Set 9
Gregarious |grɪˈgɛːrɪəs|
adjective
(of a person) fond of company; sociable: he was a popular and
gregarious man.
• (of animals) living in flocks or loosely organized communities:
gregarious species forage in flocks from colonies or roosts.
• (of plants) growing in open clusters or in pure associations. in
the wild, trees are usually gregarious plants.
DERIVATIVES
gregariously adverb,
gregariousness noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin gregarius (from grex,
greg- ‘a flock’) + -ous.
gregarious
adjective
1 he was fun-loving and gregarious: sociable, social, company-
loving, companionable, convivial, clubbable; outgoing, friendly,
2 OF 68
affable, amiable, genial, congenial, cordial, hospitable,
neighbourly, welcoming, warm, pleasant, comradely, hail-
fellow-well-met; Scottish couthy; informal chummy, pally; Brit.
informal matey, decent; N. Amer. informal clubby, buddy-
buddy; rare conversable. ANTONYMS unsociable; reserved.
2 these fish are small and gregarious: social, organized, living in
shoals/flocks/herds.
pragmatic |pragˈmatɪk|
adjective
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is
based on practical rather than theoretical considerations: a
pragmatic approach to politics.
• relating to philosophical or political pragmatism.
• Linguistics relating to pragmatics.
DERIVATIVES
pragmatically adverb
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the senses ‘busy, interfering,
conceited’): via Latin from Greek pragmatikos ‘relating to
fact’, from pragma ‘deed’ (from the stem of prattein ‘do’).
The current senses date from the mid 19th cent.
3 OF 68
practical
adjective
1 they have practical experience of language-teaching methods: empirical,
hands-on, pragmatic, real, actual, active, applied, experiential,
experimental, non-theoretical, in the field; informal how-to;
technical heuristic; rare empiric. ANTONYMS theoretical.
2 the opposition have failed to put forward any practical alternatives:
feasible, practicable, realistic, viable, workable, possible, within
the bounds/realms of possibility, reasonable, sensible, useful,
helpful, constructive; informal doable; rare accomplishable.
3 do you want your clothes to be practical or frivolous? functional,
serviceable, sensible, useful, utilitarian, utility, everyday,
workaday, ordinary; suitable, appropriate.
4 I'm just being practical—we must find a ground-floor flat: realistic,
sensible, down-to-earth, pragmatic, businesslike, matter-of-fact,
reasonable, rational, commonsensical, hard-headed, no-
nonsense, with one's/both feet on the ground; informal hard-
nosed. ANTONYMS impractical.
5 it was a practical certainty that he would try to raise more money:
virtual, effective, in effect.
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compensate |ˈkɒmpɛnseɪt|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] give (someone) something, typically money, in
recognition of loss, suffering, or injury incurred; recompense:
payments were made to farmers to compensate them for cuts in
subsidies.
• pay (someone) for work performed: he will be richly compensated
for his efforts.
2 [ no obj. ] (compensate for) reduce or counteract
(something unwelcome or unpleasant) by exerting an opposite
force or effect: the manager is hoping for victory to compensate for the
team's dismal league campaign.
• act so as to neutralize or correct (a deficiency or abnormality
in a physical property or effect): the output voltage rises,
compensating for the original fall.
DERIVATIVES
compensative adjective,
compensator noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘counterbalance’): from
Latin compensat- ‘weighed against’, from the verb
compensare, from com- ‘together’ + pensare
(frequentative of pendere ‘weigh’).
6 OF 68
compensate
verb
1 you can never compensate for what you did to me: make
amends, make up, make restitution, make reparation, make
recompense, recompense, atone, requite, pay; expiate, make
good, put to rights, rectify, offset, square.
2 terms were agreed to compensate him for his loss: recompense, repay,
pay back, reimburse, remunerate, recoup, requite, indemnify;
settle up with, settle accounts with.
3 he had sufficient flair to compensate for his faults: balance,
balance out, counterbalance, counteract, counterpoise,
countervail, make up for, offset, cancel out, neutralize, nullify,
even up, square up; rare equilibrize, negative, counterweigh.
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accountable |əˈkaʊntəb(ə)l|
adjective
1 required or expected to justify actions or decisions;
responsible: ministers are accountable to Parliament | parents
cannot be held accountable for their children's actions.
2 able to be explained or understood. the delayed introduction of
characters' names is accountable, if we consider that names have a low
priority.
DERIVATIVES
accountably adverb
8 OF 68
accountable
adjective
1 the government was held accountable for the food shortage: responsible,
liable, answerable, chargeable; to blame. ANTONYMS
unaccountable.
2 ministers are accountable to parliament: answerable,
responsible, reporting, subject; under the charge of, bound to
obey, obeying, bound by.
3 the game's popularity is barely accountable: explicable, explainable;
understandable, comprehensible, intelligible, definable,
reasonable, unsurprising.
infallible |ɪnˈfalɪb(ə)l|
adjective
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong: doctors are not
infallible.
• never failing; always effective: infallible cures.
• (in the Roman Catholic Church) credited with papal
infallibility. for an encyclical to be infallible the Pope must speak ex
cathedra.
DERIVATIVES
infallibly adverb
9 OF 68
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from French infaillible or late Latin
infallibilis, from in- ‘not’ + Latin fallere ‘deceive’.
infallible
adjective
1 she had an infallible sense of timing: unerring, error-free,
unfailing, faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, true, uncanny,
precise, accurate, meticulous, scrupulous; Brit. informal spot
on; N. Amer. informal on the money.
2 infallible cures for a variety of ailments: unfailing, never failing,
always effective, guaranteed, dependable, trustworthy, reliable,
sure, certain, safe, sound, tried and tested, foolproof, effective,
efficacious; informal sure-fire.
incorrigible |ɪnˈkɒrɪdʒɪb(ə)l|
adjective
(of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or
reformed: she's an incorrigible flirt.
noun
an incorrigible person. all repeat offenders, but none of them real
hard-case incorrigibles.
DERIVATIVES
10 OF 68
incorrigibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
incorrigibly adverb [ as submodifier ] : the incorrigibly macho
character of news-gathering operations
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin
incorrigibilis, from in- ‘not’ + corrigibilis (see
corrigible) .
incorrigible
adjective
she's an incorrigible flirt: inveterate, habitual, confirmed,
hardened; incurable, unreformable, irreformable,
irredeemable, intractable, hopeless, beyond hope/redemption;
chronic, diehard, deep-dyed, dyed-in-the-wool, long-standing,
addicted, hard-core; impenitent, uncontrite, unrepentant,
unapologetic, unashamed; informal impossible. ANTONYMS
occasional; repentant.
WORD TOOLKIT
incorrigible hardened habitual
optimist
flirt offender
drunkenness
11 OF 68
criminal
cynic
womanizer
spendthrift
gossip
soldier
warrior
terrorist
smoker
liar
snoring
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms
by means of words typically used with them.
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impervious |ɪmˈpəːvɪəs|
adjective
1 not allowing fluid to pass through: an impervious layer of basaltic
clay.
2 (impervious to) unable to be affected by: he worked,
apparently impervious to the heat.
DERIVATIVES
imperviously adverb,
imperviousness noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin impervius (from in-
‘not’ + pervius ‘pervious’) + -ous.
impervious
adjective
1 he seemed impervious to the chill wind | she is impervious
to his suggestions: unaffected by, untouched by, immune to,
invulnerable to, insusceptible to, not susceptible to, proof
against, unreceptive to, closed to, resistant to, indifferent to,
heedless of, unresponsive to, oblivious to, unmoved by, deaf to.
ANTONYMS receptive to, susceptible to.
2 an impervious damp-proof course: impermeable, impenetrable,
impregnable, waterproof, watertight, water-resistant, water-
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repellent; sealed, hermetically sealed; rare imperviable.
ANTONYMS permeable.
inexplicable |ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l, ˌɪnɛk-, ɪnˈɛksplɪ-|
adjective
unable to be explained or accounted for: for some inexplicable
reason her mind went completely blank.
DERIVATIVES
inexplicability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
inexplicably adverb [ sentence adverb ] : inexplicably, the pumps
started to malfunction
ORIGIN late Middle English: from French, or from Latin
inexplicabilis ‘that cannot be unfolded’, from in- ‘not’
+ explicabilis (see explicable) .
inexplicable
adjective
she had had an inexplicable change of heart: unaccountable,
unexplainable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable,
insoluble, unsolvable, baffling, puzzling, perplexing, mystifying,
bewildering, mysterious, strange, weird, abstruse, enigmatic;
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beyond comprehension, beyond understanding; archaic
wildering; rare insolvable. ANTONYMS understandable.
conscious |ˈkɒnʃəs|
adjective
1 aware of and responding to one's surroundings: although I was
in pain, I was conscious.
2 having knowledge of something: we are conscious of the
extent of the problem.
• [ in combination ] concerned with or worried about a
particular matter: they were growing increasingly security-conscious.
3 (of an action or feeling) deliberate and intentional: a conscious
effort to walk properly.
• (of the mind or a thought) directly perceptible to and under
the control of the person concerned. when you go to sleep it is only
the conscious mind which shuts down.
DERIVATIVES
consciously adverb
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘being aware of
wrongdoing’): from Latin conscius ‘knowing with others
or in oneself ’ (from conscire ‘be privy to’) + -ous.
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conscious
adjective
1 the patient was barely conscious: aware, awake, wide awake,
compos mentis, alert, responsive, reactive, feeling, sentient.
ANTONYMS unconscious.
2 he became conscious of people talking in the hall: aware of, alive
to, awake to, alert to, sensitive to, cognizant of, mindful of,
sensible of; informal wise to, in the know about, hip to; archaic
ware of; rare seized of, recognizant of, regardful of.
ANTONYMS unaware.
3 he made a conscious effort to stop staring: deliberate, intentional,
intended, done on purpose, purposeful, purposive, willed,
knowing, considered, studied, strategic; calculated, wilful,
premeditated, planned, pre-planned, preconceived, volitional;
aforethought; Law , dated prepense.
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consciousness |ˈkɒnʃəsnɪs|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the state of being aware of and responsive to
one's surroundings: she failed to regain consciousness and died two days
later.
2 a person's awareness or perception of something: her acute
consciousness of Luke's presence.
• the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world.
consciousness emerges from the operations of the brain.
emporium |ɛmˈpɔːrɪəm, ɪm-|
noun (pl.emporia |-rɪə| or emporiums)
a large retail store selling a wide variety of goods.
• archaic a centre of commerce; a market.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin, from Greek emporion,
from emporos ‘merchant’, based on a stem meaning ‘to
journey’.
emporium
noun
he was working at a boot and shoe emporium: shop, store, boutique,
outlet, retail outlet, reseller; department store, chain store,
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supermarket, hypermarket, superstore, megastore;
establishment; informal shed; N. Amer. informal big box.
archive |ˈɑːkʌɪv|
noun (usu. archives)
a collection of historical documents or records providing
information about a place, institution, or group of people: [ as
modifier ] : a section of archive film.
• the place where historical documents or records are kept. they
were allowed to study in the archives.
• a complete record of the data in part or all of a computer
system, stored on an infrequently used medium.
verb [ with obj. ]
place or store (something) in an archive.
• Computing transfer (data) to a less frequently used storage
medium such as magnetic tape. the entire directory will be archived.
DERIVATIVES
archival |ɑːˈkʌɪv(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘place where records are
kept’): from French archives (plural), from Latin archiva,
archia, from Greek arkheia ‘public records’, from arkhē
‘government’. The verb dates from the late 19th cent.
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archive
noun
1 (archives) if you delve into the family archives you'll find that their
marriage was a very happy one: records, annals, chronicles,
registers, accounts; papers, documents, rolls, dossiers, files,
deeds, ledgers; history, information, evidence; documentation,
paperwork; formal muniments.
2 more and more museums, archives, and libraries are becoming
independent: record office, registry, repository, museum, chancery.
verb
these videos are archived for future use: file, log, catalogue,
pigeonhole; store, record, register, chronicle, cache; document,
put on record, post.
library |ˈlʌɪbrəri, -bri|
noun (pl.libraries)
a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals,
and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing
by the public or the members of an institution: a university library
| [ as modifier ] : a library book.
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• a collection of books and periodicals held in a library. the
Institute houses an outstanding library of 35,000 volumes on the fine arts.
• a room in a private house where books are kept. there was a
library that Uncle Hilbert used as his study.
• a series of books or recordings issued by a company as a set.
• a collection of films, recorded music, etc., organized
systematically and kept for research or borrowing: a record
library.
• (also software library)Computing a collection of programs
and software packages made generally available, often loaded
and stored on disk for immediate use. download any of thousands
of programs from our software libraries.
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
libraria ‘bookshop’, feminine (used as a noun) of librarius
‘relating to books’, from liber, libr- ‘book’.
museum |mjuːˈzɪəm|
noun
a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or
cultural interest are stored and exhibited. [ as name ] : the
Museum of Modern Art. the museum is noted for its fine fossil collection.
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[ as modifier ] : a museum curator. figurative : it is difficult to avoid
the feeling that the city is now a living museum.
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (denoting a university building,
specifically one erected at Alexandria by Ptolemy Soter): via
Latin from Greek mouseion ‘seat of the Muses’, based on
mousa ‘muse’.
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homicide |ˈhɒmɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ] chiefly N. Amer.
the killing of one person by another: he was charged with homicide
| [ count noun ] : knives account for a third of all homicides.
• (Homicide)the police department that deals with the crime
of murder: a man from Homicide.
• [ count noun ] dated a murderer.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, from Latin
homicidium, from homo, homin- ‘man’.
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homicide
noun
1 he was charged with homicide. See murder.
2 dated a convicted homicide. See murderer.
fratricide |ˈfratrɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the killing of one's brother or sister. Cain justifies his fratricide with
lethal logic.
• [ count noun ] a person who kills their brother or sister.
• the accidental killing of one's own forces in war. the Vietnam
War saw fratricide increase because of the close-in jungle fighting.
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (denoting a person who kills their
brother or sister, derived from Latin fratricida): the primary
current sense comes via French from late Latin fratricidium,
from frater ‘brother’ + -cidium (see -cide) .
regicide |ˈrɛdʒɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the action of killing a king.
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• [ count noun ] a person who kills or takes part in killing a
king.
DERIVATIVES
regicidal |-ˈsʌɪd(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin rex, reg- ‘king’ + -
cide, probably suggested by French régicide .
parricide |ˈparɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the killing of a parent or other near relative.
• [ count noun ] a person who commits parricide.
DERIVATIVES
parricidal |-ˈsʌɪd(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French, from Latin
parricidium ‘murder of a parent’, with first element of
unknown origin, but for long associated with Latin pater
‘father’ and parens ‘parent’.
aviary |ˈeɪvɪəri|
noun (pl.aviaries)
a large cage, building, or enclosure for keeping birds in.
24 OF 68
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin aviarium, from avis
‘bird’.
apiary |ˈeɪpɪəri|
noun (pl.apiaries)
a place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives.
DERIVATIVES
apiarian adjective,
apiarist noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin apiarium, from apis
‘bee’.
aquarium |əˈkwɛːrɪəm|
noun (pl.aquaria |-rɪə| or aquariums)
a transparent tank of water in which live fish and other water
creatures and plants are kept.
• a building containing tanks of live fish of different species.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Latin, neuter of aquarius ‘of
water’, on the pattern of vivarium.
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millennium |mɪˈlɛnɪəm|
noun (pl.millennia |-nɪə| or millenniums)
1 a period of a thousand years, especially when calculated
from the traditional date of the birth of Christ. silver first came
into use on a substantial scale during the 3rd millennium bc .
• (the millennium) Christian Theology the prophesied
thousand-year reign of Christ at the end of the age (Rev. 20:1–
5). Archer's treatise predicted that the millennium was close at hand.
• (the millennium) a utopian period of justice, peace, and
prosperity. the people must seize power—the millennium cannot be
imposed on them from above.
2 an anniversary of a thousand years: the millennium of the
Russian Orthodox Church.
• (the millennium) the point at which one period of a
thousand years ends and another begins. as we approach the
millennium the only certainty is change.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: modern Latin, from Latin mille
‘thousand’, on the pattern of biennium.
usage: The correct spelling is millennium not millenium.
The latter is a common error, formed by analogy with other
similar words correctly spelled with only one n, such as
millenarian and millenary. The differences in spelling are
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explained by different origins. Millennium was formed by
analogy with words like biennium, while millenary and
millenarian were formed from the Latin milleni.
occasion |əˈkeɪʒ(ə)n|
noun
1 a particular event, or the time at which it takes place: on one
occasion I stayed up until two in the morning.
• a special or noteworthy event, ceremony, or celebration: she
was presented with a gold watch to mark the occasion | [ mass noun ] :
Sunday lunch has a suitable sense of occasion about it.
• a suitable or opportune time for doing something: by-elections
are traditionally an occasion for registering protest votes.
2 [ mass noun ] formal reason; cause: [ with infinitive ] : it's the
first time that I've had occasion to complain.
verb [ with obj. ] formal
cause (something): something vital must have occasioned this visit |
[ with two objs ] : his death occasioned her much grief.
PHRASES
on occasion (or occasions)occasionally; from time to time:
on occasion, the state was asked to intervene.
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rise to the occasion perform better than usual in response
to a special situation or event. when it comes to the finals, they can
rise to the occasion.
take occasion archaic make use of an opportunity to do
something. I shall here take occasion to propose a second observation.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin
occasio(n-)‘juncture, reason’, from occidere ‘go down,
set’, from ob- ‘towards’ + cadere ‘to fall’.
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occasion
noun
1 she consulted him on a number of occasions: instance, time,
moment, juncture, point; event, happening, occurrence, affair,
incident, episode, experience, situation, case, circumstance.
2 the perfect venue for a special occasion | family occasions such as
weddings: social event, event, affair, function, celebration, party,
ceremony, get-together, gathering; informal do, bash; Brit.
informal rave-up, thrash, knees-up, jolly, beanfeast, bunfight,
beano, lig.
3 I doubt if the occasion will arise: opportunity, suitable/opportune
time, right moment, chance, opening, window.
4 it's the first time I've had occasion to complain: reason, cause, call,
grounds, justification, need, necessity, requirement, excuse,
pretext, stimulus, inducement, provocation, motive.
verb
her situation occasioned a good deal of sympathy: cause, give rise to,
bring about, result in, lead to, prompt, provoke, evoke, elicit,
call forth, produce, create, arouse, make (for), generate,
engender, originate, effect, bring on, induce, precipitate, stir up,
inspire, spark off, trigger, breed; literary beget; rare effectuate.
PHRASES
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on occasion See occasionally.
stunning |ˈstʌnɪŋ|
adjective
extremely impressive or attractive: she looked stunning.
DERIVATIVES
stunningly adverb
stun |stʌn|
verb (stuns, stunning, stunned) [ with obj. ]
1 knock unconscious or into a semi-conscious state: the man was
stunned by a blow to the head.
2 astonish or shock (someone) so that they are temporarily
unable to react: the community was stunned by the tragedy | (as
adj.stunned) : she stared at him in stunned disbelief.
ORIGIN Middle English: shortening of Old French estoner
‘astonish’.
stunning
adjective
1 a stunning 4–0 win in the League Cup final: remarkable,
extraordinary, staggering, incredible, impressive, outstanding,
amazing, astonishing, marvellous, phenomenal, splendid,
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imposing, breathtaking, thrilling; informal mind-boggling,
mind-blowing, out of this world, fabulous, fab, super, fantastic,
tremendous; literary wondrous. ANTONYMS ordinary, run-
of-the-mill.
2 she was looking particularly stunning: beautiful, handsome,
attractive, lovely, good-looking, comely, pretty, sexy; sensational,
radiant, ravishing, striking, dazzling, devastating, wonderful,
marvellous, magnificent, glorious, breathtaking, captivating,
bewitching, charming, alluring, exquisite, impressive, splendid;
Scottish & N. English bonny; informal gorgeous, drop-dead
gorgeous, out of this world, fabulous, fab, smashing, super,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, easy on the eye, knockout; N.
Amer. informal bootylicious; literary beauteous; rare
pulchritudinous. ANTONYMS ordinary, unattractive.
stun
verb
1 a glancing blow stunned Gary: daze, stupefy, knock senseless,
knock unconscious, knock out, lay out; informal knock for six.
2 she was quite stunned by her own success: astound, amaze, astonish,
startle, take someone's breath away, dumbfound, stupefy,
overwhelm, stagger, shock, confound, take aback, shake up;
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informal flabbergast, knock for six, knock sideways, hit like a
ton of bricks, bowl over, floor, blow away.
Baltimore |ˈbɔːltɪmɔː, ˈbɒl-|
a seaport in north Maryland; pop. 636,919 (est. 2008).
DERIVATIVES
Baltimorean |bɔːltɪˈmɔːrɪən, bɒl-| noun& adjective
ORIGIN named after George Calvert, the first Baron
Baltimore ( c.1580–1632), who in 1632 obtained a grant of
land for the colony later to become Maryland.
deciduous |dɪˈsɪdjʊəs|
adjective
(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually. sun-loving
deciduous trees like aspen. Often contrasted with evergreen.
• informal (of a tree or shrub) broadleaved.
• denoting the milk teeth of a mammal, which are shed after a
time. this is the period when the deciduous teeth are being shed.
DERIVATIVES
deciduously adverb,
deciduousness noun
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ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from Latin deciduus (from
decidere ‘fall down or off ’) + -ous.
tropical |ˈtrɒpɪk(ə)l|
adjective
1 of, typical of, or peculiar to the tropics: tropical countries | a
tropical rainforest.
• very hot and humid: some plants thrived in last year's tropical
summer heat.
2 archaic of or involving a trope; figurative.
DERIVATIVES
tropically adverb
tropical
adjective
the tropical weather was debilitating: very hot, sweltering, baking
hot, torrid; humid, sultry, steamy, sticky, oppressive, stifling,
suffocating, heavy; informal boiling. ANTONYMS cold, arctic.
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spirituous |ˈspɪrɪtjʊəs|
adjective formal or archaic
containing much alcohol; distilled: spirituous beverages.
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘spirited, lively’): from
Latin spiritus ‘spirit’ + -ous, or from French spiritueux .
spiritual |ˈspɪrɪtʃʊəl, -tjʊəl|
adjective
1 relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical things: I'm responsible for his spiritual welfare.
• having a relationship based on a profound level of mental or
emotional communion: he never forgot his spiritual father.
• (of a person) not concerned with material values or pursuits.
2 relating to religion or religious belief: the country's spiritual
leader.
noun
(also Negro spiritual)a religious song of a kind associated
with black Christians of the southern US, and thought to
derive from the combination of European hymns and African
musical elements by black slaves.
PHRASES
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one's spiritual home a place in which one feels a strong
sense of belonging: I had always thought of Italy as my spiritual
home.
DERIVATIVES
spirituality |-ˈalɪti| noun,
spiritually adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French spirituel, from
Latin spiritualis, from spiritus (see spirit) .
luxuriant |lʌgˈʒʊərɪənt, lʌgˈzjʊə-, lʌkˈsjʊə-|
adjective
(of vegetation) rich and profuse in growth; lush. forests of dark,
luxuriant foliage.
• (of hair) thick and healthy. she tossed her luxuriant dark hair.
DERIVATIVES
luxuriance noun,
luxuriantly adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin luxuriant- ‘growing
rankly’, from the verb luxuriare, from luxuria ‘luxury,
rankness’.
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luxuriant
adjective
luxuriant green vegetation: lush, rich, abundant, superabundant,
profuse, exuberant, prolific, teeming, flourishing, fecund,
thriving, vigorous, riotous; dense, thick, rank, rampant,
overgrown; verdant, green; informal jungly. ANTONYMS
barren, meagre, sparse.
EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
luxuriant or luxurious?
See luxurious.
These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking pairs.
luxurious |lʌgˈʒʊərɪəs, lʌgˈzjʊə-, lʌkˈsjʊə-|
adjective
extremely comfortable or elegant, especially when involving
great expense: the island's most luxurious hotel.
• giving self-indulgent or sensual pleasure: a luxurious wallow in a
scented bath.
DERIVATIVES
luxuriously adverb,
luxuriousness noun
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ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘lascivious’): from Old
French luxurios, from Latin luxuriosus, from luxuria
‘luxury’.
usage: Luxurious and luxuriant are sometimes confused.
Luxurious chiefly means ‘very comfortable, elegant, and
involving great expense’, as in a luxurious hotel, whereas
luxuriant means ‘rich and profuse in growth’, as in acres of
luxuriant gardens.
luxurious
adjective
1 a luxurious New York hotel: opulent, sumptuous, affluent,
expensive, rich, costly, deluxe, lush, grand, palatial, splendid,
magnificent, lavish, lavishly appointed, well appointed,
extravagant, ornate, fancy, stylish, elegant; informal plush,
posh, upmarket, classy, ritzy, swanky; Brit. informal swish; N.
Amer. informal swank; rare palatian. ANTONYMS poor;
austere, spartan.
2 a luxurious lifestyle: self-indulgent, sensual, pleasure-loving,
comfort-seeking, epicurean, hedonistic, sybaritic, lotus-eating,
decadent, extravagant, immoderate. ANTONYMS
abstemious.
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EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
luxurious or luxuriant?
You may find luxuriant foliage in the conservatory of a luxurious
home, but the two words have quite different meanings.
■ Luxurious denotes things that are extremely comfortable,
elegant, and pleasurable (usually with a hint that they may be
self-indulgent and unnecessarily expensive), as in the luxurious
villas of the rich and famous.
■ Luxuriant, on the other hand, is used mainly with reference
to the growth of plants (luxuriant creepers climbed up the wall),
though it may also refer to a person's hair (she tossed her luxuriant
hair back contemptuously).
These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking pairs.
transcend |tranˈsɛnd, trɑːn-|
verb [ with obj. ]
be or go beyond the range or limits of (a field of activity or
conceptual sphere): this was an issue transcending party politics.
• surpass (a person or achievement). he doubts that he will ever
transcend Shakespeare.
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ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French transcendre or
Latin transcendere, from trans- ‘across’ + scandere
‘climb’.
transcend
verb
1 there were differences of opinion transcending Party lines: go beyond,
rise above, cut across.
2 his latest bout of bad behaviour transcended even his own worst excesses:
surpass, excel, exceed, beat, trump, top, cap, outdo, outstrip,
leave behind, outrival, outvie, outrank, outshine, eclipse,
overstep, overshadow, throw into the shade, upstage.
hardly |ˈhɑːdli|
adverb
1 scarcely (used to qualify a statement by saying that it is true
to an insignificant degree): the little house in which he lived was
hardly bigger than a hut | a thing hardly bigger than a credit card | we
hardly know each other.
• only a very short time before: the party had hardly started when the
police arrived.
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• only with great difficulty: she could hardly sit up | I nodded,
hardly able to breath.
• no or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a
statement): I hardly think so.
2 archaic harshly: the rule worked hardly.
PHRASES
hardly any almost no: they sold hardly any books. • almost none:
hardly any had previous convictions.
hardly ever very rarely: we hardly ever see them.
usage: Words like hardly, scarcely, and rarely should not
be used with negative constructions. Thus, it is correct to say I
can hardly wait but incorrect to say I can't hardly wait. This
is because adverbs like hardly are treated as if they were
negatives, and it is a well-known grammatical rule of standard
English that double negatives (i.e. in this case having hardly
and not in the same clause) are not acceptable. Words like
hardly behave as negatives in other respects as well, as for
example in combining with words like any or at all, which
normally only occur where a negative is present (thus, standard
usage is I've got hardly any money but not I've got any money).
See also usage at double negative.
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hardly
adverb
1 we hardly know each other | Dad had hardly got a word out before she
cut him off: scarcely, barely, only just, not much, faintly, narrowly,
slightly, rarely, little; by a very small margin, by the narrowest
of margins, by the skin of one's teeth, by a hair's breadth, by a
nose; almost not, not quite; informal by a whisker.
ANTONYMS fully.
2 she could hardly sit up straight: only with difficulty, barely,
scarcely, only with effort, only just, almost not; Brit. informal at
a push. ANTONYMS easily.
condone |kənˈdəʊn|
verb [ with obj. ] [ often with negative ]
accept (behaviour that is considered morally wrong or
offensive): the college cannot condone any behaviour that involves illicit
drugs.
• approve or sanction (something), especially with reluctance:
those arrested were released and the exhibition was officially condoned a
few weeks later.
DERIVATIVES
condonation |kɒndəˈneɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
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condoner noun
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Latin condonare ‘refrain
from punishing’, from con- ‘altogether’ + donare ‘give’.
condone
verb
we cannot condone such dreadful behaviour: deliberately ignore, not
take into consideration, disregard, take no notice of, take no
account of, accept, allow, make allowances for, let pass, turn a
blind eye to, overlook, forget, wink at, blink at, connive at;
forgive, pardon, excuse, let someone off with, let go, sink, bury;
let bygones be bygones; informal let something ride.
ANTONYMS condemn; punish.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
condone, forgive, pardon, excuse
See forgive.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
forgive |fəˈgɪv|
verb (pastforgave; past participleforgiven) [ with obj. ]
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stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an
offence, flaw, or mistake: I'll never forgive David for the way he
treated her.
• no longer feel angry about or wish to punish (an offence, flaw,
or mistake): I was willing to forgive all her faults for the sake of our
friendship | [ no obj. ] : he had never found it easy to forgive and
forget.
• cancel (a debt): he proposed that their debts should be forgiven.
• used in polite expressions as a request to excuse one's foibles,
ignorance, or impoliteness: you will have to forgive my suspicious
mind.
PHRASES
one could (or may) be forgiven for doing something it
would be understandable if one mistakenly did a particular
thing: with the plaster palm trees, you could be forgiven for thinking you
were on Hollywood Boulevard.
DERIVATIVES
forgiver noun
ORIGIN Old English forgiefan, of Germanic origin, related to
Dutch vergeven and German vergeben, and ultimately to
for- and give.
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forgive
verb
1 she would not forgive him for deceiving her: pardon, excuse,
exonerate, absolve, acquit, let off, grant an amnesty to,
amnesty; make allowances for, stop feeling resentful towards,
feel no resentment towards, stop feeling malice towards, feel no
malice towards, harbour no grudge against, bury the hatchet
with; let bygones be bygones; informal let someone off the
hook, go easy on; rare exculpate. ANTONYMS blame;
convict; resent.
2 you must forgive his rude conduct: excuse, overlook, disregard,
ignore, pass over, make allowances for, allow; condone, let go,
let pass, sanction, turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, wink
at, connive at, blink at, indulge, tolerate; rare extenuate.
ANTONYMS punish.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
forgive, pardon, excuse, condone
■ Forgive is the standard word used when someone to whom
a wrong has been done makes a deliberate decision to put aside
the feelings of anger and blame occasioned by that wrong (he
forgave the bomber who killed his daughter | she could never forgive her
friend's betrayal). It is also used informally in the sense of
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‘excuse’, especially in the passive, to indicate that an error is
understandable (you could be forgiven for thinking that our basic foods
haven't changed for years).
■ Pardon is used mainly to refer to the official remission of a
punishment to which an offender has been sentenced (the
President pardoned nine prisoners with heavy sentences). When used as a
synonym for forgive, it has a rather old-fashioned or mannered
tone (you have pardoned all their wrongs).
■ A circumstance that excuses an action provides reasons for
seeing it as less blameworthy than it would otherwise be (nothing
can excuse a teacher who fails to draw attention to these facts | his friend's
betrayal could be excused as a simple error of judgement). Excuse implies
that wrongdoing is merely being overlooked, rather than that
the wrongdoer is absolved.
■ Condone is a more critical term than the other three and is
used only of relatively serious misdemeanours. It suggests that
someone who does not condemn behaviour that is morally
wrong is in turn wrong to be so forgiving, so is often used in the
negative. The object is always an action, not a person (union
leaders cannot condone the use of violence).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
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support |səˈpɔːt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 bear all or part of the weight of; hold up: the dome was
supported by a hundred white columns.
2 give assistance to, especially financially: the government gives
£2,500 million a year to support the voluntary sector.
• provide with a home and the necessities of life: my main concern
was to support my family.
• give approval, comfort, or encouragement to: the proposal was
supported by many delegates.
• be actively interested in and concerned for the success of (a
particular sports team). fans should always support their team fully, no
matter what.
• (as adj.supporting) (of an actor or role) of secondary
importance to the leading roles in a play or film. the production's
greatest successes are in the main supporting roles.
• (of a pop or rock group or performer) function as a secondary
act to (another) at a concert.
3 suggest the truth of; corroborate: the studies support our findings.
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4 produce enough food and water for; be capable of
sustaining: the land had lost its capacity to support life.
5 endure; tolerate: at work during the day I could support the grief.
6 (of a computer or operating system) allow the use or
operation of (a program, language, or device): the new versions do
not support the graphical user interface standard.
noun
1 a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it
upright: the best support for a camera is a tripod.
• [ mass noun ] the action of supporting something or someone
or the state of being supported: she clutched the sideboard for
support.
2 [ mass noun ] material assistance: the bank provided unstinting
financial support | air operations in support of British forces.
• approval, encouragement, or comfort: the paper printed many
letters in support of the government | she's been through a bad time and
needs our support.
• technical help given to the user of a computer or other
product.
3 [ mass noun ] evidence that serves to corroborate something:
the study provides support for both theories.
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4 a secondary act at a pop or rock concert: [ as modifier ] : a
support band.
DERIVATIVES
supportability noun,
supportable adjective
supportless adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense ‘tolerate’):
from Old French supporter, from Latin supportare, from
sub- ‘from below’ + portare ‘carry’.
support
verb
1 the roof was supported by massive stone pillars: hold up, bear, carry,
prop up, keep up, bolster up, brace, shore up, underpin,
buttress, reinforce.
2 he was struggling to support his family: provide for, provide
sustenance for, maintain, sustain, keep, take care of, look after.
3 Martha lovingly supported him to the end: give moral support to,
give strength to, be a source of strength to, comfort, bring
comfort to, sustain, encourage, buoy up, hearten, fortify,
console, solace, give sympathy to, reassure, succour, soothe;
informal buck up. ANTONYMS neglect, abandon.
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4 there seems to be evidence to support both of these arguments:
substantiate, back up, give force to, give weight to, bear out,
corroborate, confirm, attest to, verify, prove, validate,
authenticate, endorse, ratify, document. ANTONYMS
contradict, undermine.
5 all the money we receive will be used to support charitable projects in
Africa: help, aid, assist; contribute to, give a donation to, give
money to, back, underwrite, subsidize, fund, finance, succour;
N. Amer. informal bankroll.
6 he obtained 773 votes as an independent candidate supported by a
residents' association: back, champion, give help to, help, assist,
aid, be on the side of, side with, favour, prefer, abet, aid and
abet, encourage; vote for, ally oneself with, stand behind, fall in
with, stand up for, defend, take someone's part, take up the
cudgels for; sponsor, vouch for, second, promote, endorse,
sanction, approve of, give one's blessing to, smile on; informal
stick up for, throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS oppose.
7 a bold initiative to support human rights around the world: advocate,
promote, further, champion, back, be on the side of, espouse,
espouse the cause of, be in favour of, recommend, defend,
subscribe to.
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8 at work during the day I could support the grief: endure, bear, put up
with, tolerate, stand, abide, suffer, stomach, brook, sustain,
shoulder, weather.
noun
1 one of the bridge supports had developed a six inch crack: pillar, post,
prop, underprop, underpinning, base, substructure, foundation;
brace, buttress, abutment, bolster, upright, stay, stand, trestle,
crutch, plinth.
2 he can't be forced to pay support for a wife abroad: maintenance,
keep, sustenance, subsistence; food and accommodation.
3 I was lucky to have my family's support during this difficult time:
moral support, friendship, strengthening, strength,
encouragement, buoying up, heartening, fortification,
consolation, solace, succour, relief, easement; informal bucking
up.
4 he was a great support when her father died: comfort, help,
assistance, tower of strength, prop, backbone, mainstay.
5 we will provide support for essential community services:
contributions, backing, donations, money, subsidy, funding,
funds, finance, capital.
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6 many stars openly voiced their support for one candidate or another:
backing, help, assistance, aid, votes, endorsement, sanction,
approval, blessing, patronage.
7 there has been a surge in support for decentralization: advocacy,
backing, promotion, championship, espousal, defence,
recommendation, recommending, argument for, arguing for.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
support, help, aid, assist
See help.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
forget |fəˈgɛt|
verb (forgets, forgetting, forgot |-ˈgɒt| ; past
participleforgotten |-ˈgɒt(ə)n| or chiefly USforgot) [ with
obj. ]
fail to remember: he had forgotten his lines | [ with clause ] : she
had completely forgotten how hungry she was.
• inadvertently neglect to do or mention something: [ with
infinitive ] : she forgot to lock her door.
• deliberately cease to think of: forget all this romantic stuff | [ no
obj. ] : for years she had struggled to forget about him.
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• (forget it) informal said when insisting to someone that there
is no need for apology or thanks. ‘I'm sorry ...’ she began. ‘Forget
it’.
• (forget oneself) neglect to behave in an appropriate way.
‘I'm sorry, Cassie. I forget myself ’.
PHRASES
not forgetting —— (at the end of a list) and also ——: there
are wild goats and deer, not forgetting the famous Lundy ponies.
DERIVATIVES
forgetter noun
ORIGIN Old English forgietan, of West Germanic origin;
related to Dutch vergeten and German vergessen, and
ultimately to for- and get.
forget
verb
1 he forgot where he had parked his car: fail to remember, fail to
recall, fail to think of, let slip. ANTONYMS remember.
2 how could you forget your notes? leave behind, omit to take,
overlook, lose track of, mislay, misplace, lose.
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3 I forgot to close the door: neglect, fail, omit, not remember;
archaic pretermit.
4 the rich world would love to forget Africa: stop thinking about, think
no more of, cease to think of, cease to remember, put out of
one's mind, shut out, blank out, pay no heed to, not worry
about, ignore, overlook, never mind, take no notice of, banish
from one's thoughts, put away, get over, set aside, lay aside, pass
over, abandon, have done with, drop, disregard, brush off,
shrug off.
PHRASES
forget oneself I'm sorry about that—I forgot myself: act
improperly, misbehave, do wrong, go wrong, behave badly, be
misbehaved, misconduct oneself, be bad, be naughty, get up to
mischief, get up to no good, act up, give/cause someone
trouble; sin, go astray, transgress, trespass, fall from grace,
lapse, degenerate; Brit. informal muck about, play up.
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defend |dɪˈfɛnd|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect
from harm or danger: we shall defend our island, whatever the cost.
• speak or write in favour of (an action or person); attempt to
justify: he defended his policy of imposing high rates.
• compete to retain (a title or seat) in a contest or election: he
won the party's nomination to defend the Welsh seat | (as
adj.defending) : the defending champion.
2 conduct the case for (the party being accused or sued) in a
lawsuit: he is a lawyer who specializes in defending political prisoners.
3 [ no obj. ] (in sport) protect one's goal or wicket rather than
attempt to score against one's opponents. they were forced to defend
for long periods.
DERIVATIVES
defendable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French defendre, from
Latin defendere, from de- ‘off ’ + -fendere ‘to strike’.
Compare with offend.
defend
verb
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1 a tower built to defend Ireland from Napoleon's threatened invasion | we
will defend freedom of speech: protect, guard, safeguard, keep from
harm, preserve, secure, shield, shelter, screen; fortify, garrison,
barricade; fight for, uphold, support, be on the side of, take up
cudgels for; watch over, be the defender of. ANTONYMS
attack.
2 he defended his policy of charging high interest rates: justify, vindicate,
argue/speak for, speak on behalf of, support, speak in support
of, give an apologia for, make a case for, plead for, make
excuses for, excuse, exonerate, palliate; explain, give reasons for,
give the rationale behind. ANTONYMS attack, criticize.
3 the manager defended his players: support, speak in support of,
back, stand by, stick up for, stand up for, argue for, champion,
endorse, uphold, come to the defence of, sustain, bolster;
informal throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS criticize.
analogy |əˈnalədʒi|
noun (pl.analogies)
a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the
purpose of explanation or clarification: an analogy between
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the workings of nature and those of human societies | [ mass noun ] :
he interprets logical functions by analogy with machines.
• a correspondence or partial similarity. the syndrome is called deep
dysgraphia because of its analogy to deep dyslexia.
• a thing which is comparable to something else in significant
respects. works of art were seen as an analogy for works of nature.
• [ mass noun ] Logic a process of arguing from similarity in
known respects to similarity in other respects. argument from
analogy.
• [ mass noun ] Linguistics a process by which new words and
inflections are created on the basis of regularities in the form of
existing ones.
• [ mass noun ] Biology the resemblance of function between
organs that have a different evolutionary origin.
DERIVATIVES
analogic |anəˈlɒdʒɪk| adjective,
analogical |anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
analogically |anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li| adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘appropriateness,
correspondence’): from French analogie,Latin analogia
‘proportion’, from Greek, from analogos ‘proportionate’.
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analogy
noun
an analogy between the workings of nature and those of human societies:
similarity, parallel, parallelism, correspondence, likeness,
resemblance, correlation, relation, kinship, equivalence,
similitude, symmetry, homology. ANTONYMS dissimilarity.
difference |ˈdɪf(ə)r(ə)ns|
noun
1 a point or way in which people or things are dissimilar: the
differences between men and women.
• [ mass noun ] the state or condition of being dissimilar: their
difference from one another.
• a quantity by which amounts differ; the remainder left after
subtraction of one value from another: the insurance company will
pay the difference.
• Heraldry an alteration in a coat of arms to distinguish
members or branches of a family.
2 a disagreement, quarrel, or dispute: the couple are patching up
their differences.
verb [ with obj. ] Heraldry
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alter (a coat of arms) to distinguish members or branches of a
family.
PHRASES
make a (or no) difference have a significant effect (or no
effect) on a person or situation: the Act will make no
difference to my business.
with a difference having a new or unusual feature or
treatment: a fashion show with a difference.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
differentia (see differentia) .
difference
noun
1 there is no difference between the two accounts: dissimilarity, contrast,
distinction, distinctness, differentiation; variance, variation,
variability, divergence, deviation, polarity, gulf, breach, gap,
split, disparity, imbalance, unevenness, incongruity,
contradiction, contradistinction, nonconformity; rare
unlikeness, contrariety, dissimilitude. ANTONYMS similarity.
2 the couple are patching up their differences: disagreement, difference
of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, disputation, argument,
debate, quarrel, wrangle, altercation, contretemps, clash,
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controversy, dissension; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, spat,
ruction; Brit. informal row, barney, bit of argy-bargy.
3 you pay a reduced amount and the bank makes up the difference:
balance, outstanding amount, remaining amount, remainder,
rest, residue, excess, extra; technical residuum.
comparison |kəmˈparɪs(ə)n|
noun
1 a consideration or estimate of the similarities or
dissimilarities between two things or people: they drew a
comparison between Gandhi's teaching and that of other teachers
| [ mass noun ] : the two books invite comparison with one another.
• an analogy: perhaps the best comparison is that of seasickness.
• [ mass noun ] the quality of being similar or equivalent: when
it comes to achievements this season, there's no comparison
between Linfield and Bangor.
2 [ mass noun ] Grammar the formation of the comparative
and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
PHRASES
bear (or stand) comparison be of sufficient quality to be
likened favourably to someone or something of the same kind.
our pupils' results will bear comparison with any in Scotland.
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beyond comparison surpassing all others of the same kind.
in (or by) comparison when compared: the Prime Minister's
support staff is tiny in comparison with that of a US President.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French comparesoun,
from Latin comparatio(n-), from comparare ‘to pair,
match’ (see compare) .
comparison
noun
1 the table provides a comparison of our performance with last year's
results: contrast, juxtaposition, collation, differentiation;
weighing up, balancing.
2 there's no comparison between classical music and rap: resemblance,
likeness, similarity, similitude, correspondence, correlation,
parallel, parity, symmetry, equivalence, comparability, analogy.
ANTONYMS difference.
addition |əˈdɪʃ(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the action or process of adding something to something else:
the hotel has been extended with the addition of more rooms.
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• [ count noun ] a person or thing added or joined: you will find
the coat a useful addition to your wardrobe.
2 the process of calculating the total of two or more numbers
or amounts. she began with simple arithmetic, addition and then
subtraction.
• Mathematics the process of combining matrices, vectors, or
other quantities under specific rules to obtain their sum or
resultant. [ with modifier ] : the concepts of vectors and vector
addition.
PHRASES
in addition as an extra person or thing: members of the board
were paid a small allowance in addition to their normal salary.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin additio(n-), from
the verb addere (see add) .
addition
noun
1 the soil is greatly improved by the addition of compost: inclusion,
adding, adding in, incorporation, introduction, insertion.
2 an improved machine for the addition of numbers: adding up,
counting, totalling, computation, calculation, reckoning,
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tallying, summation; informal totting up; informal, dated
casting up.
3 he proposes a number of additions to existing taxation: supplement,
appendage, adjunct, addendum, add-on, extra,
accompaniment, extension, rider; increase, increment,
augmentation.
PHRASES
in addition 1 conditions were harsh and in addition some soldiers fell
victim to snipers: additionally, as well, what's more, besides,
furthermore, moreover, also, into the bargain, to boot. 2 there
were eight presidential candidates in addition to the General: besides,
as well as, on top of, along with, plus, over and above; other
than, apart from, excepting, with the exception of, excluding,
not including, barring, bar, save (for), omitting, leaving out, not
to mention, to say nothing of.
allure |əˈljʊə, əˈljɔː|
noun [ mass noun ]
the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or
fascinating: people for whom gold holds no allure.
verb [ with obj. ]
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powerfully attract or charm; tempt: will sponsors really be allured
by such opportunities?
DERIVATIVES
allurement noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘tempt, entice’):
from Old French aleurier ‘attract’, from a- (from Latin ad
‘to’) + luere ‘a lure’ (originally a falconry term).
allure
noun
the nostalgic allure of Paris in the fifties: attraction, lure, draw, pull,
appeal, glamour, allurement, enticement, temptation,
bewitchment, enchantment, charm, seduction, persuasion,
fascination, magnetism. ANTONYMS repulsion.
verb
melody is the element with the most power to allure the listener: attract,
lure, entice, tempt, appeal to, whet the appetite of, make
someone's mouth water, captivate, draw, beguile, bewitch,
enchant, win over, charm, seduce, persuade, lead on, tantalize;
intrigue, fascinate; informal give the come-on to.
ANTONYMS repel.
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extol |ɪkˈstəʊl, ɛk-|
verb (extols, extolling, extolled) [ with obj. ]
praise enthusiastically: he extolled the virtues of the Russian
peoples.
DERIVATIVES
extoller noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin extollere, from ex-
‘out, upward’ + tollere ‘raise’.
extol
verb
nutritionists have long extolled the virtues of rice: praise
enthusiastically, go into raptures about/over, wax lyrical about,
sing the praises of, praise to the skies, heap praise on, eulogize,
rhapsodize over, rave about, enthuse about/over, gush about/
over, throw bouquets at, express delight over, acclaim; informal
go wild about, be mad about, go on about; N. Amer. informal
ballyhoo; black English big someone/something up; dated cry
someone/something up; rare laud, panegyrize. ANTONYMS
criticize.
excite |ɪkˈsʌɪt, ɛk-|
64 OF 68
verb [ with obj. ]
1 cause (someone) to feel very enthusiastic and eager: flying still
excites me | Gould was excited by these discoveries.
• arouse (someone) sexually: his Mediterranean vibrancy excited and
stimulated her.
2 give rise to (a feeling or reaction): the ability to excite interest in
others.
3 produce a state of increased energy or activity in (a physical
or biological system): the energy of an electron is sufficient to excite the
atom.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘incite someone to do
something’): from Old French exciter or Latin excitare,
frequentative of exciere ‘call out or forth’. Sense 1 dates
from the mid 19th cent.
excite
verb
1 the prospect of a holiday excited me: thrill, exhilarate, animate,
enliven, rouse, stir, move, stimulate, galvanize, electrify, fire the
imagination of, fire the enthusiasm of; delight, enrapture,
intoxicate; informal send, tickle, tickle someone pink, buck up,
65 OF 68
pep up, ginger up, give someone a buzz, give someone a kick,
get someone going; N. Amer. informal light a fire under, give
someone a charge; rare inspirit. ANTONYMS bore, depress.
2 she wore a chiffon nightgown to excite him: arouse, arouse sexually,
make someone feel sexually excited, stimulate, titillate, inflame;
please, attract, entice; informal turn someone on, give someone
a thrill, get someone going, float someone's boat, do it for
someone, light someone's fire, tickle someone's fancy.
ANTONYMS turn off.
3 his clothes excited envy and admiration: provoke, stir up, elicit,
rouse, arouse, stimulate, kindle, trigger (off), touch off, spark off,
awaken, incite, instigate, foment, bring out, cause, bring about;
literary enkindle.
entice |ɪnˈtʌɪs, ɛn-|
verb [ with obj. ]
attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage: a show which
should entice a new audience into the theatre | [ with obj. and
infinitive ] : the treat is offered to entice the dog to eat.
DERIVATIVES
enticer noun
66 OF 68
ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘incite, provoke’;
formerly also as intice): from Old French enticier, probably
from a base meaning ‘set on fire’, based on an alteration of
Latin titio ‘firebrand’.
entice
verb
the show should entice a new audience into the theatre: tempt, allure,
lure, attract, dangle a carrot in front of; appeal to, invite,
persuade, convince, inveigle, induce, beguile, cajole, wheedle,
coax, woo; seduce, lead astray, lead on, decoy; informal sweet-
talk, smooth-talk.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
entice, lure, tempt
See tempt.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
elicit |ɪˈlɪsɪt|
verb (elicits, eliciting, elicited) [ with obj. ]
67 OF 68
evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone: I
tried to elicit a smile from Joanna | the work elicited enormous public
interest.
• archaic draw forth (something that is latent or potential) into
existence: a corrupt heart elicits in an hour all that is bad in us.
DERIVATIVES
elicitation |-ˈteɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
elicitor noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin elicit- ‘drawn out by
trickery or magic’, from the verb elicere, from e- (variant
of ex-)‘out’ + lacere ‘entice, deceive’.
elicit
verb
the police claimed that his fingerprints had been found in order to elicit
admissions from him: obtain, bring out, draw out, extract, evoke,
bring about, bring forth, induce, excite, give rise to, call forth,
prompt, generate, engender, spark off, trigger, kindle; extort,
exact, wrest, derive, provoke, wring, screw, squeeze; informal
worm out.
68 OF 68
DURATION: TWO CLASSROOM PERIODS
adjective
(of a person) fond of company; sociable: he was a popular and
gregarious man.
• (of animals) living in flocks or loosely organized communities:
gregarious species forage in flocks from colonies or roosts.
• (of plants) growing in open clusters or in pure associations. in
the wild, trees are usually gregarious plants.
DERIVATIVES
gregariously adverb,
gregariousness noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin gregarius (from grex,
greg- ‘a flock’) + -ous.
gregarious
adjective
1 he was fun-loving and gregarious: sociable, social, company-
loving, companionable, convivial, clubbable; outgoing, friendly,
2 OF 68
affable, amiable, genial, congenial, cordial, hospitable,
neighbourly, welcoming, warm, pleasant, comradely, hail-
fellow-well-met; Scottish couthy; informal chummy, pally; Brit.
informal matey, decent; N. Amer. informal clubby, buddy-
buddy; rare conversable. ANTONYMS unsociable; reserved.
2 these fish are small and gregarious: social, organized, living in
shoals/flocks/herds.
pragmatic |pragˈmatɪk|
adjective
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is
based on practical rather than theoretical considerations: a
pragmatic approach to politics.
• relating to philosophical or political pragmatism.
• Linguistics relating to pragmatics.
DERIVATIVES
pragmatically adverb
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the senses ‘busy, interfering,
conceited’): via Latin from Greek pragmatikos ‘relating to
fact’, from pragma ‘deed’ (from the stem of prattein ‘do’).
The current senses date from the mid 19th cent.
3 OF 68
practical
adjective
1 they have practical experience of language-teaching methods: empirical,
hands-on, pragmatic, real, actual, active, applied, experiential,
experimental, non-theoretical, in the field; informal how-to;
technical heuristic; rare empiric. ANTONYMS theoretical.
2 the opposition have failed to put forward any practical alternatives:
feasible, practicable, realistic, viable, workable, possible, within
the bounds/realms of possibility, reasonable, sensible, useful,
helpful, constructive; informal doable; rare accomplishable.
3 do you want your clothes to be practical or frivolous? functional,
serviceable, sensible, useful, utilitarian, utility, everyday,
workaday, ordinary; suitable, appropriate.
4 I'm just being practical—we must find a ground-floor flat: realistic,
sensible, down-to-earth, pragmatic, businesslike, matter-of-fact,
reasonable, rational, commonsensical, hard-headed, no-
nonsense, with one's/both feet on the ground; informal hard-
nosed. ANTONYMS impractical.
5 it was a practical certainty that he would try to raise more money:
virtual, effective, in effect.
5 OF 68
compensate |ˈkɒmpɛnseɪt|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] give (someone) something, typically money, in
recognition of loss, suffering, or injury incurred; recompense:
payments were made to farmers to compensate them for cuts in
subsidies.
• pay (someone) for work performed: he will be richly compensated
for his efforts.
2 [ no obj. ] (compensate for) reduce or counteract
(something unwelcome or unpleasant) by exerting an opposite
force or effect: the manager is hoping for victory to compensate for the
team's dismal league campaign.
• act so as to neutralize or correct (a deficiency or abnormality
in a physical property or effect): the output voltage rises,
compensating for the original fall.
DERIVATIVES
compensative adjective,
compensator noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘counterbalance’): from
Latin compensat- ‘weighed against’, from the verb
compensare, from com- ‘together’ + pensare
(frequentative of pendere ‘weigh’).
6 OF 68
compensate
verb
1 you can never compensate for what you did to me: make
amends, make up, make restitution, make reparation, make
recompense, recompense, atone, requite, pay; expiate, make
good, put to rights, rectify, offset, square.
2 terms were agreed to compensate him for his loss: recompense, repay,
pay back, reimburse, remunerate, recoup, requite, indemnify;
settle up with, settle accounts with.
3 he had sufficient flair to compensate for his faults: balance,
balance out, counterbalance, counteract, counterpoise,
countervail, make up for, offset, cancel out, neutralize, nullify,
even up, square up; rare equilibrize, negative, counterweigh.
7 OF 68
accountable |əˈkaʊntəb(ə)l|
adjective
1 required or expected to justify actions or decisions;
responsible: ministers are accountable to Parliament | parents
cannot be held accountable for their children's actions.
2 able to be explained or understood. the delayed introduction of
characters' names is accountable, if we consider that names have a low
priority.
DERIVATIVES
accountably adverb
8 OF 68
accountable
adjective
1 the government was held accountable for the food shortage: responsible,
liable, answerable, chargeable; to blame. ANTONYMS
unaccountable.
2 ministers are accountable to parliament: answerable,
responsible, reporting, subject; under the charge of, bound to
obey, obeying, bound by.
3 the game's popularity is barely accountable: explicable, explainable;
understandable, comprehensible, intelligible, definable,
reasonable, unsurprising.
infallible |ɪnˈfalɪb(ə)l|
adjective
incapable of making mistakes or being wrong: doctors are not
infallible.
• never failing; always effective: infallible cures.
• (in the Roman Catholic Church) credited with papal
infallibility. for an encyclical to be infallible the Pope must speak ex
cathedra.
DERIVATIVES
infallibly adverb
9 OF 68
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from French infaillible or late Latin
infallibilis, from in- ‘not’ + Latin fallere ‘deceive’.
infallible
adjective
1 she had an infallible sense of timing: unerring, error-free,
unfailing, faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, true, uncanny,
precise, accurate, meticulous, scrupulous; Brit. informal spot
on; N. Amer. informal on the money.
2 infallible cures for a variety of ailments: unfailing, never failing,
always effective, guaranteed, dependable, trustworthy, reliable,
sure, certain, safe, sound, tried and tested, foolproof, effective,
efficacious; informal sure-fire.
incorrigible |ɪnˈkɒrɪdʒɪb(ə)l|
adjective
(of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or
reformed: she's an incorrigible flirt.
noun
an incorrigible person. all repeat offenders, but none of them real
hard-case incorrigibles.
DERIVATIVES
10 OF 68
incorrigibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
incorrigibly adverb [ as submodifier ] : the incorrigibly macho
character of news-gathering operations
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin
incorrigibilis, from in- ‘not’ + corrigibilis (see
corrigible) .
incorrigible
adjective
she's an incorrigible flirt: inveterate, habitual, confirmed,
hardened; incurable, unreformable, irreformable,
irredeemable, intractable, hopeless, beyond hope/redemption;
chronic, diehard, deep-dyed, dyed-in-the-wool, long-standing,
addicted, hard-core; impenitent, uncontrite, unrepentant,
unapologetic, unashamed; informal impossible. ANTONYMS
occasional; repentant.
WORD TOOLKIT
incorrigible hardened habitual
optimist
flirt offender
drunkenness
11 OF 68
criminal
cynic
womanizer
spendthrift
gossip
soldier
warrior
terrorist
smoker
liar
snoring
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms
by means of words typically used with them.
12 OF 68
impervious |ɪmˈpəːvɪəs|
adjective
1 not allowing fluid to pass through: an impervious layer of basaltic
clay.
2 (impervious to) unable to be affected by: he worked,
apparently impervious to the heat.
DERIVATIVES
imperviously adverb,
imperviousness noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin impervius (from in-
‘not’ + pervius ‘pervious’) + -ous.
impervious
adjective
1 he seemed impervious to the chill wind | she is impervious
to his suggestions: unaffected by, untouched by, immune to,
invulnerable to, insusceptible to, not susceptible to, proof
against, unreceptive to, closed to, resistant to, indifferent to,
heedless of, unresponsive to, oblivious to, unmoved by, deaf to.
ANTONYMS receptive to, susceptible to.
2 an impervious damp-proof course: impermeable, impenetrable,
impregnable, waterproof, watertight, water-resistant, water-
13 OF 68
repellent; sealed, hermetically sealed; rare imperviable.
ANTONYMS permeable.
inexplicable |ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l, ˌɪnɛk-, ɪnˈɛksplɪ-|
adjective
unable to be explained or accounted for: for some inexplicable
reason her mind went completely blank.
DERIVATIVES
inexplicability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
inexplicably adverb [ sentence adverb ] : inexplicably, the pumps
started to malfunction
ORIGIN late Middle English: from French, or from Latin
inexplicabilis ‘that cannot be unfolded’, from in- ‘not’
+ explicabilis (see explicable) .
inexplicable
adjective
she had had an inexplicable change of heart: unaccountable,
unexplainable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable,
insoluble, unsolvable, baffling, puzzling, perplexing, mystifying,
bewildering, mysterious, strange, weird, abstruse, enigmatic;
14 OF 68
beyond comprehension, beyond understanding; archaic
wildering; rare insolvable. ANTONYMS understandable.
conscious |ˈkɒnʃəs|
adjective
1 aware of and responding to one's surroundings: although I was
in pain, I was conscious.
2 having knowledge of something: we are conscious of the
extent of the problem.
• [ in combination ] concerned with or worried about a
particular matter: they were growing increasingly security-conscious.
3 (of an action or feeling) deliberate and intentional: a conscious
effort to walk properly.
• (of the mind or a thought) directly perceptible to and under
the control of the person concerned. when you go to sleep it is only
the conscious mind which shuts down.
DERIVATIVES
consciously adverb
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘being aware of
wrongdoing’): from Latin conscius ‘knowing with others
or in oneself ’ (from conscire ‘be privy to’) + -ous.
15 OF 68
conscious
adjective
1 the patient was barely conscious: aware, awake, wide awake,
compos mentis, alert, responsive, reactive, feeling, sentient.
ANTONYMS unconscious.
2 he became conscious of people talking in the hall: aware of, alive
to, awake to, alert to, sensitive to, cognizant of, mindful of,
sensible of; informal wise to, in the know about, hip to; archaic
ware of; rare seized of, recognizant of, regardful of.
ANTONYMS unaware.
3 he made a conscious effort to stop staring: deliberate, intentional,
intended, done on purpose, purposeful, purposive, willed,
knowing, considered, studied, strategic; calculated, wilful,
premeditated, planned, pre-planned, preconceived, volitional;
aforethought; Law , dated prepense.
16 OF 68
consciousness |ˈkɒnʃəsnɪs|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the state of being aware of and responsive to
one's surroundings: she failed to regain consciousness and died two days
later.
2 a person's awareness or perception of something: her acute
consciousness of Luke's presence.
• the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world.
consciousness emerges from the operations of the brain.
emporium |ɛmˈpɔːrɪəm, ɪm-|
noun (pl.emporia |-rɪə| or emporiums)
a large retail store selling a wide variety of goods.
• archaic a centre of commerce; a market.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin, from Greek emporion,
from emporos ‘merchant’, based on a stem meaning ‘to
journey’.
emporium
noun
he was working at a boot and shoe emporium: shop, store, boutique,
outlet, retail outlet, reseller; department store, chain store,
17 OF 68
supermarket, hypermarket, superstore, megastore;
establishment; informal shed; N. Amer. informal big box.
archive |ˈɑːkʌɪv|
noun (usu. archives)
a collection of historical documents or records providing
information about a place, institution, or group of people: [ as
modifier ] : a section of archive film.
• the place where historical documents or records are kept. they
were allowed to study in the archives.
• a complete record of the data in part or all of a computer
system, stored on an infrequently used medium.
verb [ with obj. ]
place or store (something) in an archive.
• Computing transfer (data) to a less frequently used storage
medium such as magnetic tape. the entire directory will be archived.
DERIVATIVES
archival |ɑːˈkʌɪv(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘place where records are
kept’): from French archives (plural), from Latin archiva,
archia, from Greek arkheia ‘public records’, from arkhē
‘government’. The verb dates from the late 19th cent.
18 OF 68
archive
noun
1 (archives) if you delve into the family archives you'll find that their
marriage was a very happy one: records, annals, chronicles,
registers, accounts; papers, documents, rolls, dossiers, files,
deeds, ledgers; history, information, evidence; documentation,
paperwork; formal muniments.
2 more and more museums, archives, and libraries are becoming
independent: record office, registry, repository, museum, chancery.
verb
these videos are archived for future use: file, log, catalogue,
pigeonhole; store, record, register, chronicle, cache; document,
put on record, post.
library |ˈlʌɪbrəri, -bri|
noun (pl.libraries)
a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals,
and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing
by the public or the members of an institution: a university library
| [ as modifier ] : a library book.
19 OF 68
• a collection of books and periodicals held in a library. the
Institute houses an outstanding library of 35,000 volumes on the fine arts.
• a room in a private house where books are kept. there was a
library that Uncle Hilbert used as his study.
• a series of books or recordings issued by a company as a set.
• a collection of films, recorded music, etc., organized
systematically and kept for research or borrowing: a record
library.
• (also software library)Computing a collection of programs
and software packages made generally available, often loaded
and stored on disk for immediate use. download any of thousands
of programs from our software libraries.
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
libraria ‘bookshop’, feminine (used as a noun) of librarius
‘relating to books’, from liber, libr- ‘book’.
museum |mjuːˈzɪəm|
noun
a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or
cultural interest are stored and exhibited. [ as name ] : the
Museum of Modern Art. the museum is noted for its fine fossil collection.
20 OF 68
[ as modifier ] : a museum curator. figurative : it is difficult to avoid
the feeling that the city is now a living museum.
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (denoting a university building,
specifically one erected at Alexandria by Ptolemy Soter): via
Latin from Greek mouseion ‘seat of the Muses’, based on
mousa ‘muse’.
21 OF 68
homicide |ˈhɒmɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ] chiefly N. Amer.
the killing of one person by another: he was charged with homicide
| [ count noun ] : knives account for a third of all homicides.
• (Homicide)the police department that deals with the crime
of murder: a man from Homicide.
• [ count noun ] dated a murderer.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, from Latin
homicidium, from homo, homin- ‘man’.
22 OF 68
homicide
noun
1 he was charged with homicide. See murder.
2 dated a convicted homicide. See murderer.
fratricide |ˈfratrɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the killing of one's brother or sister. Cain justifies his fratricide with
lethal logic.
• [ count noun ] a person who kills their brother or sister.
• the accidental killing of one's own forces in war. the Vietnam
War saw fratricide increase because of the close-in jungle fighting.
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (denoting a person who kills their
brother or sister, derived from Latin fratricida): the primary
current sense comes via French from late Latin fratricidium,
from frater ‘brother’ + -cidium (see -cide) .
regicide |ˈrɛdʒɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the action of killing a king.
23 OF 68
• [ count noun ] a person who kills or takes part in killing a
king.
DERIVATIVES
regicidal |-ˈsʌɪd(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin rex, reg- ‘king’ + -
cide, probably suggested by French régicide .
parricide |ˈparɪsʌɪd|
noun [ mass noun ]
the killing of a parent or other near relative.
• [ count noun ] a person who commits parricide.
DERIVATIVES
parricidal |-ˈsʌɪd(ə)l| adjective
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French, from Latin
parricidium ‘murder of a parent’, with first element of
unknown origin, but for long associated with Latin pater
‘father’ and parens ‘parent’.
aviary |ˈeɪvɪəri|
noun (pl.aviaries)
a large cage, building, or enclosure for keeping birds in.
24 OF 68
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin aviarium, from avis
‘bird’.
apiary |ˈeɪpɪəri|
noun (pl.apiaries)
a place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives.
DERIVATIVES
apiarian adjective,
apiarist noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin apiarium, from apis
‘bee’.
aquarium |əˈkwɛːrɪəm|
noun (pl.aquaria |-rɪə| or aquariums)
a transparent tank of water in which live fish and other water
creatures and plants are kept.
• a building containing tanks of live fish of different species.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Latin, neuter of aquarius ‘of
water’, on the pattern of vivarium.
25 OF 68
millennium |mɪˈlɛnɪəm|
noun (pl.millennia |-nɪə| or millenniums)
1 a period of a thousand years, especially when calculated
from the traditional date of the birth of Christ. silver first came
into use on a substantial scale during the 3rd millennium bc .
• (the millennium) Christian Theology the prophesied
thousand-year reign of Christ at the end of the age (Rev. 20:1–
5). Archer's treatise predicted that the millennium was close at hand.
• (the millennium) a utopian period of justice, peace, and
prosperity. the people must seize power—the millennium cannot be
imposed on them from above.
2 an anniversary of a thousand years: the millennium of the
Russian Orthodox Church.
• (the millennium) the point at which one period of a
thousand years ends and another begins. as we approach the
millennium the only certainty is change.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: modern Latin, from Latin mille
‘thousand’, on the pattern of biennium.
usage: The correct spelling is millennium not millenium.
The latter is a common error, formed by analogy with other
similar words correctly spelled with only one n, such as
millenarian and millenary. The differences in spelling are
26 OF 68
explained by different origins. Millennium was formed by
analogy with words like biennium, while millenary and
millenarian were formed from the Latin milleni.
occasion |əˈkeɪʒ(ə)n|
noun
1 a particular event, or the time at which it takes place: on one
occasion I stayed up until two in the morning.
• a special or noteworthy event, ceremony, or celebration: she
was presented with a gold watch to mark the occasion | [ mass noun ] :
Sunday lunch has a suitable sense of occasion about it.
• a suitable or opportune time for doing something: by-elections
are traditionally an occasion for registering protest votes.
2 [ mass noun ] formal reason; cause: [ with infinitive ] : it's the
first time that I've had occasion to complain.
verb [ with obj. ] formal
cause (something): something vital must have occasioned this visit |
[ with two objs ] : his death occasioned her much grief.
PHRASES
on occasion (or occasions)occasionally; from time to time:
on occasion, the state was asked to intervene.
27 OF 68
rise to the occasion perform better than usual in response
to a special situation or event. when it comes to the finals, they can
rise to the occasion.
take occasion archaic make use of an opportunity to do
something. I shall here take occasion to propose a second observation.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin
occasio(n-)‘juncture, reason’, from occidere ‘go down,
set’, from ob- ‘towards’ + cadere ‘to fall’.
28 OF 68
occasion
noun
1 she consulted him on a number of occasions: instance, time,
moment, juncture, point; event, happening, occurrence, affair,
incident, episode, experience, situation, case, circumstance.
2 the perfect venue for a special occasion | family occasions such as
weddings: social event, event, affair, function, celebration, party,
ceremony, get-together, gathering; informal do, bash; Brit.
informal rave-up, thrash, knees-up, jolly, beanfeast, bunfight,
beano, lig.
3 I doubt if the occasion will arise: opportunity, suitable/opportune
time, right moment, chance, opening, window.
4 it's the first time I've had occasion to complain: reason, cause, call,
grounds, justification, need, necessity, requirement, excuse,
pretext, stimulus, inducement, provocation, motive.
verb
her situation occasioned a good deal of sympathy: cause, give rise to,
bring about, result in, lead to, prompt, provoke, evoke, elicit,
call forth, produce, create, arouse, make (for), generate,
engender, originate, effect, bring on, induce, precipitate, stir up,
inspire, spark off, trigger, breed; literary beget; rare effectuate.
PHRASES
29 OF 68
on occasion See occasionally.
stunning |ˈstʌnɪŋ|
adjective
extremely impressive or attractive: she looked stunning.
DERIVATIVES
stunningly adverb
stun |stʌn|
verb (stuns, stunning, stunned) [ with obj. ]
1 knock unconscious or into a semi-conscious state: the man was
stunned by a blow to the head.
2 astonish or shock (someone) so that they are temporarily
unable to react: the community was stunned by the tragedy | (as
adj.stunned) : she stared at him in stunned disbelief.
ORIGIN Middle English: shortening of Old French estoner
‘astonish’.
stunning
adjective
1 a stunning 4–0 win in the League Cup final: remarkable,
extraordinary, staggering, incredible, impressive, outstanding,
amazing, astonishing, marvellous, phenomenal, splendid,
30 OF 68
imposing, breathtaking, thrilling; informal mind-boggling,
mind-blowing, out of this world, fabulous, fab, super, fantastic,
tremendous; literary wondrous. ANTONYMS ordinary, run-
of-the-mill.
2 she was looking particularly stunning: beautiful, handsome,
attractive, lovely, good-looking, comely, pretty, sexy; sensational,
radiant, ravishing, striking, dazzling, devastating, wonderful,
marvellous, magnificent, glorious, breathtaking, captivating,
bewitching, charming, alluring, exquisite, impressive, splendid;
Scottish & N. English bonny; informal gorgeous, drop-dead
gorgeous, out of this world, fabulous, fab, smashing, super,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, easy on the eye, knockout; N.
Amer. informal bootylicious; literary beauteous; rare
pulchritudinous. ANTONYMS ordinary, unattractive.
stun
verb
1 a glancing blow stunned Gary: daze, stupefy, knock senseless,
knock unconscious, knock out, lay out; informal knock for six.
2 she was quite stunned by her own success: astound, amaze, astonish,
startle, take someone's breath away, dumbfound, stupefy,
overwhelm, stagger, shock, confound, take aback, shake up;
31 OF 68
informal flabbergast, knock for six, knock sideways, hit like a
ton of bricks, bowl over, floor, blow away.
Baltimore |ˈbɔːltɪmɔː, ˈbɒl-|
a seaport in north Maryland; pop. 636,919 (est. 2008).
DERIVATIVES
Baltimorean |bɔːltɪˈmɔːrɪən, bɒl-| noun& adjective
ORIGIN named after George Calvert, the first Baron
Baltimore ( c.1580–1632), who in 1632 obtained a grant of
land for the colony later to become Maryland.
deciduous |dɪˈsɪdjʊəs|
adjective
(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually. sun-loving
deciduous trees like aspen. Often contrasted with evergreen.
• informal (of a tree or shrub) broadleaved.
• denoting the milk teeth of a mammal, which are shed after a
time. this is the period when the deciduous teeth are being shed.
DERIVATIVES
deciduously adverb,
deciduousness noun
32 OF 68
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from Latin deciduus (from
decidere ‘fall down or off ’) + -ous.
tropical |ˈtrɒpɪk(ə)l|
adjective
1 of, typical of, or peculiar to the tropics: tropical countries | a
tropical rainforest.
• very hot and humid: some plants thrived in last year's tropical
summer heat.
2 archaic of or involving a trope; figurative.
DERIVATIVES
tropically adverb
tropical
adjective
the tropical weather was debilitating: very hot, sweltering, baking
hot, torrid; humid, sultry, steamy, sticky, oppressive, stifling,
suffocating, heavy; informal boiling. ANTONYMS cold, arctic.
33 OF 68
spirituous |ˈspɪrɪtjʊəs|
adjective formal or archaic
containing much alcohol; distilled: spirituous beverages.
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘spirited, lively’): from
Latin spiritus ‘spirit’ + -ous, or from French spiritueux .
spiritual |ˈspɪrɪtʃʊəl, -tjʊəl|
adjective
1 relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical things: I'm responsible for his spiritual welfare.
• having a relationship based on a profound level of mental or
emotional communion: he never forgot his spiritual father.
• (of a person) not concerned with material values or pursuits.
2 relating to religion or religious belief: the country's spiritual
leader.
noun
(also Negro spiritual)a religious song of a kind associated
with black Christians of the southern US, and thought to
derive from the combination of European hymns and African
musical elements by black slaves.
PHRASES
34 OF 68
one's spiritual home a place in which one feels a strong
sense of belonging: I had always thought of Italy as my spiritual
home.
DERIVATIVES
spirituality |-ˈalɪti| noun,
spiritually adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French spirituel, from
Latin spiritualis, from spiritus (see spirit) .
luxuriant |lʌgˈʒʊərɪənt, lʌgˈzjʊə-, lʌkˈsjʊə-|
adjective
(of vegetation) rich and profuse in growth; lush. forests of dark,
luxuriant foliage.
• (of hair) thick and healthy. she tossed her luxuriant dark hair.
DERIVATIVES
luxuriance noun,
luxuriantly adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin luxuriant- ‘growing
rankly’, from the verb luxuriare, from luxuria ‘luxury,
rankness’.
35 OF 68
luxuriant
adjective
luxuriant green vegetation: lush, rich, abundant, superabundant,
profuse, exuberant, prolific, teeming, flourishing, fecund,
thriving, vigorous, riotous; dense, thick, rank, rampant,
overgrown; verdant, green; informal jungly. ANTONYMS
barren, meagre, sparse.
EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
luxuriant or luxurious?
See luxurious.
These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking pairs.
luxurious |lʌgˈʒʊərɪəs, lʌgˈzjʊə-, lʌkˈsjʊə-|
adjective
extremely comfortable or elegant, especially when involving
great expense: the island's most luxurious hotel.
• giving self-indulgent or sensual pleasure: a luxurious wallow in a
scented bath.
DERIVATIVES
luxuriously adverb,
luxuriousness noun
36 OF 68
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘lascivious’): from Old
French luxurios, from Latin luxuriosus, from luxuria
‘luxury’.
usage: Luxurious and luxuriant are sometimes confused.
Luxurious chiefly means ‘very comfortable, elegant, and
involving great expense’, as in a luxurious hotel, whereas
luxuriant means ‘rich and profuse in growth’, as in acres of
luxuriant gardens.
luxurious
adjective
1 a luxurious New York hotel: opulent, sumptuous, affluent,
expensive, rich, costly, deluxe, lush, grand, palatial, splendid,
magnificent, lavish, lavishly appointed, well appointed,
extravagant, ornate, fancy, stylish, elegant; informal plush,
posh, upmarket, classy, ritzy, swanky; Brit. informal swish; N.
Amer. informal swank; rare palatian. ANTONYMS poor;
austere, spartan.
2 a luxurious lifestyle: self-indulgent, sensual, pleasure-loving,
comfort-seeking, epicurean, hedonistic, sybaritic, lotus-eating,
decadent, extravagant, immoderate. ANTONYMS
abstemious.
37 OF 68
EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
luxurious or luxuriant?
You may find luxuriant foliage in the conservatory of a luxurious
home, but the two words have quite different meanings.
■ Luxurious denotes things that are extremely comfortable,
elegant, and pleasurable (usually with a hint that they may be
self-indulgent and unnecessarily expensive), as in the luxurious
villas of the rich and famous.
■ Luxuriant, on the other hand, is used mainly with reference
to the growth of plants (luxuriant creepers climbed up the wall),
though it may also refer to a person's hair (she tossed her luxuriant
hair back contemptuously).
These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking pairs.
transcend |tranˈsɛnd, trɑːn-|
verb [ with obj. ]
be or go beyond the range or limits of (a field of activity or
conceptual sphere): this was an issue transcending party politics.
• surpass (a person or achievement). he doubts that he will ever
transcend Shakespeare.
38 OF 68
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French transcendre or
Latin transcendere, from trans- ‘across’ + scandere
‘climb’.
transcend
verb
1 there were differences of opinion transcending Party lines: go beyond,
rise above, cut across.
2 his latest bout of bad behaviour transcended even his own worst excesses:
surpass, excel, exceed, beat, trump, top, cap, outdo, outstrip,
leave behind, outrival, outvie, outrank, outshine, eclipse,
overstep, overshadow, throw into the shade, upstage.
hardly |ˈhɑːdli|
adverb
1 scarcely (used to qualify a statement by saying that it is true
to an insignificant degree): the little house in which he lived was
hardly bigger than a hut | a thing hardly bigger than a credit card | we
hardly know each other.
• only a very short time before: the party had hardly started when the
police arrived.
39 OF 68
• only with great difficulty: she could hardly sit up | I nodded,
hardly able to breath.
• no or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a
statement): I hardly think so.
2 archaic harshly: the rule worked hardly.
PHRASES
hardly any almost no: they sold hardly any books. • almost none:
hardly any had previous convictions.
hardly ever very rarely: we hardly ever see them.
usage: Words like hardly, scarcely, and rarely should not
be used with negative constructions. Thus, it is correct to say I
can hardly wait but incorrect to say I can't hardly wait. This
is because adverbs like hardly are treated as if they were
negatives, and it is a well-known grammatical rule of standard
English that double negatives (i.e. in this case having hardly
and not in the same clause) are not acceptable. Words like
hardly behave as negatives in other respects as well, as for
example in combining with words like any or at all, which
normally only occur where a negative is present (thus, standard
usage is I've got hardly any money but not I've got any money).
See also usage at double negative.
40 OF 68
hardly
adverb
1 we hardly know each other | Dad had hardly got a word out before she
cut him off: scarcely, barely, only just, not much, faintly, narrowly,
slightly, rarely, little; by a very small margin, by the narrowest
of margins, by the skin of one's teeth, by a hair's breadth, by a
nose; almost not, not quite; informal by a whisker.
ANTONYMS fully.
2 she could hardly sit up straight: only with difficulty, barely,
scarcely, only with effort, only just, almost not; Brit. informal at
a push. ANTONYMS easily.
condone |kənˈdəʊn|
verb [ with obj. ] [ often with negative ]
accept (behaviour that is considered morally wrong or
offensive): the college cannot condone any behaviour that involves illicit
drugs.
• approve or sanction (something), especially with reluctance:
those arrested were released and the exhibition was officially condoned a
few weeks later.
DERIVATIVES
condonation |kɒndəˈneɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
41 OF 68
condoner noun
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Latin condonare ‘refrain
from punishing’, from con- ‘altogether’ + donare ‘give’.
condone
verb
we cannot condone such dreadful behaviour: deliberately ignore, not
take into consideration, disregard, take no notice of, take no
account of, accept, allow, make allowances for, let pass, turn a
blind eye to, overlook, forget, wink at, blink at, connive at;
forgive, pardon, excuse, let someone off with, let go, sink, bury;
let bygones be bygones; informal let something ride.
ANTONYMS condemn; punish.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
condone, forgive, pardon, excuse
See forgive.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
forgive |fəˈgɪv|
verb (pastforgave; past participleforgiven) [ with obj. ]
42 OF 68
stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an
offence, flaw, or mistake: I'll never forgive David for the way he
treated her.
• no longer feel angry about or wish to punish (an offence, flaw,
or mistake): I was willing to forgive all her faults for the sake of our
friendship | [ no obj. ] : he had never found it easy to forgive and
forget.
• cancel (a debt): he proposed that their debts should be forgiven.
• used in polite expressions as a request to excuse one's foibles,
ignorance, or impoliteness: you will have to forgive my suspicious
mind.
PHRASES
one could (or may) be forgiven for doing something it
would be understandable if one mistakenly did a particular
thing: with the plaster palm trees, you could be forgiven for thinking you
were on Hollywood Boulevard.
DERIVATIVES
forgiver noun
ORIGIN Old English forgiefan, of Germanic origin, related to
Dutch vergeven and German vergeben, and ultimately to
for- and give.
43 OF 68
forgive
verb
1 she would not forgive him for deceiving her: pardon, excuse,
exonerate, absolve, acquit, let off, grant an amnesty to,
amnesty; make allowances for, stop feeling resentful towards,
feel no resentment towards, stop feeling malice towards, feel no
malice towards, harbour no grudge against, bury the hatchet
with; let bygones be bygones; informal let someone off the
hook, go easy on; rare exculpate. ANTONYMS blame;
convict; resent.
2 you must forgive his rude conduct: excuse, overlook, disregard,
ignore, pass over, make allowances for, allow; condone, let go,
let pass, sanction, turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, wink
at, connive at, blink at, indulge, tolerate; rare extenuate.
ANTONYMS punish.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
forgive, pardon, excuse, condone
■ Forgive is the standard word used when someone to whom
a wrong has been done makes a deliberate decision to put aside
the feelings of anger and blame occasioned by that wrong (he
forgave the bomber who killed his daughter | she could never forgive her
friend's betrayal). It is also used informally in the sense of
44 OF 68
‘excuse’, especially in the passive, to indicate that an error is
understandable (you could be forgiven for thinking that our basic foods
haven't changed for years).
■ Pardon is used mainly to refer to the official remission of a
punishment to which an offender has been sentenced (the
President pardoned nine prisoners with heavy sentences). When used as a
synonym for forgive, it has a rather old-fashioned or mannered
tone (you have pardoned all their wrongs).
■ A circumstance that excuses an action provides reasons for
seeing it as less blameworthy than it would otherwise be (nothing
can excuse a teacher who fails to draw attention to these facts | his friend's
betrayal could be excused as a simple error of judgement). Excuse implies
that wrongdoing is merely being overlooked, rather than that
the wrongdoer is absolved.
■ Condone is a more critical term than the other three and is
used only of relatively serious misdemeanours. It suggests that
someone who does not condemn behaviour that is morally
wrong is in turn wrong to be so forgiving, so is often used in the
negative. The object is always an action, not a person (union
leaders cannot condone the use of violence).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
45 OF 68
support |səˈpɔːt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 bear all or part of the weight of; hold up: the dome was
supported by a hundred white columns.
2 give assistance to, especially financially: the government gives
£2,500 million a year to support the voluntary sector.
• provide with a home and the necessities of life: my main concern
was to support my family.
• give approval, comfort, or encouragement to: the proposal was
supported by many delegates.
• be actively interested in and concerned for the success of (a
particular sports team). fans should always support their team fully, no
matter what.
• (as adj.supporting) (of an actor or role) of secondary
importance to the leading roles in a play or film. the production's
greatest successes are in the main supporting roles.
• (of a pop or rock group or performer) function as a secondary
act to (another) at a concert.
3 suggest the truth of; corroborate: the studies support our findings.
46 OF 68
4 produce enough food and water for; be capable of
sustaining: the land had lost its capacity to support life.
5 endure; tolerate: at work during the day I could support the grief.
6 (of a computer or operating system) allow the use or
operation of (a program, language, or device): the new versions do
not support the graphical user interface standard.
noun
1 a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it
upright: the best support for a camera is a tripod.
• [ mass noun ] the action of supporting something or someone
or the state of being supported: she clutched the sideboard for
support.
2 [ mass noun ] material assistance: the bank provided unstinting
financial support | air operations in support of British forces.
• approval, encouragement, or comfort: the paper printed many
letters in support of the government | she's been through a bad time and
needs our support.
• technical help given to the user of a computer or other
product.
3 [ mass noun ] evidence that serves to corroborate something:
the study provides support for both theories.
47 OF 68
4 a secondary act at a pop or rock concert: [ as modifier ] : a
support band.
DERIVATIVES
supportability noun,
supportable adjective
supportless adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense ‘tolerate’):
from Old French supporter, from Latin supportare, from
sub- ‘from below’ + portare ‘carry’.
support
verb
1 the roof was supported by massive stone pillars: hold up, bear, carry,
prop up, keep up, bolster up, brace, shore up, underpin,
buttress, reinforce.
2 he was struggling to support his family: provide for, provide
sustenance for, maintain, sustain, keep, take care of, look after.
3 Martha lovingly supported him to the end: give moral support to,
give strength to, be a source of strength to, comfort, bring
comfort to, sustain, encourage, buoy up, hearten, fortify,
console, solace, give sympathy to, reassure, succour, soothe;
informal buck up. ANTONYMS neglect, abandon.
48 OF 68
4 there seems to be evidence to support both of these arguments:
substantiate, back up, give force to, give weight to, bear out,
corroborate, confirm, attest to, verify, prove, validate,
authenticate, endorse, ratify, document. ANTONYMS
contradict, undermine.
5 all the money we receive will be used to support charitable projects in
Africa: help, aid, assist; contribute to, give a donation to, give
money to, back, underwrite, subsidize, fund, finance, succour;
N. Amer. informal bankroll.
6 he obtained 773 votes as an independent candidate supported by a
residents' association: back, champion, give help to, help, assist,
aid, be on the side of, side with, favour, prefer, abet, aid and
abet, encourage; vote for, ally oneself with, stand behind, fall in
with, stand up for, defend, take someone's part, take up the
cudgels for; sponsor, vouch for, second, promote, endorse,
sanction, approve of, give one's blessing to, smile on; informal
stick up for, throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS oppose.
7 a bold initiative to support human rights around the world: advocate,
promote, further, champion, back, be on the side of, espouse,
espouse the cause of, be in favour of, recommend, defend,
subscribe to.
49 OF 68
8 at work during the day I could support the grief: endure, bear, put up
with, tolerate, stand, abide, suffer, stomach, brook, sustain,
shoulder, weather.
noun
1 one of the bridge supports had developed a six inch crack: pillar, post,
prop, underprop, underpinning, base, substructure, foundation;
brace, buttress, abutment, bolster, upright, stay, stand, trestle,
crutch, plinth.
2 he can't be forced to pay support for a wife abroad: maintenance,
keep, sustenance, subsistence; food and accommodation.
3 I was lucky to have my family's support during this difficult time:
moral support, friendship, strengthening, strength,
encouragement, buoying up, heartening, fortification,
consolation, solace, succour, relief, easement; informal bucking
up.
4 he was a great support when her father died: comfort, help,
assistance, tower of strength, prop, backbone, mainstay.
5 we will provide support for essential community services:
contributions, backing, donations, money, subsidy, funding,
funds, finance, capital.
50 OF 68
6 many stars openly voiced their support for one candidate or another:
backing, help, assistance, aid, votes, endorsement, sanction,
approval, blessing, patronage.
7 there has been a surge in support for decentralization: advocacy,
backing, promotion, championship, espousal, defence,
recommendation, recommending, argument for, arguing for.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
support, help, aid, assist
See help.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
forget |fəˈgɛt|
verb (forgets, forgetting, forgot |-ˈgɒt| ; past
participleforgotten |-ˈgɒt(ə)n| or chiefly USforgot) [ with
obj. ]
fail to remember: he had forgotten his lines | [ with clause ] : she
had completely forgotten how hungry she was.
• inadvertently neglect to do or mention something: [ with
infinitive ] : she forgot to lock her door.
• deliberately cease to think of: forget all this romantic stuff | [ no
obj. ] : for years she had struggled to forget about him.
51 OF 68
• (forget it) informal said when insisting to someone that there
is no need for apology or thanks. ‘I'm sorry ...’ she began. ‘Forget
it’.
• (forget oneself) neglect to behave in an appropriate way.
‘I'm sorry, Cassie. I forget myself ’.
PHRASES
not forgetting —— (at the end of a list) and also ——: there
are wild goats and deer, not forgetting the famous Lundy ponies.
DERIVATIVES
forgetter noun
ORIGIN Old English forgietan, of West Germanic origin;
related to Dutch vergeten and German vergessen, and
ultimately to for- and get.
forget
verb
1 he forgot where he had parked his car: fail to remember, fail to
recall, fail to think of, let slip. ANTONYMS remember.
2 how could you forget your notes? leave behind, omit to take,
overlook, lose track of, mislay, misplace, lose.
52 OF 68
3 I forgot to close the door: neglect, fail, omit, not remember;
archaic pretermit.
4 the rich world would love to forget Africa: stop thinking about, think
no more of, cease to think of, cease to remember, put out of
one's mind, shut out, blank out, pay no heed to, not worry
about, ignore, overlook, never mind, take no notice of, banish
from one's thoughts, put away, get over, set aside, lay aside, pass
over, abandon, have done with, drop, disregard, brush off,
shrug off.
PHRASES
forget oneself I'm sorry about that—I forgot myself: act
improperly, misbehave, do wrong, go wrong, behave badly, be
misbehaved, misconduct oneself, be bad, be naughty, get up to
mischief, get up to no good, act up, give/cause someone
trouble; sin, go astray, transgress, trespass, fall from grace,
lapse, degenerate; Brit. informal muck about, play up.
53 OF 68
defend |dɪˈfɛnd|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect
from harm or danger: we shall defend our island, whatever the cost.
• speak or write in favour of (an action or person); attempt to
justify: he defended his policy of imposing high rates.
• compete to retain (a title or seat) in a contest or election: he
won the party's nomination to defend the Welsh seat | (as
adj.defending) : the defending champion.
2 conduct the case for (the party being accused or sued) in a
lawsuit: he is a lawyer who specializes in defending political prisoners.
3 [ no obj. ] (in sport) protect one's goal or wicket rather than
attempt to score against one's opponents. they were forced to defend
for long periods.
DERIVATIVES
defendable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French defendre, from
Latin defendere, from de- ‘off ’ + -fendere ‘to strike’.
Compare with offend.
defend
verb
54 OF 68
1 a tower built to defend Ireland from Napoleon's threatened invasion | we
will defend freedom of speech: protect, guard, safeguard, keep from
harm, preserve, secure, shield, shelter, screen; fortify, garrison,
barricade; fight for, uphold, support, be on the side of, take up
cudgels for; watch over, be the defender of. ANTONYMS
attack.
2 he defended his policy of charging high interest rates: justify, vindicate,
argue/speak for, speak on behalf of, support, speak in support
of, give an apologia for, make a case for, plead for, make
excuses for, excuse, exonerate, palliate; explain, give reasons for,
give the rationale behind. ANTONYMS attack, criticize.
3 the manager defended his players: support, speak in support of,
back, stand by, stick up for, stand up for, argue for, champion,
endorse, uphold, come to the defence of, sustain, bolster;
informal throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS criticize.
analogy |əˈnalədʒi|
noun (pl.analogies)
a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the
purpose of explanation or clarification: an analogy between
55 OF 68
the workings of nature and those of human societies | [ mass noun ] :
he interprets logical functions by analogy with machines.
• a correspondence or partial similarity. the syndrome is called deep
dysgraphia because of its analogy to deep dyslexia.
• a thing which is comparable to something else in significant
respects. works of art were seen as an analogy for works of nature.
• [ mass noun ] Logic a process of arguing from similarity in
known respects to similarity in other respects. argument from
analogy.
• [ mass noun ] Linguistics a process by which new words and
inflections are created on the basis of regularities in the form of
existing ones.
• [ mass noun ] Biology the resemblance of function between
organs that have a different evolutionary origin.
DERIVATIVES
analogic |anəˈlɒdʒɪk| adjective,
analogical |anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l| adjective,
analogically |anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li| adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘appropriateness,
correspondence’): from French analogie,Latin analogia
‘proportion’, from Greek, from analogos ‘proportionate’.
56 OF 68
analogy
noun
an analogy between the workings of nature and those of human societies:
similarity, parallel, parallelism, correspondence, likeness,
resemblance, correlation, relation, kinship, equivalence,
similitude, symmetry, homology. ANTONYMS dissimilarity.
difference |ˈdɪf(ə)r(ə)ns|
noun
1 a point or way in which people or things are dissimilar: the
differences between men and women.
• [ mass noun ] the state or condition of being dissimilar: their
difference from one another.
• a quantity by which amounts differ; the remainder left after
subtraction of one value from another: the insurance company will
pay the difference.
• Heraldry an alteration in a coat of arms to distinguish
members or branches of a family.
2 a disagreement, quarrel, or dispute: the couple are patching up
their differences.
verb [ with obj. ] Heraldry
57 OF 68
alter (a coat of arms) to distinguish members or branches of a
family.
PHRASES
make a (or no) difference have a significant effect (or no
effect) on a person or situation: the Act will make no
difference to my business.
with a difference having a new or unusual feature or
treatment: a fashion show with a difference.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
differentia (see differentia) .
difference
noun
1 there is no difference between the two accounts: dissimilarity, contrast,
distinction, distinctness, differentiation; variance, variation,
variability, divergence, deviation, polarity, gulf, breach, gap,
split, disparity, imbalance, unevenness, incongruity,
contradiction, contradistinction, nonconformity; rare
unlikeness, contrariety, dissimilitude. ANTONYMS similarity.
2 the couple are patching up their differences: disagreement, difference
of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, disputation, argument,
debate, quarrel, wrangle, altercation, contretemps, clash,
58 OF 68
controversy, dissension; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, spat,
ruction; Brit. informal row, barney, bit of argy-bargy.
3 you pay a reduced amount and the bank makes up the difference:
balance, outstanding amount, remaining amount, remainder,
rest, residue, excess, extra; technical residuum.
comparison |kəmˈparɪs(ə)n|
noun
1 a consideration or estimate of the similarities or
dissimilarities between two things or people: they drew a
comparison between Gandhi's teaching and that of other teachers
| [ mass noun ] : the two books invite comparison with one another.
• an analogy: perhaps the best comparison is that of seasickness.
• [ mass noun ] the quality of being similar or equivalent: when
it comes to achievements this season, there's no comparison
between Linfield and Bangor.
2 [ mass noun ] Grammar the formation of the comparative
and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
PHRASES
bear (or stand) comparison be of sufficient quality to be
likened favourably to someone or something of the same kind.
our pupils' results will bear comparison with any in Scotland.
59 OF 68
beyond comparison surpassing all others of the same kind.
in (or by) comparison when compared: the Prime Minister's
support staff is tiny in comparison with that of a US President.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French comparesoun,
from Latin comparatio(n-), from comparare ‘to pair,
match’ (see compare) .
comparison
noun
1 the table provides a comparison of our performance with last year's
results: contrast, juxtaposition, collation, differentiation;
weighing up, balancing.
2 there's no comparison between classical music and rap: resemblance,
likeness, similarity, similitude, correspondence, correlation,
parallel, parity, symmetry, equivalence, comparability, analogy.
ANTONYMS difference.
addition |əˈdɪʃ(ə)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the action or process of adding something to something else:
the hotel has been extended with the addition of more rooms.
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• [ count noun ] a person or thing added or joined: you will find
the coat a useful addition to your wardrobe.
2 the process of calculating the total of two or more numbers
or amounts. she began with simple arithmetic, addition and then
subtraction.
• Mathematics the process of combining matrices, vectors, or
other quantities under specific rules to obtain their sum or
resultant. [ with modifier ] : the concepts of vectors and vector
addition.
PHRASES
in addition as an extra person or thing: members of the board
were paid a small allowance in addition to their normal salary.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin additio(n-), from
the verb addere (see add) .
addition
noun
1 the soil is greatly improved by the addition of compost: inclusion,
adding, adding in, incorporation, introduction, insertion.
2 an improved machine for the addition of numbers: adding up,
counting, totalling, computation, calculation, reckoning,
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tallying, summation; informal totting up; informal, dated
casting up.
3 he proposes a number of additions to existing taxation: supplement,
appendage, adjunct, addendum, add-on, extra,
accompaniment, extension, rider; increase, increment,
augmentation.
PHRASES
in addition 1 conditions were harsh and in addition some soldiers fell
victim to snipers: additionally, as well, what's more, besides,
furthermore, moreover, also, into the bargain, to boot. 2 there
were eight presidential candidates in addition to the General: besides,
as well as, on top of, along with, plus, over and above; other
than, apart from, excepting, with the exception of, excluding,
not including, barring, bar, save (for), omitting, leaving out, not
to mention, to say nothing of.
allure |əˈljʊə, əˈljɔː|
noun [ mass noun ]
the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or
fascinating: people for whom gold holds no allure.
verb [ with obj. ]
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powerfully attract or charm; tempt: will sponsors really be allured
by such opportunities?
DERIVATIVES
allurement noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘tempt, entice’):
from Old French aleurier ‘attract’, from a- (from Latin ad
‘to’) + luere ‘a lure’ (originally a falconry term).
allure
noun
the nostalgic allure of Paris in the fifties: attraction, lure, draw, pull,
appeal, glamour, allurement, enticement, temptation,
bewitchment, enchantment, charm, seduction, persuasion,
fascination, magnetism. ANTONYMS repulsion.
verb
melody is the element with the most power to allure the listener: attract,
lure, entice, tempt, appeal to, whet the appetite of, make
someone's mouth water, captivate, draw, beguile, bewitch,
enchant, win over, charm, seduce, persuade, lead on, tantalize;
intrigue, fascinate; informal give the come-on to.
ANTONYMS repel.
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extol |ɪkˈstəʊl, ɛk-|
verb (extols, extolling, extolled) [ with obj. ]
praise enthusiastically: he extolled the virtues of the Russian
peoples.
DERIVATIVES
extoller noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin extollere, from ex-
‘out, upward’ + tollere ‘raise’.
extol
verb
nutritionists have long extolled the virtues of rice: praise
enthusiastically, go into raptures about/over, wax lyrical about,
sing the praises of, praise to the skies, heap praise on, eulogize,
rhapsodize over, rave about, enthuse about/over, gush about/
over, throw bouquets at, express delight over, acclaim; informal
go wild about, be mad about, go on about; N. Amer. informal
ballyhoo; black English big someone/something up; dated cry
someone/something up; rare laud, panegyrize. ANTONYMS
criticize.
excite |ɪkˈsʌɪt, ɛk-|
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verb [ with obj. ]
1 cause (someone) to feel very enthusiastic and eager: flying still
excites me | Gould was excited by these discoveries.
• arouse (someone) sexually: his Mediterranean vibrancy excited and
stimulated her.
2 give rise to (a feeling or reaction): the ability to excite interest in
others.
3 produce a state of increased energy or activity in (a physical
or biological system): the energy of an electron is sufficient to excite the
atom.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘incite someone to do
something’): from Old French exciter or Latin excitare,
frequentative of exciere ‘call out or forth’. Sense 1 dates
from the mid 19th cent.
excite
verb
1 the prospect of a holiday excited me: thrill, exhilarate, animate,
enliven, rouse, stir, move, stimulate, galvanize, electrify, fire the
imagination of, fire the enthusiasm of; delight, enrapture,
intoxicate; informal send, tickle, tickle someone pink, buck up,
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pep up, ginger up, give someone a buzz, give someone a kick,
get someone going; N. Amer. informal light a fire under, give
someone a charge; rare inspirit. ANTONYMS bore, depress.
2 she wore a chiffon nightgown to excite him: arouse, arouse sexually,
make someone feel sexually excited, stimulate, titillate, inflame;
please, attract, entice; informal turn someone on, give someone
a thrill, get someone going, float someone's boat, do it for
someone, light someone's fire, tickle someone's fancy.
ANTONYMS turn off.
3 his clothes excited envy and admiration: provoke, stir up, elicit,
rouse, arouse, stimulate, kindle, trigger (off), touch off, spark off,
awaken, incite, instigate, foment, bring out, cause, bring about;
literary enkindle.
entice |ɪnˈtʌɪs, ɛn-|
verb [ with obj. ]
attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage: a show which
should entice a new audience into the theatre | [ with obj. and
infinitive ] : the treat is offered to entice the dog to eat.
DERIVATIVES
enticer noun
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ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘incite, provoke’;
formerly also as intice): from Old French enticier, probably
from a base meaning ‘set on fire’, based on an alteration of
Latin titio ‘firebrand’.
entice
verb
the show should entice a new audience into the theatre: tempt, allure,
lure, attract, dangle a carrot in front of; appeal to, invite,
persuade, convince, inveigle, induce, beguile, cajole, wheedle,
coax, woo; seduce, lead astray, lead on, decoy; informal sweet-
talk, smooth-talk.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
entice, lure, tempt
See tempt.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely
related synonyms to help you find the best word.
elicit |ɪˈlɪsɪt|
verb (elicits, eliciting, elicited) [ with obj. ]
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evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone: I
tried to elicit a smile from Joanna | the work elicited enormous public
interest.
• archaic draw forth (something that is latent or potential) into
existence: a corrupt heart elicits in an hour all that is bad in us.
DERIVATIVES
elicitation |-ˈteɪʃ(ə)n| noun,
elicitor noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin elicit- ‘drawn out by
trickery or magic’, from the verb elicere, from e- (variant
of ex-)‘out’ + lacere ‘entice, deceive’.
elicit
verb
the police claimed that his fingerprints had been found in order to elicit
admissions from him: obtain, bring out, draw out, extract, evoke,
bring about, bring forth, induce, excite, give rise to, call forth,
prompt, generate, engender, spark off, trigger, kindle; extort,
exact, wrest, derive, provoke, wring, screw, squeeze; informal
worm out.
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DURATION: TWO CLASSROOM PERIODS
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