boisterous  |ˈbɔɪst(ə)rəs| adjective noisy, energetic, and cheerful: a group of boisterous lads. • (of weather or water) wild or stormy: the boisterous wind was lulled. DERIVATIVES boisterously adverb, boisterousness noun boisterous adjective 1 a boisterous game of handball: lively, active, animated, exuberant, spirited, bouncy, frisky, excited, overexcited, in high spirits, high-spirited, ebullient, vibrant, rowdy,unruly, wild, uproarious, unrestrained, undisciplined,uninhibited, uncontrolled, abandoned, rough, romping,rollicking, disorderly, knockabout, riotous, rip-roaring,rumbustious, roistering,tumultuous;noisy,loud,clamorous, clangorous. ANTONYMS  quiet, restrained. 2 a boisterous wind: blustery, gusting, gusty, breezy, windy, stormy,  wild, squally, rough, choppy, turbulent,tempestuous, howling, roaring, raging, furious; ANTONYMS calm, quiet.

sprain  |spreɪn| verb [ with obj. ] wrench or twist the ligaments of (an ankle, wrist, or other joint) violently so as to cause pain and swelling but not dislocation: he left in a wheelchair after spraining an ankle. noun the result of spraining a joint. a compress for treating sprains and bruises. sprain verb he sprained his left ankle in a tackle during Saturday's game: wrench, twist, turn, strain, crick; pull, stretch, tear; injure, hurt, damage; noun a severe ankle sprain: wrench, strain, rick, crick; pull, tear,  injury .

carve out |ˈkärvˌoutˈkɑrvaʊt| noun 1 a small company created from a larger one: companies that are breaking up—through spin-offs, split-offs, and carveouts. • a class of medical procedures treated separately with regard to insurance coverage. • a class of employees treated separately with regard to benefits. 2 the activity of effecting a carveout. to the letter with adherence to every detail: the method was followed to the letter.

industrious  |ɪnˈdʌstrɪəs| adjective diligent and hard-working. an industrious people striving to make their country prosperous. DERIVATIVES industriously adverb, industriousness noun ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘skilful, clever, ingenious’): from French industrieux or late Latin industriosus, from Latin industria ‘diligence’.industrious> adjective he was honest, sober, and industrious: hard-working, diligent, assiduous, sedulous, conscientious, steady, painstaking,persistent, persevering,pertinacious,unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, studious; busy, busy as a bee, active, bustling, energetic, on the go,vigorous,determined,dynamic,driven,zealous, productive; with one's shoulder to the wheel, with one's nose to the grindstone; archaic laborious. ANTONYMS indolent. CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD industrious, diligent, hard-working See hard-working. uncaring  |ʌnˈkɛːrɪŋ| adjective 1. not displaying sympathy or concern for others : an uncaring father....

by oneself  1 alone: she lives in the apartment by herself. 2 unaided: the patient often learns to undress by himself. by way of see way. means |miːnz| plural noun1 [ treated as sing. or pl. ] (often means of/to do something) an action or system by which a result is achieved;  a method : technology seen as a means to bring about emancipation | resolving disputes by peaceful means. 2 financial resources; income: a woman of modest but independent means. • substantial resources; wealth: a man of means. PHRASES beyond (or within)  one's means beyond (or within) one's budget or income. the government is living  beyond its means . a flat that was within her means. by all means of course ; certainly (granting a permission): ‘May I make a suggestion?’ ‘By all means.’. by any means  [ with negative ] in any way; at all: I'm not poor by any means. by means of  with the help of; by using: supplying water to cities by means of aqueducts. by no means...

Emphasize  |ˈɛmfəsʌɪz| (also emphasise) verb [ with obj. ] 1 give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing: they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child | [ with clause ] : I would emphasize that I am not an economist. 2 lay stress on (a woralso emphasise) verb [ with obj. ] 1 give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing: they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child | [ with clause ] : I would emphasize that I am not an economist. 2 lay stress on (a word or phrase) when speaking. his father emphasized the wrong words in his sentence. 3 make (something) more clearly defined: a hip-length jacket which emphasized her shape. up to  1 as far as: I could reach just up to his waist. • (also up until) until: up to now I hadn't had a relationship. 2 indicating a maximum amount: the process is expected to take up to two years. 3 [ with negative or in ques...

waver |ˈweɪvə| verb [ no obj. ] 1 move in a quivering way; flicker: the flame wavered in the draught. 2 become weaker; falter: his love for her had never wavered | (as adj.wavering) : she gave a wavering smile. • be undecided between two opinions or courses of action: she never wavered from her intention. DERIVATIVES waverer noun, waveringly adverb, wavery adjective ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse vafra ‘flicker’, of Germanic origin. Compare with wave. waver verb 1 the candlelight in the room wavered in a warm draught:flicker, quiver, tremble, twinkle, glimmer, wink, blink. 2 his voice wavered with a hint of uncertainty: become unsteady, falter, wobble, tremble, hesitate. 3 he had wavered between the Church of Ireland and Catholicism: be undecided, be irresolute, be indecisive, hesitate, dither, equivocate, vacillate, fluctuate, see-saw, yo-yo; think twice, change one's mind, get cold feet, dally, stall;  shilly-shally, pussyfoot around, bl...

chastise  |tʃaˈstʌɪz| verb [ with obj. ] rebuke  or  reprimand  severely: he chastised his colleagues for their laziness. • dated punish, especially by beating. her mistress chastised her with a whip for blasphemy. DERIVATIVES chastisement |ˈtʃastɪzm(ə)nt, -ˈtʌɪzm(ə)nt| noun, chastiser noun chastise verb 1 the  staff were chastised for arriving late:   scold , upbraid, berate,  reprimand , reprove,  rebuke , admonish, chide, censure, castigate, lambaste, lecture,  criticise , pull up, take to task, haul over the coals, bring to book; informal tell off, give someone a telling-off, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, bawl out, blow up at, give someone an earful, give someone a caning, give someone a roasting, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking, come down on someone like a ton of bricks, have someone's guts for garters, slap someone's wrist, rap over the knuckles, give someone a piece of one's mind...

Relegate |ˈrɛlɪgeɪt| verb [ with obj. ] Assign an inferior rank or position to : they aim to prevent women from being relegated to a secondary role. DERIVATIVES relegation |-ˈgeɪʃ(ə)n| noun ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘ send into exile ’): from Latin relegat- ‘ sent away , referred’, from the verb relegare, from re- ‘ again ’ + legare ‘ send ’. Relegate verb she was relegated to the status of mere spokesperson: downgrade , lower , lower in rank/status , put down, move down ; consign , banish , exile ; demote , degrade , declass , strip someone of their rank, reduce to the ranks, drum out;  ANTONYMS upgrade, promote .

Verb [ no obj. ] waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive: I vacillated between teaching and journalism. DERIVATIVES vacillator noun !ORIGIN late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘sway unsteadily’): from Latin vacillat- ‘swayed’, from the verb vacillare . vacillate verb I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism: dither, be indecisive, be irresolute, be undecided, be uncertain, be unsure, be doubtful, waver, teeter, temporize, hesitate, oscillate, fluctuate, keep changing one's mind; Brit. haver, hum and haw;blow hot and cold.

contemplate |ˈkɒntɛmpleɪt, -təm-| verb [ with obj. ] look thoughtfully for a long time at : he contemplated his image in the mirrors. • think about: she couldn't even begin to contemplate the future. • [ no obj. ] think deeply and at length. he sat morosely contemplating. • have in view as a probable intention: he was contemplating action for damages. DERIVATIVES contemplator noun ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from Latin contemplat-‘surveyed, observed, contemplated’, from the verb contemplari, based on templum ‘ place for observation ’. Synonyms & Antonyms  contemplate verb 1 she contemplated her body in the mirror : look at, view,regard, examine, inspect, observe, survey, study,scrutinize, scan, stare at, gaze at, eye, take a good look at; literary behold. 2 she couldn't even contemplate the future : think about, meditate on/over, consider, ponder, reflect on/about, mull over, muse on, dwell on, deliberate over, cogitate on/about, ruminate on/abo...

presuppose |priːsəˈpəʊz| verb [ with obj. ] require as a precondition of possibility or coherence:their original prediction presupposed a universe only three billion years old.  • [ with clause ] tacitly assume at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action that something is the case: your argument presupposes that it does not matter who is in power.   Thesaurus presuppose verb 1 the following course of action presupposes the existence of a policy-making group: require, necessitate, imply,entail, mean, involve, assume, suppose, have as a necessary condition, have as a precondition.  2 I had presupposed that theme parks make people happy: presume , assume , take it for granted, take it, take it as read / given , suppose , surmise, think , accept , consider , postulate , posit .

Assert |əˈsəːt| verb [ reporting verb ] State a fact or belief confidently and forcefully : [ with clause ] : the company asserts that the cuts will not affect development | [ with obj. ] : he asserted his innocence. • [ with obj. ] cause others to recognize (one's authority or a right) by confident and forceful behaviour : the good librarian is able to assert authority when required. • ( assert oneself ) behave or speak in a confident and forceful manner : it was time to assert himself. DERIVATIVES assertable adjective, asserter (also assertor)noun ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin asserere ‘claim, affirm’, from ad- ‘to’ + serere ‘to join’. Thesaurus   assert verb 1 he asserted that the day of the cottage industry was over: declare , maintain , contend , argue , state , claim , propound , submit , posit, postulate , adduce, move , advocate, venture , volunteer , aver, proclaim , announce, pronounce, attest, affirm , protest , profess, swear , insi...

Anticipate |anˈtɪsɪpeɪt| verb [ with obj. ] regard as probable ; expect or predict : she anticipated contempt on her return to the theatre | [ with clause ] : it was anticipated that the rains would slow the military campaign. • guess or be aware of (what will happen) and take action in order to be prepared: they failed to anticipate a full-scale invasion . • look forward to : Stephen was eagerly anticipating the break from the routine of business. • come or take place before   (an event or process expected or scheduled for a later time). this is to anticipate the argument. DERIVATIVES anticipative adjective, anticipator noun ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the senses ‘to take something into consideration’, ‘mention something before the proper time’): from Latin anticipat- ‘acted in advance’, from anticipare, based on ante- ‘before’ capere ‘take’. Thesaurus anticipate verb 1 the police did not anticipate any trouble: expect , foresee , predict , ...

Servitude |ˈsəːvɪtjuːd| noun [ mass noun ] 1 the state of being a slave or completely subject to someone more powerful . you've got thousands of years of peasant servitude to make up for. ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin servitudo, from servus ‘slave’. Thesaurus servitude noun Indian slaves were bought and sold and kept in servitude:slavery , enslavement , bondage , subjugation , subjection , domination ; historical serfdom, vassalage . ANTONYMS freedom , liberty .

Autonomy |ɔːˈtɒnəmi| noun (pl.autonomies) [ mass noun ] the right or condition of self-government : between the First and Second World Wars, Canada gained greater autonomy from Britain . • [ count noun ] a self-governing country or region. the national autonomies of the Russian Republic. • freedom from external control or influence; independence. the courts enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy. economic autonomy is still a long way off for many women. • (in Kantian moral philosophy) the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of desires. DERIVATIVES autonomist noun& adjective ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Greek autonomia,from autonomos ‘having its own laws’, from autos ‘self’ + nomos ‘law’. Thesaurus autonomy noun people demanded greater autonomy within the Russian Federation: self-government , independence , self-rule , home rule, sovereignty, self-determination, freedom , autarc...

Reprobate |ˈrɛprəbeɪt| noun 1 an unprincipled person . he had to present himself as more of a lovable reprobate than a spirit of corruption. adjective unprincipled : reprobate behaviour. DERIVATIVES reprobation |-ˈbeɪʃ(ə)n| noun, reprobative adjective, reprobatory adjective Thesaurus reprobate noun even a hardened reprobate like myself has some standards to adhere to: rogue, rascal, scoundrel, good-for-nothing,villain, wretch, unprincipled person, rake, profligate,degenerate, debauchee, libertine; troublemaker, mischief-maker, wrongdoer, evil-doer, transgressor,sinner; informal scallywag, bad egg. adjective reprobate behaviour: unprincipled, roguish, bad, wicked, rakish, shameless, immoral, profligate, degenerate, dissipated, debauched, depraved, corrupt; incorrigible, hardened, unregenerate; ANTONYMS upright, virtuous, principled.

Protector |prəˈtɛktə| noun 1 a person or thing that protects someone or something: a man who became her protector, adviser, and friend | ear protectors. DERIVATIVES protectoral adjective, protectorship noun Thesaurus protector noun 1 his wife was always his chief protector: defender , preserver , bodyguard , minder , guardian , guard , champion, watchdog , ombudsman , knight in shining armour, guardian angel, patron , chaperone, escort , keeper , custodian; informal hired gun. 2 I encounter men drilling the roads without wearing ear protectors: guard , shield , pad, buffer, cushion , screen; protection .

Adoration |adəˈreɪʃ(ə)n| noun [ mass noun ] 1 deep love and respect: he gave her a look of adoration. it was enough to earn him the adoration of the fans. 2 worship ; veneration : the Adoration of the Magi. Thesaurus  Adoration noun 1 they regarded him with an almost breathless adoration: love , devotion , care , fondness , warmth, affection ; admiration , regard , high regard, awe , reverence, idolization, lionization, worship, hero-worship,adulation, deification. 2 the Mass begins our day of prayer and adoration : worship , worshipping, glory , glorification, glorifying, praise, praising, thanksgiving, homage, paying homage, exaltation, exalting, extolment, veneration, venerating , revering, reverence; rare laudation, lauding, magnification, magnifying .

keep |kiːp| verb (past and past participlekept |kɛpt| ) [ with obj. ] 1 have or retain possession of : my father would keep the best for himself | she had trouble keeping her balance. • retain or reserve for future use : return one copy to me, keeping the other for your files. • put or store in a regular place : the stand where her umbrella was kept. 2 continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc .: [ no obj., with complement ] : I kept quiet while Emily talked on | keep left along the wall | [ with obj. and complement ] : she might be kept alive artificially by machinery. • [ no obj., with present participle ] continue doing or do repeatedly: he keeps going on about the murder. • [ no obj. ] (of a perishable commodity) remain in good condition. hominy will keep almost indefinitely without spoilage. • [ with obj. ] retain one's place in or on (a seat or saddle, the ground, etc.) in spite of difficulty. can you keep your sa...

Hypocritical |ˌhɪpəˈkrɪtɪkl| adjective behaving in a way that suggests one has higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case : we don't go to church and we thought it would be hypocritical to have him christened. it would be entirely hypocritical of me to say I regret it because I don't. DERIVATIVES hypocritically |-ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)li| adverb !hypocritical adjective a hypocritical morality regarding sexual behaviour: sanctimonious, pious, self-righteous,  superior, insincere , specious , feigned, pretended, hollow, false; deceitful, deceptive , dishonest, untruthful, lying, dissembling, duplicitous , two-faced, Janus-faced, double-dealing, untrustworthy ; informal phoney, pretend ; rare Pharisaic, Pharisaical, , canting. ANTONYMS sincere.

Courtesy |ˈkəːtɪsi| noun (pl.courtesies) 1 [ mass noun ] the showing of politeness in one's attitude and behaviour towards others: he treated the players with courtesy and good humour. • [ count noun ] a polite remark or considerate act: a ritual exchange of courtesies with the lawyers | links to the manufacturers' websites are provided as a courtesy to the user. • [ as modifier ] (especially of transport) supplied free of charge to people who are already paying for another service: a courtesy car. PHRASES by courtesy:  as a favour rather than by right. he was not at the conference only by courtesy. (by) courtesy of given or allowed by: photograph courtesy of the Evening Star.  • informal as a result of: he booked his place in the final courtesy of a remarkable victory. Thesaurus  courtesy noun 1 customers deserve to be treated with courtesy : politeness, courteousness, good manners, civility , respect, respectfulness, deference, chivalry, gal...

Utmost |ˈʌtməʊst| adjective [ attrib. ] most extreme; greatest: a matter of the utmost importance. noun (the utmost) The greatest or most extreme extent or amount: a plot that stretches credulity to the utmost. PHRASES do one's utmost  : do the most that one is able: Dan was doing his utmost to be helpful. ORIGIN Old English ūt(e)mest‘outermost’ (see out,- most) . utmost adjective 1 a matter of the utmost importance: greatest, maximum, greatest possible, highest, most, most extreme, greatest amount of, uttermost; maximal, extreme, supreme, paramount, superlative, enormous, major. ANTONYMS least possible, very little . 2 the utmost tip of Shetland : furthest, farthest, furthermost, farthermost, furthest/farthest away, extreme, very, uttermost, outermost, aftermost, endmost, ultimate, final, last, terminal, remotest; rare outmost. ANTONYMS nearest,least. noun we will do our utmost to help you: best, uttermost, hardest, maximum, greatest possibl...

low 1 |ləʊ| adjective !1 of less than average height from top to bottom or to the top from the ground: the school is a long, low building | a low table. • situated not far above the ground, the horizon, or sea level: the sun was low in the sky. • located at or near the bottom of something: low back pain | he smashed a pane low down in the window. • (of women's clothing) cut so as to reveal the neck and the upper part of the breasts: the low neckline of her blouse | [ in combination ] : a low-cut black dress. • (of latitude) near the equator. the warming effect will be greatest at low latitudes. • Phonetics (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue held low in the mouth; open. 2 below average in amount, extent, or intensity: bringing up children on a low income | borrowing fell to a low level | cook over low heat. !• (of a river or lake) below the usual water level. the river was low. • (of a substance or food) containing smaller quantities than usual of a spe...

cheap |tʃiːp| adjective 1 low in price, especially in relation to similar items or services: local buses were reliable and cheap. • charging low prices: a cheap restaurant. !• inexpensive because of inferior quality: cheap, shoddy goods. 2 of little worth because achieved in a discreditableway requiring little effort: her moment of cheap triumph. • deserving contempt: a cheap trick. • N. Amer. informal miserly: she's too cheap to send me a postcard. adverb at or for a low price: a house that was going cheap because of the war. PHRASES cheap and cheerful Brit.simple and inexpensive. cheap and nasty Brit .of low cost and bad quality: the materials can seem a bit cheap and nasty. !cheap at the price (or humorous at half the price)Brit .well worth having, regardless of the cost. as an investment for the future, the books are cheap at the price. on the cheap informal at low cost. proper care cannot be provided on the cheap. DERIVATIVES cheapish adjective, cheaply ad...

expensive |ɪkˈspɛnsɪv, ɛk-| adjective costing a lot of money: keeping a horse is expensive | an expensive bottle of wine. DERIVATIVES expensively adverb, expensiveness noun ORIGIN early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘lavish,extravagant’): from Latin expens- ‘paid out’, from the verb expendere (see expend), + -ive. Thesaurus expensive adjective an expensive restaurant: costly, dear, high-priced, high-cost, exorbitant, extortionate, overpriced; immoderate,extravagant, lavish; valuable, precious, priceless, worth its weight in gold, worth a king's ransom; Brit. over the odds; informal steep, pricey, sky-high, costing an arm and a leg, costing the earth, costing a bomb, daylight robbery. ANTONYMS cheap; economical.

secure |sɪˈkjʊə, sɪˈkjɔː| adjective 1 fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost: check to ensure that all nuts and bolts are secure. • (of a place of detention) having provisions against the escape of inmates: a secure unit for young offenders. 2 certain to remain safe and unthreatened: his position as party leader was less than secure | a more competitive economy will lead to an increase in secure employment. !• protected against attack or other criminal activity: no airport is totally secure. • feeling confident and free from fear or anxiety:everyone needs to have a home and to feel secure and wanted. • (secure of) dated feeling no doubts about attaining:she remained poised and complacent, secure of admiration. verb [ with obj. ] 1 fix or attach (something) firmly so that it cannot be moved or lost: pins secure the handle to the main body. • make (a door or container) hard to open; fasten or lock: doors are likely to be well secured at night. ...