To _announce_ is to give intelligence of in some formal or public way.

We may _announce_ that which has occurred or that which is to occur, tho

the word is chiefly used in the anticipative sense; we _announce_ a book

when it is in press, a guest when he arrives. We _advertise_ our

business, _communicate_ our intentions, _enunciate_ our views; we

_notify_ an individual, _give notice_ to the public. _Declare_ has often

an authoritative force; to _declare_ war is to cause war to be, where

before there may have been only hostilities; we say _declare_ war,

_proclaim_ peace. We _propound_ a question or an argument, _promulgate_

the views of a sect or party, or the decision of a court, etc. We

_report_ an interview, _reveal_ a secret, _herald_ the coming of some

distinguished person or great event. _Publish_, in popular usage, is

becoming closely restricted to the sense of issuing through the press;

we _announce_ a book that is to be _published_.

Antonyms:

bury, cover (up), hush, keep secret, suppress,

conceal, hide, keep back, secrete, withhold.

Prepositions:

The event was announced _to_ the family _by_ telegraph.

* * * * *

ANSWER.

Synonyms:

rejoinder, repartee, reply, response, retort.

A verbal _answer_ is a return of words to something that seems to call

for them, and is made to a charge as well as to a question; an _answer_

may be even made to an unspoken implication or manifestation; see _Luke_

v, 22. In a wider sense, anything said or done in return for some word,

action, or suggestion of another may be called an _answer_. The blow of

an enraged man, the whinny of a horse, the howling of the wind, the

movement of a bolt in a lock, an echo, etc., may each be an _answer_ to

some word or movement. A _reply_ is an unfolding, and ordinarily

implies thought and intelligence. A _rejoinder_ is strictly an _answer_

to a _reply_, tho often used in the general sense of _answer_, but

always with the implication of something more or less controversial or

opposed, tho lacking the conclusiveness implied in _answer_; an

_answer_, in the full sense, to a charge, an argument, or an objection

is adequate, and finally refutes and disposes of it; a _reply_ or

_rejoinder_ may be quite inadequate, so that one may say, "This _reply_

is not an _answer_;" "I am ready with an _answer_" means far more than

"I am ready with a _reply_." A _response_ is accordant or harmonious,

designed or adapted to carry on the thought of the words that called it

forth, as the _responses_ in a liturgical service, or to meet the wish

of him who seeks it; as, the appeal for aid met a prompt and hearty

_response_. _Repartee_ is a prompt, witty, and commonly good-natured

_answer_ to some argument or attack; a _retort_ may also be witty, but

is severe and may be even savage in its intensity.

Prepositions:

An answer _in_ writing, or _by_ word of mouth, _to_ the question.

* * * * *

ANTICIPATE.

Synonyms:

apprehend, forecast, hope,

expect, foretaste, look forward to.

To _anticipate_ may be either to take before in fact or to take before

in thought; in the former sense it is allied with _prevent_; in the

latter, with the synonyms above given. This is coming to be the

prevalent and favorite use. We _expect_ that which we have good reason

to believe will happen; as, a boy _expects_ to grow to manhood. We

_hope_ for that which we much desire and somewhat _expect_. We

_apprehend_ what we both _expect_ and fear. _Anticipate_ is commonly

used now, like _foretaste_, of that which we _expect_ both with

confidence and pleasure. In this use it is a stronger word than _hope_,

where often "the wish is father to the thought." I _hope_ for a visit

from my friend, tho I have no word from him; I _expect_ it when he

writes that he is coming; and as the time draws near I _anticipate_ it

with pleasure. Compare ABIDE; PREVENT.

Antonyms:

despair of, doubt, dread, fear, recall, recollect, remember.

distrust,

* * * * *

ANTICIPATION.

Synonyms:

antepast, expectation, foresight, hope,

apprehension, foreboding, foretaste, presentiment,

expectancy, forecast, forethought, prevision.

_Expectation_ may be either of good or evil; _presentiment_ almost

always, _apprehension_ and _foreboding_ always, of evil; _anticipation_

and _antepast_, commonly of good. Thus, we speak of the pleasures of

_anticipation_. A _foretaste_ may be of good or evil, and is more than

imaginary; it is a part actually received in advance. _Foresight_ and

_forethought_ prevent future evil and secure future good by timely

looking forward, and acting upon what is foreseen. Compare ANTICIPATE.

Antonyms:

astonishment, despair, dread, fear, surprise,

consummation, doubt, enjoyment, realization, wonder.

* * * * *

ANTIPATHY.

Synonyms:

abhorrence, disgust, hatred, repugnance,

antagonism, dislike, hostility, repulsion,

aversion, distaste, opposition, uncongeniality.

detestation,

_Antipathy_, _repugnance_, and _uncongeniality_ are instinctive; other

forms of _dislike_ may be acquired or cherished for cause.

_Uncongeniality_ is negative, a want of touch or sympathy. An

_antipathy_ to a person or thing is an instinctive recoil from

connection or association with that person or thing, and may be physical

or mental, or both. _Antagonism_ may result from the necessity of

circumstances; _opposition_ may spring from conflicting views or

interests; _abhorrence_ and _detestation_ may be the result of religious

and moral training; _distaste_ and _disgust_ may be acquired; _aversion_

is a deep and permanent _dislike_. A natural _antipathy_ may give rise

to _opposition_ which may result in _hatred_ and _hostility_. Compare

ACRIMONY; ANGER; ENMITY; HATRED.

Antonyms:

affinity, attraction, fellow-feeling, kindliness, sympathy.

agreement, congeniality, harmony, regard,

Prepositions:

Antipathy _to_ (less frequently _for_ or _against_) a person or thing;

antipathy _between_ or _betwixt_ two persons or things.

* * * * *

ANTIQUE.

Synonyms:

ancient, old-fashioned, quaint, superannuated.

antiquated,

_Antique_ refers to an _ancient_, _antiquated_ to a discarded style.

_Antique_ is that which is either _ancient_ in fact or _ancient_ in

style. The reference is to the style rather than to the age. We can

speak of the _antique_ architecture of a church just built. The

difference between _antiquated_ and _antique_ is not in the age, for a

Puritan style may be scorned as _antiquated_, while a Roman or

Renaissance style may be prized as _antique_. The _antiquated_ is not so

much out of date as out of vogue. _Old-fashioned_ may be used

approvingly or contemptuously. In the latter case it becomes a synonym

for _antiquated_; in the good sense it approaches the meaning of

_antique_, but indicates less duration. We call a wide New England

fireplace _old-fashioned_; a coin of the Caesars, _antique_. _Quaint_

combines the idea of age with a pleasing oddity; as, a _quaint_

gambrel-roofed house. _Antiquated_ is sometimes used of persons in a

sense akin to _superannuated_. The _antiquated_ person is out of style

and out of sympathy with the present generation by reason of age; the

_superannuated_ person is incapacitated for present activities by reason

of age. Compare OLD.

Antonyms:

fashionable, fresh, modern, modish, new, recent, stylish.

* * * * *

ANXIETY.

Synonyms:

anguish, disquiet, foreboding, perplexity,

apprehension, disturbance, fretfulness, solicitude,

care, dread, fretting, trouble,

concern, fear, misgiving, worry.

_Anxiety_ is, according to its derivation, a choking _disquiet_, akin to

_anguish_; _anxiety_ is mental; _anguish_ may be mental or physical;

_anguish_ is in regard to the known, _anxiety_ in regard to the unknown;

_anguish_ is because of what has happened, _anxiety_ because of what may

happen. _Anxiety_ refers to some future event, always suggesting hopeful

possibility, and thus differing from _apprehension_, _fear_, _dread_,

_foreboding_, _terror_, all of which may be quite despairing. In matters

within our reach, _anxiety_ always stirs the question whether something

can not be done, and is thus a valuable spur to doing; in this respect

it is allied to _care_. _Foreboding_, _dread_, etc., commonly

incapacitate for all helpful thought or endeavor. _Worry_ is a more

petty, restless, and manifest _anxiety_; _anxiety_ may be quiet and

silent; _worry_ is communicated to all around. _Solicitude_ is a milder

_anxiety_. _Fretting_ or _fretfulness_ is a weak complaining without

thought of accomplishing or changing anything, but merely as a relief

to one's own _disquiet_. _Perplexity_ often involves _anxiety_, but

may be quite free from it. A student may be _perplexed_ regarding a

translation, yet, if he has time enough, not at all anxious regarding

it.

Antonyms:

apathy, calmness, confidence, light-heartedness, satisfaction,

assurance, carelessness, ease, nonchalance, tranquillity.

Prepositions:

Anxiety _for_ a friend's return; anxiety _about_, _in regard to_, or

_concerning_ the future.

* * * * *

APATHY.

Synonyms:

calmness, indifference, quietness, stoicism,

composure, insensibility, quietude, tranquillity,

immobility, lethargy, sluggishness, unconcern,

impassibility, phlegm, stillness, unfeelingness.

_Apathy_, according to its Greek derivation, is a simple absence of

feeling or emotion. There are persons to whom a certain degree of

_apathy_ is natural, an innate _sluggishness_ of the emotional nature.

In the _apathy_ of despair, a person gives up, without resistance or

sensibility, to what he has fiercely struggled to avoid. While _apathy_

is want of feeling, _calmness_ is feeling without agitation. _Calmness_

is the result of strength, courage, or trust; _apathy_ is the result of

dulness or weakness. _Composure_ is freedom from agitation or

disturbance, resulting ordinarily from force of will, or from perfect

confidence in one's own resources. _Impassibility_ is a philosophical

term applied to the Deity, as infinitely exalted above all stir of

passion or emotion. _Unfeelingness_, the Saxon word that should be the

exact equivalent of _apathy_, really means more, a lack of the feeling

one ought to have, a censurable hardness of heart. _Indifference_ and

_insensibility_ designate the absence of feeling toward certain persons

or things; _apathy_, entire absence of feeling. _Indifference_ is a want

of interest; _insensibility_ is a want of feeling; _unconcern_ has

reference to consequences. We speak of _insensibility_ of heart,

_immobility_ of countenance. _Stoicism_ is an intentional suppression of

feeling and deadening of sensibilities, while _apathy_ is involuntary.

Compare CALM; REST; STUPOR.

Antonyms:

agitation, disturbance, feeling, sensibility, sympathy,

alarm, eagerness, frenzy, sensitiveness, turbulence,

anxiety, emotion, fury, storm, vehemence,

care, excitement, passion, susceptibility, violence.

distress,

Prepositions:

The apathy _of_ monastic life; apathy _toward_ good.

* * * * *

APIECE.

Synonyms:

distributively, each, individually, separately, severally.

There is no discernible difference in sense between so much _apiece_ and

so much _each_; the former is the more common and popular, the latter

the more elegant expression. _Distributively_ is generally used of

numbers and abstract relations. _Individually_ emphasizes the

independence of the individuals; _separately_ and _severally_ still more

emphatically hold them apart. The signers of a note may become jointly

and _severally_ responsible, that is, _each_ liable for the entire

amount, as if he had signed it alone. Witnesses are often brought

_separately_ into court, in order that no one may be influenced by the

testimony of another. If a company of laborers demand a dollar _apiece_,

that is a demand that _each_ shall receive that sum; if they

_individually_ demand a dollar, _each_ individual makes the demand.

Antonyms:

accumulatively, confusedly, indiscriminately, together, unitedly.

collectively, _en masse_, synthetically,

* * * * *

APOLOGY.

Synonyms:

acknowledgment, defense, excuse, plea,

confession, exculpation, justification, vindication.

All these words express one's answer to a charge of wrong or error that

is or might be made. _Apology_ has undergone a remarkable change from

its old sense of a valiant _defense_--as in Justin Martyr's _Apologies_

for the Christian faith--to its present meaning of humble _confession_

and concession. He who offers an _apology_ admits himself, at least

technically and seemingly, in the wrong. An _apology_ is for what one

has done or left undone; an _excuse_ may be for what one proposes to do

or leave undone as well; as, one sends beforehand his _excuse_ for not

accepting an invitation; if he should fail either to be present or to

excuse himself, an _apology_ would be in order. An _excuse_ for a fault

is an attempt at partial justification; as, one alleges haste as an

_excuse_ for carelessness. _Confession_ is a full _acknowledgment_ of

wrong, generally of a grave wrong, with or without _apology_ or

_excuse_. _Plea_ ranges in sense from a prayer for favor or pardon to an

attempt at full _vindication_. _Defense_, _exculpation_,

_justification_, and _vindication_ are more properly antonyms than

synonyms of _apology_ in its modern sense, and should be so given, but

for their connection with its historic usage. Compare CONFESS; DEFENSE.

Antonyms:

accusation, charge, condemnation, injury, offense,

censure, complaint, imputation, insult, wrong.

Prepositions:

An apology _to_ the guest _for_ the oversight would be fitting.

* * * * *

APPARENT.

Synonyms:

likely, presumable, probable, seeming.

The _apparent_ is that which appears; the word has two contrasted

senses, either of that which is manifest, visible, certain, or of that

which merely seems to be and may be very different from what is; as, the

_apparent_ motion of the sun around the earth. _Apparent_ kindness casts

a doubt on the reality of the kindness; _apparent_ neglect implies that

more care and pains may have been bestowed than we are aware of.

_Presumable_ implies that a thing may be reasonably supposed beforehand

without any full knowledge of the facts. _Probable_ implies that we know

facts enough to make us moderately confident of it. _Seeming_ expresses

great doubt of the reality; _seeming_ innocence comes very near in

meaning to _probable_ guilt. _Apparent_ indicates less assurance than

_probable_, and more than _seeming_. A man's _probable_ intent we

believe will prove to be his real intent; his _seeming_ intent we

believe to be a sham; his _apparent_ intent may be the true one, tho we

have not yet evidence on which to pronounce with certainty or even with

confidence. _Likely_ is a word with a wide range of usage, but always

implying the belief that the thing is, or will be, true; it is often

used with the infinitive, as the other words of this list can not be;

as, it is _likely_ to happen. Compare EVIDENT.

Antonyms:

doubtful, dubious, improbable, unimaginable, unlikely.

Prepositions:

(When _apparent_ is used in the sense of evident): His guilt is apparent

_in_ every act _to_ all observers.

* * * * *

APPEAR.

Synonyms:

have the appearance _or_ semblance, look, seem.

_Appear_ and _look_ refer to what manifests itself to the senses; to a

semblance or probability presented directly to the mind. _Seem_ applies

to what is manifest to the mind on reflection. It suddenly _appears_ to

me that there is smoke in the distance; as I watch, it _looks_ like a

fire; from my knowledge of the locality and observation of particulars,

it _seems_ to me a farmhouse must be burning.

Antonyms:

be, be certain, real, _or_ true, be the fact, exist.

Prepositions:

Appear _at_ the front; _among_ the first; _on_ or _upon_ the surface;

_to_ the eye; _in_ evidence, _in_ print; _from_ reports; _near_ the

harbor; _before_ the public; _in_ appropriate dress; _with_ the insignia

of his rank; _above_ the clouds; _below_ the surface; _under_ the lee;

_over_ the sea; _through_ the mist; appear _for_, _in behalf of_, or

_against_ one in court.

* * * * *

APPENDAGE.

Synonyms:

accessory, addition, appurtenance, concomitant,

accompaniment, adjunct, attachment, extension,

addendum, appendix, auxiliary, supplement.

An _adjunct_ (something joined to) constitutes no real part of the thing

or system to which it is joined, tho perhaps a valuable _addition_; an

_appendage_ is commonly a real, tho not an essential or necessary part

of that with which it is connected; an _appurtenance_ belongs

subordinately to something by which it is employed, especially as an

instrument to accomplish some purpose. A horse's tail is at once an

ornamental _appendage_ and a useful _appurtenance_; we could not call it

an _adjunct_, tho we might use that word of his iron shoes. An

_attachment_ in machinery is some mechanism that can be brought into

optional connection with the principal movement; a hemmer is a valuable

_attachment_ of a sewing-machine. An _extension_, as of a railroad or of

a franchise, carries out further something already existing. We add an

_appendix_ to a book, to contain names, dates, lists, etc., which would

encumber the text; we add a _supplement_ to supply omissions, as, for

instance, to bring it up to date. An _appendix_ may be called an

_addendum_; but _addendum_ may be used of a brief note, which would not

be dignified by the name of _appendix_; such notes are often grouped as

_addenda_. An _addition_ might be matter interwoven in the body of the

work, an index, plates, editorial notes, etc., which might be valuable

_additions_, but not within the meaning of _appendix_ or _supplement_.

Compare ACCESSORY; AUXILIARY.

Antonyms:

main body, original, total, whole.

Prepositions:

That which is thought of as added we call an appendage _to_; that which

is looked upon as an integral part is called an appendage _of_.

* * * * *

APPETITE.

Synonyms:

appetency, impulse, lust, propensity,

craving, inclination, passion, relish,

desire, liking, proclivity, thirst,

disposition, longing, proneness, zest.

_Appetite_ is used only of the demands of the physical system, unless

otherwise expressly stated, as when we say an _appetite_ for knowledge;

_passion_ includes all excitable impulses of our nature, as anger, fear,

love, hatred, etc. _Appetite_ is thus more animal than _passion_; and

when we speak of _passions_ and _appetites_ as conjoined or contrasted,

we think of the _appetites_ as wholly physical and of the _passions_ as,

in part at least, mental or spiritual. We say an _appetite_ for food, a

_passion_ for fame. Compare DESIRE.

Antonyms:

antipathy, disgust, distaste, indifference, repugnance,

aversion, dislike, hatred, loathing, repulsion.

detestation, disrelish,

Compare ANTIPATHY.

Preposition:

He had an insatiable appetite _for_ the marvellous.

* * * * *

APPORTION.

Synonyms:

allot, appropriate, deal, distribute, grant,

appoint, assign, dispense, divide, share.

To _allot_ or _assign_ may be to make an arbitrary division; the same is

true of _distribute_ or _divide_. That which is _apportioned_ is given

by some fixed rule, which is meant to be uniform and fair; as,

representatives are _apportioned_ among the States according to

population. To _dispense_ is to give out freely; as, the sun _dispenses_

light and heat. A thing is _appropriated_ to or for a specific purpose

(to which it thus becomes _proper_, in the original sense of being its

own); money _appropriated_ by Congress for one purpose can not be

expended for any other. One may _apportion_ what he only holds in trust;

he _shares_ what is his own. Compare ALLOT.

Antonyms:

cling to, consolidate, gather together, receive,

collect, divide arbitrarily, keep together, retain.

Prepositions:

Apportion _to_ each a fair amount; apportion the property _among_ the

heirs, _between_ two claimants; apportion _according to_ numbers, etc.

* * * * *

APPROXIMATION.

Synonyms:

approach, likeness, neighborhood, resemblance,

contiguity, nearness, propinquity, similarity.

In mathematics, _approximation_ is not guesswork, not looseness, and not

error. The process of _approximation_ is as exact and correct at every

point as that by which an absolute result is secured; the result only

fails of exactness because of some inherent difficulty in the problem.

The attempt to "square the circle" gives only an _approximate_ result,

because of the impossibility of expressing the circumference in terms of

the radius. But the limits of error on either side are known, and the

_approximation_ has practical value. Outside of mathematics, the correct

use of _approximation_ (and the kindred words _approximate_ and

_approximately_) is to express as near an approach to accuracy and

certainty as the conditions of human thought or action in any given case

make possible. _Resemblance_ and _similarity_ may be but superficial and

apparent; _approximation_ is real. _Approach_ is a relative term,

indicating that one has come nearer than before, tho the distance may

yet be considerable; an _approximation_ brings one really near.

_Nearness_, _neighborhood_, and _propinquity_ are commonly used of

place; _approximation_, of mathematical calculations and abstract

reasoning; we speak of _approach_ to the shore, _nearness_ to the town,

_approximation_ to the truth.

Antonyms:

difference, distance, error, remoteness, unlikeness, variation.

Prepositions:

The approximation _of_ the vegetable _to_ the animal type.

* * * * *

ARMS.

Synonyms:

accouterments, armor, harness, mail, weapons.

_Arms_ are implements of attack; _armor_ is a defensive covering. The

knight put on his _armor_; he grasped his _arms_. With the disuse of

defensive _armor_ the word has practically gone out of military use, but

it is still employed in the navy, where the distinction is clearly

preserved; any vessel provided with cannon is an _armed_ vessel; an

_armored_ ship is an ironclad. Anything that can be wielded in fight may

become a _weapon_, as a pitchfork or a paving-stone; _arms_ are

especially made and designed for conflict.

* * * * *

ARMY.

Synonyms:

armament, forces, military, soldiers,

array, host, multitude, soldiery,

force, legions, phalanx, troops.

An _army_ is an organized body of men armed for war, ordinarily

considerable in numbers, always independent in organization so far as

not to be a constituent part of any other command. Organization, unity,

and independence, rather than numbers are the essentials of an _army_.

We speak of the invading _army_ of Cortes or Pizarro, tho either body

was contemptible in numbers from a modern military standpoint. We may

have a little _army_, a large _army_, or a vast _army_. _Host_ is used

for any vast and orderly assemblage; as, the stars are called the

heavenly _host_. _Multitude_ expresses number without order or

organization; a _multitude_ of armed men is not an _army_, but a mob.

_Legion_ (from the Latin) and _phalanx_ (from the Greek) are applied by

a kind of poetic license to modern _forces_; the plural _legions_ is

preferred to the singular. _Military_ is a general word for

land-_forces_; the _military_ may include all the armed _soldiery_ of a

nation, or the term may be applied to any small detached company, as at

a fort, in distinction from civilians. Any organized body of men by whom

the law or will of a people is executed is a _force_; the word is a

usual term for the police of any locality.

* * * * *

ARRAIGN.

Synonyms:

accuse, charge, impeach, prosecute,

censure, cite, indict, summon.

_Arraign_ is an official word; a person accused of crime is _arraigned_

when he is formally called into court, the indictment read to him, and

the demand made of him to plead guilty or not guilty; in more extended

use, to _arraign_ is to call in question for fault in any formal,

public, or official way. One may _charge_ another with any fault, great

or trifling, privately or publicly, formally or informally. _Accuse_ is

stronger than _charge_, suggesting more of the formal and criminal; a

person may _charge_ a friend with unkindness or neglect; he may

_accuse_ a tramp of stealing. _Censure_ carries the idea of fault, but

not of crime; it may be private and individual, or public and official.

A judge, a president, or other officer of high rank may be _impeached_

before the appropriate tribunal for high crimes; the veracity of a

witness may be _impeached_ by damaging evidence. A person of the highest

character may be _summoned_ as defendant in a civil suit; or he may be

_cited_ to answer as administrator, etc. _Indict_ and _arraign_ apply

strictly to criminal proceedings, and only an alleged criminal is

_indicted_ or _arraigned_. One is _indicted_ by the grand jury, and

_arraigned_ before the appropriate court.

Antonyms:

acquit, discharge, exonerate, overlook, release,

condone, excuse, forgive, pardon, set free.

Prepositions:

Arraign _at_ the bar, _before_ the tribunal, _of_ or _for_ a crime; _on_

or _upon_ an indictment.

* * * * *

ARRAY.

Synonyms:

army, collection, line of battle, parade,

arrangement, disposition, order, show,

battle array, exhibition, order of battle, sight.

The phrase _battle array_ or _array of battle_ is archaic and poetic; we

now say in _line_ or _order of battle_. The _parade_ is for _exhibition_

and oversight, and partial rehearsal of military manual and maneuvers.

_Array_ refers to a continuous _arrangement_ of men, so that all may be

seen or reviewed at once. This is practically impossible with the vast

_armies_ of our day. We say rather the _disposition_ of troops, which

expresses their location so as to sustain and support, though unable to

see or readily communicate with each other. Compare DRESS.

* * * * *

ARREST.

Synonyms:

apprehend, detain, restrain, stop,

capture, hold, secure, take into custody,

catch, make prisoner, seize, take prisoner.

The legal term _arrest_ carries always the implication of a legal

offense; this is true even of _arresting_ for debt. But one may be

_detained_ by process of law when no offense is alleged against him, as

in the case of a witness who is _held_ in a house of detention till a

case comes to trial. One may be _restrained_ of his liberty without

arrest, as in an insane asylum; an individual or corporation may be

_restrained_ by injunction from selling certain property. In case of an

arrest, an officer may _secure_ his prisoner by fetters, by a locked

door, or other means effectually to prevent escape. _Capture_ is

commonly used of seizure by armed force; as, to _capture_ a ship, a

fort, etc. Compare HINDER; OBSTRUCT.

Antonyms:

discharge, dismiss, free, liberate, release, set free.

Prepositions:

Arrested _for_ crime, _on_ suspicion, _by_ the sheriff; _on_, _upon_, or

_by virtue of_ a warrant; _on_ final process; _in_ execution.

* * * * *

ARTIFICE.

Synonyms:

art, craft, finesse, invention, stratagem,

blind, cunning, fraud, machination, subterfuge,

cheat, device, guile, maneuver, trick,

contrivance, dodge, imposture, ruse, wile.

A _contrivance_ or _device_ may be either good or bad. A _cheat_ is a

mean advantage in a bargain; a _fraud_, any form of covert robbery or

injury. _Imposture_ is a deceitful _contrivance_ for securing charity,

credit, or consideration. A _stratagem_ or _maneuver_ may be of the good

against the bad, as it were a skilful movement of war. A _wile_ is

usually but not necessarily evil.

E'en children followed with endearing _wile_.

GOLDSMITH _Deserted Village_, l. 184.

A _trick_ is often low, injurious, and malicious; we say a mean _trick_;

the word is sometimes used playfully with less than its full meaning. A

_ruse_ or a _blind_ may be quite innocent and harmless. An _artifice_ is

a carefully and delicately prepared _contrivance_ for doing indirectly

what one could not well do directly. A _device_ is something studied out

for promoting an end, as in a mechanism; the word is used of indirect

action, often, but not necessarily directed to an evil, selfish, or

injurious end. _Finesse_ is especially subtle _contrivance_, delicate

_artifice_, whether for good or evil. Compare FRAUD.

Antonyms:

artlessness, frankness, ingenuousness, openness, sincerity,

candor, guilelessness, innocence, simplicity, truth.

fairness, honesty,

* * * * *

ARTIST.

Synonyms:

artificer, artisan, mechanic, operative, workman.

_Artist_, _artificer_ and _artisan_ are all from the root of _art_, but

_artist_ holds to the esthetic sense, while _artificer_ and _artisan_

follow the mechanical or industrial sense of the word (see ART under

SCIENCE). _Artist_ thus comes only into accidental association with the

other words of this group, not being a synonym of any one of them and

having practically no synonym of its own. The work of the _artist_ is

creative; that of the _artisan_ mechanical. The man who paints a

beautiful picture is an _artist_; the man who makes pin-heads all day is

an _artisan_. The _artificer_ is between the two, putting more thought,

intelligence, and taste into his work than the _artisan_, but less of

the idealizing, creative power than the _artist_. The sculptor, shaping

his model in clay, is _artificer_, as well as _artist_; patient

_artisans_, working simply by rule and scale, chisel and polish the

stone. The man who constructs anything by mere routine and rule is a

_mechanic_. The man whose work involves thought, skill, and constructive

power is an _artificer_. The hod-carrier is a _laborer_; the bricklayer

is a _mechanic_; the master mason is an _artificer_. Those who operate

machinery nearly self-acting are _operatives_.

* * * * *

ASK.

Synonyms:

beg, crave, entreat, petition, request, solicit,

beseech, demand, implore, pray, require, supplicate.

One _asks_ what he feels that he may fairly claim and reasonably expect;

"if a son shall _ask_ bread of any of you that is a father," _Luke_ xi,

11; he _begs_ for that to which he advances no claim but pity. _Demand_

is a determined and often an arrogant word; one may rightfully _demand_

what is his own or his due, when it is withheld or denied; or he may

wrongfully _demand_ that to which he has no claim but power. _Require_

is less arrogant and obtrusive than _demand_, but is exceedingly

strenuous; as, the court _requires_ the attendance of witnesses.

_Entreat_ implies a special earnestness of asking, and _beseech_, a

still added and more humble intensity; _beseech_ was formerly often used

as a polite intensive for _beg_ or _pray_; as, I _beseech_ you to tell

me. To _implore_ is to _ask_ with weeping and lamentation; to

_supplicate_ is to _ask_, as it were, on bended knees. _Crave_ and

_request_ are somewhat formal terms; _crave_ has almost disappeared from

conversation; _request_ would seem distant between parent and child.

_Pray_ is now used chiefly of address to the Supreme Being; _petition_

is used of written request to persons in authority; as, to _petition_

the legislature to pass an act, or the governor to pardon an offender.

Antonyms:

claim, deny, enforce, exact, extort, insist, refuse, reject.

command,

Prepositions:

Ask a person _for_ a thing; ask a thing _of_ or _from_ a person; ask

_after_ or _about_ one's health, welfare, friends, etc.

* * * * *

ASSOCIATE.

Synonyms:

accomplice, coadjutor, comrade, fellow, mate,

ally, colleague, confederate, friend, partner,

chum, companion, consort, helpmate, peer.

An _associate_ as used officially implies a chief, leader, or principal,

to whom the _associate_ is not fully equal in rank. _Associate_ is

popularly used of mere friendly relations, but oftener implies some

work, enterprise, or pursuit in which the associated persons unite. We

rarely speak of _associates_ in crime or wrong, using _confederates_ or

_accomplices_ instead. _Companion_ gives itself with equal readiness to

the good or evil sense, as also does _comrade_. One may be a _companion_

in travel who would not readily become an _associate_ at home. A lady

advertises for a _companion_; she would not advertise for an

_associate_. _Peer_ implies equality rather than companionship; as, a

jury of his _peers_. _Comrade_ expresses more fellowship and good

feeling than _companion_. _Fellow_ has almost gone out of use in this

connection, except in an inferior or patronizing sense. _Consort_ is a

word of equality and dignity, as applied especially to the marriage

relation. Compare ACCESSORY; ACQUAINTANCE; FRIENDSHIP.

Antonyms:

antagonist, foe, hinderer, opponent, opposer, rival, stranger.

enemy,

Prepositions:

These were the associates _of_ the leader _in_ the enterprise.

* * * * *

ASSOCIATION.

Synonyms:

alliance, confederacy, familiarity, lodge,

club, confederation, federation, participation,

community, conjunction, fellowship, partnership,

companionship, connection, fraternity, society,

company, corporation, friendship, union.

We speak of an _alliance_ of nations, a _club_ of pleasure-seekers, a

_community_ of Shakers, a _company_ of soldiers or of friends, a

_confederacy_, _confederation_, _federation_, or _union_ of separate

states under one general government, a _partnership_ or _company_ of

business men, a _conjunction_ of planets. The whole body of Freemasons

constitute a _fraternity_; one of their local organizations is called a

_lodge_. A _corporation_ or _company_ is formed for purposes of

business; an _association_ or _society_ (tho also incorporated) is for

learning, literature, benevolence, religion, etc. Compare ASSOCIATE;

ACQUAINTANCE; FRIENDSHIP.

Antonyms:

disintegration, independence, isolation, separation, solitude.

Prepositions:

An association _of_ scholars _for_ the advancement of knowledge;

association _with_ the good is ennobling.

* * * * *

ASSUME.

Synonyms:

accept, arrogate, postulate, put on,

affect, claim, presume, take,

appropriate, feign, pretend, usurp.

The distinctive idea of _assume_ is to _take_ by one's own independent

volition, whether well or ill, rightfully or wrongfully. One may

_accept_ an obligation or _assume_ an authority that properly belongs to

him, or he may _assume_ an obligation or indebtedness that could not be

required of him. He may _assume_ authority or office that is his right;

if he _assumes_ what does not belong to him, he is said to _arrogate_ or

_usurp_ it. A man may _usurp_ the substance of power in the most

unpretending way; what he _arrogates_ to himself he _assumes_ with a

haughty and overbearing manner. One _assumes_ the robes or insignia of

office by _putting_ them _on_, with or without right. If he _takes_ to

himself the credit and appearance of qualities he does not possess, he

is said to _affect_ or _feign_, or to _pretend_ to, the character he

thus _assumes_. What a debater _postulates_ he openly states and _takes_

for granted without proof; what he _assumes_ he may take for granted

without mention. A favorite trick of the sophist is quietly to _assume_

as true what would at once be challenged if expressly stated. What a man

_claims_ he asserts his right to _take_; what he _assumes_ he _takes_.

* * * * *

ASSURANCE.

Synonyms:

arrogance, boldness, impudence, self-confidence,

assertion, confidence, presumption, self-reliance,

assumption, effrontery, self-assertion, trust.

_Assurance_ may have the good sense of a high, sustained _confidence_

and _trust_; as, the saint's _assurance_ of heaven. _Confidence_ is

founded upon reasons; _assurance_ is largely a matter of feeling. In the

bad sense, _assurance_ is a vicious courage, with belief of one's

ability to outwit or defy others; the hardened criminal is remarkable

for habitual _assurance_. For the calm conviction of one's own rectitude

and ability, _self-confidence_ is a better word than _assurance_;

_self-reliance_ expresses confidence in one's own resources,

independently of others' aid. In the bad sense _assurance_ is less gross

than _impudence_, which is (according to its etymology) a shameless

_boldness_. _Assurance_ is in act or manner; _impudence_ may be in

speech. _Effrontery_ is _impudence_ defiantly displayed. Compare FAITH;

PRIDE.

Antonyms:

bashfulness, consternation, distrust, hesitancy, shyness,

confusion, dismay, doubt, misgiving, timidity.

* * * * *

ASTUTE.

Synonyms:

acute, discerning, penetrating, sharp,

clear-sighted, discriminating, penetrative, shrewd,

crafty, keen, perspicacious, subtile,

cunning, knowing, sagacious, subtle.

_Acute_, from the Latin, suggests the sharpness of the needle's point;

_keen_, from the Saxon, the sharpness of the cutting edge. _Astute_,

from the Latin, with the original sense of _cunning_ has come to have a

meaning that combines the sense of _acute_ or _keen_ with that of

_sagacious_. The _astute_ mind adds to _acuteness_ and _keenness_ an

element of cunning or finesse. The _astute_ debater leads his opponents

into a snare by getting them to make admissions, or urge arguments, of

which he sees a result that they do not perceive. The _acute_, _keen_

intellect may take no special advantage of these qualities; the _astute_

mind has always a point to make for itself, and seldom fails to make it.

A _knowing_ look, air, etc., in general indicates practical knowledge

with a touch of shrewdness, and perhaps of cunning; in regard to some

special matter, it indicates the possession of reserved knowledge which

the person could impart if he chose. _Knowing_ has often a slightly

invidious sense. We speak of a _knowing_ rascal, meaning _cunning_ or

_shrewd_ within a narrow range, but of a _knowing_ horse or dog, in the

sense of _sagacious_, implying that he knows more than could be expected

of such an animal. A _knowing_ child has more knowledge than would be

looked for at his years, perhaps more than is quite desirable, while to

speak of a child as _intelligent_ is altogether complimentary.

Antonyms:

blind, idiotic, shallow, stolid, undiscerning,

dull, imbecile, short-sighted, stupid, unintelligent.

* * * * *

ATTACHMENT.

Synonyms:

adherence, devotion, friendship, regard,

adhesion, esteem, inclination, tenderness,

affection, estimation, love, union.

An _attachment_ is a feeling that binds a person by ties of heart to

another person or thing; we speak of a man's _adherence_ to his purpose,

his _adhesion_ to his party, or to anything to which he clings

tenaciously, tho with no special tenderness; of his _attachment_ to his

church, to the old homestead, or to any persons or objects that he may

hold dear. _Affection_ expresses more warmth of feeling; we should not

speak of a mother's _attachment_ to her babe, but of her _affection_ or

of her _devotion_. _Inclination_ expresses simply a tendency, which may

be good or bad, yielded to or overcome; as, an _inclination_ to study;

an _inclination_ to drink. _Regard_ is more distant than _affection_ or

_attachment_, but closer and warmer than _esteem_; we speak of high

_esteem_, kind _regard_. Compare ACQUAINTANCE; APPENDAGE; FRIENDSHIP;

LOVE; UNION.

Antonyms:

alienation, aversion, distance, estrangement, repugnance,

animosity, coolness, divorce, indifference, separation,

antipathy, dislike, enmity, opposition, severance.

Prepositions:

Attachment _of_ a true man _to_ his friends; attachment _to_ a leader

_for_ his nobility of character; the attachments _between_ two persons

or things; attachment _by_ muscular fibers, or _by_ a rope, etc.

* * * * *

ATTACK, _v._

Synonyms:

assail, beset, combat, invade,

assault, besiege, encounter, set upon,

beleaguer, charge, fall upon, storm.

To _attack_ is to begin hostilities of any kind. A general _invades_ a

country by marching in troops; he _attacks_ a city by drawing up an army

against it; he _assaults_ it by hurling his troops directly upon its

defenses. _Assail_ and _assault_, tho of the same original etymology,

have diverged in meaning, so that _assault_ alone retains the meaning of

direct personal violence. One may _assail_ another with reproaches; he

_assaults_ him with a blow, a brandished weapon, etc. Armies or

squadrons _charge_; _combat_ and _encounter_ may be said of individual

contests. To _beset_ is to set around, or, so to speak, to stud one's

path, with menaces, attacks, or persuasions. To _besiege_ and

_beleaguer_ are the acts of armies. To _encounter_ is to meet face to

face, and may be said either of the _attacking_ or of the resisting

force or person, or of both.

Antonyms:

aid, cover, protect, shelter, support, uphold,

befriend, defend, resist, shield, sustain, withstand.

Prepositions:

We were attacked _by_ the enemy _with_ cannon and musketry.

* * * * *

ATTACK, _n._

Synonyms:

aggression, incursion, invasion, onslaught,

assault, infringement, onset, trespass.

encroachment, intrusion,

An _attack_ may be by word; an _aggression_ is always by deed. An

_assault_ may be upon the person, an _aggression_ is upon rights,

possessions, etc. An _invasion_ of a nation's territories is an act of

_aggression_; an _intrusion_ upon a neighboring estate is a _trespass_.

_Onslaught_ signifies intensely violent _assault_, as by an army or a

desperado, tho it is sometimes used of violent speech.

Antonyms:

defense, repulsion, resistance, retreat, submission, surrender.

Prepositions:

The enemy made an attack _upon_ (or _on_) our works.

* * * * *

ATTAIN.

Synonyms:

accomplish, arrive at, gain, master, reach,

achieve, compass, get, obtain, secure,

acquire, earn, grasp, procure, win.

A person may _obtain_ a situation by the intercession of friends, he

_procures_ a dinner by paying for it. _Attain_ is a lofty word, pointing

to some high or desirable result; a man _attains_ the mountain summit,

he _attains_ honor or learning as the result of strenuous and earnest

labor. Even that usage of _attain_ which has been thought to refer to

mere progress of time carries the thought of a result desired; as, to

_attain_ to old age; the man desires to live to a good old age; we

should not speak of his _attaining_ his dotage. One may _attain_ an

object that will prove not worth his labor, but what he _achieves_ is in

itself great and splendid; as, the Greeks at Marathon _achieved_ a

glorious victory. Compare DO; GET; REACH.

Antonyms:

abandon, fail, forfeit, give up, let go, lose, miss.

* * * * *

ATTITUDE.

Synonyms:

pose, position, posture.

_Position_ as applied to the arrangement or situation of the human body

or limbs may denote that which is conscious or unconscious, of the

living or the dead; but we do not speak of the _attitude_, _pose_, or

_posture_ of a corpse; unless, in some rare case, we might say the body

was found in a sitting _posture_, where the _posture_ is thought of as

assumed in life, or as, at first glance, suggesting life. A _posture_ is

assumed without any special reference to expression of feeling; as, an

erect _posture_, a reclining _posture_; _attitude_ is the _position_

appropriate to the expression of some feeling; the _attitude_ may be

unconsciously taken through the strength of the feeling; as, an

_attitude_ of defiance; or it may be consciously assumed in the attempt

to express the feeling; as, he assumed an _attitude_ of humility. A

_pose_ is a _position_ studied for artistic effect, or considered with

reference to such effect; the unconscious _posture_ of a spectator or

listener may be an admirable _pose_ from an artist's standpoint.

* * * * *

ATTRIBUTE, _v._

Synonyms:

ascribe, associate, connect, impute, refer.

assign, charge,

We may _attribute_ to a person either that which belongs to him or that

which we merely suppose to be his. We _attribute_ to God infinite power.

We may _attribute_ a wrong intent to an innocent person. We may

_attribute_ a result, rightly or wrongly, to a certain cause; in such

case, however, _attribute_ carries always a concession of uncertainty or

possible error. Where we are quite sure, we simply _refer_ a matter to

the cause or class to which it belongs or _ascribe_ to one what is

surely his, etc. Many diseases formerly _attributed_ to witchcraft are

now _referred_ to the action of micro-organisms. We may _attribute_ a

matter in silent thought; we _ascribe_ anything openly in speech or

writing; King Saul said of the singing women, "They have _ascribed_ unto

David ten thousands, and to me they have _ascribed_ but thousands." We

_associate_ things which may have no necessary or causal relation; as,

we may _associate_ the striking of a clock with the serving of dinner,

tho the two are not necessarily connected. We _charge_ a person with

what we deem blameworthy. We may _impute_ good or evil, but more

commonly evil.

Antonyms:

deny, disconnect, dissociate, separate, sever, sunder.

Prepositions:

It is uncharitable to attribute evil motives _to_ (archaic _unto_)

others.

* * * * *

ATTRIBUTE, _n._

Synonyms:

property, quality.

A _quality_ (L. _qualis_, such)--the "suchness" of anything, according

to the German idiom--denotes what a thing really is in some one respect;

an _attribute_ is what we conceive a thing to be in some one respect;

thus, while _attribute_ may, _quality_ must, express something of the

real nature of that to which it is ascribed; we speak of the

_attributes_ of God, the _qualities_ of matter. "Originally 'the

_attributes_ of God' was preferred, probably, because men assumed no

knowledge of the actual _qualities_ of the Deity, but only of those more

or less fitly attributed to him." J. A. H. MURRAY. [M.] Holiness is an

_attribute_ of God; the _attributes_ of many heathen deities have been

only the _qualities_ of wicked men joined to superhuman power. A

_property_ (L. _proprius_, one's own) is what belongs especially to one

thing as its own peculiar possession, in distinction from all other

things; when we speak of the _qualities_ or the _properties_ of matter,

_quality_ is the more general, _property_ the more limited term. A

_quality_ is inherent; a _property_ may be transient; physicists now,

however, prefer to term those _qualities_ manifested by all bodies (such

as impenetrability, extension, etc.), _general properties_ of matter,

while those peculiar to certain substances or to certain states of those

substances (as fluidity, malleability, etc.) are termed _specific

properties_; in this wider use of the word _property_, it becomes

strictly synonymous with _quality_. Compare CHARACTERISTIC; EMBLEM.

Antonyms:

being, essence, nature, substance.

* * * * *

AUGUR.

Synonyms:

betoken, divine, foretell, predict, prognosticate,

bode, forebode, portend, presage, prophesy.

"Persons or things _augur_; persons only _forebode_ or _presage_; things

only _betoken_ or _portend_." CRABB _English Synonymes_. We _augur_ well

for a voyage from past good fortune and a good start; we _presage_

success from the stanchness of the ship and the skill of the captain.

We _forebode_ misfortune either from circumstances that _betoken_

failure, or from gloomy fancies for which we could not give a reason.

Dissipation among the officers and mutiny among the crew _portend_

disaster. _Divine_ has reference to the ancient soothsayers' arts (as in

_Gen._ xliv, 5, 15), and refers rather to reading hearts than to reading

the future. We say I could not _divine_ his motive, or his intention.

Antonyms:

assure, demonstrate, establish, make sure, settle,

calculate, determine, insure, prove, warrant.

Prepositions:

I augur _from_ all circumstances a prosperous result; I augur ill _of_

the enterprise; "augurs ill _to_ the rights of the people," THOMAS

JEFFERSON _Writings_ vol. ii, p. 506. [T. & M. '53.] I augur well, or

this augurs well, _for_ your cause.

* * * * *

AUTHENTIC.

Synonyms:

accepted, certain, original, sure,

accredited, current, real, true,

authoritative, genuine, received, trustworthy,

authorized, legitimate, reliable, veritable.

That is _authentic_ which is true to the facts; that is _genuine_ which

is true to its own claims; as, _authentic_ history; _genuine_ money.

A '_genuine_' work is one written by the author whose name it bears;

an '_authentic_' work is one which relates truthfully the matters of

which it treats. For example, the apocryphal Gospel of St. Thomas is

neither '_genuine_' nor '_authentic_.' It is not '_genuine_,' for

St. Thomas did not write it; it is not '_authentic_,' for its

contents are mainly fables and lies.

TRENCH _On the Study of Words_ lect. vi, p. 189. [W. J. W.]

_Authentic_ is, however, used by reputable writers as synonymous with

_genuine_, tho usually where genuineness carries a certain authority. We

speak of _accepted_ conclusions, _certain_ evidence, _current_ money,

_genuine_ letters, a _legitimate_ conclusion or _legitimate_ authority,

_original_ manuscripts, _real_ value, _received_ interpretation, _sure_

proof, a _true_ statement, a _trustworthy_ witness, a _veritable_

discovery.

Antonyms:

apocryphal, counterfeit, exploded, false, spurious,

baseless, disputed, fabulous, fictitious, unauthorized.

* * * * *

AUXILIARY.

Synonyms:

accessory, ally, coadjutor, helper, promoter,

aid, assistant, confederate, mercenary, subordinate.

An _auxiliary_ is a person or thing that helps in a subordinate

capacity. _Allies_ unite as equals; _auxiliaries_ are, at least

technically, inferiors or subordinates. Yet the _auxiliary_ is more than

a mere _assistant_. The word is oftenest found in the plural, and in the

military sense; _auxiliaries_ are troops of one nation uniting with the

armies, and acting under the orders, of another. _Mercenaries_ serve

only for pay; _auxiliaries_ often for reasons of state, policy, or

patriotism as well. Compare ACCESSORY; APPENDAGE.

Antonyms:

antagonist, hinderer, opponent, opposer.

Prepositions:

The auxiliaries _of_ the Romans; an auxiliary _in_ a good cause; an

auxiliary _to_ learning.

* * * * *

AVARICIOUS.

Synonyms:

close, greedy, niggardly, penurious, sordid,

covetous, miserly, parsimonious, rapacious, stingy.

_Avaricious_ and _covetous_ refer especially to acquisition, _miserly_,

_niggardly_, _parsimonious_, and _penurious_ to expenditure. The

_avaricious_ man has an eager craving for money, and ordinarily desires

both to get and to keep, the _covetous_ man to get something away from

its possessor; tho one may be made _avaricious_ by the pressure of great

expenditures. _Miserly_ and _niggardly_ persons seek to gain by mean and

petty savings; the _miserly_ by stinting themselves, the _niggardly_ by

stinting others. _Parsimonious_ and _penurious_ may apply to one's

outlay either for himself or for others; in the latter use, they are

somewhat less harsh and reproachful terms than _niggardly_. The _close_

man holds like a vise all that he gets. _Near_ and _nigh_ are provincial

words of similar import. The _rapacious_ have the robber instinct, and

put it in practise in some form, as far as they dare. The _avaricious_

and _rapacious_ are ready to reach out for gain; the _parsimonious_,

_miserly_, and _niggardly_ prefer the safer and less adventurous way of

avoiding expenditure. _Greedy_ and _stingy_ are used not only of money,

but often of other things, as food, etc. The _greedy_ child wishes to

enjoy everything himself; the _stingy_ child, to keep others from

getting it.

Antonyms:

bountiful, free, generous, liberal, munificent, prodigal, wasteful.

Preposition:

The monarch was avaricious _of_ power.

* * * * *

AVENGE.

Synonyms:

punish, retaliate, revenge, vindicate, visit.

_Avenge_ and _revenge_, once close synonyms, are now far apart in

meaning. To _avenge_ is to _visit_ some offense with punishment, in

order to _vindicate_ the righteous, or to uphold and illustrate the

right by the suffering or destruction of the wicked. "And seeing one of

them suffer wrong, he _avenged_ him that was oppressed, and smote the

Egyptian," _Acts_ vii, 24. To _revenge_ is to inflict harm or suffering

upon another through personal anger and resentment at something done to

ourselves. _Avenge_ is unselfish; _revenge_ is selfish. _Revenge_,

according to present usage, could not be said of God. To _retaliate_ may

be necessary for self-defense, without the idea of _revenge_. Compare

REVENGE.

Prepositions:

Avenge _on_ or _upon_ (rarely, avenge oneself _of_) a wrong-doer.

* * * * *

AVOW.

Synonyms:

knowledge, aver, confess, own, profess, testify,

admit, avouch, declare, proclaim, protest, witness.

_Acknowledge_, _admit_, and _declare_ refer either to oneself or to

others; all the other words refer only to one's own knowledge or action.

To _avow_ is to declare boldly and openly, commonly as something one is

ready to justify, maintain, or defend. A man _acknowledges_ another's

claim or his own promise; he _admits_ an opponent's advantage or his own

error; he _declares_ either what he has seen or experienced or what he

has received from another; he _avers_ what he is sure of from his own

knowledge or consciousness; he gives his assurance as the voucher for

what he _avouches_; he _avows_ openly a belief or intention that he has

silently held. _Avow_ and _avouch_ take a direct object; _aver_ is

followed by a conjunction: a man _avows_ his faith, _avouches_ a deed,

_avers_ that he was present. _Avow_ has usually a good sense; what a

person _avows_ he at least does not treat as blameworthy, criminal, or

shameful; if he did, he would be said to _confess_ it; yet there is

always the suggestion that some will be ready to challenge or censure

what one _avows_; as, the clergyman _avowed_ his dissent from the

doctrine of his church. _Own_ applies to all things, good or bad, great

or small, which one takes as his own. Compare CONFESS; STATE.

Antonyms:

contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, ignore, repudiate.

* * * * *

AWFUL.

Synonyms:

alarming, direful, frightful, majestic, solemn,

appalling, dread, grand, noble, stately,

august, dreadful, horrible, portentous, terrible,

dire, fearful, imposing, shocking, terrific.

_Awful_ should not be used of things which are merely disagreeable or

annoying, nor of all that are _alarming_ and _terrible_, but only of

such as bring a solemn awe upon the soul, as in the presence of a

superior power; as, the _awful_ hush before the battle. That which is

_awful_ arouses an oppressive, that which is _august_ an admiring

reverence; we speak of the _august_ presence of a mighty monarch, the

_awful_ presence of death. We speak of an _exalted_ station, a _grand_

mountain, an _imposing_ presence, a _majestic_ cathedral, a _noble_

mien, a _solemn_ litany, a _stately_ march, an _august_ assembly, the

_awful_ scene of the Judgment Day.

Antonyms:

base, contemptible, inferior, paltry,

beggarly, despicable, lowly, undignified,

commonplace, humble, mean, vulgar.

* * * * *

AWKWARD.

Synonyms:

boorish, clumsy, rough, unhandy,

bungling, gawky, uncouth, unskilful.

clownish, maladroit, ungainly,

_Awkward_, from _awk_ (kindred with _off_, from the Norwegian), is

_off-ward_, turned the wrong way; it was anciently used of a back-handed

or left-handed blow in battle, of squinting eyes, etc. _Clumsy_, on the

other hand (from _clumse_, also through the Norwegian), signifies

benumbed, stiffened with cold; this is the original meaning of _clumsy_

fingers, _clumsy_ limbs. Thus, _awkward_ primarily refers to action,

_clumsy_ to condition. A tool, a vehicle, or the human frame may be

_clumsy_ in shape or build, _awkward_ in motion. The _clumsy_ man is

almost of necessity _awkward_, but the _awkward_ man may not be

naturally _clumsy_. The finest untrained colt is _awkward_ in harness; a

horse that is _clumsy_ in build can never be trained out of awkwardness.

An _awkward_ statement has an uncomfortable, and perhaps recoiling

force; a statement that contains ill-assorted and incongruous material

in ill-chosen language is _clumsy_. We speak of an _awkward_

predicament, an _awkward_ scrape. An _awkward_ excuse commonly reflects

on the one who offers it. We say the admitted facts have an _awkward_

appearance. In none of these cases could _clumsy_ be used. _Clumsy_ is,

however, applied to movements that seem as unsuitable as those of

benumbed and stiffened limbs. A dancing bear is both _clumsy_ and

_awkward_.

Antonyms:

adroit, clever, dexterous, handy, skilful.

Prepositions:

The raw recruit is awkward _in_ action; _at_ the business.

* * * * *

AXIOM.

Synonym:

truism.

Both the _axiom_ and the _truism_ are instantly seen to be true, and

need no proof; but in an _axiom_ there is progress of thought, while the

_truism_ simply says the same thing over again, or says what is too

manifest to need saying. The _axiom_ that "things which are equal to the

same thing are equal to one another" unfolds in the latter part of the

sentence the truth implied in the first part, which might have been

overlooked if not stated. In the _truism_ that "a man can do all he is

capable of," the former and the latter part of the sentence are simply

identical, and the mind is left just where it started. Hence the _axiom_

is valuable and useful, while the _truism_ is weak and flat, unless the

form of statement makes it striking or racy, as "all fools are out of

their wits." Compare PROVERB.

Antonyms:

absurdity, contradiction, demonstration, nonsense, paradox, sophism.

* * * * *

BABBLE.

Synonyms:

blab, cackle, gabble, murmur, prattle,

blurt, chat, gossip, palaver, tattle,

blurt out, chatter, jabber, prate, twaddle.

Most of these words are onomatopoetic. The _cackle_ of a hen, the

_gabble_ of a goose, the _chatter_ of a magpie, the _babble_ of a

running stream, as applied to human speech, indicate a rapid succession

of what are to the listener meaningless sounds. _Blab_ and _blurt_

(commonly _blurt out_) refer to the letting out of what the lips can no

longer keep in; _blab_, of a secret; _blurt out_, of passionate feeling.

To _chat_ is to talk in an easy, pleasant way, not without sense, but

without special purpose. _Chatting_ is the practise of adults,

_prattling_ that of children. To _prate_ is to talk idly,

presumptuously, or foolishly, but not necessarily incoherently. To

_jabber_ is to utter a rapid succession of unintelligible sounds,

generally more noisy than _chattering_. To _gossip_ is to talk of petty

personal matters, as for pastime or mischief. To _twaddle_ is to talk

feeble nonsense. To _murmur_ is to utter suppressed or even inarticulate

sounds, suggesting the notes of a dove, or the sound of a running

stream, and is used figuratively of the half suppressed utterances of

affection or pity, or of complaint, resentment, etc. Compare SPEAK.

Prepositions:

Babies babble _for_ the moon; the crowd babbles _of_ a hero; the sick

man babbles _of_ home.

* * * * *

BANISH.

Synonyms:

ban, dismiss, evict, expatriate, ostracize,

discharge, drive out, exile, expel, oust.

dislodge, eject,

_Banish_, primarily to put under _ban_, to compel by authority to leave

a place or country, perhaps with restriction to some other place or

country. From a country, a person may be _banished_, _exiled_, or

_expatriated_; _banished_ from any country where he may happen to be,

but _expatriated_ or _exiled_ only from his own. One may _expatriate_ or

_exile_ himself; he is _banished_ by others. _Banish_ is a word of wide

import; one may _banish_ disturbing thoughts; care may _banish_ sleep.

To _expel_ is to _drive out_ with violence or rudeness, and so often

with disgrace.

Prepositions:

Cataline was banished _from_ Rome; John the Apostle was banished _to_

Patmos.

* * * * *

BANK.

Synonyms:

beach, bound, brink, edge, margin, shore,

border, brim, coast, marge, rim, strand.

_Bank_ is a general term for the land along the edge of a water course;

it may also denote a raised portion of the bed of a river, lake, or

ocean; as, the _Banks_ of Newfoundland. A _beach_ is a strip or expanse

of incoherent wave-worn sand, which is often pebbly or full of boulders;

we speak of the _beach_ of a lake or ocean; a _beach_ is sometimes found

in the bend of a river. _Strand_ is a more poetic term for a wave-washed

shore, especially as a place for landing or embarking; as, the keel

grates on the _strand_. The whole line of a country or continent that

borders the sea is a _coast_. _Shore_ is any land, whether cliff, or

sand, or marsh, bordering water. We do not speak of the _coast_ of a

river, nor of the _banks_ of the ocean, tho there may be _banks_ by or

under the sea. _Edge_ is the line where land and water meet; as, the

water's _edge_. _Brink_ is the place from which one may fall; as, the

river's _brink_; the _brink_ of a precipice; the _brink_ of ruin.

* * * * *

BANTER.

Synonyms:

badinage, derision, jeering, raillery, sarcasm,

chaff, irony, mockery, ridicule, satire.

_Banter_ is the touching upon some fault, weakness, or fancied secret of

another in a way half to pique and half to please; _badinage_ is

delicate, refined _banter_. _Raillery_ has more sharpness, but is

usually good-humored and well meant. _Irony_, the saying one thing that

the reverse may be understood, may be either mild or bitter. All the

other words have a hostile intent. _Ridicule_ makes a person or thing

the subject of contemptuous merriment; _derision_ seeks to make the

object derided seem utterly despicable--to laugh it to scorn. _Chaff_ is

the coarse witticism of the streets, perhaps merry, oftener malicious;

_jeering_ is loud, rude _ridicule_, as of a hostile crowd or mob.

_Mockery_ is more studied, and may include mimicry and personal

violence, as well as scornful speech. A _satire_ is a formal

composition; a _sarcasm_ may be an impromptu sentence. The _satire_

shows up follies to keep people from them; the _sarcasm_ hits them

because they are foolish, without inquiring whether it will do good or

harm; the _satire_ is plainly uttered; the _sarcasm_ is covert.

* * * * *

BARBAROUS.

Synonyms:

atrocious, brutal, merciless, uncivilized,

barbarian, cruel, rude, uncouth,

barbaric, inhuman, savage, untamed.

Whatever is not civilized is _barbarian_; _barbaric_ indicates rude

magnificence, uncultured richness; as, _barbaric_ splendor, a _barbaric_

melody. _Barbarous_ refers to the worst side of _barbarian_ life, and to

revolting acts, especially of cruelty, such as a civilized man would not

be expected to do; as, a _barbarous_ deed. We may, however, say

_barbarous_ nations, _barbarous_ tribes, without implying anything more

than want of civilization and culture. _Savage_ is more distinctly

bloodthirsty than _barbarous_. In this sense we speak of a _savage_

beast and of _barbarous_ usage.

Antonyms:

civilized, cultured, elegant, humane, polite, tender,

courtly, delicate, graceful, nice, refined, urbane.

* * * * *

BARRIER.

Synonyms:

bar, bulwark, obstruction, rampart,

barricade, hindrance, parapet, restraint,

breastwork, obstacle, prohibition, restriction.

A _bar_ is something that is or may be firmly fixed, ordinarily with

intent to prevent entrance or egress; as, the _bars_ of a prison cell;

the _bars_ of a wood-lot. A _barrier_ obstructs, but is not necessarily

impassable. _Barrier_ is used of objects more extensive than those to

which _bar_ is ordinarily applied. A mountain range may be a _barrier_

to exploration; but a mass of sand across the entrance to a harbor is

called a _bar_. Discovered falsehood is a _bar_ to confidence.

_Barricade_ has become practically a technical name for an improvised

street fortification, and, unless in some way modified, is usually so

understood. A _parapet_ is a low or breast-high wall, as about the edge

of a roof, terrace, etc., especially, in military use, such a wall for

the protection of troops; a _rampart_ is the embankment surrounding a

fort, on which the _parapet_ is raised; the word _rampart_ is often used

as including the _parapet_. _Bulwark_ is a general word for any

defensive wall or _rampart_; its only technical use at present is in

nautical language, where it signifies the raised side of a ship above

the upper deck, topped by the rail. Compare BOUNDARY; IMPEDIMENT.

Antonyms:

admittance, opening, road, transit,

entrance, passage, thoroughfare, way.

Prepositions:

A barrier _to_ progress, _against_ invasion; a barrier _between_

nations.

* * * * *

BATTLE.

Synonyms:

action, combat, encounter, passage of arms,

affair, conflict, engagement, skirmish,

bout, contest, fight, strife.

_Conflict_ is a general word which describes opponents, whether

individuals or hosts, as dashed together. One continuous _conflict_

between entire armies is a _battle_. Another _battle_ may be fought upon

the same field after a considerable interval; or a new _battle_ may

follow immediately, the armies meeting upon a new field. An _action_ is

brief and partial; a _battle_ may last for days. _Engagement_ is a

somewhat formal expression for _battle_; as, it was the commander's

purpose to avoid a general _engagement_. A protracted war, including

many _battles_, may be a stubborn _contest_. _Combat_, originally a

hostile _encounter_ between individuals, is now used also for extensive

_engagements_. A _skirmish_ is between small detachments or scattered

troops. An _encounter_ may be either purposed or accidental, between

individuals or armed forces. _Fight_ is a word of less dignity than

_battle_; we should not ordinarily speak of Waterloo as a _fight_,

unless where the word is used in the sense of fighting; as, I was in the

thick of the _fight_.

Antonyms:

armistice, concord, peace, suspension of hostilities, truce.

Prepositions:

A battle _of_ giants; battle _between_ armies; a battle _for_ life,

_against_ invaders; a battle _to_ the death; the battle _of_ (more

rarely _at_) Marathon.

* * * * *

BEAT.

Synonyms:

bastinado, chastise, overcome, spank, thrash,

batter, conquer, pommel, strike, vanquish,

belabor, cudgel, pound, surpass, whip,

bruise, defeat, scourge, switch, worst.

castigate, flog, smite,

_Strike_ is the word for a single blow; to _beat_ is to _strike_

repeatedly, as a bird _beats_ the air with its wings. Others of the

above words describe the manner of _beating_, as _bastinado_, to _beat_

on the soles of the feet; _belabor_, to inflict a comprehensive and

exhaustive _beating_; _cudgel_, to _beat_ with a stick; _thrash_, as

wheat was _beaten_ out with the old hand-flail; to _pound_ (akin to L.

_pondus_, a weight) is to _beat_ with a heavy, and _pommel_ with a

blunt, instrument. To _batter_ and to _bruise_ refer to the results of

_beating_; that is _battered_ which is broken or defaced by repeated

blows on the surface (compare synonyms for SHATTER); that is _bruised_

which has suffered even one severe contusion. The metaphorical sense of

_beat_, however, so far preponderates that one may be very badly

_bruised_ and _battered_, and yet not be said to be _beaten_, unless he

has got the worst of the _beating_. To _beat_ a combatant is to disable

or dishearten him for further fighting. Hence _beat_ becomes the

synonym for every word which implies getting the advantage of another.

Compare CONQUER.

Antonyms:

fail, fall, get the worst of, go down, go under, surrender.

Almost all antonyms in this class are passive, and can be formed

indefinitely from the conquering words by the use of the auxiliary _be_;

as, be beaten, be defeated, be conquered, etc.

Prepositions:

Beat _with_ a stick _over_ the head; beat _by_ a trick; _out of_ town;

beat _to_ the ground; _into_ submission.

* * * * *

BEAUTIFUL.

Synonyms:

attractive, charming, exquisite, handsome,

beauteous, comely, fair, lovely,

bewitching, delightful, fine, picturesque,

bonny, elegant, graceful, pretty.

The definition of beauty, "perfection of form," is a good key to the

meaning of _beautiful_, if we understand "form" in its widest sense.

There must also be harmony and unity, and in human beings spiritual

loveliness, to constitute an object or a person really _beautiful_.

Thus, we speak of a _beautiful_ landscape, a _beautiful_ poem. But

_beautiful_ implies also, in concrete objects, softness of outline and

delicacy of mold; it is opposed to all that is hard and rugged, hence we

say a _beautiful_ woman, but not a _beautiful_ man. _Beautiful_ has the

further limit of not transcending our powers of appreciation. _Pretty_

expresses in a far less degree that which is pleasing to a refined taste

in objects comparatively small, slight, and dainty; as, a _pretty_

bonnet; a _pretty_ girl. That is _handsome_ which is not only

superficially pleasing, but well and harmoniously proportioned, with

usually the added idea that it is made so by art, breeding, or training;

as, a _handsome_ horse; a _handsome_ house. _Handsome_ is a term far

inferior to _beautiful_; we may even say a _handsome_ villain. _Fair_

denotes what is bright, smooth, clear, and without blemish; as, a _fair_

face. The word applies wholly to what is superficial; we can say

"_fair_, yet false." In a specific sense, _fair_ has the sense of blond,

as opposed to dark or brunette. One who possesses vivacity, wit, good

nature, or other pleasing qualities may be _attractive_ without beauty.

_Comely_ denotes an aspect that is smooth, genial, and wholesome, with a

certain fulness of contour and pleasing symmetry, tho falling short of

the _beautiful_; as, a _comely_ matron. That is _picturesque_ which

would make a striking picture.

Antonyms:

awkward, frightful, grotesque, repulsive, uncouth,

clumsy, ghastly, hideous, shocking, ungainly,

deformed, grim, horrid, ugly, unlovely,

disgusting, grisly, odious, unattractive, unpleasant.

Prepositions:

Beautiful _to_ the eye; beautiful _in_ appearance, _in_ spirit;

"beautiful _for_ situation," _Ps._ xlviii, 2; beautiful _of_ aspect,

_of_ its kind.

* * * * *

BECAUSE.

Synonyms:

as, for, inasmuch as, since.

_Because_, literally _by_-cause, is the most direct and complete word

for giving the reason of a thing. _Since_, originally denoting

succession in time, signifies a succession in a chain of reasoning, a

natural inference or result. _As_ indicates something like, coordinate,

parallel. _Since_ is weaker than _because_; _as_ is weaker than _since_;

either may introduce the reason before the main statement; thus, _since_

or _as_ you are going, I will accompany you. Often the weaker word is

the more courteous, implying less constraint; for example, _as_ you

request it, I will come, rather than I will come _because_ you request

it. _Inasmuch as_ is a formal and qualified expression, implying by just

so much, and no more; thus, _inasmuch as_ the debtor has no property, I

abandon the claim. _For_ is a loose connective, giving often mere

suggestion or indication rather than reason or cause; as, it is morning,

_for_ (not _because_) the birds are singing.

Antonyms:

altho, however, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet.

Compare synonyms for BUT; NOTWITHSTANDING.

* * * * *

BECOMING.

Synonyms:

befitting, congruous, fit, meet, seemly,

beseeming, decent, fitting, neat, suitable,

comely, decorous, graceful, proper, worthy.

That is _becoming_ in dress which suits the complexion, figure, and

other qualities of the wearer, so as to produce on the whole a pleasing

effect. That is _decent_ which does not offend modesty or propriety.

That is _suitable_ which is adapted to the age, station, situation, and

other circumstances of the wearer; coarse, heavy boots are _suitable_

for farm-work; a juvenile style of dress is not _suitable_ for an old

lady. In conduct much the same rules apply. The dignity and gravity of a

patriarch would not be _becoming_ to a child; at a funeral lively,

cheery sociability would not be _decorous_, while noisy hilarity would

not be _decent_; sumptuous display would not be _suitable_ for a poor

person. _Fit_ is a compendious term for whatever fits the person, time,

place, occasion, etc.; as, a _fit_ person; a _fit_ abode; a _fit_ place.

_Fitting_, or _befitting_, is somewhat more elegant, implying a nicer

adaptation. _Meet_, a somewhat archaic word, expresses a moral fitness;

as, _meet_ for heaven. Compare BEAUTIFUL.

Antonyms:

awkward, ill-fitting, indecent, unbecoming, unseemly,

ill-becoming, improper, indecorous, unfit, unsuitable.

Prepositions:

The dress was becoming _to_ the wearer. Such conduct was becoming _in_

him.

* * * * *

BEGINNING.

Synonyms:

arising, inauguration, origin, source,

commencement, inception, outset, spring,

fount, initiation, rise, start.

fountain, opening,

The Latin _commencement_ is more formal than the Saxon _beginning_, as

the verb _commence_, is more formal than _begin_. _Commencement_ is for

the most part restricted to some form of action, while _beginning_ has

no restriction, but may be applied to action, state, material, extent,

enumeration, or to whatever else may be conceived of as having a first

part, point, degree, etc. The letter A is at the _beginning_ (not the

_commencement_) of every alphabet. If we were to speak of the

_commencement_ of the Pacific Railroad, we should be understood to refer

to the enterprise and its initiatory act; if we were to refer to the

roadway we should say "Here is the _beginning_ of the Pacific Railroad."

In the great majority of cases _begin_ and _beginning_ are preferable to

_commence_ and _commencement_ as the simple, idiomatic English words,

always accurate and expressive. "In the _beginning_ was the word,"

_John_ i, 1. An _origin_ is the point from which something starts or

sets out, often involving, and always suggesting causal connection; as,

the _origin_ of evil; the _origin_ of a nation, a government, or a

family. A _source_ is that which furnishes a first and continuous

supply, that which flows forth freely or may be readily recurred to; as,

the _source_ of a river; a _source_ of knowledge; a _source_ of

inspiration; fertile land is a _source_ (not an _origin_) of wealth. A

_rise_ is thought of as in an action; we say that a lake is the _source_

of a certain river, or that the river takes its _rise_ from the lake.

Motley wrote of "The _Rise_ of the Dutch Republic." _Fount_, _fountain_,

and _spring_, in their figurative senses, keep close to their literal

meaning. Compare CAUSE.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for END.

* * * * *

BEHAVIOR.

Synonyms:

action, breeding, conduct, deportment, manner,

bearing, carriage, demeanor, life, manners.

_Behavior_ is our _action_ in the presence of others; _conduct_ includes

also that which is known only to ourselves and our Maker. _Carriage_

expresses simply the manner of holding the body, especially in sitting

or walking, as when it is said of a lady "she has a fine _carriage_."

_Bearing_ refers to the bodily expression of feeling or disposition; as,

a haughty _bearing_; a noble _bearing_. _Demeanor_ is the bodily

expression, not only of feelings, but of moral states; as, a devout

_demeanor_. _Breeding_, unless with some adverse limitation, denotes

that _manner_ and _conduct_ which result from good birth and training.

_Deportment_ is _behavior_ as related to a set of rules; as, the pupil's

_deportment_ was faultless. A person's _manner_ may be that of a moment,

or toward a single person; his _manners_ are his habitual style of

_behavior_ toward or before others, especially in matters of etiquette

and politeness; as, good _manners_ are always pleasing.

Prepositions:

The behavior _of_ the pastor _to_ or _toward_ his people, _on_ or _upon_

the streets, _before_ the multitude, or _in_ the church, _with_ the

godly, or _with_ the worldly, was alike faultless.

* * * * *

BEND.

Synonyms:

bias, curve, diverge, mold, submit, twist,

bow, deflect, incline, persuade, turn, warp,

crook, deviate, influence, stoop, twine, yield.

In some cases a thing is spoken of as _bent_ where the parts make an

angle; but oftener to _bend_ is understood to be to draw to or through a

curve; as, to _bend_ a bow. To _submit_ or _yield_ is to _bend_ the mind

humbly to another's wishes. To _incline_ or _influence_ is to _bend_

another's wishes toward our own; to _persuade_ is to draw them quite

over. To _warp_ is to _bend_ silently through the whole fiber, as a

board in the sun. To _crook_ is to _bend_ irregularly, as a _crooked_

stick. _Deflect_, _deviate_, and _diverge_ are said of any turning away;

_deviate_ commonly of a slight and gradual movement, _diverge_ of a more

sharp and decided one. To _bias_ is to cut across the texture, or

incline to one side; in figurative use always with an unfavorable

import. _Mold_ is a stronger work than _bend_; we may _bend_ by a

superior force that which still resists the constraint; as, a _bent_

bow; we _mold_ something plastic entirely to some desired form.

* * * * *

BENEVOLENCE.

Synonyms:

almsgiving, charity, kind-heartedness, munificence,

beneficence, generosity, kindliness, philanthropy,

benignity, good-will, kindness, sympathy,

bounty, humanity, liberality, unselfishness.

According to the etymology and original usage, _beneficence_ is the

doing well, _benevolence_ the wishing or willing well to others; but

_benevolence_ has come to include _beneficence_, and to displace it. We

should not now speak of _benevolence_ which did not help, unless where

there was no power to help; even then we should rather say _good-will_

or _sympathy_. _Charity_, which originally meant the purest love for God

and man (as in _1 Cor._ xiii), is now almost universally applied to some

form of _almsgiving_, and is much more limited in meaning than

_benevolence_. _Benignity_ suggests some occult power of blessing, such

as was formerly ascribed to the stars; we may say a good man has an air

of _benignity_. _Kindness_ and _tenderness_ are personal; _benevolence_

and _charity_ are general. _Kindness_ extends to all sentient beings,

whether men or animals, in prosperity or in distress. _Tenderness_

especially goes out toward the young, feeble, and needy, or even to the

dead. _Humanity_ is so much _kindness_ and _tenderness_ toward man or

beast as it would be inhuman not to have; we say of some act of care or

_kindness_, "common _humanity_ requires it." _Generosity_ is

self-forgetful _kindness_ in disposition or action; it includes much

besides giving; as, the _generosity_ of forgiveness. _Bounty_ applies to

ample giving, which on a larger scale is expressed by _munificence_.

_Liberality_ indicates broad, genial kindly views, whether manifested in

gifts or otherwise. We speak of the _bounty_ of a generous host, the

_liberality_ or _munificence_ of the founder of a college, or of the

_liberality_ of a theologian toward the holders of conflicting beliefs.

_Philanthropy_ applies to wide schemes for human welfare, often, but not

always, involving large expenditures in _charity_ or _benevolence_.

Compare MERCY.

Antonyms:

barbarity, greediness, ill-will, malignity, self-seeking,

brutality, harshness, inhumanity, niggardliness, stinginess,

churlishness, illiberality, malevolence, selfishness, unkindness.

Prepositions:

Benevolence _of_, _on the part of_, or _from_ the wealthy, _to_ or

_toward_ the poor.

* * * * *

BIND.

Synonyms:

compel, fetter, oblige, restrict, shackle,

engage, fix, restrain, secure, tie.

fasten,

_Binding_ is primarily by something flexible, as a cord or bandage drawn

closely around an object or group of objects, as when we _bind_ up a

wounded limb. We _bind_ a sheaf of wheat with a cord; we _tie_ the cord

in a knot; we _fasten_ by any means that will make things hold together,

as a board by nails, or a door by a lock. The verbs _tie_ and _fasten_

are scarcely used in the figurative sense, tho, using the noun, we speak

of the _ties_ of affection. _Bind_ has an extensive figurative use. One

is _bound_ by conscience or honor; he is _obliged_ by some imperious

necessity; _engaged_ by his own promise; _compelled_ by physical force

or its moral equivalent.

Antonyms:

free, loose, set free, unbind, unfasten, unloose, untie.

Prepositions:

Bind _to_ a pillar; _unto_ an altar; _to_ a service; bind one _with_

chains or _in_ chains; one is bound _by_ a contract; a splint is bound

_upon_ a limb; the arms may be bound _to_ the sides or _behind_ the

back; bind a wreath _about_, _around_, or _round_ the head; twigs are

bound _in_ or _into_ fagots; for military purposes, they are bound _at_

both ends and _in_ the middle; one is bound _by_ a contract, or bound

_under_ a penalty to fulfil a contract.

* * * * *

BITTER.

Synonyms:

acerb, acidulous, caustic, pungent, stinging,

acetous, acrid, cutting, savage, tart,

acid, acrimonious, harsh, sharp, vinegarish,

acidulated, biting, irate, sour, virulent.

_Acid_, _sour_, and _bitter_ agree in being contrasted with _sweet_,

but the two former are sharply distinguished from the latter. _Acid_ or

_sour_ is the taste of vinegar or lemon-juice; _bitter_ that of quassia,

quinine, or strychnine. _Acrid_ is nearly allied to _bitter_. _Pungent_

suggests the effect of pepper or snuff on the organs of taste or smell;

as, a _pungent_ odor. _Caustic_ indicates the corroding effect of some

strong chemical, as nitrate of silver. In a figurative sense, as applied

to language or character, these words are very closely allied. We say a

_sour_ face, _sharp_ words, _bitter_ complaints, _caustic_ wit,

_cutting_ irony, _biting_ sarcasm, a _stinging_ taunt, _harsh_ judgment,

a _tart_ reply. _Harsh_ carries the idea of intentional and severe

unkindness, _bitter_ of a severity that arises from real or supposed ill

treatment. The _bitter_ speech springs from the sore heart. _Tart_ and

_sharp_ utterances may not proceed from an intention to wound, but

merely from a wit recklessly keen; _cutting_, _stinging_, and _biting_

speech indicates more or less of hostile intent, the latter being the

more deeply malicious. The _caustic_ utterance is meant to burn, perhaps

wholesomely, as in the satire of Juvenal or Cervantes. Compare MOROSE.

Antonyms:

dulcet, honeyed, luscious, nectared, saccharine, sweet.

* * * * *

BLEACH, _v._

Synonyms:

blanch, make white, whiten, whitewash.

To _whiten_ is to _make white_ in general, but commonly it means to

overspread with white coloring-matter. _Bleach_ and _blanch_ both

signify to _whiten_ by depriving of color, the former permanently, as

linen; the latter either permanently (as, to _blanch_ celery) or

temporarily (as, to _blanch_ the cheek with fear). To _whitewash_ is to

_whiten_ superficially, especially by false approval.

Antonyms:

blacken, color, darken, dye, soil, stain.

* * * * *

BLEMISH.

Synonyms:

blot, defacement, disgrace, injury, spot,

blur, defect, dishonor, reproach, stain,

brand, deformity, fault, smirch, stigma,

crack, dent, flaw, soil, taint,

daub, disfigurement, imperfection, speck, tarnish.

Whatever mars the beauty or completeness of an object is a _blemish_,

whether original, as squinting eyes, or the result of accident or

disease, etc., as the pits of smallpox. A _blemish_ is superficial; a

_flaw_ or _taint_ is in structure or substance. In the moral sense, we

speak of a _blot_ or _stain_ upon reputation; a _flaw_ or _taint_ in

character. A _defect_ is the want or lack of something; _fault_,

primarily a failing, is something that fails of an apparent intent or

disappoints a natural expectation; thus a sudden dislocation or

displacement of geological strata is called a _fault_. Figuratively, a

_blemish_ comes from one's own ill-doing; a _brand_ or _stigma_ is

inflicted by others; as, the _brand_ of infamy.

* * * * *

BLOW.

Synonyms:

box, concussion, disaster, misfortune, stripe,

buffet, cuff, knock, rap, stroke,

calamity, cut, lash, shock, thump.

A _blow_ is a sudden impact, as of a fist or a club; a _stroke_ is a

sweeping movement; as, the _stroke_ of a sword, of an oar, of the arm in

swimming. A _shock_ is the sudden encounter with some heavy body; as,

colliding railway-trains meet with a _shock_; the _shock_ of battle. A

_slap_ is given with the open hand, a _lash_ with a whip, thong, or the

like; we speak also of the _cut_ of a whip. A _buffet_ or _cuff_ is

given only with the hand; a _blow_ either with hand or weapon. A _cuff_

is a somewhat sidelong _blow_, generally with the open hand; as, a

_cuff_ or _box_ on the ear. A _stripe_ is the effect or mark of a

_stroke_. In the metaphorical sense, _blow_ is used for sudden,

stunning, staggering _calamity_ or sorrow; _stroke_ for sweeping

_disaster_, and also for sweeping achievement and success. We say a

_stroke_ of paralysis, or a _stroke_ of genius. We speak of the

_buffets_ of adverse fortune. _Shock_ is used of that which is at once

sudden, violent, and prostrating; we speak of a _shock_ of electricity,

the _shock_ of an amputation, a _shock_ of surprise. Compare BEAT.

* * * * *

BLUFF.

Synonyms:

abrupt, brusk, impolite, rough,

blunt, coarse, inconsiderate, rude,

blustering, discourteous, open, uncivil,

bold, frank, plain-spoken, unmannerly.

_Bluff_ is a word of good meaning, as are _frank_ and _open_. The

_bluff_ man talks and laughs loudly and freely, says and does whatever

he pleases with fearless good nature, and with no thought of annoying or

giving pain to others. The _blunt_ man says things which he is perfectly

aware are disagreeable, either from a defiant indifference to others'

feelings, or from the pleasure of tormenting.

Antonyms:

bland, genial, polished, polite, refined, reserved, urbane.

courteous,

* * * * *

BODY.

Synonyms:

ashes, clay, dust, frame, system,

carcass, corpse, form, remains, trunk.

_Body_ denotes the entire physical structure, considered as a whole, of

man or animal; _form_ looks upon it as a thing of shape and outline,

perhaps of beauty; _frame_ regards it as supported by its bony

framework; _system_ views it as an assemblage of many related and

harmonious organs. _Body_, _form_, _frame_, and _system_ may be either

dead or living; _clay_ and _dust_ are sometimes so used in religious or

poetic style, tho ordinarily these words are used only of the dead.

_Corpse_ and _remains_ are used only of the dead. _Corpse_ is the plain

technical word for a dead body still retaining its unity; _remains_ may

be used after any lapse of time; the latter is also the more refined and

less ghastly term; as, friends are invited to view the _remains_.

_Carcass_ applies only to the _body_ of an animal, or of a human being

regarded with contempt and loathing. Compare COMPANY.

Antonyms:

intellect, intelligence, mind, soul, spirit.

* * * * *

BOTH.

Synonyms:

twain, two.

_Both_ refers to _two_ objects previously _mentioned_, or had in mind,

viewed or acting in connection; as, _both_ men fired at once; "_two_ men

fired" might mean any two, out of any number, and without reference to

any previous thought or mention. _Twain_ is a nearly obsolete form of

_two_. _The two_, or _the twain_, is practically equivalent to _both_;

_both_, however, expresses a closer unity. We would say _both_ men

rushed against the enemy; the _two_ men flew at each other. Compare

EVERY.

Antonyms:

each, either, every, neither, none, no one, not any.

* * * * *

BOUNDARY.

Synonyms:

barrier, confines, limit, margin,

border, edge, line, term,

bound, enclosure, marches, termination,

bourn, frontier, marge, verge.

bourne, landmark,

The _boundary_ was originally the _landmark_, that which marked off one

piece of territory from another. The _bound_ is the _limit_, marked or

unmarked. Now, however, the difference between the two words has come to

be simply one of usage. As regards territory, we speak of the

_boundaries_ of a nation or of an estate; the _bounds_ of a college, a

ball-ground, etc. _Bounds_ may be used for all within the _limits_,

_boundary_ for the limiting line only. _Boundary_ looks to that which is

without; _bound_ only to that which is within. Hence we speak of the

_bounds_, not the _boundaries_, of a subject, of the universe, etc.; we

say the students were forbidden to go beyond the _bounds_. A _barrier_

is something that bars ingress or egress. A _barrier_ may be a

_boundary_, as was the Great Wall of China. _Bourn_, or _bourne_, is a

poetical expression for _bound_ or _boundary_. A _border_ is a strip of

land along the _boundary_. _Edge_ is a sharp terminal line, as where

river or ocean meets the land. _Limit_ is now used almost wholly in the

figurative sense; as, the _limit_ of discussion, of time, of

jurisdiction. _Line_ is a military term; as, within the _lines_, or

through the _lines_, of an army. Compare BARRIER; END.

Antonyms:

center, citadel, estate, inside, interior, land, region, territory.

Prepositions:

The boundaries _of_ an estate; the boundary _between_ neighboring

territories.

* * * * *

BRAVE.

Synonyms:

adventurous, courageous, fearless, undaunted,

bold, daring, gallant, undismayed,

chivalric, dauntless, heroic, valiant,

chivalrous, doughty, intrepid, venturesome.

The _adventurous_ man goes in quest of danger; the _bold_ man stands out

and faces danger or censure; the _brave_ man combines confidence with

resolution in presence of danger; the _chivalrous_ man puts himself in

peril for others' protection. The _daring_ step out to defy danger; the

_dauntless_ will not flinch before anything that may come to them; the

_doughty_ will give and take limitless hard knocks. The _adventurous_

find something romantic in dangerous enterprises; the _venturesome_ may

be simply heedless, reckless, or ignorant. All great explorers have been

_adventurous_; children, fools, and criminals are _venturesome_. The

_fearless_ and _intrepid_ possess unshaken nerves in any place of

danger. _Courageous_ is more than _brave_, adding a moral element: the

_courageous_ man steadily encounters perils to which he may be keenly

sensitive, at the call of duty; the _gallant_ are _brave_ in a dashing,

showy, and splendid way; the _valiant_ not only dare great dangers, but

achieve great results; the _heroic_ are nobly _daring_ and _dauntless_,

truly _chivalrous_, sublimely _courageous_. Compare FORTITUDE.

Antonyms:

afraid, cringing, fearful, pusillanimous, timid,

cowardly, faint-hearted, frightened, shrinking, timorous.

* * * * *

BREAK.

Synonyms:

bankrupt, crack, destroy, rive, shatter, split,

burst, crush, fracture, rupture, shiver, sunder,

cashier, demolish, rend, sever, smash, transgress.

To _break_ is to divide sharply, with severance of particles, as by a

blow or strain. To _burst_ is to _break_ by pressure from within, as a

bombshell, but it is used also for the result of violent force otherwise

exerted; as, to _burst_ in a door, where the door yields as if to an

explosion. To _crush_ is to _break_ by pressure from without, as an

egg-shell. To _crack_ is to _break_ without complete severance of parts;

a _cracked_ cup or mirror may still hold together. _Fracture_ has a

somewhat similar sense. In a _fractured_ limb, the ends of the _broken_

bone may be separated, tho both portions are still retained within the

common muscular tissue. A _shattered_ object is _broken_ suddenly and in

numerous directions; as, a vase is _shattered_ by a blow, a building by

an earthquake. A _shivered_ glass is _broken_ into numerous minute,

needle-like fragments. To _smash_ is to _break_ thoroughly to pieces

with a crashing sound by some sudden act of violence; a watch once

_smashed_ will scarcely be worth repair. To _split_ is to cause wood to

crack or part in the way of the grain, and is applied to any other case

where a natural tendency to separation is enforced by an external cause;

as, to _split_ a convention or a party. To _demolish_ is to beat down,

as a mound, building, fortress, etc.; to _destroy_ is to put by any

process beyond restoration physically, mentally, or morally; to

_destroy_ an army is so to _shatter_ and scatter it that it can not be

rallied or reassembled as a fighting force. Compare REND.

Antonyms:

attach, bind, fasten, join, mend, secure, solder, unite, weld.

Prepositions:

Break _to_ pieces, or _in_ pieces, _into_ several pieces (when the

object is thought of as divided rather than shattered); break _with_ a

friend; _from_ or _away from_ a suppliant; break _into_ a house; _out

of_ prison; break _across_ one's knee; break _through_ a hedge; break

_in upon_ one's retirement; break _over_ the rules; break _on_ or _upon_

the shore, _against_ the rocks.

* * * * *

BRUTISH.

Synonyms:

animal, brutal, ignorant, sensual, swinish,

base, brute, imbruted, sottish, unintellectual,

beastly, carnal, insensible, stolid, unspiritual,

bestial, coarse, lascivious, stupid, vile.

A _brutish_ man simply follows his _animal_ instincts, without special

inclination to do harm; the _brutal_ have always a spirit of malice and

cruelty. _Brute_ has no special character, except as indicating what a

brute might possess; much the same is true of _animal_, except that

_animal_ leans more to the side of sensuality, _brute_ to that of force,

as appears in the familiar phrase "_brute_ force." Hunger is an _animal_

appetite; a _brute_ impulse suddenly prompts one to strike a blow in

anger. _Bestial_, in modern usage, implies an intensified and degrading

animalism. Any supremacy of the _animal_ or _brute_ instincts over the

intellectual and spiritual in man is _base_ and _vile_. _Beastly_ refers

largely to the outward and visible consequences of excess; as, _beastly_

drunkenness. Compare ANIMAL.

Antonyms:

elevated, exalted, great, intellectual, noble,

enlightened, grand, humane, intelligent, refined.

* * * * *

BURN.

Synonyms:

blaze, char, flame, incinerate, set fire to,

brand, consume, flash, kindle, set on fire,

cauterize, cremate, ignite, scorch, singe.

To _burn_ is to subject to the action of fire, or of intense heat so as

to effect either partial change or complete combustion; as, to _burn_

wood in the fire; to _burn_ one's hand on a hot stove; the sun _burns_

the face. One _brands_ with a hot iron, but _cauterizes_ with some

corrosive substance, as silver nitrate. _Cremate_ is now used

specifically for _consuming_ a dead body by intense heat. To

_incinerate_ is to reduce to ashes; the sense differs little from that

of _cremate_, but it is in less popular use. To _kindle_ is to _set on

fire_, as if with a candle; _ignite_ is the more learned and scientific

word for the same thing, extending even to the heating of metals to a

state of incandescence without burning. To _scorch_ and to _singe_ are

superficial, and to _char_ usually so. Both _kindle_ and _burn_ have an

extensive figurative use; as, to _kindle_ strife; to _burn_ with wrath,

love, devotion, curiosity. Compare LIGHT.

Antonyms:

cool, extinguish, put out, smother, stifle, subdue.

Prepositions:

To burn _in_ the fire, burn _with_ fire; burn _to_ the ground, burn _to_

ashes; burn _through_ the skin, or the roof; burn _into_ the soil, etc.

* * * * *

BUSINESS.

Synonyms:

affair, commerce, handicraft, trading,

art, concern, job, traffic,

avocation, craft, occupation, transaction,

barter, duty, profession, vocation,

calling, employment, trade, work.

A _business_ is what one follows regularly; an _occupation_ is what he

happens at any time to be engaged in; trout-fishing may be one's

_occupation_ for a time, as a relief from _business_; _business_ is

ordinarily for profit, while the _occupation_ may be a matter of

learning, philanthropy, or religion. A _profession_ implies scholarship;

as, the learned _professions_. _Pursuit_ is an _occupation_ which one

follows with ardor. An _avocation_ is what calls one away from other

work; a _vocation_ or _calling_, that to which one is called by some

special fitness or sense of duty; thus, we speak of the gospel ministry

as a _vocation_ or _calling_, rather than a _business_. _Trade_ or

_trading_ is, in general, the exchanging of one thing for another; in

the special sense, a _trade_ is an _occupation_ involving manual

training and skilled labor; as, the ancient Jews held that every boy

should learn a _trade_. A _transaction_ is a single action, whether in

_business_, diplomacy, or otherwise; _affair_ has a similar, but lighter

meaning; as, this little _affair_; an important _transaction_. The

plural _affairs_ has a distinctive meaning, including all activities

where men deal with one another on any considerable scale; as, a man of

_affairs_. A _job_ is a piece of work viewed as a single undertaking,

and ordinarily paid for as such. _Trade_ and _commerce_ may be used as

equivalents, but _trade_ is capable of a more limited application; we

speak of the _trade_ of a village, the _commerce_ of a nation. _Barter_

is the direct exchange of commodities; _business_, _trade_, and

_commerce_ are chiefly transacted by means of money, bills of exchange,

etc. _Business_, _occupation_, etc., may be what one does independently;

_employment_ may be in the service of another. _Work_ is any application

of energy to secure a result, or the result thus secured; thus, we speak

of the _work_ of God. _Art_ in the industrial sense is a system of rules

and accepted methods for the accomplishment of some practical result;

as, the _art_ of printing; collectively, the _arts_. A _craft_ is some

occupation requiring technical skill or manual dexterity, or the

persons, collectively, engaged in its exercise; as, the weaver's

_craft_.

Prepositions:

The business _of_ a druggist; in business _with_ his father; doing

business _for_ his father; have you business _with_ me? business _in_

New York; business _about_, _concerning_, or _in regard to_ certain

property.

* * * * *

BUT.

Synonyms:

and, however, notwithstanding, that,

barely, just, only, tho,

besides, merely, provided, unless,

except, moreover, save, yet.

further, nevertheless, still,

_But_ ranges from the faintest contrast to absolute negation; as, I am

willing to go, _but_ (on the other hand) content to stay; he is not an

honest man, _but_ (on the contrary) a villain. The contrast may be with

a silent thought; as, _but_ let us go (it being understood that we might

stay longer). In restrictive use, _except_ and _excepting_ are slightly

more emphatic than _but_; we say, no injury _but_ a scratch; or, no

injury _except_ some painful bruises. Such expressions as "words are

_but_ breath" (nothing _but_) may be referred to the restrictive use by

ellipsis. So may the use of _but_ in the sense of _unless_; as, "it

never rains _but_ it pours." To the same head must be referred the

conditional use; as, "you may go, _but_ with your father's consent" (_i.

e._, "_provided_ you have," "_except_ that you must have," etc.). "Doubt

_but_" is now less used than the more logical "doubt _that_." _But_

never becomes a full synonym for _and_; _and_ adds something like, _but_

adds something different; "brave _and_ tender" implies that tenderness

is natural to the brave; "brave _but_ tender" implies that bravery and

tenderness are rarely combined. For the concessive use, compare

NOTWITHSTANDING.

* * * * *

BY.

Synonyms:

by dint of, by means of, through, with.

_By_ refers to the agent; _through_, to the means, cause, or condition;

_with_, to the instrument. _By_ commonly refers to persons; _with_, to

things; _through_ may refer to either. The road having become impassable

_through_ long disuse, a way was opened _by_ pioneers _with_ axes. _By_

may, however, be applied to any object which is viewed as partaking of

action and agency; as, the metal was corroded _by_ the acid; skill is

gained _by_ practise. We speak of communicating _with_ a person _by_

letter. _Through_ implies a more distant connection than _by_ or _with_,

and more intervening elements. Material objects are perceived _by_ the

mind _through_ the senses.

* * * * *

CABAL.

Synonyms:

combination, confederacy, crew, gang,

conclave, conspiracy, faction, junto.

A _conspiracy_ is a _combination_ of persons for an evil purpose, or the

act of so combining. _Conspiracy_ is a distinct crime under common, and

generally under statutory, law. A _faction_ is more extensive than a

_conspiracy_, less formal in organization, less definite in plan.

_Faction_ and its adjective, _factious_, have always an unfavorable

sense. _Cabal_ commonly denotes a _conspiracy_ of leaders. A _gang_ is a

company of workmen all doing the same work under one leader; the word is

used figuratively only of _combinations_ which it is meant to stigmatize

as rude and mercenary; _crew_ is used in a closely similar sense. A

_conclave_ is secret, but of larger numbers, ordinarily, than a _cabal_,

and may have honorable use; as, the _conclave_ of cardinals.

* * * * *

CALCULATE.

Synonyms:

account, consider, enumerate, rate,

cast, count, estimate, reckon,

compute, deem, number, sum up.

_Number_ is the generic term. To _count_ is to _number_ one by one. To

_calculate_ is to use more complicated processes, as multiplication,

division, etc., more rapid but not less exact. _Compute_ allows more of

the element of probability, which is still more strongly expressed by

_estimate_. We _compute_ the slain in a great war from the number known

to have fallen in certain great battles; _compute_ refers to the present

or the past, _estimate_ more frequently to the future; as, to _estimate_

the cost of a proposed building. To _enumerate_ is to mention item by

item; as, to _enumerate_ one's grievances. To _rate_ is to _estimate_ by

comparison, as if the object were one of a series. We _count_ upon a

desired future; we do not _count_ upon the undesired. As applied to the

present, we _reckon_ or _count_ a thing precious or worthless. Compare

ESTEEM.

Prepositions:

It is vain to calculate _on_ or _upon_ an uncertain result.

* * * * *

CALL, _v._

Synonyms:

bawl, cry (out), roar, shriek,

bellow, ejaculate, scream, vociferate,

clamor, exclaim, shout, yell.

To _call_ is to send out the voice in order to attract another's

attention, either by word or by inarticulate utterance. Animals _call_

their mates, or their young; a man _calls_ his dog, his horse, etc. The

sense is extended to include summons by bell, or any signal. To _shout_

is to _call_ or _exclaim_ with the fullest volume of sustained voice; to

_scream_ is to utter a shriller cry; to _shriek_ or to _yell_ refers to

that which is louder and wilder still. We _shout_ words; in _screaming_,

_shrieking_, or _yelling_ there is often no attempt at articulation. To

_bawl_ is to utter senseless, noisy cries, as of a child in pain or

anger. _Bellow_ and _roar_ are applied to the utterances of animals, and

only contemptuously to those of persons. To _clamor_ is to utter with

noisy iteration; it applies also to the confused cries of a multitude.

To _vociferate_ is commonly applied to loud and excited speech where

there is little besides the exertion of voice. In _exclaiming_, the

utterance may not be strikingly, tho somewhat, above the ordinary tone

and pitch; we may _exclaim_ by mere interjections, or by connected

words, but always by some articulate utterance. To _ejaculate_ is to

throw out brief, disconnected, but coherent utterances of joy, regret,

and especially of appeal, petition, prayer; the use of such devotional

utterances has received the special name of "ejaculatory prayer." To

_cry out_ is to give forth a louder and more excited utterance than in

_exclaiming_ or _calling_; one often _exclaims_ with sudden joy as well

as sorrow; if he _cries out_, it is oftener in grief or agony. In the

most common colloquial usage, to _cry_ is to express grief or pain by

weeping or sobbing. One may _exclaim_, _cry out_, or _ejaculate_ with no

thought of others' presence; when he _calls_, it is to attract another's

attention.

Antonyms:

be silent, be still, hark, hearken, hush, list, listen.

* * * * *