in planning: the land is zoned for housing.
2 archaic encircle as or with a band or stripe.
PHRASAL VERBS
zone out N. Amer. informal fall asleep or lose concentration
or consciousness: I just zoned out for a moment.
DERIVATIVES
zonal adjective,
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zonally adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English: from French, or from Latin
zona ‘girdle’, from Greek zōnē .
zone
noun
the immediate vicinity of a radar mast is a dangerous zone: area, sector,
section, belt, region, territory, tract, stretch, expanse, district,
quarter, precinct, locality, neighbourhood, province, land.
designate
verb |ˈdɛzɪgneɪt| [ with obj. ]
appoint (someone) to a specified office or post: he was
designated as prime minister.
• officially give a specified status or name to: [ with obj. and
complement ] : the Wye Valley is designated an area of outstanding
natural beauty | certain schools are designated ‘science schools’.
adjective |ˈdɛzɪgnət| [ postpositive ]
appointed to an office or post but not yet installed: the Director
designate.
DERIVATIVES
designator |-neɪtə| noun
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ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (as an adjective): from Latin
designatus ‘designated’, past participle of designare,
based on signum ‘a mark’.
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designate
verb
1 some organizations designate a press officer within the PR office:
appoint, nominate, depute, delegate; select, choose, pick,
decide on, settle on; elect, name, identify, assign, allot, co-opt,
ordain, induct; informal plump for.
2 a few of the rivers are designated ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’:
classify, class, pronounce, label, tag; name, call, entitle, term,
christen, dub, style, brand; formal denominate.
3 try designating the same time every week to catch up on paperwork:
allot, appoint, specify, define; earmark, set aside, devote,
stipulate, state, particularize, pinpoint.
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virtually |ˈvəːtjʊəli|
adverb
1 [ as submodifier ] nearly; almost: the disease destroyed virtually all
the vineyards in Orange County | the college became virtually bankrupt.
2 by means of virtual reality techniques.
• by means of a computer; computationally.
virtually
adverb
the huge building was virtually empty: in effect, effectively, all but,
more or less, practically, almost, nearly, close to, approaching,
not far from, nearing, verging on, bordering on, well nigh, nigh
on, just about, as good as, essentially, in essence, in practical
terms, for all practical purposes, to all intents and purposes, in
all but name, as near as dammit; roughly, approximately, not
quite; S. African plus-minus; informal pretty much, pretty
nearly, pretty well.
limit |ˈlɪmɪt|
noun
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1 a point or level beyond which something does not or may not
extend or pass: the failure showed the limits of British power | the
10-minute limit on speeches | there was no limit to his imagination.
• (often limits) the terminal point or boundary of an area or
movement: the city limits | the upper limit of the tidal reaches.
• the furthest extent of one's physical or mental endurance:
Mary Ann tried everyone's patience to the limit.
2 a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible
or possible: an age limit | a weight limit.
• a speed limit: a 30 mph limit.
• (also legal limit) the maximum concentration of alcohol in
the blood that the law allows in the driver of a motor vehicle:
the risk of drinkers inadvertently going over the limit.
3 Mathematics a point or value which a sequence, function, or
sum of a series can be made to approach progressively, until
they are as close to it as desired.
verb (limits, limiting, limited) [ with obj. ]
set or serve as a limit to: try to limit the amount you drink | class sizes
are limited to a maximum of 10 | (as adj.limiting) : a limiting
factor.
PHRASES
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be the limit informal be intolerably troublesome or irritating.
you are the limit—you're suspicious of everything!
off limits out of bounds: the site was off limits to the public. • not
to be mentioned or discussed: it was apparent that the whole topic
was off limits.
within limits moderately; up to a point. airlines used to be able,
within limits, to land or take off more or less when they pleased.
without limit with no restriction. the potential energy does not
increase without limit.
DERIVATIVES
limitary adjective,
limitative |-tətɪv| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin limes, limit-
‘boundary, frontier’. The verb is from Latin limitare,
from limes .
off |ɒf|
adverb
1 away from the place in question; to or at a distance: the man
ran off | she dashed off to her room | we must be off now.
• away from the main route: turning off for Ripon.
2 so as to be removed or separated: he whipped off his coat | a
section of the runway had been cordoned off.
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• absent; away from work: take a day off | he is off on sick leave.
3 starting a journey or race; leaving: we're off on holiday tomorrow
| the gunmen made off on foot | they're off !
4 so as to bring to an end or be discontinued: the Christmas party
rounded off a hugely successful year | she broke off her reading to look at
her husband.
• cancelled: tell them the wedding's off.
• Brit. informal (of an item on a menu) temporarily
unavailable: strawberries are off.
5 (of an electrical appliance or power supply) not functioning
or so as to cease to function: switch the TV off | the electricity was
off for four days.
6 having access to or possession of material goods or wealth to
the extent specified: we'd been rather badly off for books | how
are you off for money?
7 chiefly Brit.(with preceding numeral) denoting a quantity
produced at one time.
preposition
1 moving away and often down from: he rolled off the bed | the
coat slipped off his arms | trying to get us off the stage.
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2 situated or leading in a direction away from (a main route or
intersection): single wires leading off the main lines | in a little street off
Whitehall.
• out at sea from (a place on the coast): anchoring off Blue Bay |
six miles off Dunkirk.
3 so as to be removed or separated from: threatening to tear the
door off its hinges | they knocked $2,000 off the price | figurative : it's
a huge burden off my shoulders.
• absent from: I took a couple of days off work.
• informal abstaining from: he managed to stay off alcohol.
4 informal having a temporary dislike of: he's running a
temperature and he's off his food.
adjective
1 [ attrib. ] characterized by performing or feeling worse than
usual; unsatisfactory or inadequate: even the greatest athletes have
off days.
• [ predic. ] Brit. informal unwell: I felt decidedly off.
2 [ predic. ] (of food) no longer fresh: the fish was a bit off.
3 [ attrib. ] located on the side of a vehicle that is normally
furthest from the kerb; offside. Compare with near ( sense 4
of the adjective).
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4 [ predic. ] Brit. informal annoying or unfair: His boss deducted
the money from his pay. That was a bit off.
5 [ predic. ] Brit. informal unfriendly or hostile: there's no one
there except the barmaid, and she's a bit off.
noun
1 (also off side)Cricket the half of the field (as divided
lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet
are pointed when standing to receive the ball. The opposite of
leg.
2 Brit. informal the start of a race, journey, or experience: now
Ian is ready for the off.
verb informal
1 [ no obj. ] leave: supposedly loyal workers suddenly upped and
offed to the new firms.
2 [ with obj. ] N. Amer.kill; murder: she might off a cop, but she
wouldn't shoot her boyfriend.
PHRASES
off and on intermittently; now and then.
off limits see limit.
ORIGIN Old English, originally a variant of of (which
combined the senses of ‘of ’ and ‘off ’).
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usage: Off of is often used in place of the preposition off in
contexts such as she picked it up off of the floor (compared with she
picked it up off the floor). Although off of is recorded from the
16th century (it was used by Shakespeare) and is logically
parallel to the standard out of, it is regarded as incorrect in
standard modern English.
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realm |rɛlm|
noun archaic, literary, or Law
a kingdom: the defence of the realm.
• a field or domain of activity or interest: the realm of applied
chemistry | an overall Labour majority is not beyond the realms of
possibility.
• Zoology a primary biogeographical division of the earth's
surface. this zoogeographical realm includes Africa south of the Atlas
Mountains.
ORIGIN Middle English rewme, from Old French reaume,
from Latin regimen ‘government’ (see regimen). The
spelling with -l- (standard from c.1600) was influenced by Old
French reiel ‘royal’.
realm
noun
1 his prime concern was to promote peace in the realm: kingdom,
sovereign state, monarchy; empire, principality, palatinate,
duchy; country, land, domain, dominion, nation, province.
2 the realm of academic research: domain, sphere, area, field,
department, arena; world, region, province, territory, zone,
orbit.
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symptom |ˈsɪm(p)təm|
noun
a physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a
condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is
apparent to the patient: dental problems may be a symptom of other
illness. Compare with sign ( sense 1 of the noun).
• an indication of the existence of something, especially of an
undesirable situation: the government was plagued by leaks—a
symptom of divisions and poor morale.
DERIVATIVES
symptomless adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English synthoma, from medieval Latin,
based on Greek sumptōma ‘chance, symptom’, from
sumpiptein ‘happen’; later influenced by French
symptome .
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symptom
noun
1 he described the symptoms of the disease: manifestation, indication,
indicator, sign, mark, feature, trait; Medicine prodrome.
2 these bookshops are a symptom of the country's present turmoil:
expression, sign, indication, mark, token, manifestation; omen,
augury, portent, warning, testimony, evidence, proof, clue, hint.
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conservationist |kɒnsəˈveɪʃ(ə)nɪst|
noun
a person who advocates or acts for the protection and
preservation of the environment and wildlife: [ as modifier ] :
conservationist groups.
conservation
noun
the conservation of tropical forests: preservation, protection,
safeguarding, safe keeping, keeping, guarding, saving, looking
after; care, charge, custody, guardianship, husbandry,
supervision; upkeep, keeping up, keeping going, keeping alive,
maintenance, repair, restoration; ecology, environmentalism.
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destruction |dɪˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
the action or process of causing so much damage to something
that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired: the destruction of the
rainforest | the avalanche left a trail of destruction.
• the action or process of killing or being killed: the wanton
destruction of human life.
• [ in sing. ] a cause of someone's ruin: gambling was his
destruction.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Latin destructio(n-), from
the verb destruere (see destroy) .
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destruction
noun
1 journalists reported considerable destruction within the town by allied
bombers: demolition, knocking down, pulling down, tearing
down, levelling, razing (to the ground), felling, dismantling,
breaking up, wrecking, ruination, smashing, shattering,
blasting, blowing up, dynamiting, bombing, torpedoing.
2 the continuing destruction of the countryside: spoliation, devastation,
spoiling, ruination, wrecking, blighting, marring, disfigurement,
impairment, defacing, scarring, injury, harm, laying waste,
desolation, ravaging; literary wasting.
3 the destruction of BSE-infected cattle: killing, killing off, putting
down, putting to sleep, slaughter, slaughtering, extermination,
termination.
4 the careful and strategic destruction of the enemies' forces:
annihilation, wiping out, obliteration, elimination, eradication,
liquidation, extinction, finishing off, rooting out, extirpation;
killing, slaughter, slaughtering, massacre, massacring, butchery,
butchering, extermination, decimation; informal taking out,
rubbing out, snuffing out, zapping; N. Amer. informal wasting.
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advocate
noun |ˈadvəkət|
1 a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular
cause or policy: he was an untiring advocate of economic reform.
2 a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf: care
managers can become advocates for their clients.
• a professional pleader in a court of justice. solicitors may act as
advocates in Crown Courts.
• Scottish and South African term for barrister.
verb |ˈadvəkeɪt| [ with obj. ]
publicly recommend or support: voters supported candidates who
advocated an Assembly.
DERIVATIVES
advocateship noun,
advocation noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French avocat, from
Latin advocatus, past participle (used as a noun) of
advocare ‘call (to one's aid)’, from ad- ‘to’ + vocare ‘to
call’.
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advocate
noun
1 she was a powerful advocate of children's rights: champion,
upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent,
protector, patron; spokesman for, spokeswoman for,
spokesperson for, speaker for, campaigner for, fighter for, battler
for, crusader for; missionary, reformer, pioneer, pleader,
propagandist, apostle, apologist; N. Amer. booster; informal
plugger. ANTONYMS critic.
2 Scottish Law he studied law and became an advocate at twenty-one:
barrister, lawyer, counsel, counsellor, professional pleader, legal
practitioner; N. Amer. attorney; N. Amer. & Irish counsellor-at-
law; informal brief.
verb
heart disease specialists advocate a diet low in cholesterol: recommend,
prescribe, commend, advise, favour, approve of, support, back,
uphold, subscribe to, champion, campaign on behalf of, stand
up for, speak for, argue for, plead for, press for, lobby for, urge,
promote, espouse, endorse, sanction, vouch for; informal plug,
push. ANTONYMS reject.
coldly |ˈkəʊldli|
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adverb
without affection or warmth of feeling; unemotionally: Doyle
looked at her coldly | [ as submodifier ] : a coldly contemptuous tone.
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