A Dictionary of 12,000 Words of Similar and Contrary

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Meaning.

O TWO words in the English language have exactly the same significance, but to express the precise meaning which one intends to convey, and also to avoid repetitions, it is often desirable to have at hand a Dictionary of Synonyms. Take President Cleveland's famous phrase, "innocuous desuetude.” If he had said simply, "harmless disuse," it would have sounded clumsy, whereas the words he used expressed the exact shade of meaning, besides giving the world a new phrase and the newspapers something to talk about.

The following list of SYNONYMS, while not exhaustive, is quite comprehensive, and by cross-reference will answer most requirements. The appended ANTONYMS, or words of opposite meaning, enclosed in parentheses, will also be found extremely valuable, for one of the strongest figures of speech is antithesis, or contrast:

ABANDON, leave, forsake, desert, renounce, relinquish, quit, forego, let go, waive. (Keep, cherish.) Abandoned, deserted, forsaken, wicked, reprobate, dissolute, profligate, flagitious, corrupt, depraved, vicious. (Cared for, virtuous.) Abandonment, leaving, desertion, dereliction, renunciation, defection. Abasement, degradation, fall, degeneracy, humiliation, abjection, debasement, servility. (Honor.) Abash, bewilder, disconcert, discompose, confound, confuse, shame. (Embolden.) Abbreviate. shorten, abridge, condense, contract, curtail, reduce. (Extend.) Abdicate, give up, resign, renounce, abandon, forsake, relinquish, quit, forego. Abet, help, encourage, instigate, incite, stimulate, aid, assist. (Resist.) Abettor, assistant, accessory, accomplice, promoter, instigator, particeps criminis, coadjutor, associate, companion, co-operator. (Opponent.) Abhor, dislike intensely, view with horror, hate, detest, abominate, loathe, nauseate. (Love.) Ability, capability, talent, faculty, capacity, qualification, aptitude, aptness, expertness, skill, efficiency, accomplishment, attainment. (Incompetency.) Abject, grovelling, low, mean, base, ignoble, worthless, despicable, vile, servile, contemptible. (Noble.) Abjure, recant, forswear, disclaim, recall, revoke, retract, renounce. (Maintain.) Able, strong, powerful, muscular, stalwart, vigorous, athletic, robust, brawny, skillful, adroit, competent, efficient, capable, clever, self-qualified, telling, fitted. (Weak.) Abode, residence, habitation, dwelling, domicile, home, quarters, lodging. Abolish, quash, destroy, revoke, abrogate, annul, cancel, annihilate, extinguish, vitiate, invalidate, nullify. (Establish, enforce.) Abominable, hateful, detestable, odious, vile, execrable. (Lovable.) Abortive, fruitless, ineffectual, idle, inoperative, vain, futile. (Effectual.) About, concerning, regarding, relative to, with regard to, as to, respecting, with respect to, referring to, around, nearly, approximately. Abscond, run off, steal away, decamp, bolt. Absent, a., inattentive, abstracted, not attending to, listless, dreamy. (Present.) Absolute, entire, complete, unconditional unqualified, unrestricted, despotic, arbitrary, tyrannous, imperative, authoritative, imperious. (Limited.) Absorb, engross, swallow up, engulf, imbibe, consume, merge, fuse. Absurd, silly, foolish, preposterous, ridiculous, irrational, unreasonable, nonsensical, inconsistent. (Wise, solemn.) Abuse, v, asperse, revile, vilify, reproach, calumniate, defame, slander, scandalize, malign, traduce, disparage, de

preciate, ill-use. (Praise, protect.) Abuse, n., scurrility, ribaldry, contumely, obloquy, opprobrium, foul, invective, vituperation, ill-usage. (Praise, protection.) Accede, assent to, consent, acquiesce, comply with, agree, coincide, concur, approve. (Protest.) Accelerate, hasten, hurry, expedite, forward, quicken, despatch. (Retard.) Accept, receive, take, admit. (Refuse.) Acceptable, agreeable, pleasing, pleasurable, gratifying, welcome. (Displeasing.) Accident, casualty, incident, contingency, adventure, chance. Accommodate, serve, oblige, adapt, adjust, fit, suit. (Disoblige, impede.) Accomplice, confederate, accessory, abettor, coadjutor, assistant, ally, associate, particeps criminis (Adversary.) Accomplish, do, effect, finish, execute, achieve, complete, perfect, consummate. (Fail.) Accomplishment, attainment, qualification, acquirement. (Defect.) Accord, grant, allow, admit, concede. (Deny.) Accost, salute, ddress, speak to, stop, greet. Account, narrative, description, narration, relation, detail, recital, moneys, reckoning, bill, charge. Accountable, punishable, answerable, amenable, responsible, liable. Accumulate, bring together, amass, collect, gather. (Scatter, dissipate.) Accumulation, collection, store, mass, congeries, concentration. Accurate, correct, exact, precise, nice, truthful. (Erroneous, careless.) Achieve, do, accomplish, effect, fulfill, execute, gain, win. Achievement, feat, exploit, accomplishment, attainment, performance, acquirement, gain. (Failure. Acknowledge, admit, confess, own, avow, grant, recognize, allow, concede. (Deny.) Acquaint, inform, enlighten, apprise, make aware, make known, notify, communicate. (Deceive.) Acquaintance, familiarity, intimacy, cognizance, fellowship, companionship, knowledge. (Unfamiliarity.) Acquiesce, agree, accede, assent, comply, consent, give way, coincide with. (Protest.) Acquit, pardon, forgive, discharge, set free, clear, absolve. (Condemn, convict.) Act, do, operate, make, perform, play, enact. Action, deed, achievement, feat, exploit, accomplishment, battle, engagement, agency, instrumentality Active, lively, sprightly, alert, agile, nimble, brisk, quick, supple, prompt, vigilant, laborious, industrious. (Lazy, passive) Actual, real, positive, genuine, certain. (Fictitious.) Acute, shrewd, intelligent, penetrating, piercing, keen (Dull.) Adapt, accommodate, suit, fit, conform. Addicted, devoted, wedded, attached, given up to, dedicated. Addition, increase, accession, augmentation, reinforcement. (Subtraction, separation.) Address, speech, discourse, appeal, oration, tact, skill, ability, dexterity, deportment, demeanor. hesion, adherence, attachment, fidelity, devotion. (Aloofness.) Adjacent, near to, adjoining. contiguous, conterminous, bordering, neighboring. (Distant.) Adjourn defer, prorogue, postpone, delay. Adjunct, appendage, appurtenance, appendency, dependency. Adjust, set right, fit, accommodate, adapt, arrange, settle, regulate, organize. (Confuse.) Admirable, striking surprising, wonderful, astonishing. (Detestable) Admit, allow, permit, suffer, tolerate. (Deny.) Advantageous, beneficial. (Hurtful.) Affection, love. (Aversion.) Affectionate, fond, kind. (Harsh.) Agreeable, pleasant, pleasing, charming. (Disagreeable) Alternating, intermittent. (Continual.) Ambassador, envoy, plenipotentiary, minister. Amend, improve, correct, better, mend. (Impair.) Anger, ire, wrath, indignation, resentment. (Good nature.) Appropriate, assume, ascribe, arrogate, usurp. Argue, debate, dispute, reason upon. Arise, flow, emanate, spring, proceed, rise, issue. Artful, disingenuous, sly, tricky, insincere (Candid.) Artifice, trick, stratagem, finesse. Association, combination, company, partnership, society. Attack, assail, assault, encounter. (Defend. ̧ Audacity, boldness, effrontery, hardihood. (Meekness.) Austere rigid, rigorous, severe, stern. (Dissolute.) Avaricious niggardly, miserly, parsimonious. (Generous.) Aversion, antipathy, dislike, hatred, repugnance. (Affection.) Awe, dread, fear, reverence (Familiarity.) Awkward, clumsy. (Graceful.) Axiom, adage, aphorism, apothegm, by-word, maxim, proverb, saying, saw.

Ad

BABBLE, chatter, prattle, prate. Bad, wicked, evil. (Good.) Baffle, confound, defeat, disconcert. (Aid, abet.) Base, vile, mean. (Noble.) Battle action, combat, engagement. Bear, carry, convey, transport. Bear, endure, suffer, support. rout.

Beastly, brutal, sensual, bestial. Beat, defeat, overpower, overthrow, Beautiful, fine, handsome, pretty. (Homely, ugly) Becoming, decent, fit, seemly, suitable. (Unbecoming.) Beg, beseech, crave, entreat, implore, solicit,

supplicate. (Give.) Behavior, carriage, conduct, deportment, demeanor. Belief. credit, faith, trust. (Doubt.) Beneficient, bountiful, generous, liberal, munificent. (Covetous, miserly.) Benefit, favor, advantage, kindness, civility. (Injury.) Benevolence, beneficence, benignity, humanity, kindness, tenderness. (Malevolence.) Blame, censure, condemn, reprove, reproach, upbraid. (Praise.) Blemish, flaw, speck, spot, stain. (Ornament.) Blind, sightless, heedless. Far-sighted.) Blot, cancel, efface, expunge, erase, obliterate. Bold, brave, daring, fearless, intrepid, undaunted. (Timid.) Border, brim, brink edge, margin, rim, verge, boundary, confine, frontier. Bound, circumscribe, confine, limit, restrict. Brave, dare, defy. Bravery, courage, valor. (Cowardice.) Break, bruise, crush, pound, squeeze. Breeze, blast, gale, gust, hurricane, storm, tempest Bright, clear, radiant, shining. (Dull) Brittle. Burial, interment, sepulture. (Resurrection.) Business, avocation, employment, engagehent, occupation, art, profession, trade. Bustle, stir, tumult, fuss. (Quiet.)

CALAMITY, disaster, misfortune, mischance, mishap. (Good fortune.) Calm, collected, composed, placid, serene. (Stormy, unsettled.) Сараble, able, competent. (Incompetent.) Captious, fretful, cross, peevish, petulant. (Good-natured.) Care, anxiety, concern, solicitude, heed, attention. (Heedlessness, negligence.) Caress, kiss, embrace. (Spurn, buffet) Carnage, butchery massacre, slaughter. Cause, motive, reason. (Effect, consequence.) Cease, discontinue, leave off, end. (Continue.) Censure, animadvert, criticise. (Praise.) Certain, secure, sure. (Doubtful.) Cessation, intermission, rest, stop. (Continuance.) Chance, fate, fortune. (Design) Change, barter, exchange, substitute. Changeable, fickle, inconstant, mutable, variable. (Unchangeable) Character, reputation, repute, standing. Charm, captivate, enchant, enrapture, fascinate. Chastity, purity, continence, virtue. (Lewdness.) Cheap, inexpensive, inferior, common. (Dear.) Cheerful, gay, merry, sprightly. (Mournful.) Chief, chieftain, head, leader. (Subordinate.) Circumstance, fact, incident. Class, degree, order, rank, Clear, bright, lucid, vivid. (Opaque.) Clever, adroit, dexterous, expert, skillful. (Stupid.) Clothed, clad, dressed. (Naked.) Coarse, rude, rough, unpolished. (Fine.) Coax, cajole, fawn, wheedle. Cold, cool, frigid, wintry, unfeeling, stoical. (Warm.) Color, dye, stain, tinge. Colorable, ostensible, plausible, specious. Combination, cabal, conspiracy, plot. Command, injunction, order, precept. Commodity, goods, merchandise, ware. Common, mean, ordinary, vulgar. (Uncommon, extraordinary) Compassion, sympathy, pity, clemency. (Cruelty, severity.) Compel, force, oblige, necessitate. (Coax, lead.) Compensation, amends, recompense, remuneration, requital, reward. Compendium, compend, abridgment. (Enlargement) Complain, lament, murmur, regret, repine. (Rejoice.) Comply, accede, conform, submit, yield. (Refuse.) Compound, complex. (Simple) Comprehend, comprise, include, embrace, grasp, understand, perceive. (Exclude, mistake.) Comprise, comprehend, contain, embrace, include. Conceal, hide, secrete. (Uncover.) Conceive, comprehend, understand. Conclusion, inference, deduction. Condemn, censure, blame, disapprove. (Justify, exonerate.) Conduct, direct, guide, lead, govern, regulate, manage. Confirm, corroborate, approve, attest. (Contradict.) Conflict, combat, contest, contention, struggle. (Peace, quiet.) Confute, disprove, refute, oppugn. (Approve.) Conquer, overcome, subdue, surmount, vanquish. (Defeat.) Consequence, effect, event, issue, result. (Cause.) Consider, reflect, ponder, weigh. Consistent, constant, compatible. (Inconsistent.) Console, comfort, solace. (Harrow, worry.) Constancy, firmness, stability, steadiness (Fickleness.) Contaminate, corrupt, defile, pollute, taint. Contemn, despise, disdain, scorn. (Esteem.) Contemplate, meditate, muse. Contemptible. despicable, paltry, pitiful, vile, mean. (Noble.) Contend, contest, dispute, strive, struggle, combat. Continual, constant, continuous, perpetual, incessant. (Intermittent. Continuance, continuation, duration. (Cessation.) Continue, persist, persevere, pursue, prosecute. (Cease.) Contradict, deny, gainsay, oppose. (Confirm.) Cool, cold, frigid. (Hot.) Correct, rectify, reform Cost, charge, expense, price. Covetousness, avarice, cupidity. (Beneficence.) Cowardice, fear, timidity, pusillanimity. (Courage.) Crime, sin, vice, misdemeanor. (Vir

tue) Criminal, convict, culprit, felon, malefactor. Crooked, bent, curved, oblique. (Straight.) Cruel, barbarous, brutal, inhuman, savage. (Kind.) Cultivation, culture, refinement. Cursory, desultory, hasty, slight. (Thorough.) Custom, fashion, manner, practice.

e

DANGER. hazard, peril. (Safety.) Dark, dismal, opaque, obscure, dim. (Light.) Deadly, fatal, destructive, mortal. Dear, beloved, precious, costly, expensive (Despised, cheap.) Death, departure, decease, demise (Life) Decay, decline, consumption (Growth) Deceive, delude, impose upon, over-reach, gull, dupe, cheat. Deceit, cheat, imposition, trick, delusion, guile, beguilement, treachery, sham. (Truthfulness.) Decide. determine, settle, adjudicate, terminate, resolve. Decipher, read, spell, interpret, solve. Decision, determination, conclusion, resolution, firmness. (Vacillation.) Declamation, oratory, elocution, harangue, effusion, debate. Declaration, avowal, manifestation, statement, profession. Decrease, diminish, lessen, wane, decline, retrench, curtail, reduce. (Growth.) Dedicate, devote, consecrate, offer, set, apportion. Deed, act, action, commission, achievement, instrument, document, muniment Deem, judge, estimate, consider, think, suppose, conceive. Deep, profound, subterranean, submerged, designing, abstruse, learned (Shallow.) Deface, mar, spoil, injure disfigure. Beautify.) Default, lapse, forfeit, omission, absence, want, failure. fect, imperfection, flaw, fault, blemish. (Beauty, improvement) Defend, guard, protect, justify. Defense, excuse, plea, vindication, bulwark, rampart. Defer, delay, postpone, put off, prorogue, adjourn. (Force, expedite.) Deficient, short, wanting, inadequate, scanty, incomplete. (Complete, perfect) Defile, v., pollute, corrupt, sully. (Beautify.) Define, fix, settle, determine, limit. Defray, meet, liquidate, pay, discharge. Degree, grade, extent, measure. Deliberate, v., consider, meditate, consult, ponder, debate. Deliberate, a., purposed, intentional, designed, determined. (Hasty.) Delicacy, nicety, dainty, refinement, tact, softness, modesty. (Boorishness, indelicacy. Delicate, tender, fragile, dainty, refined. (Coarse.) Delicious, sweet, palatable. (Nauseous. Delight, enjoyment, pleasure, happiness, transport, ecstacy, gladness, rapture, bliss. (Annoyance.) Deliver, liberate, free. rescue, pronounce, give, hand over. (Retain.) Demonstrate, prove, show, exhibit, illustrate. Depart, leave, quit, decamp, retire, withdraw, vanish. (Remain.) Deprive, strip, bereave, despoil, rob, divest. Depute, appoint, commission, charge, intrust, delegate, authorize, accredit. Derision, scorn, contempt, contumely, disrespect. Derivation, origin, source, beginning, cause, etymology, root. Desc ibe, delineate, portray, explain, illustrate, define, picture. Desecrate, profane, secularize, misuse, abuse, pollute. (Keep holy.) Deserve, merit, earn, justify, win Design, n., delineation, sketch, drawing, cunning, artfulness, contrivance Desirable, expedient, advisable, valuable, acceptable, proper, judicious, beneficial, profitable, good. Desire, n. longing, affection, craving. Desist, cease, stop, discontinue, drop, abstain, forbare. (Continue, persevere.) Desolate, bereaved, forlorn, forsaken, deserted, wild, waste, bare, bleak, lonely. (Pleasant, happy.) Desperate, wild, daring, audacious, determined, reckless. Despised. Destiny, fate, decree, doom, end. Destructive, detrimental, hurtful, noxious, injurious, deleterious, baleful, baneful, subversive. (Creative, constructive.) Desuetude, disuse, discontinuance. (Maintenance.) Desultory, rambling, discursive, loose, unmethodical, superficial, unsettled, erratic, fitful. (Thorough.) Detail, n., particular, specification, minutiæ. Detail, v., particularize, enumerate, specify. (Generalize) Deter, warn, stop, dissuade, terrify, scare. (Encourage.) Detriment, loss, harm, injury, deterioration. (Benefit) Develop, unfold, amplify, expand, enlarge Device, artifice, expedient, contrivance. Devoid, void, wanting, destitute, unendowed, unprovided. (Full. complete.) Devoted, attached, fond, absorbed, dedicated. Dictate, prompt, suggest, enjoin, order, command. Dictatorial, imperative, imperious, domineering, arbitrary. tyrannical, overbearing. (Submissive.) Die, expire, depart, perish, decline, languish, wane, sick, fade, decay. Diet, food, victuals, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, fare. Difference, separation, disagreement, discord, dissent, estrangement, variety. Different, various, manifold, diverse, unlike, separate, distinct. (Similar homogeneous.) Difficult, hard, intricate, involved, perplexing, obscure, unmanageable. (Easy.) Diffuse, discursive, prolix,

diluted, copious. Dignify, aggrandize, elevate, invest, exalt, advance, promote, honor. (Degrade.) Dilate, stretch, widen, expand, swell, distend, enlarge, descant, expatiate. Dilatory, tardy, procrastinating, behindhand, lagging, dawdling. (Prompt.) Diligence, care, assiduity, attention, heed, industry. (Negligence.) Diminish, lessen, reduce, contract, curtail, retrench. (Increase) Disability, unfitness, incapacity Discern, descry, observe, recognize, see, discriminate, separate, perceive. Discipline, order, strictness, training, coercion, punishment, organization. (Confusion, demoralization. Discover, make known, find, invent, contrive, expose, reveal. Discreditable, shameful, disgraceful, scandalous, disreputable. (Creditable) Discreet, cautious, prudent, wary, judicious. (Indiscreet.) Discrepancy, disagreement, difference variance. (Agreement.) Discrimination, acuteness, discernment, judgment, caution. Disease, complaint, malady, disorder, ailment, sickness. Disgrace, n., disrepute, reproach, dishonor, shame, odium. (Honor) Disgrace, v., debase, degrade, defame, discredit. (Exalt) Disgust, dislike, distaste, loathing, abomination, abhorrence. (Admiration.) Dishonest, unjust, fraudulent, unfair, deceitful, cheating, deceptive, wrongful. (Honest.) Dismay, v., terrify, frighten, scare, daunt, appall, dishearten. (Encourage.) Dismay, n., terror, dread, fear, fright. (Assurance) Dismiss, send off, discharge, discard, banish. (Retain.) Dis vel, scatter, drive away, disperse, dissipate. (Collect.) Display, show, spread out, exhibit, expose. (Hide.) Dispose, arrange, place, order, give, bestow. Dispute, v., argue, contest, contend, question, impugn. (Assent) Dispute, n, argument, debate, controversy, quarrel, disagreement (Harmony) Dissent, disagree, differ, vary. (Assent) Distinct, clear, plain, obvious, different, separate. (Obscure, indistinct.) Distinguish, perceive, discern, mark out, divide, discriminate. Distinguished, famous, glorious far-famed, noted, illustrious, eminent, celebrated. (Obscure, unknown, ordinary.) Distract, perplex, bewilder. (Calm, concentrate) Distribute, allot, share, dispense, apportion, deal. (Collect.) Disturb, derange, discompose, agitate, rouse, interrupt, confuse, annoy, trouble, vex, worry. (Pacify, quiet.) Dis use discontinuance, abolition, desuetude. (Use.) Divide, part, separate, distribute, deal out, sever, sunder. Divine, godlike, holy, heavenly, sacred, a parson, clergyman, minister. Do, effect, make, perform, accomplish, finished, transact. Docil, tractable, teachable, compliant, tame. (Stubborn.) Doctrine, tenet, articles of belief, creed, dogma, teaching. Doleful, dolorous, woe-begone, rueful, dismal, piteous. (Joyous.) Doom, n., sentence, verdict, judgment, fate, lot, destiny. Doubt, n., uncertainty, suspense, hesitation, scruple, ambiguity. (Certainty.) Draw, pull, haul, drag, attract, inhale, sketch, describe. Dread, n., fear horror, terror, alarm, dismay, awe (Boldness, assurance.) Dreadful, fearful, frightful, shocking, awful, horrible, horrid, terrific. Dress, n., clothing, attire, apparel, garments, costume, garb, livery. Drift, purpose, meaning, scope, aim, tendency, direction. Droll, funny, laughable, comic, whimsical, queer, amusing. (Solemn.) Drown, inundate, swamp, submerge, overwhelm, engulf. Dry, a., arid, parched, lifeless, dull, tedious, uninteresting, meagre. (Moist, interesting, succulent.) Due, owing to, attributable to, just, fair, proper, debt, right. Dull, stupid, gloomy, sad, dismal, commonplace. (Bright.) Dunce, simpleton, fool, ninny, idiot. (Sage.) Durable, lasting, permanent, abiding, continuing. (Ephemeral, perishable) Dwell, stay, stop, abide, sojourn, linger, tarry. Dwindle, pine, waste, diminish, decrease, fall off. (Grow.)

EAGER, hot, ardent, impassioned, forward, impatient. (Diffident.) Earn, acquire, obtain, win, gain, achieve. Earnest, a., ardent, serious, grave, solemn, warm. (Trifling.) Earnest, n., pledge, pawn. Ease, n., comfort, rest. (Worry.) Ease, v., calm, alleviate, allay, mitigate, appease, assuage, pacify, disburden, rid, (Annoy, worry) Easy, light, comfortable, unconstrained. (Difficult, hard.) Eccentric, irregular, anomalous, singular, odd, abnormal, wayward, particular, strange. (Regular, ordinary.) Economical, sparing, saving, provident, thrifty, frugal, careful, niggardly. (Wasteful.) Edge, border, brink, rim, brim, margin, verge. Efface, blot out, expunge, obliterate, wipe out, cancel, erase. Effect, n., consequence, result, issue, event, execution, operation. Effect, v., accomplish, fulfill, realize, achieve, execute, operate, complete. Effective, efficient, operative, serviceable. (Vain, ineffectual.) Efficacy, efficiency, energy, agency, instrumen