Voc & Grammar 2nd Quarter 2013 G-720/360 – Flashcards

al·luredal·lur·ing Definition of ALLURE : to entice by charm or attraction — al·lure·ment noun — al·lur·ing·ly adverb Examples of ALLURE Origin of ALLURE Middle English aluren, from Middle French alurer, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + lure, leure lure — more at lure First Known Use: 15th century Related to ALLURE Synonyms charm, beguile, bewitch, captivate, enchant, fascinate, kill, magnetize, wile, witch [archaic] Related Words disarm, draw, entice, lure, pull, seduce, tempt; delight, gratify, please; arrest, enrapture, enthrall (or enthral), entrance; appeal (to), interest, intrigue; beckon, court, invite, solicit, woo Near Antonyms disgust, offend, repel, revolt; annoy, displease, irk; bore, tire, weary more See Synonym Discussion at attract Rhymes with ALLURE abjure, adjure, Adour, amour, Ashur, assure, brochure, ceinture, cocksure, coiffure, conjure, contour, couture, demure, detour, dirt-poor,... [+]more 2allure noun Definition of ALLURE : power of attraction or fascination : charm See allure defined for English-language learners » Examples of ALLURE These rare books hold special allure for collectors. First Known Use of ALLURE 1548 Related to ALLURE Synonyms charm, animal magnetism, appeal, attractiveness, captivation, charisma, duende, enchantment, fascination, force field, glamour (also glamor), magic, magnetism, oomph, pizzazz (or pizazz), seductiveness, witchery Antonyms repulsion, repulsiveness Related Words allurement, attraction, call, lure, seduction; agreeableness, darlingness, delightfulness, desirability, desirableness, niceness, pleasantness, pleasingness, sweetness; sex appeal Near Antonyms disagreeableness, distastefulness, obnoxiousness, offensiveness, unpleasantness

Definition of AMBIENCE : a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing : atmosphere See ambience defined for English-language learners » See ambience defined for kids » Variants of AMBIENCE am·bi·ence or am·bi·ance Examples of AMBIENCE the ambience of a tropical island Origin of AMBIENCE French ambiance, from ambiant ambient First Known Use: 1815 Related to AMBIENCE Synonyms air, aura (or ambiance), aroma, atmosphere, climate, flavor, halo, karma, mood, nimbus, note, odor, patina, smell, temper, vibration(s) Related Words aureole (or aureola), mystique, romance; genius loci; feel, feeling, sensation, sense, spirit; attribute, character, characteristic, image, mark, notion, peculiarity, picture, property, trait; color, illusion, overtone, semblance, suggestion, tone more

Definition of CAPRICIOUS : governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable — ca·pri·cious·ly adverb — ca·pri·cious·ness noun See capricious defined for English-language learners » See capricious defined for kids » Examples of CAPRICIOUS employees who are at the mercy of a capricious manager The court ruled that the punishment was arbitrary and capricious. ... every balloon voyage is a race between capricious winds and the amount of fuel on board. —Tom Morganthau, Newsweek, 29 Mar. 1999 [+]more Origin of CAPRICIOUS (see caprice) First Known Use: 1601 Related to CAPRICIOUS Synonyms fickle, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile Antonyms certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying Related Words aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray; ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering; dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy; adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile Near Antonyms equable, even, uniform; abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent; dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty more See Synonym Discussion at inconstant Rhymes with CAPRICIOUS facetious

: of or relating to a church parish 2 : of or relating to a parish as a unit of local government 3 : confined or restricted as if within the borders of a parish : limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region) : provincial, narrow — pa·ro·chi·al·ly adverb See parochial defined for English-language learners » See parochial defined for kids » Examples of PAROCHIAL our pastor and other parochial leaders voters worried about their own parochial concerns It has never been clearer that the country's best self is a global inheritance, its worst a parochial self-certainty. —Jedediah Purdy, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009 [+]more Origin of PAROCHIAL Middle English parochiall, from Anglo-French parochial, from Late Latin parochialis, from parochia parish — more at parish First Known Use: 14th century Related to PAROCHIAL Synonyms illiberal, insular, Lilliputian, little, narrow-minded, narrow, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded Antonyms broad-minded, catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal, open, open-minded, receptive, tolerant Related Words inflexible, ironbound, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, set, stubborn, unyielding, wrongheaded; bigoted, intolerant; biased, discriminating, discriminatory, jaundiced, one-sided, partial, partisan, prejudiced; brass bound, hidebound, old-fashioned, reactionary, stodgy, straitlaced (or straightlaced), stuffy; dogmatic (also dogmatical), opinionated, opinionative; limited; hick, unsophisticated Near Antonyms impartial, nonpartisan, objective, unbiased, unprejudiced; freethinking

: a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule 2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation — pa·rod·ic adjective — par·o·dis·tic adjective See parody defined for English-language learners » See parody defined for kids » Examples of PARODY He has a talent for writing parodies. a writer with a talent for parody Origin of PARODY Latin parodia, from Greek parōidia, from para- + aidein to sing — more at ode First Known Use: 1598 Related to PARODY Synonyms burlesque, caricature, put-on, rib, send-up, spoof, takeoff, travesty Related Words lampoon, mockery, satire; comedy, farce, humor, sketch, slapstick, squib; distortion, exaggeration; imitation, impersonation, mimicking Near Antonyms homage, tribute more See Synonym Discussion at caricature Other Literature Terms apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody 2parody transitive verb parodiedparody·ing Definition of PARODY 1 : to compose a parody on 2 : to imitate in the manner of a parody Examples of PARODY It was easy to parody the book's fancy language. She parodied her brother's poetry. First Known Use of PARODY circa 1745 Related to PARODY Synonyms burlesque, caricature, do, imitate, mock, mimic, send up, spoof, travesty Related Words lampoon, pasquinade, satirize; deride, gibe (or jibe), ridicule; ape, copycat, monkey, parrot; duplicate, emulate, replicate, reproduce; act, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, pretend, sham, simulate; elaborate, embellish, embroider, exaggerate, magnify, pad, play up, stretch; amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out), overdraw, overstate, put on; mime, pantomime; impersonate, perform, personate, play more Other Literature Terms apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody parody noun (Concise Encyclopedia) In literature, a work in which the style of an author is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. Differing from both burlesque (by the depth of its technical penetration) and travesty (which treats dignified subjects in a trivial manner), parody mercilessly exposes the tricks of manner and thought of its victim and therefore cannot be written without a thorough appreciation of the work it ridicules. Examples date from as early as ancient Greece and occur in nearly all literatures and all periods.

Definition of RANCOR : bitter deep-seated ill will See rancor defined for English-language learners » See rancor defined for kids » Examples of RANCOR She answered her accusers calmly and without rancor. In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members. Origin of RANCOR Middle English rancour, from Anglo-French rancur, from Late Latin rancor rancidity, rancor, from Latin rancēre First Known Use: 14th century Related to RANCOR Synonyms animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, enmity Antonyms amity Related Words blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venom Near Antonyms amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding more See Synonym Discussion at enmity Rhymes with RANCOR anchor, banker, canker, chancre, flanker, franker, hanker, ranker, spanker, tanker, thanker

re·cant verb ri-ˈkant Definition of RECANT transitive verb 1 : to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly : renounce 2 : revoke intransitive verb : to make an open confession of error — re·can·ta·tion noun See recant defined for English-language learners » See recant defined for kids » Examples of RECANT Church officials asked the minister to recant. Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper. Origin of RECANT Latin recantare, from re- + cantare to sing — more at chant First Known Use: 1535 Related to RECANT Synonyms abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), abjure, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw Antonyms adhere (to) Related Words contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, negative; abandon, bolt, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender; controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute; back down, back off, backtrack; disallow, recall, revoke Near Antonyms acknowledge, admit, affirm, assert, avow, claim, contend, declare, maintain, proclaim, profess, state, vouch, vow; back, confirm, defend, endorse (also indorse), espouse, maintain, support, uphold; accept, adopt, embrace more See Synonym Discussion at abjure Rhymes with RECANT aslant, bacchant, bacchante, bezant, courante, decant, descant, displant, eggplant, enceinte, enchant, explant, extant, face-plant, fire ant, formant, gallant, Gallant, gas plant, grandaunt, houseplant, ice plant, implant, incant, jade plant, land grant, leadplant, levant, Levant, musk plant, pieplant, pissant, plainchant, pourpoint, preplant, red ant, replant, savant, seed plant, snow plant, supplant, transplant, white ant [-]hide

: to act as patron of : provide aid or support for 2 : to adopt an air of condescension toward : treat haughtily or coolly 3 : to be a frequent or regular customer or client of — pa·tron·i·za·tion noun — pa·tron·iz·ing·ly adverb Examples of PATRONIZE The family patronizes the arts. He hated being patronized and pitied by those who didn't believe his story. "I'm sure you did your best even though you failed." "Please don't patronize." I patronize the library regularly. For the court to come around, at this late date, to acknowledging our existence as "free persons" is shockingly patronizing; it's condescension that has been cast as liberation. —John Cloud, Time, 7 July 2003 [+]more Origin of PATRONIZE (see patron) First Known Use: 1589 Related to PATRONIZE Synonyms lord (it over), condescend, talk down (to) Related Words cold-shoulder, cut, high-hat, slight, snub; queen (it over) Near Antonyms baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart; desert, disappoint, fail, let down more Rhymes with PATRONIZE advertise, agonize, alchemize, analyze, anglicize, anodize, anywise, aphorize, arborize, atomize, authorize, autolyze, balkanize, barbariz... [+]more

transitive verb 1 : to start (a fire) burning : light 2 a : to stir up : arouse b : to bring into being : start 3 : to cause to glow : illuminate intransitive verb 1 : to catch fire 2 a : to flare up b : to become animated 3 : to become illuminated — kin·dler noun Origin of KINDLE Middle English, probably modification of Old Norse kynda; akin to Old High German cuntesal fire First Known Use: 13th century Rhymes with KINDLE bindle, brindle, dwindle, spindle, swindle 2kindle verb kin·dledkin·dling Definition of KINDLE transitive verb : bear 2a —used especially of a rabbit intransitive verb : to bring forth young —used especially of a rabbit Origin of KINDLE Middle English, from kindle young animal, probably from kinde, noun, kind First Known Use: 13th century Other Mammals Terms dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole kin·dle intransitive verb ˈkin-dəl (Medical Dictionary) kin·dled; kin·dling Medical Definition of KINDLE : to bring forth young—used chiefly of a rabbit

Definition of NOXIOUS 1 a : physically harmful or destructive to living beings b : constituting a harmful influence on mind or behavior; especially : morally corrupting 2 : disagreeable, obnoxious — nox·ious·ly adverb — nox·ious·ness noun See noxious defined for English-language learners » See noxious defined for kids » Examples of NOXIOUS Origin of NOXIOUS Middle English noxius, from Latin, from noxa harm; akin to Latin nocēre to harm, nec-, nex violent death, Greek nekros dead body First Known Use: 15th century Related to NOXIOUS Synonyms insalubrious, noisome, unhealthy, sickly, unhealthful, unwholesome Antonyms healthful, healthy Related Words germy, insanitary, unhygienic, unsanitary; nonnutritious; poisonous, toxic; fatal, lethal, mortal Near Antonyms hygienic, sanitary; nutritious more See Synonym Discussion at pernicious Other Ecology Terms Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra nox·ious adjective ˈnäk-shəs (Medical Dictionary) Medical Definition of NOXIOUS : physically harmful or destructive to living beings

: to divorce or separate formally from (a woman) 2 : to refuse to have anything to do with : disown 3 a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force b : to reject as untrue or unjust 4 : to refuse to acknowledge or pay — re·pu·di·a·tor noun Examples of REPUDIATE a generation that has repudiated the values of the past He has publicly repudiated the government's policies. He published an article that repudiates the study's claims. She says she has evidence which repudiates the allegations. During the Algerian war of independence, the United States had also repudiated France's claimed right to attack a town in neighboring Tunisia that succored Algerian guerrillas ... —Christopher Hitchens, Harper's, February 2001 [+]more Origin of REPUDIATE Latin repudiatus, past participle of repudiare, from repudium rejection of a prospective spouse, divorce, probably from re- + pudēre to shame First Known Use: 1545 Related to REPUDIATE Synonyms contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, refute, reject, deny Antonyms acknowledge, admit, allow, avow, concede, confirm, own Related Words traverse; challenge, confute, disprove, rebut; disagree (with), dispute Near Antonyms accept, adopt, embrace, espouse; affirm, announce, assert, aver, claim, declare, maintain, profess, submit; authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate, verify more See Synonym Discussion at decline Rhymes with REPUDIATE abbreviate, abominate, accelerate, accentuate, accommodate, acculturate, accumulate, adjudicate, adulterate, affiliate, agglomerate, alien... [+]more

blith·er blith·est Definition of BLITHE 1 : of a happy lighthearted character or disposition 2 : lacking due thought or consideration : casual, heedless — blithe·ly adverb See blithe defined for English-language learners » See blithe defined for kids » Examples of BLITHE He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others. He was blithe about the risks to his health. Origin of BLITHE Middle English, from Old English blīthe; akin to Old High German blīdi joyous First Known Use: before 12th century Related to BLITHE Synonyms cheerful, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, gay, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsome Antonyms dour, gloomy, glum, morose, saturnine, sulky, sullen Related Words hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine; animated, chirpy, jaunty, lilting, lively, perky, sprightful, sprightly, vivacious; carefree, careless, cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned; boon, gleeful, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful; blissful, delighted, glad, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, tickled; beaming, grinning, laughing, smiling Near Antonyms joyless, sad, unhappy, unsatisfied; dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid; blue, brokenhearted, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, disheartened, down, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, hangdog, heavyhearted, inconsolable, low, low-spirited, melancholy, mirthless, sorrowful more See Synonym Discussion at merry Rhymes with BLITHE kithe, lithe, scythe, tithe, withe, writhe

fed·er·a·tion noun ˌfe-də-ˈrā-shən Definition of FEDERATION 1 : an encompassing political or societal entity formed by uniting smaller or more localized entities: as a : a federal government b : a union of organizations 2 : the act of creating or becoming a federation; especially : the forming of a federal union See federation defined for English-language learners » See federation defined for kids » Examples of FEDERATION a federation of labor unions a federation of women's clubs the federation of the states First Known Use of FEDERATION 1787 Related to FEDERATION Synonyms alliance, axis, bloc, block, coalition, combination, combine, confederation, confederacy, league, union Related Words cabal, conspiracy, junto; cartel, syndicate, trust; faction, front, fusion, side, wing; association, group, organization; affiliation, cooperative, partnership; circuit, conference more Other Government and Politics Terms agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism Rhymes with FEDERATION abdication, aberration, abjuration, abnegation, abrogation, acceptation, acclamation, accusation, activation, adaptation, adjuration, admi... [+]more

Definition of INTRANSIGENT : characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude : uncompromising — intransigent noun — in·tran·si·gent·ly adverb See intransigent defined for English-language learners » Examples of INTRANSIGENT He has remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal. Origin of INTRANSIGENT Spanish intransigente, from in- + transigente, present participle of transigir to compromise, from Latin transigere to come to an agreement — more at transact First Known Use: circa 1879 Related to INTRANSIGENT Synonyms adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, obstinate, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful) Antonyms acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding Related Words anal-retentive, obsessive; wayward, wrongheaded; determined, hell-bent, inexorable, persistent, relentless, resolved, set, single-minded, steadfast, stouthearted, tenacious, unflinching; firm, hard-line, hard-shell (or hard-shelled), iron, severe, stern, strict; hidebound, narrow-minded, rigid; bloody-minded [chiefly British], cantankerous; contrary, cussed; contumacious, disobedient, froward, insubordinate, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, uncooperative, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly; defiant, insurgent, mutinous; indomitable, invincible, unconquerable; confirmed, inveterate, unregenerate; demanding, exacting Near Antonyms docile, obedient, placable, submissive, tractable; accepting, persuadable, receptive, responsive, willing; governable, manageable, reasonable, temperate; slavish, subservient more

Definition of SUPPOSITION 1 : something that is supposed : hypothesis 2 : the act of supposing — sup·po·si·tion·al adjective See supposition defined for English-language learners » See supposition defined for kids » Examples of SUPPOSITION a supposition that proved correct This is just idle supposition. Origin of SUPPOSITION Middle English supposicioun, from Anglo-French supposicion, from Late Latin supposition-, suppositio, from Latin, act of placing beneath, from supponere First Known Use: 15th century Related to SUPPOSITION Synonyms hypothesis, proposition, theory, thesis Related Words assumption, concession, premise (also premiss), presumption, presupposition, theorem; conjecture, generalization, guess, guesswork, inference, speculation, surmise; proffer, proposal, suggestion; feeling, hunch, impression, inkling, notion, suspicion; abstraction, concept, conception, construct Near Antonyms assurance, certainty, fact, knowledge more Rhymes with SUPPOSITION acoustician, acquisition, admonition, aesthetician, air-condition, ammunition, apparition, apposition, coalition, co-edition, competition,... [+]more

amor·phous adjective ə-ˈmȯr-fəs Definition of AMORPHOUS 1 a : having no definite form : shapeless b : being without definite character or nature : unclassifiable c : lacking organization or unity 2 : having no real or apparent crystalline form — amor·phous·ly adverb — amor·phous·ness noun See amorphous defined for English-language learners » See amorphous defined for kids » Examples of AMORPHOUS an amorphous segment of society Oblivious to all the attention, the big cat calmly sashayed to a concave little hollow scooped out of an artificial granite cliff-side at the rear of her cage. There, her four sleeping, newborn cubs were nestled one atop another so tightly that they formed one amorphous lump of fur. —Jon Luoma, Audubon, November l982 [+]more Origin of AMORPHOUS Greek amorphos, from a- + morphē form First Known Use: circa 1731 Related to AMORPHOUS Synonyms formless, shapeless, unformed, unshaped, unstructured Antonyms formed, shaped, shapen, structured Related Words characterless, featureless, nondescript; chaotic, disorganized, incoherent, systemless, unordered, unorganized; dim, fuzzy, hazy, inchoate, indefinite, indeterminate, indistinct, indistinguishable, murky, nebulous, obscure, unclear, undefined, undetermined, vague Near Antonyms coherent, ordered, orderly, organized; clear, decided, definite, distinct more Other Mineralogy Terms agate, host, inclusion, matrix, streak amor·phous adjective ə-ˈmȯr-fəs (Medical Dictionary) Medical Definition of AMORPHOUS 1 : having no apparent shape or organization 2 : having no real or apparent crystalline form

: showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy 2 : being or related to as an analogue — anal·o·gous·ly adverb — anal·o·gous·ness noun See analogous defined for English-language learners » See analogous defined for kids » Examples of ANALOGOUS I could not think of an analogous situation. ... gluons, force particles analogous to the photons of electromagnetism. —Andrew Watson, Science, 22 Jan. 1999 ... great stretches of algae, analogous to terrestrial woodlands, in which kelp fills the role of trees. —William K. Stevens, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1999 ... not by means superior to, though analogous with, human reason ... —Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859 [-]hide Origin of ANALOGOUS Latin analogus, from Greek analogos, literally, proportionate, from ana- + logos reason, ratio, from legein to gather, speak — more at legend First Known Use: 1646 Related to ANALOGOUS Synonyms akin, alike, cognate, comparable, connate, correspondent, corresponding, ditto, like, matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling, similar, such, suchlike Antonyms different, dissimilar, diverse, unakin, unlike Related Words commensurate, proportionate; tantamount, virtual; allied, congeneric, congenerous, congenial, connatural, kin, kindred, relatable, related; approaching, approximating, close, coextensive, coincident, conformable, conforming, consistent, consonant, duplicate, equal, equivalent, fungible, identical, indistinguishable, interchangeable, me-too, redundant, same, selfsame, substitutable, synonymous, twin; entire, homogeneous, homogenous, unchanging, uniform, unvaried, unvarying Near Antonyms disparate, distinct, distinguishable, nonequivalent, noninterchangeable; variable, varied, various, varying; imprecise, inaccurate, inexact; unconnected, unrelated more See Synonym Discussion at similar anal·o·gous adjective ə-ˈnal-ə-gəs (Medical Dictionary) Medical Definition of ANALOGOUS : having similar function but a different structure and origin

plural an·i·mos·i·ties Definition of ANIMOSITY : ill will or resentment tending toward active hostility : an antagonistic attitude See animosity defined for English-language learners » See animosity defined for kids » Examples of ANIMOSITY We put aside our personal animosities so that we could work together. Few rivalries can match that of the Cards and Cubs in terms of history, color and animosity. Things are tense in an off year, but in 2003 the teams are at the top of the National League Central division (along with the Houston Astros), separated by a half-game. —John Grisham, New York Times Book Review, 1 May 2005 [+]more Origin of ANIMOSITY Middle English animosite, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French animosité, from Late Latin animositat-, animositas, from Latin animosus spirited, from animus First Known Use: 1605 Related to ANIMOSITY Synonyms enmity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor Antonyms amity Related Words blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venom Near Antonyms amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding more

: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music 2 : assortment — an·tho·log·i·cal adjective See anthology defined for English-language learners » See anthology defined for kids » Examples of ANTHOLOGY an anthology of American poetry The band will be releasing an anthology of their earlier albums. Origin of ANTHOLOGY New Latin anthologia collection of epigrams, from Middle Greek, from Greek, flower gathering, from anthos flower + logia collecting, from legein to gather; akin to Sanskrit andha herb — more at legend First Known Use: 1621 Related to ANTHOLOGY Synonyms album, collectanea, compendium, compilation, florilegium, miscellany, reader Related Words almanac, ana, analects, chapbook, digest, garland, symposium; casebook, sourcebook; archives, corpus, library, miscellanea more Other Printing Terms epigraph, errata, leader, mechanical, notch, tittle, underscore, widow Rhymes with ANTHOLOGY andrology, apology, astrology, biology, bryology, cetology, Christology, chronology, conchology, cosmology, cryptology, cytology, dendrolo... [+]more

: one who commits apostasy — apostate adjective See apostate defined for English-language learners » See apostate defined for kids » Examples of APOSTATE First Known Use of APOSTATE 14th century Related to APOSTATE Synonyms renegade, defector, deserter, recreant Antonyms loyalist Related Words betrayer, double-crosser, quisling, traitor, traitress (or traitoress), turnabout, turncoat; abandoner, come-outer, dropout, leaver; defier, insurgent, insurrectionary, insurrectionist, mutineer, rebel, red, revolter, revolutionary, revolutionist, revolutionizer; discontent, malcontent; recusant, refusenik (also refusnik), refuser Near Antonyms adherent, disciple, follower, supporter; fanatic, militant, partisan (also partizan), zealot more Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra Rhymes with APOSTATE abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate... [+]more

: temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement between the opponents : truce See armistice defined for English-language learners » See armistice defined for kids » Examples of ARMISTICE Origin of ARMISTICE French or New Latin; French, from New Latin armistitium, from Latin arma + -stitium (as in solstitium solstice) First Known Use: circa 1707 Related to ARMISTICE Synonyms truce, cease-fire Related Words accord, reconcilement, reconciliation; détente (or detente); peace, peacetime Near Antonyms conflict, hostilities, hot war, war more

: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner 2 : showing an offensive attitude of superiority : proceeding from or characterized by arrogance — ar·ro·gant·ly adverb See arrogant defined for English-language learners » See arrogant defined for kids » Examples of ARROGANT She's first in her class, but she's not arrogant about it. Tim Blixseth, the founder of the Yellowstone Club and other gated hideaways, tells Frank: "I don't like most rich people. They can be arrogant." This from a man who owns two Shih Tzus named Learjet and G2. —Alex Beam, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 2007 [+]more Origin of ARROGANT Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, arrogans, present participle of arrogare (see arrogate) First Known Use: 14th century Related to ARROGANT Synonyms assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity Antonyms humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious Related Words misproud; authoritarian, bossy, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, pontificating; condescending, disdainful, patronizing; impertinent, impudent, saucy; snobbish, snobby, snooty; blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, vain, vainglorious; complacent, conceited, egocentric, egoistic (also egoistical), egotistic (or egotistical), hubristic, narcissistic, orgulous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up; self-flattering, self-loving, self-promoting; brash, forward, uninhibited, unreserved; extroverted (also extraverted), immodest Near Antonyms bashful, cowering, cringing, demure, diffident, introverted, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, self-critical, self-doubting, sheepish, shrinking, shy, subdued, timid; acquiescent, compliant, deferential, meek, passive, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, unassuming, unobtrusive, yielding; quiet, reserved, retiring

plural her·e·sies Definition of HERESY 1 a : adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma b : denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church c : an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma 2 a : dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice b : an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards See heresy defined for English-language learners » See heresy defined for kids » Examples of HERESY They were accused of heresy. He was preaching dangerous heresies. Origin of HERESY Middle English heresie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin haeresis, from Late Greek hairesis, from Greek, action of taking, choice, sect, from hairein to take First Known Use: 13th century Related to HERESY Synonyms dissent, dissidence, heterodoxy, nonconformity Antonyms conformity, orthodoxy Related Words error, fallacy, falsehood, misbelief, misconception, myth; apostasy, defection, infidelity, schism, scission, sectarianism, separatism; deviance, deviation, iconoclasm, unconventionality; disagreement, discord, dissension (also dissention) Near Antonyms agreement, conformation, conventionality more

Definition of MELODRAMATIC 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of melodrama 2 : appealing to the emotions : sensational — melo·dra·mat·i·cal·ly adverb See melodramatic defined for English-language learners » See melodramatic defined for kids » Examples of MELODRAMATIC Oh, quit being so melodramatic! First Known Use of MELODRAMATIC 1808 Related to MELODRAMATIC Synonyms dramatic, hammy, histrionic, theatrical, stagy (or stagey) Antonyms undramatic Related Words actorish, actorly, actressy; overacted, overdone, sensational, staged; conspicuous, elaborate, flamboyant, grandiose, ostentatious, showy; affected, artificial, exaggerated, mannered, pretentious, self-conscious, studied, unnatural Near Antonyms nondramatic, nontheatrical, unaffected, underplayed, unpretentious; muted, restrained, subdued, toned (down); conservative, discreet, inconspicuous; modest, plain, quiet, simple more

Definition of PEDANT 1 obsolete : a male schoolteacher 2 a : one who makes a show of knowledge b : one who is unimaginative or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge c : a formalist or precisionist in teaching See pedant defined for English-language learners » See pedant defined for kids » Examples of PEDANT All too often, science fiction provokes the pedant in professional scientists, for whom a beautiful story can be ruined by a single petty error. —Jerry A. Coyne, New York Times Book Review, 10 Oct. 1999 A controversialist, crusty, critical, arrogant, a pedant, he was attacked by his contemporaries for sacrilege, impudence, temerity and presumption—among other imperfections. —Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996 This pioneer of the Age of the Sea, who deserves fame as an opener of the modern mind, has been caught in the cross fire of chauvinists, pedants, and ignorant but enthusiastic men of letters. —Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983 A zealous pedant, Flaubert defended the accuracy of his historical novels with wearisome tenacity, as if accuracy could compensate for their lack of lived experience. —James Atlas, New York Times Book Review, 17 Oct. 1982 [-]hide Origin of PEDANT

stur·di·erstur·di·est Definition of STURDY 1 a : firmly built or constituted : stout b : hardy c : sound in design or execution : substantial 2 a : marked by or reflecting physical strength or vigor b : firm, resolute c : rugged, stable — stur·di·ly adverb — stur·di·ness noun See sturdy defined for English-language learners » See sturdy defined for kids » Examples of STURDY a dog with a strong sturdy build Origin of STURDY Middle English, brave, stubborn, from Anglo-French esturdi stunned, from past participle of esturdir to stun, from Vulgar Latin *exturdire, from Latin ex- + Vulgar Latin *turdus simpleton, from Latin turdus thrush — more at thrush First Known Use: 14th century Related to STURDY Synonyms cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardened, inured, rugged, stout, strong, hardy, tough, toughened, vigorous Antonyms delicate, nonhardy, soft, tender, weak Related Words flinty, leathery, resilient, stalwart; durable, enduring, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, permanent, stable, staunch (also stanch), staying, tenacious, unyielding; flourishing, prospering, thriving; able-bodied, brawny, muscular; fit, fortified, hale, healthy, husky, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sound, strapping, virile; annealed, seasoned, tempered Near Antonyms emasculated, enervated, enfeebled, exhausted, run-down, sapped, wasted, weakened, worn, worn out; crippled, debilitated, diseased, incapacitated, infirm, unsound; fragile, frail, puny; resistless, sensitive, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding; mortal, perishable, temporary, transient more See Synonym Discussion at strong Rhymes with STURDY birdie, curdy, wordy stur·dy noun ˈstərd-ē (Medical Dictionary) plural ; sturdies Medical Definition of STURDY : gid

am·bledam·bling Definition of AMBLE : to go at or as if at an amble : saunter — am·bler noun Examples of AMBLE We ambled along as we talked. They ambled down the road. Origin of AMBLE Middle English, from Anglo-French ambler, from Latin ambulare to walk, from ambi- + -ulare (verb base akin to Middle Welsh el he may go, Greek ēlythe he went) — more at elastic First Known Use: 14th century Related to AMBLE Synonyms hike, perambulate, ramble, saunter, stroll, tramp, tromp Related Words roam, rove, wander; peregrinate, traipse, traverse, trek, walk; march, promenade; power walk more Rhymes with AMBLE bramble, gamble, gambol, ramble, scramble, shamble 2amble noun Definition of AMBLE 1 a : an easy gait of a horse in which the legs on the same side of the body move together b : 7rack b 2 : an easy gait 3 : a leisurely walk Examples of AMBLE First Known Use of AMBLE 14th century Related to AMBLE Synonyms walk, constitutional, perambulation, ramble, range, saunter, stroll, turn, wander Related Words parade, paseo, promenade; expedition, hike, march, peregrination, traipse, tramp, travel, traversal, traverse, trek, trip, walkabout; excursion, jaunt, junket, outing, sally, sashay, spin, tour; pilgrimage, progress, safari more

heaved or hove heav·ing Definition of HEAVE transitive verb 1 obsolete : elevate 2 : lift, raise 3 : throw, cast 4 a : to cause to swell or rise b : to displace (as a rock stratum) especially by a fault 5 : to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath 6 : haul, draw intransitive verb 1 : labor, struggle 2 : retch 3 a : to rise and fall rhythmically b : pant 4 a : pull, push b : to move a ship in a specified direction or manner c past usually hove : to move in an indicated way 5 : to rise or become thrown or raised up — heav·er noun — heave to : to halt the headway of a ship (as by positioning a sailboat with the jib aback and the rudder turned sharply to windward) See heave defined for English-language learners » See heave defined for kids » Examples of HEAVE She heaved the door shut. The quarterback heaved the ball down the field. She sat down and heaved a sigh of relief. Origin of HEAVE Middle English heven, from Old English hebban; akin to Old High German hevan to lift, Latin capere to take First Known Use: before 12th century Related to HEAVE Synonyms boost, heft, hoist, jack (up), upheave Antonyms drop, lower Related Words elevate, hike, pick up, raise, rear, up, uplift, upraise, uprear Near Antonyms depress, drop, lower; sink, submerge, submerse more See Synonym Discussion at lift Rhymes with HEAVE breve, cleave, eave, eve, Eve, greave, grieve, leave, lief, peeve, reave, reeve, reive, scrieve, sheave, sleeve, steeve, thieve, weave 2heave noun Definition of HEAVE 1 a : an effort to heave or raise b : hurl, cast 2 : an upward motion : rising; especially : a rhythmical rising 3 : horizontal displacement especially by the faulting of a rock 4 plural but sing or plural in constr : chronic pulmonary emphysema of the horse resulting in difficult expiration, heaving of the flanks, and a persistent cough See heave defined for English-language learners » Examples of HEAVE We lifted the box onto the table with a heave. He gave the rope a mighty heave. The quarterback uncorked a mighty heave. First Known Use of HEAVE circa 1571 Other Geology Terms anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale heave verb ˈhēv (Medical Dictionary) heaved; heav·ing Medical Definition of HEAVE transitive verb : vomit intransitive verb : to undergo retching or vomiting

involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome 2 : having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages — oner·ous·ly adverb — oner·ous·ness noun See onerous defined for English-language learners » See onerous defined for kids » Examples of ONEROUS The government imposed onerous taxes on imports. Then everyone was asked, how fairly did you act?, from "extremely unfairly" (1) to "extremely fairly" (7). Next they watched someone else make the assignments, and judged that person's ethics. Selflessness was a virtual no-show: 87 out of 94 people opted for the easy task and gave the next guy the onerous one. —Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 23 June 2008 The first hitch occurred when the state education department took a full six months after the new law was adopted to issue 12 pages of onerous rules and regulations governing Arkansas charter schools. —Wendy Cole, Time, 10 June 2000 Environmentalism poses stark issues of survival, for humankind and for all those other tribes of creatures over which we have exercised our onerous dominion. —Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, 1998 Rap tested well, but early on the promoters said they wouldn't be booking any gangsta rap, a move at least partly designed to calm security concerns during the onerous process of complying with the strict mass-gathering laws enacted in the wake of the 1969 festival. —John Milward, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 1994 [-]hide Origin of ONEROUS Middle English, from Middle French honereus, from Latin onerosus, from oner-, onus burden; akin to Sanskrit anas cart First Known Use: 14th century Related to ONEROUS Synonyms bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy, inhuman, murderous, harsh, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying Antonyms easy, light, soft Related Words austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable; biting, inclement, intemperate, wild; rigorous, strict, stringent; agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched; crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing; insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable; harrowing, tortuous; bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant Near Antonyms comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug; agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant; peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful; bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable; balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate more Synonym Discussion of ONEROUS onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting mean imposing hardship. onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful . burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain . oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed . exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding .

transitive verb 1 a : darken b : to make obscure 2 : confuse intransitive verb : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing — ob·fus·ca·tion noun — ob·fus·ca·to·ry adjective See obfuscate defined for English-language learners » Examples of OBFUSCATE Politicians keep obfuscating the issues. Their explanations only serve to obfuscate and confuse. Origin of OBFUSCATE Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, from Latin ob- in the way + fuscus dark brown — more at ob-, dusk First Known Use: 1577 Related to OBFUSCATE Synonyms becloud, befog, blur, cloud, fog, muddy, confuse Antonyms clarify, clear (up), illuminate Related Words complicate, perplex, sophisticate; entangle, snarl, tangle; disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disorder, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, scramble, shuffle, tousle, upset Near Antonyms simplify, streamline; disentangle, straighten (out), undo, unravel, unscramble, untangle; decipher, decode; analyze, break down more Rhymes with OBFUSCATE abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate...

: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light : exhibiting opacity (see opacity) 2 a : hard to understand or explain b : obtuse, thickheaded — opaque noun — opaque·ly adverb — opaque·ness noun See opaque defined for English-language learners » See opaque defined for kids » Examples of OPAQUE the opaque water of the muddy river In the opening hour, a group of strangers receive a maddeningly opaque cell-phone summons to join a secret cross-country race with a $32 million prize. The thing is, the summons can also be a threat (one competitor's wife is possibly being help captive), and the consequences of falling behind are murderous. —Tom Gliatto, People, 23 Apr. 2007 [+]more Origin of OPAQUE Latin opacus (see opacity) First Known Use: 1641 Related to OPAQUE Synonyms ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, obscure Antonyms accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal Related Words abstruse, esoteric, recondite; cloaked, concealed, disguised, masked, shrouded; beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, clouded, cloudy, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, muddy, obfuscatory, obnubilated, obscurant (or obscurantic), shaded, shadowlike, shadowy, sphinxlike; indefinite, inexact, inexplicit, noncommittal, questionable, unclear, uncertain, undefined, undetermined, vague; impenetrable, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable; eerie (also eery), uncanny, weird; impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible; unanswerable, unknowable; baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, unfathomable; circuitous, indirect, roundabout; complex, complicated, difficult, obtuse Near Antonyms comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, knowable, legible, pellucid, understandable; bright, distinct, evident, self-evident, self-explanatory; certain, firm, strong, sure; defined, determined; direct, straightforward; definite, exact, explicit; appreciable, palpable, tangible, visible; blatant, patent, unmistakable more

a : conforming to established doctrine especially in religion b : conventional 2 capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: as a : eastern orthodox b : of or relating to Orthodox Judaism — or·tho·dox·ly adverb See orthodox defined for English-language learners » See orthodox defined for kids » Examples of ORTHODOX He took an orthodox approach to the problem. She believes in the benefits of both orthodox medicine and alternative medicine. He is a very orthodox Muslim. I attend an Eastern Orthodox church. My grandmother is Russian Orthodox. Origin of ORTHODOX Middle English orthodoxe, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French orthodoxe, from Late Latin orthodoxus, from Late Greek orthodoxos, from Greek orth- + doxa opinion — more at doxology First Known Use: 15th century Related to ORTHODOX Synonyms ceremonial, ceremonious, conventional, formal, regular, routine Antonyms casual, freewheeling, informal, irregular, unceremonious, unconventional, unorthodox Related Words authorized, certified, official, sanctioned; accepted, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly; formalistic, ritual, ritualistic; methodical (also methodic), orderly, systematic Near Antonyms unauthorized, unofficial; graceless, improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable more Other Jewish Religion Terms Talmud, Zion, challah, dybbuk, kosher, tabernacle, tetragrammaton, yarmulke Rhymes with ORTHODOX arctic fox, ballot box, bobby socks, chatterbox, chicken pox, dealing box, ditty box, equinox, flying fox, journal box, miter box, music b... [+]more 2orthodox noun plural orthodox also or·tho·dox·es Definition of ORTHODOX 1 : one that is orthodox 2 capitalized : a member of an Eastern Orthodox church

: intended for display : open to view 2 : being such in appearance : plausible rather than demonstrably true or real See ostensible defined for English-language learners » See ostensible defined for kids » Examples of OSTENSIBLE That intelligence and those facts, of course, all pertained to Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, the war's ostensible casus belli, which we now know did not exist. —Frank Rich, New York Review, 6 Apr. 2006 [+]more Origin of OSTENSIBLE French, from Latin ostensus, past participle of ostendere to show, from obs-, ob- in the way + tendere to stretch — more at ob-, thin First Known Use: circa 1771 Related to OSTENSIBLE Synonyms assumed, evident, apparent, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, putative, reputed, seeming, supposed Related Words demonstrable, external, outward, superficial, visible; conceivable, plausible, possible, supposable; likely, probable; clear, distinct, manifest, obvious, plain; deceptive, delusive, delusory, illusive, illusory, imaginary; misleading, specious; fake, faked, feigned, phony (also phoney), pretended, pseudo, put-on; alleged, claimed, professed, purported, so-called Near Antonyms hidden, inapparent; implausible, impossible, improbable, inconceivable, unlikely; actual, authenticated, confirmed, corroborated, established, genuine, real, substantiated, sure, valid, validated, verified more See Synonym Discussion at apparent Rhymes with OSTENSIBLE condensable

: marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display — os·ten·ta·tious·ly adverb — os·ten·ta·tious·ness noun See ostentatious defined for English-language learners » See ostentatious defined for kids » Examples of OSTENTATIOUS an ostentatious display of knowledge The power of the government was present, in its watchmen, supervisors of the market and police force, but it did not express itself in large and ostentatious buildings. —Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991 [+]more Origin of OSTENTATIOUS (see ostentation) First Known Use: 1673 Related to OSTENTATIOUS Synonyms flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, glitzy, loud, noisy, gaudy, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank (or swanky) Antonyms conservative, quiet, understated, unflamboyant, unflashy Related Words excessive, extravagant, fulsome, hammy, overdone, over-the-top, overwrought; pretentious; baroque, bedizened, ornate; fancy, snazzy, zooty; blaring, bright, florid, glaring, glittery, overbright, spectacular; graceless, inelegant, lurid, tacky, tasteless, tawdry, tinselly, vulgar Near Antonyms appropriate, fitting, proper; inconspicuous, muted, restrained, subdued, toned (down), unobtrusive; elegant, graceful, tasteful; modest, plain, simple, unpretentious more See Synonym Discussion at showy Rhymes with OSTENTATIOUS arenaceous, carbonaceous, contumacious, disputatious, efficacious, farinaceous, foliaceous, gallinaceous, orchidaceous, perspicacious, pertinacious, solanaceous, violaceous

: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort First Known Use of PAINSTAKING 1538 Rhymes with PAINSTAKING backbreaking, bookmaking, breathtaking, caretaking, dressmaking, earthshaking, filmmaking, glassmaking, groundbreaking, heartbreaking, hou... [+]more 2painstaking adjective Definition of PAINSTAKING : taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort — pains·tak·ing·ly adverb See painstaking defined for English-language learners » See painstaking defined for kids » Examples of PAINSTAKING The book describes the election process in painstaking detail. First Known Use of PAINSTAKING 1696 Related to PAINSTAKING Synonyms careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous Antonyms careless Related Words assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous; exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing; alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful; accurate, exact, precise, strict; critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular; cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary; deliberate, plodding, slow; studied, thoughtful; all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealous Near Antonyms cursory, halfhearted; heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary; lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly; imprecise; inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating; bold, impetuous, rash, reckless; apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish

: to reduce the violence of (a disease); also : to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease 2 : to cover by excuses and apologies 3 : to moderate the intensity of — pal·li·a·tion noun — pal·li·a·tor noun Examples of PALLIATE treatments that can palliate the painful symptoms of the disease Origin of PALLIATE Middle English, from Late Latin palliatus, past participle of palliare to cloak, conceal, from Latin pallium cloak First Known Use: 15th century Related to PALLIATE Synonyms deodorize, excuse, explain away, extenuate, gloss (over), gloze (over), whitewash Antonyms aggravate, exacerbate Related Words sugarcoat, varnish; apologize, atone, confess; account (for), explain, justify, rationalize; minimize, play down, soft-pedal; alleviate, ease, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, soften, temper; absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate Near Antonyms harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpen more Other Medicine Terms analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, pandemic Rhymes with PALLIATE abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate... [+]more pal·li·ate transitive verb ˈpal-ē-ˌāt (Medical Dictionary) pal·li·at·ed; pal·li·at·ing Medical Definition of PALLIATE : to reduce the violence of (a disease) : ease without curing —pal·li·a·tion (audio pronunciation) noun

: a firm adherent to a party, faction, cause, or person; especially : one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance 2 a : a member of a body of detached light troops making forays and harassing an enemy b : a member of a guerrilla band operating within enemy lines — partisan adjective — par·ti·san·ly adverb — par·ti·san·ship noun Variants of PARTISAN par·ti·san also par·ti·zan Origin of PARTISAN Middle French partisan, from north Italian dialect partiźan, from part part, party, from Latin part-, pars part First Known Use: 1555 Rhymes with PARTISAN advance man, Alcoran, also-ran, Ameslan, anchorman, as one man, astrakhan, Astrakhan, ataman, Athelstan, attackman, balmacaan, Bantustan, ... [+]more 2par·ti·san noun ˈpär-tə-zən, -sən Definition of PARTISAN : a weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries with long shaft and broad blade Variants of PARTISAN par·ti·san or par·ti·zan

: a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome 2 a : a person of high birth : aristocrat b : a person of breeding and cultivation — patrician adjective See patrician defined for English-language learners » See patrician defined for kids » Examples of PATRICIAN Origin of PATRICIAN Middle English patricion, from Anglo-French patrician, from Latin patricius, from patres senators, from plural of pater father — more at father First Known Use: 15th century Related to PATRICIAN Synonyms aristocrat, blue blood, gentle, noble, gentleperson Related Words socialite, swell; magnate, magnifico, mogul, nabob; gentlefolk (also gentlefolks) Near Antonyms canaille, commoner, pleb, plebeian, proletarian, roturier; boor, fellah, peasant, peon more Other Sociology Terms bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture Rhymes with PATRICIAN addition, admission, ambition, attrition, audition, beautician, clinician, cognition, coition, commission, condition, contrition, demissio... [+]more patrician noun (Concise Encyclopedia) In ancient Rome, any member of a group of citizen families who, in contrast to the plebeians, formed a privileged nobility. They attempted to hold on to magistracies, priesthoods, and legal and religious knowledge, and the great civil struggle of the Roman republic was the effort of the plebeians to achieve equality and break the patrician monopoly. Gradually the patricians lost their monopoly—except in a few areas, such as selected priesthoods and the office of interrex—and in the late republic (1st century BC) the distinction lost political importance. After 27 BC, patrician rank was necessary for ascent to the imperial throne. After Constantine's reign (AD 337), the term became an honorary title with no particular power.

: the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion 2 a : skill in the effective use of speech b : a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language 3 : verbal communication : discourse See rhetoric defined for English-language learners » See rhetoric defined for kids » Examples of RHETORIC a college course in rhetoric The media almost never discuss what the sweeping dismantling of public services inherent in the rhetoric of the antigovernment movement would mean in practice. —E. J. Dionne, Jr., Commonweal, 20 Nov. 2009 [+]more Origin of RHETORIC Middle English rethorik, from Anglo-French rethorique, from Latin rhetorica, from Greek rhētorikē, literally, art of oratory, from feminine of rhētorikos of an orator, from rhētōr orator, rhetorician, from eirein to say, speak — more at word First Known Use: 14th century Related to RHETORIC Synonyms bombast, fustian, gas, grandiloquence, hot air, oratory, verbiage, wind Antonyms inarticulateness Related Words claptrap, drivel, gibberish, hogwash, humbug, jabberwocky, jazz, moonshine, nonsense; affectedness, floweriness, grandiosity, loftiness, pomposity, pretension, pretentiousness; garrulity, garrulousness, verboseness, verbosity, windiness, wordiness more Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

: careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : prudent — cir·cum·spec·tion noun — cir·cum·spect·ly adverb See circumspect defined for English-language learners » See circumspect defined for kids » Examples of CIRCUMSPECT Origin of CIRCUMSPECT Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French circonspect, from Latin circumspectus, from past participle of circumspicere to look around, be cautious, from circum- + specere to look — more at spy First Known Use: 15th century Related to CIRCUMSPECT Synonyms alert, cautious, chary, careful, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary Antonyms careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unsafe, unwary Related Words advertent, attentive, awake, observant, regardful, vigilant, watchful; hypercautious; foresighted, foresightful, forethoughtful, provident, thoughtful; cagey (also cagy), calculating, canny, shrewd; deliberate, slow; ultracareful, ultracautious Near Antonyms bold, brash, impetuous, rash, reckless, venturesome; asleep, inattentive, regardless; inconsiderate, thoughtless; lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss; imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious; absentminded, forgetful; inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned more See Synonym Discussion at cautious Rhymes with CIRCUMSPECT acrolect, architect, birth defect, deselect, dialect, disaffect, disconnect, disinfect, disrespect, edge effect, genuflect, grapholect, in...

: a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer See manifesto defined for English-language learners » See manifesto defined for kids » Examples of MANIFESTO The group's manifesto focused on helping the poor and stopping violence. Origin of MANIFESTO Italian, denunciation, manifest, from manifestare to manifest, from Latin, from manifestus First Known Use: 1620

: a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct 2 : a proverbial saying See maxim defined for English-language learners » See maxim defined for kids » Examples of MAXIM Origin of MAXIM Middle English maxime, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin maxima, from Latin, feminine of maximus, superl. of magnus large — more at much First Known Use: 1567 Related to MAXIM Synonyms adage, aphorism, apothegm, byword, epigram, saying, proverb, saw, sententia, word Related Words bromide, cliché (also cliche), commonplace, platitude, wheeze; expression, felicity; axiom, motto, precept, truism, truth; formula; comment, note, reflection, remark more Other Literature Terms apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

: of, relating to, or being a noun or a word or expression taking a noun construction 2 a : of, relating to, or constituting a name b : bearing the name of a person 3 a : existing or being something in name or form only b : of, being, or relating to a designated or theoretical size that may vary from the actual : approximate c : trifling, insignificant 4 of a rate of interest a : equal to the annual rate of simple interest that would obtain if interest were not compounded when in fact it is compounded and paid for periods of less than a year b : equal to the percentage by which a repaid loan exceeds the principal borrowed with no adjustment made for inflation 5 : being according to plan : satisfactory — nom·i·nal·ly adverb See nominal defined for English-language learners » See nominal defined for kids » Examples of NOMINAL Her title of vice president had been nominal only. They charge a nominal fee for the service. What gave it resonance was that she was reflecting—in a fun-house mirror—the thuggish behavior of her nominal betters. —Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2005 [+]more Origin of NOMINAL Middle English nominalle, from Medieval Latin nominalis, from Latin, of a name, from nomin-, nomen name — more at name First Known Use: 15th century Related to NOMINAL Synonyms formal, paper, titular Antonyms big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant Related Words so-called; phantom, virtual; apparent, assumed, evident, ostensible, presumed, seeming, supposed Near Antonyms actual, real, true more Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile 2nom·i·nal noun ˈnä-mə-nəl, ˈnäm-nəl Definition of NOMINAL : a word or word group functioning as a noun Origin of NOMINAL

: a subtle distinction or variation 2 : a subtle quality : nicety 3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value) — nu·anced adjective See nuance defined for English-language learners » See nuance defined for kids » Examples of NUANCE He listened to the subtle nuances in the song. a poem of little depth and nuance Between the lines of lexicographical nuance and quotation, Johnson was paying old debts and seeking out wisdom about himself and his adopted city, as well as compiling perhaps the greatest commonplace book in the history of mankind. —Andrew O'Hagan, New York Review, 27 Apr. 2006 [+]more Origin of NUANCE French, from Middle French, shade of color, from nuer to make shades of color, from nue cloud, from Latin nubes; perhaps akin to Welsh nudd mist First Known Use: 1781 Rhymes with NUANCE jouissance, Provence, séance

: a slight offense See peccadillo defined for English-language learners » See peccadillo defined for kids » Origin of PECCADILLO Spanish pecadillo, diminutive of pecado sin, from Latin peccatum, from neuter of peccatus, past participle of peccare First Known Use: 1600 Rhymes with PECCADILLO Manzanillo Learn More About PECCADILLO Spanish-English Dictionary: Translation of "peccadillo"

: of, relating to, or being a pedant(see pedant) 2 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned 3 : unimaginative, pedestrian — pe·dan·ti·cal·ly adverb Examples of PEDANTIC It may seem pedantic to harp on what looks like mere procedure, but this is one case where the process is the forest. —Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker, 29 May 2000 [+]more Origin of PEDANTIC (see pedant) First Known Use: circa 1600 Rhymes with PEDANTIC Atlantic, gigantic, romantic, semantic

: reputed, alleged See purported defined for English-language learners » Examples of PURPORTED the purported value of the estate First Known Use of PURPORTED 1836 Rhymes with PURPORTED assorted, ill-sorted

: commonly accepted or supposed 2 : assumed to exist or to have existed — pu·ta·tive·ly adverb See putative defined for English-language learners » Examples of PUTATIVE This has always been a nation willing to sell out its past for putative progress. —Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 3 June 2002 [+]more Origin of PUTATIVE Middle English, from Late Latin putativus, from Latin putatus, past participle of putare to think First Known Use: 15th century Related to PUTATIVE Synonyms assumed, evident, ostensible, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, apparent, reputed, seeming, supposed Related Words demonstrable, external, outward, superficial, visible; conceivable, plausible, possible, supposable; likely, probable; clear, distinct, manifest, obvious, plain; deceptive, delusive, delusory, illusive, illusory, imaginary; misleading, specious; fake, faked, feigned, phony (also phoney), pretended, pseudo, put-on; alleged, claimed, professed, purported, so-called Near Antonyms hidden, inapparent; implausible, impossible, improbable, inconceivable, unlikely; actual, authenticated, confirmed, corroborated, established, genuine, real, substantiated, sure, valid, validated, verified more

: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action 2 : capricious, unpredictable — quix·ot·i·cal adjective — quix·ot·i·cal·ly adverb See quixotic defined for English-language learners » See quixotic defined for kids » Examples of QUIXOTIC They had quixotic dreams about the future. In ... an earnest book-length essay of neo-Victorian public-mindedness that deplores the "nasty, knowing abuse" that the author would have us fear contaminates too much American humor lately, David Denby, a movie critic for The New Yorker, sets for himself what has to be one of the most quixotic projects that a moral reformer can undertake. —Walter Kirn, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009 [+]more Origin of QUIXOTIC Don Quixote First Known Use: 1718 Related to QUIXOTIC Synonyms idealist, idealistic, quixotical, romantic, starry, starry-eyed, utopian, visionary Antonyms clear-eyed, clear-sighted Related Words impractical, unrealistic; crusading, messianic, zealous; dewy-eyed, moonstruck, moony, sentimental, tender-minded; hopeful, optimistic, Pollyannaish (also Pollyannish), rosy, upbeat; doctrinaire, ideological (also ideologic) Near Antonyms hardheaded, hard-nosed, tough-minded, unsentimental; practical, pragmatic (also pragmatical), realistic more See Synonym Discussion at imaginary Rhymes with QUIXOTIC aquatic, biotic, chaotic, cirrhotic, demotic, despotic, ergotic, erotic, exotic, hypnotic, kyphotic, leprotic, lordotic, meiotic, mitotic,... [+]more

: bitter deep-seated ill will See rancor defined for English-language learners » See rancor defined for kids » Examples of RANCOR She answered her accusers calmly and without rancor. In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members. Origin of RANCOR Middle English rancour, from Anglo-French rancur, from Late Latin rancor rancidity, rancor, from Latin rancēre First Known Use: 14th century Related to RANCOR Synonyms animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, enmity Antonyms amity Related Words blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venom Near Antonyms amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding more See Synonym Discussion at enmity Rhymes with RANCOR anchor, banker, canker, chancre, flanker, franker, hanker, ranker, spanker, tanker, thanker

: to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly : renounce 2 : revoke intransitive verb : to make an open confession of error — re·can·ta·tion noun See recant defined for English-language learners » See recant defined for kids » Examples of RECANT Church officials asked the minister to recant. Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper. Origin of RECANT Latin recantare, from re- + cantare to sing — more at chant First Known Use: 1535 Related to RECANT Synonyms abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), abjure, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw Antonyms adhere (to) Related Words contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, negative; abandon, bolt, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender; controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute; back down, back off, backtrack; disallow, recall, revoke Near Antonyms acknowledge, admit, affirm, assert, avow, claim, contend, declare, maintain, proclaim, profess, state, vouch, vow; back, confirm, defend, endorse (also indorse), espouse, maintain, support, uphold; accept, adopt, embrace more See Synonym Discussion at abjure Rhymes with RECANT aslant, bacchant, bacchante, bezant, courante, decant, descant, displant, eggplant, enceinte, enchant, explant, extant, face-plant, fire a... [+]more

a : intrepidly daring : adventurous b : recklessly bold : rash 2 : contemptuous of law, religion, or decorum : insolent 3 : marked by originality and verve — au·da·cious·ly adverb — au·da·cious·ness noun See audacious defined for English-language learners » See audacious defined for kids » Examples of AUDACIOUS They have audacious plans for the new school. This is her most audacious film so far. She made an audacious decision to quit her job. Whatever made him think his audacious fiction would sell—especially after a lifetime of literary marginalization—is a mystery, but he has certainly been vindicated. With a rush of work that he did not begin publishing until he was in his forties, he won literary fame in Europe and Latin America. —Valerie Sayers, Commonweal, 13 July 2007 [+]more Origin of AUDACIOUS Middle French audacieux, from audace boldness, from Latin audacia, from audac-, audax bold, from audēre to dare, from avidus eager — more at avid First Known Use: 1550 Related to AUDACIOUS Synonyms arch, nervy, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise Antonyms meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid Related Words assertive, forward, obtrusive; nervy, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthy Near Antonyms demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusive more Rhymes with AUDACIOUS bodacious, capacious, cetaceous, crustaceous, curvaceous, drupaceous, edacious, fallacious, flirtatious, fugacious, hellacious, herbaceous...

obsolete : to do without 2 : to hold oneself back from especially with an effort 3 obsolete : to leave alone : shun intransitive verb 1 : hold back, abstain 2 : to control oneself when provoked : be patient — for·bear·er noun See forbear defined for English-language learners » See forbear defined for kids » Examples of FORBEAR He carefully forbore any mention of her name for fear of upsetting them. We decided to forbear provoking him any further. We decided to forbear from provoking him any further. He forebore to mention her name. Origin of FORBEAR Middle English forberen, from Old English forberan to endure, do without, from for- + beran to bear First Known Use: before 12th century Related to FORBEAR Synonyms abjure, abstain (from), forgo (also forego), keep (from), refrain (from), withhold (from) Antonyms bow (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to) Related Words avoid, eschew, shun; check, constrain, curb, inhibit; deny, refuse, reject, repudiate; buck, combat, fight Near Antonyms acquiesce (to), capitulate, concede (to), knuckle under (to) more Rhymes with FORBEAR affair, aglare, airfare, Ajmer, Altair, antbear, armchair, au pair, aware, bakeware, barware, Basseterre, Baudelaire, beachwear, bergère, ... [+]more

: musingly or dreamily thoughtful 2 : suggestive of sad thoughtfulness — pen·sive·ly adverb — pen·sive·ness noun See pensive defined for English-language learners » See pensive defined for kids » Examples of PENSIVE The child sat by himself, looking pensive. ... the combination of national crisis and imminent electoral victory creates an atmosphere at once pensive and elated. —Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000 [+]more Origin of PENSIVE Middle English pensif, from Anglo-French, from penser to think, from Latin pensare to ponder, frequentative of pendere to weigh — more at pendant First Known Use: 14th century Related to PENSIVE Synonyms broody, cogitative, meditative, melancholy, musing, contemplative, reflective, ruminant, ruminative, thoughtful Antonyms unreflective Related Words introspective, retrospective, self-reflective; earnest, grave, sedate, serious, serious-minded, severe, sober, solemn, somber (or sombre), weighty; philosophical (also philosophic); analytic (or analytical), logical, rational; deliberate, purposeful; absentminded, abstracted, preoccupied Near Antonyms featherbrained, flighty, flippant, frivolous, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, scatterbrained; brainless, mindless, silly, thoughtless, unthinking more

a : easily nauseated : queasy b : affected with nausea 2 a : excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief b : easily offended or disgusted — squea·mish·ly adverb — squea·mish·ness noun See squeamish defined for English-language learners » See squeamish defined for kids » Examples of SQUEAMISH I used to be squeamish about eating raw fish. I'm too squeamish to watch horror movies. Origin of SQUEAMISH Middle English squaymisch, modification of Anglo-French escoymous First Known Use: 15th century Related to SQUEAMISH Synonyms ill, nauseated, qualmish, queasy (also queazy), queer, queerish, sick, sickish, nauseous Related Words green, peaked, peaky, sickly; unsettled, upset, woozy Near Antonyms settled; healthy, well more Rhymes with SQUEAMISH beamish

ob·sti·nate adjective ˈäb-stə-nət Definition of OBSTINATE 1 : perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion 2 : not easily subdued, remedied, or removed — ob·sti·nate·ly adverb — ob·sti·nate·ness noun See obstinate defined for English-language learners » See obstinate defined for kids » Examples of OBSTINATE his obstinate refusal to obey My parents remain as obstinate as ever. More than 30 cities had sued the gun industry for the costs of violence on their streets. Cuomo had brashly stepped into the legal swamp, hoping he could be the guy to force concessions from an obstinate industry. —Matt Bai, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2001 [+]more Origin of OBSTINATE Middle English, from Anglo-French obstinat, Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare to be resolved, from ob- in the way + -stinare (akin to stare to stand) First Known Use: 14th century Related to OBSTINATE Synonyms adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful), deaf to reason Antonyms acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding Related Words anal-retentive, obsessive; wayward, wrongheaded; determined, hell-bent, inexorable, persistent, relentless, resolved, set, single-minded, steadfast, stouthearted, tenacious, unflinching; firm, hard-line, hard-shell (or hard-shelled), iron, severe, stern, strict; hidebound, narrow-minded, rigid; bloody-minded [chiefly British], cantankerous; contrary, cussed; contumacious, disobedient, froward, insubordinate, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, uncooperative, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly; defiant, insurgent, mutinous; indomitable, invincible, unconquerable; confirmed, inveterate, unregenerate; demanding, exacting Near Antonyms docile, obedient, placable, submissive, tractable; accepting, persuadable, receptive, responsive, willing; governable, manageable, reasonable, temperate; slavish, subservient more

a : befitting or characteristic of one of eminent rank or attainments : commanding, dominant b : marked by arrogant assurance : domineering 2 : intensely compelling : urgent — im·pe·ri·ous·ly adverb — im·pe·ri·ous·ness noun See imperious defined for English-language learners » See imperious defined for kids » Examples of IMPERIOUS Origin of IMPERIOUS Latin imperiosus, from imperium First Known Use: 1540 Related to IMPERIOUS Synonyms authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic (also autocratical), despotic, dictatorial, domineering, bossy, masterful, overbearing, peremptory, tyrannical (also tyrannic), tyrannous Antonyms humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious Related Words arrogant, assumptive, disdainful, fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-hat, huffy, important, lofty, lordly, overweening, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, proud, self-asserting, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity; commanding, controlling, dictating, regimental; arbitrary, high-handed, imperial; directorial, magisterial; aggressive, assertive, self-assertive; imperative; conceited, narcissistic, pompous, vain; all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent; firm, stern Near Antonyms humble, meek, modest, unassuming; amenable, docile, obedient, tractable; indecisive, irresolute; acquiescent, compliant, passive, resigned, submissive, yielding more See Synonym Discussion at masterful Rhymes with IMPERIOUS cinereous, delirious, Guarnerius, mysterious, Tiberius

a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic; specifically : a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and being designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun 2 : a class of objects divided into several subordinate species See genus defined for English-language learners » See genus defined for kids » Examples of GENUS Origin of GENUS Latin gener-, genus birth, race, kind — more at kin First Known Use: 1551 Related to GENUS Synonyms bracket, category, classification, division, family, class, grade, group, kind, league, order, rank(s), rubric, set, species, tier, type Related Words description, feather, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, sort; branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety; breed, race; generation; heading, label, title more

: of, relating to, or constituting a portent 2 : eliciting amazement or wonder : prodigious 3 a : being a grave or serious matter b : self-consciously solemn or important : pompous c : ponderously excessive — por·ten·tous·ly adverb — por·ten·tous·ness noun See portentous defined for English-language learners » See portentous defined for kids » Examples of PORTENTOUS First Known Use of PORTENTOUS 15th century Related to PORTENTOUS Synonyms baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening Antonyms unthreatening Related Words black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, somber (or sombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched; discouraging, disheartening, hopeless, unfavorable, unpromising, unpropitious; ill-fated, ill-starred, star-crossed, troubled, unfortunate, unlucky; evil, malign, malignant Near Antonyms auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous more See Synonym Discussion at ominous Other Occult Terms augury, censor, invocation, lucidity, metempsychosis, mojo, numinous, preternatural, weird, wraith Rhymes with PORTENTOUS apprentice, momentous

elat·edelat·ing Definition of ELATE : to fill with joy or pride Examples of ELATE The discovery has elated researchers. Origin of ELATE Latin elatus (past participle of efferre to carry out, elevate), from e- + latus, past participle of ferre to carry — more at tolerate, bear First Known Use: circa 1619 Related to ELATE Synonyms elevate, enrapture, exhilarate, intoxicate, transport Antonyms depress Related Words commove, excite, inspire, stimulate, uplift; content, delight, gladden, gratify, please, rejoice, satisfy, warm Near Antonyms demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit; distress, oppress, sadden more Rhymes with ELATE abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmat... [+]more 2elate adjective Definition of ELATE : elated