Set 18

Put one's foot down

put one's foot down informal 1 adopt a firm policy when

faced with opposition or disobedience.

2 Brit.accelerate a

motor vehicle by pressing the accelerator pedal.

stand one's ground maintain one's position, typically in the face of opposition: she stood her ground, refusing to let him intimidate her.

adherent |ədˈhɪər(ə)nt|

noun

someone who supports a particular party, person, or set

of ideas: he was a strong adherent of monetarism.

adjective

sticking fast to an object or surface. the eggs have thick

sticky shells to which debris is often adherent. any adherent

sand grains are easily removed.

DERIVATIVES

adherence noun

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French adherent,

from Latin adhaerent- ‘sticking to’, from the verb

adhaerere (see adhere) .

read between the lines  look for or discover a meaning

that is implied rather than explicitly stated. reading

between the lines, I think Clare needs money.

read |riːd|

verb (past and past participle read |rɛd| ) [ with obj. ]

1 look at and comprehend the meaning of (written or

printed matter) by interpreting the characters or symbols

of which it is composed: it's the best novel I've ever read | I

never learned to read music | Emily read over her notes |

[ no obj. ] : I'll go to bed and read for a while.

• [ no obj. ] have the ability to look at and comprehend

the meaning of written or printed matter: only three of the

girls could read and none could write.

• speak (the written or printed matter that one is

reading) aloud: I read the letter to her | the charges against

him were read out | [ no obj. ] : I'll read to you if you like.

• habitually read (a particular newspaper or periodical).

now, I know what my reputation is—I read the papers.

• [ no obj., with complement ] (of a passage, text, or sign)

have a certain wording: the placard read ‘We want justice’.

• used to indicate that a particular word in a text or

passage is incorrect and that another should be

substituted for it: for madam read madman.

• [ no obj. ] (read for) (of an actor) audition for (a role).

ring your agent and say you'll read for the part.

2 discover (information) by reading it in a written or

printed source: he was arrested yesterday—I read it in the

paper | [ no obj. ] : I read about the course in a magazine.

• (as adj., with submodifierread) having a specified level

of knowledge as a result of reading: Ada was well read in

French literature.

• discern (a fact, emotion, or quality) in someone's eyes

or expression: she looked down, terrified that he would read

fear on her face.

3 understand or interpret the nature or significance of: he

didn't dare look away, in case this was read as a sign of

weakness.

• [ no obj., with adverbial ] (of a piece of writing) convey

a specified impression to the reader: the brief note read like

a cry for help.

4 inspect and record the figure indicated on (a measuring

instrument): I've come to read the gas meter.

• [ no obj., with complement ] (of a measuring

instrument) indicate a specified measurement or figure:

the thermometer read 0° C.

5 (of a computer) copy, transfer, or interpret (data). it

attempts to read a floppy disk without regard to its format.

• [ with obj. and adverbial ] enter or extract (data) in an

electronic storage device. the commonest way of reading a

file into the system.

• (of a device) obtain data from (light or other input). the

microchip gives a unique code when read by the scanner.

6 present (a bill or other measure) before a legislative

assembly. the bill was accordingly read a second time.

8 hear and understand the words of (someone speaking

on a radio transmitter): ‘Do you read me? Over.’.

noun.

PHRASES

read someone's mind (or thoughts)discern what

someone is thinking. he nodded, as though he could read her

mind and approved of her attitude.

read my lips N. Amer. informal listen carefully (used to

emphasize the importance of the speaker's words). forget

about him—read my lips, he wasn't worth it.

take something as read Brit.assume something without

the need for further discussion. you can take it as read that

you have the contract.

PHRASAL VERBS

read up on something (or read something up)acquire

information about a particular subject by studying it

intensively: she spent the time reading up on antenatal care.

ORIGIN Old English rǣdan, of Germanic origin; related

to Dutch raden and German raten ‘advise, guess’. Early

senses included ‘advise’ and ‘interpret (a riddle or

dream’) (see rede) .

stand |stand|

verb (past and past participle stood |stʊd| )

1 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of place ] have or

maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet:

He stood in the doorway.

• rise to one's feet:  I stood up and shook hands with my friend.

• [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] move somewhere

in an upright position: she stood aside to let them enter.

• [ with obj. and adverbial of place ] place or set in an

upright or specified position: don't stand the plant in direct

sunlight.

2 [ no obj., with adverbial of place ] (of an object,

building, or settlement) be situated in a particular place

or position: the town stood on a hill | the hotel stands in

three acres of gardens.

• (of a building or other vertical structure) remain

upright and entire rather than fall into ruin or be

destroyed: after the storms only one house was left standing.

• remain valid or unaltered: my decision stands | he won

31 caps–a record which stood for 42 years.

• (especially of a vehicle) remain stationary: the train now

standing at platform 3.

• (of a liquid) collect and remain motionless: soil where

water stands in winter.

• (especially of food) rest without disturbance, typically

so as to infuse or marinate: pour boiling water over the fruit

and leave it to stand for 5 minutes.

• [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a ship) remain

on a specified course: the ship was standing north.

3 [ no obj., with complement ] be in a specified state or

condition: since mother's death the house had stood empty |

sorry, darling—I stand corrected.

• adopt a particular attitude towards a matter or issue:

students should consider where they stand on this issue.

• be of a specified height: Sampson was a small man,

standing 5 ft 4 in tall.

• (stand at) be at (a particular level or value): the budget

stood at £2,000 million per annum.

• [ no obj., with infinitive ] be in a situation where one is

likely to do something: investors stood to lose heavily.

• act in a specified capacity: he stood security for the

government's borrowings.

• (also stand at stud) [ no obj. ] (of a stallion) be available

for breeding.

4 [ with obj. and often modal ] withstand (an experience

or test) without being damaged: small, stable boats that

could stand the punishment of heavy seas | will your cooker

stand the strain of the festive season?

• [ with modal and usu. negative ] informal be able to

endure or tolerate: I can't stand the way Mum talks to him |

I can't stand brandy.

5 [ no obj. ] Brit.be a candidate in an election: he stood for

parliament in 1968.

noun

1 [ usu. in sing. ] an attitude towards a particular issue:

the party's tough stand on immigration | his traditionalist

stand.

• a determined effort to resist or fight for something: this

was not the moment to make a stand for independence | we

have to take a stand against racism.

• an act of holding one's ground against or halting to

resist an opposing force: Custer's legendary last stand.

2 a rack, base, or piece of furniture for holding,

supporting, or displaying something: a microphone stand.

• a raised platform for a band, orchestra, or speaker.

3 the place where someone typically stands or sits: she

took her stand in front of the desks.

• a place where vehicles, typically taxis, wait for

passengers. a taxi stand. the terminal's facilities include

additional aircraft parking stands.

PHRASES

as it stands in its present condition: there are no merits in

the Bill as it stands. • (also as things stand) in the present

circumstances: the country would struggle, as it stands, to

host the next World Cup.

stand a chance see chance.

stand easy    see easy.

stand one's ground maintain one's position, typically in

the face of opposition: she stood her ground, refusing to let

him intimidate her.

stand on me informal, dated rely on me; believe me.

stand on one's own (two) feet be or become self-reliant

or independent. he'll have to stand on his own two feet.

stand out a mile see mile.

stand out like a sore thumb see sore.

stand up and be counted state publicly one's support for

someone or something. those who admire her should stand

up and be counted.

PHRASAL VERBS

stand alone be unequalled: when it came to fun Fergus

stood alone.

stand aside take no action to prevent, or not involve

oneself in, something that is happening: the army had

stood aside as the monarchy fell.

stand back  withdraw from a situation emotionally in

order to view it more objectively. I blazed with rage, then

stood back and assessed the situation. • another way of

saying stand aside above.

stand by

1 be present while something bad is happening

but fail to take any action to stop it: he was beaten to the

ground as onlookers stood by.

2 support or remain loyal to

(someone), typically in a time of need: she had stood by

him during his years in prison. • adhere to or abide by

(something promised, stated, or decided): the government

must stand by its pledges. 

3 be ready to deal or assist with

something: two battalions were on their way, and a third was

standing by.

stand down

1 withdraw or resign from a position or

office: he stood down as leader of the party.

2 (stand down or

stand someone down) relax or cause to relax after a state

of readiness: if something doesn't happen soon, I reckon

they'll stand us down.

stand for

1 be an abbreviation of or symbol for: BBC

stands for British Broadcasting Corporation.

2 [ with

negative ] informal refuse to endure or tolerate: I won't

stand for any nonsense.

3 support (a cause or principle): we

stand for animal welfare.

stand in

1 deputise: Brown stood in for the injured

Simpson.

stand off 

1 move or keep away: the women stood off at a

slight distance.

stand someone off 

1 keep someone away; repel

someone. they could not hope to stand off all the horsemen.

stand out

1 project from a surface: the veins in his neck

stood out.

• be easily noticeable: he was one of those men

who stood out in a crowd.

• be clearly better or more

significant than someone or something: four issues  stand

out as being of crucial importance.

2 persist in opposition or

support of something: she stood out against public

opinion.

stand over 

1 stand close to (someone) so as to watch,

supervise, or intimidate them. Steve stood over them

while they had their dreaded wash with cold water.

2 (stand over

or stand something over) be postponed or

postpone to be dealt with at a later date: a number of

points were stood over to a further meeting.

stand to [ often in imperative ] Military stand ready for

an attack, especially one before dawn or after dark. orders

came to the guardroom to stand to.

stand up (of an argument, claim, evidence, etc.) remain

valid after close scrutiny or analysis. you need to have hard

evidence that will stand up in court. the argument does not

stand up to analysis.

stand someone up informal fail to keep an appointment

with a boyfriend or girlfriend. she threw eggs over his car

after he stood her up.

stand up to 

1 make a spirited defence against: giving

workers the confidence to stand up to their employers.

2 be resistant to the harmful effects of (prolonged use).

 choose a carpet that will stand up to wear and tear.

DERIVATIVES

stander noun

ORIGIN Old English standan (verb), stand (noun), of

Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by

Latin stare and Greek histanai, also by the noun stead.

usage: The use of the past participle stood with the verb

‘to be’, as in we were stood in a line for hours, is not

acceptable in standard English, where the present

participle standing should be used instead. See also

usage at sit.

predilection |ˌpriːdɪˈlɛkʃ(ə)n|

noun

a preference or special liking for something; a bias in

favour of something: your predilection for pretty girls.

ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from French prédilection, from

Latin praedilect- ‘preferred’, from the verb praediligere,

from prae ‘in advance’ + diligere ‘to select’.

predilection

noun

her predilection for married men: liking, fondness,

preference, partiality, taste, penchant, weakness, soft

spot, fancy, inclination, leaning, bias, propensity, bent,

proclivity, proneness, predisposition, tendency, affinity,

appetite, love;  ANTONYMS dislike,disinclination.

predicament |prɪˈdɪkəm(ə)nt|

noun

1 a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation: the

club's financial predicament.

ORIGIN late Middle English (in sense 2): from late Latin

praedicamentum ‘something predicated’ (rendering

Greek katēgoria ‘category’), from Latin praedicare (see

predicate). From the sense ‘category’ arose the sense

‘state of being, condition’; hence ‘unpleasant situation’.

predicament

noun

I really cannot understand how you could have allowed

yourself to get into such a predicament: difficult situation,

awkward situation, mess, difficulty, problematic

situation, issue, plight, quandary, trouble, muddle,

mare's nest, crisis; informal hole, fix, jam, sticky

situation, pickle, scrape, bind, tight spot/corner, spot,

corner, dilemma, hot/deep water, kettle of fish, how-do-

you-do.

afterthought |ˈɑːftəθɔːt|

noun

something that is thought of or added later: as an

afterthought she said ‘Thank you’.

aversion |əˈvəːʃ(ə)n|

noun

a strong dislike or disinclination: they made plain their

aversion to the use of force.

• someone or something that arouses a strong dislike or

disinclination. my dog's pet aversion is visitors, particularly

males.

DERIVATIVES

aversive adjective

ORIGIN late 16th cent. (originally denoting the action of

turning away or averting one's eyes): from Latin

aversio(n-), from avertere ‘turn away from’ (see avert) .

aversion

noun

their deep-seated aversion to the use of force: dislike of,

distaste for, disinclination, abhorrence, hatred, hate,

loathing, detestation, odium, antipathy, hostility; disgust,

revulsion, repugnance, horror; phobia; resistance,

unwillingness, reluctance, avoidance, evasion, shunning;

informal allergy; ANTONYMS liking,inclination, desire.

postponement |pəʊs(t)ˈpəʊnm(ə)nt|

noun [ mass noun ]

the action of postponing something; deferral: the

postponement of the elections | [ count noun ] : after repeated

postponements, Berlin's new Jewish Museum is officially

open.

postponement

noun

a further postponement of the trial: deferral, deferment,

delay, putting off/back, rescheduling, adjournment,

shelving, suspension; stay, respite;  rare put-off.

postpone |pəʊs(t)ˈpəʊn, pəˈspəʊn|

verb [ with obj. ]

cause or arrange for (something) to take place at a time

later than that first scheduled: the visit had to be postponed

for some time | [ with present participle ] : he postponed

implementing the scheme until industry and business were

consulted.

DERIVATIVES

postponable adjective,

postponer noun

ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from Latin postponere, from post

‘after’ + ponere ‘to place’.

postpone

verb

he had to postpone his scheduled trip to South Africa: put off,

delay, defer, put back, hold over/off, carry over,

reschedule, adjourn, stay, shelve, stand over, pigeonhole,

keep in abeyance, suspend, mothball;

informal put on ice, put on the back burner, put in cold

storage; rare remit, respite. ANTONYMS advance, bring

forward.

pompous |ˈpɒmpəs|

adjective

1 affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important: a pompous

ass who pretends he knows everything.

DERIVATIVES

pompously adverb,

pompousness noun

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French pompeux

‘full of grandeur’, from late Latin pomposus, from pompa

‘pomp’.

pompous

adjective

1 a pompous official who kept quoting the rules: self-

important, imperious, overbearing, domineering,

magisterial, pontifical, sententious, grandiose, affected,

stiff, pretentious, puffed up, arrogant, vain, haughty,

proud, conceited, egotistic, supercilious, condescending,

patronizing; informal snooty, uppity, uppish.

ANTONYMS modest, humble, self-effacing.

uppish |ˈʌpɪʃ|

adjective informal

arrogantly self-assertive. she sensed that her accent made her

sound uppish.

DERIVATIVES

uppishly adverb,

uppishness noun

arrogant

adjective

he's too arrogant to know when he's lost: haughty, conceited,

hubristic, self-important, opinionated, egotistic, full of

oneself, superior; overbearing, pompous, high-handed,

swaggering, boastful, bumptious, blustering,

patronizing, condescending, disdainful, contemptuous,

imperious; proud, vain, immodest; lofty, lordly, snobbish,

snobby, overweening, supercilious, smug; pretentious,

affected; scornful, mocking, sneering, scoffing; informal

hoity-toity, high and mighty, uppity, snooty, stuck-up,

toffee-nosed, fancy-pants, snotty, jumped up, too big for

one's boots, big-headed. ANTONYMS humble, modest.

serene |sɪˈriːn|

adjective

calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil: her eyes were

closed and she looked very serene | serene certainty.

DERIVATIVES

serenely adverb

ORIGIN late Middle English (describing the weather or

sky as ‘clear, fine, and calm’): from Latin serenus .

serene

adjective

1 on the surface I might have seemed serene, but underneath I

was panicking: calm, composed, collected, {cool, calm, and

collected}, as cool as a cucumber, tranquil, peaceful, at

peace, pacific, untroubled, relaxed, at ease, poised, self-

possessed, unperturbed, imperturbable, undisturbed,

unruffled, unworried, placid, equable, even-

tempered; ANTONYMS anxious, nervous,agitated.

2 Trentino is a labyrinth of deep valleys and serene lakes:

peaceful, tranquil, quiet, still, restful, relaxing, soothing,

undisturbed, untroubled. ANTONYMS turbulent, noisy.

3 the serene western sky: cloudless, unclouded, clear,

bright, sunny. ANTONYMS cloudy, stormy.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

serene, calm, tranquil, placid, peaceful

ruffle |ˈrʌf(ə)l|

verb [ with obj. ]

1 disorder or disarrange (someone's hair), typically by

running one's hands through it: he ruffled her hair

affectionately.

• (of a bird) erect (its feathers) in anger or display: they

warbled incessantly, their throat feathers ruffled.

• disturb the smoothness or tranquillity of: the evening

breeze ruffled the surface of the pond in the yard.

• disconcert or upset the composure of (someone):

Lancaster had been ruffled by her questions.

ruffle

verb

1 Patrick kissed her on the cheek and ruffled her hair:

disarrange, tousle, dishevel, rumple, run one's fingers

through, make untidy, tumble, riffle, disorder; mess up,

make a mess of, tangle; ANTONYMS smooth.

2 a light wind ruffled the water: make ripples in, ripple,

riffle, roughen. ANTONYMS smooth.

3 ‘Keep calm,’ she told herself, ‘don't let him ruffle you’:

annoy, irritate, irk, vex, nettle, needle, anger, exasperate;

disconcert, unnerve, fluster, flurry, agitate, harass, upset,

disturb, discomfit, put off, put someone off their stroke,

throw off balance, make nervous, discompose,

discountenance, cause someone to lose their composure,

perturb, unsettle, bother, affect, ruffle someone's feathers,

worry, disquiet, trouble, confuse;  faze,

throw, get to, put into a flap, throw into a tizz, rile,

niggle, aggravate, bug, miff, peeve, discombobulate,

shake up; ANTONYMS soothe, calm.

PHRASES

ruffle someone's feathers cause someone to become

annoyed or upset. his sudden rise ruffled the feathers of the

old guard. tampering with the traditional approach would

ruffle a few feathers.

smooth someone's ruffled feathers make someone less

angry or irritated by using soothing words. twenty

minutes later, after a diplomatic phone call, she had succeeded

in smoothing Henri's ruffled feathers.

calm |kɑːm|

adjective

1 not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other

strong emotions: she had to keep calm at all costs | his voice

was calm.

• (of a place) peaceful after violent activity: the city was

reported to be calm, but army patrols remained.

2 (of the weather) pleasantly free from wind: the night

was clear and calm.

• (of the sea) not disturbed by large waves. a dead calm

sea.

noun [ mass noun ]

1 the absence of strong emotions; calm feelings: his usual

calm deserted him.

• the absence of violent activity in a place: the elections

proceeded in an atmosphere of relative calm | [ in sing. ] : an

edgy calm reigned in the capital.

2 the absence of wind: in the centre of the storm calm

prevailed.

• still air represented by force 0 on the Beaufort scale

(less than 1 knot or 1 kph).

• [ count noun ] (often calms) an area of the sea without

wind. flat calms.

verb [ with obj. ]

make (someone) tranquil and quiet; soothe: I took him

inside and tried to calm him down.

• [ no obj. ] (calm down) (of a person) become tranquil

and quiet. gradually I calmed down and lost my anxiety.

PHRASES

the calm before the storm see storm.

DERIVATIVES

calmly adverb,

calmness noun

ORIGIN late Middle English: via one of the Romance

languages from Greek kauma ‘heat (of the day)’.

calm

adjective

1 her voice was steady and she seemed very calm: serene,

tranquil, relaxed, unruffled, unperturbed,

undisturbed, unmoved,

untroubled; equable, even-tempered, imperturbable,

quiet, steady; placid, peaceful, sedate,

impassive, dispassionate, unemotional, phlegmatic,

stolid; composed, cool, collected, {cool, calm, and

collected}, as cool as a cucumber, cool-headed, self-

possessed, controlled, self-controlled, poised; informal

unflappable, unfazed, together, laid-back, chilled;

ANTONYMS excited, upset, nervous.

2 the night was clear and calm: windless, still, tranquil,

quiet, serene, peaceful, pacific, undisturbed, restful,

balmy, halcyon. ANTONYMS windy, stormy.

3 the calm waters of the lake: tranquil, still, like a millpond,

smooth, glassy, flat, motionless, waveless, unagitated,

storm-free;  ANTONYMS rough, stormy.

noun

1 in the centre of the storm, calm prevailed: tranquillity,

stillness, calmness, quiet, quietness, quietude, peace,

peacefulness, serenity, silence, hush; restfulness, repose.

ANTONYMS violence, unrest.

2 his usual calm deserted him: composure, coolness,

calmness, self-possession, sangfroid, presence of mind,

poise, aplomb, self-control; serenity, tranquillity,

equanimity, imperturbability, equability,

placidity, impassiveness, impassivity, dispassion,

phlegm, stolidity; informal cool, unflappability;ANTONYMS anxiety.

verb

1 I took him inside and tried to calm him down | he went

round to the pub to calm his nerves: soothe, pacify, placate,

mollify, appease, conciliate; hush, lull, gentle,

tranquillise; quell, allay, alleviate, assuage;

ANTONYMS excite, upset.

2 she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down :

compose oneself, recover/regain one's composure,

control oneself, recover/regain one's self-control, pull

oneself together, keep one's head, simmer down, cool

down, cool off, take it easy;

get a grip, keep one's cool, play it cool, wind down,

come back down to earth;

informal chill out, hang loose, stay loose, decompress.

ANTONYMS lose one's temper.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

calm, serene, tranquil, placid, peaceful

All these words indicate a freedom from disturbance or

agitation, and all are used of people, concrete nouns,

such as water, and abstract nouns, such as look.

■ Someone who is calm remains unperturbed in a

worrying or frightening situation (you were wonderful,

coping with all of us and always calm). Calm is often applied

to a place where fighting or unrest is normal but is

absent or has died down, and is the word most

commonly used in connection with weather, to describe

the sea, day, weather, or sky.

■ Serene suggests that a person has an inner calm and is

used to describe their appearance or behaviour (the serene

beauty of her delicate golden face belied her years | an attitude

of serene detachment).

■ Tranquil is most commonly used of places that are

relaxing free from noise or disturbance—a setting,

scene, village, or garden, in particular. It is also used to

describe people or their lives (most people over twenty

never have a tranquil moment).

■ Someone with a placid nature is not easily worried or

upset (a placid, contented family man | her usually placid

temper began to stir). Placid can have critical overtones,

suggesting that someone is slow to react and rather dull

Placid is also used to describe animals and children with

a quiet, docile nature, as well as areas of calm water, such

as a bay, sea, or canal.

■ Peaceful most commonly refers to an absence of

conflict or aggression (a peaceful solution to the Saharan

conflict | 400,000 people participated in a peaceful

demonstration).

These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between

closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

meek |miːk|

adjective

quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive: she

brought her meek little husband along.

DERIVATIVES

meekly adverb

meek

adjective

1 they used to call her Miss Mouse because she was so meek

and mild: patient, long-suffering, forbearing, resigned;

gentle, quiet, shy, retiring, reverent, peaceful, peaceable,

docile,  mild, demure, modest, humble, lowly,

diffident, unassuming, self-effacing, unpretentious,

unambitious, unobtrusive. ANTONYMS impatient,

assertive.

2 the meek compliance of our politicians: submissive,

yielding, unresistant, obedient, compliant, tame,

biddable, tractable, acquiescent, deferential, weak, timid,

frightened, spineless, spiritless,

ANTONYMS assertive, overbearing.

WORD TOOLKIT

meek

See humble.

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close

synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

humble |ˈhʌmb(ə)l|

adjective (humbler, humblest)

1 having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's

importance: I felt very humble when meeting her.

• (of an action or thought) offered with or affected by a

modest estimate of one's importance: my humble apologies.

2 of low social, administrative, or political rank: she came

from a humble, unprivileged background.

3 (of a thing) of modest pretensions or dimensions: he

built the business empire from humble beginnings.

verb [ with obj. ]

cause (someone) to feel less important or proud: he was

humbled by his many ordeals.

humble

adjective

1 her bearing was very humble and apologetic: meek,

deferential, respectful, submissive, self-effacing,

unassertive; modest, unassuming, self-

deprecating, free from vanity, hiding one's light under a

bushel; obsequious, sycophantic, servile.

ANTONYMS proud, overbearing.

2 she came from a humble, unprivileged background: low-

ranking, low, lowly, lower-class, plebeian, proletarian,

working-class, undistinguished, poor, mean, ignoble, of

low birth, low-born, of low rank; common,

commonplace, ordinary, simple, inferior, unimportant,

unremarkable, insignificant, inconsequential; ANTONYMS noble.

3 welcome to my humble abode: unpretentious, modest,

 plain, simple, ordinary. ANTONYMS grand.

verb

1 I knew he had humbled himself to ask for my help:

humiliate, abase, demean, belittle, lower, degrade,

debase, bring down, bring low; mortify, shame, put to

shame, abash, subdue, chasten, make someone eat

humble pie, take down a peg or two; informal put down,

cut down to size, settle someone's hash;

2 Wales were humbled at Cardiff Arms Park by Romania:

defeat, beat, beat hollow, crush, trounce, conquer,

vanquish, rout, smash, overwhelm, get the better of, give

a drubbing to, bring someone to their knees;

ANTONYMS be victorious over.

WORD TOOLKIT

humble meek

deferential

opinion

servant

apologies

request

heart voice

tone

acceptance treatment

husband/wife standard

little mouse society

whimper

habits

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close

synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

PHRASES

eat humble pie make a humble apology and accept

humiliation. he will have to eat humble pie at training after

being sent off for punching.[ humble pie is from a pun based

on umbles‘offal’, considered inferior food.]

DERIVATIVES

humbleness noun,

humbly adverb

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, from Latin

humilis ‘low, lowly’, from humus ‘ground’.

grandiose |ˈgrandɪəʊs|

adjective

extravagantly or pretentiously imposing in appearance

or style: the court's grandiose facade.

• conceived on a very grand or ambitious scale: grandiose

plans to reform the world.

DERIVATIVES

grandiosely adverb,

grandiosity |-ˈɒsɪti| noun

ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French, from Italian

grandioso, from grande ‘grand’.

grandiose

adjective

1 the grandiose town hall: magnificent, impressive, grand,

imposing, awe-inspiring, splendid, resplendent, superb,

striking, monumental, majestic, glorious, elaborate;

palatial, stately, large; luxurious, lavish, opulent;

informal plush, classy, swanky, flashy, flash.

ANTONYMS unimpressive, humble.

2 a grandiose plan of urban renewal: ambitious, bold, epic,

big; overambitious, ostentatious, showy, extravagant,

high-flown, high-sounding, flamboyant; informal over

the top, ANTONYMS modest, humble.

bitter |ˈbɪtə|

adjective

1 having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet: raw

berries have an intensely bitter flavour.

• (of chocolate) dark and unsweetened.

2 feeling or showing anger, hurt, or resentment because

of bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment: I don't

feel jealous or bitter | she wept bitter tears of self-reproach.

• (of a conflict, argument, or opponent) full of anger and

acrimony: a bitter five-year legal battle.

3 painful or unpleasant to accept or contemplate: today's

decision has come as a bitter blow | she knew from bitter

experience how treacherous such feelings could be.

4 (of wind or weather) intensely cold: a bitter February

night.

PHRASES

to the bitter end used to indicate that one will continue

doing something until it is finished, no matter what: the

workers would fight to the bitter end.

DERIVATIVES

bitterly adverb

ORIGIN Old English biter, of Germanic origin; related to

Dutch and German bitter, and probably to bite.

bitter

adjective

1 very bitter coffee: sharp, acid, acidic, pungent, acrid, tart,

sour, biting, harsh, unsweetened, vinegary;  ANTONYMS

sweet.

2 a bitter old woman: resentful, embittered, aggrieved,

dissatisfied, disgruntled, discontented, grudge-bearing,

grudging, begrudging, indignant, rancorous, splenetic,

spiteful, jaundiced, ill-disposed, sullen, sour, churlish,

morose, petulant, peevish, with a chip on one's shoulder.

ANTONYMS magnanimous; content.

3 today's decision has come as a bitter blow: painful,

unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, cruel, awful, distressing,

disquieting, disturbing, upsetting, harrowing,

heartbreaking, heart-rending, agonising, unhappy,

miserable, wretched, sad, poignant, grievous, traumatic,

tragic, chilling, mortifying, galling, vexatious; rare

distressful. ANTONYMS welcome.

4 a bitter north wind: intensely cold, bitterly cold, freezing,

icy, icy-cold, arctic, glacial, frosty, frigid, chilly; piercing,

penetrating, biting, nipping, stinging, sharp, 

ANTONYMS warm, balmy.

5 a bitter row broke out: acrimonious, virulent, angry,

rancorous, spiteful, vindictive, vicious, vitriolic, savage,

hostile, ferocious, scathing, antagonistic, hate-filled,

venomous, poisonous, acrid, bilious, nasty, ill-natured,

malign, choleric. ANTONYMS amicable.

maroon 

1 |məˈruːn|

adjective

of a brownish-red colour. ornate maroon and gold

wallpaper.

noun

1 [ mass noun ] a brownish-red colour. the hat is available

in either white or maroon. [ count noun ] : cold pinks,

purples, and maroons.

maroon

verb

a novel about English schoolboys marooned on a desert island:

strand, leave stranded, cast away, cast ashore, abandon,

leave behind, leave, leave in the lurch, desert, turn one's

back on, leave isolated; informal leave high and dry;

despair |dɪˈspɛː|

noun [ mass noun ]

the complete loss or absence of hope: a voice full of self-

hatred and despair | in despair, I hit the bottle.

verb [ no obj. ]

lose or be without hope: we should not despair | she

despaired of finding a good restaurant nearby.

PHRASES

be the despair of cause to lose hope: such students can be

the despair of conscientious teachers.

ORIGIN Middle English: the noun via Anglo-Norman

French from Old French desespeir; the verb from Old

French desperer, from Latin desperare, from de- ‘down

from’ + sperare ‘to hope’.

despair

noun

many parents feel pain and despair about their teenage

children: hopelessness, desperation, distress, anguish,

pain, unhappiness; dejection, depression, despondency,

disconsolate, gloom, melancholy, melancholia,

misery, wretchedness; disheartenment, discouragement,

defeatism, pessimism.

ANTONYMS hope; joy.

PHRASES

be the despair of my handwriting was the despair of my

teachers: be the bane of, be the scourge of, be a burden on,

be a trial to, be a thorn in the flesh/side of, be a bother

to, be the ruin of, be the death of.

verb

don't despair if you didn't win this time: lose hope, give up

hope, abandon hope, give up, lose heart, be discouraged,

be despondent, be demoralized, resign oneself, throw in

the towel/sponge, quit, surrender; be pessimistic, look

on the black side;

about to I was about to climb into bed when the bell rang:

going to, ready to, all set to, preparing to, intending to,

soon to; on the point of, on the verge of, on the brink of,

within an ace of.

immediately

immediately |ɪˈmiːdɪətli|

adverb

1 at once; instantly: I rang immediately for an ambulance.

2 without any intervening time or space: she was sitting

immediately behind me.

• in direct or very close relation: they would be the states

most immediately affected by any such action.

conjunction chiefly Brit.

as soon as: let me know immediately she arrives.

go down 1 (of a ship or aircraft) sink or crash. he saw

eleven B-17s go down.

• be defeated in a contest: they went

down 2–1.

2 be recorded or remembered in a particular

way: his name will go down in history.

3 be swallowed:

solids can sometimes go down much easier than liquids.

go 1 |gəʊ|

verb (goes |gəʊz| , going |ˈgəʊɪŋ| ; pastwent |wɛnt| ;

past participlegone |gɒn| )

1 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of direction ] move from

one place to another; travel: he went out to the shops | she

longs to go back home | we've a long way to go.

• travel a specified distance: you just have to go a few miles

to get to the road.

• travel or move in order to engage in a specified

activity: let's go and have a pint | [ with infinitive ] : we

went to see her | [ with present participle ] : she used to go

hunting.

• (go to) attend or visit for a particular purpose: we went

to the cinema | he went to Cambridge University.

• change in level, amount, or rank: prices went up by 15

per cent.

• [ in imperative ] begin motion (used in a starter's order

to begin a race): ready, steady, go.

2 [ no obj. ] leave; depart: I really must go.

• (of time) pass or elapse: the hours went by | three years

went past.

• pass a specified amount of time in a particular way:

they went for two weeks without talking.

• come to an end; cease to exist: a golden age that has now

gone for good | 11,500 jobs are due to go by next year.

• cease operating or functioning: the power went in our

road last week.

• die (used euphemistically): I'd like to see my

grandchildren before I go.

• be lost or stolen: when he returned minutes later his

equipment had gone.

• (go to) be sold or awarded to: the top prize went to a

twenty-four-year-old sculptor.

• (of money) be spent, especially in a specified way: the

rest of his money went on medical expenses.

3 (be going to be/do something) intend or be likely or

intended to be or do something (used to express a future

tense): I'm going to be late for work | she's going to have a

baby.

4 [ no obj., with complement ] pass into or be in a

specified state, especially an undesirable one: the food is

going bad | no one went hungry in our house | he's gone

crazy.

• (go to/into) enter into a specified state or course of

action: she went back to sleep | the car went into a spin.

5 [ no obj. ] proceed or turn out in a specified way: how

did the weekend go? | at first all went well.

• be acceptable or permitted: underground events where

anything goes.

6 [ no obj. ] be harmonious, complementary, or matching:

rosemary goes with roast lamb | the earrings and the scarf

don't really go.

• be found in the same place or situation; be associated:

cooking and eating go together.

7 [ no obj. ] (of a machine or device) function: my car

won't go.

• continue in operation or existence: the committee was

kept going even when its existence could no longer be

justified.

8 [ no obj. ] (go into/to/towards) contribute to or be put

into (a whole): considerable effort went into making the

operation successful.

• used to indicate how many people a supply of a

resource is sufficient for or how much can be achieved

using it: the sale will go a long way towards easing the

huge debt burden | a little luck can go a long way.

9 [ no obj. ] (of an article) be regularly kept or put in a

particular place: remember which card goes in which slot.

adjective [ predic. ] 

informal

functioning properly: all systems go.

PHRASES

get going 

1 leave a place in order to go somewhere else:

it's been wonderful seeing you again, but I think it's time we

got going. 

2 start happening or taking place: the campaign

got going in 1983.

get something going succeed in starting a machine,

vehicle, process, etc.: we got the car going again after much

trying.

go halves (or shares)share something equally. she'd

promised to go halves with him if he got anywhere in the

negotiations.

going, gone! an auctioneer's announcement that bidding

is closing or closed.

going on —— (Brit. also going on for ——)approaching

a specified time, age, or amount: 

I was going on fourteen when I went to my first gig.

go to show (or prove)(of an occurrence) serve as

evidence or proof of something. the whole mess goes to

show that faith in the chairman is no substitute for studying

the balance sheet.

go well S. African used to express good wishes to

someone leaving.

make a go of informal be successful in (something): he's

determined to make a go of his marriage.

on the go informal very active or busy. he's dead beat, he's

been on the go all evening.

to be going on with Brit.to start with; for the time being:

this is not a full critical appraisal but it will do to be going on

with.

to go N. Amer.(of food or drink from a restaurant or cafe)

to be eaten or drunk off the premises: one large cheese-and-

peppers pizza, to go.

what goes around comes around 

proverb 

the consequences of one's actions will have to be dealt with

eventually.

PHRASAL VERBS

go about 

1 begin or carry on with (an activity): 

you are going about this in the wrong way. 

go along with consent or agree to (a person or proposal).

he will probably go along with the idea.

go around see go round .

go around with be regularly in the company of: he goes

around with some of the local lads.

go at energetically attack or tackle: he went at things with a

daunting eagerness.

go back 1 (of a clock) be set to an earlier standard time,

especially at the end of summertime. 

go back on fail to keep (a promise): he wouldn't go back on

his word.

go down 1 (of a ship or aircraft) sink or crash. he saw

eleven B-17s go down.

• be defeated in a contest: they went down 2–1.

go down with begin to suffer from (an illness): I went

down with an attack of bronchitis.

go for 1 decide on; choose: I went for grilled halibut. 

• tend to find (a particular type of person) attractive: Dionne

went for the outlaw type. 

2 attempt to gain or attain: he

went for a job as a delivery driver. 

• (go for it) strive to the utmost to gain or achieve something 

(frequently said as an exhortation): sounds like a good idea—go for it

go off 

1 (of a gun, bomb, or similar device) explode or

fire. the pistol suddenly went off. 

• (of an alarm) begin to

sound. 

2 Brit.(of food or drink) begin to decompose and

become inedible. milk went off so quickly in hot weather. 

3 go to sleep. 

4 gradually cease to be felt:

I had a bad headache but it's going off now.

go on 

1 [ often with present participle ] continue or

persevere: I can't go on protecting you. 

• talk at great length, especially tediously or angrily: the twins were

always going on about him. 

• continue speaking or doing something after a short pause: 

[ with direct speech ] : ‘I don't understand,’ she went on.

 • informal said when

encouraging someone or expressing disbelief: go on, tell

him! 

2 happen: we still don't know what went on there. 

3 [ often with infinitive ] proceed to do: she went on to do

postgraduate work.

go out 

1 (of a fire or light) be extinguished. a few minutes

later the lights went out. 

2 (of the tide) ebb.

3 leave one's home to go to a social event: 

I'm going out for dinner.

go over 1 consider, examine, or check (something): I want

to go over these plans with you again. 

go through 1 undergo (a difficult period or experience):

the country is going through a period of economic instability. 

2 search through or examine methodically: she started to go

through the bundle of letters.

go through with perform (an action) to completion

despite difficulty or unwillingness. he bravely went

through with the ceremony.

go under 

1 (of a business) become bankrupt. 

2 (of a person) die or suffer an emotional collapse.

go up 

1 (of a building or other structure) be built: housing

developments went up. 

2 explode or suddenly burst into

flames: two factories went up in flames. 

go with 

1 give one's consent or agreement to (a person or

proposal). 

go without suffer lack or deprivation: I like to give my

children what they want, even if I have to go without.

savage |ˈsavɪdʒ|

adjective

1 (of an animal or force of nature) fierce, violent, and

uncontrolled: packs of savage dogs roamed the streets.

• cruel and vicious; aggressively hostile: a savage attack

on the government.

2 (of something bad or negative) very great; severe: the

decision was a savage blow for the town.

noun

1 a brutal or vicious person: the mother of one of the victims

has described his assailants as savages.

DERIVATIVES

savagely adverb,

savageness noun

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French sauvage

‘wild’, from Latin silvaticus ‘of the woods’, from silva ‘a

wood’.

savage

adjective

1 packs of savage dogs roamed the streets: ferocious, fierce;

wild, untamed, undomesticated, feral; predatory,

ravening. ANTONYMS tame.

2 James died after a savage assault at his home near Blackpool:

vicious, brutal, cruel, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, violent,

bloody, murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty, bestial,

brutish, barbaric, barbarous, merciless, ruthless, pitiless,

heartless, inhuman, harsh, callous, cold-blooded; 

3 the most savage landscape you are likely to see in the

Pyrenees: rugged, rough, wild, inhospitable,

uninhabitable.

4 the decision was a savage blow for the town: severe,

crushing, devastating, crippling, terrible, awful,

dreadful, dire, catastrophic, calamitous, ruinous; mortal,

lethal, fatal.

noun

1 the mother of one of the victims has described his assailants

as savages: brute, beast, monster, barbarian, ogre, demon,

sadist, animal.

verb

1 11-year-old Kelly was savaged by two Rottweilers: maul,

attack, tear to pieces, lacerate, claw, bite, mutilate,

mangle; worry.

2 British critics savaged the film: criticize severely, attack,

lambaste, condemn, flay, shoot down, pillory, revile;

tear to pieces, take to pieces, take/pull apart, lay into, pitch into,
 hammer, slam, bash, do a hatchet job on, crucify,
give something a battering, roast,

ANTONYMS praise, commend, applaud.

artiste |ɑːˈtiːst|

noun

a professional entertainer, especially a singer or dancer:

cabaret artistes.

ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from French (see artist) .

artiste

noun

a cabaret artiste: entertainer, performer, trouper,

showman, artist; player, musician, singer, dancer, actor,

actress, thespian; comic, comedian, comedienne, clown,

impressionist, mime artist,  magician, acrobat;

star, superstar;

virtuoso |ˌvəːtjʊˈəʊzəʊ, -səʊ|

noun (pl.virtuosi |-si| or virtuosos)

1 a person highly skilled in music or another artistic

pursuit: a celebrated clarinet virtuoso | [ as modifier ] :

virtuoso guitar playing.

DERIVATIVES

virtuosic |-ˈɒsɪk| adjective

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Italian, literally ‘learned,

skilful’, from late Latin virtuosus (see virtuous) .

virtuoso

noun

the piano player is clearly a virtuoso of the first order: genius,

expert, master, master hand, artist, maestro, prodigy,

marvel, adept, past master, specialist, skilled person,

professional, doyen, authority, veteran; star, champion;
ANTONYMS beginner, amateur, duffer.

adjective

a virtuoso violinist: skillful, expert, accomplished, masterly,

master, consummate, proficient, talented, gifted, adept,

adroit, dexterous, deft, able, good, competent, capable,

efficient, experienced, professional, polished, well

versed, smart, clever, artful, impressive, outstanding,

exceptional, exceptionally good, magnificent, supreme,

first-rate, first-class, fine, brilliant, excellent, dazzling,

bravura; informal superb, out of this world.

ANTONYMS inexpert, incompetent.

performer |pəˈfɔːmə(r)|

noun

a person who entertains an audience: a circus performer.

performer

noun

actor, actress, thespian, artiste, artist, entertainer, trouper;

star, superstar; rare executant; (performers) troupe,

company, cast.

steam |stiːm|

noun [ mass noun ]

the vapour into which water is converted when heated,

forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air.

a cloud of steam. steam was rising from the mugs of coffee. she

wiped the steam off the mirror.

• the invisible gaseous form of water, formed by boiling,

from which this vapour condenses.

• the expansive force of this vapour used as a source of

power for machines: the equipment was originally powered

by steam | [ as modifier ] : a steam locomotive.

• locomotives and railway systems powered in this way:

we were trainspotters in the last years of steam.

• energy and momentum or impetus: the anti-corruption

drive gathered steam.

verb

1 [ no obj. ] give off or produce steam: a mug of coffee was

steaming at her elbow.

• (steam up or steam something up) become or cause

something to become covered or misted over with steam:

[ no obj. ] : the glass keeps steaming up | [ with obj. ] : the

warm air had begun to steam up the windows.

2 [ with obj. ] cook (food) by heating it in steam from

boiling water: steam the vegetables until just tender.

• [ no obj. ] (of food) cook by heating in steam: leave the

mussels to steam.

• clean or otherwise treat with steam: he steamed his shirts

to remove the odour.

• [ with obj. and complement or adverbial ] apply steam

to (something fixed with adhesive) so as to open or

loosen it: he'd steamed the letter open and then resealed it.

3 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] (of a ship or

train) travel somewhere under steam power: the 11.54

steamed into the station.

PHRASES

under one's own steam Brit.(with reference to travel)

without assistance from others: we're going to have to get

there under our own steam.

under steam (of a machine) being operated by steam. 

ORIGIN Old English stēam‘vapour’, stēman‘emit a scent,

be exhaled’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stoom

‘steam’.

steam

noun

1 steam gushed from the spout of the kettle: water vapour,

condensation, mist, haze, fog, exhalation, moisture.

2 he starts fast but tends to run out of steam: energy, vigour,

vigor, vitality, stamina, enthusiasm; momentum,

impetus, power, force, strength, thrust, impulse, push,

drive, driving power; speed, pace, velocity.

PHRASES

let off steam informal give vent to one's feelings, speak

one's mind, sound off, lose one's inhibitions, let oneself

go; use up energy, release surplus energy. 

under one's own steam unaided, unassisted, without

help, without assistance, independently, by oneself, by

one's own efforts, on one's own two feet. ANTONYMS

with help.

verb

informal he bounced out of the car and steamed into the shop.

See run.

PHRASES

get steamed up informal
1 he got really steamed up about

forgetting his papers: become agitated, get worked up, get

overwrought, get flustered, panic, become panic-

stricken; informal get het up, get into a state, get into a

tizzy, get uptight, get into a stew, get the willies, get the

heebie-jeebies, go into a flat spin; Brit. informal have

kittens, have an attack of the wobblies. ANTONYMS

calm down. 
2 they get steamed up about the media: become

very angry, become enraged, go into a rage, lose one's

temper; informal go/get mad, go crazy, go wild, see red,

bake |beɪk|

verb [ with obj. ]

1 cook (food) by dry heat without direct exposure to a

flame, typically in an oven: they bake their own bread and

cakes.

• [ no obj. ] (of food) be cooked by baking: the bread was

baking on hot stones.

noun [ with modifier ]

a dish consisting of a mixture of ingredients cooked in an

oven: a vegetable bake.

bake

verb

1 bake the fish for 15–20 mins: cook, oven-bake, dry-roast,

roast, spit-roast, pot-roast; rare oven.

saute |ˈsəʊteɪ|

adjective [ attrib. ]

fried quickly in a little hot fat: saute potatoes.

noun

1 a dish consisting of ingredients that have been sauteed.

a saute of squash, potatoes, and corn.

verb (sautes, sauteing, sauteed ) [ with obj. ]

fry quickly in a little hot fat: saute the onions in the olive oil.

ORIGIN early 19th cent.: French, literally ‘jumped’, past

participle of sauter .

parboil |ˈpɑːbɔɪl|

verb [ with obj. ]

partly cook (food) by boiling. parboil the vegetables in

salted water for about 5 minutes.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French

parbouillir, from late Latin perbullire ‘boil thoroughly’,

from Latin per- ‘through, thoroughly’ (later confused

with part) + bullire ‘to boil’.

polytheism |ˈpɒlɪˌθiːɪz(ə)m|

noun [ mass noun ]

the belief in or worship of more than one god. the

polytheism of the ancient Near East.

DERIVATIVES

polytheist noun,

polytheistic |-ˈɪstɪk| adjective

!!

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French polythéisme, from

Greek polutheos ‘of many gods’, from polu- ‘many’ +

theos ‘god’.

monotheism |ˈmɒnə(ʊ)ˌθiːɪz(ə)m|

noun [ mass noun ]

the doctrine or belief that there is only one God.

DERIVATIVES

monotheist noun& adjective,

monotheistic |-ˈɪstɪk| adjective,

monotheistically |-ˈɪstɪk(ə)li| adverb

ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from mono-‘one’ + Greek theos

‘god’ + -ism.

atheism |ˈeɪθɪɪz(ə)m|

noun [ mass noun ]

disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French athéisme, from

Greek atheos, from a- ‘without’ + theos ‘god’.

inflorescence |ˌɪnflɔːˈrɛs(ə)ns, -flə-|

incandescent |ɪnkanˈdɛs(ə)nt|

adjective

1 emitting light as a result of being heated: plumes of

incandescent liquid rock.

• (of an electric light) containing a filament which glows

white-hot when heated by a current passed through it.

2 full of strong emotion; passionate: she felt an

incandescent love for life.

• extremely angry: I am incandescent at the way I've been

treated.

DERIVATIVES

incandescence noun,

incandescently adverb

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from French, from Latin

incandescent- ‘glowing’, from the verb incandescere,

from in- (expressing intensive force) + candescere

‘become white’ (from candidus ‘white’).

incandescent

adjective

1 incandescent fragments of lava: white-hot, intensely hot,

red-hot, burning, fiery, on fire, blazing, ablaze, aflame;

glowing, aglow, radiant, bright, brilliant, dazzling,

shining, luminous, gleaming;

2 the minister was said to be incandescent: furious, enraged,

raging, very angry, incensed, seething, infuriated,

fuming, boiling, inflamed, irate, wrathful, in a temper,

agnostic |agˈnɒstɪk|

noun

a person who believes that nothing is known or can be

known of the existence or nature of God.

adjective

relating to agnostics or agnosticism.

DERIVATIVES

agnosticism |-sɪz(ə)m| noun

ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from a- 1 ‘not’ + gnostic.

agnostic

noun

he was an agnostic, but his notebooks reveal a kind of religious

attitude to the universe: sceptic, doubter, questioner,

doubting Thomas, challenger, scoffer, cynic; unbeliever,

disbeliever, non-believer; rationalist; 

ANTONYMS believer, theist.

adjective

a group of prominent agnostic scientists: sceptical, doubting,

questioning, unsure, cynical, unbelieving, disbelieving,

non-believing, faithless, irreligious; rationalist; ANTONYMS theist.

cynic |ˈsɪnɪk|

noun

1 a person who believes that people are motivated purely

by self-interest rather than acting for honourable or

unselfish reasons: some cynics thought that the controversy

was all a publicity stunt.

• a person who questions whether something will

happen or whether it is worthwhile: the cynics were

silenced when the factory opened.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in sense 2): from Latin cynicus,

from Greek kunikos; probably originally from

Kunosarges, the name of a gymnasium where

Antisthenes taught, but popularly taken to mean

‘doglike, churlish’, kuōn, kun-,‘dog’ becoming a

nickname for a Cynic.

cynic

noun

sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, scoffer; pessimist,

prophet of doom, doom merchant, doom and gloom

merchant, doomster, doomsayer, doom-monger,

doomwatcher, Cassandra. ANTONYMS idealist;

optimist.

sceptic |ˈskɛptɪk|

noun

1 a person inclined to question or doubt accepted

opinions.

• a person who doubts the truth of Christianity and

other religions; an atheist.

2 Philosophy an ancient or modern philosopher who

denies the possibility of knowledge, or even rational

belief, in some sphere.

adjective

another term for sceptical.

ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in sense 2 of the noun): from

French sceptique, or via Latin from Greek skeptikos,

from skepsis ‘inquiry, doubt’.

sceptic

noun

1 sceptics said the marriage wouldn't last: cynic, doubter,

questioner, scoffer; pessimist, prophet of doom; rare

Pyrrhonist, minimifidian.

2 empowered by that Spirit, sceptics have found faith:

agnostic; atheist, non-theist, unbeliever, non-believer,

disbeliever, doubting Thomas; rationalist. ANTONYMS believer.

misogynist |mɪˈsɒdʒ(ə)nɪst, mʌɪ-|

noun

a person who hates women. a bachelor and renowned

misogynist.

adjective

having or showing a hatred of women: a misogynist

attitude.

DERIVATIVES

misogynistic |-ˈnɪstɪk| adjective

misogynist

noun

a bachelor and renowned misogynist: woman hater, anti-

feminist.

avant-garde |ˌavɒ̃ ˈ gɑːd|

noun (usu. the avant-garde)

new and experimental ideas and methods in art, music,

or literature: he has been called a promoter of the avant-garde.

adjective

favouring or introducing new and experimental ideas

and methods: a controversial avant-garde composer.

DERIVATIVES

avant-gardism noun,

avant-gardist noun

ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting the vanguard of

an army): from French, literally ‘vanguard’. Current

senses date from the early 20th cent.

avant-garde

adjective

her tastes were too avant-garde for her contemporaries:

innovative, advanced, innovatory, original, experimental,

inventive, ahead of the times, new, forward-looking,

futuristic, modern, ultra-modern, state-of-the-art,

trendsetting, pioneering, progressive, groundbreaking,

trailblazing, revolutionary; unfamiliar, unorthodox,

unconventional, off-centre, eccentric, offbeat, bohemian;

ANTONYMS conservative,reactionary.

iconoclast |ʌɪˈkɒnəklast|

noun

1 a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or

institutions.

2 a destroyer of images used in religious worship, in

particular:

ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (in sense 2): via medieval Latin

from ecclesiastical Greek eikonoklastēs, from eikōn

‘likeness’ + klan ‘to break’.

iconoclast

noun

she is an iconoclast, called to shatter the myth of restaurants

she feels are too popular: critic, sceptic, questioner; heretic,

nonconformist, dissident, dissenter, dissentient;

malcontent, rebel, subversive, renegade, mutineer;

maverick; original, innovator.

benefactor |ˈbɛnɪfaktə|

noun

a person who gives money or other help to a person or

cause. a low-interest loan from a benefactor allowed them to

build a floor for the exhibition hall.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin, from bene

facere ‘do good (to)’ (see benefaction) .

benefactor

noun

they erected a statue to their most generous benefactor:

patron, benefactress, supporter, backer, helper, sponsor,

promoter, champion; donor, contributor, subscriber,

subsidiser; philanthropist, good Samaritan, sympathiser,

well-wisher, friend; informal angel, fairy godmother;

beneficiary |bɛnɪˈfɪʃ(ə)ri|

noun (pl.beneficiaries)

a person who derives advantage from something,

especially a trust, will, or life insurance policy.

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin beneficiarius, from

beneficium (see benefice) .

beneficiary

noun

she was the major beneficiary of her parents' will: heir,

heiress, inheritor, legatee; recipient, receiver, payee,

donee, assignee; 

tycoon |tʌɪˈkuːn|

noun

1 a wealthy, powerful person in business or industry: a

newspaper tycoon.

ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Japanese taikun ‘great

lord’.

tycoon

noun

a newspaper tycoon: magnate, mogul, big businessman,

baron, merchant prince, captain of industry, industrialist,

financier, top executive, chief, lord, nabob,

grandee; entrepreneur; millionaire, billionaire,

multimillionaire; informal big shot, big gun, top dog.

patriot |ˈpatrɪət, ˈpeɪt-|

noun

a person who vigorously supports their country and is

prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors. a

true patriot.

ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the late Latin sense): from

French patriote, from late Latin patriota ‘fellow

countryman’, from Greek patriōtēs, from patrios ‘of

one's fathers’, from patris ‘fatherland’.

patriot

noun

a great patriot who had died for his country: nationalist,

loyalist; chauvinist, jingoist, flag-waver,

isolationist, xenophobe. ANTONYMS traitor.

plebeian |plɪˈbiːən|

noun

 a member of the lower social classes. the feeling was

shared by plebeians, gentry, and clergy.

adjective

of or belonging to the commoners of ancient Rome.

• of or belonging to the lower social classes. two dancers,

one royal and one plebeian.

plebeian

noun

the hostility towards him was shared by plebeians and gentry

alike: proletarian, commoner, common person, man/

woman/person in the street, working-class person,

worker, working person; peasant; informal, derogatory

pleb, prole. ANTONYMS aristocrat, noble, patrician.

adjective

1 people of plebeian descent: lower-class, low-class,

working-class, proletarian, common, peasant, mean,

humble, lowly, low, of low birth, low-born, low-ranking,

ignoble, undistinguished; 

ANTONYMS aristocratic, noble, patrician.

2 a man of plebeian tastes: uncultured, uncultivated,

unrefined, lowbrow, philistine, uneducated, unpolished,

provincial, rustic; coarse, uncouth, crass, common,

vulgar, base, boorish, gross; informal plebby;
ANTONYMS refined, cultivated, sophisticated.

surround |səˈraʊnd|

verb [ with obj. ]

be all round (someone or something): the hotel is

surrounded by its own gardens | figurative : he loves to

surround himself with family and friends.

• (of troops, police, etc.) encircle (someone or something)

so as to cut off communication or escape: troops

surrounded the parliament building.

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘overflow’):

from Old French souronder, from late Latin superundare,

from super- ‘over’ + undare ‘to flow’ (from unda ‘a

wave’); later associated with round. Current senses of

the noun date from the late 19th cent.

!!

surround

verb

the next thing we knew we were surrounded by cops: encircle,

enclose, encompass, ring, gird, girdle, go around; fence

in, wall in, hedge in, hem in, close in, confine, ring

(round), bound, circumscribe, delimit, cut off; besiege,

siege, beset, beleaguer, throng, trap; 

noun

a tiled fireplace with a wood surround: border, edging, edge,

perimeter, boundary, margin, skirting, skirt, fringe.

accustomed |əˈkʌstəmd|

adjective [ attrib. ]

customary; usual: his accustomed route.

accustom |əˈkʌstəm|

verb [ with obj. ] (accustom someone/thing to)

make someone or something accept (something) as

normal or usual: I accustomed my eyes to the lenses |
[ with obj. and infinitive ] : sixth-form education is supposed
to accustom pupils to think for themselves.

• (be accustomed to) be used to: I am not accustomed to

having my word questioned.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French

acostumer, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + costume

‘custom’.

accustomed

adjective

1 the money would not have kept Nicholas in his accustomed

lifestyle: customary, usual, normal, habitual, familiar,

regular, routine, ordinary, typical, traditional,

conventional, established, common, general, standard,

prevailing, confirmed, fixed, set, settled,
ANTONYMS unusual, unaccustomed.

2 she is accustomed to being told what to do: used to,

adapted, adjusted, habituated, hardened, no stranger to;

familiar with, acquainted with, at home with, in the habit of,
experienced in, versed in, conversant with.

ANTONYMS unfamiliar, unused to.

accustom

verb

she could not accustom herself to an altered way of life:

adapt, adjust, acclimatize, attune, habituate,

accommodate, assimilate, acculturate, inure, harden,

condition, reconcile, become resigned, resign; get used

to, come to terms with, come to accept, learn to live with,

make familiar with, become acquainted with; find one's

feet, get one's bearings, blend in, fit in; 

throne |θrəʊn|

noun

a ceremonial chair for a sovereign, bishop, or similar

figure. King Solomon's great ivory throne. [ as modifier ] :

the throne room.

• (the throne) used to signify sovereign power: the heir to

the throne.

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French trone, via

Latin from Greek thronos ‘elevated seat’.

throne

noun

1 a golden throne: seat of state, royal seat.

2 the tsar risked losing his throne: sovereign power,

sovereignty, rule, command, dominion.

fragile |ˈfradʒʌɪl|

adjective

(of an object) easily broken or damaged: fragile items such

as glass and china.

• easily destroyed or threatened: you have a fragile grip on

reality.

• (of a person) not strong or sturdy; delicate and

vulnerable. a small, fragile old lady. his fragile health

somewhat improved.

DERIVATIVES

fragilely adverb

ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘morally weak’):

from Latin fragilis, from frangere ‘to break’. The sense

‘liable to break’ dates from the mid 16th cent.

fragile

adjective

1 she was anxious about her fragile porcelain: breakable,

easily broken, brittle, frangible,  splintery,

flimsy, weak, frail, insubstantial, delicate, dainty, fine;

eggshell. ANTONYMS robust.

2 moves were made to consolidate the fragile ceasefire:

tenuous, easily broken, easily destroyed, easily

threatened, vulnerable, perilous, flimsy, shaky, rocky,

risky, unreliable, suspect, nebulous, unsound, insecure;

ANTONYMS sound;  durable.

3 she is still very fragile after her ordeal: weak, delicate, frail,

debilitated, tottery, shaky, trembly, ill, unwell, ailing,

poorly, sickly, infirm, feeble, enfeebled, unsound;
ANTONYMS strong.

falter |ˈfɔːltə, ˈfɒl-|

verb [ no obj. ]

lose strength or momentum: the music faltered, stopped,

and started up again | (as adj.faltering) : his faltering career.

• speak hesitantly: [ with direct speech ] : ‘A-Adam?’ he

faltered.

• move unsteadily or hesitantly: he faltered and finally

stopped in mid-stride.

DERIVATIVES

falterer noun,

falteringly adverb

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the senses ‘stammer’

and ‘stagger’): perhaps from the verb fold 1 (which was

occasionally used of the faltering of the legs or tongue) +

-ter as in totter.

falter

verb

1 when war seemed imminent the government faltered:

hesitate, delay, drag one's feet, stall, think twice, get cold

feet, change one's mind, waver, oscillate, fluctuate,

vacillate, be undecided, be indecisive, be irresolute, see-

saw, yo-yo; 

2 she faltered over his name: stammer, stutter, stumble,

speak haltingly, hesitate, pause, halt, splutter, flounder,

blunder, fumble.

faint |feɪnt|

adjective

1 (of a sight, smell, or sound) barely perceptible: the faint

murmur of voices.

• (of a hope or chance) possible but unlikely; slight: there

is a faint chance that the enemy may flee.

• lacking conviction or enthusiasm; feeble: she sent him a

faint answering smile.

2 [ predic. ] feeling weak and dizzy and close to losing

consciousness: the heat made him feel faint.

verb [ no obj. ]

lose consciousness for a short time because of a

temporarily insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain.
I fainted from loss of blood.

noun [ in sing. ]

a sudden loss of consciousness: she hit the floor in a dead

faint.

PHRASES

not have the faintest informal have no idea: I haven't the

faintest what it means.

DERIVATIVES

faintness noun

ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘feigned’, also

‘feeble, cowardly’, surviving in faint heart): from Old

French faint, past participle of faindre (see feign).

faint

adjective

1 her skirt had a faint mark or two: indistinct, vague,

unclear, indefinite, ill-defined, obscure, imperceptible,

hardly noticeable, hardly detectable, unobtrusive; pale,

light, faded, bleached. ANTONYMS clear.

2 the baby gave a faint cry: quiet, muted, muffled, stifled,

subdued; feeble, weak, thin, whispered, murmured,

indistinct, scarcely audible, scarcely perceptible, hard to

hear, hard to make out, vague; low, soft, gentle.

ANTONYMS loud.

3 the faint possibility of his returning: slight, slender, slim,

small, tiny, minimal, negligible, remote, distant, vague,

unlikely, improbable, doubtful, dubious, far-fetched;

poor, outside; ANTONYMS great.

4 only faint praise was offered to the management team:

unenthusiastic, half-hearted, weak, feeble, low-key;

ANTONYMS strong.

verb

he was so pale she thought he would faint: pass out, lose

consciousness, fall unconscious, black out, collapse;

noun

she collapsed to the floor in a dead faint: blackout, fainting

fit, loss of consciousness, collapse; coma; Medicine syncope.

modesty |ˈmɒdɪsti|

noun [ mass noun ]

1 the quality or state of being unassuming in the

estimation of one's abilities: with typical modesty he

insisted on sharing the credit with others.

2 the quality of being relatively moderate, limited, or

small in amount, rate, or level: the modesty of his political

aspirations.

3 behaviour, manner, or appearance intended to avoid

impropriety or indecency: modesty forbade her to undress in

front of so many people.

modesty

noun

1 Hannah's innate modesty cloaks many talents: self-

effacement, humility, lack of vanity, lack of pretension,

unpretentiousness; shyness, bashfulness, self-

consciousness, reserve, reticence, timidity, meekness.

ANTONYMS boastfulness.

2 Gandhi's political tactics obscured the modesty of his

political aspirations: limited scope, moderation, fairness,

acceptability, smallness. ANTONYMS grandeur.

3 it is appropriate to contrast the modesty of his home with

those of more affluent politicians:
simplicity, plainness, lack of pretension, inexpensiveness,

lack of extravagance. ANTONYMS grandeur.

clemency |ˈklɛmənsi|

noun [ mass noun ]

mercy; lenience: an appeal for clemency.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin clementia, from

clemens, clement- ‘clement’.

clemency

noun

the high court commuted his prison term to five years as an act

of clemency: mercy, mercifulness, leniency, lenience,

mildness, indulgence, forbearance, quarter; compassion,

humanity, pity, sympathy, kindness, magnanimity,

benignity, charity, grace, humaneness, humanitarianism,

tenderness. ANTONYMS ruthlessness,strictness.

prudence |ˈpruːd(ə)ns|

noun [ mass noun ]

the quality of being prudent; cautiousness: we need to

exercise prudence in such important matters.

prudence

noun

1 foresters argue about the prudence of drastic thinning:

wisdom, judgement, good judgement, judiciousness,

sagacity, shrewdness, advisability, common sense, sense.

ANTONYMS folly.

2 an elder counselled prudence: caution, cautiousness, care,

carefulness, canniness, chariness, wariness,

circumspection; far-sightedness, foresight, forethought;

discretion. ANTONYMS recklessness.

impudence |ˈɪmpjʊd(ə)ns|

noun [ mass noun ]

the quality of being impudent; impertinence: his

arrogance and impudence had offended many.

impudence

noun

impertinence, insolence, effrontery, cheek, audacity,

temerity, brazenness, shamelessness, immodesty,

pertness; presumption, presumptuousness, disrespect,

insubordination, irreverence, flippancy, bumptiousness,

brashness, boldness; rudeness, impoliteness, ill manners,

bad manners, gall, ill breeding; informal freshness,
cockiness, brass neck, sauce, sauciness, lip,
mouth, face, nerve; 

answer |ˈɑːnsə|

noun

1 a thing that is said, written, or done as a reaction to a

question, statement, or situation: he knocked and entered

without waiting for an answer | I hurried along the passage

in answer to the doorbell's ring.

• a thing written or said in reaction to a question in a test

or quiz: write your answers on a postcard.

• the correct solution to a question in a test or quiz: the

answer is 280°.

2 a solution to a problem or dilemma: the answer to

poverty and unemployment is a properly funded range of

services.

3 [ in sing. ] (answer to) a person or thing regarded as the

equivalent to a better-known one from another place: the

press called her Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe.

verb

1 [ reporting verb ] say or write something as a reaction

to someone or something: [ with direct speech ] : ‘Of

course I can,’ she answered | [ with clause ] : she answered

that she would take nothing but the ring | [ with obj. ] : she

tried to answer his questions truthfully | [ no obj. ] : Steve

was about to answer, but Hazel spoke first.

• [ no obj. ] (answer back) respond impudently or

disrespectfully to someone, especially when being

criticized or told to do something. I'd usually talk him

round, but never answer back. [ with obj. ] : Mary resisted the

temptation to answer her mother back.

2 [ no obj. ] (answer to) be responsible or report to

(someone): I answer to the Assistant Commissioner of

Specialist Operations.

3 [ with obj. ] defend oneself against (a charge,

accusation, or criticism): he said he would return to Spain to

answer all charges.

• [ no obj. ] (answer to) be required to explain or justify

oneself to (someone): you will have the police to answer to.

4 [ with obj. ] be suitable for fulfilling (a need); satisfy:

entrepreneurship is necessary to answer the needs of national

and international markets.

DERIVATIVES

answerer noun

ORIGIN Old English andswaru (noun), andswarian (verb),

of Germanic origin; from a base shared by swear.

answer

noun

1 her answer was swift and unequivocal: reply, response,

rejoinder, return, reaction; acknowledgement; retort,

riposte; informal comeback. ANTONYMS question,

query.

2 the answer is 150: solution, explanation, resolution; key.

3 simply increasing the number of troops is not the answer:

solution, remedy, way of solving the problem, way out;

informal quick fix.

verb

1 Steve was about to answer, but Hazel spoke first | ‘Of course

I can,’ she answered: reply, respond, speak/say in

response, make a rejoinder, rejoin; retort, come back,

fling back, hurl back; acknowledge, write back; 

2 he has yet to answer the charges made against him: rebut,

refute, defend oneself against.

3 the police had a tip-off about a man answering this

description: match, fit, correspond to, be similar to,

conform to, correlate to.

4 we're looking at new types of programmes to answer the

needs of our audience: satisfy, meet, fulfil, fill, serve, suit,

measure up to, match up to; fit/fill the bill.

5 I answer to the Assistant Commissioner of Specialist

Operations: report, be accountable, be answerable, be

responsible; work for, work under, be subordinate to, be

supervised by, be managed by.

PHRASES

answer for 

1 no one has been made to answer for the crime:

pay for, be punished for, suffer the consequences of,

suffer for; make amends for, make reparation for, atone

for.
 2 the present government has a lot to answer for: be

accountable for, be responsible for, be liable for, take the

blame for; vouch for; informal take the rap for.

argue |ˈɑːgjuː|

verb (argues, arguing, argued)

1 [ reporting verb ] give reasons or cite evidence in

support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the

aim of persuading others to share one's view: [ with

clause ] : sociologists argue that inequalities in industrial

societies are being reduced | [ no obj. ] : he argued for extra

resources | [ with direct speech ] : ‘It stands to reason,’ she

argued.

• [ with obj. ] (argue someone into/out of) persuade

someone to do or not to do (something) by giving

reasons: I tried to argue him out of it.

2 [ no obj. ] exchange or express diverging or opposite

views, typically in a heated or angry way: the two men

started arguing in a local pub | figurative : I wasn't going to

argue with a gun | [ with obj. ] : she was too tired to argue

the point.

DERIVATIVES

arguer noun

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French arguer, from

Latin argutari ‘prattle’, frequentative of arguere ‘make

clear, prove, accuse’.

argue

verb

1 critics argued that the government had been to blame for the

country's economic problems: contend, assert, declare,

maintain, state, proclaim, advance, insist, hold, claim,

aver, avow, reason, attest, expostulate, testify, swear,

certify; propound, submit, posit, postulate, adduce,

move, advocate, opine, allege; make a case for, give

reasons for, defend, explain, vindicate, justify; 

2 the children are always arguing: quarrel, disagree, row,

squabble, bicker, fight, wrangle, dispute, feud, have a

row, bandy words, have words, cross swords, lock horns,

be at each other's throats; dissent, clash, differ, be at

odds; informal fall out, scrap, argy-bargy, argufy, spat, go

at it hammer and tongs, fight like cat and dog; archaic

altercate.

3 it is hard to argue the point: dispute, debate, discuss,

controvert.

PHRASES

argue someone into something it would be better to argue

her into going back home: persuade to, convince to, prevail

on to, coax into; talk someone round.

argue someone out of something Vivienne had argued

Malcolm out of one of his crazier ideas: dissuade from,

persuade against, talk out of.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

argue, quarrel, wrangle, dispute, bicker

See quarrel.

auspicious |ɔːˈspɪʃəs|

adjective

conducive to success; favourable: it was not the most

auspicious moment to hold an election.

• giving or being a sign of future success: they said it was

an auspicious moon—it was rising.

DERIVATIVES

auspiciously adverb,

auspiciousness noun

ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from auspice + -ous.

auspicious

adjective

an auspicious day was chosen for the wedding: favourable,

propitious, promising, full of promise, bright, rosy, good,

optimistic, hopeful, encouraging; opportune, timely, well

timed, lucky, fortunate, providential, felicitous,

advantageous, beneficial. ANTONYMS inauspicious.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

auspicious, opportune, timely

attune |əˈtjuːn|

verb [ with obj. ]

make receptive or aware: a society more attuned to

consumerism than ideology | (as adj.attuned) : the

Department is very attuned politically.

• accustom or acclimatise: students are not attuned to

making decisions.

• make harmonious: the interests of East and West are now

closely attuned.

DERIVATIVES

attunement noun

ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from at- + tune.

attune

verb

she was attuned to the refinements of Cambridge society:

accustom, adjust, adapt, acclimatize, assimilate,

condition, accommodate, tailor; (be attuned to) be in

tune with, be in harmony with, be in accord with;

for |fɔː, fə|

preposition

1 in support of or in favour of (a person or policy): troops

who had fought for Napoleon | they voted for independence in

a referendum.

2 affecting, with regard to, or in respect of: she is

responsible for the efficient running of their department | the

demand for money.

3 on behalf of or to the benefit of: I got a present for you |

these parents aren't speaking for everyone.

• employed by: she is a tutor for the Open University.

4 having (the thing mentioned) as a purpose or function:

networks for the exchange of information | the necessary tools

for making a picture frame.

5 having (the thing mentioned) as a reason or cause:

Aileen is proud of her family for their support | I could dance

and sing for joy.

6 having (the place mentioned) as a destination: they are

leaving for London tomorrow.

7 representing (the thing mentioned): the ‘F’ is for

Fascinating.

8 in place of or in exchange for: will you swap these two

bottles for that one?

• charged as (a price): copies are available for £1.20.

9 in relation to the expected norm of: she was tall for her

age | it's quite warm for this time of year.

10 indicating the length of (a period of time): he was jailed

for 12 years | I haven't seen him for some time.

11 indicating the extent of (a distance): he crawled for 300

yards.

12 indicating an occasion in a series: the camcorder failed

for the third time.

conjunction 

because; since: he felt guilty, for he knew that he bore a share

of responsibility for Fanny's death.

PHRASES

for all —— see all.

for ever see forever.

ORIGIN Old English, probably a reduction of a

Germanic preposition meaning ‘before’ (in place or

time); related to German für, also to fore.

for- |fɔːunstressed fə|

prefix

1 denoting prohibition: forbid.

2 denoting abstention, neglect, or renunciation: forgive |

forget | forgo.

up |ʌp|

adverb

1 towards a higher place or position: he jumped up | two

of the men hoisted her up | the curtain went up.

• upstairs: she made her way up to bed.

• (of the sun) visible after daybreak: the sun was already

up when they set off.

• expressing movement towards or position in the north:

he's driving up to Inverness to see the old man.

2 at or to a higher level of intensity, volume, or activity:

she turned the volume up | liven up the graphics | US

environmental groups had been stepping up their attack on

GATT.

3 to the place where someone is: Dot didn't hear Mrs

Parvis come creeping up behind her.

4 towards or in the capital or a major city: give me a ring

when you're up in London.

5 into the desired or a proper condition: the government

agreed to set up a committee of inquiry.

• so as to be finished or closed: I've got a bit of paperwork

to finish up | he zipped up the holdall.

6 into a happy mood: I don't think anything's going to cheer

me up.

7 out of bed: Miranda hardly ever got up for breakfast.

8 displayed on a noticeboard or other publicly visible

site: sticking up posters to advertise concerts.

9 (of sailing) against the current or the wind. the bow of

the boat was brought slowly up into the wind and held there.

• (of a ship's helm) moved round to windward so that

the rudder is to leeward.

preposition

1 from a lower to a higher point of (something): she

climbed up a flight of steps.

• to a higher part of (a river or stream), away from the

sea: a cruise up the Rhine.

2 along or further along (a street or road): he lived up the

road | walking up the street.

adjective

1 [ attrib. ] directed or moving towards a higher place or

position: the up escalator.

• relating to or denoting trains travelling towards the

major point on a route: the first up train.

2 [ predic. ] at an end: his contract was up in three weeks |

time's up.

3 [ predic. ] (of a road) being repaired.

4 [ predic. ] (of a computer system) functioning properly:

the system is now up.

5 [ predic. ] in a cheerful mood; ebullient: the mood here is

resolutely up.

verb (ups, upping, upped)

1 [ with obj. ] increase (a level or amount): capacity will be

upped by 70 per cent next year.

2 [ with obj. ] lift (something) up: everybody was cheering

and upping their glasses.

PHRASES

up and down
1 to and fro: pacing up and down in front of

her desk. • [ as prep. ] to and fro along: strolling up and

down the corridor.

up to
1 as far as: I could reach just up to his waist.
• (also up until) until: up to now I hadn't had a relationship.
2 indicating a maximum amount: the process is expected to

take up to two years.
3 [ with negative or in questions ]

good enough for: I was not up to her standards.
 • capable of or fit for: he is simply not up to the job.
4 the responsibility or choice of (someone): it was up to them to

gauge the problem.
5 informal occupied or busy with:

what's he been up to?

what's up? informal 1 what is going on?
2 what is the matter?: what's up with you?

ORIGIN Old English up(p), uppe, of Germanic origin;

related to Dutch op and German auf .

up- |ʌp|

prefix

1 (added to verbs and their derivatives) upwards:

upturned .

• to a more recent time: update.

2 (added to nouns) denoting motion up: upriver | uphill.

3 (added to nouns) higher: upland | upstroke.

• increased: up-tempo.

flawless |ˈflɔːləs|

adjective

without any imperfections or defects; perfect: her smooth

flawless skin | a British accent that was almost flawless.

DERIVATIVES

flawlessly adverb,

flawlessness noun

flawless

adjective

her smooth, flawless skin: perfect, without blemish,

unblemished, unmarked, unimpaired; whole, intact,

sound, unbroken, undamaged, as sound as a bell, mint,

as good as new, pristine; stainless, spotless, pure,

impeccable, immaculate, consummate, superb,

superlative, masterly, accurate, correct, faultless, without

fault, error-free, unerring; exemplary, model, ideal,

copybook, just so; Brit. informal tip-top, A1.

ANTONYMS flawed.

unbelievable |ʌnbɪˈliːvəb(ə)l|

adjective

1 not able to be believed; unlikely to be true: unbelievable

or not, it happened.

2 so great or extreme as to be difficult to believe;

extraordinary: your audacity is unbelievable.

DERIVATIVES

unbelievability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun

unbelievably adverb [ as submodifier ] : he worked

unbelievably long hours

unbelievable

adjective

your audacity is simply unbelievable: incredible, beyond

belief, difficult to believe, scarcely credible,

inconceivable, unthinkable, unimaginable; unconvincing,

far-fetched, implausible, improbable, impossible;

informal hard to swallow, mind-boggling, mind-

blowing. ANTONYMS believable, credible.

remarkable |rɪˈmɑːkəb(ə)l|

adjective

worthy of attention; striking: a remarkable coincidence.

DERIVATIVES

remarkableness noun,

remarkably adverb [ sentence adverb ] : remarkably, I

finished ahead of schedule | [ as sub modifier ] : they got on

remarkably well

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French remarquable, from

remarquer ‘take note of’ (see remark) .

remarkable

adjective

a remarkable coincidence | the remarkable achievements of

modern medicine: extraordinary, exceptional, amazing,

astonishing, astounding, marvellous, wonderful,

sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable,

miraculous, phenomenal, prodigious; striking,

outstanding, momentous, impressive, singular, signal,

pre-eminent, memorable, unforgettable, never to be

forgotten, unique, arresting, eye-catching, conspicuous,

noteworthy, notable, great, considerable, distinctive,

important, distinguished, prominent; out of the ordinary,

unusual, uncommon, rare, surprising, curious, strange,

odd, peculiar, uncanny; informal fantastic,

terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome, out of this

world, unreal; ANTONYMS ordinary,

commonplace, run-of-the-mill.

successful |səkˈsɛsfʊl, -f(ə)l|

adjective

accomplishing a desired aim or result: a successful attack

on the town | marketing of Japanese products has been highly

successful.

• having achieved fame, wealth, or social status: a

successful actor.

DERIVATIVES

successfully adverb,

successfulness noun

successful

adjective

1 he reported the particulars of his successful campaign to

General Cass: victorious, triumphant; fortunate, lucky.

ANTONYMS unsuccessful.

2 she is a very successful designer: prosperous, affluent,

wealthy, rich, well-to-do, doing well, moneyed; famous,

eminent, at the top, top; informal on the up and up, well

heeled, flush, rolling in it, in the money, made of money,

loaded, stinking rich, quids in. ANTONYMS

unsuccessful.

3 successful companies know how to handle the occasional

failure: flourishing, thriving, booming, buoyant,

burgeoning, doing well, profitable, profit-making,

moneymaking, lucrative, gainful, fruitful, solvent,

bankable; productive, efficient, effective; informal going

strong, on the up and up, rolling in it, in the money,

loaded, quids in. ANTONYMS unsuccessful,

unprofitable, poor.

finally |ˈfʌɪnəli|

adverb

after a long time, typically when there has been difficulty

or delay: he finally arrived to join us.

• as the last in a series of related events or items: a

referendum followed by local, legislative and, finally,

presidential elections.

• [ sentence adverb ] used to introduce a final point or

reason: finally, it is common knowledge that travel broadens

the horizons.

• in such a way as to put an end to doubt and dispute:

the need to dispel finally the belief that auditors were clients

of the company.

finally

adverb

1 she finally got her man to the altar: eventually, ultimately,

in the end, by and by, at length, after a long time, after

some time; at last, at long last, in the long run, when all

was said and done, in the fullness of time; Brit. informal

at the end of the day. ANTONYMS immediately.

2 finally, wrap the ribbon round the edge of the board: lastly,

last, in conclusion, to conclude, in closing, to end, last

but not least. ANTONYMS firstly, initially.

3 this should finally dispel the belief that the auditors are

clients of the company: conclusively, irrevocably, decisively,

definitively, definitely, absolutely, for ever, for good, for

all time, once and for all, permanently. ANTONYMS

temporarily.

brief |briːf|

adjective

1 of short duration; not lasting for long: the president made

a brief working visit to Moscow.

• concise in expression; using few words: introductions

were brief and polite | be brief and don't talk for longer than is

necessary.

2 (of a piece of clothing) not covering much of the body;

scanty: Alison sported a pair of extremely brief black shorts.

noun

verb [ with obj. ]

1 instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in

preparation for a task: she briefed him on last week's

decisions.

PHRASES

in brief in a few words; in short: he is, in brief, the

embodiment of evil | the news in brief.

DERIVATIVES

briefer noun,

briefness noun

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French brief, from

Latin brevis ‘short’. The noun is via late Latin breve

‘note, dispatch’, hence ‘an official letter’.

brief

adjective

1 a brief account of what had happened: concise, succinct,

short, thumbnail, to the point, pithy, incisive, short and

sweet, crisp, abridged, condensed, compressed,

abbreviated, compact, compendious, potted;

epigrammatic, aphoristic; laconic, sparing, terse, pointed,

curt, clipped, monosyllabic. ANTONYMS lengthy, long-

winded.

2 a brief visit | a brief smile: short, flying, fleeting, hasty,

hurried, quick, cursory, perfunctory; temporary, short-

lived, momentary, passing, transient, transitory,

impermanent, fading, ephemeral, evanescent, fugitive;

informal quickie; rare fugacious. ANTONYMS long.

3 a pair of extremely brief black shorts: skimpy, scanty,

revealing, short; low-cut.

4 the boss was rather brief with him: brusque, abrupt, curt,

short, blunt, sharp.

noun

1 Kirov had received only a vague brief about his current

project: instructions, directions, directives, briefing;

information, guidelines, guidance; remit, mandate;

informal gen, rundown, low-down.

2 supply them with a brief of our requirements: outline,

summary, synopsis, abstract, resume, precis, sketch,

abridgement, digest.

verb

council employees were briefed about the decision: inform

of, tell about, bring up to date on, update on, notify of,

advise of, acquaint with, apprise of, give information

about; prepare, prime, instruct, direct, guide; 

keep up to speed with.

previous |ˈpriːvɪəs|

adjective

1 [ attrib. ] existing or occurring before in time or order:

she looked tired after her exertions of the previous evening |

the boat's previous owner.

noun [ mass noun ] Brit. informal

previous convictions; a criminal record: he's got previous

—theft and wounding.

PHRASES

previous to before: the month previous to publication.

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin praevius ‘going

before’ (from prae ‘before’ + via ‘way’) + -ous.

previous

adjective

1 the previous five years | her previous boyfriend: foregoing,

preceding, precursory, antecedent, above; old, earlier,

prior, former, ex-, past, last, sometime, one-time,

erstwhile, as was; formal quondam; archaic whilom; rare

anterior. ANTONYMS following, next.

PHRASES

previous to previous to this everything was fine: before,

prior to, until, till, up to, earlier than, preceding, leading

up to, in advance of, ahead of.
ANTONYMS after, as a result of.

eventually |ɪˈvɛntʃuəli|

adverb [ sentence adverb ]

in the end, especially after a long delay, dispute, or series

of problems: eventually, after midnight, I arrived at the hotel.

eventually

adverb

eventually we arrived at a small town | the offender will be

allowed out eventually: in the end, in due course, by and

by, in time, after some time, after a period of time, after a

long time, after a bit, finally, at last, at long last;

ultimately, in the long run, in the fullness of time, at

some point in the future, at a future date, at the end of

the day, one day, one of these fine days, some day,

sometime, in time to come, sooner or later, when all is

said and done. ANTONYMS immediately; never.

insist |ɪnˈsɪst|

verb [ no obj. ]

demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal: she

insisted on carrying her own bag | [ with clause ] : he

insisted that she came.

• (insist on) demand forcefully to have (something): he

insisted on answers to his allegations.

• (insist on) persist in (doing something): the heavy

studded boots she insisted on wearing.

• [ reporting verb ] state positively and assertively:

[ with clause ] : the chairman insisted that all was not doom

and gloom | [ with direct speech ] : ‘I really am all right

now,’ Isabel insisted.

ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘persist, persevere’):

from Latin insistere ‘persist’, from in- ‘upon’ + sistere

‘stand’.

insist

verb

1 if they won't see you, be prepared to insist: stand firm, be

firm, stand one's ground, make a stand, stand up for

oneself, be resolute, be determined, show determination,

hold on, hold out, be emphatic, not take no for an

answer, brook no refusal; persevere, persist, not give up,

keep on at someone; ANTONYMS give up.

2 Tom insisted that the fees be paid within thirty days:

demand, command, require, dictate; importune, entreat,

urge, exhort.

3 he insisted that he knew nothing about the plot: maintain,

assert, hold, contend, argue, protest, claim, aver, avow,

vow, swear, state, declare, announce, pronounce,

proclaim, propound, be emphatic, emphasize, stress,

repeat, reiterate; 

quit
1 |kwɪt|

verb (quits, quitting; past and past participlequitted or

quit)

1 [ with obj. ] leave (a place), usually permanently:

hippies finally quit two sites in Hampshire last night.

• [ no obj. ] (of a tenant) leave rented accommodation: the

landlord issued a notice to quit.

• informal resign from (a job): she quit her job in a pizza

restaurant | [ no obj. ] : he quit as manager of the struggling

Third Division team.

Stop or discontinue (an action or activity): quit moaning! |
I want to quit smoking.

2 (quit oneself) [ with adverbial ] archaic behave in a

specified way: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

adjective (quit of) rid of: I want to be quit of him.

PHRASES

ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘set free’): from

Old French quiter (verb), quite (adjective), from Latin

quietus, past participle of quiescere ‘be still’, from quies

‘quiet’.

quit

verb

1 let us assume he quit the lay-by at about 12.30: leave, go

away from, depart from, vacate, evacuate, move out of,

exit from, withdraw from, abandon, desert. ANTONYMS

arrive at; occupy.

2 informal he's decided to quit his job | this defeat will

increase the calls for the manager to quit: resign (from),

leave, hand in one's notice, give notice, stand down

(from), give up, bow out, relinquish, depart from, vacate,

walk out (on), retire (from), abdicate; informal chuck,

pack in. ANTONYMS take up.

3 informal she has to quit living in the past | the best advice

to smokers is to quit: give up, stop, finish, cease,

discontinue, not continue, drop, leave off, break off,

abandon, abstain from, renounce, desist (from), refrain

(from), eschew, forbear from, avoid, forgo, do without;

call it a day; informal pack (it) in. ANTONYMS start;

continue.

leave 1 |liːv|

verb (past and past participleleft |lɛft| )

1 [ with obj. ] go away from: she left London on June 6 |

[ no obj. ] : we were almost the last to leave | the England

team left for Pakistan on Monday.

• depart from permanently: at the age of sixteen he left

home.

• cease attending (a school or college) or working for (an

organization): she is leaving the BBC after 20 years.

2 [ with obj. ] allow or cause to remain: the parts he disliked

he would alter and the parts he didn't dislike he'd leave.

• (be left) remain to be used or dealt with: we've even got

one of the Christmas puddings left over from last year |

[ with infinitive ] : a retired person with no mortgage left to

pay.

• [ with obj. and adverbial of place ] go away from a

place without taking (someone or something): we had not

left any of our belongings behind | figurative : women had

been left behind in the struggle for pay equality.

• abandon (a spouse or partner): her boyfriend left her for

another woman.

be left for dead be abandoned as being almost dead or

certain to die. she was left for dead after being repeatedly hit

over the head with a rock.

be left to oneself be alone or solitary: left to himself he

removed his shirt and tie.
• be allowed to do what one wants:
women, left to themselves, would make the world a

beautiful place to live in.

leave someone/thing alone see alone.

leave someone be informal refrain from disturbing or

interfering with someone. why can't you all just leave me

be?

leave someone cold fail to interest someone: the Romantic

poets left him cold.

leave hold of cease holding.

leave it at that abstain from further comment or action: if

you are not sure of the answers, say so, and leave it at that.

leave much (or a lot) to be desired be highly

unsatisfactory. their education leaves much to be desired.

PHRASAL VERBS

leave off discontinue (an activity): the dog left off chasing

the sheep | he resumed the other story at the point where the

previous author had left off.

leave someone/thing out fail to include: it seemed unkind

to leave Daisy out, so she was invited too | (as adj.left out) :

Olivia was feeling rather left out. • (usu. in imperativeleave

it out) Brit. informal stop it: ‘Leave it out,’ I said sternly,

pushing him off.

DERIVATIVES

leaver noun

ORIGIN Old English lǣfan‘bequeath’, also ‘allow to

remain, leave in place’ of Germanic origin; related to

German bleiben ‘remain’.

leave 2 |liːv|

noun [ mass noun ]

1 (also leave of absence)time when one has permission

to be absent from work or from duty in the armed forces:

Joe was home on leave | maternity leave.

2 [ often with infinitive ] permission: leave from the court

to commence an action.

PHRASES

by (or with) your leave
1 with your permission: with

your leave, I will send him your address.

take one's leave formal say goodbye: he went to take his

leave of his hostess.

take leave of one's senses see sense.

ORIGIN Old English lēaf‘permission’, of West Germanic

origin; related to lief and love.

leave 1

verb

1 I left the hotel: depart from, go away from, go from,

withdraw from, retire from, take oneself off from, exit

from, take one's leave of, pull out of, quit, be gone from,

decamp from, disappear from, abandon, vacate, absent

oneself from, evacuate; say one's farewells/goodbyes,

make off, clear out, make oneself scarce, check out;

abscond from, run away from, flee (from), fly from, bolt

from, go AWOL, take French leave, escape (from);

ANTONYMS arrive, come,stay.

2 he's left his wife: abandon, desert, discard, turn one's

back on, cast aside, cast off, jilt, leave in the lurch, leave

high and dry, throw over, leave stranded, brush off;

informal dump, ditch, chuck, drop, walk out on, run out

on, rat on, leave flat; ANTONYMS stay with.

3 he left his job in November: quit, give up, abandon, move

from, resign from, retire from, bow out of, step down

from, withdraw from, get out of, pull out of, back out of.

ANTONYMS stay in.

5 she left her handbag on a bus: leave behind, omit to take,

forget, lose, mislay.

PHRASES

leave someone in the lurch 
I wouldn't have left the club if

it meant leaving them in the lurch: leave in trouble, let

down, leave helpless, leave stranded, leave high and dry,

abandon, desert, betray; ANTONYMS help, support, come to the

aid of.

leave off
informal I wish he would leave off hanging around

with them: stop, cease, finish, desist from, keep from,

break off, lay off, give up, discontinue, refrain from,

restrain oneself from, hold back from, swear off, resist

the temptation to, stop oneself from, withhold from,

eschew; conclude, terminate, suspend, bring to an end,

renounce, forswear, forbear, relinquish; 

ANTONYMS continue, go on.

leave someone/something out 
1 Adam left out the address

on the letter: miss out, omit, omit by accident, fail to

include, overlook, pass over, neglect to notice, leave

unnoticed, forget; skip, miss, jump. ANTONYMS

include.
2 he was left out of the England squad: exclude,

omit, except, eliminate, drop, count out, disregard,

ignore, reject, pass over, neglect, cut out, do away with,

bar, debar, keep out. ANTONYMS include.

leave 2

noun

1 the judge granted leave to appeal: permission, consent,

authorization, sanction, warrant, dispensation,

concession, indulgence, approval, clearance, blessing,

agreement, backing, assent, acceptance, confirmation,

ratification, mandate, licence, acquiescence, concurrence,

liberty, freedom; informal the go-ahead, the green light,

the OK, the rubber stamp.

2 he was on leave from the Royal Engineers: holiday,

vacation, break, time off, furlough, sabbatical, leave of

absence, a day/week/month off, leisure time, respite,

breathing space; half-term, bank holiday, recess;

3 if you will excuse me, I will now take my leave of you:

departure, leaving, leave-taking, parting, withdrawal,

exit, farewell, goodbye, adieu, valediction.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

leave, permission, consent, authorization

See permission.

These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between

closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

leave, holiday, vacation, break

resist |rɪˈzɪst|

verb [ with obj. ]

withstand the action or effect of: antibodies help us to resist

infection.

• try to prevent by action or argument: we will resist

changes to the treaty.

• refrain from doing (something tempting or unwise): I

couldn't resist buying the blouse.

• [ no obj. ] struggle or fight back when attacked: without

giving her time to resist, he dragged her off her feet.

DERIVATIVES

resister noun,

resistibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,

resistible adjective

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French resister or

Latin resistere, from re- (expressing opposition) + sistere

‘stop’ (reduplication of stare ‘to stand’). The current

sense of the noun dates from the mid 19th cent.

resist

verb

1 the vine's hard wood helps it resist cold winters: withstand,

be proof against, hold out against, combat, counter;

weather, endure, outlast; repel, be resistant to, be impervious to,
be impermeable to, keep out.

ANTONYMS be harmed by, be susceptible to.

2 those resisting attempts to upgrade the building may be

evicted: oppose, fight against, refuse to accept, be hostile

to, object to, be anti, take a stand against, defy, go

against, set one's face against, kick against, baulk at;

obstruct, impede, hinder, block, thwart, frustrate, inhibit,

restrain; stop, halt, prevent, check, stem, curb; dig in

one's heels;  ANTONYMS accept, welcome.

3 I resisted the urge to retort: refrain from, abstain from,

keep from, forbear from, desist from, forgo, avoid; not

give in to, restrain oneself from, prevent oneself from,

stop oneself from, check oneself. ANTONYMS succumb

to, give in to.

4 she tried to resist him, but she hadn't the strength: struggle

with/against, fight (against), put up a fight against,

battle against, stand up to, withstand, stand one's

ground against, hold one's ground against, hold off, hold

out against, contend with, confront, face up to;  ANTONYMS

submit, yield.

PHRASES

cannot resist he is a man who cannot resist a challenge: love,

adore, relish, be addicted to, have a weakness for, be

very partial to, be very keen on, be very fond of, like;

delight in, enjoy, take great pleasure in;ANTONYMS hate.

persist |pəˈsɪst|

verb [ no obj. ]

continue in an opinion or course of action in spite of

difficulty or opposition: the minority of drivers who persist

in drinking | we are persisting with policies that will create

jobs for the future.

• continue to exist; be prolonged: if the symptoms persist

for more than a few days, then contact your doctor.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin persistere, from per-

‘through, steadfastly’ + sistere ‘to stand’.

persist

verb

1 Corbett persisted with his questioning: persevere,

continue, carry on, go on, keep at it, keep on, keep going,

keep it up, not give up, be persistent, be determined,

see/follow something through, show determination,

press on/ahead, plod on, plough on, stay with

something, not take no for an answer; be tenacious, be

pertinacious, insist, be patient, be diligent, stand one's

ground, stand fast/firm, hold on, hold out, go the

distance, stay the course, grind away, struggle on,

hammer away, stop at nothing, leave no stone unturned;

ANTONYMS abandon, stop.

2 if dry weather persists, water the lawn thoroughly:

continue, hold, carry on, last, keep on, keep up, remain,

linger, stay, endure, survive.

diligence

noun

they set about their assigned jobs with diligence:

conscientiousness, assiduousness, assiduity,

industriousness, rigour, rigorousness, punctiliousness,

meticulousness, carefulness, thoroughness, attentiveness, earnestness,

intentness, studiousness; constancy, perseverance,

persistence, tenacity, pertinacity, zeal, zealousness,

dedication, commitment; tirelessness, 

doggedness; industry, hard work, application, effort,

concentration, care, attention;   ANTONYMS laziness;

carelessness.

delay

verb

1 a few guests were delayed by rush-hour traffic: detain, hold

up, make late, retard, keep (back), slow up, slow down,

set back, bog down; hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct.

ANTONYMS hurry.

2  he may decide to delay the next cut in interest rates:

postpone, put off, defer, hold over, shelve, suspend, stay,

hold in abeyance, pigeonhole; reschedule, adjourn; N.

Amer. put over, table, lay on the table;
 ANTONYMS advance, bring forward.

noun

1 drivers heading for the capital are certain to face lengthy

delays | the delay between the exchange of contracts and

completion: hold-up, wait, waiting period, detainment;

hindrance, impediment, obstruction, setback; interval,

gap, interlude.

2 the delay of his trial: postponement, deferral, deferment,

putting off, stay, respite; rescheduling, adjournment; 

3 I set off without delay: lingering, dallying, dawdling,

loitering; procrastination, stalling, hesitation, dithering.

delay |dɪˈleɪ|

verb [ with obj. ]

make (someone or something) late or slow: the train was

delayed.

• [ no obj. ] be late or slow; loiter: time being of the essence,

they delayed no longer.

• postpone or defer (an action): he may decide to delay the

next cut in interest rates.

noun

a period of time by which something is late or

postponed: a two-hour delay | long delays in obtaining

passports.

• [ mass noun ] the action of delaying or being delayed: I

set off without delay.

DERIVATIVES

delayer noun

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French delayer (verb).