Set 4

poignant |ˈpɔɪnjəәnt|
adjective
evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret: a poignant reminder of
the passing of time.
• archaic sharp or pungent in taste or smell. the poignant scent of
her powder.
DERIVATIVES
poignantly adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French, literally
‘pricking’, present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere
‘to prick’.
poignant
adjective
the father of the murder victim bade a poignant farewell to his son:
touching, moving, sad, saddening, affecting, pitiful, piteous,
pitiable, pathetic, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, wretched,
miserable, bitter, painful, distressing, disturbing, heart-rending,
heartbreaking, tear-jerking, plaintive, upsetting, tragic.
showy |ˈʃəәʊi|
adjective (showier, showiest)having a striking appearance or style, typically by being
excessively bright, colourful, or ostentatious: showy flowers | she
wore a great deal of showy costume jewellery.
DERIVATIVES
showily adverb,
showiness noun
showy
adjective
showy costume jewellery: ostentatious, conspicuous, pretentious,
obtrusive, flamboyant, gaudy, garish, brash, vulgar, loud,
extravagant, fancy, ornate, affected, theatrical, overdone, over-
elaborate, kitsch, tasteless; informal flash, flashy, over the top,
OTT, glitzy, fancy-pants, ritzy, swanky, splashy; N. Amer.
informal superfly, bling-bling; US black English dicty.
ANTONYMS discreet, restrained, plain.
sad |sad|
adjective (sadder, saddest)
1 feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy: I was sad and subdued |
they looked at her with sad, anxious faces.
• causing or characterized by sorrow or regret; unfortunate and
regrettable: he told her the sad story of his life | a sad day for us all.2 informal pathetically inadequate or unfashionable: the show is
tongue-in-cheek—anyone who takes it seriously is a bit sad.
3 (of dough) heavy through having failed to rise.
PHRASES
sad to say unfortunately, regrettably. sad to say, science is no
longer pure.
ORIGIN Old English sæd‘sated, weary’, also ‘weighty, dense’,
of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zat and German satt,
from an Indo-European root shared by Latin satis ‘enough’.
The original meaning was replaced in Middle English by the
senses ‘steadfast, firm’ and ‘serious, sober’, and later
‘sorrowful’.
SAD |sad|
abbreviation
seasonal affective disorder.
sad
adjective
1 every one of us felt sad at having to part company: unhappy,
sorrowful, dejected, regretful, depressed, downcast, miserable,
downhearted, down, despondent, despairing, disconsolate, out
of sorts, desolate, bowed down, wretched, glum, gloomy,doleful, dismal, blue, melancholy, melancholic, low-spirited,
mournful, woeful, woebegone, forlorn, crestfallen, broken-
hearted, heartbroken, inconsolable, grief-stricken; informal
down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS happy,
cheerful.
2 people who knew her sad story have helped her: tragic, unhappy,
unfortunate, awful, sorrowful, miserable, cheerless, wretched,
sorry, pitiful, pitiable, grievous, traumatic, upsetting,
depressing, distressing, dispiriting, heartbreaking, heart-
rending, agonizing, harrowing; rare distressful. ANTONYMS
cheerful, amusing, comic.
3 this is a sad state of affairs: unfortunate, regrettable, sorry,
wretched, deplorable, lamentable, pitiful, pitiable, pathetic,
shameful, disgraceful. ANTONYMS fortunate.
silly |ˈsɪli|
adjective (sillier, silliest)
1 having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement;
absurd and foolish: another of his silly jokes | ‘Don't be silly!’ she
said.
• ridiculously trivial or frivolous: he would brood about silly things.• [ as complement ] used to convey that an activity or process
has been engaged in to such a degree that someone is no
longer capable of thinking or acting sensibly: he often drank
himself silly | his mother worried herself silly over him.
2 archaic (especially of a woman, child, or animal) helpless;
defenceless.
3 [ attrib. ] Cricket denoting fielding positions very close to the
batsman: silly mid-on.
noun (pl.sillies) informal
a foolish person (often used as a form of address): come on, silly.
PHRASES
the silly season high summer regarded as the season when
newspapers often publish trivial material because of a lack of
important news.
DERIVATIVES
sillily adverb,
silliness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘deserving of pity or
sympathy’): alteration of dialect seely‘happy’, later ‘innocent,
feeble’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘luck, happiness’.
The sense ‘foolish’ developed via the stages ‘feeble’ and
‘unsophisticated, ignorant’.silly
adjective
1 don't be so silly: foolish, stupid, unintelligent, idiotic, brainless,
mindless, witless, imbecilic, imbecile, doltish; imprudent,
thoughtless, rash, reckless, foolhardy, irresponsible; mad,
erratic, unstable, scatterbrained, feather-brained; flighty,
frivolous, giddy, fatuous, inane, immature, childish, puerile,
half-baked, empty-headed, half-witted, slow-witted, weak-
minded; informal daft, crazy, dotty, scatty, loopy, screwy, soft,
brain-dead, cretinous, thick, thickheaded, birdbrained, pea-
brained, pinheaded, dopey, dim, dim-witted, dippy, pie-faced,
fat-headed, blockheaded, boneheaded, lamebrained,
chuckleheaded, dunderheaded, wooden-headed,
muttonheaded, damfool; Brit. informal divvy; Scottish & N.
English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass,
chowderheaded; S. African informal dof; W. Indian informal
dotish; dated tomfool. ANTONYMS sensible, rational.
2 that was a silly thing to do: unwise, imprudent, thoughtless,
foolish, stupid, idiotic, senseless, mindless, fatuous; rash,
reckless, foolhardy, irresponsible, inadvisable, injudicious, ill-
considered, misguided, inappropriate, illogical, irrational,unreasonable; hare-brained, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,
laughable, risible, farcical, preposterous, asinine; informal daft,
crazy. ANTONYMS sensible, rational.
3 he would brood about silly things: trivial, trifling, frivolous,
footling, petty, niggling, small, slight, minor, insignificant,
unimportant, inconsequential, of little account; informal
piffling, piddling; N. Amer. informal small-bore. ANTONYMS
important.
4 he often drank himself silly: senseless, insensible, unconscious,
stupid, dopey, into a stupor, into oblivion, into senselessness,
into a daze; numb, dazed, stunned, stupefied, groggy, muzzy.
noun
informal come on, silly: nincompoop, dunce, simpleton; informal
nitwit, ninny, dimwit, dope, dumbo, dummy, chump, goon,
jackass, fathead, bonehead, chucklehead, knucklehead,
lamebrain, clod, pea-brain, pudding-head, thickhead, wooden-
head, pinhead, airhead, birdbrain, scatterbrain, noodle,
donkey; Brit. informal silly billy, stupe, nit, clot, twit, berk,
twerp; Scottish informal nyaff, sumph, gowk, balloon; N.
Amer. informal bozo, boob, schlepper, goofball, goof, goofus,
galoot, lummox, dip, simp, spud, coot, palooka, poop, yo-yo,dingleberry; Austral./NZ informal drongo, dill, alec, galah,
nong, bogan, poon, boofhead; S. African informal mompara;
informal, dated muttonhead, noddy; archaic clodpole, spoony,
mooncalf.
WORD TOOLKIT
silly
See foolish.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
snob |snɒb|
noun
a person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or
wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and looks
down on those regarded as socially inferior. her mother was a snob
and wanted a lawyer as a son-in-law. [ as modifier ] : extra snob
appeal.
• [ with adj. or noun modifier ] a person who believes that their
tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people:
a musical snob.
DERIVATIVESsnobbism noun,
snobby adjective (snobbier, snobbiest)
ORIGIN late 18th cent. (originally dialect in the sense
‘cobbler’): of unknown origin; early senses conveyed a notion
of ‘lower status or rank’, later denoting a person seeking to
imitate those of superior social standing or wealth. Folk
etymology connects the word with Latin sine nobilitate
‘without nobility’ but the first recorded sense has no
connection with this.
querulous |ˈkwɛrʊləәs, ˈkwɛrjʊləәs|
adjective
complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner: she became
querulous and demanding.
DERIVATIVES
querulously adverb,
querulousness noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from late Latin querulosus, from
Latin querulus, from queri ‘complain’.
querulous
adjectivethere'll be no rest for me with a querulous adolescent: petulant,
complaining, pettish, touchy, testy, tetchy, waspish, prickly,
crusty, peppery, fractious, fretful, irritable, cross, crabbed,
crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, disagreeable,
miserable, morose, on edge, edgy, impatient, bitter, moody, in a
bad mood, grumpy, huffy, scratchy, out of sorts, out of temper,
ill-tempered, bad-tempered, ill-natured, ill-humoured, sullen,
surly, sulky, sour, churlish, bilious, liverish, dyspeptic, splenetic,
choleric; informal snappish, snappy, chippy, grouchy, cranky,
whingeing, whingy; Brit. informal narky, ratty, eggy, like a bear
with a sore head; N. Amer. informal sorehead, soreheaded,
peckish; Austral./NZ informal snaky; informal, dated miffy.
critical |ˈkrɪtɪk(əә)l|
adjective
1 expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements:
I was very critical of the previous regime.
2 expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of
a work of literature, music, or art: she never won the critical acclaim
she sought.
• (of a text) incorporating a detailed and scholarly analysis and
commentary: a critical edition of a Bach sonata.• involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in
order to form a judgement: professors often find it difficult to
encourage critical thinking amongst their students.
3 (of a situation or problem) having the potential to become
disastrous; at a point of crisis: the floodwaters had not receded and the
situation was still critical.
• extremely ill and at risk of death: she was critical but stable in
Middlesbrough General Hospital.
• having a decisive or crucial importance in the success or
failure of something: temperature is a critical factor in successful fruit
storage | [ in combination ] : time-critical tasks.
4 Mathematics & Physics relating to or denoting a point of
transition from one state to another. if the density is less than a
certain critical value the gravitational attraction will be too weak to halt the
expansion.
5 (of a nuclear reactor or fuel) maintaining a self-sustaining
chain reaction: the reactor is due to go critical in October.
DERIVATIVES
criticality |-ˈkalɪti| nouncritical ( sense 3, sense 4),
critically adverb [ as submodifier ] : he's critically ill,
criticalness nounORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘relating to the crisis of a
disease’): from late Latin criticus (see critic) .
critical
adjective
1 the safety committee produced a highly critical report: censorious,
condemnatory, condemning, castigatory, reproving,
denunciatory, deprecatory, disparaging, disapproving, scathing,
criticizing, fault-finding, judgemental, negative, unfavourable,
unsympathetic; hypercritical, ultra-critical, overcritical,
pedantic, pettifogging, cavilling, carping, quibbling, niggling;
informal nitpicking, hair-splitting, pernickety, picky, griping,
bitching, bellyaching, whingeing; rare reprobatory, reprobative.
ANTONYMS complimentary.
2 there was critical agreement among Renaissance specialists: evaluative,
analytic, analytical, interpretative, expository, commentative,
explanatory, explicative, elucidative.
3 the hospital says her condition is critical: grave, serious, dangerous,
risky, perilous, hazardous, precarious, touch-and-go, in the
balance, uncertain, desperate, dire, acute, very bad; life-and-
death, life-threatening; informal chancy, dicey, hairy, iffy; Brit.informal dodgy; archaic or humorous parlous; Medicine
peracute, profound; rare egregious. ANTONYMS safe.
4 the choice of materials is critical for product safety: crucial, vital,
essential, of the essence, all-important, important, of the
utmost importance, of great consequence, high-priority,
paramount, pre-eminent, fundamental, key, pivotal, deciding,
decisive, climacteric, momentous; serious, urgent, pressing,
compelling, exigent. ANTONYMS unimportant.
curious |ˈkjʊəәrɪəәs|
adjective
1 eager to know or learn something: I began to be curious about the
whereabouts of the bride and groom | she was curious to know what
had happened.
• expressing curiosity: a curious stare.
2 strange; unusual: a curious sensation overwhelmed her.
• euphemistic (of books) erotic or pornographic.
DERIVATIVES
curiously adverb [ sentence adverb ] : curiously, I find snooker
riveting,
curiousness nounORIGIN Middle English: from Old French curios, from Latin
curiosus ‘careful’, from cura ‘care’. Sense 2 dates from the
early 18th cent.
curious
adjective
1 she was obviously curious, but too polite to ask questions | the curious
stares of her colleagues: inquisitive, intrigued, interested, eager to
know, dying to know, burning with curiosity, agog; quizzical,
enquiring, searching, probing, querying, questioning,
interrogative; perplexed, puzzled, baffled, mystified; informal
nosy, nosy-parker, snoopy. ANTONYMS uninterested.
2 her curious behaviour intrigued him: strange, odd, peculiar, funny,
unusual, bizarre, weird, eccentric, queer, unexpected,
unfamiliar, abnormal, out of the ordinary, atypical, anomalous,
untypical, different, out of the way, surprising, incongruous,
extraordinary, remarkable, puzzling, mystifying, mysterious,
perplexing, baffling, unaccountable, inexplicable, irregular,
singular, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, outlandish, off-
centre, aberrant, freak, freakish, deviant; uncanny, eerie,
unnatural; Brit. out of the common; Frenchoutré; Scottishunco; informal off the wall, wacky; Brit. informal rum; N.
Amer. informal wacko. ANTONYMS ordinary.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
curious, strange, odd, peculiar
See strange.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
complain
verb
the neighbours complained about his singing: protest, grumble,
moan, whine, bleat, carp, cavil, lodge a complaint, make a
complaint, make a fuss; object to, speak out against, rail at,
oppose, lament, bewail; criticize, find fault with, run down,
inveigh against; informal whinge, kick up a fuss, kick up a stink,
bellyache, beef, grouch, grouse, bitch, sound off, go on about,
pick holes in; Brit. informal gripe, grizzle, chunter, create, be
on at someone; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal
kvetch; S. African informal chirp; Brit. dated crib, natter;
archaic plain over.complain |kəәmˈpleɪn|
verb
1 [ reporting verb ] express dissatisfaction or annoyance about
something: [ with clause ] : local authorities complained that they
lacked sufficient resources | [ with direct speech ] : ‘You never listen to
me,’ Larry complained | [ no obj. ] : we all complained bitterly about
the food.
• [ no obj. ] (of a structure or mechanism) groan or creak
under strain.
• [ no obj. ] literary make a mournful sound: let the warbling flute
complain.
2 [ no obj. ] (complain of) state that one is suffering from (a
pain or other symptom of illness): her husband began to complain of
headaches.
DERIVATIVES
complainer noun,
complainingly adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French complaindre,
from medieval Latin complangere ‘bewail’, from Latin com-
(expressing intensive force) + plangere ‘to lament’.
ambiguous |amˈbɪgjʊəәs|adjective
open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious
meaning: ambiguous phrases.
• not clear or decided: the election result was ambiguous.
DERIVATIVES
ambiguously adverb,
ambiguousness noun
ORIGIN early 16th cent. (in the sense ‘indistinct, obscure’):
from Latin ambiguus ‘doubtful’ (from ambigere ‘waver, go
around’, from ambi- ‘both ways’ + agere ‘to drive’) + -
ous.
ambiguous
adjective
the judge agreed that the law was ambiguous: equivocal, ambivalent,
open to debate, open to argument, arguable, debatable;
Delphic, cryptic, enigmatic, gnomic, paradoxical, misleading;
obscure, unclear, vague, abstruse, puzzling, perplexing,
riddling, doubtful, dubious, uncertain; double-edged,
backhanded. ANTONYMS unambiguous, clear.
audacious |ɔːˈdeɪʃəәs|adjective
1 showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks: a series of
audacious takeovers.
2 showing an impudent lack of respect: he made an audacious
remark.
DERIVATIVES
audaciously adverb,
audaciousness noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin audax, audac-
‘bold’ (from audere ‘dare’) + -ious.
audacious
adjective
1 the audience were left gasping at his audacious exploits: bold, daring,
fearless, intrepid, brave, unafraid, unflinching, courageous,
valiant, valorous, heroic, dashing, plucky, daredevil, devil-may-
care, death-or-glory, reckless, wild, madcap; adventurous,
venturesome, enterprising, dynamic, spirited, mettlesome;
informal game, gutsy, spunky, ballsy, have-a-go, go-ahead; rare
venturous, temerarious. ANTONYMS timid.
2 Des made some audacious remark to her: impudent, impertinent,
insolent, presumptuous, forward, cheeky, irreverent,
discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, unmannerly, rude, crude, brazen, brazen-faced,
brash, shameless, pert, defiant, bold, bold as brass, outrageous,
shocking, out of line; informal brass-necked, cocky, lippy,
mouthy, fresh, flip; Brit. informal saucy, smart-arsed; N. Amer.
informal sassy, nervy, smart-assed; archaic malapert,
contumelious; rare tossy, mannerless. ANTONYMS polite.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
audacious, bold, daring
See bold.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
brilliant |ˈbrɪlj(əә)nt|
adjective
1 (of light or colour) very bright: brilliant sunshine illuminated the
scene.
2 exceptionally clever or talented: he was quite brilliant and was
promoted almost at once | the germ of a brilliant idea hit her.
• outstanding; impressive: his brilliant career at Harvard.
3 Brit. informal excellent; marvellous: we had a brilliant time |
[ as exclamation ] : ‘Brilliant!’ he declared excitedly.noun
a diamond of brilliant cut. an elegant necklace with four rows of
brilliants.
DERIVATIVES
brilliantly adverb
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from French brillant ‘shining’,
present participle of briller, from Italian brillare, probably
from Latin beryllus (see beryl) .
brilliant
adjective
1 a brilliant student: gifted, talented, virtuoso, genius,
accomplished, ingenious, masterly, inventive, creative;
intelligent, bright, clever, smart, astute, acute, brainy,
intellectual, profound; skilful, able, expert, adept, elite,
superior, crack, choice, first-class, first-rate, excellent; educated,
scholarly, learned, erudite, cerebral; precocious; informal
brainy, genius. ANTONYMS stupid, untalented.
2 Brit. informal we had a brilliant time: excellent, marvellous,
superb, very good, first-rate, first-class, wonderful, outstanding,
exceptional, magnificent, splendid, superlative, matchless,
peerless; informal great, terrific, tremendous, smashing,f a n t a s t i c , s e n s a t i o n a l , s t e l l a r, f a b u l o u s ,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, ace, fab, A1, cool, awesome,
magic, wicked, tip-top, top-notch, out of sight, out of this
world, way-out, capital; Brit. informal brill, bosting; Austral./
NZ informal bonzer; Brit. informal, dated spiffing, topping,
top-hole, wizard. ANTONYMS bad.
3 a shaft of brilliant light: bright, shining, blazing, dazzling, light;
vivid, intense, ablaze, beaming, gleaming, glaring, luminous,
lustrous, luminescent, radiant, incandescent, phosphorescent,
scintillating, resplendent; literary irradiant, lucent, effulgent,
refulgent, fulgent, lucid, glistering, coruscating, lambent,
fulgurant, fulgurating, fulgurous. ANTONYMS dark, gloomy.
4 a grassy meadow of brilliant green: vivid, intense, bright, blazing,
dazzling. ANTONYMS dark, dull.
5 a brilliant display: superb, magnificent, splendid, impressive,
remarkable, exceptional, glorious, illustrious.
powerful |ˈpaʊəәfʊl, -f(əә)l|
adjective
having great power or strength: a fast, powerful car | computers are
now more compact and powerful.• having control and influence over people and events: the
world's most powerful nation.
• having a strong effect on people's feelings or thoughts: his
photomontages are powerful anti-war images.
adverb [ as submodifier ] chiefly dialect
very: walking is powerful hot work.
DERIVATIVES
powerfully adverb,
powerfulness noun
powerful
adjective
1 his powerful shoulders bulged under his suit: strong, muscular,
muscly, sturdy, strapping, robust, mighty, hefty, brawny, burly,
husky, athletic, manly, well built, Herculean, tough, solid,
substantial, lusty; informal beefy, hunky, ripped, shredded; N.
Amer. informal buff; US informal jacked; dated stalwart;
literary stark, thewy. ANTONYMS weak.
2 a powerful local aperitif: intoxicating, heady, hard, strong, stiff;
rare spirituous, intoxicant.
3 a powerful blow across the face: violent, forceful, heavy, hard,
mighty, vigorous, hefty, thunderous. ANTONYMS gentle.4 he felt a powerful desire to kiss her: intense, keen, acute, fierce,
violent, passionate, ardent, burning, consuming, strong,
irresistible, overpowering, overwhelming, fervent, fervid.
5 a powerful nation: influential, strong, high-powered, important,
controlling, dominant, commanding, potent, forceful, vigorous,
dynamic, formidable, redoubtable; informal big, high-octane;
literary puissant. ANTONYMS weak, powerless.
6 a powerful and detailed critique of current thinking in social research:
cogent, compelling, convincing, persuasive, eloquent,
impressive, striking, telling, influential; forceful, strong,
effective; dramatic, passionate, graphic, vivid, moving, potent,
authoritative, great, weighty, vigorous, forcible, irresistible,
substantial. ANTONYMS ineffective.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
powerful, strong
On the face of it, these two words are very similar in
meaning: a powerful argument is much the same as a
strong argument. However, powerful is rarely used of
drink, for example, or strong of an engine: one talks of
strong drink and powerful engines, because powerful
tends to imply dynamic force—an ability to exert it whileperforming actions—while strong tends to imply static
force, or an ability to resist it. So, with many nouns that
can be described as either powerful or strong, the two
words mean different things: a powerful nation is one
that has influence abroad, while a strong nation has a
sense of nationhood that can resist outside pressure. A
powerful tool can perform a lot of useful work (the steam
hammer is an extremely powerful tool for working iron),
while a strong tool will stand heavy use or pressure
without breaking (the resulting forged tool is far stronger
than a cheap two-part construction).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
bold
adjective
1 Derby's manager made another bold move into the transfer market | bold
adventurers: daring, intrepid, courageous, brave, valiant, fearless,
unafraid, undaunted, dauntless, valorous; audacious,
adventurous, dashing, heroic, gallant, swashbuckling,
adventuresome, daredevil, venturesome, plucky, unflinching;spirited, confident, positive, decisive, assured, enterprising;
rash, reckless, brash, foolhardy; informal gutsy, spunky, ballsy,
game, feisty; literary temerarious. ANTONYMS timid,
unadventurous.
2 dated a bold streetwise young girl: brazen, shameless, forward,
brash, impudent, audacious, cheeky, saucy, cocky, pert,
impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, immodest, unabashed,
unreserved, barefaced, unshrinking, defiant, brass-necked, bold
as brass; informal brassy, sassy. ANTONYMS retiring.
3 a bold pattern of yellow and black: striking, vivid, bright, strong,
eye-catching, conspicuous, distinct, pronounced, prominent,
obvious, outstanding, well marked, showy, flashy, gaudy, lurid,
garish. ANTONYMS pale.
4 cross references are printed in bold type: heavy, thick, clear,
conspicuous, distinct, pronounced, outstanding. ANTONYMS
light, roman.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
bold, daring, audacious
These words all refer to someone's bravery or courage
and are used to describe either a person or an action.■ A bold action typically does not involve physical
danger and is more likely to be approved of than a
daring or audacious one (people are looking to their
leaders to take bold decisions now).
■ A daring action involves adventurousness undeterred
by physical danger and does not necessarily describe
activities that are approved of (a daring mission to
rescue wounded soldiers | one of the most daring crimes
of the century). Other nouns described as daring include
adventure, rescue, robbery, raid, and escape. Daring can
also refer to a readiness to shock (she smoked in the
street, which was considered very daring in those days)
and is also used to mean ‘provocative’ (the beaded
chiffon dress with its daring low back).
■ An audacious act is one that goes well beyond the
normal boundaries in a readiness to take risks (ever
more audacious and vicious assaults by partisans | he hit
the post with an audacious drop goal attempt). Audacity
can involve deliberately risking shocking or offending
people (his theatrical roles were funny, audacious,
subversive).These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
bold |bəәʊld|
adjective
1 (of a person, action, or idea) showing a willingness to take
risks; confident and courageous: a bold attempt to solve the crisis |
no journalist was bold enough to take on the Prime Minister.
• dated (of a person or their manner) so confident as to be
impudent or presumptuous: she tossed him a bold look.
• Irish(especially of a child) naughty; badly behaved: I slapped
him when he was bold.
2 (of a colour, design, or shape) having a strong, vivid, or clear
appearance: a coat with bold polka dots.
• of a kind of typeface having dark, heavy strokes, used
especially for emphasis. cross references are printed in bold type.
noun [ mass noun ]
a bold typeface or letter: Shadow cabinet members listed in bold.
PHRASES
be (or make) so bold (as to do something) formal dare to
do something that might be considered audacious (used whenpolitely asking a question or making a suggestion): what would he
be calling for, if I might make so bold as to ask?
(as) bold as brass confident to the point of impudence. she
marched into the library as bold as brass.
bold stroke a daring action or initiative: the budget was full of
bold strokes.
DERIVATIVES
boldly adverb,
boldness noun
ORIGIN Old English bald, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch boud and to German bald ‘soon’.
frightening |ˈfrʌɪt(əә)nɪŋ, ˈfrʌɪtnɪŋ|
adjective
making someone afraid or anxious; terrifying: a frightening
experience.
DERIVATIVES
frighteningly adverb [ as submodifier ] : the standard air fare
proved to be frighteningly expensive
frighten |ˈfrʌɪt(əә)n|
verb [ with obj. ]make (someone) afraid or anxious: the savagery of his thoughts
frightened him | farmers are being frightened into scaling down their
breeding plans.
• (frighten someone/thing off) deter someone or something
from involvement or action by making them afraid. if you say
anything to him you might frighten him off. the government denies legal
responsibility, presumably to frighten off other claimants.
PHRASES
frighten the horses see horse.
frightening
adjective
she had many vivid and frightening dreams: terrifying, horrifying,
alarming, startling, shocking, chilling, spine-chilling, hair-
raising, blood-curdling, appalling, disturbing, disconcerting,
unnerving, intimidating, daunting, dismaying, upsetting,
harrowing, traumatic; eerie, sinister, fearsome, dreadful,
horrible, awful, nightmarish, monstrous, grim, gruesome,
macabre, menacing; Scottish eldritch; informal scary, spooky,
creepy, hairy. ANTONYMS comforting.
frighten
verbshe was frightened by the strange sounds outside: scare, startle, alarm,
terrify, petrify, shock, chill, appal, agitate, panic, throw into
panic, fluster, ruffle, shake, disturb, disconcert, unnerve,
unman, intimidate, terrorize, cow, daunt, dismay; fill someone
with fear, strike terror into, put the fear of God into, chill
someone's blood, chill someone to the bone, chill someone to
the marrow, make someone's blood run cold, freeze someone's
blood, make someone's flesh crawl, give someone goose
pimples; informal scare the living daylights out of, scare stiff,
scare someone out of their wits, scare witless, scare someone
(half) to death, scare the pants off, rattle, spook, make
someone's hair stand on end, throw into a blue funk, make
someone jump out of their skin; Brit. informal put the wind up,
give someone the heebie-jeebies, make someone's hair curl;
Irish informal scare the bejesus out of; vulgar slang scare
shitless; archaic affright. ANTONYMS reassure, comfort.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
frighten, scare, startle
These three words can all describe the generation of
fear.■ Frighten is the most general word (he only meant to
frighten his victim, not to kill him). The fear may be of
immediate harm (typically physical) or of longer-term
misfortune or suffering (I was uncertain what would
happen and frightened about the future).
■ Scare is a less formal word, especially when applied
to fear of something other than an immediate physical
threat. Saying that someone is scared may imply that
they lack courage or strength of character (I was scared
of meeting people).
■ Startle denotes a sudden, momentary feeling of fear
on being surprised by something (a sudden sound in the
doorway startled her).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word
perilous |ˈpɛrɪləәs|
adjective
full of danger or risk: a perilous journey south.
• exposed to imminent risk of disaster or ruin: the economy is in a
perilous state.DERIVATIVES
perilously adverb,
perilousness noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French perillous, from
Latin periculosus, from periculum ‘danger’ (see peril) .
perilous
adjective
a perilous journey through the mountains | the economy remained in a
perilous state: dangerous, fraught with danger, hazardous, risky,
unsafe, treacherous; precarious, vulnerable, uncertain,
insecure, critical, desperate, exposed, at risk, in jeopardy, in
danger, touch-and-go; problematic, difficult; informal hairy,
dicey; N. Amer. informal gnarly; archaic or humorous
parlous. ANTONYMS safe, secure.
reverie |ˈrɛv(əә)ri|
noun
a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream: a
knock on the door broke her reverie | [ mass noun ] : I slipped into
reverie.• Music an instrumental piece suggesting a dreamy or musing
state. his own compositions can move from Impressionist reveries to an
orchestral chordal approach.
• archaic a fanciful or impractical idea or theory. he defended and
explained all the reveries of astrology.
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from obsolete French resverie,
from Old French reverie ‘rejoicing, revelry’, from rever ‘be
delirious’, of unknown ultimate origin.
reverie
noun
she was startled out of her reverie by a loud crash: daydream,
daydreaming, trance, fantasy, vision, fancy, hallucination,
musing; inattention, inattentiveness, wool-gathering,
preoccupation, obliviousness, engrossment, absorption, self-
absorption, absent-mindedness, abstraction, lack of
concentration, lack of application; Scottish dwam.
determination |dɪˌtəәːmɪˈneɪʃ(əә)n|
noun [ mass noun ]1 the quality of being determined; firmness of purpose: those
who succeed because of sheer grit and determination.
2 the process of establishing something exactly by calculation
or research: determination of molecular structures.
• Law the settlement of a dispute by the authoritative decision
of a judge or arbitrator. expert determination.
• [ count noun ] Law a judicial decision or sentence.
3 the controlling or deciding of the nature or outcome of
something: genetic sex determination.
4 Law the cessation of an estate or interest.
5 archaic a tendency to move in a fixed direction.
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the senses ‘settlement of a
controversy by a judge or by reasoning’ and ‘authoritative
opinion’): via Old French from Latin determinatio(n-), from
the verb determinare (see determine) .
determination
noun
1 it took all her determination to stand her ground: resolution, resolve,
resoluteness; will power, strength of will, strength of character,
single-mindedness, sense of purpose, firmness of purpose,
fixity of purpose, purposefulness; intentness, decision,decidedness; steadfastness, staunchness, perseverance,
persistence, indefatigability, tenacity, tenaciousness, staying
power, strong-mindedness, backbone, the bulldog spirit,
pertinacity, pertinaciousness; stubbornness, doggedness,
obstinacy, obdurateness, obduracy, inflexibility; spiritedness,
braveness, bravery, boldness, courage, courageousness, pluck,
pluckiness, stout-heartedness; Brit. Dunkirk spirit;
Germansitzfleisch; informal guts, spunk, grit, stickability; N.
Amer. informal stick-to-it-iveness; archaic intension; rare
perseveration. ANTONYMS weak-mindedness, pusillanimity.
2 provision should be made for determination of the rent: setting, fixing,
specification, a decision about, settlement, designation,
allotment, arrangement, choice, naming, nomination,
appointment, establishment, authorization, prescription.
3 the first determination of the speed of light: calculation, discovery,
ascertainment, establishment, fixing, deduction, divination,
diagnosis, discernment, check, verification, confirmation.
rigorous |ˈrɪg(əә)rəәs|
adjective
extremely thorough and careful: the rigorous testing of consumer
products.• (of a rule, system, etc.) strictly applied or adhered to: rigorous
controls on mergers.
• (of a person) adhering strictly to a belief or system: a rigorous
teetotaller.
• harsh and demanding: many of the expedition had passed rigorous
SAS courses.
DERIVATIVES
rigorously adverb,
rigorousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French rigorous or
late Latin rigorosus, from rigor ‘stiffness’ (see rigor 1 ) .
rigorous
adjective
1 their rigorous attention to detail paid off: meticulous, punctilious,
conscientious, careful, diligent, attentive, ultra-careful,
scrupulous, painstaking, exact, precise, accurate, correct,
thorough, studious, exhaustive, mathematical, detailed,
perfectionist, methodical, particular, religious, strict; fussy,
fastidious, hair-splitting, finicky, finical, demanding, exacting,
pedantic; informal nitpicking, pernickety; N. Amer. informalpersnickety; archaic nice, overnice, laborious. ANTONYMS
slapdash.
2 the rigorous enforcement of minor school rules: strict, severe, stern,
stringent, austere, spartan, tough, hard, harsh, rigid, cruel,
savage, relentless, unsparing, inflexible, authoritarian, despotic,
draconian, intransigent, uncompromising, demanding,
exacting. ANTONYMS lax.
3 rigorous yachting conditions: harsh, severe, bad, bleak, extreme,
inclement; unpleasant, disagreeable, foul, nasty, filthy; stormy,
blustery, squally, wild, tempestuous, storm-tossed, violent,
heavy, heaving, raging, choppy, agitated. ANTONYMS gentle,
mild.
resilient |rɪˈzɪlɪəәnt|
adjective
1 (of a substance or object) able to recoil or spring back into
shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. a shoe with
resilient cushioning.
2 (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly
from difficult conditions: babies are generally far more resilient than
new parents realize | the fish are resilient to most infections.
DERIVATIVESresiliently adverb
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin resilient- ‘leaping
back’, from the verb resilire (see resile) .
resilient
adjective
1 remember that the more resilient the underlay, the more it will prolong the
life of your carpet: flexible, pliable, pliant, supple, plastic, elastic,
springy, rubbery; durable, hard-wearing, stout, strong, sturdy,
tough. ANTONYMS inflexible, rigid; fragile.
2 he was still young and resilient: strong, tough, hardy; quick to
recover, quick to bounce back, buoyant, difficult to keep down,
irrepressible; adaptable, flexible. ANTONYMS vulnerable,
sensitive.
reality |rɪˈalɪti|
noun (pl.realities) [ mass noun ]
1 the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an
idealistic or notional idea of them: he refuses to face reality | Laura
was losing touch with reality.• [ count noun ] a thing that is actually experienced or seen,
especially when this is unpleasant: the harsh realities of life in a
farming community.
• [ count noun ] a thing that exists in fact, having previously
only existed in one's mind: we want to make the dream a reality.
• the quality of being lifelike: the reality of Marryat's detail.
• [ as modifier ] relating to reality TV: a reality show.
2 the state or quality of having existence or substance: youth,
when death has no reality.
• Philosophy existence that is absolute, self-sufficient, or
objective, and not subject to human decisions or conventions.
PHRASES
in reality in actual fact (used to contrast a false idea of what is
true or possible with one that is more accurate): she had believed
she could control these feelings, but in reality that was not so easy.
the reality is —— used to assert that the truth of a matter is
not what one would think or expect. the popular view of the
Dobermann is of an aggressive guard dog—the reality is very different.
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: via French from medieval Latin
realitas, from late Latin realis ‘relating to things’ (see
real 1 ) .reality
noun
1 he is unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality: the real world,
real life, actuality; truth; physical existence, corporeality,
substantiality, materiality. ANTONYMS fantasy.
2 the harsh realities of life: fact, actuality, truth, verity.
3 the reality of Marryat's detail: verisimilitude, authenticity,
realism, fidelity, faithfulness. ANTONYMS idealism.
PHRASES
in reality she sounded sympathetic but in reality she was furious: in
fact, in actual fact, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, actually,
really, in truth, if truth be told; in practice; archaic in sooth.
requisite |ˈrɛkwɪzɪt|
adjective
made necessary by particular circumstances or regulations: the
application will not be processed until the requisite fee is paid.
noun
a thing that is necessary for the achievement of a specified end:
she believed privacy to be a requisite for a peaceful life.
DERIVATIVES
requisitely adverbORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin requisitus
‘searched for, deemed necessary’, past participle of
requirere (see require) .
requisite
adjective
he lacks the requisite communication skills: necessary, required,
prerequisite, essential, indispensable, vital, needed, needful;
compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, stipulated, demanded,
called-for, imperative; Frenchde rigueur. ANTONYMS
optional, unnecessary, non-essential.
noun
1 she sold all sorts of goods, from vegetables to toilet requisites:
requirement, need, necessity, essential, want, necessary/
essential item.
2 a university degree has become a requisite for any successful career in this
field: necessity, essential requirement, prerequisite, essential,
precondition, specification, stipulation; qualification;
Latindesideratum, sine qua non; informal must. ANTONYMS
non-essential.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
requisite, necessary, essential, indispensableSee necessary.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
autonomous |ɔːˈtɒnəәməәs|
adjective
(of a country or region) having the freedom to govern itself or
control its own affairs: the federation included sixteen autonomous
republics.
• having the freedom to act independently: school governors are
legally autonomous.
• (in Kantian moral philosophy) acting in accordance with
one's moral duty rather than one's desires. Compare with
heteronomous.
DERIVATIVES
autonomously adverb
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from Greek autonomos ‘having
its own laws’ + -ous.
autonomous
adjectivean autonomous republic: self-governing, independent, sovereign,
free, self-ruling, self-determining, autarchic; self-sufficient.
depend |dɪˈpɛnd|
verb [ no obj. ]
1 (depend on/upon) be controlled or determined by: differences
in earnings depended on a wide variety of factors.
2 (depend on/upon) be able to trust; rely on: we can depend on
her to deliver a quality product.
• need for financial or other support: a town which had depended
heavily upon the wool industry.
• be grammatically dependent on.
3 archaic or literary hang down: his tongue depended from
open jaws.
PHRASES
depending on according to: makes 8–10 burgers (depending on
size).
it (or that)(all) depends used to express uncertainty in
answering a question: How many people use each screen? It all
depends.ORIGIN late Middle English (in sense 3; also in the sense
‘wait or be in suspense’): from Old French dependre, from
Latin dependere, from de- ‘down’ + pendere ‘hang’.
usage: In informal use, it is quite common for the on to be
dropped in sentences such as it all depends how you look at it
(rather than it all depends on how you look at it), but in well-
formed written English the on should be retained.
depend
verb
1 their career progression depends on getting a good reference: be
contingent on, be conditional on, be dependent on, turn on,
pivot on, hinge on, hang on, rest on, be based on, rely on; be
subject to, be controlled by, be determined by, be influenced by,
be decided by, be resultant from, relate to.
2 my employees and their families depend on me: rely on, place
reliance on, lean on, cling to, be supported by, be sustained by,
be unable to manage without; count on, bank on, trust, trust
in, put one's trust in, put one's faith in, have faith in, have
(every) confidence in, believe in, swear by, be sure of, pin one's
hope on.defensive
adjective
1 troops in defensive positions: defending, guarding, safeguarding,
protecting, protective, shielding, screening; wary, watchful;
averting, withstanding, opposing. ANTONYMS attacking.
2 my innocent inquiry had provoked a defensive, almost hostile response:
self-justifying, oversensitive, thin-skinned, easily offended,
prickly, paranoid, neurotic; informal uptight, twitchy; rare
umbrageous. ANTONYMS confident.
defensive |dɪˈfɛnsɪv|
adjective
1 used or intended to defend or protect: defensive barriers.
• (in sport) relating to or intended as defence. a defensive player. a
poor defensive record.
2 very anxious to challenge or avoid criticism: he was very
defensive about that side of his life.
PHRASES
on the defensive expecting or resisting criticism or attack:
British forces were on the defensive.
DERIVATIVES
defensively adverb,defensiveness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French défensif, -ive,
from medieval Latin defensivus, from Latin defens- ‘warded
off’, from the verb defendere (see defend) .
neutral |ˈnjuːtr(əә)l|
adjective
1 not supporting or helping either side in a conflict,
disagreement, etc.; impartial: neutral and non-aligned European
nations.
• belonging to an impartial group or state: the trial should be held
on neutral ground.
2 having no strongly marked or positive characteristics or
features: her tone was neutral, devoid of sentiment.
• of or denoting a pale grey, cream, or beige colour: walls are
painted in neutral tones.
3 Chemistry neither acid nor alkaline; having a pH of about 7.
a neutral solution. neutral soil conditions.
4 having neither a positive nor negative electrical charge. live
and neutral contacts on plugs.
noun1 an impartial or unbiased state or person: Sweden and its fellow
neutrals | I attended the Cup Final as a neutral.
2 [ mass noun ] pale grey, cream, or beige. classic shades of navy,
white, and neutral.
3 [ mass noun ] a disengaged position of gears in which the
engine is disconnected from the driven parts: she slipped the gear
into neutral.
4 an electrically neutral point, terminal, conductor, or wire.
DERIVATIVES
neutrally adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin
neutralis ‘of neuter gender’, from Latin neuter (see
neuter) .
neutral
adjective
1 Dorothy has no axe to grind. She's completely neutral: impartial,
unbiased, unprejudiced, objective, without favouritism, open-
minded, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, disinterested, even-
handed, equitable, fair, fair-minded, dispassionate, detached,
impersonal, unemotional, clinical, indifferent, removed;
uninvolved, uncommitted. ANTONYMS biased, partisan.2 during the Second World War, Portugal remained neutral: unaligned,
non-aligned, unaffiliated, unallied, non-allied, non-
participating, uninvolved, non-interventionist; non-combatant,
non-belligerent, non-combative, non-fighting, anti-war.
ANTONYMS combatant, belligerent.
3 she racked her brain desperately for a neutral topic of conversation:
inoffensive, bland, unobjectionable, unexceptionable, anodyne,
unremarkable, ordinary, commonplace, run-of-the-mill,
everyday; safe, har mless, innocuous. ANTONYMS
provocative, offensive.
4 a neutral background will make any small splash of colour stand out:
pale, pastel, light-toned; beige, cream, taupe, oatmeal, ecru,
buff, fawn, grey, greige, sand, stone-coloured, stone,
mushroom, putty; colourless, uncoloured, washed out,
indefinite, indistinct, indeterminate, neither one thing nor the
other, insipid, nondescript, toneless, dull, drab; rare
achromatic, achromic. ANTONYMS bright, colourful.
WORD TOOLKIT
neutral
See equitable.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.deceitful |dɪˈsiːtfʊl, -f(əә)l|
adjective
guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving or misleading others: a
deceitful politician | such an act would have been deceitful and
irresponsible.
DERIVATIVES
deceitfully adverb,
deceitfulness noun
deceitful
adjective
1 he was surrounded by foolish and deceitful women: dishonest,
untruthful, lying, mendacious, insincere, false, deceiving,
dissembling, disingenuous, untrustworthy, unscrupulous,
unprincipled, two-faced, duplicitous, double-dealing, cheating,
underhand, crafty, cunning, sly, guileful, scheming, calculating,
conniving, designing, hypocritical, perfidious, treacherous,
Machiavellian, Janus-faced; informal sneaky, tricky, foxy,
crooked, sharp, shady, shifty, slippery; Brit. informal bent; S.
African informal slim; archaic subtle, hollow-hearted; rarefalse-hearted, double-faced, truthless, Punic. ANTONYMS
honest.
2 they dismissed the allegations as deceitful: fraudulent, counterfeit,
fabricated, invented, concocted, made up, trumped up, untrue,
hollow, false, sham, bogus, fake, illusory, spurious, specious,
fallacious, deceptive, misleading, misguided, distorted;
humorous economical with the truth. ANTONYMS true.
sincere |sɪnˈsɪəә|
adjective (sincerer, sincerest)
free from pretence or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings:
they offer their sincere thanks to Paul.
• (of a person) saying what they genuinely feel or believe; not
dishonest or hypocritical. she'd sounded sincere enough. a painfully
sincere young actor.
DERIVATIVES
sincereness noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (also in the sense ‘not falsified,
unadulterated’): from Latin sincerus ‘clean, pure’.
sincere
adjective1 my wife and I would like to express our sincere gratitude for what you
did: heartfelt, wholehearted, profound, deep, from the heart;
genuine, real, unfeigned, unaffected, true, honest, bona fide,
earnest, cordial, fervent, ardent, devout; rare full-hearted.
ANTONYMS perfunctory, token.
2 Jean is such a sincere person: honest, genuine, truthful,
unhypocritical, meaning what one says, straightforward, direct,
frank, candid; artless, guileless, ingenuous; informal straight,
upfront, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up;
Austral./NZ informal dinkum. ANTONYMS insincere,
hypocritical, disingenuous, two-faced.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
sincere, genuine, unfeigned, unaffected
These words are all used to indicate that someone or
something can be trusted to be what they appear to be.
■ Sincere is used of emotions that are free from
pretence or deceit (a sincere concern for the future of
Britain), and can also be used of a person (a sincere and
generous man). It can also apply to the results of such
genuine feelings (very bad but sincere poems | please
accept my sincere condolences).■ A feeling described as genuine is truly that feeling and
not a hypocritical imitation of it (a man with a genuine
love of his country). When used of a person, genuine can
have two quite different senses, depending on the noun
and the context: ‘truly what they are said or appear to
be’ (no genuine police officers will demand cash on the
spot for speeding offences) or ‘having emotions that are
what they appear to be’ (most of the people in the
regiment were hard-working, genuine people).
■ Unfeigned is a rarer, more literary word, used only for
emotions, not people (a broad smile of unfeigned
delight).
■ Unaffected is used either of a person who behaves
naturally and simply, without trying to impress with
artificiality or insincerity (what a pretty, unaffected girl
she was, full of life and fun) or of their emotions (taking
unaffected pleasure in his friend's good fortune).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
useful |ˈjuːsfʊl, -f(əә)l|adjective
able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways:
aspirins are useful for headaches.
• Brit. informal very able or competent in a particular area: a
useful pace bowler.
PHRASES
make oneself useful do something that is of some value or
benefit to someone: make yourself useful—get Jenny a drink.
DERIVATIVES
usefully adverb
useful
adjective
1 it is such a useful box: functional, practical, handy, neat,
convenient, utilitarian, utility, helpful, applicable, serviceable,
of use, of service; informal nifty. ANTONYMS useless.
2 they found watching the court proceedings a useful experience:
beneficial, advantageous, helpful, worthwhile, profitable,
gainful, rewarding, productive, constructive, effective,
efficacious, valuable, fruitful, of help, of assistance.
ANTONYMS disadvantageous.3 they had some very useful players: competent, capable, able,
expert, skilful, skilled, proficient, practised, experienced,
effective, handy. ANTONYMS incompetent.
plain 1 |pleɪn|
adjective
1 not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character: good
plain food | everyone dined at a plain wooden table.
• without a pattern; in only one colour: a plain fabric.
• bearing no indication as to contents or affiliation: donations can
be put in a plain envelope.
• (of paper) without lines.
2 easy to perceive or understand; clear: the advantages were plain
to see | it was plain that something was wrong.
• [ attrib. ] (of written or spoken usage) clearly expressed,
without the use of technical or abstruse terms: an insurance policy
written in plain English.
• not using concealment or deception; frank: there were indrawn
breaths at such plain speaking.
3 not distinguished by any particular beauty; ordinary looking:
a plain, round-faced woman.• having no pretensions; not remarkable or special: a plain,
honest man with no nonsense about him.
4 [ attrib. ] sheer; simple (used for emphasis): the main problem is
just plain exhaustion.
5 (of a knitting stitch) made by putting the needle through the
front of the stitch from left to right. Compare with purl 1 .
adverb informal
1 [ as submodifier ] used for emphasis: perhaps the youth was just
plain stupid.
2 clearly or unequivocally: I'm finished with you, I'll tell you
plain.
noun
a large area of flat land with few trees. the coastal plain.
PHRASES
as plain as the nose on someone's face informal very
obvious. I knew what he was up to—it was as plain as the nose on his
face.
plain and simple informal used to emphasize the statement
preceding or following: she was a nuisance, plain and simple.
plain as day informal very clearly.
DERIVATIVESplainly adverb [ as sentence adverb ] : her mother was plainly
anxious to leave,
plainness |ˈpleɪnnɪs| noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French plain, from Latin
planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’.
plain 2 |pleɪn|
verb [ no obj. ] archaic
mourn or lament.
• complain.
• emit a mournful or plaintive sound.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French plaindre, from
Latin plangere ‘to lament’.
plain
adjective
1 it was plain that something was very wrong: obvious, clear, crystal
clear, as clear as crystal, evident, apparent, manifest, patent,
visible, discernible, perceptible, perceivable, noticeable,
detectable, recognizable, observable, unmistakable,
transparent, palpable, distinct, pronounced, marked, striking,
conspicuous, overt, self-evident, indisputable; as plain as a
pikestaff, staring someone in the face, writ large, written allover someone, as plain as day, plain to see, beyond (a) doubt,
beyond question; informal as plain as the nose on one's face,
standing/sticking out like a sore thumb, standing/sticking out a
mile.
2 put it in plain English: intelligible, comprehensible,
understandable, coherent, accessible, uncomplicated, lucid,
perspicuous, unambiguous, clear, simple, straightforward,
clearly expressed, clear-cut, direct, digestible, user-friendly.
ANTONYMS unclear, obscure.
3 there were indrawn breaths at such plain speaking: candid, frank,
outspoken, forthright, plain-spoken, direct, honest, truthful,
blunt, downright, unvarnished, bald, straight from the
shoulder, explicit, unequivocal; informal upfront; archaic
round, free-spoken.
4 her plain black dress: simple, ordinary, unadorned, undecorated,
unembellished, unornamented, unpretentious, unostentatious,
unfussy, homely, homespun, basic, modest, unsophisticated,
penny plain, without frills; stark, severe, spartan, austere,
chaste, bare, uncluttered, restrained, muted, unpatterned,
patternless, everyday, workaday. ANTONYMS fancy,
elaborate.5 a rather plain girl: unattractive, unprepossessing, as plain as a
pikestaff, ugly, ill-favoured, unlovely, ordinary-looking; N.
Amer. homely; informal not much to look at, fugly; Brit.
informal no oil painting. ANTONYMS attractive, beautiful,
good-looking.
6 a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him: straightforward,
unpretentious, simple, ordinary, average, unassuming,
unaffected, honest-to-goodness, ingenuous, artless, guileless,
sincere; N. Amer. cracker-barrel. ANTONYMS pretentious,
affected.
7 it was plain bad luck: sheer, pure, downright, out-and-out,
unmitigated, rank, nothing other than.
PHRASES
plain sailing getting their products onto the market has not been plain
sailing: uncomplicated, straightforward, simple, easy, effortless,
painless, undemanding, unexacting; elementary, a five-finger
exercise, child's play; routine; informal as easy as falling off a
log, as easy as pie, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, a cinch, a
snip, easy-peasy, no sweat, a doddle, money for old rope,
money for jam, kids' stuff, a breeze, a doss, a cakewalk; N.Amer. informal duck soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a
bludge, a snack; S. African informal a piece of old tackle.
adverb
this is just plain stupid: downright, utterly, absolutely, completely,
totally, really, thoroughly, positively, profoundly, categorically,
simply, incontrovertibly, unquestionably, undeniably; informal
plumb.
noun
the vast treeless plains of North America: grassland, flatland,
lowland, pasture, meadowland, open country, prairie,
savannah, steppe; in S. Americatableland, tundra, pampas,
campo, llano, vega; in southern Africaveld; Geology pediplain;
literary champaign.
honest |ˈɒnɪst|
adjective
free of deceit; truthful and sincere: I haven't been totally honest with
you.
• morally correct or virtuous: I did the only right and honest thing.
• [ attrib. ] fairly earned, especially through hard work: he's
struggling to make an honest living.• (of an action) done with good intentions even if unsuccessful
or misguided: he'd made an honest mistake.
• [ attrib. ] simple, unpretentious, and unsophisticated: good
honest food with no gimmicks.
adverb informal
used to persuade someone of the truth of something: you'll like
it when you get there, honest.
PHRASES
earn (or turn) an honest penny earn money fairly.
make an honest woman of dated or humorous marry a
woman, especially to avoid scandal if she is pregnant.[ honest
here originally meant ‘respectable’, but was probably
associated with the archaic sense ‘chaste’.]
to be honest speaking frankly: to be honest, I expected to play
worse.
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense ‘held in or
deserving of honour’): via Old French from Latin honestus,
from honos (see honour) .
honest
adjective1 I did the only right and honest thing | he is an honest man: morally
correct, upright, honourable, moral, ethical, principled,
righteous, right-minded, respectable; virtuous, good, worthy,
decent, law-abiding, high-minded, upstanding, just, fair,
incorruptible, anti-corruption, truthful, true, veracious,
trustworthy, trusty, reliable, conscientious, scrupulous,
reputable, dependable, loyal, faithful; informal on the level,
honest-to-goodness. ANTONYMS dishonest.
2 I haven't been totally honest with you: truthful, sincere, candid,
frank, direct, open, forthright, straight, straightforward,
genuine, blunt, plain-spoken, plain-speaking, matter-of-fact,
outspoken, as straight as a die, straight from the shoulder;
informal upfront; archaic free-spoken. ANTONYMS
insincere.
3 he'd made an honest mistake: genuine, real, authentic, actual,
true; legitimate, above board, fair and square; Latinbona fide;
informal legit, kosher, on the level, honest-to-goodness.
ANTONYMS intentional.
4 they had given their honest opinion: objective, impartial, unbiased,
balanced, unprejudiced, disinterested, even-handed, fair, just,
equitable. ANTONYMS biased.exonerate
verb
1 the inquiry exonerated Lewis and his company: absolve, clear, acquit,
declare innocent, find innocent, pronounce not guilty,
discharge; vindicate; rare exculpate. ANTONYMS charge,
convict.
2 Pope Clement V exonerated the king from his oath to the barons:
release, discharge, relieve, free, liberate; excuse, exempt, except;
informal let off; rare dispense. ANTONYMS hold to.
exonerate |ɪgˈzɒnəәreɪt, ɛg-|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 (of an official body) absolve (someone) from blame for a fault
or wrongdoing: an inquiry exonerated those involved | they should
exonerate these men from this crime.
2 (exonerate someone from) release someone from (a duty
or obligation). Pope Clement V exonerated the king from his oath to the
barons.
DERIVATIVES
exonerative |-rəәtɪv| adjectiveORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin exonerat- ‘freed
from a burden’, from the verb exonerare, from ex- ‘from’ +
onus, oner- ‘a burden’.
exaggerate |ɪgˈzadʒəәreɪt, ɛg-|
verb [ with obj. ]
represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it
really is: she was apt to exaggerate any aches and pains | [ no obj. ] : I
couldn't sleep for three days—I'm not exaggerating.
• (as adj.exaggerated) enlarged or altered beyond normal
proportions: exaggerated features such as a massive head and beetling
brows.
DERIVATIVES
exaggeratedly adverb,
exaggerative |-rəәtɪv| adjective,
exaggerator noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin exaggerat- ‘heaped up’,
from the verb exaggerare, from ex- ‘thoroughly’ + aggerare
‘heap up’ (from agger ‘heap’). The word originally meant
‘pile up, accumulate’, later ‘intensify praise or blame’, giving
rise to current senses.exaggerate
verb
the conflict was exaggerated by the media | they often exaggerate for
dramatic effect: overstate, overemphasize, overstress, overestimate,
overvalue, magnify, amplify, aggrandize, inflate; embellish,
embroider, colour, elaborate, over-elaborate, oversell, overdraw,
overplay, dramatize; hyperbolize, add colour, stretch the truth,
catastrophize; Brit. overpitch; informal pile it on, lay it on
thick, lay it on with a trowel/shovel, make a mountain out of a
molehill, blow something out of all proportion, make a drama
out of a crisis, make a big thing of; Brit. informal shoot a line;
archaic draw the longbow. ANTONYMS play down;
understate.
underwrite |ʌndəәˈrʌɪt, ˈʌndəәrʌɪt|
verb (pastunderwrote; past participleunderwritten) [ with
obj. ]
1 sign and accept liability under (an insurance policy), thus
guaranteeing payment in case loss or damage occurs. the policy,
underwritten at Lloyd's, indemnifies trustees against loss arising from
wrongful acts. (as noun underwriting) : the individuals whose assets
support underwriting at Lloyd's.• accept (a liability or risk) in this way. the insurance companies have
underwritten just over half the risk.
2 (of a bank or other financial institution) engage to buy all the
unsold shares in (an issue of new shares). the purchase is being paid
for by a share issue, which has been underwritten.
• undertake to finance or otherwise support or guarantee
(something): they were willing to underwrite, in part, the construction of
a ship.
3 archaic write (something) below something else, especially
other written matter. each subscriber should underwrite his reason for
the place he allots his candidate.
DERIVATIVES
underwriter |ˈʌn-| noun
underwrite
verb
the London-based company which underwrote the deal has crashed:
sponsor, support, back, insure, indemnify, provide security for,
take the risk for, subsidize, contribute to, pay for, provide
capital for, finance, fund; sanction, agree to, approve, confirm,
ratify, validate, authenticate, certify, seal, guarantee, warrant,accredit; informal foot the bill for, pick up the tab for; N. Amer.
informal bankroll.
understate |ʌndəәˈsteɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
describe or represent (something) as being smaller or less good
or important than it really is: the press have understated the extent of
the problem.
DERIVATIVES
understater noun
understate
verb
we have been guilty of understating the size of the problem: play down,
downplay, make light of, underrate, rate too low, not do justice
to, do an injustice to, under play, de-emphasize,
underemphasize, trivialize, minimize, diminish, downgrade,
reduce, lessen, brush aside, gloss over, shrug off; informal soft-
pedal, sell short; rare misprize, minify. ANTONYMS overstate,
exaggerate, emphasize.
ignore |ɪgˈnɔː|verb [ with obj. ]
refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard
intentionally: he ignored her outraged question.
• fail to consider (something significant): the rules ignore one
important principle of cricket.
DERIVATIVES
ignorable adjective,
ignorer noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘be ignorant of ’): from
French ignorer or Latin ignorare ‘not know, ignore’, from
in- ‘not’ + gno-, a base meaning ‘know’. Current senses date
from the early 19th cent.
ignore
verb
1 he ignored the customers and began counting money: disregard, take
no notice of, pay no attention to, pay no heed to, pass over,
shut one's eyes to, be oblivious to, turn a blind eye to, turn a
deaf ear to, brush aside, shrug off, push aside, never mind; look
the other way. ANTONYMS pay attention to.
2 he was ignored by the countess: snub, slight, spurn, shun, disdain,
look right through, look past, turn one's back on, give someonethe cold shoulder, cold-shoulder, freeze out, steer clear of; Brit.
send to Coventry; informal give someone the brush-off, cut, cut
dead, knock back, give someone the go-by; Brit. informal
blank. ANTONYMS acknowledge.
3 doctors ignored her husband's instructions: set aside, pay no
attention to, take no account of, veto; break, contravene, fail to
comply with, fail to observe, disobey, breach, defy, flout, fly in
the face of; omit, leave out, bypass, overlook, neglect, disregard,
exclude; informal skip. ANTONYMS obey.
condemn |kəәnˈdɛm|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 express complete disapproval of; censure: most leaders roundly
condemned the attack | the plan was condemned by campaigners.
2 sentence (someone) to a particular punishment, especially
death: the rebels had been condemned to death | (as
adj.condemned) : the condemned men.
• (of circumstances) force (someone) to endure or accept
something unpleasant: the physical ailments that condemned him
to a lonely childhood.
• prove or show to be guilty or unsatisfactory: she could see in his
eyes that her stumble had condemned her.3 officially declare (something) to be unfit for use: the pool has
been condemned as a health hazard.
DERIVATIVES
condemnable |-ˈdɛmnəәb(əә)l| adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (in sense 2): from Old French
condemner, from Latin condemnare, from con- (expressing
intensive force) + damnare ‘inflict loss on’ (see damn) .
condemn
verb
1 he condemned such players for dragging the name of football through the
dirt: censure, criticize, castigate, attack, denounce, deplore,
decry, revile, inveigh against, blame, chastise, berate, upbraid,
reprimand, rebuke, reprove, reprehend, take to task, find fault
with, give someone/something a bad press; deprecate,
disparage; informal slam, hammer, lay into, cane, blast; Brit.
informal slate, slag off, have a go at; archaic slash, reprobate;
rare excoriate, vituperate, arraign, objurgate, anathematize.
ANTONYMS praise, commend.
2 the rebels had been condemned to death: sentence, pass sentence on;
convict, find guilty. ANTONYMS acquit.3 the pool has been condemned as a health hazard: declare unfit,
declare unsafe; denounce, criticize.
4 she could see in his eyes that her mistake had condemned her:
incriminate, prove to be guilty, prove one's guilt, implicate;
archaic inculpate.
5 the physical ailments that condemned him to a lonely childhood:
doom, destine, damn, foredoom, foreordain, mark someone
out for; consign, assign; rare predoom.
controversial |kɒntrəәˈvəәːʃ(əә)l|
adjective
giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public
disagreement: years of wrangling over a controversial bypass.
DERIVATIVES
controversialist noun,
controversiality noun,
controversially adverb
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from late Latin controversialis,
from controversia (see controversy) .
controversial
adjectivecontroversial issues such as abortion and hanging: contentious,
disputed, contended, at issue, moot, disputable, debatable,
arguable, vexed, open to discussion/question, under discussion;
tendentious; emotive, sensitive, delicate, difficult, awkward,
p r o b l e m a t i c ; r a r e c o n t r o v e r t i b l e . A N TO N Y M S
uncontroversial, anodyne.
indisputable |ɪndɪˈspjuːtəәb(əә)l, ɪnˈdɪspjʊtəәb(əә)l|
adjective
unable to be challenged or denied: a far from indisputable fact.
DERIVATIVES
indisputability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
indisputably adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from late Latin indisputabilis, from
in- ‘not’ + disputabilis (see disputable) .
indisputable
adjective
the facts are indisputable: incontrovertible, incontestable,
undeniable, irrefutable, unassailable, beyond dispute,
unquestionable, beyond question, indubitable, not in doubt,
beyond doubt, beyond a shadow of a doubt, unarguable,inarguable, undebatable, unanswerable; unequivocal,
unambiguous, unmistakable, certain, sure, definite, definitive,
proven, positive, decisive, conclusive, final, ultimate; clear,
clear-cut, straightforward, plain, as plain as a pikestaff,
transparent, obvious, manifest, evident, self-evident, staring
one in the face, patent, demonstrative, demonstrable,
observable, palpable; uncontroversial, accepted, acknowledged;
marked, pronounced, express, emphatic, categorical,
compelling, convincing, clinching, airtight, watertight; rare
irrefragable, apodictic. ANTONYMS questionable.
restrained |rɪˈstreɪnd|
adjective
characterized by reserve or moderation; unemotional or
dispassionate: his restrained, gentlemanly voice.
• (of colour, decoration, etc.) not excessively showy or ornate;
understated. the drawings, with their restrained colours, give a feeling of
peace and contemplation.
DERIVATIVES
restrainedly adverb
restrain |rɪˈstreɪn|
verb [ with obj. ]prevent (someone or something) from doing something; keep
under control or within limits: the need to restrain public expenditure
| he had to be restrained from walking out | (as
adj.restraining) : Cara put a restraining hand on his arm.
• control (a strong urge or emotion): Amiss had to restrain his
impatience.
• deprive (someone) of freedom of movement or personal
liberty: leg cuffs are used for restraining and transporting violent
criminals.
• (of a seat belt) hold (a person or part of their body) down and
back while in a vehicle seat. all front seats must be equipped with seat
belts which restrain the upper part of the body.
DERIVATIVES
restrainable adjective,
restrainer noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French restreign-, stem
of restreindre, from Latin restringere, from re- ‘back’ +
stringere ‘to tie, pull tight’.
restrained
adjective1 compared with her exuberant father, Julie was quite restrained: self-
controlled, controlled, self-restrained, moderate, not given to
excesses, sober, steady, phlegmatic, unemotional, inhibited,
undemonstrative, unassuming, quiet, calm, thoughtful, reticent,
discreet, guarded. ANTONYMS immoderate, emotional.
2 the restrained elegance of their new floral wallpapers: muted, soft,
pale, subdued, discreet, subtle, quiet, unobtrusive,
unostentatious, understated, artistic, tasteful, graceful.
ANTONYMS garish, loud, extravagant.
restrain
verb
1 Charles restrained his anger: control, keep under control, check,
hold/keep in check, curb, suppress, repress, contain, keep
within bounds, limit, regulate, restrict, moderate, dampen, put
a brake on, subdue, smother, choke back, stifle, bridle, leash,
bit, muzzle, bottle up, cork, rein back, rein in, keep in; informal
keep the lid on. ANTONYMS provoke, encourage.
2 she had to restrain herself from slamming the receiver down:
prevent, stop, keep, hold back; hinder, impede, hamper,
restrict, constrain, obstruct; archaic hold. ANTONYMS force.3 Law a court could restrain a doctor from continuing treatment:
prohibit, ban, bar, disallow, interdict; forbid, veto, proscribe;
Law enjoin. ANTONYMS compel, encourage.
4 the insane used to be restrained with straitjackets: tie up, bind, strap,
truss, pinion, lash, tether, chain (up), fetter, shackle, manacle,
put in irons, handcuff.
control |kəәnˈtrəәʊl|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the power to influence or direct people's
behaviour or the course of events: the whole operation is under
the control of a production manager | the situation was slipping out
of her control.
• the ability to manage a machine, vehicle, or other moving
object: he lost control of his car | improve your ball control.
• the restriction of an activity, tendency, or phenomenon: crime
control.
• the ability to restrain one's own emotions or actions: she was
goaded beyond control.
• [ count noun ] (often controls) a means of limiting or
regulating something: growing controls on local spending.• [ count noun ] a switch or other device by which a device or
vehicle is regulated: he had the chance to take the controls and fly the
glider | the volume control.
• [ with modifier ] the place from which a system or activity is
directed or where a particular item is verified: passport control.
• Computing short for control key. note that Control plus various
keys on the numeric keypad will move you around the text.
2 a person or thing used as a standard of comparison for
checking the results of a survey or experiment: platelet activity
was higher in patients with the disease than in the controls.
3 a member of an intelligence organization who personally
directs the activities of a spy. he sat with his KGB control as the
details of his new assignment were explained.
4 Bridge a high card that will prevent the opponents from
establishing a particular suit. he has controls in both minor suits.
verb (controls, controlling, controlled)
1 [ with obj. ] determine the behaviour or supervise the
running of: he was appointed to control the company's marketing
strategy.
• maintain influence or authority over: there were never enough
masters to control the unruly mobs of boys.• limit the level, intensity, or numbers of: he had to control his
temper.
• (control oneself) remain calm and reasonable despite
provocation. her eyes flashed angrily, but she made an effort to control
herself.
• regulate (a mechanical or scientific process): the airflow is
controlled by a fan.
• (as adj.controlled) (of a drug) restricted by law in respect of
use and possession: a sentence for possessing controlled substances.
2 [ no obj. ] (control for) take into account (an extraneous
factor that might affect the results of an experiment): no attempt
was made to control for variations | (as adj.controlled) : a controlled
trial.
PHRASES
in control able to direct a situation, person, or activity. from the
beginning he has been in control of his own destiny.
out of control no longer possible to manage. the fire gets out of
control.
under control (of a danger or emergency) such that people
are able to deal with it successfully: it took two hours to bring the
blaze under control.
DERIVATIVEScontrollability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
controllable adjective,
controllably adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘check or
verify accounts’, especially by referring to a duplicate register):
from Anglo-Norman French contreroller ‘keep a copy of a
roll of accounts’, from medieval Latin contrarotulare, from
contrarotulus ‘copy of a roll’, from contra- ‘against’ +
rotulus ‘a roll’. The noun is perhaps via French contrôle .
control
noun
1 the Dutch retained control over the western half of New Guinea | the
whole operation is under the control of a production manager:
jurisdiction, sway, power, authority, command, dominance,
domination, government, mastery, leadership, rule, reign,
sovereignty, supremacy, ascendancy, predominance; charge,
management, direction, guidance, supervision,
superintendence, oversight; influence; rare prepotence,
prepotency, prepollency.
2 strict import controls: restraint, constraint, limitation, restriction,
check, curb, brake, rein; regulation.3 ‘How could you?’ she yelled, her control slipping: self-control, self-
restraint, restraint, self-command, self-mastery, self-discipline;
self-possession, composure, calmness, coolness; informal cool;
rare countenance.
4 the volume control | easy-to-use controls: switch, knob, button, dial,
handle, lever; (controls) console, instrument panel,
dashboard; informal dash.
5 mission control: headquarters, HQ , base, centre of operations,
command post.
6 another Petri dish without the DNA solution was used as a control:
standard of comparison, benchmark, standard, check.
PHRASES
out of control the world is increasingly out of control:
uncontrollable, unmanageable, ungovernable, wild, unruly,
disorderly, recalcitrant, refractory, obstreperous, turbulent,
intractable, incor rigible, disobedient, delinquent,
insubordinate, defiant, non-compliant, undisciplined; Brit.
informal stroppy, bolshie; archaic contumacious.
ANTONYMS under control, obedient, compliant.
verb
1 one family had controlled the company since its formation | the entire
country was strictly controlled by the government: be in charge of, run,be in control of, manage, direct, administer, head, preside over,
have authority over, supervise, superintend, oversee, guide,
steer; command, rule, govern, lead, dominate, reign over, hold
sway over, be at the helm, be the boss; informal head up, call
the shots, call the tune, be in the driving seat, be in the saddle,
run the show, pull the strings, rule the roost, hold the purse
strings, have someone/something in the palm of one's hand,
have someone eating out of one's hand; Brit. informal wear the
trousers; N. Amer. have someone in one's hip pocket.
2 she struggled to control her temper: restrain, keep in check, curb,
check, contain, hold back, bridle, rein in, keep a tight rein on,
subdue, suppress, repress, master, damp down; informal keep
a/the lid on.
3 public spending was controlled: limit, restrict, set/impose limits
on, curb, cap, constrain; informal put the brakes on.
4 the extractor fan is controlled by a thermostat | all these processes are
controlled by genes: regulate, modulate, adjust; affect, determine,
govern.
appease |əәˈpiːz|
verb [ with obj. ]1 pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands:
amendments have been added to appease local pressure groups.
2 assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling): we give to charity
because it appeases our guilt.
DERIVATIVES
appeaser noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French apaisier, from a-
(from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + pais ‘peace’.
appease
verb
1 his action was seen as an attempt to appease critics of his regime:
conciliate, placate, pacify, make peace with, propitiate, palliate,
allay, reconcile, win over; calm (down), mollify, soothe, quieten
down, subdue, soften, content, still, quieten, silence,
tranquillize, humour; informal sweeten. ANTONYMS
provoke, inflame.
2 I'd wasted a lot of money to appease my vanity: satisfy, fulfil, gratify,
meet, fill, serve, provide for, indulge; assuage, relieve, take the
edge off, deaden, dull, blunt, quench, slake, sate, diminish.
ANTONYMS frustrate.correction of sentences of vocabulary
strain 1 |streɪn|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] force (a part of one's body or oneself) to make an
unusually great effort: I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any
sound.
• [ no obj. ] make an unusually great effort: his voice was so quiet
that I had to strain to hear it.
• injure (a limb, muscle, or organ) by overexerting it: on cold days
you are more likely to strain a muscle | glare from the screen can strain
your eyes.
• make severe or excessive demands on: he strained her tolerance to
the limit.
• [ no obj. ] pull or push forcibly at something: the bear
strained at the chain around its neck | his stomach was swollen,
straining against the thin shirt.
• stretch (something) tightly: the barbed wire fence was strained to
posts six feet high.
• archaic embrace (someone) tightly: she strained the infant to her
bosom again.2 [ with obj. ] pour (a mainly liquid substance) through a
porous or perforated device or material in order to separate out
any solid matter: strain the custard into a bowl.
• cause liquid to drain off (food which has been boiled, soaked,
or canned) by using a porous or perforated device: she turned to
the sink to strain the noodles.
• drain off (liquid) in this way: strain off the surplus fat.
noun
1 a force tending to pull or stretch something to an extreme or
damaging degree: the usual type of chair puts an enormous strain on
the spine | [ mass noun ] : aluminium may bend under strain.
• an injury to a part of the body caused by overexertion: he has
a slight groin strain.
• Physics the magnitude of a deformation, equal to the
change in the dimension of a deformed object divided by its
original dimension.
2 a severe or excessive demand on the strength, resources, or
abilities of someone or something: the accusations put a strain
on relations between the two countries | [ mass noun ] : she's under
considerable strain.• [ mass noun ] a state of tension or exhaustion resulting from
severe demands on one's strength or resources: the telltale signs of
nervous strain.
3 (usu. strains) the sound of a piece of music: the distant strains
of the brass band grew louder.
PHRASES
at (full) strain archaic using the utmost effort.
strain every nerve see nerve.
strain at the leash see leash.
DERIVATIVES
strainable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb): from Old French
estreindre, from Latin stringere ‘draw tight’. Current
senses of the noun arose in the mid 16th cent.
strain 2 |streɪn|
noun
1 a particular breed, stock, or variety of an animal or plant.
• a natural or cultured variety of a microorganism with a
distinct form, biochemistry, or virulence.
• a variety of something abstract: a strain of feminist thought.
2 a particular tendency as part of a person's character: there was
a powerful strain of insanity on her mother's side of the family.ORIGIN Old English strīon‘acquisition, gain’, of Germanic
origin; related to Latin struere ‘to build up’.
strain 1
verb
1 take care that you don't strain yourself: overtax, overwork,
overburden, overextend, overreach, overtask, make too many
demands on, run/work oneself into the ground, exert
excessively, drive too far, exert to the limit, push to the limit;
exhaust, wear out, fatigue, tire, tax; overdo it, work too hard;
informal knacker, knock oneself out.
2 on cold days you are more likely to strain a muscle: injure, hurt,
damage, impair; pull, wrench, tear, twist, sprain, rick, crick.
3 we strained to haul the guns up an almost perpendicular slope: struggle,
labour, toil, make a supreme effort, make every effort, spare no
effort, strain every nerve, try very hard, strive, break one's back,
push/drive oneself to the limit, do one's best; informal pull out
all the stops, go all out, give it one's all, bend/lean over
backwards, give it one's best shot, bust a gut, break one's neck,
do one's damnedest, kill oneself; Austral. informal go for the
doctor.4 the rapid population growth is straining the supply of usable water:
make severe demands on, make excessive demands on, overtax,
be too much for; exceed the limits of, drain, sap, use up, exceed
the range/scope of, overstep; test, tax, put a strain on, fray.
5 the bear strained at the chain around its neck: pull, tug, heave, haul,
jerk; push; informal yank.
6 strain the mixture to remove the seeds: sieve, sift, filter, screen,
riddle, separate; percolate; leach; rare filtrate, griddle.
noun
1 the rope snapped under the strain: tension, tightness, tautness,
shear, distension; rare tensity.
2 a severe stomach muscle strain: injury; sprain, wrench, twist, rick.
3 the overwhelming strain of her job: pressure, demands, burdens,
exertions; stress, tension; informal hassle.
4 Melissa was showing signs of strain: stress, tension, nervous
tension, anxiety; exhaustion, fatigue, tiredness, weariness,
pressure of work, overwork, duress. ANTONYMS relaxation.
5 (strains) the soothing strains of Brahms's lullaby: sound, music;
melody, tune, air, song.
strain 2
noun1 a different strain of flu | a strain of mice: variety, kind, type, sort;
breed, genus.
2 Hawthorne was of Puritan strain: descent, ancestry, stock,
origin(s), parentage, pedigree, lineage, line, heritage, birth,
extraction, derivation, background, family, blood, bloodline,
genealogy, roots; rare filiation, stirps.
3 there was a strain of insanity on her mother's side of the family:
tendency to, susceptibility to, propensity to, proneness to,
proclivity to, inclination to; trait, characteristic, disposition.
4 they have injected a strain of solemnity into a genre of film renowned for
its irreverence: element, strand, streak, vein, note, trace, touch,
dash, tinge, suggestion, hint, suspicion; Frenchsoupçon.
5 archaic he continued in the same strain for over an hour: tone, spirit,
vein, tenor, temper; manner, way, style.
every |ˈɛvri|
determiner
used before a singular noun to refer to all the individual
members of a set without exception: the hotel assures every guest of
personal attention | [ with possessive determiner ] : the children hung
on his every word.• used before an amount to indicate how often something
happens: tours are every thirty minutes | they had every third week off.
• (used for emphasis) all possible; the utmost: you have every reason
to be disappointed.
PHRASES
every bit as (in comparisons) quite as: the planning should be
every bit as enjoyable as the event itself.
every inch see inch 1 .
every last (or every single)used to emphasize that every
member of a group is included: unbelievers, every last one of them.
every man has his price proverb everyone is open to
bribery if the inducement offered is large enough.
every now and again (or now and then)from time to time;
occasionally. I used to see him every now and then.
every other (or every second)each alternate in a series: I
train with weights every other day | the auctions are held every second
week.
every so often from time to time; occasionally. every so often I
need a laugh to stay sane.
every time without exception: Maris Piper potatoes cook
beautifully every time.every which way informal in all directions: my feet went every
which way. • by all available means: since then he has tried every
which way to avoid contact with his ex.
ORIGIN Old English ǣfre ǣlc (see ever,each) .
every
determiner
1 he exercised his hounds every day: each, each and every, every
single.
2 the firm will make every effort to satisfy its clients: all possible, all
probable, the utmost, as much as possible, as great as possible.
ANTONYMS no.
utmost |ˈʌtməәʊst|
adjective [ attrib. ]
most extreme; greatest: a matter of the utmost importance.
noun (the utmost)
the greatest or most extreme extent or amount: a plot that
stretches credulity to the utmost.
PHRASESdo one's utmost do the most that one is able: Dan was doing
his utmost to be helpful.
ORIGIN Old English ūt(e)mest‘outermost’ (see out,-most) .
utmost
adjective
1 a matter of the utmost importance: greatest, maximum, greatest
possible, highest, most, most extreme, greatest amount of,
utter most; maximal, extreme, supreme, paramount,
superlative, enormous, major. ANTONYMS least possible,
very little.
2 the utmost tip of Shetland: furthest, farthest, furthermost,
farthermost, furthest/farthest away, extreme, very, uttermost,
outermost, aftermost, endmost, ultimate, final, last, terminal,
remotest; rare outmost. ANTONYMS nearest.
noun
we will do our utmost to help you: best, uttermost, hardest,
maximum, greatest possible extent. ANTONYMS least.
WORD TOOLKIT
utmost
See vital.Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
effort |ˈɛfəәt|
noun
1 a vigorous or determined attempt: in an effort to reduce inflation,
the government increased interest rates.
• the result of an attempt: he was a keen gardener, winning many
prizes for his efforts.
• [ mass noun ] strenuous physical or mental exertion: achieving
independence requires some effort and self-discipline.
• [ with modifier ] the activities of a group of people with a
common purpose: the war effort.
2 technical a force exerted by a machine or in a process.
PHRASES
make an effort attempt to do something: make an effort to do
some kind of abdominal exercise.
make every (or spare no)effort try everything possible to
achieve something: the doctor spared no effort in helping my father.
with effort with physical difficulty: 'It's bad, sir', he said,
controlling his voice with effort.
DERIVATIVESeffortful adjective,
effortfully adverb
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from French, from Old French
esforcier, based on Latin ex- ‘out’ + fortis ‘strong’.
effort
noun
1 they made an effort to reach a settlement: attempt, try, endeavour;
informal crack, go, shot, stab, bash, whack; formal essay;
archaic assay.
2 Guy's score of 68 was a fine effort: achievement, accomplishment,
performance, attainment, result, feat, deed, exploit,
undertaking, enterprise; work, handiwork, creation,
production, opus; triumph, success, positive result, coup,
master stroke, stroke of genius.
3 it requires little effort to operate the handle: exertion, force, power,
energy, work, muscle, application, labour, the sweat of one's
brow, striving, endeavour, toil, struggle, slog, strain, stress,
trouble, bother; informal sweat, elbow grease; Brit. informal
graft; Austral./NZ informal (hard) yakka; archaic travail, moil.
PHRASESmake an effort more than four in ten adults have made an effort to cut
their carb intake: try, attempt, endeavour, strive, seek, exert
oneself, do one's best, labour, work, toil, struggle, apply oneself;
undertake, aim, set out, take it on oneself; informal have a go/
shot/crack/stab/bash; Austral./NZ informal give it a burl, give
it a fly; formal essay; archaic assay.
make every effort the directors of almost all the parks are making
every effort to draw in visitors with new attractions: try hard, strive,
aim, aspire, venture, undertake, seek, make an effort, spare no
effort, exert oneself, do one's best, do all one can, do one's
utmost, attempt, give one's all, labour, work, toil, strain,
struggle, apply oneself; informal bend/fall/lean over
backwards, go all out, give it one's best shot, pull out all the
stops, bust a gut, do one's damnedest, go for broke, knock
oneself out, break one's neck, move heaven and earth.
spare no effort See make every effort above.
with effort 'It's bad, sir', he said, controlling his voice with effort:
with difficulty, with/after a struggle, painfully, arduously,
laboriously, hard. ANTONYMS easily.feel |fiːl|
verb (past and past participlefelt |fɛlt| ) [ with obj. ]
1 be aware of (a person or object) through touching or being
touched: she felt someone touch her shoulder | you can feel the soft grass
beneath your feet.
• be aware of (something happening) through physical
sensation: she felt the ground give way beneath her.
• examine or search by touch: he touched her head and felt her hair |
[ no obj. ] : he felt around for the matches.
• [ no obj. ] be capable of sensation: the dead cannot feel.
• [ no obj., with complement ] give a sensation of a particular
physical quality when touched: the wool feels soft.
• (feel something out) informal investigate something
cautiously: they want to feel out the situation.
• (feel someone up) informal fondle someone surreptitiously
and without their consent, for one's own sexual stimulation.
2 experience (an emotion or sensation): I felt a sense of excitement
| [ no obj., with complement ] : she started to feel really sick | it
felt odd to be alone again | [ no obj. ] : we feel very strongly about
freedom of expression.• [ no obj., with complement ] consider oneself to be in a
particular state or exhibiting particular qualities: he doesn't feel
obliged to visit every weekend | she felt such a fool.
• [ no obj. ] (feel up to) have the strength and energy to do or
deal with: after the accident she didn't feel up to driving.
• [ usu. with negative ] (feel oneself) be healthy and well: Ruth
was not quite feeling herself.
• be strongly affected by: he didn't feel the loss of his mother so keenly
| investors who have felt the effects of the recession.
• [ no obj. ] (feel for) have compassion for: poor woman—I do feel
for her.
3 [ with clause ] have a belief or impression, especially without
an identifiable reason: she felt that the woman positively disliked her.
• hold an opinion: I felt I could make a useful contribution.
noun [ usu. in sing. ]
1 an act of touching something to examine it.
• [ mass noun ] the sense of touch: he worked by feel rather than
using his eyes.
2 a sensation given by an object or material when touched:
nylon cloth with a cotton feel.
• the impression given by something: a cafe with a cosmopolitan
feel.PHRASES
feel one's age become aware that one is growing older and
less energetic.
feel free (to do something)have no hesitation or shyness
(often used as an invitation or for reassurance): feel free to say
what you like.
feel like (doing) something be inclined to have or do: I feel
like celebrating.
feel one's oats see oat.
feel the pinch see pinch.
feel the pulse of see pulse 1 .
feel small see small.
feel one's way find one's way by touch rather than sight: he
felt his way back to the stairs. • proceed cautiously, especially in a
situation that is unfamiliar: she was new in the job, still feeling her
way.
get a (or the) feel for (or of)become accustomed to: you can
explore to get a feel of the place.
have a feel for have a sensitive appreciation or an intuitive
understanding of: you have to have a feel for animals.
make oneself (or one's presence) felt have a noticeable
effect or influence: the economic crisis began to make itself felt.ORIGIN Old English fēlan, of West Germanic origin; related
to Dutch voelen and German fühlen .
feel
verb
1 she encourages her customers to feel the fabrics: touch, stroke, caress,
fondle, finger, thumb, handle, manipulate, fiddle with, play
with, toy with, maul; put one's hand on, lay a finger on;
informal paw.
2 she felt a steady breeze on her back: perceive, sense, detect, discern,
make out, notice, observe, identify; be sensible of, have a
sensation of, be aware of, be conscious of.
3 the patient does not feel pain during the procedure: experience,
undergo, go through, bear, endure, suffer, be forced to contend
with; know, have.
4 he began to feel his way towards the door: grope, fumble, scrabble,
pick, poke, explore.
5 feel the temperature of the water: test, try, try out, assess.
6 he feels that he should go to the meeting: believe, think, consider it
right, consider, fancy, be of the opinion, hold, maintain, judge,
deem; suspect, suppose, assume, presume, conclude, come tothe conclusion that; N. Amer. figure; informal reckon.
ANTONYMS doubt.
7 I feel that he is only biding his time: sense, have a feeling, get the
impression, feel in one's bones, have a hunch, have a funny
feeling, just know, intuit.
8 the air feels damp: seem, appear, strike one as.
PHRASES
feel for the press persecuted John and I felt for him: sympathize with,
be sorry for, pity, feel pity for, feel sympathy for, feel
compassion for, empathize with, identify with, be moved by,
weep for, grieve for, sorrow for; commiserate with, condole
with; archaic compassion.
feel like I feel like an ice cream: want, would like, wish for, desire,
fancy, feel in need of, feel the need for, long for, crave, hanker
after, pine for, thirst for, be desperate for, be bent on; informal
have a yen for, yen for, be dying for.
noun
1 in murky water the divers work by feel: touch, sense of touch,
tactile sense, tactility, feeling, feeling one's way, contact; texture.
2 he liked the feel of the paper: texture, surface, finish, grain, nap;
weight, thickness, consistency; quality, character.3 lighting can radically alter the feel of a room: atmosphere,
ambience, aura, mood, feeling, air, impression, climate,
character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour,
colour; informal vibrations, vibes, vibe; rare subcurrent.
4 he has a real feel for the language: aptitude, knack, flair, bent,
talent, gift, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination;
head, mind, brain; informal know-how.
weak |wiːk|
adjective
1 lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks;
having little physical strength or energy: she was recovering from
flu, and was very weak.
• lacking power or influence: the central government had grown too
weak to impose order | (as plural nounthe weak) : the new king used
his powers to protect the weak.
• (of a team or military force) containing too few members or
members of insufficient quality. their problems arose from fielding
weak teams in league matches.
• (of a faculty or part of the body) not able to fulfil its functions
properly: he had a weak stomach.• of a low standard; performing or performed badly: the choruses
on this recording are weak.
• not convincing or logically forceful: the argument is an extremely
weak one | a weak plot.
• exerting only a small force: a weak magnetic field.
2 liable to break or give way under pressure; easily damaged:
the salamander's tail may be broken off at a weak spot near the base.
• lacking the force of character to hold to one's own decisions,
beliefs, or principles; irresolute. he was not weak or a compromiser.
• (of a belief) not held with conviction or intensity: their
commitment to the project is weak.
• (of prices or a market) having a downward tendency.
3 lacking intensity or brightness: a weak light from a single street
lamp.
• (of a liquid or solution) heavily diluted: a cup of weak coffee.
• displaying or characterized by a lack of enthusiasm or
energy: she managed a weak, nervous smile.
• (of features) not striking or strongly marked: his beard covered a
weak chin.
• (of a syllable) unstressed.4 Grammar denoting a class of verbs in Germanic languages
that form the past tense and past participle by addition of a
suffix (in English, typically -ed).
5 Physics relating to or denoting the weakest of the known
kinds of force between particles, which acts only at distances
less than about 10 −15 cm, is very much weaker than the
electromagnetic and the strong interactions, and conserves
neither strangeness, parity, nor isospin.
PHRASES
the weaker sex [ treated as sing. or pl. ] dated women
regarded collectively.
the weakest link the point at which a system, sequence, or
organization is most vulnerable; the least dependable element
or member. the replacement goalkeeper proved to be the team's weakest
link.
DERIVATIVES
weakish adjective
ORIGIN Old English wāc‘pliant’, ‘of little worth’, ‘not
steadfast’, reinforced in Middle English by Old Norse veikr,
from a Germanic base meaning ‘yield, give way’.weak
adjective
1 they are too weak to move: frail, feeble, puny, fragile, delicate,
weakly; infirm, sick, sickly, shaky, debilitated, incapacitated,
ailing, indisposed, decrepit, enervated, tired, fatigued,
exhausted, spent, worn out; informal weedy. ANTONYMS
strong.
2 bats have very weak eyes: inadequate, poor, feeble; defective,
faulty, flawed, deficient, imperfect, substandard, lacking,
wanting. ANTONYMS strong, powerful, keen.
3 she made some weak excuse to break the appointment: unconvincing,
untenable, tenuous, implausible, unsatisfactory, slight, poor,
inadequate, thin, transparent; unsound, feeble, flimsy, lame,
hollow; informal pathetic. ANTONYMS convincing.
4 I was too weak to be a rebel: irresolute, spineless, craven,
cowardly, pusillanimous, timorous, timid, indecisive,
ineffectual, useless, inept, effete, meek, tame, powerless,
ineffective, impotent, namby-pamby, soft, lily-livered, faint-
hearted; informal yellow, weak-kneed, gutless, yellow-bellied,
chicken-hearted, chicken. ANTONYMS strong, resolute.
5 he had only a weak light to work by: dim, pale, wan, faint, dull,
feeble, muted. ANTONYMS strong, bright.6 ‘you did this to her,’ he said in a weak voice | a weak signal:
indistinct, muffled, stifled, muted, hushed, faint, low, scarcely
audible. ANTONYMS strong, loud.
7 they drank weak coffee: watery, diluted, dilute, watered down,
thinned down, thin, adulterated, tasteless, flavourless, bland,
insipid, mild, under-strength; informal wishy-washy.
ANTONYMS strong, powerful.
8 a weak smile: unenthusiastic, feeble, half-hearted, limp, lame.
PHRASES
weak at the knees she has accepted a challenge that would make the
bravest man go weak at the knees: faint, dizzy, light-headed, giddy,
shaky; weak-kneed, wobbly, quivery, unsteady, groggy, muzzy;
informal trembly, all of a tremble, all of a quiver, with rubbery
legs, woozy; rare vertiginous.
WORD TOOLKIT
weak feeble frail
link
signal
support
pound
economy
market attempt
excuse
effort
response
protest
apology body
patient
voice
frame
creature
childtea
explanation
grandparents
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
diligent |ˈdɪlɪdʒ(əә)nt|
adjective
having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or
duties: after diligent searching, he found a parcel.
DERIVATIVES
diligently adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin diligens,
diligent- ‘assiduous’, from diligere ‘love, take delight in’.
diligent
adjective
their drive to achieve makes them extremely diligent workers: industrious,
hard-working, assiduous; conscientious, particular, punctilious,
meticulous, painstaking, rigorous, exacting, careful, thorough,sedulous, attentive, heedful, intent, earnest, studious; constant,
persevering, persistent, tenacious, pertinacious, zealous,
dedicated, committed, driven, active, busy; unflagging,
untiring, tireless, indefatigable, dogged, plodding, slogging;
archaic laborious. ANTONYMS lazy; casual.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
diligent, hard-working, industrious
See hard-working.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
methodical |mɪˈθɒdɪk(əә)l|
adjective
done according to a systematic or established procedure: a
methodical approach to the evaluation of computer systems.
• (of a person) orderly or systematic in thought or behaviour.
she was so methodical, she kept everything documented. a methodical man,
he assembled all the papers into a huge pile.
DERIVATIVES
methodic adjective,
methodically adverbORIGIN late 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek
methodikos (from methodos: see method) + -al.
methodical
adjective
a methodical approach to the evaluation of computer systems: orderly,
well ordered, well organized, well thought out, planned, well
planned, efficient, businesslike, coherent, systematic, scientific,
structured, logical, analytic, formal, regular, well regulated,
disciplined; meticulous, punctilious, tidy, neat. ANTONYMS
disorganized, chaotic, inefficient.
flog |flɒg|
verb (flogs, flogging, flogged) [ with obj. ]
1 beat (someone) with a whip or stick as a punishment: the men
had been flogged and branded on the forehead | (as nounflogging) :
public floggings.
• informal promote or talk about (something) repetitively or at
excessive length: the issue has been flogged to death already.
2 Brit. informal sell or offer for sale: he made a fortune flogging
beads to hippies.3 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] Brit. informal make
one's way with strenuous effort: by 10 pm we had flogged up the
slopes to Grey Crag.
noun [ in sing. ] Brit. informal
an arduous climb or struggle: a long flog up the mountainside.
PHRASES
flog a dead horse Brit.waste energy on a lost cause or
unalterable situation.
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (originally slang): perhaps imitative, or
from Latin flagellare ‘to whip’, from flagellum ‘whip’.
flog
verb
1 the Romans used to flog their victims: whip, scourge, flagellate,
lash, birch, switch, tan, strap, belt, cane, thrash, beat, leather,
tan/whip someone's hide, give someone a hiding, beat the
living daylights out of.
2 they were flogging themselves to finish the project on schedule: try
one's hardest, try as hard as one can, do one's best, do one's
utmost, do all one can, give one's all, make every effort; strive,
struggle, strain, drive, push, apply oneself, exert oneself, workhard, endeavour, try; informal do one's damnedest, bend over
backwards, go all out, kill oneself, pull out all the stops, bust a
gut, move heaven and earth, give it one's best shot; Austral./NZ
informal go for the doctor.
3 Brit. informal insurance brokers flogging life policies. See sell
(sense 2).
whip |wɪp|
noun
1 a strip of leather or length of cord fastened to a handle, used
for flogging or beating a person or for urging on an animal.
• a blow with a whip or similar implement.
• used to refer to something causing pain or acting as a
stimulus to action: the team management had decided to crack the
whip on player indiscipline.
2 an official of a political party appointed to maintain
parliamentary discipline among its members, especially so as to
ensure attendance and voting in debates.
• Brit.a written notice from a whip requesting attendance for
voting. See also three-line whip.
• (the whip) Brit.membership of the group of MPs that form
the official, elected representation of a particular politicalparty, together with the duties or rights associated with such
membership: he resigned the Tory whip in protest at mine closures.
3 [ mass noun ] a dessert consisting of cream or eggs beaten
into a light fluffy mass with fruit, chocolate, or other
ingredients.
4 short for whipper-in.
5 a slender, unbranched shoot or plant.
6 [ with modifier ] N. Amer.a scythe for cutting specified crops:
a grass whip.
7 a rope-and-pulley hoisting apparatus.
verb (whips, whipping, whipped) [ with obj. ]
1 beat (a person or animal) with a whip or similar instrument,
especially as a punishment or to urge them on: Lewis whipped the
boy twenty times.
• (of a flexible object or rain or wind) strike or beat violently:
the wind whipped their faces.
• informal (of a player or team) defeat (a person or team)
heavily in a sporting contest. he whipped the Brazilian 6-1, 6-2,
6-3.
2 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] move fast or suddenly
in a specified direction: he whipped round to face them.• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] take out or move
(something) fast or suddenly: he whipped out his revolver and shot
him.
3 beat (cream, eggs, or other food) into a froth.
4 Brit. informal steal (something): the escaper had whipped his
overcoat.
5 bind (something) with spirally wound twine. the side linings are
whipped or hemmed.
• sew or gather (something) with overcast stitches. she began
whipping narrow lace along the top of the garment.
PHRASES
the whip hand a position of power or control over someone.
he had the whip hand over other members of the cabinet.
whips of Austral./NZlarge quantities of: tea with whips of sugar.
[late 19th cent.: from British English dialect whips‘lashings’.]
whip someone's ass see ass 2 .
PHRASAL VERBS
whip in act as whipper-in.
whip someone into urge or rouse someone into (a specified
state or position): the radio host whipped his listeners into a frenzy.
whip someone up deliberately excite or provoke someone:
Dad had managed to whip himself up into a fantastic rage.whip something up 1 stimulate a particular feeling in
someone: we tried hard to whip up interest in the products. 2 make or
prepare something, typically food, very quickly. I joined my
mother in the kitchen to whip up a batch of cakes.
DERIVATIVES
whip-like adjective,
whipper noun
ORIGIN Middle English: probably from Middle Low German
and Middle Dutch wippen ‘swing, leap, dance’, from a
Germanic base meaning ‘move quickly’. The noun is partly
from the verb, reinforced by Middle Low German wippe
‘quick movement’.
whip
noun
he would use a whip on anyone trespassing on his property: lash,
scourge, thong, strap, belt; crop, switch, birch, cane; historical
cat-o'-nine-tails, cat, knout.
PHRASES
the whip hand life became a battle over who would gain the whip
hand: the upper hand, a commanding position, an/the edge, anadvantage, a lead, a head start, ascendancy, superiority,
supremacy, sway, control, predominance, power, mastery,
dominance, command; rare prepotence, prepotency,
paramountcy, prepollency.
verb
1 Lewis whipped the boy twenty times: flog, scourge, flagellate, lash,
birch, switch, tan, strap, belt, cane, thrash, beat, leather, tan/
whip someone's hide, give someone a hiding, beat the living
daylights out of.
2 whip the cream until it forms soft peaks: whisk, beat, mix, stir.
3 the radio host whipped his listeners into a frenzy: rouse, stir up,
excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire up, fire
the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get someone going,
inflame, agitate, goad, provoke; incite, egg on, spur on; N.
Amer. light a fire under; rare inspirit.
4 informal Cleveland whipped Los Angeles 28–16 in the third game of
last season. See trounce (sense 1).
5 informal he whipped round the corner. See dash (sense 1 of the
verb).
6 informal he whipped out a revolver: pull, whisk, snatch, pluck,
tug, jerk, remove, take; produce; informal yank.7 Brit. informal they whipped the cones from a building site. See steal
(sense 1 of the verb).
PHRASES
whip something up we tried hard to whip up interest in the
products: stimulate, rouse, arouse, stir up, work up, wake, waken,
awaken, quicken, inspire, call forth, call/bring into being, draw
forth, bring out, excite, evoke, whet, stir, provoke, spur, fire,
inflame, trigger, prompt, induce, encourage, actuate, activate,
touch off, spark off, set off, set going, incite, promote, engender,
generate; literary enkindle.
attempt |əәˈtɛm(p)t|
verb [ with obj. ]
make an effort to achieve or complete (something difficult): she
attempted a comeback in 2001 | [ with infinitive ] : troops shot
civilians who attempted to flee.
• try to climb to the top of (a mountain): the expedition was the first
to attempt Everest.
• archaic try to take (a life): he would not have attempted the life of a
friend.
nounan effort to achieve or complete a difficult task or action: [ with
infinitive ] : an attempt to halt the bombings.
• an effort to surpass a record or conquer a mountain: an
attempt on the unclimbed north-east ridge.
• a bid to kill someone: Karakozov made an attempt on the Tsar's
life.
• a thing produced as a result of trying to make or achieve
something: she picked her first attempt at a letter out of the
wastebasket.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French attempter,
from Latin attemptare, from ad- ‘to’ + temptare ‘to tempt’.
attempt
verb
I attempted to answer the question | he attempted a takeover bid: try,
strive, aim, venture, endeavour, seek, set out, do one's best, do
all one can, do one's utmost, make an effort, make every effort,
spare no effort, give one's all, take it on oneself; have a go at,
undertake, embark on, try one's hand at, try out; informal give
it a whirl, give it one's best shot, go all out, pull out all the
stops, bend over backwards, knock oneself out, bust a gut,
break one's neck, move heaven and earth, have a crack at, havea shot at, have a stab at; Austral./NZ informal give it a burl,
give it a fly; formal essay; archaic assay.
noun
an attempt to put the economy to rights: effort, endeavour, try, bid,
venture, trial, experiment; informal crack, go, shot, stab, bash,
whack; formal essay; archaic assay.
impossible |ɪmˈpɒsɪb(əә)l|
adjective
not able to occur, exist, or be done: a seemingly impossible task |
[ with infinitive ] : it was almost impossible to keep up with him.
• very difficult to deal with: she was in an impossible situation.
• informal (of a person) very unreasonable: ‘Impossible woman!’
the doctor complained.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin
impossibilis, from in- ‘not’ + possibilis (see possible) .
impossible
adjective
1 gale force winds made fishing impossible: not possible, beyond the
bounds of possibility, out of the question, not worth
considering; unfeasible, impractical, impracticable, non-viable,unworkable, beyond one; unthinkable, unimaginable,
inconceivable; paradoxical, illogical, irrational; informal
undoable, like herding cats. ANTONYMS possible; easy.
2 six months ago his ambition had seemed an impossible dream:
unattainable, unachievable, unobtainable, hopeless,
impractical, implausible, far-fetched, impracticable,
unworkable; forlorn, vain; incredible, unbelievable, absurd,
ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, preposterous,
outlandish, outrageous; wild, hare-brained. ANTONYMS
possible, attainable.
3 a ban on buses would have made life impossible for many residents:
unbearable, intolerable, unendurable, unsustainable; informal
no-win. ANTONYMS bearable, tolerable.
4 informal your mother is the most impossible woman in the world:
unmanageable, intractable, recalcitrant, wayward,
objectionable, difficult, demanding, awkward, perverse,
ungovernable; intolerable, unbearable, unendurable;
exasperating, maddening, infuriating. ANTONYMS
manageable, easy to please.
WORD TOOLKITimpossible unattainabl implausible
e
task
odds
feat
mission
demands
question
choice
goal
dream
standard
beauty
perfection
woman
level
scenario
claim
explanation
story
ending
theory
excuses
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
waste |weɪst|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no
purpose: we can't afford to waste electricity | I don't use the car, so why
should I waste precious money on it?
• expend on an unappreciative recipient: her small talk was
wasted on this guest.
• fail to make full or good use of: we're wasted in this job.
• deliberately dispose of (surplus stock). 20% of stock will need to
be wasted.2 [ no obj. ] (of a person or a part of the body) become
progressively weaker and more emaciated: she was dying of
AIDS, visibly wasting away | (as adj.wasting) : a wasting
disease.
• [ with obj. ] archaic make progressively weaker and more
emaciated. these symptoms wasted the patients very much.
3 [ with obj. ] N. Amer. informal kill or severely injure
(someone). I saw them waste the guy I worked for.
4 [ with obj. ] literary devastate or ruin (a place): he seized their
cattle and wasted their country.
5 [ no obj. ] literary (of time) pass away: the years were wasting.
adjective
1 (of a material, substance, or by-product) eliminated or
discarded as no longer useful or required after the completion
of a process: ensure that waste materials are disposed of responsibly |
plants produce oxygen as a waste product.
2 (of an area of land, typically an urban one) not used,
cultivated, or built on: a patch of waste ground.
noun
1 an act or instance of using or expending something
carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose: it's a waste of timetrying to argue with him | [ mass noun ] : they had learned to avoid
waste.
• [ mass noun ] archaic the gradual loss or diminution of
something: he was pale and weak from waste of blood.
2 [ mass noun ] (also wastes) unwanted or unusable material,
substances, or by-products: nuclear waste | hazardous industrial
wastes.
3 (usu. wastes) a large area of barren, typically uninhabited
land: the icy wastes of the Antarctic.
4 [ mass noun ] Law damage to an estate caused by an act or
by neglect, especially by a life tenant.
PHRASES
go to waste be unused or expended to no purpose. it would be
a terrible shame to see those years go to waste.
lay waste to (or lay something (to) waste)completely
destroy: a land laid waste by war.
waste one's breath see breath.
waste of space informal a person regarded as useless or
incompetent. you're such a waste of space, Rodney.
waste not, want not proverb if you use a commodity or
resource carefully and without extravagance you will never be
in need.waste words see word.
DERIVATIVES
wasteless adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Northern French wast(e)
(noun), waster (verb), based on Latin vastus ‘unoccupied,
uncultivated’.
waste
verb
1 he doesn't like to waste money on bus fares: squander, fritter away,
misspend, misuse, spend recklessly, throw away, lavish, be
wasteful with, dissipate, spend like water, throw around like
confetti; go through, run through, exhaust, drain, deplete, burn
up, use up, consume; informal blow, splurge. ANTONYMS
conserve.
2 junkies wasting away in the streets: grow weak, wither, atrophy,
become emaciated, shrivel up, shrink, decay; decline, wilt, fade,
flag, deteriorate, degenerate, rot, moulder, languish, be
abandoned, be neglected, be forgotten, be disregarded.
ANTONYMS flourish, thrive.
3 the disease had wasted his legs: emaciate, atrophy, wither,
debilitate, shrivel, shrink, weaken, enfeeble, sap the strength of.4 N. Amer. informal I saw them waste the guy I worked for: murder,
kill, do away with, assassinate, liquidate, do to death, eliminate,
terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute; slaughter,
butcher, massacre, wipe out, destroy, annihilate, eradicate,
exterminate, extirpate, decimate, mow down, shoot down, cut
down, cut to pieces; informal bump off, polish off, do in, knock
off, top, take out, croak, stiff; N. Amer. informal ice, off, rub
out, whack, smoke; literary slay.
adjective
1 I collected two bags containing waste material: unwanted, excess,
superfluous, left over, scrap, extra, unused, useless, worthless;
unproductive, unusable, unprofitable. ANTONYMS useful.
2 she took a shortcut across waste ground: uncultivated, barren,
desert, unproductive, infertile, unfruitful, arid, bare; desolate,
solitary, lonely, empty, void, uninhabited, unpopulated; wild.
ANTONYMS cultivated.
noun
1 what a waste of money: squandering, dissipation, frittering away,
misspending, misuse, misapplication, misemployment, abuse;
prodigality, extravagance, wastefulness, lavishness, unthriftiness.2 household waste: rubbish, refuse, litter, debris, dross, junk,
detritus, scrap; dregs, leavings, remains, scraps, offscourings;
sewage, effluent, effluvium; N. Amer. garbage, trash.
3 (usually wastes) the frozen wastes of the South Pole: desert,
wasteland, wilderness, barrenness, emptiness, vastness, wilds.
PHRASES
lay waste See lay 1 .
hide 1 |hʌɪd|
verb (pasthid; past participlehidden |ˈhɪd(əә)n| ) [ with obj. ]
put or keep out of sight: he hid the money in the house | they swept up
the pieces and hid them away.
• prevent (someone or something) from being seen: clouds rolled
up and hid the moon.
• prevent (an emotion or fact) from being apparent or known;
keep secret: Herbert could hardly hide his dislike.
• [ no obj. ] conceal oneself: Juliet's first instinct was to hide under
the blankets | he used to hide out in a cave.
• [ no obj. ] (hide behind) use (someone or something) to
protect oneself from criticism or punishment, especially in a
way considered cowardly: companies with poor security can hide
behind the law.nounBrit.
a camouflaged shelter used to observe wildlife at close quarters.
PHRASES
hide one's head cover up one's face or keep out of sight,
especially from shame. if that happened you might as well hide your
head.
hide one's light under a bushel keep quiet about one's
talents or accomplishments. please don't hide your light under a
bushel—the Society needs your valuable expertise.[with biblical allusion
to Matt. 5:15.]
DERIVATIVES
hider noun
ORIGIN Old English hȳdan, of West Germanic origin.
hide 2 |hʌɪd|
noun
the skin of an animal, especially when tanned or dressed. we'll
skin them right here and preserve their hides. [ mass noun ] : his feet
were protected with strips of hide.
• used to refer to a person's ability to withstand criticisms or
insults: she had never managed to develop a hide quite tough enough for
his barbs to bounce off.
PHRASEShide or hair of [ with negative ] the slightest trace of: I could
find neither hide nor hair of him.
save one's hide escape from danger or difficulty.
tan (or whip) someone's hide beat or flog someone. •
punish someone severely.
DERIVATIVES
hided adjective [ in combination ] : thick-hided
ORIGIN Old English hȳd, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch huid and German Haut .
hide 3 |hʌɪd|
noun
a former measure of land used in England, typically equal to
between 60 and 120 acres, being the amount that would
support a family and its dependants.
ORIGIN Old English hīd, hīgid, from the base of hīgan,
hīwan‘household members’, of Germanic origin.
hide 1
verb
1 he hid the money in the house: conceal, secrete, put in a hiding
place, put out of sight, camouflage; lock up, bury, store away,
stow away, cache; informal stash. ANTONYMS flaunt, expose.2 they eluded the police by hiding in an air vent: conceal oneself,
secrete oneself, hide out, take cover, keep hidden, find a hiding
place, keep out of sight; go into hiding, lie low, go to ground,
go to earth, go underground, lurk; informal hole up; Brit.
informal lie doggo. ANTONYMS remain visible.
3 clouds rolled up and hid the moon: obscure, block out, blot out,
obstruct, cloud, shroud, veil, blanket, envelop, darken, eclipse;
literary enshroud. ANTONYMS reveal.
4 Herbert could hardly hide his dislike: keep secret, keep unknown,
conceal, cover up, keep dark, keep quiet about, hush up, bottle
up, suppress, repress, withhold; disguise, mask, camouflage,
veil, dissemble; informal keep mum about, keep under one's
hat, keep a/the lid on. ANTONYMS disclose.
hide 2
noun
the hide should be tanned as soon as possible: skin, pelt, coat, fur,
fleece; leather; archaic fell.
escape |ɪˈskeɪp, ɛ-|
verb
1 [ no obj. ] break free from confinement or control: two burglars
have just escaped from prison | (as adj.escaped) : escaped convicts.• [ with obj. ] elude or get free from (someone): he drove along the
dual carriageway to escape police.
• succeed in avoiding or eluding something dangerous or
unpleasant: the driver escaped with a broken knee | [ with obj. ] :
a baby boy narrowly escaped death.
• (of a gas, liquid, or heat) leak from a container: the CFCs have
escaped into the atmosphere.
• [ with obj. ] (of words or sounds) issue involuntarily or
inadvertently from (someone): a sob escaped her lips.
2 [ with obj. ] fail to be noticed or remembered by (someone):
the name escaped him | it may have escaped your notice, but this is not a
hotel.
3 [ with obj. ] Computing interrupt (an operation) by means of
the escape key.
• cause (a subsequent character or characters) to be interpreted
differently.
noun
1 an act of breaking free from confinement or control: the gang
had made their escape | [ mass noun ] : he could think of no way of
escape, short of rudeness.
• an act of avoiding something dangerous or unpleasant: the
baby was fine, but it was a lucky escape.• a means of escaping from somewhere: [ as modifier ] : he had
planned his escape route.
• a garden plant or pet animal that has gone wild and
(especially in plants) become naturalized. it is not a native of
Britain, though often occurring as an escape.
2 a form of temporary distraction from reality or routine:
romantic novels should present an escape from the dreary realities of life.
3 a leakage of gas, liquid, or heat from a container. a lid prevents
the escape of poisonous gases. [ with modifier ] : a gas escape.
4 (also escape key)Computing a key on a computer keyboard
which either interrupts the current operation or causes
subsequent characters to be interpreted differently.
PHRASES
escape the clutches (or grip) of break free from the control
or grasp of. thank heavens she'd escaped his clutches in time.
make good one's escape succeed in breaking free from
confinement: by the time they had given chase, she had made good her
escape.
DERIVATIVES
escapable adjective,
escaper nounORIGIN Middle English: from Old French eschaper, based
on medieval Latin ex- ‘out’ + cappa ‘cloak’. Compare with
escapade.
escape
verb
1 he had escaped from prison: get away, get out, run away, run off,
break out, break free, get free, break loose, make a break for it,
bolt, clear out, flee, fly, take flight, make off, take off, decamp,
abscond, take to one's heels, make a/one's escape, make good
one's escape, make a/one's getaway, beat a (hasty) retreat, show
a clean pair of heels, run for it, make a run for it; disappear,
vanish, slip away, steal away, sneak away; get out of someone's
clutches; informal bust, do a bunk, do a moonlight flit, cut and
run, skedaddle, skip, head for the hills, do a disappearing/
vanishing act, fly the coop, take French leave, scarper, vamoose,
hightail it, leg it; Brit. informal do a runner, hook it; N. Amer.
informal take a powder, go on the lam. ANTONYMS be
captured; be imprisoned.
2 he escaped his pursuers: get away from, escape from, elude,
avoid, dodge, leave behind, shake off, fend off, keep at arm's
length, keep out of someone's way, steer clear of, give someonea wide berth; informal give someone the slip; archaic bilk.
ANTONYMS be caught by.
3 all three drivers escaped injury | I came in here to escape the washing-
up: avoid, evade, dodge, elude, miss, cheat, trick, sidestep,
circumvent, skirt, keep out of the way of, bypass, shun, steer
clear of, shirk; informal duck. ANTONYMS suffer.
4 a lethal gas escaped from a pesticide factory: leak (out), spill (out),
seep (out), ooze (out), exude, discharge, emanate, issue, flow
(out), pour (out), gush (out), drip, drain, bleed; stream, spurt,
spout, squirt, spew, jet.
noun
1 he had been at large since his escape from prison: getaway, breakout,
bolt for freedom, running away, flight, bolting, absconding,
decamping, fleeing, flit; disappearance, vanishing act; informal,
dated springing. ANTONYMS capture; imprisonment.
2 a narrow escape from death: avoidance of, evasion of, dodging
of, eluding of, circumvention of; informal ducking of; rare
elusion of.
3 a gas escape: leak, leakage, spill, seepage, drip, dribble,
discharge, emanation, issue, flow, outflow, outpouring, gush;
stream, spurt, spout, squirt, jet; technical efflux.4 boarding school seemed to me an escape from boredom: distraction,
diversion, interruption.
pursue |pəәˈsjuː|
verb (pursues, pursuing, pursued) [ with obj. ]
1 follow or chase (someone or something): the officer pursued the
van | figurative : a heavily indebted businessman was being pursued by
creditors.
• persistently seek to form a sexual relationship with (someone):
Sophie was being pursued by a number of men.
• seek to attain or accomplish (a goal) over a long period: should
people pursue their own happiness at the expense of others?
• archaic or literary (of something unpleasant) persistently
afflict (someone): mercy lasts as long as sin pursues man.
2 continue or proceed along (a path or route): the road pursued a
straight course over the scrubland.
• engage in (an activity or course of action): Andrew was
determined to pursue a computer career | the council decided not to pursue
an appeal.
• continue to investigate or explore (an idea or argument): we
shall not pursue the matter any further.DERIVATIVES
pursuable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense ‘follow with
enmity’): from Anglo-Norman French pursuer, from an
alteration of Latin prosequi ‘prosecute’.
pursue
verb
1 I pursued him down the garden: go after, run after, follow, chase,
give chase to; hunt, stalk, track, trail, trace, shadow, dog,
hound, course; informal tail. ANTONYMS avoid, flee.
2 it would be unprofitable to pursue the goal of political union: strive for,
push towards, work towards, try for, seek, search for, quest
(after), be intent on, aim at/for, have as a goal, have as an
objective, aspire to. ANTONYMS eschew.
3 he was desperate to impress a woman he had been pursuing for weeks:
woo, court, pay court to, pay suit to, chase after, chase, run
after; informal make up to; dated make love to, romance, set
one's cap at, seek the hand of, pay addresses to.
4 she also pursued a political career: engage in, be engaged in, be
occupied in, participate in, take part in, work at, practise,follow, prosecute, conduct, ply, apply oneself to, go in for, take
up. ANTONYMS shun.
5 the appointee will be encouraged to pursue his or her own research:
conduct, undertake, follow, carry on, devote oneself to, go on
with, proceed with, go ahead with, keep/carry on with,
continue with, continue, take further, prosecute, persist in, stick
with/at.
6 he decided not to pursue the matter: investigate, research, enquire
into, look into, examine, study, review, check, scrutinize,
analyse, delve into, dig into, probe. ANTONYMS give up.
follow
verb
1 I'll go with you and we'll let the others follow: come behind, come
after, go behind, go after, walk behind, tread on the heels of.
ANTONYMS lead.
2 he was expected to follow his father in the business: take the place of,
replace, succeed, take over from, supersede, supplant; informal
step into someone's shoes, fill someone's shoes/boots.3 loads of people used to follow the band around : accompany, go
along with, go around with, travel with, escort, attend, trail
around with; informal tag along with, string along with.
ANTONYMS lead.
4 the KGB man followed her everywhere: shadow, trail, pursue, chase,
stalk, hunt, track, dog, hound, course; give chase to, be hot on
someone's heels; informal tail.
5 always follow the manufacturer's guidelines: act in accordance with,
abide by, adhere to, stick to, keep to, comply with, conform to,
obey, observe, heed, pay attention to, note, have regard to,
mind, bear in mind, take to heart, be guided by, accept, yield
to, defer to, respect. ANTONYMS flout.
6 a new way of life followed from contact with Europeans: result,
arise, develop, ensue, emanate, issue, proceed, spring, flow,
originate, stem; be a consequence of, be caused by, be brought
about by, be produced by, be a result of, come after.
ANTONYMS lead to.
7 he said something complicated and I couldn't follow it: understand,
comprehend, apprehend, take in, grasp, fathom, appreciate,
keep up with, see; informal make head or tail of, latch on to,
catch on to, tumble to, get, get the hang of, figure out, get one's
head around, get one's mind around, take on board, get thepicture, get the drift, get the message, see the light; Brit.
informal suss out; N. Amer. informal savvy; rare cognize.
ANTONYMS misunderstand.
8 Rembrandt's last pupil followed the style of his master: imitate, copy,
mimic, ape, reproduce, mirror, echo; emulate, take as a
pattern, take as an example, take as a model, adopt the style of,
style oneself on, model oneself on; informal take a leaf out of
someone's book.
9 he follows Manchester United: be a fan of, be a supporter of,
support, be a follower of, be an admirer of, be a devotee of, be
devoted to; be interested in, cultivate an interest in.
ANTONYMS dislike.
PHRASES
follow something through they lack the resources to follow the
project through: complete, bring to completion, bring to a finish,
continue to the end, see something through; continue with,
carry on with, keep on with, keep going with, stay with;
informal stick something out. ANTONYMS abandon.
follow something up I've had one of my hunches and I'm going to
follow it up: investigate, research, find out about, look into, dig
into, delve into, make enquiries into, enquire about, askquestions about, pursue, chase up; informal check out; N.
Amer. informal scope out.
follow |ˈfɒləәʊ|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move
or travel behind: she went back into the house, and Ben followed her |
[ no obj. ] : the men followed in another car.
• go after (someone) in order to observe or monitor them: the
KGB man followed her everywhere.
• archaic strive after; aim at: I follow fame.
• go along (a route or path).
• (of a route or path) go in the same direction as or parallel to
(another): the road follows the track of the railway line.
• trace the movement or direction of: she followed his gaze, peering
into the gloom.
2 come after in time or order: the six years that followed his
restoration | [ no obj. ] : the rates are as follows.
• happen after (something else) as a consequence: raucous
laughter followed the ribald remark | the announcement followed on
from the collapse of the merchant bank | [ no obj. ] : retribution soon
followed.• [ no obj. ] be a logical consequence of something: it thus
follows from this equation that the value must be negative.
• [ with obj. and adverbial ] (of a person) do something after
(something else): they follow their March show with four UK dates
next month.
• have (a dish or course) after another or others during a meal:
turkey was followed by dessert.
3 act according to (an instruction or precept): he has difficulty in
following written instructions.
• conform to: the film faithfully follows Shakespeare's plot.
• act according to the lead or example of (someone): he follows
Aristotle in believing this.
• treat as a teacher or guide: those who seek to follow Jesus Christ.
4 pay close attention to: I've been following this discussion closely.
• take an active interest in or be a supporter of: supporters who
have followed the club through thick and thin.
• (of a book, film, programme, etc.) be concerned with or trace
the development of: the book follows the life and career of Henry Clay.
• track (a person, group, or organization) on a social
networking site: if you've been following me on Facebook recently you
may have seen a bunch of different posts about surgery and back trouble |
I don't follow many celebrities on Twitter any more.• understand the meaning or tendency of (a speaker or
argument): I still don't follow you.
5 practise (a trade or profession).
• undertake or carry out (a course of action or study): she
followed a strict diet.
PHRASES
follow in someone's footsteps see footstep.
follow one's nose 1 trust to one's instincts. 2 move along
guided by one's sense of smell. 3 go straight ahead.
follow suit (in bridge, whist, and other card games) play a
card of the suit led. • conform to another's actions: Spain cut its
rates by half a per cent but no other country has followed suit.
PHRASAL VERBS
follow on (of a cricket team) be required to bat again
immediately after failing in their first innings to reach a score
within a set number of runs of the score made by their
opponents.
follow through (in golf, cricket, and other sports) continue
the movement of a stroke after the ball has been struck.
follow something through continue an action or task to its
conclusion.follow something up pursue or investigate something
further: I decided to follow up the letters with phone calls.
ORIGIN Old English folgian, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch volgen and German folgen .
harness |ˈhɑːnɪs|
noun
a set of straps and fittings by which a horse or other draught
animal is fastened to a cart, plough, etc. and is controlled by its
driver.harness
• an arrangement of straps for fastening something such as a
parachute to a person's body or for restraining a young child.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 put a harness on (a horse or other draught animal): how to
groom a horse and harness it | the horse was harnessed to two long
shafts.
2 control and make use of (natural resources), especially to
produce energy: attempts to harness solar energy | figurative :
projects that harness the creativity of those living in the ghetto.PHRASES
in harness (of a horse or other animal) used for driving or
draught work. colts are worked in harness alongside an experienced
horse. • in the routine of daily work: a man who died in harness far
beyond the normal age of retirement. • so as to achieve something
together: local and central government should work in harness.
DERIVATIVES
harnesser noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French harneis ‘military
equipment’, from Old Norse, from herr ‘army’ + nest
‘provisions’.
feather |ˈfɛðəә|
noun
any of the flat appendages growing from a bird's skin and
forming its plumage, consisting of a partly hollow horny shaft
fringed with vanes of barbs. the waxwing has very bright feathers and
a prominent crest. Sally-Anne, dolled up in ostrich feathers and pearls.
• (feathers) a fringe of long hair on the legs of a dog, horse, or
other animal.
verb1 [ with obj. ] rotate the blades of (a propeller) about their own
axes in such a way as to lessen the air or water resistance.
• vary the angle of attack of (rotor blades).
• Rowing turn (an oar) so that it passes through the air
edgeways: he turned, feathering one oar slowly.
2 [ no obj., with adverbial ] float or move like a feather: the green
fronds feathered against a blue sky.
3 [ with obj. ] blend or smooth delicately: feather the paint in, in a
series of light strokes.
4 [ no obj. ] (of ink, lipstick, etc.) separate into tiny lines after
application: (as nounfeathering) : a long-lasting formula that
resists feathering and protects the lips.
5 short for feather-cut.
PHRASES
a feather in one's cap an achievement to be proud of. beating
him would be a feather in my cap.
feather one's (own) nest make money for oneself in an
opportunistic or selfish way. he may have decided to feather his nest by
blackmail.
(as) light as a feather extremely light and insubstantial.
DERIVATIVES
featherless adjectiveORIGIN Old English fether, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch veer and German Feder, from an Indo-European root
shared by Sanskrit patra ‘wing’, Latin penna ‘feather’, and
Greek pteron, pterux ‘wing’.
feather
noun
the bird preened its feathers: plume, quill; (feathers) plumage,
feathering, down, eider (down), hackles, crest, tuft, topknot,
pinion; technical covert, remex, rectrix, plumule, semi-plume;
vibrissae; archaic flag.
WORD LINKS
pteronophobia fear of feathers
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
nest |nɛst|
noun
1 a structure or place made or chosen by a bird for laying eggs
and sheltering its young. two sparrows frantically building a nest. [ as
modifier ] : a nest site.• a place where an animal or insect breeds or shelters: an ants'
nest.
• something in the form of a bowl or layer, used to hold,
protect, or support something: potato nests filled with okra.
• a person's snug or secluded retreat. I'm off to my cosy nest.
2 a place filled with undesirable people, activities, or things: a
nest of spies.
3 a set of similar objects of graduated sizes, made so that each
smaller one fits into the next in size for storage: a nest of tables.
verb
1 [ no obj. ] (of a bird or other animal) use or build a nest: the
owls often nest in barns | (as adj.nesting) : do not disturb nesting
birds.
2 [ with obj. ] fit (an object or objects) inside a larger one: the
town is nested inside a large crater on the flanks of a volcano.
• [ no obj. ] (of a set of objects) fit inside one another: Russian
dolls that nest inside one another.
• (especially in computing and linguistics) place (an object or
element) in a lower position in a hierarchy: (as adj.nested) :
organisms classified in a series of nested sets.
DERIVATIVES
nestful noun (pl.nestfuls) ,nest-like adjective
ORIGIN Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Latin
nidus, from the Indo-European bases of nether (meaning
‘down’) and sit.
nest
noun
1 in May and June, the females build a nest and incubate their eggs:
roost, eyrie; nest box, nesting box; N. Amer. birdhouse.
2 usually the animals will awake and disperse rapidly from the nest if
disturbed: lair, den, drey, lodge, burrow, set, form.
3 a cosy little love nest: hideaway, hiding place, hideout, retreat,
shelter, refuge, snuggery, nook, den, haunt; informal hidey-
hole.
4 the place was a perpetual nest of intrigue: hotbed, den, breeding
ground, cradle, seedbed, forcing house.
5 a nest of tables: cluster, set, group, assemblage.service |ˈsəәːvɪs|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the action of helping or doing work for
someone: millions are involved in voluntary service.
• [ count noun ] an act of assistance: he has done us a great service
| he volunteered his services as a driver.
• assistance or advice given to customers during and after the
sale of goods: they aim to provide better quality of service.
• the action of serving food and drinks to customers: they
complained of poor bar service.
• short for service charge: service is included in the final bill.
• a period of employment with a company or organization: he
retired after 40 years' service.
• employment as a servant: the pitifully low wages gained from
domestic service.
• the use which can be made of a machine: the computer should
provide good service for years.
2 a system supplying a public need such as transport,
communications, or utilities such as electricity and water: a
regular bus service.
• a public department or organization run by the state: the
probation service.• (the services) the armed forces: (as modifierservice) : service
personnel.
• (services) Brit.an area with parking beside a major road
supplying petrol, refreshments, and other amenities to
motorists.
3 a ceremony of religious worship according to a prescribed
form: a funeral service.
4 a periodic routine inspection and maintenance of a vehicle
or other machine: he took his car in for a service.
5 [ with modifier ] a set of matching crockery used for serving
a particular meal: a dinner service.
6 [ mass noun ] (in tennis and other racket sports) the action or
right of serving to begin play.
• [ count noun ] a serve.
7 [ mass noun ] Law the formal delivery of a document such
as a writ or summons.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 perform routine maintenance or repair work on (a vehicle or
machine): ensure that gas appliances are serviced regularly.
• supply and maintain systems for public utilities and transport
and communications in (an area): the village is small and well
serviced.• perform a service or services for (someone): her life is devoted to
servicing others.
• pay interest on (a debt): taxpayers are paying $250 million just to
service that debt.
2 (of a male animal) mate with (a female animal). one dog could
presumably service several bitches in a day.
• vulgar slang (of a man) have sexual intercourse with (a
woman).
PHRASES
be at someone's service be ready to assist someone
whenever possible. I'm at your service, day or night.
be of service be available to assist someone. if you need books,
we'd like to be of service.
in service 1 in or available for use. the plane is the most advanced
fighter in service today. 2 dated employed as a servant. poor children
worked in service.
out of service not available for use.
see service serve in the armed forces: he saw service in both world
wars. • be used: the building later saw service as a blacksmith's shop.
ORIGIN Old English (denoting religious devotion or a form of
liturgy), from Old French servise or Latin servitium‘slavery’, from servus ‘slave’. The early sense of the verb
(mid 19th cent.) was ‘be of service to, provide with a service’.
service
noun
1 there has been an improvement in pay and conditions of service: work,
employment, employ, labour, performance of one's duties.
2 he has done us a great service | Josie offered her services as a babysitter:
act of assistance, good turn, favour, kindness, helping hand;
(services) assistance, help, aid, offices, ministrations.
3 both the food and the service were excellent: waiting, waitressing,
waiting at table, serving of food and drink, attendance, serving.
4 high quality products which will give many years of reliable service: use,
usage.
5 he took his car in for a service: overhaul, servicing, maintenance
check, routine check, check.
6 he will be cremated tomorrow after a private funeral service | the first
words of the marriage service: ceremony, ritual, rite, observance,
ordinance; liturgy, sacrament, office.
7 the provision of a wide range of local services | the national telephone
service: amenity, facility, resource, utility, solution; system.8 (the services) if you're about to leave the services, the prospect of
Civvy Street can be daunting: armed forces, armed services, forces,
military; army, navy, air force, marines.
PHRASES
be of service a close liaison between mathematics and computer
science can be of service to an archaeologist: help, assist, benefit,
be helpful, be of assistance, be beneficial, be advantageous, be
of benefit, serve, advantage, be useful, be of use, be profitable,
profit, be valuable, be of worth, do someone a good turn.
out of service one of the elevators is out of service: out of order,
not working, not in working order, not functioning, broken,
broken-down, out of commission, acting up, unserviceable,
faulty, defective, non-functional, inoperative, in disrepair;
down; informal conked out, bust, (gone) kaput, gone phut, on
the blink, gone haywire, shot; Brit. informal knackered,
jiggered, wonky; N. Amer. informal on the fritz, out of whack;
Brit. vulgar slang buggered.
verb
ensure that gas appliances are serviced regularly: overhaul, check,
check over, go over, give a maintenance check to, maintain,
keep in good condition; repair, mend, recondition.dying |ˈdʌɪɪŋ|
adjective
on the point of death: he visited his dying mother.
• occurring at or connected with the time that someone dies: he
strained to catch her dying words.
• gradually ceasing to exist or function; in decline and about to
disappear: the making of valves is a dying art | the dying embers of the
fire.
• (of a period of time) final; closing: the dying moments of the
match.
PHRASES
to (or until) one's dying day for the rest of one's life: he will
regret that decision to his dying day.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: present participle of die 1 .
die 1 |dʌɪ|
verb (dies, dying, died) [ no obj. ]
1 (of a person, animal, or plant) stop living: he died of AIDS |
trees are dying from acid rain | [ with obj. ] : the king died a violent
death.
• (die out) become extinct: many species died out.
• be forgotten: her genius has assured her name will never die.• [ with adverbial ] become less loud or strong: after a while, the
noise died down | at last the storm died away.
• (die back) (of a plant) decay from the tip toward the root:
rhubarb dies back to a crown of buds each winter.
• (die off) die one after another until few or none are left: the
original founders died off or retired.
• (of a fire or light) stop burning or gleaming. the fire had died and
the room was cold.
• informal (of a machine) stop functioning or run out of
electric charge: three toasters have died on me | I was halfway through
a text message when the phone died.
2 informal be very eager for something: they must be dying for a
drink | [ with infinitive ] : he's dying to meet you.
• used to emphasize how strongly one is affected by a particular
feeling or emotion: only the thought of Matilda prevented him from
dying of boredom | we nearly died laughing when he told us.
3 archaic have an orgasm.
PHRASES
die a (or the) death Brit. informal come to an end; cease or
fail to be popular or successful: the craze for cycling shorts is dying a
death.
die hard disappear or change very slowly: old habits die hard.die in bed undergo death from natural causes.
die in harness die before retirement.
die like flies see fly 2 .
die on one's feet informal come to a sudden or premature
end: critics said the show would die on its feet.
die on the vine be unsuccessful at an early stage.
die with one's boots on see boot 1 .
never say die used to encourage someone not to give up hope
in a difficult situation.
to die for informal extremely good or desirable: the ice creams
are to die for.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse deyja, of
Germanic origin; related to dead.
dying
adjective
1 he went to visit his dying aunt: terminally ill, at death's door, on
one's deathbed, in the jaws of death, on the point of death,
near death, passing away, fading fast, sinking fast, expiring,
moribund, breathing one's last, not long for this world; Latinin
extremis; informal on one's last legs, with one foot in the grave,
giving up the ghost.2 ballet is a dying art form: declining, vanishing, fading, passing,
ebbing, waning; in decline; informal on the way out, on its last
legs. ANTONYMS thriving.
3 he strained to catch her dying words: final, last, departing;
deathbed. ANTONYMS first.
noun
there were no unhappy memories to taunt her in her dying: death,
demise, passing, passing away, passing on, expiry, expiration,
departure from life, final exit, eternal rest; Law decease; rare
quietus.
die
verb
1 he was eighteen when his mother died: pass away, pass on, lose one's
life, depart this life, expire, breathe one's last, draw one's last
breath, meet one's end, meet one's death, lay down one's life,
be no more, perish, be lost, go the way of the flesh, go the way
of all flesh, go to glory, go to one's last resting place, go to meet
one's maker, cross the great divide, cross the Styx; informal give
up the ghost, kick the bucket, bite the dust, croak, flatline, conk
out, buy it, turn up one's toes, cash in one's chips, go belly up,
shuffle off this mortal coil, go the way of the dinosaurs; push
up the daisies, be six feet under; Brit. informal snuff it, peg out,pop one's clogs, hop the twig/stick; N. Amer. informal bite the
big one, buy the farm, check out, hand in one's dinner pail;
Austral./NZ informal go bung; literary exit; archaic decease.
ANTONYMS live, survive.
2 the last hope that there had been some mistake died: fade, fall away,
dwindle, melt away, dissolve, subside, decline, sink, lapse, ebb,
wane, wilt, wither, evanesce, come to an end, end, vanish,
disappear. ANTONYMS exist.
3 informal the car gave a stutter and the engine died: fail, cut out, give
out, stop, halt, break down, stop working, cease to function;
peter out, fizzle out, run down, fade away, lose power; informal
conk out, go kaput, give up the ghost, go phut; Brit. informal
pack up. ANTONYMS start.
4 informal I'm going to die of boredom in this place: be overcome
with, be overwhelmed by, be overpowered by, collapse with,
succumb to.
5 informal she's just dying to meet you: be very eager, be very keen,
be desperate, long, yearn, burn, ache, itch; informal have a yen,
yen. ANTONYMS be reluctant.
PHRASESdie away the sound of hoofbeats died away: fade (away), fall away,
dwindle, melt away, subside, ebb, wane, come to an end.
die down we sheltered until the wind had died down: abate, subside,
drop, drop off, drop away, fall away, lessen, ease (off), let up,
decrease, diminish, moderate, decline, fade, dwindle, slacken,
recede, tail off, peter out, taper off, wane, ebb, relent, become
weaker, weaken, come to an end; archaic remit.
die out the trout population could die out completely | the ceremony has
died out in many areas: become extinct, vanish, disappear, cease to
be, cease to exist, be no more, perish, pass into oblivion;
become less common, become rarer, dwindle, peter out.
premeditate |priːˈmɛdɪteɪt|
verb [ with obj. ] (usu. as adj.premeditated)
think out or plan (an action, especially a crime) beforehand:
premeditated murder.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (earlier (late Middle English) as
premeditation): from Latin praemeditat- ‘thought out before’,
from the verb praemeditari, from prae ‘before’ + meditari
‘meditate’.
premeditatedadjective
premeditated murder: planned, intentional, intended, deliberate,
pre-planned, calculated, cold-blooded, conscious, done on
purpose, wilful, prearranged, preconceived, considered,
studied, purposive; Law , dated prepense. ANTONYMS
accidental, unintentional; spontaneous.
surprise |səәˈprʌɪz|
noun
1 an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, etc.: the announcement
came as a complete surprise.
• [ mass noun ] a feeling of mild astonishment or shock caused
by something unexpected: much to her surprise, she'd missed him.
• [ as modifier ] denoting something done or happening
unexpectedly: a surprise attack.
2 [ as modifier ] Bell-ringing denoting a complex method of
change-ringing: surprise major.
verb [ with obj. ]
(of something unexpected) cause (someone) to feel mild
astonishment or shock: I was surprised at his statement |
[ with obj. and clause ] : Joe was surprised that he enjoyed the journey.• capture, attack, or discover suddenly and unexpectedly: he
surprised a gang stealing scrap metal.
PHRASES
surprise, surprise informal said when giving someone a
surprise. a voice called out ‘Surprise, surprise!’ and all the lights suddenly
flashed on. • said ironically when one believes that something
was entirely predictable: we entrust you with Jason's care and,
surprise surprise, you make a mess of it.
take someone/thing by surprise attack or capture
someone or something unexpectedly. his flotilla was taken wholly
by surprise when fired on by the British warships. • (take someone
by surprise) happen when someone is not prepared: the
question took David by surprise.
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘unexpected seizure
of a place, or attack on troops’): from Old French, feminine
past participle of surprendre, from medieval Latin
superprehendere ‘seize’.
surprise
noun1 Kate looked at me in surprise: astonishment, amazement,
incredulity, bewilderment, stupefaction, wonder, confusion,
disbelief; consternation.
2 the test was supposed to come as a big surprise: shock, bolt from/out
of the blue, thunderbolt, bombshell, revelation, source of
amazement, rude awakening, eye-opener; informal start; turn
up for the books, shocker, whammy.
verb
1 I was so surprised when I got the letter telling me about the award that I
burst into tears: astonish, amaze, nonplus, startle, astound, stun,
flabbergast, stagger, shock, stop someone in their tracks,
stupefy, leave open-mouthed, take someone's breath away,
dumbfound, daze, benumb, confound, take aback, jolt, shake
up; informal bowl over, knock for six, floor, blow someone's
mind, strike dumb.
2 it seems that she surprised a burglar and he attacked her: take by
surprise, catch unawares, catch off guard, catch red-handed,
catch in the act, catch napping, catch out, burst in on, catch
someone with their trousers/pants down, catch in flagrante
delicto; Brit. informal catch on the hop.
dishonest |dɪsˈɒnɪst|adjective
behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy, deceitful, or
insincere way: he was a dishonest hypocrite prepared to exploit his
family.
• intended to mislead or cheat: he gave the editor a dishonest account
of events.
DERIVATIVES
dishonestly adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘dishonourable,
unchaste’): from Old French deshoneste,Latin dehonestus .
dishonest
adjective
he is accused of dishonest business practices | a dishonest account of
events: fraudulent, corrupt, swindling, cheating, double-dealing;
underhand, crafty, cunning, devious, designing, treacherous,
perfidious, unfair, unjust, disreputable, rascally, roguish, dirty,
unethical, immoral, dishonourable, unscrupulous,
unprincipled, amoral; criminal, illegal, unlawful; false,
untruthful, deceitful, deceiving, deceptive, Janus-faced, lying,
mendacious, untrustworthy; informal crooked, shady, tricky,
sharp, shifty; Brit. informal bent, dodgy; Austral./NZ informalshonky; S. African informal slim; Law malfeasant; archaic
knavish, subtle, hollow-hearted; rare false-hearted, double-
faced, truthless. ANTONYMS honest.
profit |ˈprɒfɪt|
noun
1 a financial gain, especially the difference between the amount
earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, or
producing something: record pre-tax profits | [ mass noun ] : his
eyes brightened at the prospect of profit.
2 [ mass noun ] advantage; benefit: there's no profit in screaming at
referees from the bench.
verb (profits, profiting, profited) [ no obj. ]
obtain a financial advantage or benefit: the only people to profit
from the episode were the lawyers.
• obtain an advantage or benefit: not all children would profit
from this kind of schooling.
• [ with obj. ] be beneficial to: it would profit us to change our plans.
PHRASES
at a profit making more money than is spent buying,
operating, or producing something: doing up houses and selling
them at a profit.ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘advantage, benefit’):
from Old French, from Latin profectus ‘progress, profit’,
from proficere ‘to advance’, from pro- ‘on behalf of’ +
facere ‘do’. The verb is from Old French profiter .
profit
noun
1 no one can guarantee a profit on stocks and shares: financial gain,
gain, return(s), payback, dividend, interest, yield, surplus,
excess; gross profit, net profit, operating profit; N. Amer. take;
informal killing, pay dirt, bottom line; Brit. informal bunce.
ANTONYMS loss.
2 Stevenson decided that there was little profit in going on: advantage,
benefit, value, use, gain, good, avail, worth, usefulness; informal
mileage, percentage; archaic behoof. ANTONYMS
disadvantage.
verb
1 many local people believe that the development will profit them: benefit,
be beneficial to, be of benefit to, be advantageous to, be of
advantage to, be of use to, be of value to, do someone good,
help, be helpful to, be of service to, serve, assist, aid, standsomeone in good stead, further the interests of, advance,
promote.
2 certain sectors of society had visibly profited: make money, make a
killing, make a profit; informal rake it in, clean up, make a
packet, make a bundle, line one's pockets; N. Amer. informal
make big bucks, make a fast/quick buck.
PHRASES
profit from loopholes in the law allowed landlords to profit from the
situation: benefit from, take advantage of, obtain an advantage
from, derive benefit from, reap the benefit of, capitalize on,
make the most of, turn to one's advantage, put to good use, do
well out of, utilize, exploit, make capital out of, maximize, gain
from; informal cash in on, milk.
last 2 |lɑːst|
verb [ no obj. ]
1 [ with adverbial ] (of a process, activity, or state) continue for
a specified period of time: the guitar solo lasted for twenty minutes |
childhood seems to last forever.
2 continue to operate or remain usable for a considerable or
specified length of time: the car is built to last | a lip pencil lasts
longer than lipstick.• manage to continue in a state or position; survive or endure:
she managed to last out until the end of the programme | his condition
is so serious that he won't last the night | how long does he reckon he'll
last as manager?
• (of provisions or resources) be adequate or sufficient for a
specified length of time: green peppers which had been served with
their rice while supplies lasted | [ with obj. ] : he filled the freezer with
enough food to last him for three months.
ORIGIN Old English lǣstan, of Germanic origin, related to
German leisten ‘afford, yield’, also to last 3 .
last 3 |lɑːst|
noun
a shoemaker's model for shaping or repairing a shoe or boot.
ORIGIN Old English lǣste, of Germanic origin, from a base
meaning ‘follow’; related to Dutch leest and German
Leisten .
last 1
adjective
1 the last woman in the queue: rearmost, rear, hindmost, bringing
up the rear, nearest the rear, at the end, furthest back, at the
back (of the queue), aftermost, endmost, furthest behind, final,ultimate, most remote, remotest, furthest, utmost, extreme.
ANTONYMS first, leading.
2 Rembrandt spent his last years in Amsterdam: closing, concluding,
final, ending, end, finishing, ultimate, terminal, terminating;
valedictory; later, latter. ANTONYMS early, initial.
3 I'd be the last person to say anything against him: least likely, most
unlikely, most improbable, most reluctant; least suitable, most
unsuitable, most inappropriate, least appropriate, least wanted,
least favourite. ANTONYMS first, most likely.
4 he scored a hat-trick last year: previous, preceding; latest, most
recent; prior, former. ANTONYMS next.
5 this was his last chance to prove it: final, only remaining, only one
left.
PHRASES
the last word 1 you'll marry my daughter over my dead body, and
that's my last word: final decision, summation, final statement,
definitive statement, conclusive comment; ultimatum. 2 she
turned, determined to leave having had the last word: concluding
remark, final remark, final say, closing statement, parting shot,
Parthian shot. 3 the spa is the last word in luxury and efficiency: the
best, the peak, the acme, the epitome, the quintessence, the
most fashionable, the most up to date, the latest, the newest;the pinnacle, the apex, the apogee, the cream, the ultimate, the
height, the zenith, the utmost, the nonpareil, the crème de la
crème, the ne plus ultra, the dernier cri, the beau idéal;
archaic the nonesuch.
adverb
the candidate coming last is eliminated: at the end, at the rear, in the
rear, behind, after.
noun
the most important business was left to the last: end, ending, finish,
close, conclusion, completion, finale, termination; bitter end.
ANTONYMS beginning, opening.
PHRASES
at last at last the storm died away: finally, in the end, eventually,
ultimately, at long last, after a long time, after a considerable
time, in time, at the end of the day, in the fullness of time;
lastly, in conclusion.
last 2
verb
1 the hearing is expected to last for a number of days: continue, go on,
carry on, keep on, keep going, run on, proceed, be prolonged;
take; stay, remain, persist, endure. ANTONYMS finish, end,
stop.2 she managed to last out until the end of the programme | how long
does he reckon he'll last as manager? survive, endure, hold on, hold
out, keep going, persevere, exist; informal stick it out, hang on,
stay around, hack it.
3 the car is built to last: endure, wear well, stand up, keep going,
bear up; withstand, resist; informal go the distance.
ANTONYMS wear out.
last 3
noun
the iron lasts on which he mended our shoes: mould, model, pattern,
form, matrix; anvil; N. English hobbing foot/boot.
alternative |ɔːlˈtəәːnəәtɪv, ɒl-|
adjective
1 [ attrib. ] (of one or more things) available as another
possibility or choice: the various alternative methods for resolving
disputes.
• (of two things) mutually exclusive: the facts fit two alternative
scenarios.
2 of or relating to activities that depart from or challenge
traditional norms: an alternative lifestyle.
nounone of two or more available possibilities: audio cassettes are an
interesting alternative to reading | she had no alternative but to break
the law.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘alternating, alternate’):
from French alternatif, -ive or medieval Latin alternativus,
from Latin alternare ‘interchange’ (see alternate) .
usage: Some traditionalists maintain that you can only have a
maximum of two alternatives, because the word alternative
comes from Latin alter ‘other (of two)’) and that uses where
there are more than two alternatives are wrong. Such uses are,
however, normal in modern standard English. See also usage
at alternate.
alternative
adjective
1 an alternative route | an alternative government: different, other,
another, second, possible, substitute, replacement; deputy,
relief, proxy, surrogate, cover, fill-in, stand-in; standby,
emergency, reserve, backup, auxiliary, fallback; N. Amer.
alternate; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitting.
2 alternative medicine | an alternative lifestyle: unorthodox,
unconventional, non-standard, unusual, uncommon,unwonted, out of the ordinary, radical, revolutionary,
nonconformist, unconforming, irregular, offbeat, off-centre,
avant-garde; original, new, novel, fresh; eccentric, exotic,
Bohemian, idiosyncratic, abnormal, extreme, divergent,
aberrant, anomalous, bizarre, outlandish, perverse; informal
off the wall, oddball, way-out, cranky, zany; rare heteroclite.
noun
we have no alternative but to go | an acceptable alternative to tropical
hardwood: option, choice, other possibility; substitute,
replacement, proxy, reserve, surrogate, stand-in; possible course
of action, resort, way out.
better 1 |ˈbɛtəә|
adjective
1 more desirable, satisfactory, or effective: we're hoping for better
weather tomorrow | the new facilities were far better | I'm better at
doing sums than Alice.[comparative of the adjective good.]
• more appropriate, advantageous, or well advised: there couldn't
be a better time to take up this job | it might be better to borrow the money.
2 [ predic. or as complement ] partly or fully recovered from
illness, injury, or mental stress: his leg was getting better.
[comparative of the adjective well 1 .]adverb
more excellently or effectively: Jonathon could do better if he tried |
sound travels better in water than in air | instruments are generally better
made these days.
• to a greater degree; more (used in connection with success or
with desirable actions or conditions): I liked it better when we lived
in the country | well-fed people are better able to fight off infection.
• more suitably, appropriately, or usefully: the money could be better
spent on more urgent cases.
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the better one; that which is better: the Natural
History Museum book is by far the better of the two | you've a right to
expect better than that | a change for the better.
2 (one's betters) chiefly dated or humorous one's superiors
in social class or ability: educating the young to respect their elders
and betters.
verb [ with obj. ]
improve on or surpass (an existing or previous level or
achievement): his account can hardly be bettered | bettering his previous
time by ten minutes.
• make (something) better; improve: his ideas for bettering the lot of
the millhands.• (better oneself) achieve a higher social position or status: the
residents are mostly Londoners who have bettered themselves.
• overcome or defeat (someone): she had almost bettered him at
archery.
PHRASES
the —— the better used to emphasize the importance or
desirability of the thing specified: the sooner we're off the better.
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
know proverb it's wiser to deal with an undesirable but
familiar situation than to risk a change that might lead to an
even worse situation. any other man might be as unpleasant to live
with—better the devil you know.
better off in a more desirable or advantageous position,
especially in financial terms: the proposals would make her about
£400 a year better off.
the better part of almost all of; most of: it is the better part of a
mile.
better safe than sorry proverb it's wiser to be cautious and
careful than to be hasty or rash and so do something you may
later regret.
better than N. Amer.more than: he'd lived there for better than
twenty years.the better to —— so as to —— better: he leaned closer the better
to hear her.
for better or (for) worse whether the outcome is good or
bad. ours, for better or for worse, is the century of youth.
get the better of gain an advantage over or defeat (someone)
by superior strength or ability: no one has ever got the better of her
yet. • (of a feeling or urge) be too strong to conceal or resist:
curiosity got the better of her.
go one better narrowly surpass a previous effort or
achievement: I want to go one better this time and score. • narrowly
outdo (another person). he went one better than Black by reaching the
final.
had better do something would find it wiser to do
something; ought to do something: you had better be careful.
have the better of be more successful in (a contest): Attlee had
the better of these exchanges.
no (or little) better than just (or almost) the same as
(something bad); merely: viceroys who were often no better than
bandits.
no better than one should (or ought to) be regarded as
sexually promiscuous or of doubtful moral character.ORIGIN Old English betera (adjective), of Germanic origin;
related to Dutch beter and German besser, also to best.
usage: In the verb phrase had better do something the
word had acts like an auxiliary verb, and in informal spoken
contexts it is often dropped, as in you better not come tonight. In
writing, the had may be contracted to 'd but should not be
dropped altogether.
better 2 |ˈbɛtəә|
noun
variant spelling of bettor.
bettor |ˈbɛtəә| (also better)
nounchiefly US
a person who bets, especially on a regular basis. she described
herself as a moderate bettor.
good |gʊd|
adjective (better, best)
1 to be desired or approved of: it's good that he's back to his old self
| a good quality of life | [ as exclamation ] : Good! The more people
the better!
• pleasing and welcome: we've had some good news | it's good to see
you again.
• showing approval: the play had good reviews.2 having the required qualities; of a high standard: a good
restaurant | his marks are just not good enough.
• skilled at doing or dealing with a specified thing: I'm good at
crosswords | he was good with children.
• healthy, strong, or well: she's not feeling too good.
• useful, advantageous, or beneficial in effect: too much sun is not
good for you.
• appropriate to a particular purpose: this is a good month for
planting seeds.
• (of language) with correct grammar and pronunciation: she
speaks good English.
• strictly adhering to or fulfilling all the principles of a
particular religion or cause: a good Catholic girl.
3 possessing or displaying moral virtue: her father was a good man.
• showing kindness: it was good of you to come.
• obedient to rules or conventions: accustom the child to being
rewarded for good behaviour.
• used to address or refer to people in a courteous, patronizing,
or ironic way: a man very like your good self, in fact | the good lady of
the house.
• commanding respect: he was concerned with establishing and
maintaining his good name.• belonging or relating to a high social class: he comes from a good
family.
4 giving pleasure; enjoyable or satisfying: the streets fill up with
people looking for a good time.
• pleasant to look at; attractive: you're looking pretty good.
• (of clothes) smart and suitable for formal wear: he went upstairs
to change out of his good suit.
5 [ attrib. ] thorough: now is the time to have a really good clear-up |
have a good look around.
• used to emphasize that a number is at least as great as one
claims: they're a good twenty years younger.
• used to emphasize a following adjective or adverb: we had a
good long hug | it'll be good and dark by then.
• fairly large in number, amount, or size: the match attracted a good
crowd | there's a good chance that we may be able to help.
6 (usu. good for) valid: the ticket is good for travel from May to
September.
• likely to provide: she's always good for a laugh.
• sufficient to pay for: his money was good for a bottle of whisky.
7 used in conjunction with the name of God or a related
expression as an exclamation of extreme surprise or anger: good
heavens!noun
1 [ mass noun ] that which is morally right; righteousness: a
mysterious balance of good and evil.
2 [ mass noun ] benefit or advantage to someone or something:
he is too clever for his own good.
3 (goods) merchandise or possessions: imports of luxury goods |
stolen goods.
• Brit.things to be transported, as distinct from passengers: a
means of transporting passengers as well as goods | [ as modifier ] : a
goods train.
• (the goods) informal the genuine article.
adverb informal
well: my mother could never cook this good | I'm feeling pretty good, all
things considered.
PHRASES
all to the good to be welcomed without qualification.
as good as —— very nearly ——: the editor as good as told him he
was lucky to get £50 a week. • used of a result which will
inevitably follow: if we pass on the information, he's as good as dead.
be any (or no or much) good have some (or none or a lot of)
merit: tell me whether that picture is any good. • be of some (or noneor a lot of) help in dealing with a situation: it's no good arguing
with him.
be so good as (or be good enough) to do something used
to make a polite request: would you be so good as to answer me.
be —— to the good have a specified net profit or advantage:
I came out £7 to the good.
come up with (or deliver) the goods informal do what is
expected or required of one.
do good 1 act virtuously, especially by helping others. 2 make
a helpful contribution to a situation: could the discussion do any
good?
do someone good be beneficial to someone, especially to
their health: the walk will do you good.
for good (and all)forever; definitively: the experience almost
frightened me away for good.
get (or have) the goods on informal obtain (or possess)
information about (someone) which may be used to their
detriment.
(as) good as gold (of a child) extremely well behaved.
(as) good as new in a very good condition or state; close to
the original state again after damage, injury, or illness.
the Good Book the Bible.good for (or on) you (or him, her, etc.)! used as an
exclamation of praise or approval: ‘I'm having driving lessons and
taking my test next month.’ ‘Good for you!’.
good money money that could usefully be spent elsewhere;
hard-earned money: I paid good money for that computer.
the Good Shepherd Jesus.[with biblical allusion to John
10:1–16.]
good wine needs no bush see wine 1 .
a good word words in recommendation or defence of a
person: I hoped you might put in a good word for me with your
friends.
in good time 1 with no risk of being late: I arrived in good time.
2 (also all in good time) in due course but without haste: ‘I
want to see him.’ ‘You will. All in good time.’.
make good be successful: a college friend who made good in
Hollywood.
make something good 1 compensate for loss, damage, or
expense: if I scratched the table I'd make good the damage. • repair or
restore after damage: make good the wall where you have buried the
cable. 2 fulfil a promise or claim: I challenged him to make good his
boast.take something in good part not be offended by
something: he took her abruptness in good part.
up to no good doing something wrong.
ORIGIN Old English gōd, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch goed and German gut .
well 1 |wɛl|
adverb (better, best)
1 in a good or satisfactory way: the whole team played well.
• in a way that is appropriate to the facts or circumstances: you
did well to come and tell me | [ as submodifier, in combination ] : a
well-timed exit.
• so as to have a fortunate outcome: his campaign was not going
well.
• in a kind way: the animals will remain loyal to humans if treated
well.
• with praise or approval: people spoke well of him | the film was
quite well reviewed at the time.
• with equanimity: she took it very well, all things considered.
• profitably; advantageously: she would marry well or not at all.
• in a condition of prosperity or comfort: they lived well and were
generous with their money.
• archaic luckily; opportunely: hail fellow, well met.2 in a thorough manner: add the mustard and lemon juice and mix
well.
• to a great extent or degree (often used for emphasis): the visit
had been planned well in advance | [ as submodifier, in
combination ] : a well-loved colleague | a well-deserved reputation.
• intimately; closely: he knew my father very well.
• [ as submodifier ] Brit. informal very; extremely: he was well
out of order.
• [ with submodifier ] used as an intensifier: I should jolly well
hope so.
3 [ with modal ] very probably; in all likelihood: being short of
breath may well be the first sign of asthma.
• without difficulty: she could well afford to pay for the reception herself.
• with good reason: ‘What are we doing here?’ ‘You may well ask.’.
adjective (better, best) [ predic. ]
1 in good health; free or recovered from illness: I don't feel very
well | it would be some time before Sarah was completely well |
[ attrib. ] informal : I am not a well man.
• in a satisfactory state or position: I do hope all is well with you and
your family.
2 sensible; advisable: it would be well to know just what this suggestion
entails.exclamation
used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger,
resignation, or relief: Well, really! The manners of some people!
• used when pausing to consider one's next words, to mark the
resumption or end of a conversation, etc.: well, I suppose I could
fit you in at 3.45 | well, cheers, Tom—I must fly.
• used to indicate that one is waiting for an answer or
explanation from someone: Well? You promised to tell me all about
it.
PHRASES
as well 1 in addition; too: the museum provides hours of fun and a
few surprises as well. 2 (also just as well)with equal reason or an
equally good result: I may as well have a look. • sensible,
appropriate, or desirable: it would be as well to let him go.
as well as and in addition; and also: a shop that sold books as well
as newspapers.
as well he (or she etc.) might (or may)used to convey the
speaker's opinion that a reaction is appropriate or unsurprising:
she sounded rather chipper, as well she might, given her bright prospects.
be well away Brit. informal having made considerable or easy
progress: if we got Terry to do that, we'd be well away.be well in with informal have a good relationship with
(someone in a position of influence or authority): you're well in
with O'Brien aren't you.
be well out of Brit. informal be fortunate to be no longer
involved in (a situation).
very well see very.
(all) well and good used to express acceptance of a first
statement before introducing a contradictory or confirming
second statement: that's all well and good, but why didn't he phone her
to say so?
well and truly completely: Leith was well and truly rattled.
well enough to a reasonable degree: he liked Isobel well enough,
but wouldn't want to make a close friend of her.
well worth certainly worth: Salzburg is well worth a visit.
DERIVATIVES
wellness noun
ORIGIN Old English wel(l), of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch wel and German wohl; probably also to the verb will 1 .
Vowel lengthening in Middle English gave rise to the current
Scots form weel.
usage: The adverb well is often used in combination with past
participles to form adjectival compounds: well adjusted,well intentioned, well known, and so on. As far as
hyphenation is concerned, the general stylistic principle is that
if the adjectival compound is placed attributively (i.e. it comes
before the noun), it should be hyphenated ( a well-
intentioned remark) but that if it is placed predicatively (i.e.
standing alone after the verb), it should not be hyphenated ( her
remarks were well intentioned). In this dictionary the
unhyphenated form is generally the only one given, although
the hyphenated form may be seen in illustrative examples.
better
adjective
1 the better player | better facilities: superior, finer, of higher quality,
greater, in a different class, one step ahead; more acceptable,
preferable, recommended; informal a cut above, streets ahead,
head and shoulders above, ahead of the pack/field.
ANTONYMS worse, inferior.
2 there couldn't be a better time to take up this job: more advantageous,
more suitable, more fitting, more appropriate, more useful,
more valuable, more desirable. ANTONYMS worse.
3 is Emma any better today? healthier, fitter, stronger, less ill; well,
cured, healed, recovered; convalescent, recovering, on the roadto recovery, making progress, progressing, improving; informal
on the mend, looking up. ANTONYMS worse.
adverb
1 I played better today: to a higher standard, in a superior/finer
way.
2 you may find alternatives that suit you better: more, to a greater
degree.
3 the money could be better spent on more urgent cases: more wisely,
more sensibly, more suitably, more fittingly, more
advantageously.
verb
1 a record bettered by only one other non-league side: surpass, improve
on, beat, exceed, excel, top, cap, trump, eclipse, outstrip, outdo,
outmatch, go one better than; informal best.
2 musicians will be advised on how to better their work: improve, make
better, ameliorate, raise, advance, further, lift, upgrade,
enhance; reform, rectify; rare meliorate. ANTONYMS
worsen.
noun
PHRASES
get the better of I was going to disagree but impulse got the better of
me | he usually gets the better of the bigger and stronger animals: defeat,beat, best, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overcome,
overwhelm, overpower, destroy, drub, triumph over, prevail
over, gain a victory over, win over/against, worst, subdue,
quash, crush; informal lick, slaughter, murder, kill, clobber,
hammer, whip, paste, crucify, demolish, wipe the floor with,
make mincemeat of, take to the cleaners, walk (all) over, run
rings around; Brit. informal stuff, marmalize; N. Amer.
informal shellac, skunk.
good
adjective
1 there is always a market for a good product: fine, of high quality, of
a high standard, quality, superior; satisfactory, acceptable,
adequate, in order, up to scratch, up to the mark, up to
standard, up to par, competent, not bad, all right; excellent,
superb, outstanding, magnificent, of the highest quality, of the
highest standard, exceptional, marvellous, wonderful, first-rate,
first-class, superlative, splendid, admirable, worthy, sterling;
informal super, great, OK, hunky-dory, A1, ace, terrific,
tremendous, smashing, fantastic, fab,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, top-notch, tip-top, class,
awesome, magic, wicked; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, bosting;
Austral. informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal, dated spiffing,ripping, cracking, topping, top-hole, wizard, capital, champion;
N. Amer. informal, dated swell. ANTONYMS bad.
2 he is basically a good person: virtuous, righteous, moral, morally
correct, ethical, upright, upstanding, high-minded, right-
minded, right-thinking, principled, exemplary, clean, law-
abiding, lawful, irreproachable, blameless, guiltless,
unimpeachable, just, honest, honourable, unbribable,
incorruptible, anti-corruption; scrupulous, reputable, decent,
respectable, noble, lofty, elevated, worthy, trustworthy,
meritorious, praiseworthy, commendable, admirable, laudable;
pure, pure as the driven snow, whiter than white, sinless, saintly,
saintlike, godly, angelic; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS
wicked.
3 the children are good with most of their teachers: well behaved,
obedient, dutiful, well mannered, well brought up, polite, civil,
courteous, respectful, deferential, manageable, compliant,
acquiescent, tractable, malleable. ANTONYMS naughty.
4 it was a good thing to do: right, correct, proper, decorous,
seemly; appropriate, fitting, apt, suitable; convenient,
expedient, favourable, auspicious, propitious, opportune,
felicitous, timely, well judged, well timed; archaic meet,
seasonable.5 she's a good driver | that was good work: capable, able, proficient,
adept, adroit, accomplished, seasoned, skilful, skilled, gifted,
talented, masterly, virtuoso, expert, knowledgeable, qualified,
trained; informal great, mean, wicked, deadly, nifty, crack,
super, ace, wizard, magic; N. Amer. informal crackerjack;
vulgar slang shit-hot.
6 he's been a good friend to me: reliable, dependable, trustworthy,
true, tried and true, faithful, devoted, steady, steadfast, staunch,
unswerving, unwavering, constant, loyal, trusty, dutiful,
dedicated, committed, unfailing.
7 the dogs look in good condition: healthy, fine, sound, tip-top, hale,
hale and hearty, hearty, lusty, fit, robust, sturdy, strong,
vigorous. ANTONYMS poor; ill; diseased.
8 that was a good party: enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, pleasing,
pleasurable, delightful, great, nice, lovely, amusing, diverting,
jolly, merry, lively, festive, cheerful, convivial, congenial,
sociable; informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific,
glorious, grand, magic, out of this world, cool; Brit. informal
brilliant, brill, smashing; N. Amer. informal peachy, neat,
ducky; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal,
dated capital, wizard, corking, spiffing, ripping, top-hole,topping, champion, beezer; N. Amer. informal, dated swell;
rare frabjous. ANTONYMS terrible.
9 it was good of you to come: kind, kindly, kind-hearted, good-
hearted, friendly, obliging, generous, charitable, magnanimous,
gracious, sympathetic, benevolent, benign, altruistic, unselfish,
selfless. ANTONYMS unkind.
10 tomorrow would be a good time to call: convenient, suitable,
appropriate, fitting, fit, suited, agreeable; opportune, timely,
well timed, favourable, advantageous, expedient, felicitous,
propitious, auspicious, happy, providential; archaic
commodious, seasonable. ANTONYMS inconvenient.
11 milk is good for you: wholesome, health-giving, healthful,
healthy, nourishing, nutritious, nutritional, strengthening,
beneficial, salubrious, salutary. ANTONYMS bad.
12 are these eggs still good? edible, safe to eat, fit to eat, fit to be
eaten, fit for human consumption; fresh, wholesome,
consumable, comestible. ANTONYMS bad.
13 the restaurant provided good food: delicious, mouth-watering,
appetizing, tasty, flavoursome, flavourful, delectable,
toothsome, inviting, enjoyable, palatable; succulent, luscious,
rich, sweet; savoury, piquant; informal scrumptious, delish,
scrummy, yummy, yum-yum; Brit. informal moreish; N. Amer.informal finger-licking, nummy; literary ambrosial; rare
ambrosian, nectareous, nectarean, flavorous, sapid.
ANTONYMS bad.
14 give me one good reason why I should go: valid, genuine,
authentic, legitimate, sound, bona fide; convincing, persuasive,
forceful, striking, telling, potent, powerful, strong, cogent,
compelling; trenchant, weighty, important, meaningful,
influential. ANTONYMS bad.
15 we had to wait a good hour: whole, full, entire, complete, solid,
not less than, at least.
16 a good number of them lost their lives: considerable, sizeable,
substantial, appreciable, significant; goodly, tolerable, fair,
reasonable, tidy, hefty; ample, plentiful, abundant,
superabundant, great, large, lavish, profuse, generous; marked,
noticeable; informal not to be sneezed at, OK; literary
plenteous. ANTONYMS small.
17 this is something you would only tell a good friend: close, intimate,
dear, bosom; close-knit, inseparable, attached, loving, devoted,
faithful, constant; special, best, fast, firm, valued, treasured,
cherished. ANTONYMS distant.18 don't you go getting your good clothes grubby: best, finest, newest,
nice, nicest, smart, smartest, special, party, Sunday, formal;
informal dressy. ANTONYMS casual; scruffy.
19 good weather: fine, fair, dry; bright, clear, sunny, sunshiny,
cloudless, unclouded, without a cloud in the sky; calm,
windless, tranquil; warm, mild, balmy, summery, clement;
agreeable, pleasant, nice, benign.
PHRASES
in good part luckily the police took the joke in good part : good-
naturedly, good-humouredly, without offence, amicably,
favourably, with forbearance, patiently, tolerantly, indulgently,
cheerfully, well; not be offended by, not take offence at, not be
upset by, not be bothered by, not disapprove of, not resent, not
mind, take kindly to.
make good the working-class boy who made good: succeed, achieve
success, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach
the top, become famous, achieve recognition, distinguish
oneself, set the world on fire; prosper, flourish, thrive, advance;
Brit. set the Thames on fire; informal make it, make the grade,
cut it, crack it, make a name for oneself, make one's mark, get
somewhere, arrive, do all right for oneself, bring home the
bacon, find a place in the sun. ANTONYMS fail.make something good 1 he promised to make good any damage:
repair, mend, fix, patch up, put right, set right, put to rights, see
to; restore, remedy, rectify, put back into its original condition,
make as good as new; rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, refit,
refurbish, recondition; N. English fettle. 2 they made good their
escape: effect, conduct, perform, implement, execute, carry out,
perpetrate; achieve, accomplish, succeed in, realize, attain,
manage, engineer, bring about, bring off, carry off, carry
through; rare effectuate. 3 they hope he will make good his promise of
payment: fulfil, carry out, carry through, implement, execute,
effect, discharge, perform, honour, redeem; keep, observe,
abide by, comply with, obey, respect, conform to, stick to, act in
accordance with, act according to, have regard to, heed, follow,
pay attention to, defer to, take notice of, be bound by, keep
faith with, live up to, stand by, adhere to.
noun
1 complex issues of good and evil: virtue, righteousness,
virtuousness, goodness, morality, ethicalness, uprightness,
upstandingness, integrity, principle, dignity, rectitude, rightness;
honesty, truth, truthfulness, honour, incorruptibility, probity,
propriety, worthiness, worth, merit; irreproachableness,blamelessness, purity, pureness, lack of corruption, justice,
justness, fairness. ANTONYMS wickedness.
2 don't worry, it's all for your good: benefit, advantage, profit, gain,
interest, welfare, well-being, enjoyment, satisfaction, comfort,
ease, convenience; help, aid, assistance, use, usefulness, avail,
service, behalf. ANTONYMS disadvantage.
PHRASES
for good those bad old days are gone for good: forever, permanently,
for always, for good and all, perpetually, eternally, (for)
evermore, for ever and ever, for all (future) time, until/to the
end of time, world without end, endlessly, timelessly, for
eternity, in perpetuity, everlastingly, enduringly, never to return;
Scottish aye; N. Amer. forevermore; informal for keeps, until
hell freezes over, until doomsday, until the cows come home;
archaic for aye; rare immortally, deathlessly, imperishably,
abidingly, sempiter nally, perdurably. ANTONYMS
temporarily.
exclamation
good, that's settled: fine, very well, all right, right, right then, right
you are, yes, agreed; informal okay, OK, oke, okey-dokey, okey-
doke, wilco, roger; Brit. informal righto, righty-ho; Indian
informal acha.well 1
adverb
1 I am sure you will behave well: satisfactorily, in a satisfactory
manner/way, nicely, correctly, rightly, properly, fittingly,
suitably, aptly, appropriately. ANTONYMS badly.
2 they get on well together: harmoniously, agreeably, pleasantly,
nicely, happily, politely, amicably, amiably, affably, genially,
peaceably; informal famously. ANTONYMS badly.
3 he plays the piano well: skilfully, with skill, ably, competently,
proficiently, adeptly, adroitly, deftly, dexterously, effectively,
expertly, with expertise, admirably, excellently, consummately,
professionally. ANTONYMS poorly.
4 treating employees well makes good business sense: decently, fairly,
civilly, politely, genially, kindly, in a kind/kindly way,
generously, hospitably; respectably, honestly. ANTONYMS
harshly.
5 mix the ingredients well: thoroughly, completely, efficiently,
rigorously, effectively, conscientiously, industriously, carefully.
6 I know her quite well: intimately, thoroughly, fully, deeply,
profoundly, personally.
7 the company has obviously studied the car market well: carefully,
closely, attentively, rigorously, in depth, exhaustively, from topto bottom, minutely, in detail, meticulously, scrupulously,
assiduously, conscientiously, painstakingly, methodically,
completely, comprehensively, fully, to the fullest extent,
intensively, extensively. ANTONYMS casually, negligently.
8 they all speak well of him: admiringly, highly, approvingly,
favourably, appreciatively, warmly, enthusiastically, glowingly,
with admiration, with praise, with approbation. ANTONYMS
scornfully.
9 she hopes to make enough money to live well: comfortably, in
comfort, in (the lap of) luxury, in ease, splendidly, prosperously,
without hardship.
10 you may well be right: quite possibly, conceivably, quite likely,
probably; undoubtedly, certainly, unquestionably; justifiably,
reasonably.
11 he is well over forty: considerably, very much, greatly, to a
great/marked extent/degree, a great deal, markedly, decidedly,
substantially, easily, comfortably, materially, significantly,
signally; informal seriously. ANTONYMS barely, little.
12 she could well afford it: easily, comfortably, readily, with ease,
without difficulty, effortlessly. ANTONYMS barely.
PHRASESas well ducks eat waterweed and tadpoles as well: too, also, in
addition, additionally, into the bargain, besides, furthermore,
moreover, to boot.
as well as we sell books as well as newspapers: together with, in
addition to, along with, besides, plus, and, coupled with, with,
over and above, on top of, over and beyond, not to mention, to
say nothing of, let alone.
well up on I thought I was pretty well up on my internet jargon but I'm
stumped on that one: well versed in, well informed about,
conversant with, knowledgeable about, informed about,
abreast of, apprised of, up to date on, au courant with; familiar
with, acquainted with, au fait with, at home with, no stranger
to; experienced in, proficient in, practised in, skilled in;
informal up to speed on, clued up on, genned up on, plugged
into; formal cognizant of; dated perfect in. ANTONYMS
ignorant of; unfamiliar with.
adjective
1 it would be some time before she was completely well: healthy, in good
health, all right, fine, fit, fighting fit, as fit as a fiddle, as fit as a
flea, robust, strong, vigorous, blooming, thriving, bursting with
health, in rude health, hale, hale and hearty, hearty, in good
shape, in excellent shape, in good condition, in tip-topcondition, in good trim, in fine fettle, sound, sound in body and
limb; informal in the pink, up to snuff. ANTONYMS poorly.
2 all is not well in further education: satisfactory, all right, fine, in
order, as it should be, acceptable; informal OK, fine and
dandy, hunky-dory; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ informal jake;
Brit. informal, dated tickety-boo. ANTONYMS unsatisfactory.
3 it would be well to know just what this suggestion entails: advisable,
sensible, prudent, politic, commonsensical, wise, canny,
judicious, shrewd, expedient, provident, recommended,
advantageous, beneficial, profitable, gainful, desirable; a good
idea. ANTONYMS inadvisable.
well 2
noun
1 borehole, spring, waterhole, bore, shaft.
2 it is not a priest's function to be a bottomless well of uncritical
forgiveness: source, supply, wellspring, fount, fountainhead,
reservoir, mine, fund, bank, repository, storehouse, treasury.
verb
tears were beginning to well from her eyes: flow, stream, run, rush,
gush, course, roll, cascade, flood, surge, rise, spurt, spout,
squirt, jet; ooze, seep, trickle; burst, issue, discharge; spill,
overflow, brim over; rare disembogue.rushed |rʌʃt|
adjective
done or completed too hurriedly; hasty: a rushed job.
• (of a person) short of time; hurrying: I'm too rushed to do it.
rush 1 |rʌʃ|
verb
1 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] move with urgent
haste: Oliver rushed after her | I rushed outside and hailed a taxi.
• (of air or a liquid) flow strongly: the water rushed in through the
great oaken gates.
• [ no obj. ] act with great haste: as soon as the campaign started they
rushed into action | [ with infinitive ] : shoppers rushed to buy
computers.
• [ with obj. ] force (someone) to act hastily: I don't want to rush
you into something.
• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] take (someone)
somewhere with great haste: an ambulance was waiting to rush him
to hospital.
• [ with two objs ] deliver (something) quickly to (someone):
we'll rush you a copy at once.• (rush something out) produce and distribute something
very quickly: a rewritten textbook was rushed out last autumn.
• [ with obj. ] deal with (something) hurriedly: panic measures
were rushed through parliament.
• [ with obj. ] dash towards (someone or something) in an
attempt to attack or capture: to rush the bank and fire willy-nilly
could be disastrous for everyone.
2 [ with obj. ] American Football advance towards (an
opposing player, especially the quarterback). a linebacker who was
gifted in rushing the quarterback.
• [ no obj. ] run from scrimmage with the ball. he rushed for 100
yards on 22 carries.
3 [ with obj. ] USentertain (a new student) in order to assess
suitability for membership of a college fraternity or sorority. (as
noun rushing) : athletics and fraternity rushing were much more
important than anything that happened to you in the classroom.
4 [ with obj. ] Brit. informal, dated overcharge (a customer):
They rushed you, all right! It's not worth a penny more than £120.
noun
1 a sudden quick movement towards something, typically by a
number of people: there was a rush for the door.
• a sudden flow or flood: she felt a rush of cold air.• a flurry of hasty activity: the pre-Christmas rush | [ as
modifier ] : a rush job.
• a sudden strong demand for a commodity: there's been a rush
on the Western News because of the murder.
• a sudden intense feeling: Mark felt a rush of anger.
• informal a sudden thrill or feeling of euphoria such as
experienced after taking certain drugs. users experience a rush.
2 American Football an act of advancing forward, especially
towards the quarterback.
3 (rushes) the first prints made of a film after a period of
shooting. after the shoot the agency team will see the rushes.
PHRASES
rush one's fences Brit.act with undue haste. although they had
created an expectation of radical reform, his team were not going to rush
their fences.
a rush of blood (to the head)a sudden attack of wild
irrationality. what lost us the match was a rush of blood to the head
when they had the man sent off.
DERIVATIVES
rusher noun,
rushingly adverbORIGIN late Middle English: from an Anglo-Norman French
variant of Old French ruser ‘drive back’, an early sense of
the word in English (see ruse) .
rushed
adjective
1 a rushed divorce from his wife was arranged: hasty, fast, speedy,
quick, swift, rapid, hurried, brisk, expeditious; precipitate.
2 he had been too rushed in Rome to enjoy his stay: in a hurry, running
about, run off one's feet, rushing about, dashing about, pushed
for time, pressed for time; busy, hectic, frantic.
rush
verb
1 Simone rushed back into the house: hurry, dash, run, race, sprint,
bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, bound, fly,
speed, zoom, go hell for leather, pound, plunge, dive, whisk,
streak, scurry, scuttle, scamper, scramble, make haste, hasten,
bustle, bundle; stampede; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zap,
zip, whip, step on it, get a move on, hotfoot it, leg it, steam, put
on some speed, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb,
bucket; Scottish informal wheech; N. Amer. informal boogie,
hightail it, clip, barrel, get the lead out; informal, dated cutalong; N. Amer. vulgar slang drag/tear/haul ass; literary fleet;
archaic post, hie, haste. ANTONYMS dawdle.
2 the noise of water rushing along gutters: flow, pour, gush, surge,
stream, cascade, shoot, swirl, run, course; spout, spurt, pump,
jet; Brit. informal sloosh.
3 the tax was rushed through parliament: send rapidly, pass rapidly,
hurry, push, hasten, speed, hustle, press, steamroller, force;
informal railroad.
4 some demonstrators rushed the cordon of tanks and troops: attack,
charge, run at, fly at, assail; storm, attempt to capture.
noun
1 the men made a rush for the exit: dash, run, sprint, dart, bolt,
charge, scramble, bound, break; stampede.
2 the lunchtime rush gathered pace: hustle and bustle, commotion,
bustle, hubbub, hurly-burly, flurry of activity, stir; archaic
hurry-scurry.
3 travel agents say there's been a last minute rush for holidays abroad:
demand, clamour, call, request, run (on).
4 Peacock was in no rush to leave Tyneside: hurry, haste, dispatch;
urgency.
5 a rush of adrenalin | he felt a rush of excitement: surge, flow, gush,
stream, flood, spurt; dart, thrill, flash, flush, blaze, stab.6 a rush of cold night air: gust, draught, flurry.
7 I made a sudden rush at him: charge, onslaught, attack, sortie,
sally, assault, onrush.
adjective
a rush job: urgent, high-priority, top-priority, emergency;
hurried, hasty, fast, quick, rapid, swift; N. Amer. informal
hurry-up.
reign |reɪn|
verb [ no obj. ]
hold royal office; rule as monarch: Queen Elizabeth reigns over
the UK.
• be the best or most important in a particular area or domain:
in America, baseball reigns supreme.
• (of a quality or condition) be the dominant feature of a
situation or place: confusion reigned.
noun
the period of rule of a monarch: the original chapel was built in the
reign of Charles I.
• the period during which someone or something is
predominant or pre-eminent: she was hoping for a long reign as
world champion.ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French reignier ‘to
reign’, reigne ‘kingdom’, from Latin regnum, related to
rex, reg- ‘king’.
usage: The correct idiomatic phrase is a free rein, not a free
reign; see usage at rein.
reign
verb
1 Robert II reigned for nineteen years: be king/queen, be monarch,
be sovereign, sit on the throne, occupy the throne, wear the
crown, wield the sceptre, hold sway, rule, govern, be in power.
2 chaos reigned for a few moments: prevail, exist, be in existence, be
present, be the case, hold, obtain, occur, be prevalent, be
current, be rife, be rampant, be the order of the day, be
customary, be established, be common, be widespread, be in
force, be in effect; abound, predominate, preponderate, be
supreme, hold sway; endure, survive, persist.
noun
1 the later years of Henry's reign: rule, sovereignty, monarchy.
2 during his reign as manager: period in office, incumbency,
tenancy, managership, leadership; period as champion.
WORD LINKSregnal relating to a reign
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
cottage |ˈkɒtɪdʒ|
noun
1 a small house, typically one in the country. a holiday cottage.
• a simple house forming part of a farm, used by a worker. farm
cottages.
2 Brit. informal (in the context of casual homosexual
encounters) a public toilet.
verb [ no obj. ] (usu. as nouncottaging) Brit. informal
perform homosexual acts in a public toilet. I was busted for
cottaging.
DERIVATIVES
cottagey adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French
cotage and Anglo-Latin cotagium, from cot 2 or cote.cottage
noun
she had a cottage in Wales: small house, house, bungalow, villa,
lodge, chalet, cabin, shack, shanty; holiday home, holiday
cottage, retreat; home, residence, place, abode; in
Scotlandbothy; in Russiadacha; in Francegîte; Scottish but
and ben; S. African rondavel; informal pad, semi; N. Amer.
informal crib; Austral. informal weekender; literary bower;
archaic cot.
any |ˈɛni|
determiner& pronoun
1 [ usu. with negative or in questions ] used to refer to one or
some of a thing or number of things, no matter how much or
how many: [ as determiner ] : I don't have any choice | do you have
any tips to pass on? | [ as pronoun ] : someone asked him for a match,
but Joe didn't have any | you don't know any of my friends.
• anyone: the city council ceased payments to any but the aged.
2 whichever of a specified class might be chosen: [ as
determiner ] : these constellations are visible at any hour of the night |
[ as pronoun ] : the illness may be due to any of several causes.adverb [ usu. with negative or in questions ] [ as submodifier ]
at all; in some degree (used for emphasis): he wasn't any good at
basketball | why look any further? | no one would be any the wiser.
• US informal at all (used alone, not qualifying another word): I
didn't hurt you any.
PHRASES
any amount of see amount.
any more (also anymore) [ usu. with negative or in
questions ] to any further extent; any longer: she refused to listen
any more.
any old see old.
any road (up)chiefly N. English informal term for anyway:
any road, I'm sure you'll make a go of it.
any time (also anytime)at whatever time: she can come any
time.
any time (or day or minute etc.) now informal very soon:
we'll get them back any day now.
be not having any (of it) informal be uninterested or
disagree: I tried to make polite conversation, but he wasn't having any.
not just any —— a particular or special thing of its type
rather than any ordinary one of that type. he had an acting job at
last, and not just any part, but the lead in a new film.ORIGIN Old English ǣnig (see one,-y 1 ), of Germanic origin;
related to Dutch eenig and German einig .
usage: When used as a pronoun any can be used with either a
singular or a plural verb, depending on the context: we needed
more sugar but there wasn't any left ( singular verb) or are any
of the new videos available? ( plural verb).
any
determiner
1 is there any ginger cake left? some, a piece of, a part of, a bit of.
2 it doesn't make any difference: the slightest bit of, the smallest
amount of, a scrap of, a shred of, a particle of, an atom of, an
iota of, a jot of, a whit of.
3 any job will do, to begin with: whichever, whichever comes to
hand, no matter which, never mind which; informal any old.
pronoun
1 you don't know any of my friends: a single one, one, even one.
2 they ceased payments to any but the aged: anyone, anybody.
adverb
is your father any better? at all, in the least, to any extent, to some
extent, somewhat, in any degree, to some degree.absence |ˈabs(əә)ns|
noun [ mass noun ]
the state of being away from a place or person: the letter had
arrived during his absence | I supervised the rehearsal in the absence
of the director.
• [ count noun ] an occasion or period of being away from a
place or person: repeated absences from school.
• (absence of) the non-existence or lack of: she found his total
absence of facial expression disconcerting.
PHRASES
absence makes the heart grow fonder proverb you feel
more affection for those you love when parted from them.
absence of mind failure to concentrate on or remember
what one is doing. his reply conveyed his absence of mind.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin
absentia, from absens, absent- (see absent) .
absence
noun
1 Derek gave Carol a flimsy excuse for his absence: non-attendance,
non-appearance, absenteeism; truancy, playing truant,
truanting; leave, holiday, vacation, sabbatical; Brit. informalskiving, bunking off; N. Amer. informal playing hookey,
goofing off, ditching; Austral./NZ playing the wag, wagging.
ANTONYMS presence, attendance.
2 the absence of a clear candidate was likely to result in civil war: lack,
want, non-existence, unavailability, deficiency, deprivation,
dearth; omission, exclusion, default; need, privation, famine,
drought, poverty. ANTONYMS presence, availability.
PHRASES
in the absence of in the absence of glass, the traditional material
was rice paper glued to a fine grille of wood: failing, in default of,
lacking, wanting, notwithstanding, without.
support |səәˈpɔːt|
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.would-be
adjective [ attrib. ]
desiring or aspiring to be a specified type of person: a would-be
actress who dresses up as Marilyn Monroe.
noun informal
a person who desires or aspires to be a particular type: a
seemingly endless queue of journalists and would-bes formed.
would-be
adjective [ attrib. ]
desiring or aspiring to be a specified type of person: a would-be
actress who dresses up as Marilyn Monroe.
noun informal
a person who desires or aspires to be a particular type: a
seemingly endless queue of journalists and would-bes formed.
destitute |ˈdɛstɪtjuːt|
adjective
extremely poor and lacking the means to provide for oneself:
the charity cares for destitute children.
• (destitute of) not having: towns destitute of commerce.ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘deserted,
abandoned, empty’): from Latin destitutus, past participle of
destituere ‘forsake’, from de- ‘away from’ + statuere ‘to
place’.
destitute
adjective
1 her parents died and she was left destitute: penniless, impoverished,
poverty-stricken, poor, impecunious, indigent, down and out,
pauperized, without a penny to one's name, without two
farthings/pennies to rub together; insolvent, ruined; needy, in
need, in want, hard up, on the breadline, hard-pressed, in
reduced/straitened circumstances, deprived, disadvantaged,
distressed, badly off; beggarly, beggared; informal on one's
uppers, up against it, broke, flat broke, strapped (for cash),
without a brass farthing, without a bean, without a sou, as poor
as a church mouse, on one's beam-ends; Brit. informal stony
broke, skint, boracic (lint); N. Amer. informal stone broke,
without a red cent, on skid row; formal penurious.
ANTONYMS rich.
2 we were destitute of clothing: devoid, bereft, deprived, in need;
bankrupt, empty, drained, exhausted, depleted, bare, denuded;lacking, without, deficient in, wanting; informal sans.
ANTONYMS well provided with.
impious |ˈɪmpɪəәs, ɪmˈpʌɪəәs|
adjective
showing a lack of respect for God or religion: the emperor's
impious attacks on the Church.
• (of a person or act) wicked: impious villains.
DERIVATIVES
impiously adverb,
impiousness noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin impius (from in- ‘not’ +
pius: see pious) + -ous.
impious
adjective
the church was shamefully plundered by impious villains: godless,
ungodly, unholy, irreligious, sinful, immoral, unrighteous,
sacrilegious, profane, blasphemous, irreverent, disrespectful;
apostate, atheistic, non-theistic, agnostic, pagan, heathen,
faithless, non-believing, unbelieving, disbelieving, doubting;
rare nullifidian. ANTONYMS pious.quibble |ˈkwɪb(əә)l|
noun
1 a slight objection or criticism: the only quibble about this book is
the price.
2 archaic a play on words; a pun.
verb [ no obj. ]
argue or raise objections about a trivial matter: they are always
quibbling about the amount they are prepared to pay.
DERIVATIVES
quibbler noun,
quibblingly adverb
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘play on words, pun’):
diminutive of obsolete quib‘a petty objection’, probably from
Latin quibus, dative and ablative plural of qui, quae, quod
‘who, what, which’, frequently used in legal documents and
so associated with subtle distinctions or verbal niceties.
quibble
noun
1 apart from that quibble, it was fine: minor criticism, trivial
objection, trivial complaint, adverse comment, protest, query,argument, exception, moan, grumble, grouse, cavil; informal
niggle, gripe, beef, grouch, nitpicking; archaic pettifogging.
2 I ignored his ridiculous quibbles about interest rates: evasion, dodge;
(quibbles) avoidance, equivocation, prevarication, hedging,
fudging.
verb
1 no one would quibble with the subtitle: find fault with, raise
trivial objections to, complain about, object to, cavil at, carp
about; split hairs, chop logic; criticize, query, fault, pick, holes
in; informal nitpick; archaic pettifog.
2 he's always quibbling, so it is difficult to get a straight answer out of
him: be evasive, equivocate, avoid the issue, prevaricate, hedge,
fudge, be ambiguous; informal beat about the bush.
premeditate |priːˈmɛdɪteɪt|
verb [ with obj. ] (usu. as adj.premeditated)
think out or plan (an action, especially a crime) beforehand:
premeditated murder.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (earlier (late Middle English) as
premeditation): from Latin praemeditat- ‘thought out before’,
from the verb praemeditari, from prae ‘before’ + meditari
‘meditate’.prevaricate |prɪˈvarɪkeɪt|
verb [ no obj. ]
speak or act in an evasive way: he seemed to prevaricate when
journalists asked pointed questions.
DERIVATIVES
prevarication |-ˈkeɪʃ(əә)n| noun,
prevaricator noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (earlier (Middle English) as
prevarication and prevaricator), in the sense ‘go astray, transgress’:
from Latin praevaricat- ‘walked crookedly, deviated’,
from the verb praevaricari, from prae ‘before’ + varicari
‘straddle’.
usage: The verbs prevaricate and procrastinate have
similar but not identical meanings. Prevaricate means ‘act or
speak in an evasive way’, as in he prevaricated at the mention of
money. Procrastinate, on the other hand, means ‘put off
doing something’, as in the Western powers will procrastinate
until it is too late. The meanings are closely related—if someone
prevaricates they often also procrastinate—and this can give
rise to confusion in use.prevaricate
verb
he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions about his
involvement. See equivocate.
preponderate |prɪˈpɒndəәreɪt|
verb [ no obj. ]
be greater in number, influence, or importance: the advantages
preponderate over this apparent disadvantage.
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘weigh more, have
greater intellectual weight’): from Latin praeponderat- ‘of
greater weight’, from the verb praeponderare, from prae
‘before’ + ponderare ‘weigh, consider’.amoral |eɪˈmɒr(əә)l|
adjective
lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or
wrongness of something: an amoral attitude to sex.
DERIVATIVES
amoralism noun,
amoralist noun,
amorality |-ˈralɪti| noun,
amorally adverb
usage: Amoral is distinct in meaning from immoral: while
immoral means ‘not conforming to accepted standards of
morality’, amoral implies ‘not concerned with morality’. The
difference is illustrated in the following two examples: the client
pays for the amoral expertise of the lawyer; the council judged the film to
be immoral and obscene.
amoral
adjective
without society we are amoral beings: unprincipled, without
standards, without morals; unethical, without scruples,
unscrupulous. ANTONYMS moral, principled.
EASILY CONFUSED WORDSamoral or immoral?
Amoral means ‘not concerned with or affected by
morality’, so that something described as amoral cannot
appropriately be criticized for failure to conform to
accepted moral standards (the client pays for the amoral
expertise of the lawyer). Immoral, on the other hand,
means ‘not conforming to accepted standards of
morality’, and implies condemnation (they felt it was
immoral to accept a loan that they could not hope to
repay).
These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking
pairs.
philosophy |fɪˈlɒsəәfi|
noun (pl.philosophies)
1 [ mass noun ] the study of the fundamental nature of
knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as
an academic discipline. See also natural philosophy.
• [ count noun ] a particular system of philosophical thought:
the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.• the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of
knowledge or experience: the philosophy of science.
2 a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for
behaviour: don't expect anything and you won't be disappointed, that's
my philosophy.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French philosophie, via
Latin from Greek philosophia ‘love of wisdom’.
philosophy
noun
1 a lecturer in philosophy: thinking, reasoning, thought, wisdom,
knowledge.
2 I'd like to see your philosophy in action: beliefs, credo, faith,
convictions, ideology, ideas, thinking, notions, theories,
doctrine, tenets, values, principles, ethics, attitude, line, view,
viewpoint, outlook, world view, school of thought;
GermanWeltanschauung.
logic |ˈlɒdʒɪk|
noun [ mass noun ]1 reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles
of validity: experience is a better guide to this than deductive logic | the
logic of the argument is faulty.
• a particular system or codification of the principles of proof
and inference: Aristotelian logic.
• the systematic use of symbolic and mathematical techniques
to determine the forms of valid deductive argument.
• the quality of being justifiable by reason: there seemed to be a lack
of logic in his remarks.
• (the logic of) the course of action suggested by or following
as a necessary consequence of: the logic of private competition was to
replace small firms by larger firms.
2 a system or set of principles underlying the arrangements of
elements in a computer or electronic device so as to perform a
specified task.
• logical operations collectively.
DERIVATIVES
logician |ləәˈdʒɪʃ(əә)n| noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French logique and late
Latin logica from Greek logikē (tekhnē) ‘(art) of reason’,
from logos ‘word, reason’.
-logic |ˈlɒdʒɪk|combining form
equivalent to -logical (as in pharmacologic).
ORIGIN from Greek -logikos .
logic
noun
1 this case appears to defy all logic | he accepted the logic of the
shipowners' argument: reason, judgement, logical thought,
rationality, cognition, wisdom, sagacity, sound judgement,
sense, good sense, common sense, rationale, sanity; deduction,
inference, syllogistic reasoning; coherence, relevance; informal
horse sense.
2 the economic logic of the argument: reasoning, line of reasoning,
chain of reasoning, process of reasoning, argument,
argumentation.
3 the study of logic: science of reasoning, science of deduction,
science of thought, dialectics, argumentation, ratiocination.
blasphemy |ˈblasfəәmi|
noun (pl.blasphemies) [ mass noun ]the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or
sacred things; profane talk: he was detained on charges of blasphemy
| [ count noun ] : he was screaming incomprehensible blasphemies.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, via ecclesiastical
Latin from Greek blasphēmia ‘slander, blasphemy’.
quibble |ˈkwɪb(əә)l|
noun
1 a slight objection or criticism: the only quibble about this book is
the price.
2 archaic a play on words; a pun.
verb [ no obj. ]
argue or raise objections about a trivial matter: they are always
quibbling about the amount they are prepared to pay.
DERIVATIVES
quibbler noun,
quibblingly adverb
ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘play on words, pun’):
diminutive of obsolete quib‘a petty objection’, probably from
Latin quibus, dative and ablative plural of qui, quae, quod
‘who, what, which’, frequently used in legal documents and
so associated with subtle distinctions or verbal niceties.quibble
noun
1 apart from that quibble, it was fine: minor criticism, trivial
objection, trivial complaint, adverse comment, protest, query,
argument, exception, moan, grumble, grouse, cavil; informal
niggle, gripe, beef, grouch, nitpicking; archaic pettifogging.
2 I ignored his ridiculous quibbles about interest rates: evasion, dodge;
(quibbles) avoidance, equivocation, prevarication, hedging,
fudging.
verb
1 no one would quibble with the subtitle: find fault with, raise
trivial objections to, complain about, object to, cavil at, carp
about; split hairs, chop logic; criticize, query, fault, pick, holes
in; informal nitpick; archaic pettifog.
2 he's always quibbling, so it is difficult to get a straight answer out of
him: be evasive, equivocate, avoid the issue, prevaricate, hedge,
fudge, be ambiguous; informal beat about the bush.
premeditate |priːˈmɛdɪteɪt|
verb [ with obj. ] (usu. as adj.premeditated)think out or plan (an action, especially a crime) beforehand:
premeditated murder.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (earlier (late Middle English) as
premeditation): from Latin praemeditat- ‘thought out before’,
from the verb praemeditari, from prae ‘before’ + meditari
‘meditate’.
prevaricate |prɪˈvarɪkeɪt|
verb [ no obj. ]
speak or act in an evasive way: he seemed to prevaricate when
journalists asked pointed questions.
DERIVATIVES
prevarication |-ˈkeɪʃ(əә)n| noun,
prevaricator noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (earlier (Middle English) as
prevarication and prevaricator), in the sense ‘go astray, transgress’:
from Latin praevaricat- ‘walked crookedly, deviated’,
from the verb praevaricari, from prae ‘before’ + varicari
‘straddle’.
usage: The verbs prevaricate and procrastinate have
similar but not identical meanings. Prevaricate means ‘act or
speak in an evasive way’, as in he prevaricated at the mention ofmoney. Procrastinate, on the other hand, means ‘put off
doing something’, as in the Western powers will procrastinate
until it is too late. The meanings are closely related—if someone
prevaricates they often also procrastinate—and this can give
rise to confusion in use.
prevaricate
verb
he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions about his
involvement. See equivocate.
equivocate
verb
the government have equivocated too often in the past: prevaricate, be
evasive, be non-committal, be vague, be ambiguous, evade/
dodge the issue, beat about the bush, hedge, hedge one's bets,
fudge the issue; fence, parry questions; vacillate, shilly-shally,
cavil, waver, quibble; temporize, hesitate, stall (for time), shuffle
about; Brit. hum and haw; informal pussyfoot around, waffle,
flannel, sit on the fence, duck the issue/question; archaic
palter; rare tergiversate.lexicographer |ˌlɛksɪˈkɒgrəәfəә|
noun
a person who compiles dictionaries.
linguist |ˈlɪŋgwɪst|
noun
1 a person skilled in foreign languages.
2 a person who studies linguistics.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin lingua ‘language’ + -ist.
biopsy |ˈbʌɪɒpsi|
noun (pl.biopsies)
an examination of tissue removed from a living body to
discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease. a bone
marrow biopsy. [ mass noun ] : cirrhosis was confirmed by biopsy.
verb (biopsies, biopsying, biopsied) [ with obj. ]
conduct a biopsy on (tissue removed from a living body): the
lesions may be malignant and should be biopsied.
ORIGIN late 19th cent.: coined in French from Greek bios
‘life’ + opsis ‘sight’, on the pattern of necropsy.autopsy |ˈɔːtɒpsi, ɔːˈtɒpsi|
noun (pl.autopsies)
a post-mortem examination to discover the cause of death or
the extent of disease. a Home Office pathologist carried out the
autopsy. [ mass noun ] : on autopsy it was established that he had
suffered from a rare brain condition.
verb (autopsies, autopsying, autopsied) [ with obj. ]
perform an autopsy on (a body or organ). the animal must be
autopsied as soon as possible. (as adj. autopsied) : an autopsied brain.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘personal observation’):
from French autopsie or modern Latin autopsia, from
Greek, from autoptēs ‘eyewitness’, from autos ‘self’ +
optos ‘seen’.
autopsy
noun
post-mortem, PM, necropsy.
operation |ɒpəәˈreɪʃ(əә)n|
noun1 [ mass noun ] the action of functioning or the fact of being
active or in effect: restrictions on the operation of market forces | the
company's first hotel is now in operation.
• [ count noun ] an active process; a discharge of a function: the
operations of the mind.
2 an act of surgery performed on a patient. I've never felt better
since my bypass operation.
3 [ often with adj. or noun modifier ] an organized activity
involving a number of people: a rescue operation.
• a business organization; a company: he reopened his operation
under a different name.
• an activity in which a business is involved: the company is selling
most of its commercial banking operations.
4 Mathematics a process in which a number, quantity,
expression, etc., is altered or manipulated according to set
formal rules, such as those of addition, multiplication, and
differentiation.
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
operatio(n-), from the verb operari ‘expend labour on’ (see
operate) .
operationnoun
1 the slide bars are machined to ensure smooth operation: functioning,
working, running, performance, action, behaviour.
2 those responsible for the operation of the factory: management,
running, direction, control, governing, administration,
supervision.
3 legislation to curtail the operation of the closed shop: effect, force,
potency, power, effectiveness.
4 a heart bypass operation: surgery, surgical operation, surgical
intervention, major surgery, minor surgery.
5 a carefully planned military operation: action, activity, exercise,
affair, business, undertaking, step, enterprise, task, job, process,
procedure, manoeuvre, campaign.
6 the company's South American mining operation: business,
enterprise, company, firm, organization, concern; informal
outfit, set-up.
PHRASES
in operation only the starboard engine was in operation: functioning,
working, running, up and running, operative, in use, in action,
going; operational, workable, serviceable, functional, usable, in
working order/condition, viable; in force, effective, in effect,
valid.amputate |ˈampjʊteɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
cut off (a limb) by surgical operation: surgeons had to amputate her
left hand.
DERIVATIVES
amputation |-ˈteɪʃ(əә)n| noun,
amputator noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin amputat- ‘lopped off’,
from amputare, from am- (for amb- ‘about’) + putare ‘to
prune’.
become |bɪˈkʌm|
verb (becomes, becoming; pastbecame |bɪˈkeɪm| ; past
participlebecome)
1 [ no obj., with complement ] begin to be: she became angry and
sulked all day | it is becoming clear that we are in a new situation.
• grow to be; develop into: the child will become an adult.
• (of a person) qualify or be accepted as: she wanted to become a
doctor.
• (become of) (in questions) happen to: what would become of her
now?2 [ with obj. ] (of clothing) look good on or suit (someone):
mourning regalia became her.
• be appropriate to (someone): minor celebrity status did not become
Potter.
ORIGIN Old English becuman‘come to a place, come (to be or
do something)’ (see be-,come), of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch bekomen and German bekommen ‘get, receive’.
become
verb
1 she became rich: come to be, get to be, turn out to be, grow, get,
turn; literary wax.
2 he became Foreign Secretary: be appointed as, be assigned as, be
nominated, be elected as, be made; be transformed into, be
converted into, change into, turn into, transform into.
3 the dress becomes her: suit, flatter, look good on, look right on; set
off, show to advantage, enhance, go well with; embellish,
ornament, grace; informal do something for.
4 it ill becomes him to preach the gospel: befit, behove, suit, be
suitable to, be fitting to.
PHRASESbecome of I asked Harry what had become of the old gang: happen
to, be the fate of, be the lot of, overtake, be visited on; literary
befall, betide.
flowing |ˈfləәʊɪŋ|
adjective
(especially of long hair or clothing) hanging or draping loosely
and gracefully: a long flowing gown of lavender silk.
• (of a line or contour) smoothly continuous: the flowing curves of
the lawn.
• graceful and fluent: a flowing prose style.
DERIVATIVES
flowingly adverb
flow |fləәʊ|
verb [ no obj. ]
1 (of a liquid, gas, or electricity) move steadily and
continuously in a current or stream: from here the river flows north
| ventilation channels keep the air flowing.
• (of the sea or a tidal river) move towards the land; rise.
Compare with ebb.2 [ with adverbial of direction ] go from one place to another
in a steady stream, typically in large numbers: people flowed
into the huge courtyard.
• proceed or be produced continuously and effortlessly: talk
flowed freely around the table.
• (of clothing or hair) hang loosely in an easy and graceful
manner: her red hair flowed over her shoulders.
• be available in copious quantities: their talk and laughter grew
louder as the excellent brandy flowed.
• (flow from) be caused by: there are certain advantages that may
flow from that decision.
3 (of a solid) undergo a permanent change of shape under
stress, without melting.
noun
1 [ in sing. ] the action or fact of moving along in a steady,
continuous stream: the flow of water into the pond.
• the rate or speed at which something flows: under the ford the
river backs up, giving a deep sluggish flow.
• the rise of a tide or a river. Compare with ebb.
2 a steady, continuous stream or supply of something: a constant
flow of people | the flow of words was interrupted by painful sobs.
3 Scottisha watery swamp; a morass.4 the gradual permanent deformation of a solid under stress,
without melting.
PHRASES
go with the flow informal be relaxed and accept a situation,
rather than trying to alter or control it.
in full flow talking fluently and showing no sign of stopping. •
performing vigorously and enthusiastically.
ORIGIN Old English flōwan, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch vloeien, also to flood.
flowing
adjective
1 she pushed back her long flowing hair: loose, hanging loose/free,
unconfined; limp, flaccid, floppy. ANTONYMS stiff; curly.
2 the new model will have soft, flowing lines and no hard edges: sleek,
streamlined, trim, aerodynamic, smooth, clean, uncluttered,
unfussy; elegant, graceful; technical faired. ANTONYMS
jagged.
3 he writes in an easy, flowing style: fluent, fluid, free-flowing,
effortless, easy, natural, smooth, unbroken, uninterrupted,
continuous, graceful, elegant. ANTONYMS stilted; halting.
flowverb
1 the water flowed down the channel she had dug: run, move, go along,
course, pass, proceed, glide, slide, drift, circulate, trickle,
dribble, drizzle, spill, gurgle, babble, ripple; stream, swirl,
surge, sweep, gush, cascade, pour, roll, rush, whirl, well, spurt,
spout, squirt, spew, jet; leak, seep, ooze, percolate, drip.
2 many questions flow from today's announcement: result, proceed,
arise, follow, ensue, derive, stem, accrue; originate, emanate,
spring, emerge; be caused by, be brought about by, be
produced by, originate in.
noun
the pump produces a good flow of water: movement, motion, course,
passage, current, flux, drift, circulation; stream, swirl, surge,
sweep, gush, roll, rush, welling, spate, tide, spurt, squirt, jet,
outpouring, outflow; trickle, leak, seepage, ooze, percolation,
drip.
WORD LINKS
rheo- related prefix, as in rheostat, rheology
-rrhoea related suffix, as in diarrhoea, logorrhoea
-rrhagia related suffix, as in menorrhagiaWord Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
stream |striːm|
noun
1 a small, narrow river. a perfect trout stream.
2 a continuous flow of liquid, air, or gas: Frank blew out a
stream of smoke | the blood gushed out in scarlet streams.
• a mass of people or things moving continuously in the same
direction: there is a steady stream of visitors.
• a large number of things that happen or come one after the
other: a woman screamed a stream of abuse.
3 Computing a continuous flow of data or instructions,
typically one having a constant or predictable rate.
• a continuous flow of video and audio material relayed over
the Internet.
4 Brit.a group in which schoolchildren of the same age and
ability are taught: children in the top streams.
verb1 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of liquid, air, gas, etc.)
run or flow in a continuous current in a specified direction: she
sat with tears streaming down her face | sunlight streamed
through the windows.
• (of a mass of people or things) move in a continuous flow in a
specified direction: he was watching the taxis streaming past.
• [ no obj. ] run with tears, sweat, or other liquid: my eyes were
streaming | I woke up in the night, streaming with sweat | [ with
obj. ] : his mouth was streaming blood.
• [ no obj. ] (of hair, clothing, etc.) float or wave at full extent in
the wind: her black cloak streamed behind her.
2 [ with obj. ] (often as noun streaming) Computing relay
(data, especially video and audio material) over the Internet as
a steady, continuous flow.
3 [ with obj. ] Brit.put (schoolchildren) in groups of the same
age and ability to be taught together: (as nounstreaming) :
streaming within comprehensive schools is common practice.
PHRASES
against (or with) the stream against (or with) the prevailing
view or tendency: a world in which the demand for quality does not run
against the stream.on stream in or into operation or existence; available: more
jobs are coming on stream.
DERIVATIVES
streamlet noun
ORIGIN Old English strēam (noun), of Germanic origin;
related to Dutch stroom,German Strom, from an Indo-
European root shared by Greek rhein ‘to flow’.
stream
noun
1 a mountain stream: brook, rivulet, rill, runnel, streamlet, freshet;
river, watercourse; tributary; Brit. winterbourne; Scottish & N.
English burn; N. English beck; S. English bourn; N. Amer. &
Austral./NZ creek; Austral. billabong, anabranch; technical
influent, confluent; rare rillet, brooklet, runlet.
2 he was scalded by a stream of boiling water: jet, flow, rush, gush,
surge, spurt, spout, torrent, flood, cascade, fountain,
outpouring, outflux, outflow, effusion; current; technical efflux.
3 a steady stream of visitors | a stream of questions: succession, series,
string, chain; barrage, volley, battery; flood, avalanche, torrent,
tide, spate. ANTONYMS trickle.
verb1 tears were streaming down her face | rain streamed off the roof: flow,
pour, course, run, gush, surge, spurt, flood, cascade, sluice;
slide, spill, slip, glide, trickle; well.
2 children streamed out of the classrooms: pour, surge, flood, swarm,
pile, crowd, throng.
3 a flag streamed from the mast: flutter, float, flap, fly, blow, waft;
wave, swing, undulate, ripple. ANTONYMS dangle.
only |ˈəәʊnli|
adverb
1 and no one or nothing more besides; solely: there are only a
limited number of tickets available | only their faith sustained them.
• no more than (implying that more was expected); merely:
deaths from heart disease have only declined by 10 per cent | she was still
only in her mid thirties.
2 no longer ago than: genes that were discovered only last year.
• not until: a final report reached him only on January 15.
3 [ with infinitive ] with the negative or unfortunate result that:
she turned into the car park, only to find her way blocked.
• [ with modal ] in an inevitable but undesirable way: rebellion
will only bring more unhappiness.
adjective [ attrib. ]alone of its or their kind; single or solitary: the only medal we had
ever won | he was an only child.
• alone deserving consideration: it's simply the only place to be seen
these days.
conjunction informal
except that; but: he is still a young man, only he seems older because of
his careworn expression | the place was like school, only better.
PHRASES
only just by a very small margin; almost not: the building
survived the earthquake, but only just. • very recently. I'd only just
arrived back from Paris.
only too —— used to emphasize that something is the case to
an extreme or regrettable extent: you should be only too glad to be
rid of him.
ORIGIN Old English ānlic (adjective) (see one,-ly 1 ) .
usage: The traditional view is that the adverb only should be
placed next to the word or words whose meaning it restricts: I
have seen him only once rather than I have only seen him once.
The argument for this, a topic which has occupied
grammarians for more than 200 years, is that if only is not
placed correctly the scope or emphasis is wrong, and could
even result in ambiguity. But in normal, everyday English, theimpulse is to state only as early as possible in the sentence,
generally just before the verb. The result is, in fact, hardly ever
ambiguous: few native speakers would be confused by the
sentence I have only seen him once, and the supposed ‘logical’
sense often emerges only with further clarification, as in I've
only seen him once, but I've heard him many times.
only
adverb
1 there was only enough for two: at most, at best, (only) just, no/not
more than, as little as; no longer ago than, not until; barely,
scarcely, hardly, narrowly, by a hair's breadth, by the skin of
one's teeth.
2 he only works on one picture at a time: exclusively, solely, entirely,
uniquely, wholly, to the exclusion of everything else.
3 you're only saying that: merely, simply, just, purely.
adjective
he is their only son: sole, single, one (and only), solitary, lone,
unique, only possible, individual, exclusive.
there |ðɛː, ðəә|
adverb1 in, at, or to that place or position: we went to Paris and stayed
there ten days | [ with infinitive ] : at the end of the day we are there to
make money | [ after prep. ] : I'm not going in there—it's freezing.
• used when gesturing to indicate the place intended: there on the
right.
• at that point (in speech, performance, writing, etc.): ‘I'm quite
—.’ There she stopped.
• in that respect; on that issue: I don't agree with you there.
2 used in attracting someone's attention or calling attention to
someone or something: hello there! | there goes the phone.
3 (usu. there is/are) used to indicate the fact or existence of
something: there's a restaurant round the corner | there comes a point
where you give up.
exclamation
1 used to focus attention on something: there, I told you she
wouldn't mind!
2 used to comfort someone: there, there, you must take all of this
philosophically.
PHRASES
been there, done that informal used to express past
experience of or overfamiliarity with something. I've been there,
done that, got the video and the T-shirt.be there for someone be available to provide support or
comfort for someone. this person was there for me when I was going
through hell.
have been there before informal know all about a situation
from experience. here are some helpful tips from mothers who've been
there before.
here and there see here.
so there informal used to express one's defiance: you can't share,
so there!
there and then immediately. he agreed to it there and then.
there goes —— used to express the destruction or failure of
something: there goes my career.
there it is that is the situation: pretty ridiculous, I know, but there it
is.
there or thereabouts in or very near a particular place or
position. • approximately. forty years, there or thereabouts, had elapsed.
there you are (or go) informal 1 this is what you wanted: there
you are—that'll be £3.80 please. 2 used to express confirmation,
triumph, or resignation: there you are! I told you the problem was a
political one | sometimes it is embarrassing, but there you go.
there you go again used to criticize someone for behaving in
a way that is typical of them.there you have it used to draw attention to a fact or to
emphasize the simplicity of a process or action: simply turn the
handle three times and there you have it.
ORIGIN Old English thǣr, thēr of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch daar and German da, also to that and the.
society |səәˈsʌɪɪti|
noun (pl.societies)
1 [ mass noun ] the aggregate of people living together in a
more or less ordered community: drugs, crime, and other dangers to
society.
• the community of people living in a particular country or
region and having shared customs, laws, and organizations: the
ethnic diversity of British society | [ count noun ] : modern industrial
societies.
• [ with adj. ] a specified section of society: no one in polite society
uttered the word.
• (also high society)the aggregate of people who are
fashionable, wealthy, and influential, regarded as forming a
distinct group in a community: [ as modifier ] : a society wedding.
• [ count noun ] a plant or animal community. the analogy
between insect society and human city is not new.2 an organization or club formed for a particular purpose or
activity: [ in names ] : the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
3 [ mass noun ] the situation of being in the company of other
people: she shunned the society of others.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘companionship, friendly
association with others’): from French société, from Latin
societas, from socius ‘companion’.
culture |ˈkʌltʃəә|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual
achievement regarded collectively: 20th century popular culture.
• a refined understanding or appreciation of culture: men of
culture.
2 the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular
people or society: Afro-Caribbean culture | [ count noun ] : people
from many different cultures.
• [ with modifier ] the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of
a particular social group: the emerging drug culture.3 Biology the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an
artificial medium containing nutrients: the cells proliferate readily in
culture.
• [ count noun ] a preparation of cells obtained by culture: the
bacterium was isolated in two blood cultures.
4 the cultivation of plants: this variety of lettuce is popular for its ease
of culture.
verb [ with obj. ] Biology
maintain (tissue cells, bacteria, etc.) in conditions suitable for
growth. several investigators have attempted to culture biliary cells.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting a cultivated piece of land):
the noun from French culture or directly from Latin cultura
‘growing, cultivation’; the verb from obsolete French
culturer or medieval Latin culturare, both based on Latin
colere ‘tend, cultivate’ (see cultivate). In late Middle
English the sense was ‘cultivation of the soil’ and from this
(early 16th cent.), arose ‘cultivation (of the mind, faculties, or
manners’); sense 1 of the noun dates from the early 19th
cent.culture
noun
1 20th century popular culture: the arts, the humanities; intellectual
achievement(s), intellectual activity; literature, music, painting,
philosophy.
2 a man of culture: intellectual/artistic awareness, education,
cultivation, enlightenment, discernment, discrimination, good
taste, taste, refinement, polish; sophistication, urbanity,
urbaneness; erudition, learning, letters; Frenchbelles-lettres.
3 people from many different cultures | Afro-Caribbean culture:
civilization, society, way of life, lifestyle; customs, traditions,
heritage, habits, ways, mores, values.
4 the culture of crops: cultivation, growing, farming; agriculture,
husbandry, agronomy.
come |kʌm|
verb (pastcame |keɪm| ; past participlecome)
1 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of direction ] move or travel
towards or into a place thought of as near or familiar to the
speaker: Jess came into the kitchen | they came here as immigrants | he
came rushing out.• arrive at a specified place: we walked along till we came to a
stream | it was very late when she came back | my trunk hasn't come
yet.
• (of a thing) reach or extend to a specified point: women in slim
dresses that came all the way to their shoes | the path comes straight down.
• (be coming) approach: someone was coming | she heard the train
coming.
• travel in order to be with a specified person, to do a specified
thing, or to be present at an event: the police came | come and
live with me | [ with infinitive ] : the electrician came to mend the
cooker | figurative : we have come a long way since Aristotle.
• [ with present participle ] join someone in participating in a
specified activity or course of action: do you want to come fishing
tomorrow?
• (come along/on) make progress; develop: he's coming along
nicely | she asked them how their garden was coming on.
• (in imperative also come, come!) said to someone when
correcting or reassuring someone: Come, come, child, don't thank
me.
2 [ no obj. ] occur; happen; take place: twilight had not yet come |
his father waited for a phone call that never came | a chance like this
doesn't come along every day.• be heard, perceived, or experienced: a voice came from the kitchen
| it came as a great shock.
• [ with adverbial ] (of a quality) become apparent or
noticeable through actions or performance: as an actor your style
and personality must come through.
• (come acrossor Brit.overor USoff) (of a person) appear or
sound in a specified way; give a specified impression: he'd always
come across as a decent sort.
• (of a thought or memory) enter one's mind: the basic idea
came to me while reading an article | a passage from a novel came
back to Adam.
3 [ no obj., with complement ] take or occupy a specified
position in space, order, or priority: prisons come well down the list
of priorities | I make sure my kids come first.
• achieve a specified place in a race or contest: she came second
among sixty contestants.
4 [ no obj., with complement ] pass into a specified state,
especially one of separation or disunion: his shirt had come
undone.
• (come to/into) reach or be brought to a specified situation
or result: you will come to no harm | staff who come into contact with
the public | the vehicle came to rest against a traffic signal.• [ with infinitive ] eventually reach a certain condition or state
of mind: he had come to realize she was no puppet.
5 [ no obj., with adverbial ] be sold, available, or found in a
specified form: the cars come with a variety of extras | the shirts
come in three sizes.
6 [ no obj. ] informal have an orgasm.
preposition informal
when a specified time is reached or event happens: I don't think
that they'll be far away from honours come the new season.
noun [ mass noun ] informal
semen ejaculated at an orgasm.
PHRASES
as —— as they come used to describe someone or
something that is a supreme example of the quality specified:
Smith is as tough as they come.
come again? informal used to ask someone to repeat or
explain something they have said. ‘It's a bit like Sherlock Holmes's
dog.’ ‘Come again?’. Madge looked blankly at her. ‘Come again?’.
come and go arrive and then depart again; move around
freely. he continued to come and go as he pleased. • exist or be present
for a limited time; be transitory: kings and queens may come and go,
but the Crown goes on forever.come from behind win after lagging.
come off it [ in imperative ] informal said when vigorously
expressing disbelief. ‘Come off it, he'll know that's a lie.’.
come right informal have a good outcome; end well. don't
worry—I'm sure it'll come right.
come the —— informal play the part of; behave like: don't
come the innocent with me.
come to nothing have no significant or successful result in
the end. he is convinced talk of a leadership challenge will come to
nothing.
come to pass chiefly literary happen; occur: it came to pass
that she had two sons.
come to that (or if it comes to that)Brit. informal in fact
(said to introduce an additional point): there isn't a clock on the
mantelpiece—come to that, there isn't a mantelpiece!
come to think of it on reflection (said when an idea or point
occurs to one while one is speaking). come to think of it, that was
very daring of you.
come what may no matter what happens. a woman was
supposed to stand by her man all the time, come what may.have it coming (to one) informal be due for retribution on
account of something bad that one has done: his uppity sister-in-
law had it coming to her.
how come? informal said when asking how or why something
happened or is the case: how come you never married, Jimmy?
to come (following a noun) in the future: films that would inspire
generations to come | in years to come.
where someone is coming from informal someone's
meaning, motivation, or personality. George doesn't know me, he
doesn't know where I'm coming from.
PHRASAL VERBS
come about 1 happen; take place: the relative speed with which
emancipation came about. 2 (of a ship) change direction.
come across 1 meet or find by chance: I came across these old
photos recently. 2 informal hand over or provide what is wanted:
she has come across with some details. • (of a woman) agree to
have sexual intercourse with a man.
come along [ in imperative ] said when encouraging someone
or telling them to hurry up. That's our man, Watson! Come along!
come amid (of an action or event) be accompanied by;
happen at the same time as: the cuts come amid increasing
competition in Hong Kong.come around see come round.
come at launch oneself at (someone) to attack them. he shot an
officer who came at him from behind.
come away be left with a specified feeling, impression, or
result after doing something: she came away feeling upset.
come back 1 (in sport) recover from a deficit: the Mets came
back from a 3–0 deficit. 2 reply or respond to someone,
especially vigorously: he came back at Judy with a vengeance.
come before be dealt with by (a judge or court): it is the most
controversial issue to come before the Supreme Court.
come between interfere with or disturb the relationship of
(two people): I let my stupid pride come between us.
come by 1 N. Amer.call casually and briefly as a visitor: his
friends came by | she came by the house. 2 manage to acquire or
obtain (something). the remoteness of the region makes accurate
information hard to come by.
come down 1 (of a building or other structure) collapse or be
demolished. we were lucky the bridge didn't come down. the whole
ceiling had to come down. • (of an aircraft) crash or crash-land. the
aircraft came down during an attempt to land in bad weather. 2 be
handed down by tradition or inheritance: the name has come
down from the last century. 3 reach a decision orrecommendation in favour of one side or another: advisers and
inspectors came down on our side. 4 Brit.leave a university, especially
Oxford or Cambridge, after finishing one's studies. Jarvis came
down from Cambridge with a degree in engineering. 5 informal
experience the lessening of an excited or euphoric feeling,
especially one produced by a narcotic drug. I felt like a raver who
has just come down from an ecstasy tablet.
come down on criticize or punish (someone) harshly: she came
down on me like a ton of bricks.
come down to (of a situation or outcome) be dependent on (a
specified factor): it came down to her word against Guy's.
come down with begin to suffer from (a specified illness): I
came down with influenza.
come for 1 arrive to arrest or detain (someone). the cops came for
her husband. 2 launch oneself at (someone) to attack them: he
came for me with his fists.
come forward volunteer oneself for a task or post or to give
evidence about a crime. two witnesses have come forward with
information. no one would come forward to claim the body.
come from originate in; have as its source: the word caviar comes
from Italian. • be the result of: a dignity that comes from being in
control. • have as one's place of birth or residence: I come fromSheffield. • be descended from: she comes from a family of Muslim
scholars.
come in 1 join or become involved in an enterprise: that's where
Jack comes in | I agreed to come in on the project. • have a useful
role or function: this is where grammar comes in. • [ with
complement ] prove to have a specified good quality: a car comes
in handy for day trips from the city. 2 [ with complement ] finish a
race in a specified position: the favourite came in first. 3 (of money)
be earned or received regularly. there's me and Mum to keep, and no
money coming in. 4 [ in imperative ] begin speaking or make
contact, especially in radio communication: come in, London. 5
(of a tide) rise; flow. the tide was coming in.
come in for receive or be the object of (a reaction), typically a
negative one: he has come in for a lot of criticism.
come into suddenly receive (money or property), especially by
inheriting it. he came into an inheritance.
come of result from: no good will come of it. • be descended
from: she came of Dorset stock.
come off 1 (of an action) succeed; be accomplished. this was a
bold experiment which did not come off. • fare in a specified way in a
contest: Geoffrey always came off worse in an argument. 2 become
detached or be detachable from something. a wheel came off thetractor. • fall from a horse or cycle that one is riding. the horse
reared up and Harriet came off. 3 stop taking or being addicted to
(a drug or form of medication). I think I'll come off the pill. she
works with people coming off heroin. 4 Brit. informal have an
orgasm.
come on 1 (of a state or condition) start to arrive or happen:
she felt a mild case of the sniffles coming on | [ with infinitive ] : it was
coming on to rain. 2 (also come upon)meet or find by chance. I
came on a station that was playing upbeat songs. 3 [ in imperative ]
said when encouraging someone to do something or to hurry
up or when one feels that someone is wrong or foolish: Come on!
We must hurry!
come on to informal make sexual advances towards. he was a
flirt, he came on to everyone.
come out 1 (of a fact) emerge; become known: it came out
that the accused had illegally registered to vote. • develop or happen
as a result: something good can come out of something that went
wrong. • (of a photograph) be produced satisfactorily or in a
specified way: I hope my photographs come out all right. • (of the
result of a calculation or measurement) emerge at a specified
figure: rough cider usually comes out at about eight per cent alcohol. •
(of patience or a similar card game) be played to a finish withall cards dealt with. 2 (of a book or other work) appear; be
released or published. lots of interesting books are coming out. 3
declare oneself as being for or against something: residents have
come out against the proposals. 4 [ with complement ] achieve
a specified placing in an examination or contest: he deservedly
came out the winner on points. • acquit oneself in a specified way:
surprisingly, it's Penn who comes out best. 5 (of a stain) be removed
or able to be removed. 6 Brit.go on strike. 7 informal openly
declare that one is homosexual.[from the phrase come out of the
closet (see closet ( sense 3 of the noun)).] 8 Brit. dated (of a
young upper-class woman) make one's debut in society.
come out in Brit.(of a person's skin) break out in (spots or a
similar condition). Jason came out in a hot flush.
come out with say (something) in a sudden, rude, or
incautious way. a gentleman should not come out with those remarks.
come over 1 (of a feeling or manner) begin to affect
(someone): a great weariness came over me. • [ with complement ]
informal (of a person) suddenly start to feel a specified way: they
come over all misty-eyed with nostalgia. 2 change to another side or
point of view. a former star pitcher for the Braves, he came over to the
Yankees near the end of his career.come round chiefly Brit.(chiefly US also come around) 1
recover consciousness: I'd just come round from a drunken stupor. 2
be converted to another person's opinion: I came round to her point
of view. 3 (of a date or regular occurrence) recur; be imminent
again: Friday had come round so quickly.
come through 1 succeed in surviving or dealing with (an
illness or ordeal): she's come through the operation very well. 2 (of a
message) be sent and received. a telephone call came through from
Number 10. • (of an official decree) be processed and notified. his
divorce came through.
come to 1 (also come to oneself) recover consciousness. I
came to in a corner of the room. he was struggling to come to himself. 2
(of an expense) reach in total; amount to: the bill came to
£20,000. 3 (of a ship) come to a stop.
come under 1 be classified as or among: they all come under the
general heading of opinion polls. 2 be subject to (an influence or
authority). for a time they came under the rule of the Venetian doges. •
be subjected to (pressure or aggression): his vehicle came under
mortar fire.
come up 1 (of an issue, situation, or problem) occur or
present itself, especially unexpectedly. the subject has not yet come
up. something must have come up. • (of a specified time or event)approach or draw near: she's got exams coming up. • (of a legal
case) reach the time when it is scheduled to be dealt with. 2
become brighter in a specified way as a result of being polished
or cleaned. I cleaned up the painting and it came up like new. 3
Brit.begin one's studies at a university, especially Oxford or
Cambridge.
come up against be faced with or opposed by: I'd come up
against this kind of problem before.
come up with produce (something), especially when
pressured or challenged: he keeps coming up with all kinds of lame
excuses.
come upon 1 attack (someone or something) by surprise. they
could come upon us without warning and wreak havoc. 2 see come on
( sense 2).
ORIGIN Old English cuman, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch komen and German kommen .
usage: The use of come followed by and, as in come and see
for yourself, dates back to Old English, but is seen by some as
incorrect or only suitable for informal English: for more details
see usage at and.
comeverb
1 do come and listen: move nearer, move closer, approach,
advance, near, draw nigh, draw close/closer, draw near/
nearer; proceed, make progress, make headway, forge.
ANTONYMS go away.
2 they came last night: arrive, get here/there, reach one's
destination, make it, appear, put in an appearance, make an
appearance, come on the scene, come up, approach, enter,
present oneself, turn up, be along, come along, materialize; W.
Indian reach; informal show up, show, roll in, roll up, blow in,
show one's face. ANTONYMS leave.
3 they came to a stream: reach, arrive at, meet, get to, get up to,
get as far as, make, make it to, set foot on, gain, attain; come
across, run across, run into, happen on, chance on, light on,
come upon, stumble on, blunder on, find by chance; end up at,
land up at, fetch up at; informal hit, wind up at, bump into;
archaic run against.
4 the dress comes to her ankles: extend, stretch, continue, carry
on, spread; reach, come as far as, not stop until. ANTONYMS
stop short of.
5 she comes from Belgium: be from, be a native of, have been
born in, hail from, originate in, have one's roots in, be ... (bybirth); live in, have one's home in, inhabit, be an inhabitant of,
be settled in, reside in, be a resident of.
6 the attacks came without warning: happen, occur, take place,
come about, transpire, fall, present itself, crop up, materialize,
arise, arrive, appear, surface, ensue, follow; literary come to
pass, befall, betide; archaic hap; rare eventuate.
7 the car does not come in red: be available, be made, be produced,
be for sale, be on offer.
8 informal climax, achieve orgasm, orgasm.
PHRASES
come about the change came about in 1989: happen, occur, take
place, transpire, fall, present itself, crop up, materialize, arise,
arrive, appear, surface, ensue, follow; literary come to pass,
befall, betide; archaic hap; rare eventuate.
come across 1 they came across two of his friends | I came across
some new evidence: meet/find by chance, meet up with, run into,
run across, come upon, chance on, stumble on, happen on,
light on, hit on; discover, encounter, find, unearth, uncover,
locate, bring to light; informal bump into, dig up. 2 this emotion
comes across in both books: be communicated, be perceived,
penetrate, get through, get across, be got across, be clear, be
understood, be comprehended, register, be taken in, sink in, begrasped, strike home. 3 she came across as cool and unemotional:
seem, appear, look, sound, give the impression of being, have
the appearance/air of being, strike someone as, look as though
one is, look to be; Brit. come over; N. Amer. come off. 4
informal there was always a chance that she'd come across with
some more information: hand over, give, deliver, produce, part with,
pay up; informal come up with, fork out, shell out, dish out,
cough up; N. Amer. informal make with, ante up, pony up.
come along 1 the puppies are coming along nicely: progress, make
progress, develop, shape up, make headway; come on, turn
out, take shape, go; improve, show improvement, get better,
pick up, rally, recover, mend. ANTONYMS deteriorate. 2
That's our man, Watson! Come along! hurry, hurry (it) up, be quick
(about it), get a move on, come on, look lively, speed up, move
faster; informal get moving, get cracking, step on it, step on the
gas, move it, buck up, shake a leg, make it snappy; Brit.
informal get one's skates on; Brit. informal, dated stir one's
stumps; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; Austral./NZ
informal rattle your dags; S. African informal put foot; dated
make haste. ANTONYMS dawdle.come apart if the straw is too short the bales come apart very easily:
break up, fall to bits/pieces, come to bits/pieces, disintegrate,
splinter, come unstuck, crumble, separate, split, tear, collapse,
dissolve.
come back he came back from work that evening: return, get back,
arrive back, arrive home, come home, come again.
come between nothing should come between brothers: alienate,
estrange, separate, divide, split up, break up, disunite, disaffect,
set/pit against one another, cause disagreement between, sow
dissension between, set at variance/odds. ANTONYMS unite.
come by good medical care was hard to come by: obtain, acquire,
gain, get, find, pick up, lay hold of, possess oneself of, come to
have, procure, secure, get possession of; buy, purchase; informal
land, get one's hands on, get one's mitts on, get hold of, grab,
bag, score, swing, nab, collar, cop.
come down the study comes down against kerbside collection: decide,
conclude, settle, reach a decision; choose, opt, plump.
come down on the magistrate came down on him like a ton of bricks.
See rebuke.
come down to either he gives himself up or we arrest him; it comes
down to the same thing: amount to, add up to, constitute, betantamount to, approximate to, boil down to, be equivalent to,
comprise, count as.
come down with many girls came down with minor ailments:
become ill/sick with, fall ill/sick with, be taken ill with, show
symptoms of, become infected with, get, catch, develop,
contract, take, sicken for, fall victim to, be struck down with, be
stricken with; Brit. go down with; informal take ill with; N.
Amer. informal take sick with. ANTONYMS shake off.
come forward a local trader came forward to pay the fines:
volunteer, step forward, offer one's services, make oneself
available.
come in a hen came in through the open door: enter, gain admission,
gain entrance, cross the threshold. ANTONYMS go out.
come in for he has come in for a lot of criticism: receive,
experience, sustain, undergo, meet with, encounter, face, go
through, be subjected to, be the object of, bear the brunt of,
suffer, have to put up with, have to bear, have to endure.
come into then he came into money and set up his own business:
inherit, be/become heir to, be left, be willed, be bequeathed;
Law be devised.
come off 1 when this fondue comes off it is a very fine dish indeed:
succeed, be successful, be a success, pan out, work, turn outwell, work out, go as planned, produce the desired result, get
results; informal make it, make the grade, pay off.
ANTONYMS fail. 2 Anthony always came off worse in an argument:
end up, finish up.
come on the marrows are coming on nicely: progress, make
progress, develop, shape up, make headway; come along, turn
out, take shape; improve, show improvement.
come out 1 it came out that he'd been to Rome, too: become known,
become common knowledge, become apparent, come to light,
emerge, transpire; get out, be discovered, be uncovered, be
made public, be revealed, be divulged, leak out, be disclosed,
be reported, be publicized, be released. ANTONYMS be
hushed up. 2 lots of interesting books are coming out: be published,
be issued, be released, be brought out, be produced, be
printed, appear, go on sale. 3 the garden looks really nice in the
summer when all the flowers come out: bloom, come into bloom,
flower, appear, open. ANTONYMS wither. 4 I expect it will come
out all right: end, finish, conclude, terminate, develop, result,
work out, turn out; informal pan out; rare eventuate. 5 if MPs
don't come out voluntarily, they risk being outed by a tabloid newspaper:
declare that one is homosexual, come out of the closet. 6 Brit.dated she came out in 1929: enter society, be presented, debut,
make one's debut in society.
come out with she was puzzled that he should come out with this
remark: utter, say, speak, let out, blurt out, burst out with.
come round 1 he has just come round from anaesthetic: regain
consciousness, recover consciousness, come to, come to life,
come to one's senses, recover, revive, awake, wake up.
ANTONYMS faint, go under. 2 he argued at first but came round
eventually | I came round to her point of view: be converted (to),
be won over (by), agree (with), change one's mind, be
persuaded (by), give way (to), yield (to), relent, concede, grant.
3 the same combination of number and name only comes round every 260
days: occur, take place, happen, come up, crop up, arise; recur,
happen again, reoccur, occur again, be repeated, repeat (itself);
come back (again), return; reappear, appear again. 4 do come
round for a drink: visit, call (in/round), pay a call, pay a visit, look
in, stop by, drop by/in/round/over, come over; informal pop
in/round/over.
come through his four shops came through the war intact: survive,
get through, ride out, weather, live through, pull through,
outlast, outlive; withstand, stand up to, bear up against, stand,endure, rise above, surmount, overcome, resist; informal stick
out.
come to 1 their bill came to £17.50: amount to, add up to, run
to, number, make, total, equal, be equal to, be equivalent to;
Brit. tot up to. 2 when I came to, I had a splitting headache: regain
consciousness, recover consciousness, come round, come to life,
come to one's senses, recover, revive, awake, wake up.
ANTONYMS faint, go under.
come up when the opportunity came up again we didn't hesitate: arise,
present itself, occur, happen, come about, transpire, emerge,
surface, crop up, turn up, pop up.
come up to 1 she came up to his shoulder: reach, come to, come
up as far as, be as tall as, extend to, stretch to. 2 Christmas never
really came up to her expectations: measure up to, match up to, live
up to, reach, satisfy, fulfil, achieve, meet, equal, be equal to, be
on a level with, compare with, admit of comparison, bear
comparison with; be good enough, fit/fill the bill; informal
hold a candle to, make the grade. ANTONYMS exceed; fall
short of.
come up with I needed to come up with a solution: produce, devise,
propose, put forward, present, think up, submit, suggest,
recommend, advocate, advance, move, introduce, bringforward, put on the table, put up, offer, proffer, tender, adduce,
moot.
express 1 |ɪkˈsprɛs, ɛk-|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 convey (a thought or feeling) in words or by gestures and
conduct: he expressed complete satisfaction.
• (express oneself) say what one thinks or means: with a
diplomatic smile, she expressed herself more subtly.
• Mathematics represent (a number, relation, or property) by a
figure, symbol, or formula: constants can be expressed in terms
of the Fourier transform.
2 press out (liquid or air). she must withdraw to express her milk in
private.
3 Genetics cause (an inherited characteristic or gene) to
appear in a phenotype: the genes are expressed in a variety of cell
lines.
DERIVATIVES
expresser noun,
expressible adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense ‘press out,
obtain by squeezing’, used figuratively to mean ‘extort’): fromOld French expresser, based on Latin ex- ‘out’ + pressare
‘to press’.
express 2 |ɪkˈsprɛs, ɛk-|
adjective
operating at high speed, in particular:
• (of a train or other form of public transport) making few
intermediate stops and reaching its destination quickly: an
express train bound for Innsbruck | an express bus service. an express
elevator.
• denoting a service in which letters or packages are delivered
by a special service to ensure speed or security: an express letter.
an express airmail service.
adverb
by express train or delivery service: I got my wife to send my gloves
express to the hotel.
noun
1 (also express train)a train that stops at few stations and
travels quickly. we embarked for the south of France on an overnight
express.
2 a special delivery service: the books arrived by express.
3 an express rifle.
verb [ with obj. ]send by express messenger or delivery: I expressed my clothes to my
destination.
ORIGIN early 18th cent. (as a verb): extension of express 3 ;
sense 1 of the noun from express train, so named because it
served a particular destination without intermediate stops,
reflecting an earlier sense of express‘done or made for a special
purpose’, later interpreted in the sense ‘rapid’. Senses relating
to express delivery date from the institution of this postal service
in 1891.
express 1
verb
1 community leaders expressed anger over the result of the referendum:
communicate, convey, indicate, show, demonstrate, reveal,
intimate, manifest, make manifest, exhibit, evidence, put
across/over, get across/over; articulate, put into words, utter,
voice, give voice to, give expression to, enunciate, pronounce,
verbalize, word, phrase, render, frame, couch; state, assert,
proclaim, profess, air, make public, give vent to, vent; say, tell,speak, mouth, point out; denote, illustrate, symbolize, signify,
embody; rare evince, asseverate.
2 the grapes are trodden until all the juice is expressed: squeeze out,
press out, wring out, force out, extract, expel.
PHRASES
express oneself he had difficulty expressing himself: communicate
one's thoughts/opinions/views, put thoughts into words, speak
one's mind, say one's piece, say what's on one's mind.
express 2
adjective
an express bus: rapid, swift, fast, quick, speedy, high-speed, brisk,
flying, prompt, expeditious; non-stop, direct, uninterrupted,
undeviating, unswerving; informal nippy. ANTONYMS slow;
indirect.
noun
we travelled on an overnight express: express train, fast train, direct
train.
express 3
adjective
1 the letter made express reference to the confidential nature of the
information: explicit, clear, direct, plain, distinct, unambiguous,
unequivocal, unmistakable, obvious; specific, precise, clear-cut,crystal clear, straightforward, certain, categorical, positive,
conclusive, pointed; well defined, exact, manifest, outright,
emphatic. ANTONYMS vague; implied.
2 they bought the land with the express purpose of giving it to the trust:
sole, specific, particular, special, especial, singular, exclusive,
specified, fixed, purposeful.
various |ˈvɛːrɪəәs|
adjective
different from one another; of different kinds or sorts: dresses of
various colours | his grievances were many and various.
• having or showing different properties or qualities: their
environments are locally various.
determiner& pronoun
more than one; individual and separate: various people arrived late
| [ as pronoun ] : various of her friends had called.
DERIVATIVES
variousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin varius ‘changing,
diverse’ + -ous.
usage: In standard English the word various is normally used
as an adjective and determiner. It is sometimes also used as apronoun followed by of, as in various of her friends had called.
Although this pronoun use is similar to that of words such as
several and many (e.g. several of her friends had called), it is
sometimes regarded as incorrect.
various
adjective
1 there are various kinds of evidence for this: diverse, different,
differing, varied, varying, a variety of, dissimilar, disparate,
assorted, mixed, sundry, miscellaneous, variegated,
heterogeneous; literary divers.
2 he needed somewhere to store the various artefacts he had collected:
numerous, many, several, copious, abundant, profuse,
countless, innumerable, large number of, multiplicity of.
tradition |trəәˈdɪʃ(əә)n|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the transmission of customs or beliefs from
generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this
way: members of different castes have by tradition been associated
with specific occupations.• [ count noun ] a long-established custom or belief that has
been passed on from one generation to another: Japan's unique
cultural traditions.
• [ in sing. ] an artistic or literary method or style established by
an artist, writer, or movement, and subsequently followed by
others: visionary works in the tradition of William Blake.
2 Theology a doctrine believed to have divine authority
though not in the scriptures, in particular:
• [ mass noun ] (in Christianity) doctrine not explicit in the
Bible but held to derive from the oral teaching of Christ and
the Apostles.
• (in Judaism) an ordinance of the oral law not in the Torah but
held to have been given by God to Moses.
• (in Islam) a saying or act ascribed to the Prophet but not
recorded in the Koran. See Hadith.
DERIVATIVES
traditionary adjective,
traditionist noun,
traditionless adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French tradicion, or
from Latin traditio(n-), from tradere ‘deliver, betray’, from
trans- ‘across’ + dare ‘give’.tradition
noun
1 the Chancellor is, by tradition, allowed to bring alcohol into the House
on Budget day: historical convention, unwritten law, oral history,
heritage; lore, folklore, old wives' tales.
2 the hunt maintains a centuries-old tradition: custom, practice,
convention, ritual, ceremony, observance, wont, routine, way,
rule, usage, habit; institution, principle, belief; formal praxis.
3 a poem in the tradition of Horace's ‘Ars Poetica’: style, movement,
method.
conduct
noun |ˈkɒndʌkt| [ mass noun ]
1 the manner in which a person behaves, especially in a
particular place or situation: they were arrested for disorderly conduct
| a code of conduct for directors of listed companies.
2 the manner in which an organization or activity is managed
or directed: the conduct of the elections.
• archaic the action of leading; guidance: travelling through the
world under the conduct of chance.
verb |kəәnˈdʌkt| [ with obj. ]1 organize and carry out: in the second trial he conducted his own
defence | surveys conducted among students.
2 [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] lead or guide
(someone) to or around a particular place: he conducted us through
his personal gallery of the Civil War | (as adj.conducted) : a
conducted tour.
3 Physics transmit (a form of energy such as heat or
electricity) by conduction: heat is conducted to the surface.
4 direct the performance of (a piece of music or an orchestra,
choir, etc.): the concert is to be conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
5 (conduct oneself) behave in a specified way: he conducted
himself with the utmost propriety.
DERIVATIVES
conductibility |kəәndʌktɪˈbɪlɪti| noun,
conductible |kəәnˈdʌktɪb(əә)l| adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, from Latin
conduct- ‘brought together’, from the verb conducere. The
term originally denoted a provision for safe passage, surviving
in safe conduct; later the verb sense ‘lead, guide’ arose, hence
‘manage’ and ‘management’(late Middle English), later
‘management of oneself, behaviour’ (mid 16th cent.). The
original form of the word was conduit, which was preservedonly in the sense ‘channel’ (see conduit); in other uses the
spelling was influenced by Latin.
conduct
noun |(stress on the first syllable)|
1 townspeople regularly complained about students' conduct: behaviour,
way of behaving, performance, comportment, demeanour,
bearing, deportment; actions, acts, activities, deeds, doings,
handiwork, exploits, ways, habits, practices, manners.
2 the conduct of the elections: management, managing, running,
direction, control, controlling, overseeing, supervision,
regulation, leadership, masterminding, administration,
organization, coordination, orchestration, handling, guidance,
carrying out, carrying on; formal prosecution.
verb |(stress on the second syllable)|
1 the election was conducted according to new electoral law: manage,
direct, run, be in control of, control, oversee, supervise, be in
charge of, preside over, regulate, mastermind, administer,
organize, coordinate, orchestrate, handle, guide, govern, lead,
carry out, carry on.2 Lucien was conducted through a maze of corridors: escort, guide,
lead, usher, pilot, accompany, show, show someone the way;
shepherd, herd, drive, convoy; see, bring, take, help, assist.
3 aluminium, being a metal, readily conducts heat: transmit, convey,
carry, transfer, pass on, hand on, communicate, impart,
channel, bear, relay, dispatch, mediate; disseminate, spread,
circulate, diffuse, radiate.
PHRASES
conduct oneself I am proud of the way they conducted themselves:
behave, perform, act, acquit oneself, bear oneself, carry oneself;
rare comport oneself, deport oneself.
civilization |ˌsɪvɪlʌɪˈzeɪʃ(əә)n| (also civilisation)
noun [ mass noun ]
the stage of human social development and organization
which is considered most advanced: the Victorians equated the
railways with progress and civilization.
• the process by which a society or place reaches an advanced
stage of social development and organization.• the society, culture, and way of life of a particular area: the
great books of Western civilization | [ count noun ] : the early
civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
• the comfort and convenience of modern life, regarded as
available only in towns and cities: in the UK nowhere is very far
from civilization.
civilization
noun
1 a higher stage of civilization: human development, advancement,
progress, enlightenment, edification, culture, cultivation,
refinement, sophistication.
2 the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean: culture, customs,
mores, way of life, attainments, achievements; society, nation,
people, community.
culture |ˈkʌltʃəә|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual
achievement regarded collectively: 20th century popular culture.• a refined understanding or appreciation of culture: men of
culture.
2 the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular
people or society: Afro-Caribbean culture | [ count noun ] : people
from many different cultures.
• [ with modifier ] the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of
a particular social group: the emerging drug culture.
3 Biology the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an
artificial medium containing nutrients: the cells proliferate readily in
culture.
• [ count noun ] a preparation of cells obtained by culture: the
bacterium was isolated in two blood cultures.
4 the cultivation of plants: this variety of lettuce is popular for its ease
of culture.
verb [ with obj. ] Biology
maintain (tissue cells, bacteria, etc.) in conditions suitable for
growth. several investigators have attempted to culture biliary cells.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting a cultivated piece of land):
the noun from French culture or directly from Latin cultura
‘growing, cultivation’; the verb from obsolete French
culturer or medieval Latin culturare, both based on Latin
colere ‘tend, cultivate’ (see cultivate). In late MiddleEnglish the sense was ‘cultivation of the soil’ and from this
(early 16th cent.), arose ‘cultivation (of the mind, faculties, or
manners’); sense 1 of the noun dates from the early 19th
cent.
culture
noun
1 20th century popular culture: the arts, the humanities; intellectual
achievement(s), intellectual activity; literature, music, painting,
philosophy.
2 a man of culture: intellectual/artistic awareness, education,
cultivation, enlightenment, discernment, discrimination, good
taste, taste, refinement, polish; sophistication, urbanity,
urbaneness; erudition, learning, letters; Frenchbelles-lettres.
3 people from many different cultures | Afro-Caribbean culture:
civilization, society, way of life, lifestyle; customs, traditions,
heritage, habits, ways, mores, values.
4 the culture of crops: cultivation, growing, farming; agriculture,
husbandry, agronomy.
idea |ʌɪˈdɪəә|
noun1 a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action:
recently, the idea of linking pay to performance has caught on | it's a good
idea to do some research before you go.
• [ in sing. ] a mental impression: our menu list will give you some
idea of how interesting a low-fat diet can be.
• an opinion or belief: nineteenth-century ideas about drinking.
2 (the idea) the aim or purpose: I took a job with the idea of
getting some money together.
3 Philosophy (in Platonic thought) an eternally existing pattern
of which individual things in any class are imperfect copies.
• (in Kantian thought) a concept of pure reason, not
empirically based in experience.
PHRASES
get (or give someone) ideas informal become (or make
someone) ambitious, conceited, or tempted to do something: I
don't want you getting any ideas about me just because we're thrown
together like this.
have (got) no idea informal not know at all: she had no idea
where she was going.
not someone's idea of informal not what someone regards
as typical of: it's not my idea of a happy ending.put ideas into someone's head suggest aspirations that a
person would not otherwise have had.
that's an idea informal that suggestion or proposal is worth
considering.
that's the idea informal used to confirm that someone has
understood something or they are doing something correctly:
‘A sort of bodyguard?’ ‘That's the idea.’.
the very idea! informal an exclamation of disapproval or
disagreement.
ORIGIN late Middle English (in sense 3): via Latin from
Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’.
idea
noun
1 the idea of death scares her: concept, notion, conception,
conceptualization, thought, image, mental picture,
visualization, abstraction, perception; hypothesis, postulation.
2 our idea is to open a new shop: plan, design, scheme, project,
proposal, proposition, suggestion, recommendation, aim,
intention, objective, object, purpose, end, goal, target.3 Elizabeth had other ideas on the subject: thought, theory, view,
viewpoint, opinion, feeling, outlook, belief, judgement,
conclusion.
4 you had an idea that it might happen? sense, feeling, suspicion,
fancy, inkling, hunch, understanding, theory, hypothesis, thesis,
interpretation, assumption, presumption, supposition, surmise,
postulation, conclusion, deduction, inference, notion,
impression.
5 the idea of the letter was to get patients to protest: purpose, point,
aim, object, objective, goal, intention, end, end in view, design,
reason, use, utility, sense, motive; value, advantage.
6 could you give me some idea of the cost? estimate, estimation, guess,
approximation, conjecture, rough calculation, rough idea,
surmise; guesswork; informal guesstimate; N. Amer. informal a
ballpark figure.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
idea, concept, notion
■ Idea has the widest range of these words, with uses
dividing roughly into ways of understanding something
and plans or intentions. An idea may be a belief or
opinion, in particular someone's impression of what
something is like (most people form their idea of realityfrom experience). This often merges into feelings about
what something ideally should be (a cookery course
wasn't her idea of fun). An idea can also be a thought or
suggestion about something that should be done,
typically one arrived at as a possible solution to a
problem, and this sense extends to that of a plan, hope,
or intention (it might be a good idea to get more rest |
the idea is to reduce costs).
■ A concept is an understanding of what something is,
usually quite a broad subject; it is more fully and
consciously worked out than an idea (his theories rest on
his concept of consciousness | modern concepts of
democracy).
■ Notion may refer either to beliefs about matters of fact
or to ideas and wishes about things to do (the notion
that public bodies should be representative). A notion is
generally vaguer or more tentatively held than an idea,
and there may be a suggestion, not present in the other
two words, that the beliefs in question are mistaken or
absurd (the misguided notion that the policy wouldremove the problem of homelessness | he rejects any
notion of de-skilling).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
philosophy |fɪˈlɒsəәfi|
noun (pl.philosophies)
1 [ mass noun ] the study of the fundamental nature of
knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as
an academic discipline. See also natural philosophy.
• [ count noun ] a particular system of philosophical thought:
the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.
• the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of
knowledge or experience: the philosophy of science.
2 a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for
behaviour: don't expect anything and you won't be disappointed, that's
my philosophy.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French philosophie, via
Latin from Greek philosophia ‘love of wisdom’.
at 1 |at, əәt|preposition
1 expressing location or arrival in a particular place or
position: they live at Conway House | they stopped at a small trattoria.
• used in speech to indicate the sign @ in email addresses,
separating the address holder's name from their location.
2 expressing the time when an event takes place: the children go to
bed at nine o'clock | his death came at a time when the movement was
split.
• (followed by a noun without a determiner) denoting a
particular period of time: the sea is cooler at night.
• (followed by a noun without a determiner) denoting the time
spent by someone attending an educational institution or
workplace: it was at university that he first began to perform.
3 denoting a particular point or level on a scale: prices start at
£18,500 | driving at 50 mph.
• referring to someone's age: at fourteen he began to work as a
postman.
4 expressing a particular state or condition: his ready smile put her
at ease | they were at a disadvantage.
• expressing a relationship between an individual and a skill:
boxing was the only sport I was any good at | she was getting much better
at hiding her reactions.5 expressing the object of a look, thought, action, or plan: I
looked at my watch | Leslie pointed at him | policies aimed at reducing
taxation.
• expressing the target of a shot from a weapon: they tore down
the main street, firing at anyone in sight.
• expressing an incomplete or attempted action, typically
involving repeated movements: she clutched at the thin gown | he hit
at her face with the gun.
6 expressing the means by which something is done: holding a
prison officer at knifepoint | figurative : her pride had taken a beating at
his hands.
PHRASES
at all see all.
at first see first.
at it engaged in some activity, typically a reprehensible one: the
council is at it again, wanting to turn another green patch into a carpark.
at last see last 1 .
at least see least.
at most see most.
at once see once.
at that in addition; furthermore: it was not fog but smoke, and very
thick at that.where it's at informal the focus of fashion or style: building
your own palace is where it's at.
where someone is at informal someone's true or
fundamental nature or character: I think we've got enough
information to have an idea of where he's at.
ORIGIN Old English æt, of Germanic origin; related to Old
Frisian et and Old Norse at, from an Indo-European root
shared by Latin ad ‘to’.
at 2 |ɑːt, at|
noun
a monetary unit of Laos, equal to one hundredth of a kip.
ORIGIN Thai.
at- |at, əәt|
prefix
variant spelling of ad- assimilated before t (as in attend,
attenuate).
At
symbol
the chemical element astatine.
astatine |ˈastəәtiːn|
noun [ mass noun ]the chemical element of atomic number 85, a radioactive
member of the halogen group. Astatine was first produced by
bombarding bismuth with alpha particles, and it occurs in
traces in nature as a decay product.(Symbol: At)
ORIGIN 1940s: from Greek astatos ‘unstable’ + -ine 4 .
what |wɒt|
pronoun
1 [ interrogative pronoun ] asking for information specifying
something: what is your name? | I'm not sure what you mean.
• asking for repetition of something not heard or confirmation
of something not understood: what? I can't hear you | you did
what?
2 [ relative pronoun ] the thing or things that (used in
specifying something): what we need is a commitment.
• (referring to the whole of an amount) whatever: I want to do
what I can to make a difference.
3 (in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or
remarkable: what some people do for a crust!
determiner
1 [ interrogative determiner ] asking for information specifying
something: what time is it? | do you know what excuse he gave?2 [ relative determiner ] (referring to the whole of an amount)
whatever: he had been robbed of what little money he had.
3 (in exclamations) how great or remarkable: [ as determiner ] :
what luck! | [ as predeterminer ] : what a fool she was.
interrogativeadverb
1 to what extent?: what does it matter?
2 used to indicate an estimate or approximation: see you, what,
about four?
3 informal, dated used for emphasis or to invite agreement:
pretty poor show, what?
PHRASES
and (or or) what have you informal and/or anything else
similar: all these home-made sweets and cakes and what have you.
and what not informal and other similar things.
what about ——? 1 used when asking for information or an
opinion on something: what about the practical angle? 2 used to
make a suggestion: what about a walk?
what-d'you-call-it (or what's-its-name) informal used as a
substitute for a name not recalled.
what for? informal for what reason?what if ——? 1 what would result if ——?: what if nobody
shows up? 2 what does it matter if ——?: what if our house is a
mess? I'm clean.
what is more and as an additional point; moreover.
what next see next.
what of ——? what is the news concerning ——?
what of it? why should that be considered significant?
what's-his (or -its) -name another term for what-d'you-
call-it .
what say —— ? used to make a suggestion: what say we call a
tea break?
what's what informal what is useful or important: I'll teach her
what's what.
what with because of (used typically to introduce several
causes of something): what with the drought and the neglect, the garden
is in a sad condition.
ORIGIN Old English hwæt, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch wat and German was, from an Indo-European root
shared by Latin quod .
when |wɛn|
interrogativeadverbat what time: when did you last see him? | [ with prep. ] : since when
have you been interested?
• how soon: when can I see you?
• in what circumstances: when would such a rule be justifiable?
relativeadverb
at or on which (referring to a time or circumstance): Saturday is
the day when I get my hair done.
conjunction
1 at or during the time that: I loved maths when I was at school.
• after: call me when you've finished.
• at any time that; whenever: can you spare five minutes when it's
convenient?
2 after which; and just then (implying suddenness): he had just
drifted off to sleep when the phone rang.
3 in view of the fact that; considering that: why bother to paint it
when you can photograph it with the same effect?
4 although; whereas: I'm saying it now when I should have told you
long ago.
ORIGIN Old English hwanne, hwenne; of Germanic origin;
related to German wenn ‘if’, wann ‘when’.as- |as, əәs|
prefix
variant spelling of ad- assimilated before s (as in assemble,
assess).
A 1 |eɪ| (also a)
noun (pl.As or A's)
1 the first letter of the alphabet.
• denoting the first in a set of items, categories, sizes, etc.
• denoting the first of two or more hypothetical people or
things: suppose A had killed B.
• the highest class of academic mark. a dazzling array of straight
A's.
• (in the UK) denoting the most important category of road,
other than a motorway: the A34 | busy A-roads.
• denoting the highest-earning socio-economic category for
marketing purposes, including top management and senior
professional personnel.
• (a)Chess denoting the first file from the left, as viewed from
White's side of the board.
• (usu. a)the first constant to appear in an algebraic expression.
• Geology denoting the uppermost soil horizon, especially the
topsoil.• the human blood type (in the ABO system) containing the A
antigen and lacking the B.
• (with numeral) denoting a series of international standard
paper sizes each twice the area of the next, as A0, A1, A2, A3,
A4, etc., A4 being 210 × 297 mm.
2 a shape like that of a capital A: [ in combination ] : an A-
shape.
3 Music the sixth note of the diatonic scale of C major. The A
above middle C is usually used as the basis for tuning and in
modern music has a standard frequency of 440 Hz.
• a key based on a scale with A as its keynote.
PHRASES
from A to B from one's starting point to one's destination: most
road atlases will get you from A to B.
from A to Z over the entire range; completely. make sure you
understand the subject from A to Z.
plan A one's original plan or strategy: plan A having gone horribly
wrong, Ferguson used the interval to change his formation. Compare
with plan B.
as 1 |az, əәz|
adverbused in comparisons to refer to the extent or degree of
something: go as fast as you can | it tasted like grape juice but not as
sweet.
• used to emphasize an amount: as many as twenty-two rare
species may be at risk.
conjunction
1 used to indicate that something happens during the time
when something else is taking place: Frank watched him as he
ambled through the crowd | as she grew older, she kept more to herself.
2 used to indicate by comparison the way that something
happens or is done: they can do as they wish | she kissed him goodbye,
as usual.
• used to add or interject a comment relating to the statement
of a fact: as you can see, I didn't go after all.
3 because; since: I must stop now as I have to go out.
4 even though: sweet as he is, he doesn't pay his bills | try as he might,
he failed to pull it off.
preposition
1 used to refer to the function or character that someone or
something has: it came as a shock | she got a job as a cook.
2 during the time of being (the thing specified): he had often been
ill as a child.PHRASES
as against compared or contrasted with: the adult literacy rate for
women is 44.5 percent, as against 67.8 percent for men.
as and when at the time when (used to refer to an uncertain
future event): they deal with an issue as and when it rears its head.
as for with regard to: as for you, you'd better be quick.
as from (or of)chiefly Brit.used to indicate the time or date
from which something starts: as from 1 January, a free market will
be created | I'm on the dole as of now.
as if (or though)as would be the case if: she behaved as if he
wasn't there.
as if ! informal I very much doubt it: You know how pools winners
always say it won't change their lives? Yeah, as if !
as (it) is in the existing circumstances: I've got enough on my plate
as it is.
as it were in a way (used to be less precise): areas which have
been, as it were, pushed aside.
as long as see long 1 .
as much see much.
as per see per.
as such see such.as to with respect to; concerning: decisions as to which patients
receive treatment.
as was formerly: Guangzhou (Canton as was) is 2000 km from
Beijing.
as well see well 1 .
as yet [ usu. with negative ] until now or a particular time in
the past: the damage is as yet undetermined.
as you do Brit. informal used as an ironic comment on a
somewhat unexpected statement: on the way home I fell asleep in
John's car, as you do .
ORIGIN Middle English: reduced form of Old English
alswā‘similarly’ (see also) .
usage: For a discussion of whether it is correct to say he's not as
shy as I rather than he's not as shy as me or I live in the same street
as she rather than I live in the same street as her see usage at
personal pronoun.
as 2 |as|
noun (pl.asses)
an ancient Roman copper coin.
ORIGIN Latin, ‘a unit’.
arsenic
noun |ˈɑːs(əә)nɪk| [ mass noun ]the chemical element of atomic number 33, a brittle steel-grey
semimetal.(Symbol: As)
Arsenic compounds (and their poisonous properties) have been
known since ancient times, and the metallic form was isolated
in the Middle Ages. Arsenic occurs naturally in orpiment,
realgar, and other minerals, and rarely as the free element.
Arsenic is used in semiconductors and some specialized alloys;
its toxic compounds are widely used as herbicides and
pesticides.
adjective |ɑːˈsɛnɪk|
relating to arsenic.
• Chemistry of arsenic with a valency of five; of arsenic(V).
Compare with arsenious.
ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting yellow orpiment,
arsenic sulphide): via Old French from Latin arsenicum, from
Greek arsenikon ‘yellow orpiment’, identified with
arsenikos ‘male’, but in fact from Arabic al-zarnīḵ ‘the
orpiment’, based on Persian zar ‘gold’.
As
symbol
the chemical element arsenic.individual |ɪndɪˈvɪdjʊ(əә)l|
adjective
1 [ attrib. ] single; separate: individual tiny flowers.
2 of or for a particular person: the individual needs of the children.
• designed for use by one person: a casserole served in individual
portions.
• characteristic of a particular person or thing: she was surprised
at how individual the others' bodies were.
• having a striking or unusual character; original: she creates her
own, highly individual landscapes.
noun
a single human being as distinct from a group: boat trips for
parties and individuals.
• a single member of a class: they live in a group or as individuals,
depending on the species.
• [ with adj. ] informal a person of a specified kind: the most
selfish, egotistical individual I have ever met.
• a distinctive or original person.ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘indivisible’): from
medieval Latin individualis, from Latin individuus, from
in- ‘not’ + dividuus ‘divisible’ (from dividere ‘to divide’).
collective |kəәˈlɛktɪv|
adjective
done by people acting as a group: a collective protest.
• relating to or shared by all the members of a group: ministers
who share collective responsibility | a collective sigh of relief from parents.
• taken as a whole; aggregate: the collective power of the workforce.
noun
a cooperative enterprise. the anarchist collective and bookshop.
• a collective farm.
DERIVATIVES
collectively adverb,
collectiveness noun,
collectivity |-ˈtɪvɪti| noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘representing many
individuals’): from Old French collectif, -ive or Latin
collectivus, from collect- ‘gathered together’, from the verb
colligere (see collect 1 ) .collective
adjective
collective ownership of the means of production: common, shared,
joint, combined, mutual, communal, united, allied,
cooperative, collaborative; aggregate, cumulative, undivided,
pooled. ANTONYMS individual; sectional.
different |ˈdɪf(əә)r(əә)nt|
adjective
1 not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature,
form, or quality: you can play this game in different ways | the car's
different from anything else on the market.
• informal novel and unusual: try something deliciously different.
2 distinct; separate: on two different occasions.
PHRASES
different strokes for different folks proverb different
things appeal to different people.
DERIVATIVES
differently adverb,differentness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
different- ‘carrying away, differing’, from the verb differre
(see differ) .
usage: Different from, different than, and different to:
are there any distinctions between these three constructions,
and is one more correct than the others? In practice, different
from is both the most common structure, both in British and
US English, and the most accepted. Different than is used
chiefly in North America, although its use is increasing in
British English. It has the advantage that it can be followed by
a clause, and so is sometimes more concise than different
from: compare things are definitely different than they were one year
ago with things are definitely different from the way they were one year
ago. Different to is common in Britain, but is disliked by
traditionalists. The argument against it is based on the relation
of different to differ, which is used with from; but this is a
flawed argument which is contradicted by other pairs of words
such as accord ( with) and according ( to).
different
adjective1 the plots of the two books are very different: dissimilar, unalike,
unlike, non-identical, contrasting, divergent, disparate, poles
apart; incompatible, mismatched, inconsistent, opposed, at
variance, at odds, clashing, conflicting, contradictory, contrary;
informal like chalk and cheese; rare contrastive. ANTONYMS
similar.
2 suddenly everything in her life was different: changed, altered,
modified, transformed, metamorphosed, other, new,
unfamiliar, unknown, strange. ANTONYMS the same.
3 Gareth had tried fifteen different occupations: distinct, separate,
individual, discrete, non-identical, unrelated, unconnected,
unassociated, independent; disparate. ANTONYMS related,
similar.
4 the Bible was interpreted differently by different groups of reformers:
various, several, sundry, assorted, varied, varying,
miscellaneous, diverse, diversified, manifold, multifarious;
informal a mixed bag; literary divers.
5 he wanted to try something different: unusual, out of the ordinary,
uncommon, unfamiliar, rare, unique, novel, new, fresh,
original, unprecedented, unconventional, unorthodox, off-
centre, atypical, out of the way; special, singular, remarkable,
noteworthy, exceptional, extraordinary, outrageous, outlandish,exotic; Brit. out of the common; informal way out, offbeat, off
the wall. ANTONYMS ordinary, conventional.
WORD LINKS
hetero- related prefix, as in heterogeneous, heterosexual
allo- related prefix, as in allopathy, allotrope
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
difficult |ˈdɪfɪk(əә)lt|
adjective
needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or
understand: she had a difficult decision to make | the questions are too
difficult for the children.
• characterized by or causing hardships or problems: a difficult
economic climate.
• (of a person) not easy to please or satisfy; awkward: Lily could
be difficult.
DERIVATIVES
difficultly adverb( rare),difficultness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: back-formation from
difficulty.
difficult
adjective
1 digging through the snow was becoming increasingly difficult: hard,
strenuous, arduous, laborious, heavy, tough, onerous,
burdensome, demanding, punishing, gruelling, grinding, back-
breaking, painful; exhausting, tiring, fatiguing, wearing,
wearying, wearisome; informal hellish, killing; Brit. informal
knackering; archaic toilsome; rare exigent. ANTONYMS easy.
2 she found maths very difficult: problematic, hard, puzzling,
baffling, perplexing, confusing, mystifying, mysterious;
complicated, complex, involved, intricate, knotty, thorny,
ticklish; obscure, abstract, abstruse, recondite, enigmatic,
impenetrable, unfathomable, over one's head, above one's
head, beyond one; informal fiddly, sticky, no picnic; N. Amer.
informal gnarly; archaic wildering; rare involute, involuted.
ANTONYMS straightforward, simple.
3 the office manager was a difficult man: troublesome, tiresome,
trying, exasperating, demanding, unmanageable, intractable,perverse, contrary, recalcitrant, obstreperous, refractory,
fractious; unaccommodating, unhelpful, uncooperative,
unamenable, unreasonable, disobliging, stubborn, obstinate,
bull-headed, pig-headed; hard to please, hard to satisfy, fussy,
particular, over-particular, fastidious, perfectionist, critical,
hypercritical, finicky; Brit. awkward; Scottish thrawn; informal
cussed; choosy, picky; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie,
stroppy; N. Amer. informal balky; archaic contumacious,
f ro w a r d ; r a re c o n t r a r i o u s, fi n i c a l . A N TO N Y M S
accommodating.
4 you've come at a difficult time: inconvenient, awkward,
unfavourable, unfortunate, inappropriate, unsuitable, untimely,
ill-timed, inopportune, inexpedient, disadvantageous; archaic
unseasonable. ANTONYMS convenient.
5 the family have been through very difficult times: bad, tough, grim,
terrible, awful, dreadful, nightmarish, dark, black, hard,
adverse, unpleasant, unwelcome, disagreeable, distressing,
harrowing; straitened, hard-pressed; literary direful; archaic or
humorous parlous. ANTONYMS happy.
many |ˈmɛni|determiner, pronoun, & adjective (more |mɔː| , most |məәʊst| )
a large number of: [ as determiner ] : many people agreed with her
| [ as pronoun ] : the solution to many of our problems | many think
bungee jumping is a new craze | [ as adj. ] : one of my many errors.
noun (as plural nounthe many)
the majority of people: music for the many.
PHRASES
as many the same number of: changing his mind for the third time
in as many months.
a good (or great) many a large number. a good many of us.
have one too many informal become slightly drunk.
many a —— a large number of: many a good man has been
destroyed by booze | John and I have talked about it many a time.
many's the —— used to indicate that something happens
often: many's the time I've slept on her sofa.
ORIGIN Old English manig, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch menig and German manch .
many
determiner & adjective
1 he has many faults: numerous, a great/good deal of, a lot of, a
large/great number of, great quantities of, plenty of, countless,innumerable, scores of, crowds of, droves of, an army of, a
horde of, a multitude of, a multiplicity of, multitudinous,
numberless, multiple, untold; several, various, sundry, diverse,
assorted, multifarious; copious, abundant, profuse, an
abundance of, a profusion of; frequent; informal lots of,
umpteen, loads of, masses of, stacks of, scads of, heaps of, piles
of, bags of, tons of, oodles of, dozens of, hundreds of, thousands
of, millions of, billions of, zillions of, more ... than one can
shake a stick at; Brit. informal shedload; N. Amer. informal a
slew of, gazillions of, bazillions of, gobs of; Austral./NZ
informal a swag of; vulgar slang a shitload of; literary myriad,
divers. ANTONYMS few.
2 (the many) sacrificing the individual for the sake of the many: the
people, the common people, the masses, the multitude, the
majority, the populace, the public, the rank and file, the crowd,
the commonalty, the commonality; derogatory the hoi polloi,
the common herd, the mob, the proletariat, the rabble, the riff-
raff, the great unwashed, the canaille, the proles, the plebs.
ANTONYMS aristocracy.
WORD LINKS
multi- related prefix, as in multicoloured, multibuypoly- related prefix, as in polytechnic, polyunsaturated
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
other |ˈʌðəә|
adjective& pronoun
1 used to refer to a person or thing that is different or distinct
from one already mentioned or known about: [ as adj. ] : stick
the camera on a tripod or some other means of support | other people
found her difficult | [ as pronoun ] : a language unrelated to any other.
• alternative of two: [ as adj. ] : the other side of the street | my other
brother | [ as pronoun ] : she flung up first one arm and then the other |
one or other of his parents.
• those remaining in a group; those not already mentioned: [ as
adj. ] : they took the other three away in an ambulance | [ as
pronoun ] : Freddie set off and the others followed.
2 further; additional: [ as adj. ] : one other word of advice | [ as
pronoun ] : Labour would have 49 MPs plus ten others.
3 [ pronoun ] (the other) Brit. informal used euphemistically
to refer to sexual intercourse: a bit of the other.4 [ pronoun ] (the other) Philosophy & Sociology that which
is distinct from, different from, or opposite to something or
oneself. she needs to escape the tyranny of the Other.
verb [ with obj. ]
view or treat (a person or group of people) as intrinsically
different from and alien to oneself: a critique of the ways in which
the elderly are othered by society.
PHRASES
how the other half lives used to express or allude to the way
of life of a different group in society, especially a wealthier one.
he has spent six years showing TV viewers how the other half lives.
no other archaic nothing else: we can do no other.
other than [ with negative or in questions ] apart from;
except: he claims not to own anything other than his home. • differently
or different from; otherwise than: there is no suggestion that we are
to take this other than literally.
on the other hand see hand.
the other day (or night, week, etc.)a few days (or nights,
weeks, etc.) ago.
the other thing Brit., chiefly humorous an unexpressed
alternative: if you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't
I'll do the other thing.someone (or something or somehow etc.) or other some
unspecified or unknown person, thing, manner, etc.: they were
protesting about something or other.
ORIGIN Old English ōther, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch and German ander, from an Indo-European root
meaning ‘different’.
other
adjective
1 these homes use other fuels only because gas is unavailable: alternative,
different, dissimilar, disparate, distinct, separate, contrasting,
unlike, variant.
2 are there any other questions? more, further, additional, extra,
added, supplementary, supplemental.
WORD LINKS
hetero- related prefix, as in heterosexual, heteropolar
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
distinctive |dɪˈstɪŋ(k)tɪv|adjective
characteristic of one person or thing, and so serving to
distinguish it from others: juniper berries give gin its distinctive
flavour.
DERIVATIVES
distinctively adverb,
distinctiveness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘serving to
differentiate’): from late Latin distinctivus, from Latin
distinct- ‘distinguished’ (see distinct) .
distinctive
adjective
each subculture developed a distinctive dress style: distinguishing,
characteristic, typical, individual, particular, peculiar,
idiosyncratic, differentiating, unique, exclusive, special,
especial; remarkable, unusual, singular, noteworthy, different,
uncommon, extraordinary, original. ANTONYMS common.
unique |juːˈniːk|
adjectivebeing the only one of its kind; unlike anything else: the situation
was unique in British politics | original and unique designs.
• (unique to) belonging or connected to (one particular
person, place, or thing): a style of architecture that is unique to
Portugal.
• particularly remarkable, special, or unusual: a unique opportunity
to see the spectacular Bolshoi Ballet.
noun archaic
a unique person or thing. some of Lamb's writings were so memorably
beautiful as to be uniques in their class.
DERIVATIVES
uniquely adverb [ as submodifier ] : a uniquely British quality,
uniqueness noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French, from Latin unicus,
from unus ‘one’.
usage: There is a set of adjectives—including unique,
complete, equal, infinite, and perfect—whose core
meaning embraces a mathematically absolute concept and
which therefore, according to a traditional argument, cannot
be modified by adverbs such as really, quite, or very. For
example, since the core meaning of unique (from Latin ‘one’)
is ‘being only one of its kind’, it is logically impossible, theargument goes, to submodify it: it either is ‘unique’ or it is not,
and there are no in-between stages. In practice the situation in
the language is more complex than this. Words like unique
have a core sense but they often also have a secondary, less
precise sense: in this case, the meaning ‘very remarkable or
unusual’, as in a really unique opportunity. In its secondary
sense, unique does not relate to an absolute concept, and so
the use of submodifying adverbs is grammatically acceptable.
unique
adjective
1 each archaeological site is unique: distinctive, individual, special,
especial, idiosyncratic, quirky, eccentric, isolated; single, sole,
lone, unrepeated, unrepeatable, solitary, exclusive, only, one
and only, in a class by itself; rare, uncommon, unusual,
peculiar, novel, strange, odd; Latinsui generis; informal one-off.
ANTONYMS common, ordinary.
2 a unique insight into the history of this beautiful region: remarkable,
special, singular, noteworthy, notable, signal, outstanding,
extraordinary; unequalled, without equal, unparalleled,
unmatched, matchless, peerless, nonpareil, unsurpassed,
unexcelled, incomparable, beyond compare, superior,inimitable, second to none; rare unexampled. ANTONYMS
unremarkable.
3 the two species are unique to the island: peculiar, specific,
particular, found only in; characteristic of, typical of.
WORD TOOLKIT
unique
See exceptional.
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
clean |kliːn|
adjective
1 free from dirt, marks, or stains: the room was spotlessly clean |
keep the wound clean.
• having been washed since last worn or used: a clean blouse.
• [ attrib. ] (of paper) not yet marked by writing or drawing: he
copied the advert on to a clean sheet of paper.
• (of a person) attentive to personal hygiene: by nature he was
clean and neat.
• free from pollutants or unpleasant substances: we will create a
cleaner, safer environment.• free from or producing relatively little radioactive
contamination.
• (of timber) free from knots: the forester and the sawyer reject timber
that is not straight and clean.
2 morally uncontaminated; pure; innocent: clean living.
• not sexually offensive or obscene: it's all good clean fun.
• showing or having no record of offences or crimes: a clean
driving licence is essential for the job.
• played or done according to the rules: we are not completely sure
that the elections will be clean and fair.
• [ predic. ] informal not possessing or containing anything
illegal, especially drugs or stolen goods: I searched him and his
luggage, and he was clean.
• [ predic. ] informal (of a person) not taking or having taken
drugs or alcohol. I had been here for only a fortnight and clean for three
weeks.
• free from ceremonial defilement, according to Mosaic Law or
other religious codes.
3 free from irregularities; having a smooth edge or surface: a
clean fracture of the leg.
• having a simple, well-defined, and pleasing shape: the clean
lines and pared-down planes of modernism.• (of an action) smoothly and skilfully done: he took a clean catch.
4 (of a taste, sound, or smell) giving a clear and distinctive
impression to the senses; sharp and fresh: clean, fresh, natural
flavours.
adverb
1 so as to be free from dirt, marks, or unwanted matter: the room
had been washed clean.
2 informal used to emphasize the completeness of a reported
action, condition, or experience: he was knocked clean off his feet |
I clean forgot her birthday.
verb [ with obj. ]
make clean; remove dirt, marks, or stains from: clean your teeth
properly after meals | I cleaned up my room | (as nouncleaning) :
Anne will help with the cleaning.
• remove the innards of (fish or poultry) prior to cooking. there
are a variety of ways to cook the herring, but it must first be gutted and
cleaned.
noun [ in sing. ]
an act of cleaning something: he gave the room a clean.
PHRASES
(as) clean as a whistle see whistle.clean and jerk a weightlifting exercise in which a weight is
raised above the head following an initial lift to shoulder level.
clean bill of health see bill of health.
clean someone's clock N. Amer. informal give someone a
beating. I assured her that if anything happened I would personally clean
the Russian's clock. • defeat or surpass someone decisively. racing in
this yacht he cleaned the clocks of the Regatta fleet.
clean house N. Amer.do housework. they cleaned house, washed
clothes, and cared for the children. • eliminate corruption or
inefficiency. the president acted quickly to clean house when the
allegations were made.
clean one's plate eat up all the food put on one's plate.
a clean sheet (or slate)an absence of existing restraints or
commitments: no government starts with a clean sheet. • (keep a
clean sheet) (in a football match) prevent the opposing side
from scoring. Scotland kept a clean sheet against the Welsh.
clean up one's act informal begin to behave in a better way,
especially by giving up alcohol, drugs, or illegal activities. he
planned to clean up his act, but in a last celebration bought some coke and
heroin.come clean informal be completely honest; keep nothing
hidden: the Chancellor must come clean about his plans for increasing
taxation.
have clean hands be uninvolved and blameless with regard
to an immoral act: no one involved in the conflict has clean hands.
keep one's hands clean not involve oneself in an immoral
act. Franco kept his own hands clean by using others to impose his will.
keep one's nose clean see nose.
make a clean breast of it confess fully one's mistakes or
wrongdoings.
make a clean job of something informal do something
thoroughly.
make a clean sweep 1 remove all unwanted people or things
ready to start afresh. in 1917 many Soviet communists wanted to
make a clean sweep of the discredited old order. 2 win all of a
group of similar or related sporting competitions, events, or
matches. Annadale are almost certain of making a clean sweep
of the male athletics competitions.
PHRASAL VERBS
clean someone out informal use up or take all someone's
money: they were cleaned out by the Englishman at the baccarat table.clean something out thoroughly clean the inside of
something: my mom says I have to go and clean out the hamster 's cage.
clean up informal make a substantial gain or profit. Francis put
three quid on a horse, figuring it was about time he cleaned up. • win all
the prizes available in a sporting competition. the Germans cleaned
up at Wimbledon.
clean something up restore order or morality to: the police
chief was given the job of cleaning up a notorious district.
DERIVATIVES
cleanable adjective,
cleanish adjective,
cleanness |ˈkliːnnɪs| noun
ORIGIN Old English clǣne, of West Germanic origin; related
to Dutch and German klein ‘small’.
clean
adjective
1 he bared his clean, white teeth in a smile | keep the wound clean:
washed, scrubbed, cleansed, cleaned, polished; spotless,
unsoiled, unstained, unspotted, unsullied, unblemished,
immaculate, pristine, speckless, dirt-free; hygienic, sanitary,disinfected, sterilized, sterile, aseptic, decontaminated, healthy;
pure, white, whiter than white; laundered; informal squeaky
clean, as clean as a whistle. ANTONYMS dirty.
2 a clean sheet of paper: blank, empty, bare, clear, plain, white;
unused, new, pristine, fresh, unmarked, unfilled, untouched.
ANTONYMS used.
3 he breathed in the sharp, clean air: pure, clear, fresh, crisp,
refreshing; unpolluted, uncontaminated, untainted, unmixed,
unadulterated; distilled, purified. ANTONYMS polluted.
4 Kate had envied her mother her nice clean life: virtuous, good,
upright, upstanding; honourable, respectable, reputable,
decent, righteous, moral, morally correct, ethical, exemplary,
honest, just; innocent, pure, chaste, undefiled, guiltless,
blameless, irreproachable, unimpeachable, pure as the driven
snow, whiter than white; Christianity immaculate, impeccable;
informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS immoral.
5 the investigation demonstrated that the firm is clean: innocent,
guiltless, blameless, clear, in the clear, not to blame, guilt-free,
crime-free, above suspicion, unimpeachable, irreproachable;
informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS guilty.
6 a good clean fight: fair, honest, sporting, sportsmanlike, just,
upright, law-abiding, chivalrous, honourable, according to therules, according to Hoyle; informal on the level. ANTONYMS
dirty, unfair.
7 informal the staff at the facility gave them counselling and taught them
to stay clean: sober, teetotal, non-drinking, clear-headed, as sober
as a judge; drug-free, free of drugs, off drugs; abstinent, self-
restrained; informal dry, on the wagon, straight.
8 these secateurs give a clean cut | he took a clean catch: neat, smooth,
crisp, straight, accurate, precise, slick. ANTONYMS ragged.
9 the clean lines of a good design: simple, elegant, graceful,
uncluttered, trim, shapely, unfussy, uncomplicated; streamlined,
smooth, well defined, definite, clean-cut; regular, symmetrical.
ANTONYMS complex, elaborate.
PHRASES
come clean informal I'll have to come clean—that story is only a
rumour: tell the truth, be completely honest, tell all, make a
clean breast of it; confess, own up, admit guilt, admit to one's
actions/crimes/sins, accept blame/responsibility, plead guilty;
informal get something off one's chest, fess up.
adverb
informal I clean forgot her birthday: completely, entirely, totally,
fully, wholly, thoroughly, altogether, quite, utterly, absolutely.
verb1 Dad had cleaned the kitchen windows: wash, cleanse, wipe, sponge,
scrub, mop, rinse, scour, swab, hose down, sluice (down), flush,
polish, disinfect; shampoo; floss; literary lave. ANTONYMS
dirty, soil.
2 I would have to get my clothes cleaned: launder; dry-clean.
3 she began to clean the fish: gut, eviscerate, remove the innards of,
draw, dress.
PHRASES
clean someone out informal the fine cleaned him out: bankrupt,
ruin, make insolvent, make penniless, wipe out, impoverish,
reduce to penury/destitution, bring to ruin, bring someone to
their knees, break, cripple; rare pauperize, beggar.
foggy |ˈfɒgi|
adjective (foggier, foggiest)
1 full of or characterized by fog: a dark and foggy night.
2 unable to think clearly; confused: she was foggy with sleep.
• indistinctly expressed or remembered; obscure: my memories of
the event are foggy.
PHRASES
not have the foggiest (idea or notion) informal, chiefly
Brit.have no idea at all.DERIVATIVES
foggily adverb,
fogginess noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: perhaps from fog 2 .
phase |feɪz|
noun
1 a distinct period or stage in a process of change or forming
part of something's development: the final phases of the war | [ as
modifier ] : phase two of the development.
• a stage in a person's psychological development, especially a
period of temporary difficulty during adolescence or a
particular stage during childhood: most of your fans are going
through a phase.
• a stage in the life cycle or annual cycle of an animal.
2 each of the aspects of the moon or a planet, according to the
amount of its illumination, especially the new moon, the first
quarter, the full moon, and the last quarter.
3 Zoology a genetic or seasonal variety of an animal's
coloration. the invertebrate residents of the tundra pass the winter in
dormant phase.4 Chemistry a distinct and homogeneous form of matter (i.e. a
particular solid, liquid, or gas) separated by its surface from
other forms. solid carbon dioxide passes directly into the gas phase
without becoming a liquid.
5 Physics the relationship in time between the successive states
or cycles of an oscillating or repeating system (such as an
alternating electric current or a light or sound wave) and either
a fixed reference point or the states or cycles of another system
with which it may or may not be in synchrony. there are two
output channels, one fixed in phase and the other variable in phase between
0 and 360 degrees.
• each of the electrical windings or connections of a polyphase
machine or circuit.
6 Linguistics (in systemic grammar) the relationship between a
catenative verb and the verb that follows it, as in she hoped to
succeed and I like swimming.
• a structure containing two verbs in a phase.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 carry out (something) in gradual stages: the work is being phased
over a number of years | (as adj.phased) : a phased withdrawal of
troops.• (phase something in/out) introduce something into (or
withdraw something from) use in gradual stages: the changes will
be phased in over 10 years.
2 Physics adjust the phase of (something), especially so as to
synchronize it with something else. about 70% of the reflections
were phased by this method.
PHRASES
in (or out of) phase 1 being or happening in (or out of)
synchrony or harmony: the cabling work should be carried out in
phase with the building work. 2 Physics having or in the same
(or different) phase or stage of variation. in a pure inductive circuit
voltage and current are always out of phase.
ORIGIN early 19th cent. (in sense 2 of the noun): from
French phase, based on Greek phasis ‘appearance’, from
the base of phainein ‘to show’.
usage: See usage at faze.
phase
noun
1 the final phase of the election campaign: stage, period, chapter,
episode, part, step, point, time, juncture.2 he's going through a difficult phase: period, stage, time, spell; Brit.
informal patch.
3 the phases of the moon: aspect, shape, form, appearance, state,
condition.
verb
PHRASES
phase something in introduce gradually, incorporate by
stages, begin using, ease in, start using.
phase something out eliminate gradually, withdraw/
remove/replace gradually, discontinue, get rid of by stages,
stop using, ease off, run down, wind down, wind up, deactivate,
finish, end.
existence |ɪgˈzɪst(əә)ns, ɛg-|
noun [ mass noun ]
the fact or state of living or having objective reality: the
organization has been in existence for fifteen years.
• continued survival: she kept the company alive when its very existence
was threatened.
• [ count noun ] a way of living: our stressed-out urban existence.• [ count noun ] (in certain beliefs) any of a person's successive
earthly lives. a person may be reaping the consequences of evil deeds
sown in previous existences.
• all that exists: he believed in the essential unity of all existence.
• [ count noun ] archaic something that exists; a being.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French, or from late
Latin existentia, from Latin exsistere ‘come into being’,
from ex- ‘out’ + sistere ‘take a stand’.
action |ˈakʃ(əә)n|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the fact or process of doing something,
typically to achieve an aim: ending child labour will require action on
many levels. strike action was threatened.
• the way in which something such as a chemical has an effect
or influence: the seeds require the catalytic action of water to release
heat.
• short for industrial action. the rank and file want to call the
action off.
• the events represented in a story or play: the action is set in a
country house.• informal exciting or notable activity: the weekend sporting action
begins on Saturday | people in media want to be where the action is.
• [ as exclamation ] used by a film director as a command to
begin: lights, camera, action.
2 a thing done; an act: she frequently questioned his actions.
• a gesture or movement. his actions emphasized his words.
3 the way in which something works or moves: the weapon has a
smooth action.
• the mechanism that makes a machine or instrument work. a
piano with an escapement action.
4 [ mass noun ] armed conflict: servicemen listed as missing in
action during the war.
• [ count noun ] a military engagement: a rearguard action.
5 legal proceedings; a lawsuit: a civil action for damages.
verb [ with obj. ]
take action on; deal with: your request will be actioned.
PHRASES
action at a distance Physics, chiefly historical the exertion
of force by one body on another separated from the first by
empty space.
actions speak louder than words proverb what someone
actually does means more than what they say they will do.go into action start work or activity. skin divers were close at hand,
ready to go into action if the stunt went wrong.
in action in operation; working: watching him in action, normal
workers are left in awe.
man of action a man whose life is characterized by physical
activity or deeds rather than by words or intellectual matters.
out of action temporarily unable to work or function: a heart
attack put him out of action.
put into action put into effect; carry out: ideas need to be put into
action.
take action do something official or concerted to achieve an
aim or deal with a problem: if there is a breach of regulations, we
will take action. he vowed to take tougher action against persistent
offenders.
ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
actio(n-), from agere ‘do, act’.
action
noun
1 there can be no excuse for their actions: deed, act, activity, move,
gesture, undertaking, exploit, manoeuvre, achievement,
accomplishment, venture, enterprise, endeavour, effort,exertion; work, handiwork, doing, creation, performance,
behaviour, conduct; reaction, response.
2 they recognized the need for local community action: steps, measures,
activity, movement, work, working, effort, exertion, operation.
3 he was a patriot and a man of action: energy, vitality, vigour,
forcefulness, drive, push, ambition, motivation, initiative, spirit,
liveliness, vim, pep; activity; informal get-up-and-go, punch,
zip, pizzazz.
4 they observed the action of hormones on the pancreas: effect,
influence, power, working, work; result, consequence.
5 he missed all the action while he was away: excitement, activity,
bustle; happenings, occurrences, proceedings, events, incidents,
episodes, eventualities, chain of events; informal goings-on.
6 the men saw action in World War II | twenty-nine men died in the
action: fighting, hostilities, battle, conflict, armed conflict,
combat, warfare, war, bloodshed; engagement, clash,
encounter, confrontation, skirmish, affray.
7 he won his action but the damages awarded were nominal: lawsuit,
legal action, suit, suit at law, case, cause, prosecution, litigation,
legal dispute, legal contest; proceedings, legal proceedings,
judicial proceedings.
PHRASESin action the company has worked on the plan for about two years and
says it should be in action by April 1: functioning, working, running,
up and running, operative, in use, going.
out of action the group's Utah power station is out of action at the
moment: not working, not in working order, not functioning,
broken, broken-down, out of order, out of service, out of
commission, acting up, unserviceable, faulty, defective, non-
functional, in disrepair; down; informal conked out, bust,
(gone) kaput, gone phut, on the blink, gone haywire, shot.
ANTONYMS operative, working.
take action still, there is pressure to take action regarding food labels:
act, take steps, take measures, take the initiative, move, make a
move, react, do something. ANTONYMS do nothing.
develop |dɪˈvɛləәp|
verb (develops, developing, developed)
1 grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced,
or elaborate: [ no obj. ] : motion pictures were to develop into
mass entertainment | (as adj.developing) : this is a rapidly developing
field | [ with obj. ] : enabling individuals to develop their personal skills.• [ no obj. ] (often as adj.developing) (of a poor agricultural
country) become more economically and socially advanced: the
developing world.
• [ with obj. ] convert (land) to a new purpose by constructing
buildings or making other use of its resources. plans to develop the
area.
• construct or convert (a building) so as to improve existing
resources: the company developed a chain of hotels.
• [ with obj. ] elaborate (a musical theme) by modification of
the melody, harmony, or rhythm. the piano develops the melody into
a short cadenza.
2 start to exist, experience, or possess: [ no obj. ] : a strange
closeness developed | [ with obj. ] : I developed an interest in law | call
the doctor if your child develops a rash.
3 [ with obj. ] treat (a photographic film) with chemicals to
make a visible image. she came to get the film developed. (as adj.
developing) : a developing tank.
4 [ with obj. ] Chess bring (a piece) into play from its initial
position on a player's back rank. he preferred to develop his bishop on
e7.ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘unfold, unfurl’): from
French développer, based on Latin dis- ‘un-’ + a second
element of unknown origin found also in envelop.
develop
verb
1 France's space industry developed rapidly after 1973: grow, evolve,
mature, expand, enlarge, spread, advance, progress, prosper,
succeed, thrive, get on well, flourish, blossom, bloom, burgeon,
make headway, be successful; informal go great guns.
2 a plan was developed to restore the company to profitability: initiate,
instigate, set in motion, put in place, institute, inaugurate,
originate, invent, form, establish, fashion, generate; undertake,
embark on.
3 education allows people to develop their talents to the full: expand,
enlarge, add to, flesh out, supplement, reinforce, augment,
extend, broaden, fill out, embellish, enhance, elaborate,
amplify, refine, improve, polish, perfect.
4 a row developed: come into being, come about, start, begin, be
born, come into existence, appear, arrive, come forth, emerge,
erupt, burst out, arise, originate, break, unfold, crop up, follow,
happen, result, ensue, break out; formal commence.5 he developed the disease at age 67: fall ill with, be taken ill with, be
struck down with, be stricken with, succumb to; contract,
catch, get, pick up, come down with, become infected with;
Brit. go down with; informal take ill with; N. Amer. informal
take sick with.
create |kriːˈeɪt|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] bring (something) into existence: he created a thirty-
acre lake | over 170 jobs were created.
• cause (something) to happen as a result of one's actions:
divorce created only problems for children.
• (of an actor) originate (a role) by playing a character for the
first time. Callas created only one role, and that was Eurydice.
• [ with obj. and complement ] invest (someone) with a title of
nobility: he was created a baronet.
2 [ no obj. ] Brit. informal make a fuss; complain: little kids create
because they hate being ignored.
DERIVATIVES
creatable adjectiveORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘form out of
nothing’, used of a divine or supernatural being): from Latin
creat- ‘produced’, from the verb creare .
create
verb
1 the sculpture has been created out of Portland stone: generate,
produce, design, make, fabricate, fashion, manufacture, build,
construct, erect, do, turn out; bring into being, originate,
invent, initiate, engender, devise, frame, develop, shape, form,
mould, forge, concoct, hatch; informal knock together, knock
up, knock off. ANTONYMS dismantle.
2 regular socializing creates a good working team spirit: bring about,
result in, cause, be the cause of, give rise to, lead to, breed,
generate, engender, produce, make, make for, prompt,
promote, foster, sow the seeds of, contribute to, stir up, whip
up, inspire; literary enkindle. ANTONYMS destroy.
3 the governments planned to create a free-trade zone: establish, found,
institute, constitute, inaugurate, launch, set up, put in place,
start, lay the foundations of; form, organize, develop, build up;
get something going, get something moving, get something
working; informal kick something off.4 she was created a life peer in 1990: appoint, make, install as,
invest; name, nominate, designate.
5 sometimes a child is created to replace the loss of another: conceive,
give birth to, bring into the world, bring into being, bring into
existence, give life to, father, sire, spawn, produce; N. Amer.
birth; informal drop; literary beget.
follow |ˈfɒləәʊ|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move
or travel behind: she went back into the house, and Ben followed her |
[ no obj. ] : the men followed in another car.
• go after (someone) in order to observe or monitor them: the
KGB man followed her everywhere.
• archaic strive after; aim at: I follow fame.
• go along (a route or path).
• (of a route or path) go in the same direction as or parallel to
(another): the road follows the track of the railway line.
• trace the movement or direction of: she followed his gaze, peering
into the gloom.
2 come after in time or order: the six years that followed his
restoration | [ no obj. ] : the rates are as follows.• happen after (something else) as a consequence: raucous
laughter followed the ribald remark | the announcement followed on
from the collapse of the merchant bank | [ no obj. ] : retribution soon
followed.
• [ no obj. ] be a logical consequence of something: it thus
follows from this equation that the value must be negative.
• [ with obj. and adverbial ] (of a person) do something after
(something else): they follow their March show with four UK dates
next month.
• have (a dish or course) after another or others during a meal:
turkey was followed by dessert.
3 act according to (an instruction or precept): he has difficulty in
following written instructions.
• conform to: the film faithfully follows Shakespeare's plot.
• act according to the lead or example of (someone): he follows
Aristotle in believing this.
• treat as a teacher or guide: those who seek to follow Jesus Christ.
4 pay close attention to: I've been following this discussion closely.
• take an active interest in or be a supporter of: supporters who
have followed the club through thick and thin.
• (of a book, film, programme, etc.) be concerned with or trace
the development of: the book follows the life and career of Henry Clay.• track (a person, group, or organization) on a social
networking site: if you've been following me on Facebook recently you
may have seen a bunch of different posts about surgery and back trouble |
I don't follow many celebrities on Twitter any more.
• understand the meaning or tendency of (a speaker or
argument): I still don't follow you.
5 practise (a trade or profession).
• undertake or carry out (a course of action or study): she
followed a strict diet.
PHRASES
follow in someone's footsteps see footstep.
follow one's nose 1 trust to one's instincts. 2 move along
guided by one's sense of smell. 3 go straight ahead.
follow suit (in bridge, whist, and other card games) play a
card of the suit led. • conform to another's actions: Spain cut its
rates by half a per cent but no other country has followed suit.
PHRASAL VERBS
follow on (of a cricket team) be required to bat again
immediately after failing in their first innings to reach a score
within a set number of runs of the score made by their
opponents.follow through (in golf, cricket, and other sports) continue
the movement of a stroke after the ball has been struck.
follow something through continue an action or task to its
conclusion.
follow something up pursue or investigate something
further: I decided to follow up the letters with phone calls.
ORIGIN Old English folgian, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch volgen and German folgen .
follow
verb
1 I'll go with you and we'll let the others follow: come behind, come
after, go behind, go after, walk behind, tread on the heels of.
ANTONYMS lead.
2 he was expected to follow his father in the business: take the place of,
replace, succeed, take over from, supersede, supplant; informal
step into someone's shoes, fill someone's shoes/boots.
3 loads of people used to follow the band around : accompany, go
along with, go around with, travel with, escort, attend, trail
around with; informal tag along with, string along with.
ANTONYMS lead.4 the KGB man followed her everywhere: shadow, trail, pursue, chase,
stalk, hunt, track, dog, hound, course; give chase to, be hot on
someone's heels; informal tail.
5 always follow the manufacturer's guidelines: act in accordance with,
abide by, adhere to, stick to, keep to, comply with, conform to,
obey, observe, heed, pay attention to, note, have regard to,
mind, bear in mind, take to heart, be guided by, accept, yield
to, defer to, respect. ANTONYMS flout.
6 a new way of life followed from contact with Europeans: result,
arise, develop, ensue, emanate, issue, proceed, spring, flow,
originate, stem; be a consequence of, be caused by, be brought
about by, be produced by, be a result of, come after.
ANTONYMS lead to.
7 he said something complicated and I couldn't follow it: understand,
comprehend, apprehend, take in, grasp, fathom, appreciate,
keep up with, see; informal make head or tail of, latch on to,
catch on to, tumble to, get, get the hang of, figure out, get one's
head around, get one's mind around, take on board, get the
picture, get the drift, get the message, see the light; Brit.
informal suss out; N. Amer. informal savvy; rare cognize.
ANTONYMS misunderstand.8 Rembrandt's last pupil followed the style of his master: imitate, copy,
mimic, ape, reproduce, mirror, echo; emulate, take as a
pattern, take as an example, take as a model, adopt the style of,
style oneself on, model oneself on; informal take a leaf out of
someone's book.
9 he follows Manchester United: be a fan of, be a supporter of,
support, be a follower of, be an admirer of, be a devotee of, be
devoted to; be interested in, cultivate an interest in.
ANTONYMS dislike.
PHRASES
follow something through they lack the resources to follow the
project through: complete, bring to completion, bring to a finish,
continue to the end, see something through; continue with,
carry on with, keep on with, keep going with, stay with;
informal stick something out. ANTONYMS abandon.
follow something up I've had one of my hunches and I'm going to
follow it up: investigate, research, find out about, look into, dig
into, delve into, make enquiries into, enquire about, ask
questions about, pursue, chase up; informal check out; N.
Amer. informal scope out.
end |ɛnd|noun
1 a final part of something, especially a period of time, an
activity, or a story: the end of the year | Mario led the race from
beginning to end.
• a termination of a state or situation: the party called for an end
to violence | one notice will be effective to bring the tenancy to an end.
• a person's death: I saw him in hospital a few days before the end.
• archaic (in biblical use) an ultimate state or condition: the end
of that man is peace.
2 the furthest or most extreme part of something: the church at
the end of the road | [ as modifier ] : the end house.
• Brit.a small piece that is left after use: an ashtray full of cigarette
ends.
• a specified extreme of a scale: homebuyers at the lower end of the
market.
• either of two places linked by a telephone call, letter, or
journey: ‘Hello,’ said a voice at the other end.
• either of the halves of a sports field or court defended by one
team or player. when they changed ends, the goals kept coming.
3 a part or person's share of an activity: you're going to honour your
end of the deal.4 a goal or desired result: each would use the other to further his
own ends | to this end, schools were set up for peasant women.
5 (in bowls and curling) a session of play in one particular
direction across the playing area.
6 American Football a lineman positioned nearest the sideline.
a defensive end.
verb
come or bring to a final point; finish: [ no obj. ] : when the war
ended, policy changed | the chapter ends with a case study | [ with
obj. ] : she wanted to end the relationship.
• [ no obj. ] reach a point and go no further: the surfaced road ends
at the farm.
• [ no obj. ] perform a final act: the man ended by attacking a
police officer.
• [ no obj. ] (end in) have as its final part or result: the match
ended in a draw.
• [ no obj. ] (end up) eventually come to a specified place or
situation: I ended up in Eritrea | you could end up with a higher
income.
PHRASES
all ends up informal completely.at the end of the day Brit. informal when everything is taken
into consideration: at the end of the day I'm responsible for what
happens in the school.
be at (or have come to) an end be finished or completed:
negotiations were virtually at an end. • (of a supply of something)
become exhausted: our patience has come to an end.
be at the end of be close to having no more of (something):
she was at the end of her patience.
be the end Brit. informal be the limit of what one can
tolerate: you really are the end!
come to (or meet) a sticky end Brit.be led by one's own
actions to ruin or an unpleasant death. behave yourself or you will
come to a sticky end!
end of story (also Brit.end of) informal used to emphasize
that there is nothing to add on a matter just mentioned: Men
don't cry in public. End of story.
end one's days (or life)spend the final part of one's life in a
specified place or state: she ended her days in London.
an end in itself a goal that is pursued in its own right to the
exclusion of others. competition is not an end in itself.
end in tears Brit.have an unhappy or unpleasant outcome:
this treaty will end in tears.end it all commit suicide. his life was meaningless without Coleen,
so he would end it all.
the end justifies the means wrong or unfair methods may
be used if the overall goal is good. we excuse our greed by claiming
that the end justifies the means.
the end of the road (or line)the point beyond which
progress or survival cannot continue: if the damages award is not
lowered it could be the end of the road for the publisher. they've
been offered compensation and they'll accept, but only because they feel
they've reached the end of the line.
the end of one's tether (or N. Amer.rope)Brit.having no
patience or energy left to cope with something: these individuals
have reached the end of their tether.
the end of the world the termination of life on the earth. •
informal a complete disaster: it's not the end of the world if
we draw.
end on with the end of an object facing towards one: seen end
on, their sharp summits point like arrows. • with the end of an object
touching that of another: stone tiles had been layered end on with
incredible skill.
end to end in a row with the end of one object touching that
of another. bales were laid end to end for a delivery.get (or have) one's end away Brit. vulgar slang have sexual
intercourse.
in the end eventually or on reflection: in the end, I saw that she
was right.
keep (or hold) one's end up Brit. informal perform well in a
difficult or competitive situation. Michael had to keep his end up
against attacks.
make an end of cause (someone or something) to stop
existing or die. we regret that the printers did not make an end of half-
paid female labour.
make (both) ends meet earn just enough money to live on.
they were finding it hard to make ends meet.
never (or not) hear the end of be continually reminded of
(an unpleasant topic or cause of annoyance): a criminal court
which admitted such a defence would never hear the end of it.
no end informal to a great extent; very much: this cheered me up
no end.
no end of informal a great deal of: emotions can cause no end of
problems.
on end 1 continuing without stopping for a specified period of
time: sometimes they'll be gone for days on end. 2 in an upright
position: he brushed his hair, leaving a tuft standing on end.put an end to cause (someone or something) to stop existing
or die: injury put an end to his career | he decided to put an end to
himself.
the sharp end informal 1 the most important or influential
part of an activity or process: he was born at the sharp end of
history. • the most risky or unpleasant part of a system or
activity: businessmen are at the sharp end of the recession. 2 Brit.
humorous the bow of a ship.
a —— to end all ——s informal used to emphasize how
impressive or successful something is of its kind: she is going to
throw a party to end all parties.
without end without a limit or boundary: a war without end.
world without end forever or infinitely. the long summer days
stretched ahead, world without end.
ORIGIN Old English ende (noun), endian (verb), of Germanic
origin; related to Dutch einde (noun), einden (verb) and
German Ende (noun), enden (verb).
-end |ɛnd|
suffix
denoting a person or thing to be treated in a specified way:
dividend | reverend.
ORIGIN from Latin -endus, gerundive ending.end
noun
1 Laura's house was at the end of the row: extremity, furthermost
part, limit, margin, edge, border, boundary, periphery; point,
tip, tail end; N. Amer. tag end. ANTONYMS beginning;
middle.
2 I never plan the end of the novel I'm writing: conclusion,
termination, ending, finish, close, resolution, climax, finale,
culmination, denouement; epilogue, coda, peroration; informal
wind-up. ANTONYMS beginning, start.
3 he jabbed a cigarette end into the ashtray: butt, stub, stump,
remnant, fragment, vestige; (ends) leftovers, remains,
remainder; informal fag end, dog end.
4 to her, wealth is a means and not an end in itself: aim, goal, purpose,
objective, object, grail, holy grail, target, mission; intention,
intent, design, motive; aspiration, wish, desire, ambition;
Frenchraison d'être.
5 the commercial end of the music business: aspect, side, section, area,
field, part, share, portion, segment, province.
6 he knew that his end might come at any time: death, dying, demise,
passing, passing on, passing away, expiration, expiry; doom,extinction, annihilation, extermination, destruction; downfall,
ruin, ruination, Waterloo; informal curtains, croaking, snuffing;
Law decease; rare quietus. ANTONYMS birth.
PHRASES
make ends meet even with no children to support, she couldn't make
ends meet: manage, cope, get by, survive, exist, subsist, muddle
through/along, scrape by/along/through, get along, make do,
barely/scarcely have enough to live on, keep the wolf from the
door, keep one's head above water, scrimp, scrape a living;
informal make out.
put an end to something 1 early marriage and early widowhood
put an end to her dreams: destroy, kill, bring to an end, be the end
of, end, extinguish, dash, quell, quash, ruin, wreck, shatter,
smash, crush, scotch; stop, block, frustrate, thwart, put a stop
to, prevent, defeat, derail; informal put paid to, do for, put the
lid on, put the kibosh on, stymie, queer; Brit. informal scupper,
dish. 2 it took over a hundred years to put an end to child labour. See
abolish.
verb
1 the show ended with a wedding scene: finish, conclude, terminate,
come to an end, draw to a close, close, stop, cease; culminate,climax, build up to, lead up to, reach a finale, come to a head;
informal wind up. ANTONYMS begin, start.
2 she attempted to end the relationship: break off, call off, bring to an
end, put an end to, call a halt to, halt, stop, drop, finish,
terminate, discontinue, dissolve, cancel, annul; informal nip
something in the bud, wind something up, knock something on
the head, give something the chop, pull the plug on, axe, scrap,
pack in, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; archaic sunder.
ANTONYMS begin.
3 the young artist chose to end his life: destroy, put an end to,
extinguish, snuff out, do away with, wipe out, take.
PHRASES
end up instead of going to Alaska, he ended up in Africa: finish up,
land up, arrive, find oneself, turn up, come, go, appear;
informal wind up, fetch up, show up, roll up, blow in.
inconsistent |ɪnkəәnˈsɪst(əә)nt|
adjective
1 not staying the same throughout: police interpretation of the law
was often inconsistent.• acting at variance with one's own principles or former
behaviour: parents can become inconsistent and lacking in control over
their children.
2 (inconsistent with) not compatible or in keeping with: he
had done nothing inconsistent with his morality.
DERIVATIVES
inconsistently adverb
inconsistent
adjective
1 his behaviour was inconsistent and irrational: erratic, changeable,
unpredictable, variable, varying, changing, inconstant,
unstable, irregular, fluctuating, unsteady, unsettled, uneven;
self-contradictory, contradictory, paradoxical; capricious, fickle,
flighty, whimsical, unreliable, undependable, mercurial,
volatile, ever-changing, protean, chameleon-like, chameleonic;
informal blowing hot and cold, up and down; technical labile;
rare changeful, fluctuant. ANTONYMS consistent,
predictable.
2 this finding is inconsistent with the conclusions of previous
surveys: incompatible with, conflicting with, in conflict with, at
odds with, at variance with, differing from, different to, indisagreement with, disagreeing with, not in accord with,
contrary to, in opposition to, opposed to, irreconcilable with,
not in keeping with, out of keeping with, out of place with, out
of step with, not in harmony with, incongruous with,
discordant with, discrepant with; antithetical to, diametrically
opposed to; rare disconsonant with, inconsonant with,
repugnant to, oppugnant to. ANTONYMS consistent.
unique |juːˈniːk|
adjective
being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else: the situation
was unique in British politics | original and unique designs.
• (unique to) belonging or connected to (one particular
person, place, or thing): a style of architecture that is unique to
Portugal.
• particularly remarkable, special, or unusual: a unique opportunity
to see the spectacular Bolshoi Ballet.
noun archaic
a unique person or thing. some of Lamb's writings were so memorably
beautiful as to be uniques in their class.
DERIVATIVES
uniquely adverb [ as submodifier ] : a uniquely British quality,uniqueness noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French, from Latin unicus,
from unus ‘one’.
usage: There is a set of adjectives—including unique,
complete, equal, infinite, and perfect—whose core
meaning embraces a mathematically absolute concept and
which therefore, according to a traditional argument, cannot
be modified by adverbs such as really, quite, or very. For
example, since the core meaning of unique (from Latin ‘one’)
is ‘being only one of its kind’, it is logically impossible, the
argument goes, to submodify it: it either is ‘unique’ or it is not,
and there are no in-between stages. In practice the situation in
the language is more complex than this. Words like unique
have a core sense but they often also have a secondary, less
precise sense: in this case, the meaning ‘very remarkable or
unusual’, as in a really unique opportunity. In its secondary
sense, unique does not relate to an absolute concept, and so
the use of submodifying adverbs is grammatically acceptable.
great |greɪt|
adjective1 of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above
average: the article was of great interest | she showed great potential as
an actor.
• [ attrib. ] used to reinforce another adjective of size or extent:
a great big grin.
• (also greater) [ attrib. ] used in names of animals or plants
which are larger than similar kinds, e.g. great tit, greater
celandine.
• (Great) [ attrib. ] [ in place names ] denoting the larger or
largest part of a place: Great Malvern.
• (Greater) [ attrib. ] (of a city) including adjacent urban
areas: Greater Manchester.
2 of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above average:
the great Italian conductor | great art has the power to change lives.
• [ attrib. ] important or most important: the great day arrived |
the great thing is the challenge.
• (the Great)used as a title to denote the most important
person of the name: Alexander the Great.
• impressive or grand: the great Victorian house.
• informal very good; excellent: another great goal from Alan |
wouldn't it be great to have him back? | [ as exclamation ] : ‘Great!’
said Tom.• informal (of a person) very skilled in a particular area: she's
great at French.
3 [ attrib. ] used before a noun to emphasize a particular
description of someone or something: I was a great fan of Hank's
| her great friend Joe.
• used to express surprise, admiration, or contempt, especially
in exclamations: you great oaf !
4 [ in combination ] (in names of family relationships) denoting
one degree further removed upwards or downwards: great-aunt
| great-great-grandfather.
5 [ predic. ] Irish(of two people) on very close or intimate
terms: one of the boys was very great with her.
noun
1 an important or distinguished person: the Beatles, Bob Dylan, all
the greats | (as plural nounthe great) : the lives of the great,
including Churchill and Newton.
2 (Greats) another term for Literae Humaniores.
adverb informal
very well; excellently: we played awful, they played great.
PHRASESthe great and the good often ironic distinguished and
worthy people collectively: an impressive gathering of the great and
the good.
great and small of all sizes, classes, or types: all creatures great
and small.
a great deal see deal 1 .
a great many see many.
a great one for a habitual doer of; an enthusiast for: my father
was a great one for buying gadgets.
Great Scott! dated expressing surprise or amazement. Great
Scott! You scored two hundred and seventy-three![arbitrary euphemism
for Great God!]
to a great extent in a substantial way; largely: we are all to a
great extent the product of our culture.
ORIGIN Old English grēat‘big’, of West Germanic origin;
related to Dutch groot and German gross .
great
adjective
1 academics waited with great interest for the book: considerable,
substantial, pronounced, sizeable, significant, appreciable,serious, exceptional, inordinate, extraordinary, special.
ANTONYMS little.
2 a great expanse of water: large, big, extensive, expansive, broad,
wide, sizeable, ample, spacious; vast, immense, huge,
enormous, gigantic, massive, colossal, mammoth, monstrous,
prodigious, tremendous, stupendous, unlimited, boundless,
cosmic; informal humongous, whopping, whopping great,
thumping, thumping great, dirty great; Brit. informal
whacking, whacking great, ginormous. ANTONYMS small.
3 a great big house: very, extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally,
especially, tremendously, immensely, extraordinarily,
remarkably, really, truly; informal dirty.
4 you great fool! absolute, total, utter, out-and-out, downright,
thorough, complete; perfect, pure, positive, prize, decided,
arrant, sheer, rank, unmitigated, unqualified, unadulterated,
unalloyed, consummate, veritable, egregious; informal
thundering; Brit. informal right, proper.
5 the great writers of the Romantic age: prominent, eminent, pre-
eminent, important, distinguished, august, illustrious, noble;
celebrated, noted, notable, noteworthy, famous, famed,
honoured, esteemed, revered, renowned, acclaimed, admired,
well known; leading, top, high, high-ranking, chief, major,main, principal, central; gifted, talented; outstanding, foremost,
remarkable, exceptional, highly rated, first-rate, incomparable,
superlative, unsurpassed, unexcelled, matchless, peerless, star,
arch-; N. Amer. informal major league. ANTONYMS minor.
6 a great power with a formidable navy: powerful, dominant,
influential, strong, potent, formidable, redoubtable; leading,
important, illustrious, top rank, of the first rank, first rate;
foremost, major, main, chief, principal, capital, paramount,
primary. ANTONYMS minor.
7 the great castle of Montellana-Coronil: magnificent, imposing,
impressive, awe-inspiring, grand, splendid, majestic,
monumental, glorious, sumptuous, resplendent, lavish,
beautiful. ANTONYMS modest.
8 he's a great sportsman: expert, skilful, skilled, adept, adroit,
accomplished, talented, fine, able, masterly, master, brilliant,
virtuoso, magnificent, marvellous, outstanding, first class, first
rate, elite, superb, proficient, very good; informal crack, ace,
wizard, A1, class, hot, top-notch, stellar, out of this world,
mean, demon; vulgar slang shit hot. ANTONYMS poor.
9 I'm not really a great follower of fashion: enthusiastic, eager, keen,
zealous, devoted, ardent, fervent, fanatical, passionate,
dedicated, diligent, assiduous, intent, habitual, active,vehement, hearty, wholehearted, committed, war m.
ANTONYMS unenthusiastic.
10 he's having a great time: enjoyable, amusing, delightful, lovely;
pleasant, congenial, diverting; exciting, thrilling; excellent,
marvellous, wonderful, superb, first-class, first-rate, admirable,
fine, splendid, very good, good; informal terrific, tremendous,
s m a s h i n g , f a n t a s t i c , f a b u l o u s , f a b , s u p e r,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, glorious, grand, magic, out of
this world, cool; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, champion,
bosting; Austral./NZ informal bonzer, beaut; Brit. informal,
dated capital, wizard, corking, spiffing, ripping, cracking, top-
hole, topping, champion, beezer; N. Amer. informal, dated
swell. ANTONYMS bad.
11 the great thing is to regret nothing: important, essential, crucial,
critical, pivotal, vital, salient, significant, big; chief, main,
principal, major, most important, uppermost, primary, prime,
cardinal, central, key, supreme, paramount, overriding;
momentous, weighty, dominant, consequential; informal
number one. ANTONYMS inessential.
continuity |ˌkɒntɪˈnjuːɪti|
noun (pl.continuities) [ mass noun ]1 the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of
something over time: a consensus favouring continuity of policy.
• a state of stability and the absence of disruption: they have
provided the country with a measure of continuity.
• a connection or line of development with no sharp breaks: a
firm line of continuity between pre-war and post-war Britain.
2 the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent
detail in the various scenes of a film or broadcast: [ as
modifier ] : a continuity error.
• the linking of broadcast items by a spoken commentary: [ as
modifier ] : the BBC continuity announcer.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French continuite,
from Latin continuitas, from continuare ‘continue’, from
continuus (see continuous) .
continuity
noun
1 a breakdown in the continuity of care: continuousness,
uninterruptedness, flow, progression. ANTONYMS
discontinuity.
2 the thematic continuity of the texts: interrelationship,
interrelatedness, intertextuality, interconnectedness,connection, linkage, cohesion, coherence; unity, whole,
wholeness.
in |ɪn|
preposition
1 expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be
enclosed or surrounded by something else: I'm living in London |
dressed in their Sunday best | she saw the bus in the rear-view mirror.
• expressing motion with the result that something ends up
within or surrounded by something else: don't put coal in the bath
| he got in his car and drove off.
2 expressing a period of time during which an event happens
or a situation remains the case: they met in 1885 | at one o'clock in
the morning | I hadn't seen him in years.
3 expressing the length of time before a future event is
expected to happen: I'll see you in fifteen minutes.
4 (often followed by a noun without a determiner) expressing a
state or condition: to be in love | I've got to put my affairs in order | a
woman in her thirties.
• indicating the quality or aspect with respect to which a
judgement is made: no discernible difference in quality.5 expressing inclusion or involvement: I read it in a book | acting
in a film.
6 indicating someone's occupation or profession: she works in
publishing.
7 indicating the language or medium used: say it in French | put
it in writing.
• indicating the key in which a piece of music is written:
Mozart's Piano Concerto in E flat.
8 [ with verbal noun ] as an integral part of (an activity): in
planning public expenditure it is better to be prudent.
9 expressing a value as a proportion of (a whole): a local income
tax running at six pence in the pound.
adverb
1 expressing movement with the result that someone or
something becomes enclosed or surrounded by something else:
come in | presently the admiral breezed in.
2 expressing the situation of being enclosed or surrounded by
something: we were locked in.
3 expressing arrival: the train got in very late.
4 (of the tide) rising or at its highest level.
adjective1 [ predic. ] present at one's home or office: we knocked at the door
but there was no one in.
2 informal fashionable: pastels and light colours are in this year | the
in thing to do.
3 [ predic. ] (of the ball in tennis and similar games) landing
within the designated playing area.
4 [ predic. ] Cricket batting: which side is in?
PHRASES
be in for have good reason to expect (something, typically
something unpleasant): she's in for a shock. • (be in for it) have
good reason to expect trouble or retribution.
have (got) it in for see have.
in all see all.
in and out of being a frequent visitor to (a house) or frequent
inmate of (an institution). they were in and out of each other's houses
all day. he was in and out of jail for most of his twenties.
in on privy to (a secret).
in so far as see far.
in that for the reason that: I was fortunate in that I had friends.
in with informal on friendly terms with: the Krays were in with a
couple of MPs.
the ins and outs informal all the details.ORIGIN Old English in (preposition), inn, inne (adverb), of
Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German in
(preposition), German ein (adverb), from an Indo-European
root shared by Latin in and Greek en .
in- 1 |ɪn|
prefix
1 (added to adjectives) not: infertile | inapt.
2 (added to nouns) without; a lack of: inappreciation.
ORIGIN from Latin.
usage: In- is also found assimilated in the following forms: il-
before l; im- before b, m, p; ir- before r.
in- 2 |ɪn|
prefix
in; into; towards; within: induce | influx | inborn.
ORIGIN representing in or the Latin preposition in .
usage: In- is also found assimilated in the following forms: il-
before l; im- before b, m, p; ir- before r.
-in 1 |ɪn|
suffixChemistry
forming names of organic compounds, pharmaceutical
products, proteins, etc.: insulin | penicillin | dioxin.
ORIGIN alteration of -ine 4 .-in 2 |ɪn|
combining form
denoting a gathering of people having a common purpose,
typically as a form of protest: sit-in | sleep-in | love-in.
In
symbol
the chemical element indium.
indium |ˈɪndɪəәm|
noun [ mass noun ]
the chemical element of atomic number 49, a soft silvery-white
metal occurring naturally in association with zinc and some
other metals.(Symbol: In)
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from indigo (because there are two
characteristic indigo lines in its spectrum) + -ium.
IN
abbreviation
Indiana (in official postal use).
in
preposition1 she was hiding in a wardrobe: inside, within, in the middle of,
within the bounds/confines of; surrounded by, enclosed by.
ANTONYMS outside.
2 he was covered in mud: with, by.
3 he put a fruit gum in his mouth: into, inside, into the interior of.
4 they met in 1921: during, in the course of, in the time of, over.
5 I'll see you in half an hour: after, at the end of, following,
subsequent to; within, in less than, in under, in no more than,
before a ... is up.
6 the tax is charged at ten pence in the pound: to, per, every, each.
PHRASES
in for she is in for a huge pay rise: due for, in line for, likely to
receive; expecting, about to receive, about to experience; up
for, ready for.
in for it we're in for it now! in trouble, about to be punished,
about to suffer the consequences, about to pay the price, in for
a scolding; informal for it, for the high jump, in hot water, in
deep water, in (deep) shtook, about to take the rap, about to
catch it.
in on now you're in on my secret: privy to, aware of, acquainted
with, informed about/of, advised of, apprised of, mindful of,sensible of; informal wise to, clued in on, up on, in the know
about, hip to, in the loop; archaic ware of.
adverb
1 his mum walked in: inside, indoors, into the interior, into the
room/house/building, within. ANTONYMS out.
2 the tide's in: high, at its highest level, rising. ANTONYMS out,
low.
adjective
1 we knocked at the door but there was no one in: present, home, at
home; inside, indoors, in the house/room. ANTONYMS out.
2 informal back when beards were in: fashionable, in fashion, in
vogue, voguish, stylish, in style, popular, (bang) up to date, up
to the minute, modern, modish, trendsetting, chic; Frenchà la
mode, de rigueur; informal trendy, all the rage, with it, cool,
the in thing, hot, hip, happening, now, swinging; Brit. informal,
dated all the go. ANTONYMS unfashionable, out.
3 I was in with all the right people: in favour, popular, friendly,
friends; favoured by, liked by, approved of by, admired by,
accepted by; informal in someone's good books. ANTONYMS
unpopular.
nounPHRASES
ins and outs our instructors will teach novices the ins and outs of the
sport: details, particulars, facts, features, points, characteristics,
traits, nuts and bolts, particularities; intricacies, peculiarities,
idiosyncrasies; informal nitty gritty, ABC, A to Z.
of |ɒv, (əә)v|
preposition
1 expressing the relationship between a part and a whole:
• with the word denoting the part functioning as the head of
the phrase: the sleeve of his coat | in the back of the car | the days of
the week.
• after a number, quantifier, or partitive noun, with the word
denoting the whole functioning as the head of the phrase: nine
of the children came to the show | a series of programmes | [ with mass
noun ] : a piece of cake.
2 expressing the relationship between a scale or measure and a
value: an increase of 5% | a height of 10 metres.
• expressing an age: a boy of 15.
3 indicating an association between two entities, typically one
of belonging, in which the first is the head of the phrase and
the second is something associated with it: the son of a friend | thegovernment of India | a photograph of the bride | [ with a
possessive ] : a former colleague of John's.
• expressing the relationship between an author, artist, or
composer and their works collectively: the plays of Shakespeare |
the paintings of Rembrandt.
4 expressing the relationship between a direction and a point of
reference: north of Watford.
5 expressing the relationship between a general category or
type and the thing being specified which belongs to such a
category: the city of Prague | the idea of a just society | the population
of interbreeding individuals | this type of book.
6 expressing the relationship between an abstract concept
having a verb-like meaning and a noun denoting the subject of
the underlying verb: the opinion of the directors | the decision of the
County Council.
• where the second noun denotes the object of the underlying
verb: the murder of two boys | payment of his debts | an admirer of
Dickens.
• where the head of the phrase is a predicative adjective: it was
kind of you to ask | I am certain of that.
7 indicating the relationship between a verb and an indirect
object:• with a verb expressing a mental state: I don't know of anything
that would be suitable.
• expressing a cause: he died of cancer.
8 indicating the material or substance constituting something:
the house was built of bricks | walls of stone.
9 N. Amer.expressing time in relation to the following hour: it
would be just a quarter of three in New York.
PHRASES
be of possess intrinsically; give rise to: this work is of great interest
and value.
of all denoting the least likely or expected example: Jordan, of
all people, committed a flagrant foul.
of all the nerve (or Brit.cheek)an expression of
indignation.
of an evening (or morning etc.) informal 1 on most
evenings (or mornings etc.). 2 at some time in the evenings (or
mornings etc.).
ORIGIN Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch
af and German ab, from an Indo-European root shared by
Latin ab and Greek apo .usage: It is a mistake to use of instead of have in constructions
such as you should have asked (not you should of asked). For more
information, see usage at have.
of- |ɒf|
prefix
variant spelling of ob- assimilated before f (as in offend).
OF
abbreviation
Old French.
with |wɪð|
preposition
1 accompanied by (another person or thing): a nice steak with a
bottle of red wine.
2 having or possessing (something): a flower-sprigged blouse with a
white collar.
• wearing or carrying: a small man with thick glasses.
3 indicating the instrument used to perform an action: cut the
fish with a knife | treatment with acid before analysis.
• indicating the material used for a purpose: fill the bowl with
water.
4 in opposition to: a row broke out with another man.5 indicating the manner or attitude in which a person does
something: the people shouted with pleasure.
6 indicating responsibility: leave it with me.
7 in relation to: my father will be angry with me.
• affected by (a particular fact or condition): he's in bed with the
flu.
• indicating the cause of (a condition): he was trembling with fear.
• because of (something) and as it happens: wisdom comes with
age.
8 employed by: she's with the Inland Revenue now.
• using the services of: I bank with the TSB.
9 in the same direction as: marine mammals generally swim with the
current.
10 indicating separation or removal from something: to part with
one's dearest possessions | their jobs could be dispensed with.
PHRASES
away (or off or out etc.) with used in exhortations to take
or send someone or something away, in, out, etc.: off with his
head | away with poverty! • (away with you) Scottishexpressing
scepticism or dismissal.be with someone 1 agree with or support someone: we're all
with you on this one. 2 [ often with negative ] informal understand
what someone is saying: I'm not with you.
with it informal 1 up-to-date or fashionable: a young, with-it film
buyer. 2 [ usu. with negative ] alert and comprehending: I'm not
really with it this morning. 3 in addition; besides: he seems a decent
lad, and clever with it.
with that straight after that; then: with that, she flounced out of the
room.
ORIGIN Old English, probably a shortening of a Germanic
preposition related to obsolete English wither‘adverse, opposite’.
with
preposition
she's gone out with her boyfriend: accompanied by, in the company
of, escorted by.
rule |ruːl|
noun
1 one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or
principles governing conduct or procedure within a particulararea of activity: the rules of cricket | those who did break the rules
would be dealt with swiftly.
• a principle that operates within a particular sphere of
knowledge, describing or prescribing what is possible or
allowable: the rules of grammar.
• a code of practice and discipline for a religious order or
community: the Rule of St Benedict.
2 [ mass noun ] control of or dominion over an area or people:
the revolution brought an end to British rule.
3 (the rule) the normal or customary state of things: such
accidents are the exception rather than the rule.
4 a strip of wood or other rigid material used for measuring
length or marking straight lines; a ruler.
• a thin printed line or dash.
5 (Rules)Austral. short for Australian Rules.
verb
1 [ with obj. ] exercise ultimate power or authority over (an
area and its people): Latin America today is ruled by elected politicians
| [ no obj. ] : the period in which Spain ruled over Portugal.
• (of a feeling) have a powerful and restricting influence on: her
whole life seemed to be ruled by fear.• [ no obj. ] be a dominant or powerful factor: [ with
complement ] : the black market rules supreme.
• [ no obj. ] informal be very good or the best: Jackie tells me
about Hanna's newest band, and says that it absolutely rules.
• Astrology (of a planet) have a particular influence over (a
sign of the zodiac, house, etc.). the tenth House, ruled by Saturn and
associated with Capricorn.
2 [ with clause ] pronounce authoritatively and legally to be the
case: an industrial tribunal ruled that he was unfairly dismissed from his
job.
3 [ with obj. ] make parallel lines across (paper): (as
adj.ruled) : a sheet of ruled paper.
4 [ no obj., with adverbial ] (of a price or a traded commodity
with regard to its price) have a specified general level or
strength: in the jutes section Indus and Pak Jute ruled firm.
PHRASES
as a rule usually, but not always. any architect knows that, as a
rule, old buildings are more soundly built than new ones.
by rule in a regular manner according to a particular set of
rules: stress is not predictable by rule and must be learned word by word.make it a rule to do something have it as a habit or
general principle to do something: I make it a rule never to mix
business with pleasure.
rule of law the restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power
by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws. when
military dictators fall, the democrats who follow them must try to restore
the rule of law.
rule of the road a custom or law regulating the direction in
which two vehicles (or riders or ships) should move to pass one
another on meeting, or which should give way to the other, so
as to avoid collision.
rule of thumb a broadly accurate guide or principle, based
on practice rather than theory. a useful rule of thumb is that about
ten hours will be needed to analyse each hour of recorded data.
rule the roost be in complete control. in this particular society
men rule the roost and women have a low status and few rights.
run the rule over Brit.examine cursorily for correctness or
adequacy. he had the chance to run the rule over the Brazil team.
PHRASAL VERBS
rule something out (or in)exclude (or include) something as
a possibility: the prime minister ruled out a November election.
DERIVATIVESruleless adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French reule (noun),
reuler (verb), from late Latin regulare, from Latin regula
‘straight stick’.
rule
noun
1 you should follow any health and safety rules which apply to your
workplace: regulation, ruling, directive, order, court order, act,
law, by-law, statute, edict, canon, ordinance, pronouncement,
mandate, command, dictate, dictum, decree, fiat,
proclamation, injunction, commandment, prescription,
stipulation, requirement, precept, guideline, direction; in
Tsarist Russiaukase; in Spain & Spanish-speaking
countriespronunciamento.
2 the general rule is that problems are referred upwards through the
organization: procedure, practice, protocol, convention,
standard, norm, form, routine, custom, habit, wont; formal
praxis.
3 moderation in all things—that's the golden rule: precept, principle,
standard, axiom, truth, truism, maxim, aphorism.4 Punjab came under British rule in 1849: control, jurisdiction,
c o m m a n d , p o w e r, s w a y, d o m i n i o n , g ove r n m e n t ,
administration, sovereignty, leadership, ascendancy, supremacy,
authority, direction, mastery, hegemony, regime, influence;
Indian raj; archaic regiment.
PHRASES
as a rule usually, generally, in general, normally, ordinarily,
customarily, almost always, for the most part, on the whole, by
and large, in the main, mainly, mostly, more often than not,
commonly, typically, on average, in most cases.
verb
1 El Salvador was ruled by Spain until 1821: govern, preside over,
control, have control of, be in control of, lead, be the leader of,
dominate, run, head, direct, administer, manage, regulate;
literary sway.
2 Mary ruled for only six years: be in power, be in control, hold
sway, be in authority, be in command, be in charge, govern, be
at the helm; reign, sit on the throne, wear the crown, wield the
sceptre, be monarch, be sovereign.
3 a High Court judge ruled that the children should be sent back to their
father: decree, order, direct, pronounce, make a judgement,judge, adjudge, adjudicate, lay down, ordain; decide, find,
determine, resolve, settle, establish, hold; rare asseverate.
4 up in the shanty towns, subversion ruled: prevail, obtain, be the
order of the day, predominate, hold sway, be supreme.
PHRASES
rule something out exclude, eliminate, reject, dismiss,
disregard; preclude, prohibit, prevent, obviate, disallow.
WORD LINKS
-cracy related suffix, as in democracy
-archy related suffix, as in oligarchy
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.
regulation |rɛgjʊˈleɪʃ(əә)n|
noun
1 a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority:
planning regulations.
• [ as modifier ] in accordance with regulations; of the correct
type: regulation army footwear.• [ as modifier ] informal of a familiar or predictable type;
formulaic: a regulation Western parody.
2 [ mass noun ] the action or process of regulating or being
regulated: the regulation of financial markets.
regulation
noun
1 EC regulations regarding health and safety in the workplace: rule,
ruling, order, directive, act, law, by-law, statute, edict, canon,
ordinance, pronouncement, mandate, dictate, dictum, decree,
fiat, proclamation, command, injunction, procedure,
requirement, prescription, precept, guideline; in Tsarist
Russiaukase; in Spanish-speaking countriespronunciamento.
2 chromium is thought to play a very important part in the regulation of
blood sugar: adjustment, control, management, balancing,
setting, synchronization, modulation, tuning.
3 the regulation of financial services: supervision, policing,
overseeing, superintendence, monitoring, inspection,
administration; control, management, responsibility for,
direction, guidance, government, rule, ordering.
adjectiveregulation dress went by the board in such extreme conditions: official,
prescribed, set, fixed, required, mandatory, compulsory,
obligatory; correct, acceptable, appropriate, proper, fitting,
standard, normal, usual, customary. ANTONYMS non-
standard, unofficial, informal.
norm |nɔːm|
noun
1 (the norm) something that is usual, typical, or standard:
strikes were the norm.
• (usu. norms) a standard or pattern, especially of social
behaviour, that is typical or expected: the norms of good behaviour
in the Civil Service.
• a required standard; a level to be complied with or reached:
the 7 per cent pay norm had been breached again.
2 Mathematics the product of a complex number and its
conjugate, equal to the sum of the squares of its real and
imaginary components, or the positive square root of this sum.
• an analogous quantity used to represent the magnitude of a
vector.
verb [ with obj. ]
adjust (something) to conform to a norm.ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from Latin norma ‘precept, rule,
carpenter's square’.
law |lɔː|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] (often the law) the system of rules which a
particular country or community recognizes as regulating the
actions of its members and which it may enforce by the
imposition of penalties: shooting the birds is against the law |
they were taken to court for breaking the law | [ as modifier ] :
law enforcement.
• [ count noun ] an individual rule as part of a system of law: a
new law was passed to make divorce easier and simpler.
• systems of law as a subject of study or as the basis of the legal
profession: he was still practising law | [ as modifier ] : a law firm.
law students.
• statute law and the common law. Compare with equity.
• something regarded as having binding force or effect: he had
supreme control—what he said was law.
• (the law) informal the police: he'd never been in trouble with the
law in his life.2 a rule defining correct procedure or behaviour in a sport: the
laws of the game.
3 a statement of fact, deduced from observation, to the effect
that a particular natural or scientific phenomenon always
occurs if certain conditions are present: the second law of
thermodynamics.
• a generalization based on a fact or event perceived to be
recurrent: the first law of American corporate life is that dead wood
floats.
4 [ mass noun ] the body of divine commandments as
expressed in the Bible or other religious texts.
• (the Law)the Pentateuch as distinct from the other parts of
the Hebrew Bible (the Prophets and the Writings).
• (also the Law of Moses)the precepts of the Pentateuch.
PHRASES
at (or in) law according to or concerned with the laws of a
country: an agreement enforceable at law | a barrister-at-law.
be a law unto oneself behave in a manner that is not
conventional or predictable. she was a law unto herself and did what
she wanted to do.
go to law Brit.resort to legal action in order to settle a matter.
the process of going to law is not as simple as one may imagine.law and order a situation characterized by respect for and
obedience to the rules of a society. his forces were preparing to
withdraw from the province after restoring law and order.
the law of the jungle see jungle.
lay down the law issue instructions to other people in an
authoritative or dogmatic way. I am not attempting to lay down the
law, but simply wish to voice my opinion.
take the law into one's own hands punish someone for an
offence according to one's own ideas of justice, especially in an
illegal or violent way. people have been urged to keep calm and not take
the law into their own hands.
take someone to law initiate legal proceedings against
someone. he's got to pay for it, or I'll take him to law.
there's no law against it informal said to assert that one is
doing nothing wrong, especially in response to an actual or
implied criticism. I can laugh, can't I? There's no law against it.
ORIGIN Old English lagu, from Old Norse lag ‘something
laid down or fixed’, of Germanic origin and related to lay 1 .
indeed |ɪnˈdiːd|
adverb1 used to emphasize a statement or response confirming
something already suggested: it was not expected to last long, and
indeed it took less than three weeks | ‘She should have no trouble hearing
him.’ ‘No indeed.’.
• used to emphasize a description: it was a very good buy indeed.
2 used to introduce a further and stronger or more surprising
point: the idea is attractive to many men and indeed to many women.
3 used in a response to express interest, surprise, or contempt:
‘A ghost indeed! I've never heard anything so silly.’.
• expressing interest of an ironical kind with repetition of a
question just asked: ‘Who'd believe it?’ ‘Who indeed?’.
ORIGIN Middle English: originally as in deed.
interesting |ˈɪnt(əә)rɪstɪŋ|
adjective
arousing curiosity or interest; holding or catching the attention:
an interesting debate | it will be very interesting to see what they come up
with.
PHRASES
in an interesting condition archaic, euphemistic (of a
woman) pregnant.
DERIVATIVESinterestingly adverb he talked interestingly and learnedly |
[ sentence adverb ] : interestingly, the researchers did notice a link,
interestingness noun
interest |ˈɪnt(əә)rɪst|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] the feeling of wanting to know or learn about
something or someone: she looked about her with interest | [ in
sing. ] : he developed an interest in art.
• the quality of exciting curiosity or holding the attention: a tale
full of interest.
• [ count noun ] an activity or subject which one enjoys doing
or studying: their sole interests are soccer, drink, and cars.
2 [ mass noun ] money paid regularly at a particular rate for
the use of money lent, or for delaying the repayment of a debt:
the monthly rate of interest | [ as modifier ] : interest payments.
3 the advantage or benefit of a person or group: the merger is not
contrary to the public interest | it is in your interest to keep your
insurance details to hand | we are acting in the best interests of our
customers.
• archaic the selfish pursuit of one's own welfare; self-interest.4 a stake or involvement in an undertaking, especially a
financial one: holders of voting rights must disclose their interests | he
must have no personal interest in the outcome of the case.
• a legal concern, title, or right in property. third parties having an
interest in a building.
5 (usu. interests) a group or organization having a common
concern, especially in politics or business: food interests in Scotland
must continue to invest.
verb [ with obj. ]
excite the curiosity or attention of (someone): I thought the book
might interest Eliot.
• (interest someone in) persuade someone to undertake or
acquire (something): efforts were made to interest her in a purchase.
PHRASES
at interest (of money borrowed) on the condition that interest
is payable. the lending of money at interest.
declare an (or one's) interest make known one's financial
interests in an undertaking before it is discussed. failure to register
or declare an interest while lobbying ministers.
in the interests (or interest) of something for the benefit
of: in the interests of security we are keeping the information confidential.
of interest interesting: his book should be of interest to historians.with interest with interest charged or paid. loans that must be
paid back with interest. • (of an action) reciprocated with more
force or vigour than the original one: she returned his look with
interest.
ORIGIN late Middle English (originally as interess): from
Anglo-Norman French interesse, from Latin interesse
‘differ, be important’, from inter- ‘between’ + esse ‘be’.
The -t was added partly by association with Old French
interest ‘damage, loss’, apparently from Latin interest ‘it is
important’. The original sense was ‘the possession of a share
in or a right to something’; hence sense 4 of the noun.
Sense 1 of the noun and the verb arose in the 18th cent.
Sense 2 of the noun was influenced by medieval Latin
interesse ‘compensation for a debtor's defaulting’.
interesting
adjective
it is one of the most interesting novels of its time: absorbing,
engrossing, fascinating, riveting, gripping, compelling,
compulsive, spellbinding, captivating, engaging, enthralling,
entrancing, beguiling; appealing, attractive, amusing,
entertaining, stimulating, thought-provoking, diverting,exciting, intriguing, action-packed; informal unputdownable.
ANTONYMS boring, uninteresting.
interest
noun
1 the children listened to the story with great interest: attentiveness,
undivided attention, absorption, engrossment, heed, regard,
notice, scrutiny; curiosity, inquisitiveness; enjoyment, delight.
ANTONYMS boredom.
2 the region has many places of interest to the tourist: attraction,
appeal, fascination, charm, beauty, allure, allurement,
temptation, tantalization.
3 this account may only be of interest to those involved: concern,
importance, import, consequence, moment, momentousness,
significance, substance, note, relevance, value, weight, gravity,
priority, urgency.
4 her interests include reading and music: hobby, pastime, leisure
activity, leisure pursuit, recreation, entertainment, diversion,
amusement, relaxation; passion, enthusiasm; informal thing,
bag, scene, cup of tea.
5 he has a financial interest in the firm: stake, share, portion, claim,
investment, stock, equity; involvement, participation, concern.6 you must declare your interest in the case: involvement, partiality,
partisanship, preference, loyalty; one-sidedness, favouritism,
bias, prejudice.
7 his attorney zealously guarded his interests: concern, business,
business matter, matter, care; (interests) affairs.
8 put your cash in a savings account where it will earn interest:
dividends, profits, returns; a percentage, a gain.
PHRASES
in someone's interests the merger is in the interests of both
regiments: of benefit to, to the advantage of, for the sake of, for
the benefit of.
verb
1 write about a topic that interests you: be of interest to, appeal to,
attract, be attractive to, intrigue, fascinate; absorb, engross,
rivet, grip, hold, captivate; amuse, divert, entertain; arouse
one's curiosity, whet one's appetite, hold one's attention, engage
one's attention; informal float someone's boat, tickle someone's
fancy, light someone's fire. ANTONYMS bore.
2 can I interest you in an aerial photograph of your house? arouse
someone's interest in, persuade to buy, sell.
thunderstorm |ˈθʌndəәstɔːm|noun
a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy
rain or hail.
approach |əәˈprəәʊtʃ|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance
or time: the train approached the main line | [ no obj. ] : winter was
approaching | (as adj.approaching) : an approaching car.
• come close to (a number, level, or standard) in quality or
quantity: the population will approach 12 million by the end of the
decade.
• archaic bring nearer: all those changes shall serve to approach him
the faster to the blest mansion.
2 speak to (someone) for the first time about a proposal or
request: the department had been approached about funding.
3 start to deal with (a situation or problem) in a certain way: one
must approach the matter with caution.
noun
1 a way of dealing with a situation or problem: we need a whole
new approach to the job.2 an initial proposal or request made to someone: the landowner
made an approach to the developer.
• (approaches) dated behaviour intended to propose
personal or sexual relations with someone: feminine resistance to
his approaches.
3 [ in sing. ] the action of coming near or nearer to someone or
something in distance or time: the approach of winter.
• (approach to) an approximation to something: the past is
impossible to recall with any approach to accuracy.
• the part of an aircraft's flight in which it descends gradually
towards an airfield or runway for landing. I used to trim the plane
back to about 50 mph for the final approach.
• (usu. approaches) a road, sea passage, or other way leading
to a place: the northern approaches to London.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French aprochier,
aprocher, from ecclesiastical Latin appropiare ‘draw near’,
from ad- ‘to’ + propius (comparative of prope ‘near’).
approach
verb
1 she approached the altar with her head bowed: proceed towards,
come/go towards, advance towards, go near/nearer, comenear/nearer, draw near/nearer, come close/closer, go close/
closer, draw close/closer, move near/nearer, edge near/nearer,
near, draw near; close in on, centre on, focus on, converge on;
catch up on, gain on; creep up on, loom; reach, arrive at.
ANTONYMS leave.
2 the trade deficit is now approaching £20 million: border on,
approximate, verge on, resemble; be comparable/similar to,
compare with; touch, nudge, get on for; near, come near to,
come/be close to; informal be not a million miles away from.
3 the publishing tycoon approached him about leaving his job: speak to,
talk to, make conversation with, engage in conversation; take
aside, detain; greet, address, salute, hail, initiate a discussion
with; broach the matter to, make advances to, make overtures
to, make a proposal to, sound out, proposition, solicit, appeal
to, apply to; informal buttonhole.
4 he had approached the whole business in the best way: set about,
tackle, begin, start, commence, embark on, make a start on,
address oneself to, undertake, get down to, launch into, go
about, get to grips with; informal get cracking on.
noun
1 the traditional British approach to air pollution control: attitude, slant,
perspective, point of view, viewpoint, outlook, line of attack,line of action; method, procedure, process, technique, MO,
style, strategy, stratagem, way, manner, mode, tactic, tack, path,
system, means; Latinmodus operandi.
2 doctors are considering an approach to the High Court: proposal,
proposition, submission, motion, offer, application, appeal,
plea.
3 (approaches) dated he found all his approaches repulsed:
advances, overtures, suggestions, attentions; suit.
4 at the approach of any intruder, she would raise her wings and screech:
advance, coming near/nearer, coming, nearing, advent; arrival,
entrance, appearance.
5 this department is our nearest approach to a Ministry of Justice:
approximation, likeness, semblance, correspondence, parallel.
6 two riders turned in at the approach to the castle: driveway, drive,
access road, road, avenue, street, passageway.
Paralympics |ˌparəәˈlɪmpɪks|
pluralnoun
an international athletic competition for disabled athletes.
DERIVATIVES
Paralympic adjectiveORIGIN 1950s: blend of paraplegic (see paraplegia) and
Olympics (plural of Olympic) .
despise |dɪˈspʌɪz|
verb [ with obj. ]
feel contempt or a deep repugnance for: he despised himself
for being selfish.
DERIVATIVES
despiser noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French despire, from
Latin despicere, from de- ‘down’ + specere ‘look at’.
despise
verb
he despised weakness in any form: detest, hate, loathe, abhor,
abominate, execrate, regard with contempt, feel contempt for,
shrink from, be repelled by, not be able to bear/stand/
stomach, find intolerable, deplore, dislike; scorn, disdain, slight,
look down on, pour/heap scorn on, deride, scoff at, jeer at,
sneer at, mock, revile; spurn, shun; archaic contemn, disrelish.
ANTONYMS like, respect.