Words 6

apotropaic

adjective: Intended or having the power to ward off evil. Greek apotropaios "averting evil," from apotrepein "to turn away, avert," from apo- "off, away" + trepein "to turn."

polythetic

adjective: Relating to or sharing a number of characteristics which occur commonly among members of a group or class, but none of which is essential for belonging thereto. 1960s from poly-'many' + Greek thetos 'placed, arranged' + -ic.

doable

adjective: achievable, attainable, feasible, possible, practicable, realizable, viable, workable; capable of being done or carried out.

piece of work

idiom: 1. A remarkably difficult, malicious, unpleasant, obnoxious, or objectionable person. 2. Something very surprising, unusual, or impressive. 3. A complicated, difficult, or eccentric person.

lady of the hour / woman of the hour

idiom: 1. A woman in whose honor a gathering is held. 2. A woman who is currently an object of public attention. 3. A paid sex worker currently in service.

with good reason

idiom: 1. Having a sound, justifiable cause or purpose. 2. Because something has already been proven to be true or justified.

out in the cold

idiom: 1. Ignored, forgotten, or excluded, as from a group, activity, benefit, etc. 2. not informed about what is happening or has happened. (*Typically: be ~; keep someone ~; leave someone ~.)

off course

idiom: 1. Literally, in the wrong direction or away from the intended course. 2. Going against or straying away from an established plan or the correct or intended course of action.

stare in the face

idiom: 1. Literally, to make direct and uninterrupted eye contact with someone. 2. To confront a situation or issue directly. 3. Be glaringly obvious, although initially overlooked.

lost on

idiom: 1. Not appreciated or understood by (someone). 2. Wasted on someone; not valued or appreciated by someone.

easy pickings

idiom: 1. People who are easy to persuade or influence. 2. Things that are easy to obtain, often through theft.

on the fly

idiom: 1. Quickly and informally, without thought or preparation. 2. begun and done while something or someone is already in operation.

light a fire under

idiom: 1. Stimulate someone to work or act more quickly, effectively, or enthusiastically. 2. Motivate another to take action.

business end

idiom: 1. The functional part of a tool, device, or weapon. 2. The essential or basic part of a process or operation. 3. The business end of something, such as a knife or a gun, is the end that does the work or damage rather than the handle.

go a long way

idiom: 1. To achieve much success. 2. To be very useful or helpful.

fly high

idiom: 1. To be very happy, euphoric, enthusiastic, excited, or jubilant. 2. To flourish or have much success in an important position.

look in the face

idiom: 1. To make direct, sustained eye contact with one, typically in a way that is confident or without shame.

take for

idiom: 1. To regard as. 2. To consider mistakenly

take on

idiom: 1. assume, incur, shoulder, tackle, take over, undertake; To take upon oneself. 2. approach, begin, commence, embark, enter, get off, inaugurate, initiate, institute, launch, lead off, open, set about, set out, set to, start, take up, undertake, kick off, get cracking, get going, get the show on the road; To go about the initial step in doing (something). 3. employ, engage, hire, retain, put on the payroll; To obtain the use or services of. 4. encounter, engage, meet, do battle with; To enter into conflict with. 5. adopt, embrace, espouse, take up; To take, as another's idea, and make one's own.

take for granted

idiom: 1. assume, presume, suppose, take it, take as read, take it as given, presuppose, conjecture, surmise, conclude, come to the conclusion, deduce, infer, draw the inference, reckon, reason, guess, imagine, think, fancy, suspect, expect, accept, believe, be of the opinion, understand, be given to understand, gather, glean, figure, opine, ween; To consider something as being innately or unfailingly true, correct, real, or available, without questioning it. 2. fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity..

bring something back

idiom: 1. bring to mind, evoke, summon up, remind you of, make you think of; cause (someone) to remember someone or something. 2. revive, restore, rekindle, revitalize, breathe new life into, bring back to life, re-awaken, reanimate; to give new energy and excitement to (something).

cut down

idiom: 1. carry off, cut off, destroy, dispatch, finish (off), kill, waste, zap, put an end to, put to sleep, kill, take out (slang), massacre, slaughter, slay (archaic), blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), mow down; To cause the death of. 2. bring down, down, drop, fell, flatten, floor, ground, knock down, level, prostrate, strike down, throw, deck, lay low; To cause to fall, as from a shot or blow. 3. chop, clip, crop, cut, cut back, lop, lower, pare, prune, shear, slash, trim, truncate; To decrease, as in length or amount, by or as if by severing or excising.

clean out

idiom: 1. clear, empty (out), evacuate, vacate, void; To remove the contents of. 2. bankrupt, break, bust, impoverish, pauperize, ruin; To reduce to financial insolvency.

cut off

idiom: 1. close off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, separate, sequester; To set apart from a group. 2. disinherit, renounce, disown; a. To exclude from inheritance or the right to inherit. b. To deprive of a natural or established right or privilege.

side by side

idiom: alongside (each other), beside each other, abreast, level, shoulder to shoulder, cheek by jowl, together, close together; (Hyphenated if used as a modifier before a noun.) 1. Literally, in a line next to each other, close together and facing the same direction. 2. In unison; simultaneously. 3. United or banded together.

take the bull by the horns

idiom: To approach, confront, or deal with a problem or difficult situation directly and with clear, confident action.

keep a low profile

idiom: To avoid drawing attention, scrutiny, or observation to oneself, staying out of public notice.

make a splash

idiom: To be very successful and garner a great deal of public attention.

spread the word

idiom: To disseminate a specific piece of information.

cut corners

idiom: To do something in the easiest or most inexpensive way to a shoddy and substandard result.

do one's bidding

idiom: To do what one is told or ordered to do especially by one in a position of power or authority, to the point of servitude.

take the fall / take the heat / take the hit

idiom: To face punishment, blame, censure, or arrest for someone else's crime or misdeed, perhaps intentionally.

bring to heel

idiom: To force someone to obey one's wishes or commands, consequently acting in a disciplined fashion; to make someone act in accordance with one's authority.

stand a chance

idiom: To have a possibility, however remote, of succeeding; to possibly be able to do something. Often used in the negative to mean the opposite.

learn the ropes

idiom: To learn or understand the basic details of how to do or correctly perform a job, task, or activity.

throw off the scent/ put off the scent

idiom: To misdirect one away from their pursuit; to steer one's investigation or suspicions in the wrong direction.

run/take its course

idiom: To progress along something's ordinary or natural course of progression and conclude at its normal pace without voluntary intervention. (Used especially in reference to illness and disease.)

earn one's stripes

idiom: To prove that one is deserving of a particular position or designation through hard work and accumulated experience.

rattle one's cage

idiom: To purposefully anger, upset, or unnerve one, especially to affect his performance or undermine his credibility.

sing the praises

idiom: To speak very highly of something or someone; to enthusiastically endorse someone or something; to extol the virtues, benefits, or good qualities of someone or something.

like there's no tomorrow

idiom: Very rapidly and eagerly and carelessly; without restraint or thought (i.e., as if there won't be another opportunity, so something has to be done as much or as quickly as possible).

a long road / long haul

idiom: a considerable period of time.

dialogue of the deaf/ dialogue des sourds

idiom: a discussion in which each party is unresponsive to what the other says, talking past and failing to actually acknowledge each other.

the trenches

idiom: a place or situation in which people do very difficult work and struggle fiercely.

as the case may be

idiom: according to the circumstances (used when referring to two or more possible alternatives).

take hold / take root

idiom: act, operate, perform, take, work; To become settled, established, or in control with great power and tenacity.

a cut above

idiom: superior to, better than, more efficient than, more reliable than, streets ahead of, more useful than, more capable than, more competent than; One that is superior to another or others.

take a back seat

idiom: take or be given a less important position or role.

Droit du seigneur/ jus primae noctis

noun: "lord's right." A supposed legal or customary right of a feudal lord allowing him to have sexual relations with a vassal's bride, particularly on her wedding night.

cantata

noun: (Classical Music) a musical setting of a text, esp a religious text, consisting of arias, duets, and choruses interspersed with recitatives. from Italian cantata, literally "that which is sung," past participle of cantare "to sing," from Latin cantare "to sing." A cantata is a work for voice or voices and instruments of the baroque era. From its beginnings in 17th-century Italy, both secular and religious cantatas were written. The earliest cantatas were generally for solo voice with minimal instrumental accompaniment. Cantatas soon developed a dramatic character and alternating sections of recitative (solo singing that imitates the rhythms and tones of speech) and aria, paralleling the simultaneous development of opera.

ceasefire

noun: 1. (Military) a period of truce, esp one that is temporary and a preliminary step to establishing a more permanent peace on agreed terms. 2. Suspension of active hostilities; a truce.

fast track

noun: 1. A course leading to rapid advancement or change on the way to achieving an end, as in a career or training regimen. 2. A course that leads to early consideration or review.

scab

noun: 1. A crust discharged from and covering a healing wound. 2. A person regarded as contemptible. 3. a. A worker who refuses membership in a labor union. b. An employee who works while others are on strike; a strikebreaker. c. A person hired to replace a striking worker. d. one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms.

cut and run

idiom: To leave an unsettled situation or abandon a risky enterprise.

low

1. adjective: a. inferior, junior, lesser, lower, minor, minor-league, petty, secondary, small, subaltern, subordinate, under, smalltime, lowly, poor, simple, plain, peasant, obscure, humble, meek, unpretentious, plebeian, lowborn; Below another in standing or importance. b. bad, poor, inadequate, pathetic, worthless, unsatisfactory, mediocre, deficient, second-rate, shoddy, low-grade, puny, substandard, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.); Below an average or a standard. c. décolleté, low-cut, low-neck, low-necked, plunging; Cut to reveal the wearer's neck, chest, and back. d. abhorrent, abominable, antipathetic, contemptible, despicable, despisable, detestable, disgusting, filthy, foul, infamous, loathsome, lousy, mean, nasty, nefarious, obnoxious, odious, repugnant, rotten, shabby, vile, wretched, mean, base, nasty, degraded, vulgar, vile, sordid, abject, unworthy, depraved, menial, reprehensible, dastardly, scurvy, servile; So objectionable, cunning, and crafty as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation. e. unprincipled, dishonorable, ignoble, coarse, common, rough, gross, crude, rude, obscene, disgraceful, vulgar, undignified, disreputable, unbecoming, unrefined, ill-bred, low-down, mean, sordid, squalid, vile; Having or proceeding from low moral standards, thus outraging one's sense of decency or propriety. f. blue, dejected, depressed, desolate, dispirited, down, downcast, downhearted, dull, dysphoric, gloomy, heavy-hearted, melancholic, melancholy, sad, spiritless, tristful, unhappy, wistful, dejected, down, blue, sad, depressed, unhappy, miserable, fed up, moody, dismal, forlorn, glum, despondent, morose, disheartened, down in the dumps (informal), sick as a parrot (informal), cheesed off (informal), brassed off (Brit. slang), down at the mouth; In low spirits. g. cheap, inexpensive, low-cost, low-priced, reasonable, bargain, moderate, modest, cut-price, economical, bargain-basement; Low in price. h. alto, bass, contralto, deep, low-pitched, deep, rich, bass, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched; Being a sound produced by a relatively small frequency of vibrations. i. ill, weak, exhausted, frail, dying, reduced, sinking, stricken, feeble, debilitated, prostrate, ailing, indisposed, mean, off-color, rocky, sickly, under the weather; Affected or tending to be affected with minor health problems. k. hushed, low-key, low-keyed, quiet, small, soft, subdued, whispery, gentle, whispered, muted, muffled, sotto voce; Not irritating, strident, or loud. l. unambitious, small, limited, ordinary, modest, unexceptional; having little desire for success or achievement. m. unfavourable, bad, poor, negative, hostile, inimical, adverse; Having or showing opposition or disapproval. n. meagre, little, small, reduced, depleted, scant, trifling, insignificant, sparse, paltry, measly; n1. no longer sufficient. n2. less than normal in degree or intensity or amount. 2. noun: lowest level, nadir, low point, rock bottom; A very low level, position, or degree.

hard

1. adjective: a. tough, strong, firm, solid, stiff, compact, rigid, resistant, dense, compressed, incompressible, stony, impenetrable, inflexible, unyielding, rocklike; Stubbornly uncompromising to pressure or force. b. hard-bitten, hard-handed, hardy, rugged, tough, hard as nails; Physically toughened so as to have great endurance. c. arduous, difficult, laborious, serious, tall, tough, uphill, exhausting, exacting, formidable, fatiguing, wearying, rigorous, grueling, strenuous, arduous, burdensome, Herculean, backbreaking, toilsome; c1. Not easy to do, achieve, or master. c2. Difficult to endure; causing hardship or suffering. d. forceful, strong, powerful, driving, heavy, sharp, violent, smart, tremendous, fierce, vigorous, hefty, severe; Conveying great and persistent physical force. e. heavy, two-fisted; Indulging in drink to an excessive degree. f. demanding, exacting, harsh, rigid, severe, stern, strict, tough, unyielding, cruel, grim, ruthless, stubborn, unjust, callous, unkind, unrelenting, implacable, unsympathetic, pitiless, unfeeling, obdurate, unsparing, affectless, hardhearted, cold, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, compassionless, hard-boiled, hardened, hardhearted, heartless, stonyhearted, unfeeling, affectless, case-hardened, desensitized, indurate, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, insensitive, ironhearted, merciless, obdurate, pachydermatous, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, slash-and-burn, soulless, stony (also stoney), stonyhearted, take-no-prisoners, thick-skinned, uncharitable, unfeeling, unmerciful; f1. Completely lacking in compassion. f2. Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect. g. austere, bleak, dour, grim, harsh, severe, stark, dark, painful, distressing, harsh, disastrous, unpleasant, intolerable, grievous, disagreeable, calamitous, bitter, brutal; g1. Cold and forbidding. g2. Causing sharp, often prolonged discomfort. h. difficult, involved, complex, complicated, puzzling, tangled, baffling, intricate, perplexing, impenetrable, thorny, knotty, unfathomable, ticklish; Difficult to understand, resolve, accomplish, or finish. i. acrimonious, bitter, embittered, rancorous, resentful, virulent, angry, hostile, resentful, antagonistic; i1. Bitingly hostile. i2. Showing disapproval, bitterness, or resentment. j. certain, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, positive, sure, unassailable, undeniable, unquestionable, definite, reliable, verified, cold, plain, actual, bare, indisputable, verifiable, unvarnished; Established beyond a doubt. k. down-to-earth, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, objective, practical, pragmatic, pragmatical, prosaic, realistic, sober, tough-minded, unromantic; Having or indicating an awareness of things as they really are, free from illusion and sentimentality. l. alcoholic, intoxicative, spirituous, strong; Containing alcohol. m. Causing damage or premature wear. n. Marked by sharp delineation or contrast. o. Marked by sharp delineation or contrast. p. Lacking in shade; undiminished. 2. adverb: a. fiercely, frantically, frenziedly, furiously, strenuously; In a violent, strenuous way, causing damage and hardship. b. arduously, difficultly, heavily, laboriously, amain, assiduously, determinedly, diligently, doggedly, hardly, industriously, intensely, intensively, intently, mightily, purposefully, resolutely, sedulously, slavishly, strenuously; With effort. c. energetically, forcefully, forcibly, powerfully, vigorously, hammer and tongs, tooth and nail, with might and main; With intense energy and force. d. close, closely, near, nearby, nigh; To a point near in time, space, or relation. e. With great distress, grief, or bitterness.

prise de la parole

French noun: speaking

aux oubliettes

French: in the dungeons

force one's hand

idiom: To push one to do something that one is not inclined to do otherwise.

casus belli

Latin noun: an event or political occurrence that brings about or is used as an excuse to validate a declaration of war. New Latin, "occasion of war"

rictus

noun: A fixed or unnatural grin or grimace, as in horror or death. from Latin, open mouth, from ringi "to open the mouth."

persevere

verb:

outgrow

verb: 1. to grow too large for (clothes, shoes, etc). 2. to lose (a habit, idea, reputation, etc) in the course of development or time. 3. to grow larger or faster than.

fast-track

1. adjective: moving at a rapidly accelerated pace in the advancement toward finalizing a project, as on a fast track. 2. verb: to speed up the processing, production, or construction of in order to meet a goal.

found

1. adjective: a. Having all usual, standard, or reasonably expected equipment. b. (of an object or sound) collected in its natural state and presented in a new context as part of a work of art or piece of music. 2. verb: a. establish, start, set up, begin, create, institute, organize, construct, constitute, originate, endow, inaugurate, bring into being, begin, get going, initiate, put in place, form, launch, float, develop, inaugurate, endow; To take the first steps in building. b. erect, build, construct, raise, settle; To set or ground on something solid c. base, build, establish, ground (in), predicate, rest, root (in), underpin, construct, hinge, depend; Construct or base (a principle or other abstract thing) according to a particular principle or grounds.

worse

1. adjective: a. More inferior, as in quality, value, condition, or effect. b. More severe, difficult, painful, or unfavorable. c. Being further from a standard; less desirable or satisfactory. d. Being in poorer health; more ill. 2. adverb: a. in a more severe, evil, wicked, disadvantageous, unpleasant manner. b. in a less effective or successful manner. c. with more severity, intensity, etc.; in a greater degree of hardship. 3. noun: a more serious or unpleasant event or situation.

appropriate

1. adjective: a. apt, becoming, befitting, correct, felicitous, fit, fitting, happy, meet, proper, right, tailor-made, suitable, convenient, expedient, good, useful, suited, correct, belonging, relevant, applicable, pertinent, befitting, appurtenant, congruous, well-suited, well-timed, apposite, apropos, opportune, becoming, seemly, germane, applicable, pretty, to the purpose, to the point, in keeping; a1. Eminently suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place. a2. Singularly suited to one's end or purpose. b. deserved, due, fit, fitting, just, merited, proper, right, rightful, suitable; Consistent with prevailing or accepted standards or circumstances. 2. verb: a. seize, take, claim, assume, take over, acquire, confiscate, annex, usurp, impound, pre-empt, commandeer, take possession of, expropriate, arrogate; To lay claim to for oneself or as one's right. b. allocate, allow, budget, devote, assign, designate, set aside, earmark, allot, share out, apportion; To set aside or apart for a specified purpose. c. steal, take, nick (slang, chiefly Brit.), pocket, trouser (slang), pinch (informal), pirate, poach, swipe (slang), lift (informal), knock off (slang), heist (U.S. slang), embezzle, blag (slang), pilfer, misappropriate, snitch (slang), purloin, filch, plagiarize, thieve, peculate; To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission. adpropriare "to make one's own," from Latin ad- "to" + propriare "take as one's own," from proprius "one's own, particular to itself," from pro privo "for the individual, in particular," from ablative of privus "one's own, individual," + pro "for."

spare

1. adjective: a. back-up, reserve, second, extra, relief, emergency, additional, substitute, fall-back, auxiliary, in reserve; not being used and held for emergency use. b. extra, surplus, leftover, over, free, odd, unwanted, in excess, unused, superfluous, going begging, supernumerary, de trop, superogetory; Being more than is needed, desired, or appropriate. c. exiguous, meager, poor, puny, scant, scanty, skimpy, sparse, stingy, thin, measly, lean, slim, slight, gaunt, lank, macilent (rare); Conspicuously deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent. d. angular, lank, lean, wiry, slender, slim, thin, tough; having a healthily muscular physique gained from abstemious living or constant exercise. e. lean, tight; Characterized by an economy of artistic expression, a tasteful lack of embellishment and ornamentation. 2. verb: a. have mercy on, pardon, have pity on, leave, release, excuse, let off (informal), not harm, go easy on (informal), leave unharmed, be merciful to, grant pardon to, deal leniently with, leave uninjured, refrain from hurting, save (from harm), favor, handle with kid gloves; To treat with inordinate gentleness and care. b. absolve, discharge, dispense, excuse, exempt, let off, relieve; To free from an obligation or duty. c. conserve, economize, save; To use frugally and carefully, without wasting. d. afford, give, grant, do without, relinquish, part with, allow, bestow, dispense with, manage without, let someone have; give up what is not strictly needed.

cold

1. adjective: a. chilly, biting, freezing, bitter, raw, chill, harsh, bleak, arctic, icy, frosty, wintry, frigid, inclement, parky (Brit. informal), freezing, frozen, chilled, numb, chilly, shivery, benumbed, frozen to the marrow, shivery, algid, bone-chilling, coldish, cool, coolish, gelid, glacial, ice-cold, nipping, nippy, numbing, polar, snappy, wintry (also wintery); Marked by a temperature uncomfortably low for humans. b. cold-blooded, emotionless, unaffected, unemotional, unmoved, distant, reserved, indifferent, aloof, glacial, apathetic, frigid, unresponsive, unfeeling, passionless, undemonstrative, standoffish, unfriendly, stony, lukewarm, unsympathetic, inhospitable, inhuman; b1. Not affected by or showing emotion. b2. Lacking all friendliness and warmth. c. ardorless, frigid, inhibited, passionless, unresponsive; Deficient in or lacking sexual desire. d. insensible, senseless, unconscious, out cold, out like a light; Lacking consciousness and appearing dead. e. intense; so intense as to be almost uncontrollable. f. marked by flawless familiarity. g. having lost freshness or vividness. h. far off the mark : not close to finding or solving. 2. noun: chill, chilliness, coldness, coolness; relative lack of physical warmth. 3. adverb: a. with complete competence; thoroughly. b. without preparation or prior notice. c. abruptly; unceremoniously.

clean

1. adjective: a. hygienic, natural, fresh, sterile, pure, purified, antiseptic, sterilized, unadulterated, uncontaminated, unpolluted, decontaminated, cleanly, immaculate, spotless, stainless, unsoiled, unsullied, fresh, washed, immaculate, laundered, impeccable, flawless, sanitary, faultless, squeaky-clean, unblemished, unstained, unspotted, unadulterated; a1. Free from dirt, stain, or impurities. a2. Free from foreign matter or pollution. b. perfect, regular; Without imperfections or blemishes, as a line or contour. c. adroit, deft, neat, skillful; Well done or executed. d. angelic, angelical, innocent, lily-white, pure, sinless, unblemished, uncorrupted, undefiled, unstained, unsullied, untainted, virginal, pure as the driven snow, moral, good, decent, respectable, upright, honourable, impeccable, exemplary, virtuous, chaste, undefiled; Free from evil and corruption. e. fair, sporting, sportsmanlike, sportsmanly; According to the rules. f. decent, modest, wholesome; Not lewd or obscene; free from offensive treatment of sexual subjects and from the use of obscenity. g. blameless, faultless, guiltless, harmless, innocent, irreproachable, lily-white, unblamable, in the clear; Free from guilt or blame, having no marks of discredit or offense. h. complete, final, whole, total, perfect, entire, decisive, thorough, conclusive, unimpaired; i. neat, simple, elegant, trim, delicate, tidy, graceful, uncluttered, spare; Not ornate or intricate. j. Producing relatively little pollution. k. clear-cut; Sharply defined. l. Devoid of restrictions or encumbrances. m. fair; (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections. 2. adverb: absolutely, all, altogether, completely, dead, entirely, flat, fully, just, perfectly, quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, clear, in toto, through and through; To the fullest extent. 3. verb: a. clear (up), neaten (up), police, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up), cleanse, wash, bath, sweep, dust, wipe, vacuum, scrub, sponge, rinse, mop, launder, scour, purify, do up, swab, disinfect, deodorize, sanitize; To make or keep (an area) clean and orderly. b. freshen (up), groom, neaten (up), slick up, spruce (up), tidy (up), trig (out), trim; To make neat and trim; make presentable. c. clarify, cleanse, purify, refine; To make or become clear by the removal of impurities.

inferior

1. adjective: a. junior, minor, secondary, subsidiary, lesser, humble, subordinate, lowly, less important, menial, junior, low, lower, minor, minor-league, petty, small, subaltern, under, smalltime; Below another in standing or importance. b. common, low-quality, mean, second-class, second-rate, shabby, substandard, bad, poor, mean, worse, poorer, pants (informal), flawed, rotten, dire, indifferent, duff (Brit. informal), mediocre, second-class, deficient, imperfect, second-rate, shoddy, low-grade, unsound, downmarket, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.), for the birds (informal), wretched, two-bit (U.S. & Canad. slang), crappy (slang), no great shakes (informal), poxy (slang), dime-a-dozen (informal), piss-poor (slang), chickenshit (U.S. slang), bush-league (Austral. & N.Z. informal), not much cop (Brit. slang), tinhorn (U.S. slang), half-pie (N.Z. informal), of a sort or of sorts, strictly for the birds (informal); of low or lower quality. 2. noun: junior, secondary, subaltern, subordinate, underling; One belonging to a lower class or rank. from Latin inferior "lower, farther down" (also used figuratively), comparative of inferus (adj.) "that is below or beneath," from infra "below."

elaborate

1. adjective: a. ornate, detailed, involved, complex, fancy, complicated, decorated, extravagant, intricate, baroque, ornamented, fussy, embellished, showy, ostentatious, florid, sophisticated; complexly detailed. b. complicated, detailed, studied, labored, perfected, complex, careful, exact, precise, thorough, intricate, skilful, painstaking, byzantine, convoluted, daedal, Daedalian, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthine, tangled; Difficult to understand because of intricacy. 2. verb: a. amplify, develop, dilate, enlarge, expand, expatiate, labor, evolve, fill in the details, go into detail; To disclose further bit by bit. b. expand (upon), extend, enlarge (on), amplify, embellish, flesh out, add detail (to), develop, dilate, expand, expatiate, labor; To express at greater length or in greater detail. Latin elaborare "work out, produce by labor, endeavor, struggle," from ex- "out" + laborare "to labor," from labor "toil, exertion; hardship, pain, fatigue; a work, a product of labor

own

1. adjective: a. personal, special, private, individual, particular, exclusive; belonging, in relation to, or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself)—preceded by a possessive; used with a possessive to emphasize that someone or something belongs or relates to the person mentioned. 2. verb: a. possess, have, keep, hold, enjoy, retain, be the owner of, be the (proud) possessor of, have in one's possession, have to one's name, count among one's possessions, maintain, be blessed with, enjoy, boast; be responsible for, be in possession of, have to your name; To keep at one's disposal. b. acknowledge, admit, avow, concede, confess, grant, fess up, allow, accept, accede, recognize, agree, confess; To recognize, often reluctantly, the reality or truth of.

little

1. adjective: a. small, minute, short, tiny, mini, wee, compact, miniature, dwarf, slender, diminutive, petite, dainty, elfin, bijou, infinitesimal, teeny-weeny, Lilliputian, munchkin (informal, chiefly U.S.), teensy-weensy, pygmy or pigmy, bantam, smallish; Notably below average in amount, size, or scope. b. young, small, junior, infant, immature, undeveloped, babyish; Not yet large in size because of incomplete growth. c. unimportant, minor, petty, trivial, trifling, insignificant, negligible, paltry, inconsiderable, inconsequential; c1. Hardly important. c2. Having scant power or influence; of minor status. d. short, brief, fleeting, short-lived, passing, hasty, momentary; e. limited, narrow, narrow-minded, petty, small, small-minded; Not broad or elevated in scope or understanding. 2. determiner: a. some, a small amount of, a bit of, a touch of, a soupçon of, a dash of, a taste of, a dab of, a spot of, a modicum of, a morsel of, a fragment of, a snippet of, a tinge of, a particle of, a jot of, a shade of, a suggestion of, a trace of, a hint of, a suspicion of, a dribble of, a splash of, a driblet of, a pinch of, a sprinkling of, a sprinkle of, a grain of, a speck of, a smidgen of, a tad of; a small amount of. b. hardly any, not much, slight, small, scant, limited, restricted, modest, little or no, minimal, negligible, insufficient, inadequate; used to emphasize how small an amount is. 3. adverb: a. infrequently, occasionally, rarely, seldom, not in the least, sporadically, scarcely, not often, hardly ever, once in a blue moon; (used for emphasis) in few instances. b. hardly, barely, not quite, not much, only just, scarcely, slightly, faintly, remotely, vaguely, moderately, somewhat, a little bit, quite, to some degree, fairly, sort of, kind of, kinda, ish; only to a small extent. 4. noun: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace; 1. A small quantity or amount. 2. Something much less than all. 3. A short distance or time.

squint

1. adjective: askance, oblique, askant, asquint, sidelong, squint-eyed, squinty, indirect; (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or or disdain or envy. 2. verb: a. squinch, peer, screw up one's eyes, narrow one's eyes, look through narrowed eyes; a1. To look with the eyes narrowed fixedly upon a fine point or partially closed as protection from something harsh to behold. a2. To look or glance sideways. a3. To look askance, as in disapproval. b. incline, lean, slant, tend, trend; To have an indirect reference or inclination.

unwashed

1. adjective: baseborn, common, déclassé, declassed, humble, ignoble, mean, vulgar, base, baseborn, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, plebeian, prole, proletarian; of or associated with the great masses of people, lacking high station or dignity. 2. noun: proletariat, rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail (or tagrag and bobtail), trash; an ignorant or underprivileged group—usually used with great.

favorite

1. adjective: favored, popular, preferred, well-liked, darling, fair-haired, pet, best-loved, most-liked, dearest, treasured, special, closest to one's heart, chosen, choice, ideal, of choice, fav, beloved, cherished, dear, fair-haired, fond, loved, precious, sweet, white-headed; a. enjoying special favor or regard. b. being trusted, indulged, or preferred above all others, especially by a superior, and given special, often doting treatment. 2. noun: a. darling, pet, first choice, choice, pick, preference, beloved, darling, idol, hero, god, goddess, gem, jewel, jewel in the crown, fav, blue-eyed boy, golden boy, teacher's pet, fair-haired boy, apple of one's eye; One liked or preferred above all others. b. shoo-in; A competitor regarded as the most likely winner. from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to."

analeptic

1. noun: a restorative, invigorating medicine. 2. adjective: restorative, stimulating; stimulating the central nervous system. from Greek analambanein "to restore, repair," literally "take up," from ana- "up" + lambanein "to take."

rocket

1. noun: a self-propelling device, esp a cylinder containing a mixture of solid explosives, used as a firework, distress signal, line carrier, etc. 2. verb: a. bolt, bucket, bustle, dart, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, fly, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, race, run, rush, sail, scoot, scour, shoot, speed, sprint, tear, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom, hotfoot, rip, barrel, zoom, shoot, career, whizz, highball, nip, get a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it; To move with blazing speed and power. b. sky, skyrocket, soar, shoot up, escalate, rise, spiral, increase dramatically, go through the roof; To rise abruptly and precipitously.

pride

1. noun: a. amour-propre, ego, self-esteem, self-regard, self-respect, self-image, self-worth, dignity, honor; A sense of one's own dignity or worth. b. arrogance, haughtiness, hauteur, insolence, loftiness, lordliness, overbearingness, presumption, pridefulness, proudness, superciliousness, superiority, conceit, vanity, pretension, snobbery, morgue (French), hubris, smugness, self-importance, egotism, self-love, hauteur, pretentiousness, haughtiness, loftiness, vainglory, superciliousness, bigheadedness (informal); A regarding of oneself with undue favor. c. satisfaction, achievement, fulfillment, delight, content, pleasure, joy, gratification, sense of achievement, comfort, contentment; A feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association. 2. verb: be proud of, be proud of oneself for, take pride in, take satisfaction in, congratulate oneself on, flatter oneself on, preen oneself on, pat oneself on the back for, revel in, glory in, delight in, exult in, rejoice in, triumph over, feel self-satisfied about, vaunt, boast about, brag about, crow about, gloat over, pique oneself on/in; to indulge (oneself) in pride—now usually used in the phrase pride oneself on to describe taking pride in some ability, quality, etc. "Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

snark

1. noun: a. an imaginary animal (used to refer to someone or something that is difficult to track down). b. Snide, sarcastic, disrespectful, mocking, irreverent, and sharply critical comments or the attitude behind them. 2. verb: make snide and sharply critical comments.

bash

1. noun: a. bang, blow, crack, hit, lick, pound, slug, sock, swat, thwack, welt, whack, wham, whop, biff, bop, clip, wallop, conk, paste, knock, stroke, punch, belt (informal), rap, sock (slang), smack, thump, buffet, clout (informal), clump (slang), wallop (informal), slosh (Brit. slang), tonk (informal), clomp (slang) b. party, do (informal), social, at-home, gathering, function, celebration, reception, rave (Brit. slang), get-together (informal), festivity, knees-up (Brit. informal), beano (Brit. slang), social gathering, shindig (informal), soirée, rave-up (Brit. slang), blast, blowout; A big exuberant party. c. affair, celebration, festivity, fete, function, gala, occasion, party, soiree, do; A large important social gathering. 2. verb: a. hit, break, beat, strike, knock, smash, punch, belt (informal), crush, deck (slang), batter, slap, sock (slang), chin (slang), smack, thump, clout (informal), whack, biff (slang), clobber (slang), wallop (informal), slosh (Brit. slang), tonk (informal), lay one on (slang), catch, clout, pop, slam, slog, slug, smash, smite, sock, strike, swat, thwack, wham, whop, biff, bop, clip, wallop, conk, paste, let someone have it, sock it to someone; To beat or assault severely with a heavy crushing blow. b. criticize, pan (informal), condemn, slam (slang), knock (informal), flame (informal), carp, put down, slate (informal), have a go at (informal), censure, disparage, tear into (informal), diss (slang, chiefly U.S.), find fault with, lambast(e), give (someone or something) a bad press; To criticize (another) harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly.

chain

1. noun: a. bond, fetter, handcuff (often used in plural), hobble, iron (used in plural), manacle, restraint, shackle, gyve, tether, coupling, link; Something that physically confines the legs or arms. (Used in the plural.) b. group, multiple; a number of similar objects. c. consecution, course, order, procession, progression, round, run, sequence, series, string, succession, suite, train, streak, set, train, concatenation, catena, nexus; A number of things placed or occurring one after the other. 2. verb: hamper, hamstring, handcuff, hobble, leash, manacle, shackle, tie, trammel, hog-tie, bind, enchain, enfetter, fetter, gyve, manacle, pinion; Restrict the activity or free movement of.

creep

1. noun: a. bootlicker (informal), sneak, sycophant, crawler (slang), toady, brown-noser (taboo slang), ass-kisser (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang); a person considered to be obnoxious or servile. b. rogue, villain, wretch, reprobate, beast, pig, swine, rat, bastard, louse, snake, snake in the grass, skunk, dog, weasel, lowlife, scumbag, heel, stinker, stinkpot, bad lot, son of a bitch, SOB, nasty piece of work, scrote, spalpeen, sleeveen, rat fink, fink, dingo, hound, bounder, blighter, rotter, cad, scoundrel, blackguard, dastard, vagabond, knave, varlet, cur, wastrel, shit; An annoyingly unpleasant, unsettling, or repulsive person. 2. verb: a. crawl, worm, wriggle, squirm, slither, writhe, drag yourself, edge, inch, slide, snake, crawl on all fours; To move along in a crouching or prone position. b. sneak, steal, tiptoe, slink, skulk, glide, lurk, mouse, prowl, pussyfoot, skulk, slide, slink, slip, snake, sneak, steal, gumshoe, approach unnoticed; To move silently, stealthily, cautiously, and furtively so as to escape notice. c. crawl, drag, inch; To advance slowly. d. crawl; To experience a repugnant tingling sensation, like that caused by insects creeping over one's flesh.

cuff

1. noun: a. box, buffet, bust, chop, punch, slap, smack, smacker, spank, swat, whack, clip, spat, blow, knock, thump, belt (informal), rap, clout (informal), biff (slang), bang, bash, bat, beat, bop, clap, crack, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, rap, slam, slap, slug, smash, sock, stinger, stripe, stroke, swipe, switch, thud, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap); A quick, sharp blow, especially with the hand. b1. A fold used as trimming at the bottom of a sleeve. b2. A band, often having an opening with a button closure, at the bottom of a sleeve. c. The turned-up fold at the bottom of a trouser leg. d. handcuff—usually used in plural. 2. verb: a. smack, hit, thump, punch, box, knock, bat (informal), belt (informal), slap, clap, clout (informal), whack, biff (slang), clobber (slang), buffet, bust, smack, spank, swat, clip, spat; To hit with a quick, sharp blow of the hand. b. To secure with restraints.

buffet

1. noun: a. box, bust, chop, cuff, punch, slap, smack, smacker, spank, swat, whack clip, spat; b. smorgasbord, counter, cold table; A large sideboard with drawers and cupboards. c. snack bar, café, cafeteria, brasserie, salad bar, refreshment counter; A meal at which guests serve themselves from various dishes displayed on a table or sideboard. 2. verb: a. assail, assault, baste, batter, beat, belabor, drub, hammer, pound, pummel, smash, thrash, thresh. Informal: lambaste, clobber, beset, trouble, plague, harass, badger, perplex, pester, entangle, rain blows on; To cause repeated difficulty or harm to (a person or group). b. box, bust, cuff, punch, slap, smack, spank, swat, whack, clip, spat, knock, push, bang, rap, bump, shove, thump, cuff, jolt, wallop (informal), box; b1. To hit with a quick, sharp blow of the hand. b2. To strike against forcefully and especially repeatedly. c. To force (one's way) with difficulty.

light

1. noun: a. brightness, illumination, luminosity, luminescence, ray of light, flash of light, shining, glow, blaze, sparkle, glare, gleam, brilliance, glint, lustre, radiance, incandescence, phosphorescence, scintillation, effulgence, lambency, refulgence, flare, fluorescence, gleam, glow, illumination, shine; Something that makes vision possible b. illumination, lighting; The act of physically illuminating or the condition of being filled with light. c. angle, aspect, facet, frame of reference, hand, phase, regard, respect, side, approach, attitude, context, point of view, interpretation, viewpoint, slant, standpoint, vantage point; The particular way in which something is considered. d. eye, eyesight, seeing, sight, vision; The faculty of seeing. e. match, spark, flame, lighter; A source of fire, such as a match or cigarette lighter. f. understanding, knowledge, awareness, insight, information, explanation, illustration, enlightenment, comprehension, illumination, elucidation; f1. A state of awareness or understanding, especially as derived from a particular source. f2. Public attention; general knowledge. f3. Spiritual awareness. g. daybreak, morning, dawn, sun, sunrise, sunshine, sunlight, daylight, daytime, sunbeam, morn (poetic), cockcrow, broad day; the illumination from the sun. h. lamp, bulb, torch, candle, flare, beacon, lighthouse, lantern, taper; A source of light, especially a lamp, a lantern, or an electric lighting fixture. i. A noteworthy person in a particular place or field. 2. verb: a. enkindle, fire, ignite, kindle, torch, set afire, set fire to, inflame, touch off, set alight, set a match to; To cause to burn or undergo combustion. b. illuminate, light up, brighten, lighten, put on, turn on, clarify, switch on, floodlight, irradiate, illumine, flood with light; To provide, cover, or fill with light. c. animate, brighten, enliven; To make lively or animated. d. alight, land, set down, settle, touch down; To come to rest on the ground. 3. adjective: a. bright, brilliant, shining, glowing, sunny, illuminated, luminous, well-lighted, well-lit, lustrous, aglow, well-illuminated; b. pale, fair, faded, blonde, blond, bleached, pastel, light-coloured, whitish, light-toned, light-hued; Not dark in color. c. insubstantial, thin, delicate, lightweight, easy, slight, portable, buoyant, airy, flimsy, underweight, not heavy, transportable, lightsome, imponderous, weightless, light as a feather; Having little weight. d. weak, soft, gentle, moderate, slight, mild, faint, indistinct; Of small intensity. e. undemanding, easy, simple, moderate, manageable, effortless, cushy (informal), untaxing, unexacting; Requiring little effort or exertion, being free from what is burdensome. f. light-hearted, pleasing, funny, entertaining, amusing, diverting, witty, trivial, superficial, humorous, gay, trifling, frivolous, unserious; Amusing but essentially empty and frivolous. g. carefree, happy, bright, lively, sunny, cheerful, animated, merry, gay, airy, frivolous, cheery, untroubled, blithe, light-hearted, debonair; Free from care or worry. h. easy, fast, libertine, loose, wanton, whorish; Marked by an absence of tempered restraint in sexual behavior. i. nimble, graceful, airy, deft, agile, sprightly, lithe, limber, lissom, light-footed, sylphlike; capable of moving swiftly or nimbly. j. dizzy, reeling, faint, volatile, giddy, unsteady, light-headed; Mildly dizzy or faint k. insignificant, small, minute, tiny, slight, petty, trivial, trifling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, unsubstantial; Not harsh or severe. l. crumbly, loose, sandy, porous, spongy, friable; Coarse and sandy or easily pulverized m. digestible, small, restricted, modest, frugal, not rich, not heavy; Easily digested. n. Designed for ease and quickness of movement. o. abstemious, casual, occasional; Consuming or using relatively moderate amounts. p. Easy to perform, accomplish, bear, and endure. q. Easily awakened or disturbed. r. changeable; Lacking in stability. s. gentle; Exerting little force or impact. t. Not bearing a stress or accent. u. Having a clear, soft quality. v. Containing less than the legal, standard, or usual weight. 4. adverb: a. Lightly. b. With little baggage.

snap

1. noun: a. clack, click, crack, smack, whack, thwack, whomp, whump; A light, sharp noise. b. bang, bark, clap, crack, explosion, pop, rat-a-tat-tat, report, crash, burst, explosion, clap, blast, boom, pop, slam, smash, thunderclap; A sudden sharp, explosive noise. c. jerk, lurch, tug, twitch, wrench, yank; A sudden motion, such as a pull. d. dash, punch, starch, verve, vigor, vigorousness, vim, vitality, vim and vigor; A quality of active mental and physical forcefulness. e. spell, period, interval, run, stretch, patch; a brief duration of brisk, cold weather. f. child's play, cinch, pushover, walkaway, walkover, breeze, duck soup; An easily accomplished task. 2. verb: a. break, split, crack, separate, fracture, give way, come apart, break in/into two, splinter, part, bust; break or cause to break suddenly and completely, typically with a sharp cracking sound. b. clack, click, pop, crackle, flick, flutter, wave, flap quiver, vibrate; To make a light, sharp noise. c. bang, bark, clap, crack, pop; To make a sudden sharp, explosive noise. d. crack (up), freak (out), get overwrought, go to pieces, get hysterical, get worked up, flare up, lose one's cool, blow one's top, fly off the handle, throw a wobbly, lose your temper, lose it (informal), freak (informal), freak out (informal), fly off the handle, blow your top; suddenly lose one's self-control. e. break (down), collapse, crack, crack up, fold; To suffer a physical or mental breakdown, giving way especially while under stress. f. catch, nip, snatch, strike, bite (at); To grasp at (something) eagerly, forcibly, and abruptly with the jaws. g. bark, snarl, bite someone's head off, snap someone's head off, lash out at, flash, retort, growl, fly off the handle at (informal), jump down (someone's) throat (informal); To speak abruptly and sharply. h. snarl; Utter in a harsh, angry, bitter, unfriendly tone. 3. adjective: a. ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, improvised, offhand, spur-of-the-moment, unrehearsed, off-the-cuff; Spoken, performed, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought. b. easy, effortless, facile, simple, smooth, cheap, downhill, fluent, fluid, hands-down, light, painless, ready, royal, soft, easy as ABC, easy as falling off a log, easy as one-two-three, easy as pie, like taking candy from a baby, nothing to it; Posing no difficulty.

rule

1. noun: a. command, control, dominance, domination, dominion, mastery, reign, sway; The act of exercising controlling power or the condition of being so controlled. b. administration, control, direction, governance, government; The continuous exercise of authority over a political unit. c. governance, government, regime, power, control, authority, influence, administration, direction, leadership, command, empire, reign, sway, domination, jurisdiction, supremacy, mastery, dominion, ascendancy, mana; A system by which a political unit is controlled. d. canon, decree, edict, institute, law, ordinance, precept, prescription, regulation, order, law, ruling, guide, direction, guideline, dictum; A principle governing affairs within or among political units. e. dictate, prescript, regulation, rubric, custom, procedure, practice, routine, form, condition, tradition, habit, convention, wont, order or way of things, precept, principle, criterion, canon, maxim, tenet, axiom, policy, standard, method, way, course, formula; A code or set of codes governing actions or procedures in restricted, specific situations. f. commonplace, norm, ordinary, usual; A regular or customary matter, condition, or course of events. g. principle, law; an abiding regularity concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system. 2. verb: a. control, direct, dominate, govern, lead, control, manage, guide, regulate, administer, oversee, preside over, have power over, reign over, command over, have charge of, be at the helm, be in the driver's seat, hold sway over, hold the reins; To exercise authority or influence over. b. govern, reign, sway, reign, govern, be in power, hold sway, be in authority, be number one (informal), wear the crown; To exercise the authority of a sovereign. c. boss, dictate, dominate, domineer, order, tyrannize; To command or issue commands in an arrogant manner. d. dominate, predominate, preponderate, prevail, be prevalent, prevail, hold sway, be customary, obtain, reign, have the ascendancy, reign supreme; To occupy the preeminent position in. e. adjudge, adjudicate, arbitrate, decide, decree, determine, judge, referee, umpire, find, establish, determine, settle, resolve, pronounce, lay down; To make an authoritative decision about (a controversy or dispute, for example) after deliberation, as in a court of law. f. control, dominate, monopolize, tyrannize, be pre-eminent, have the upper hand over; To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over.

counsel

1. noun: a. conference, consultation, deliberation, parley; An exchange of views in an attempt to reach a decision. b. advice, information, warning, direction, suggestion, recommendation, caution, guidance, admonition; A judgement as to a decision or course of action. c. legal adviser, lawyer, attorney, attorney-at-law, solicitor, advocate, barrister, counselor, counselor-at-law, legal eagle, ambulance chaser; A person who practices law. d. adviser, consultant, mentor, advocate, counselor (or counsellor); One who advises another, especially officially or professionally. e. guarded thoughts or intentions. 2. verb: advise, recommend, advocate, prescribe, warn, urge, caution, instruct, exhort, admonish; To give recommendations to (someone) about a decision or course of action. from Latin consilium "plan, opinion," from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + root of calare "to announce, summon."

trust

1. noun: a. confidence, credit, belief, faith, expectation, conviction, assurance, certainty, reliance, credence, certitude; Absolute certainty in the trustworthiness of another. b. care, charge, custody, guardianship, keeping, superintendence, supervision, guard, protection, safekeeping, trusteeship; The function of watching, guarding, or overseeing. c. cartel, combine, pool, syndicate; A combination or consortium of businesses closely interconnected, formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service, achieving an ill-gotten common profit at the expense of that of the public. d. confidence, friendly relationship, friendship; a trustful relationship. e. assurance based on the presupposed continuity of past experience. f. something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary). 2. verb: a. believe in, have faith in, lean on (or upon), rely on (or upon), swear by (or on), take at face value, take as gospel, place reliance on, place one's trust in, pin one's faith on, place or have confidence in, bank on (or upon), count on (or upon), depend on (or upon), reckon on (or upon; To have or place confidence in. b. believe, credit, take at one's word; Have confidence in the truthfulness of. c. entrust, commit, assign, confide, consign, put into the hands of, allow to look after, hand over, turn over, sign over, delegate, commend, give (over), relegate, turn over, give in trust; To put in the charge of another for care, use, or performance. d. charge, entrust; To place a trust upon. e. hope, desire, wish; expect and wish. from Old Norse traust "help, confidence, protection, support."

ornament

1. noun: a. decoration, trimming, accessory, garnish, frill, festoon, trinket, bauble, flounce, gewgaw, knick-knack, furbelow, falderal; a small decorative object. b. embellishment, trimming, decoration, embroidery, elaboration, adornment, ornamentation, beautifier, caparison, doodad, frill, garnish, garnishment, garniture, setoff, trim; Something that decorates or adorns, enhancing the appearance of a person or thing and lending it grace, beauty, and festivity. c. A person whose virtue and graces serve as a source of beauty, pride, honor, or credit. d. A note or group of notes that embellishes a melody. 2. verb: adorn, bedeck, deck (out), decorate, dress (up), embellish, garnish, trim, decorate, grace, embellish, beautify, array, bedizen, blazon, caparison, do, do up, doll up, drape, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, festoon, garnish, glitz (up), gussy up, pretty (up), trim; To make more attractive by adding extraneous ornament, colour, etc., heightening or setting off of the original. from Latin ornamentum "apparatus, equipment, trappings; embellishment, decoration, trinket," from ornare "to equip, adorn," from stem of ordo "row, rank, series, arrangement."

mask

1. noun: a. disguise, visor, vizard (archaic), stocking mask, false face, domino (rare), cloak, color, coloring, cover, cover-up, disguise, disguisement, façade, face, false colors, front, gloss, guise, masquerade, pretense, pretext, semblance, show, veil, veneer, window-dressing, put-on, show, front, screen, blind, veil, camouflage, veneer, concealment; a1. A deceptive outward appearance. a2. A grotesque false face worn at carnivals or in rituals b. A protective covering for the face or head. c. A face having a blank, fixed, or enigmatic expression. 2. verb: cloak, conceal, cover (up), enshroud, hide, hush (up), shroud, enshroud, veil, disguise, dissemble, dissimulate, masquerade, hide, obscure, screen, blanket, mantle, camouflage, keep under cover, keep under wraps, camouflage; a. To change or modify so as to prevent recognition of the true identity or character of, often using obvious means of hiding or disguising. b. To prevent (something) from being known. c. To conceal by dissembling. from Medieval Latin masca "mask, specter, nightmare."

demise

1. noun: a. failure, end, fall, defeat, collapse, ruin, foundering, breakdown, overthrow, downfall, disintegration, dissolution, termination; the time when something ends. b. death (Euphemistic) end, dying, departure, expiration, decease, dissolution, extinction, quietus, rest, curtain (used in plural), doom, exit, expiry, fate, grave, great divide, passage, passing, sleep; The act or fact of dying. c. transfer of a ruler's authority by death or abdication. d. Transfer of an estate by lease or will. 2. verb: a. decease, depart, die, drop, go, pass away, pass (on), perish, succumb, check out, conk (out), croak [slang], end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, kick in [slang], kick off [slang], part, peg out [chiefly British], perish, step out, succumb, pop off, check out, croak, kick in, kick off, bite the dust, breathe one's last, cash in, give up the ghost, go to one's grave, kick the bucket, meet one's end, pass on to the Great Beyond, turn up one's toes; To cease living. b. to transfer (an estate or the like) by bequest or lease. c. to transfer (sovereignty), as by death or abdication. from Old French desmetre "dismiss, put away" (Modern French démettre), from des- "away" (from Latin dis-) + metre "put," from Latin mittere "let go, send, release, let go."

match

1. noun: a. game, test, competition, trial, tie, contest, fixture, bout, head-to-head; A formal game or contest in which two or more persons, animals, or teams oppose and compete with each other. b. companion, mate, equal, equivalent, counterpart, fellow, complement, replica, double, copy, twin, equal, spit (informal, chiefly Brit.), duplicate, lookalike, ringer (slang), spitting image (informal), dead ringer (slang), spit and image (informal), double, fellow, analogue, congener, correlate, correlative, correspondent, parallel; b1. One of a matched pair of things. b2. Something closely resembling or analogous to something else. d. marriage, union, couple, pair, pairing, item (informal), alliance, combination, partnership, duet, affiliation; a merging of efforts or interests. e. equal, rival, equivalent, peer, competitor, counterpart; One that is able to compete equally with another. f. brace, couple, couplet, doublet, duet, duo, pair, two, twosome, yoke; Two items of the same kind together. 2. verb: a. correspond (with), suit, go with, complement, fit (with), accompany, team with, blend with, tone with, harmonize (with), coordinate with, accord, agree, check, chime, comport with, conform, consist, square, tally, jibe, quadrate, compare, equal, measure up, parallel, touch, stack up, coincide, tally, match up, be compatible, be consonant, go together, be the same, be a set; a1. To be compatible or in correspondence. a2. To be equal or alike. b. become, befit, conform, correspond, fit, go with, suit; To be in keeping with. c. counter, oppose, pit, play off, bump heads with, meet head-on, set at odds, set at someone's throat, trade blows; To place in opposition or be in opposition to. d. tailor, fit, suit, adapt; To make, alter, or adapt for a particular end or purpose. e. equal, meet, tie; To do or make something equal to. f. analogize, assimilate, compare, equate, identify, liken, parallel; To represent as similar.

bid

1. noun: a. offer, price, attempt, amount, advance, proposal, sum, tender, proposition, submission, proffer, tender; Something offered. b. attempt, try, effort, venture, undertaking, go (informal), shot (informal), stab (informal), play, crack (informal), endeavor, assay [archaic], bash [chiefly British], essay, fling, offer, pass, trial, whack, whirl; an attempt to get something. c. invitation, invite; A spoken or written request for someone to take part or be present. d. bidding, command, dictation, charge; an authoritative direction or instruction to do something. 2. verb: a. make an offer, offer, propose, put up, submit, tender, proffer; To make an offer of. b. charge, command, direct, enjoin, instruct, order, tell, call, ask, charge, require, direct, desire, invite, summon, instruct, solicit, adjure, beseech, entreat, boss (around); ask for or request peremptorily (as to children or servants). c. ask, invite; To request that someone take part in or be present at a particular occasion. d. wish, say, call, tell, greet; To utter (a greeting or salutation). e. make a bid for, attempt, seek, strive; make a serious effort to attain something.

stooge

1. noun: a. pawn, puppet, fall guy (informal), butt, foil, patsy (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), dupe, henchman, lackey, cat's-paw, dupe, instrument, puppet, tool, underling minion, subordinate, assistant, henchman, myrmidon, creature, sidekick, skivvy, dogsbody, poodle; a1. A person of unquestioning obedience. a2. A person who serves merely to support or assist others, particularly in doing unpleasant work. b. laughingstock, goat, butt, foil, straight man; a victim of ridicule or pranks. 2. verb: a. move around aimlessly; drift or cruise. b. perform a role that involves being the butt of a comedian's jokes.

lump

1. noun: a. piece, group, ball, spot, block, mass, cake, bunch, cluster, chunk, wedge, dab, hunk, nugget, clod, gobbet, clump, hunch, wad, blob, clot, dollop, glob, gob, gobbet, hunk, knob, nub, nubble, nugget; An irregularly shaped mass of indefinite size. b. bump, hump, knob, knot, nub, protuberance, swelling, growth, tumor, bulge, protrusion, tumescence, bunch; b1. An abnormal unevenness or elevation localized on a surface. b2. A small raised area of skin resulting from a light blow or an insect sting, for example. c. gawk, hulk, lout, oaf, ox, lummox, klutz, lug, meatball, meathead; A large, ungainly, awkward, and dull-witted person. d. comeuppance, desert (often used in plural), due, guerdon, recompense, reward, wage (often used in plural), what is coming to one, what one has coming; Something justly deserved (used in plural). e. aggregate, totality. 2. verb: a. bank, drift, heap, hill, mound, pile (up), stack; a1. To put into a disordered pile. a2. to unite into one aggregation, collection, or mass (often fol. by together). a3. to deal with, consider, etc., indiscriminately as an amorphous lump or mass. b. clump, galumph, hulk, lumber, stump; To move heavily.

characteristic

1. noun: feature, quality, property, attribute, faculty, trait, quirk, idiosyncrasy, attribute, character, feature, mark, property, quality, savor, trait, affection, attribution, diagnostic, differentia, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, stamp, touch, trait; A distinctive, prominent element, helping to distinguish, tell apart, or define recognizably. 2. adjective: typical, special, individual, specific, representative, distinguishing, signature, peculiar, singular, idiosyncratic, symptomatic, vintage, classic, diagnostic (also diagnostical), discriminating, distinct, distinctive, identifying, proper, symptomatic, typical; Serving to identify or set apart an individual or group. from Greek kharaktēr "engraved mark," also "symbol or imprint on the soul," properly "instrument for marking," from kharassein "to engrave," from kharax "pointed stake."

outcast

1. noun: pariah, exile, outlaw, undesirable, untouchable, leper, vagabond, wretch, castaway, reject, Ishmael, persona non grata (Latin); a. a person who is rejected or excluded from a social group. b. a vagabond or wanderer. c. anything thrown out or rejected. 2. adjective: friendless, unwanted; a. rejected or cast out of society. b. thrown aside.

stack

1. noun: a. pile, heap, mountain, mass, load, cock, rick, clamp (Brit. agriculture), mound, agglomeration, bank, cumulus, drift, hill, mess, shock, tumble; a1. A group of things gathered haphazardly. a2. An orderly pile, especially one arranged in layers. b. lot, mass, load (informal), ton (informal), heap (informal), large quantity, great amount, good deal, great deal, hatful, muckle, passel, peck, mickle, mint, quite a little, slew, spate, tidy sum, wad, raft, mountain, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess, sight, abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, much, multiplicity, oodles, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard; a large quantity or number. c. chimney, funnel, smoke stack, factory chimney; a vertical pipe (as to carry off smoke). d. pillar, column, dome, tor, plug; A slender, freestanding, vertical support. e. Library Science & Bibliography) (often plural) library science compactly spaced bookshelves, used to house collections of books in an area usually prohibited to ordinary library users. 2. verb: a. bank, drift, heap (up), hill, lump, mound, pile (up), heap (up), load, assemble, accumulate, amass, stockpile, bank up; To put into a disordered pile. b. pack, fill, crowd, stuff, mob, cram, throng; To place forcefully into a container or space. c. To arrange secretly for cheating. d. To arrange or fix so as to make a particular result likely.

intrigue

1. noun: a. plot, scheme, conspiracy, maneuver, manipulation, collusion, design, ruse, trickery, cabal, stratagem, double-dealing, chicanery, sharp practice, wile, knavery, machination, connivance, plotting, planning, conniving, scheming, palace intrigue, sharp practice, double-dealing, unscrupulousness, underhandedness, deviousness, subterfuge, wile, artifice, dirty tricks, complot, cabal, covin; A secret plan to achieve an evil or illegal end in an atmosphere of duplicity.. b. affair, romance, intimacy, liaison, amour; a clandestine love affair. c. beguilement, bewitchery, attractiveness; a mysterious and fascinating quality. 2. verb: a. interest, fascinate, arouse the curiosity of, attract, charm, rivet, titillate, pique, be of interest to, be a source of fascination to, arouse someone's curiosity, engage someone's attention, draw, lure, tempt, tantalize rivet, absorb, engross, charm, captivate, divert, titillate, tickle your fancy; To arouse the interest or curiosity of. b. plot, scheme, manoeuvre, conspire, connive, machinate; to work out secret plots or employ underhand methods. c. (often foll by: with) to carry on a clandestine love affair. from Latin intricare "to entangle, perplex, embarrass," from in- "in" + tricae (plural) "perplexities, hindrances, toys, tricks."

mush

1. noun: a. pulp, paste, mash, purée, pap, slush, goo (informal); any soft, thick, soggy, shapeless mass. b. bathos, maudlinism, mawkishness, sentimentalism, sentimentality, mushiness, schmaltz, schmaltziness, sloppiness, sappiness; The quality or condition of being affectedly or overly emotional. 2. verb: crush, mash, pulp, squash; To press forcefully so as to break up into a pulpy mass.

answer

1. noun: a. result, solution, solvent, resolution, statement, denouement, determination; Something worked out to explain, resolve, or provide a method for dealing with and settling a problem. b. rejoinder, reply, response; An act in response or retaliation 2. verb: a. reply, explain, respond, resolve, acknowledge, react, return, retort, rejoin, refute, riposte, write back to; To speak or act in response, satisfying a question, demand, call, or need. b. satisfy, meet, serve, fit, fill, suit, solve, fulfil, suffice, measure up to, do; To meet a need or requirement. c. fill, fulfill, meet, satisfy; To supply fully or completely. d. fit, meet, match, agree to, conform to, correspond to, correlate to; To be similar, matching, or equivalent in character, quantity, origin, structure, or function. e. defend yourself against, refute, rebut; give a defense or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument). f. be liable or accountable. g. atone; to make amends.

course

1. noun: a. route, way, line, road, track, channel, direction, path, passage, trail, orbit, tack, trajectory, bearing, heading, vector; The continuous direction in which a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle moves, as measured on a compass. b. procedure, plan, policy, program, method, conduct, behavior, manner, mode, regimen, approach, attack, line, modus operandi, technique, line, methodology; b1. A method used in dealing with something. b2. A chosen mode of action or behavior, of conducting onself. c. progression, order, unfolding, development, movement, advance, progress, flow, sequence, succession, continuity, advancement, furtherance, march, chain, consecution, order, procession, round, run, series, string, succession, suite, train, streak; c1. An number of things placed or occurring one after the other. c2. A typical, normal, or customary manner of proceeding or developing. d. classes, course of study, programme, schedule, lectures, curriculum, studies; A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum. e. racecourse, race, circuit, cinder track, lap; A designated route or area on which a race is held. f. period, time, duration, term, passing, sweep, passage, lapse; a period of time. 2. verb: a. run, flow, stream, gush, race, speed, surge, dash, tumble, scud, move apace, circulate; a1. To move freely as a liquid. a2. To proceed or move swiftly in a certain direction or along a course. b. hunt, follow, chase, pursue, bird-dog, chase, dog, follow, hound, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail; hunt with hounds. c. cross, cut across, cut through, get over, traverse, pass over, get across, track, cover; move swiftly through or over.

guilt

1. noun: a. shame, regret, remorse, contrition, penitence, guilty conscience, bad conscience, self-reproach, self-condemnation, guiltiness; painful remorse caused by feeling responsible for some perceived offense. b. culpability, blame, responsibility, misconduct, delinquency, criminality, wickedness, iniquity, sinfulness, blameworthiness, guiltiness, blame, fault, onus; Responsibility for an error or crime. 2. verb: a. to cause (someone) to feel guilty. b. to persuade (someone) to do something by causing feelings of guilt. Old English gylt "crime, sin, moral defect, failure of duty," of unknown origin, though some suspect a connection to Old English gieldan "to pay for, debt."

worship

1. noun: praise, love, regard, respect, honour, glory, prayer(s), devotion, homage, reverence, adulation, adoration, admiration, exaltation, glorification, deification, laudation, deification, hero worship, idolatry, idolization, worshipping (also worshiping); a. The act of adoring, especially reverently. b. Deep, extravagant, ardent affection and devotion to an object of esteem. 2. verb: a. praise, respect, honour, adore, revere, glorify, reverence, exalt, laud, pray to, venerate, deify, adulate; To give homage with great, extravagant awe, respect, honor, or devotion, usually expressed in words or ceremony. b. love, adore, idolize, put on a pedestal; To feel deep, devoted love for.

head

1. noun: a. skull, crown, pate, bean (U.S. & Canad. slang), nut (slang), loaf (slang), cranium, conk (slang), noggin, noddle (informal, chiefly Brit.), noddle, poll, bean, block, dome; The uppermost part of the body. b. mind, reasoning, understanding, thought, sense, brain, brains (informal), intelligence, wisdom, wits, common sense, loaf (Brit. informal), intellect, rationality, grey matter, brainpower, mental capacity; The seat of the faculty of intelligence and reason. c. aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, gift, instinct, knack, talent, turn, ability, mind, capacity, mentality, aptitude; An innate capability. d. boss, chief, chieftain, director, headman, hierarch, leader, master, honcho, leader, president, director, manager, chief, boss (informal), captain, premier, commander, principal, supervisor, superintendent, cock of the walk; One who is highest in rank or authority. e. boss, director, foreman, foreperson, forewoman, manager, overseer, superintendent, supervisor, taskmaster, taskmistress, straw boss, chief; Someone who directs and supervises workers. f. foam, froth, lather, spume, suds, yeast; A mass of bubbles in or on the surface of a liquid. g. climacteric, crisis, crossroad (used in plural), exigence, exigency, juncture, pass, turning point, zero hour, climax, culmination, end, conclusion; A decisive point. h. front, beginning, top, first place, fore, forefront; the most forward part of a thing; a part that juts out. i. forefront, cutting edge, vanguard, van; The foremost or leading position. j. top, crown, summit, height, peak, crest, pinnacle, apex, vertex; The uppermost part. k. source, start, beginning, rise, origin, commencement, well head; the source of water from which a stream arises. l. A habitual drug user or devoted enthusiast. Often used in combination. m. A rounded compact mass, as of leaves or buds. 2. verb: a. administer, administrate, direct, govern, manage, run, superintend, supervise, lead, be in charge of, run, control, rule, guide, command, precede, be the leader of, be or go first, be or go at the front of, lead the way; To have charge of (the affairs of others). b. aim, cast, direct, level, point, set, train, turn, zero in, lay; To move (a weapon or blow, for example) in the direction of someone or something. c. bear, go, make, set out, strike out; To proceed in a specified direction. d. top, lead, crown, cap; To be in the first or foremost position of. 3. adjective: chief, main, first, highest, front, supreme, arch, foremost, topmost, commanding, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, principal, supereminent, top; a. Foremost in rank or importance. b. Placed at the top or in the front.

whiff

1. noun: a. smell, hint, scent, sniff, aroma, odour, draught, niff (Brit. slang); a smell that is only smelled briefly or faintly. b. puff, gust, blast, rush, flurry, gale, breath, draft, waft; a puff or breath of air or smoke. c. stink, stench, reek, pong (Brit. informal), niff (Brit. slang), malodour, hum (slang); a foul, offensively unpleasant smell. d. breath, dash, ghost, hair, hint, intimation, semblance, shade, shadow, soupçon, streak, suggestion, suspicion, taste, tinge, touch, trace, whisper, whisker, hint, suspicion, bit, drop, note, shred, crumb, jot, smidgen (informal), flicker, glimmer, tang; A slight amount or indication. 2. verb: a. nose, scent, smell, sniff, snuff, catch a whiff of; To perceive with the olfactory sense. b. puff; smoke and exhale strongly. c. to move with or as if with a puff of air.

rock

1. noun: a. stone, boulder; a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter. b. cliff, tor, outcrop, crag; a mass of rock projecting above the earth's surface or out of the sea. c. tower of strength, foundation, cornerstone, mainstay, support, protection, anchor, bulwark, support, prop, backbone, pillar of strength, source of protection, source of security; (figurative) someone who is strong, hard, stable, and dependable. d. diamond, jewel; a precious stone, especially a diamond. 2. verb: a. heave, pitch, roll, toss, sway, swing, reel, lurch, wobble, careen; To move vigorously from side to side or up and down as a result of violent impact or upheaval. b. quake, shake, tremble, vibrate; To move to and fro violently. c. agitate, churn, convulse, shake; To cause to move to and fro violently. d. agitate, bother, discompose, disquiet, distract, disturb, flurry, fluster, perturb, ruffle, shake (up), toss, unsettle, upset, rattle, shock, surprise, stun, astonish, stagger, jar, astound, daze, dumbfound, set you back on your heels (informal); To impair or destroy the composure of. e. to wear, display, or feature (something striking, distinctive, or attractive).

pin

1. noun: a. tack, nail, needle, safety pin; a small slender (often pointed) piece of wood or metal used to support or fasten or attach things. b. peg, rod, brace, bolt; A slender, usually cylindrical piece of wood or metal for holding or fastening parts together, or serving as a support for suspending one thing from another. c. An ornament fastened to clothing by means of a clasp. 2. verb: a. fasten, stick, attach, join, fix, secure, nail, clip, staple, tack, affix; To fasten or secure with or as if with a pin or pins. b. hold fast, hold down, press, restrain, constrain, immobilize, pinion; to hold fast or prevent from moving. c. determine, identify, locate, name, specify, designate, pinpoint, home in on; to find out (something) with certainty. d. To place in a position of trusting dependence. e. to place (the blame for something). f. to force (someone) to deal with a situation or to come to a decision.

train

1. noun: a. tail, trail, wake, appendage; Something that follows or is drawn along behind. b. retinue, following, entourage, court, staff, household, suite, cortège; A group of attendants or followers. c. sequence, series, chain, string, set, course, order, cycle, trail, succession, progression, concatenation, consecution, course, order, procession, round, run, suite, streak; c1. A number of things placed or occurring one after the other. c2. An orderly succession of related events or thoughts; a sequence. c3. A series of consequences wrought by an event—often used in the phrase in train; aftermath. d. convoy, file, rank, string, column, queue, succession, caravan, procession, progression, cavalcade; A long line or file of moving people, animals, or vehicles. 2. verb: a. coach, discipline, educate, instruct, school, teach, tutor, prepare, improve, guide, rear, educate, drill, tutor, rehearse; To impart knowledge and skill to via instruction and drill with a specific end in view. b. drill, exercise, practice, work out, prepare, work out, do exercise, get into shape; To subject to or engage in technical forms of exertion, as with a regimen, in order to train, strengthen, or condition for a test in skill. c. study, learn, qualify, be taught, prepare, take instruction; To make proficient with specialized instruction and practice. d. aim, cast, direct, head, level, point, set, turn, lay, position, focus, sight, line up, turn on, fix on, zero in, bring to bear; To move (a weapon, blow, or camera for example) in the direction of an objective, someone or something. e. coach, exercise, drill, rehearse, prepare, make ready, make fit; To coach in or accustom to a mode of behavior or performance. f. drag, draggle, trail; To hang or cause to hang down and be pulled along behind.

gutter

1. noun: a. the drain, sewer, toilet; misfortune resulting in lost effort or money. b. A degraded and squalid, the lowest, most vulgar, class or state of human existence. 2. adjective: bawdy, blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, vulgar, wanton, X-rated; marked by extreme vulgarity, cheapness, or indecency.

hog

1. noun: cormorant, glutton, gorger, gormandizer, gourmand, overeater, pig, stuffer, swiller; a selfish, gluttonous, or filthy person. 2. verb: monopolize, keep to oneself, dominate, take over, corner, control, bogart; keep or use all of (something) for oneself in an unfair or selfish way.

lull

1. noun: respite, pause, quiet, silence, calm, hush, tranquility, stillness, let-up (informal), calmness, calmness, hush, peace, peacefulness, placidity, serenity, stillness, untroubledness, interval, break, hiatus, suspension, cessation, interlude, intermission, interregnum, breathing space, moratorium, lacuna, caesura, letup, breather; a. An absence of motion or disturbance. b. A pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished. 2. verb: soothe, subdue, still, quiet, compose, hush, quell, allay, pacify, lullaby, rock to sleep, allay, balm, becalm, calm (down), quiet, settle, still, tranquilize; a. make calm, quiet, still, less intensive. b. To ease another by deception into a weak and vulnerable state of trustfulness, suspending any fears or suspicion. from German lullen "to rock."

snake

1. noun: serpent, viper; a. Any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous squamate reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (or Ophidia), having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and flexible jaws. b. A worthless, treacherous person. 2. verb: a. sinuate, slither, undulate; To move sinuously. b. coil, corkscrew, curl, entwine, meander, spiral, twine, twist, weave, wind, wreathe, wind, curve, turn, bend, ramble, deviate, zigzag; To move or proceed on a repeatedly curving course. c. crawl, creep, slide, worm; To move along in a crouching or prone position. d. creep, glide, lurk, mouse, prowl, pussyfoot, skulk, slide, slink, slip, sneak, steal, gumshoe, lurk, mooch, mouse, shirk, slink, slip; To move silently and furtively.

favor

1. verb: a. accommodate, oblige; To perform a service or a courteous act for. b. approve, countenance, hold with, go for, take kindly to; To be favorably disposed toward. c. prefer, play favorites; To show partiality toward (someone). d. countenance, encourage, smile on (or upon); To lend supportive approval to. e. spare, handle with kid gloves; To treat with inordinate gentleness and care. 2. noun: a. good turn, grace, indulgence, kindness, service, benefit; A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted. b. benefaction, beneficence, benevolence, benignity, kindliness, kindness, oblation, office (often used in plural), philanthropy; A charitable deed. c. beau geste, compliment, courtesy; An act requiring special generosity. d. acceptance, approbation, approval, support; Favorable regard. e. account, admiration, appreciation, consideration, esteem, estimation, honor, regard, respect; A feeling of deference, approval, and liking. f. favoritism, partiality, partialness, preference; Unfairly favorable or preferential bias. g. advantage, avail, benefit, blessing, boon, gain, profit, privilege, concession; Something beneficial. h. To be advantageous to; make more likely to be successful. from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to."

exploit

1. verb: a. actuate, apply, employ, exercise, implement, practice, use, utilize, make (the best) use of, cash in on (informal), capitalize on, put to use, make capital out of, use to advantage, use to good advantage, live off the backs of, turn to account, profit by or from, avail oneself of, bring into play, bring to bear, put into practice; To put into action or use. b. abuse, use, impose, manipulate, milk, misuse, dump on (slang, chiefly U.S.), ill-treat, shit on (taboo slang), play on or upon; To take advantage of unfairly. c. maneuver, manipulate, play; To control to one's own greatest advantage by artful or indirect means. 2. noun: a. feat, act, achievement, enterprise, adventure, gest, masterstroke, stunt, tour de force, deed, accomplishment, attainment, escapade; A great or heroic deed. b. A program or system designed to take advantage of a particular error or security vulnerability in computers or networks. from Latin explicitum "a thing settled, ended, or displayed," noun use of neuter of explicitus, past participle of explicare "unfold, unroll, disentangle," from ex- "out" + plicare "to fold."

plague

1. verb: a. annoy, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, beset, harass, harry, pester, tease, torment, worry, trouble, bother, disturb, hassle, fret, badger, persecute, molest, vex, hound, importune, solicit, get on your nerves (informal), give someone grief (Brit. & S. African), be on your back (slang), get in your hair (informal); a1. To disturb by repeated attacks. a2. To trouble persistently from or as if from all sides. b. agonize, anguish, curse, excruciate, rack, scourge, smite, strike, torment, torture, trouble, pain, haunt, afflict (informal); To bring great harm or suffering to. 2. noun: a. affliction, bane, curse, evil, ill, scourge, woe, bane, trial, cancer, torment, blight, calamity; A cause of persistent suffering or harm. b. disease, infection, epidemic, contagion, pandemic, pestilence, lurgy (informal); any infectious disease that develops and spreads rapidly to many people. c. infestation, invasion, epidemic, influx, host, swarm, multitude, outbreak, rash; A sudden increase in something, as the occurrence of a disease. d. aggravation, annoyance, besetment, bother, irritant, irritation, nuisance, peeve, torment, vexation, problem, pain (informal), pest, hassle (informal), irritant, thorn in your flesh; Something that annoys. from Latin plaga "stroke, wound," probably from root of plangere "to strike, lament (by beating the breast)," from or cognate with Greek (Doric) plaga "blow."

consult

1. verb: a. ask, refer to, turn to, interrogate, take counsel, ask advice of, pick (someone's) brains, question; get or ask advice from. b. confer, talk, debate, deliberate, commune, compare notes, consider, advise, confer, parley, talk, powwow; To meet and exchange views to reach a decision. c. refer to, check in, look in; seek information from. d. consider, regard, respect, take account of, take into consideration, have regard for; to have regard for (a person's feelings, interests, etc) in making decisions or plans. e. to make oneself available to give professional advice, esp at scheduled times and for a fee. 2. noun: argument, argumentation, argy-bargy [chiefly British], back-and-forth, colloquy, confab, confabulation, conference, consultation, council, counsel, debate, deliberation, dialogue (also dialog), discussion, give-and-take, palaver, parley, talk; A conference at which advice is given or views are exchanged. If you are consulting someone or something, it is more likely that you are seeking advice. Consult is unambiguously the correct choice when one is seeking guidance or information from a non-human source from Latin consulere "to take counsel, meet and consider," originally probably "to call together," as in consulere senatum "to gather the senate" (to ask for advice), from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + *selere "take, gather (the Senate) together."

hound

1. verb: a. badger, bedevil, beleaguer, beset, besiege, harass, harry, importune, pester, plague, solicit; To trouble persistently from or as if from all sides. b. badger, bait, bullyrag, heckle, hector, taunt, needle, ride, harass, harry, bother, provoke, annoy, torment, hassle (informal), prod, persecute, pester, goad, keep after, wave the red flag in front of the bull, bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail; To torment with tenacious, persistent insult or ridicule. c. force, drive, pressure, push, chase, railroad (informal), propel, impel, pressurize; 2. noun: a. blackguard, bounder, cad, heel, dog, scoundrel, villain; someone who is morally reprehensible, mean, and despicable. b. a person who pursues like a hound, especially one who avidly seeks or collects something.

swat

1. verb: a. bash, catch, clout, hit, knock, pop, slam, slog, slug, smash, smite, sock, strike, thwack, whack, wham, whop, biff, bop, clip, wallop, belt, conk, paste, bang, bat, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, swipe, tag, thump, whale, zap; To deliver a powerful blow to suddenly and sharply. b. box, buffet, bust, cuff, punch, slap, smack, spank, whack, clip, spat; To hit with a quick, sharp blow of the hand. 2. a. bang, blow, clout, crack, hit, lick, pound, slug, sock, thwack, welt, whack, wham, whop, bash, biff, bop, clip, wallop, belt, conk, paste; A sudden sharp, powerful stroke. b. box, buffet, bust, chop, cuff, punch, slap, smack, smacker, spank, whack, clip, spat, bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, buffet, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap); A quick, sharp blow, especially with the hand.

fight

1. verb: a. battle, contend, oppose, combat, duel, struggle, tilt, war, wrestle, strive (against), push, face, take on, resist, stand up to, set your face against; To strive in opposition. b. oppose, face, take on, resist, stand up to, take issue with, speak against, take a stand against, set your face against, oppose, campaign against, dispute, contest, resist, defy, contend, withstand, stand up to, take issue with, make a stand against; To try to prevent the development or success of. c. battle, assault, combat, war with, go to war, do battle, wage war, take up arms, bear arms against, engage in hostilities, carry on war, engage; To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons. d. engage in, conduct, wage, pursue, carry on; To engage in (a war or campaign, for example). e. take the field, cross swords, taste battle; To contend for, as by combat. f. brawl, clash, scrap (informal), exchange blows, struggle, row, tilt, wrestle, feud, grapple, tussle, joust, box, spar with, exchange blows with, come to blows, lock horns, fight like Kilkenny cats; To engage in hand-to-hand conflict. g. quarrel, argue, row, dispute, fall out (informal), squabble, wrangle, bicker, contend, quibble, spat, tiff, hassle, tangle, cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns; To engage in a quarrel. h. repress, control, check, master, silence, hold in, overcome, swallow, curb, suppress, restrain, inhibit, hold back, stifle, smother, overpower, muffle, bottle up, keep in check; To hold back or prevent by an act of volition. i. strive, battle, push, struggle, contend; To vigorously and resolutely exert much determined effort. j. to uphold or maintain (a cause, ideal, etc) by fighting or struggling. k. To struggle to endure or surmount. 2. noun: a. fistfight, fisticuffs, scuffle, tussle, brawl, set-to (informal), riot, scrap (informal), confrontation, rumble (U.S. & N.Z. slang), fray, duel, skirmish, head-to-head, free-for-all (informal), fracas, altercation, dogfight, joust, dissension, affray (Law), shindig (informal), scrimmage, sparring match, exchange of blows, shindy (informal), melee or mêlée; A physical conflict involving two or more. b. altercation, argument, bicker, clash, contention, controversy, debate, difficulty, disagreement, dispute, polemic, quarrel, run-in, spat, squabble, tiff, word (used in plural), wrangle, hassle, rhubarb, tangle, row; A discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed. c. bellicoseness, bellicosity, belligerence, belligerency, combativeness, contentiousness, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, truculence, truculency, resistance, spirit, pluck, militancy, mettle, belligerence, will to resist, gameness, pluckiness; The power or will to fight. d. match, contest, bout, battle, competition, struggle, set-to, encounter, engagement, head-to-head, boxing match; A competition in which participants vie against each other in physical combat. e. conflict, war, action, clash, contest, encounter, brush, combat, engagement, hostilities, skirmish, passage of arms; A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons. f. battle, campaign, movement, struggle; A strenuous effort to achieve an objective.

treat

1. verb: a. behave towards, deal with, handle, act towards, use, consider, serve, manage, regard, look upon; To behave in a specified way toward. b. take care of, minister to, attend to, doctor (informal), nurse, care for, medicate, prescribe medicine for, apply treatment to; give medical treatment and aid to. c. cure, heal, remedy, make better; d. provide, give, buy, stand (informal), pay for, entertain, feast, lay on, regale, wine and dine, take out for, foot or pay the bill; To pay for the food, drink, or entertainment of (another). e. prime, cover, process, prepare; To subject to a process, action, or change, especially to a chemical or physical process or application. f. deal with, consider, study, cover, discuss, review, handle, go into, refer to, tackle, investigate, explore, analyse, critique, touch on, deal with, be concerned with, touch upon, discourse upon; To deal with or represent artistically in a specified manner or style. g. negotiate, bargain, consult, have talks, confer, come to terms, parley, make a bargain, make terms; To engage in negotiations, as to reach a settlement or agree on terms. 2. noun: a. entertainment, party, surprise, gift, celebration, feast, outing, excursion, banquet, refreshment; a lavish entertainment given without expense to those invited. b. present, gift, luxury, indulgence, delicacy, extravagance, goodie (informal), titbit, little something; Something fine and delicious, especially a food. c. pleasure, delight, joy, thrill, satisfaction, enjoyment, gratification, source of pleasure, fun; an especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement.

take

1. verb: a. capture, gain, get, win, cop, arrest, seize, abduct, take into custody, ensnare, entrap, catch, get, net, secure, bag, nail, grip, grab, grasp, clutch, get hold of, clasp, take hold of, lay hold of; a1. To obtain possession or control of. a2. To gain possession of, especially after a struggle or chase. b. catch, contract, develop, get, sicken, come down with; To become affected with a disease. c. catch, hit on (or upon), surprise, hit; To come upon, especially suddenly or unexpectedly. d. catch, seize, strike; To have a sudden overwhelming effect on. e. allure, appeal, attract, draw, entice, lure, magnetize, pull; To direct or impel to oneself by some quality or action. f. ingest, consume, swallow, inhale, have, drink, eat, imbibe; f1. To cause to pass from the mouth into the stomach. f2. To draw in. f3. To expose one's body to (healthful or pleasurable treatment, for example). g. accept, have, receive, embrace, welcome; g1. To admit to one's possession, presence, or awareness. g2. To receive (something given or offered) willingly and gladly. h. bed, copulate, couple, have, mate, sleep with, go to bed with, make love, bonk, do it, eff, ****, get it on, get laid, have a go at it, have intercourse, have it away, have it off, have sex, be intimate, lie with, roll in the hay, screw, sleep together, sleep with, hump, jazz, love, bed, bang, make out, know, make whoopee, roll in the hay; To engage in sexual relations with. i. appropriate, arrogate, assume, commandeer, preempt, seize, usurp; To lay claim to for oneself or as one's right. j. board, catch; to go aboard (a means of transport). k. ask, call for, demand, entail, involve, necessitate, require, need; To have as a need or prerequisite. l. derive, get, obtain, acquire, come by, draw, extract, quote, cite, excerpt, reproduce, abstract, cull; To obtain from another source. m. abide, accept, bear, brook, endure, go, stand (for), stomach, suffer, support, sustain, swallow, tolerate, withstand, lump, take it, stand, bear, weather, go through, brave, undergo, hack (slang), put up with (informal), withstand, submit to, countenance, pocket, thole (Scot.) take it lying down; To put up with. n. function, go, operate, run, work; To perform a function effectively. o. understand, follow, comprehend, get, see, grasp, apprehend, accept, catch (on), compass, conceive, fathom, follow, make out, read, sense, take in, savvy, dig; To perceive and recognize the meaning of. p. construe, interpret, read, regard as, see as, believe to be, consider to be, think of as, deem to be, perceive to be, hold to be, judge to be, reckon to be, presume to be, look on as; p1. To understand in a particular way. p2. To regard or consider in a particular relation or from a particular viewpoint. q. bear, bring, carry, convey, fetch, transport, bear, transport, ferry, haul, cart, tote (informal); To cause to come along with oneself. r. remove, take away, take off, take out, withdraw, draw, pull, fish, extract, abstract; To move (something) from a position occupied. s. abate, deduct, discount, rebate, subtract, knock off; To take away (a quantity) from another quantity. t. win, get, be awarded, receive, land (informal), be given, pick up, bag (informal), secure, collect, obtain, scoop (informal), be presented with, carry off, walk away or off with; To acquire in a game or competition. u. have, choose, pick, prefer, select, opt for, settle on; To choose for one's own use. v. occupy, use, engage, hold, fill, reserve, bag (informal); To move into or assume occupancy of. w. measure, establish, determine, find out, assess, calculate, evaluate, gauge, ascertain, appraise; To obtain, as through measurement or a specified procedure. x. take advantage of, grab, seize (on), exploit, grasp, act on, make the most of, jump on, pounce on, capitalize on, leap at, turn to account, put to advantage; To employ to the greatest possible advantage. y. wear, need, require, fit; To be the proper size and shape. z. write, record, jot (down), note (down), scribble, set down, scrawl, make a note of; To write or make a record of, especially in shorthand or cursive writing. aa. travel, go, journey, walk, progress, proceed, trek, voyage, traverse, make your way; go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route. bb. respond to, meet, deal with, receive, cope with, greet, react to; to receive or react to in a specified way. cc. perform, have, do, make, effect, accomplish, execute; To undertake, make, or perform. dd. consider, study, think about, examine, contemplate, ponder, weigh up, mull over, chew over, ruminate on, give thought to, deliberate over, cogitate on; take into consideration for exemplifying purposes. ee. draw, derive, feel, know, experience, undergo; experience or feel or submit to. 2. noun: a. takings, profits, revenue, return, gate, yield, proceeds, haul, receipts; A quantity collected at one time, especially the amount of profit or receipts taken on a business venture or from ticket sales at a sporting event. b. scene, sequence, filmed sequence; A scene filmed without interrupting the run of the camera. c. view, opinion, understanding of, analysis of, interpretation of, reading of, explanation of; An interpretation or assessment. d. attempt, crack, effort, endeavor, essay, go, offer, stab, trial, try, shot, assay; A trying to do or make something.

dash

1. verb: a. cast, dart, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, pitch, shoot, shy, sling, throw, toss, fire, slam, chuck (informal), propel, project, lob (informal); To send through the air with a motion of the hand or arm. b. bespatter, slop, slosh, spatter, splash, splatter, spray, swash; To hurl or scatter liquid upon. c. rush, run, race, shoot, fly, career, speed, spring, tear, bound, hurry, barrel (along) (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), sprint, bolt, dart, hasten, scurry, stampede, bolt, bucket, bustle, dart, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, haste, hasten, hustle, pelt, rocket, sail, scoot, scour, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom, rip, barrel, highball, nip, a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it, burn rubber (informal), make haste, hotfoot; To move swiftly. d. disappoint, ruin, frustrate, crush, shatter, spoil, overturn, wipe out, foil, undo, thwart, scotch, blight, dampen, confound, put the kibosh on (informal); d1. To destroy or wreck. d2. To discourage or dispirit. e. To add an enlivening or altering element to. f. To write hastily. g. To knock, hurl, or thrust violently 2. noun: a. animation, bounce, brio, élan, esprit, life, liveliness, pertness, sparkle, spirit, verve, vigor, vim, vivaciousness, vivacity, zip, ginger, pep, peppiness, oomph, style, flair, flourish, panache, beans, drive, dynamism, energy, gas, get-up-and-go, go, gusto, hardihood, juice, moxie, punch, sap, snap, starch, vinegar, vitality, zing; A lively, emphatic, eager quality or manner that confers a distinctive and stylish elegance. b. bit, crumb, dab, dot, dram, drop, fragment, grain, iota, jot, minim, mite, modicum, molecule, ort, ounce, particle, scrap, scruple, shred, smidgen, speck, tittle, trifle, whit, spot, little, shot (informal), touch, suggestion, trace, hint, pinch, sprinkling, tot, trickle, nip, tinge, soupçon (French); A tiny amount. c. breath, ghost, hair, hint, intimation, semblance, shade, shadow, soupçon, streak, suggestion, suspicion, taste, tinge, touch, trace, whiff, whisper, whisker; A slight amount or indication. d. dot, fleck, pinpoint, point, speck, spot; A very small mark. e. rush, run, race, sprint, bolt, dart, spurt, sortie; the act of moving with great haste.

catch

1. verb: a. capture, arrest, trap, seize, nail (informal), nab (informal), snare, lift (slang), apprehend, ensnare, entrap, feel your collar (slang), get, net, secure, take, bag; To gain possession of, especially after a struggle or chase. b. hit on (or upon), surprise, take, hit; To come upon, especially suddenly or unexpectedly. c. descry, detect, discern, espy, glimpse, spot, spy, notice, see, note, observe, recognize, perceive, mark; To perceive, especially barely or fleetingly. d. clutch, grab, seize, snatch, nab, get, lay hands on; To get hold of (something moving or hiding) so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of. e. nip, snap, snatch, strike; To grasp at (something) eagerly, forcibly, and abruptly with the jaws. f. seize, strike, take, engage, attract, delight, capture, charm, grip, fascinate, absorb, enchant, captivate, bewitch, engross, enrapture, arrest, get, attract, pull in, draw in, pull, draw, enamor, entrance, trance, capture, becharm, beguile, hold, mesmerize, rivet, spellbind, transfix.; To have a sudden overwhelming effect on. g. board, take, make, get on; To go aboard a means of transport, reaching it just in time before it departs. h. anchor, fasten, fix, moor, secure, make fast; To make secure. i. fix, lodge, stick, become trapped, snag, become entangled; To become or cause to become stuck or lodged. j. enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entrap, snare, tangle, trammel, trap, web, capture, entangle; To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping. k. bash, clout, hit, knock, pop, slam, slog, slug, smash, smite, sock, strike, swat, thwack, whack, wham, whop, biff, bop, clip, wallop, belt, conk, paste, bang, clip (informal), slap, smack; To deliver a powerful blow to a particular spot suddenly and sharply. l. contract, develop, get, sicken, take, incur, come down with, suffer from, succumb to, go down with; To become affected with a disease. m. accept, apprehend, compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand, savvy, dig, twig, ken, make out, get, hear, take in, perceive, discern, get a handle on, get the picture; To perceive and recognize the meaning of. n. discover, surprise, find out, expose, detect, catch in the act, take unawares; To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally. o. evoke, express, capture, conjure up, encapsulate; To reproduce or represent effectively. p. To become affected by or infused with. q. To suffer from the receipt of (criticism, for example). r. To go to see (a performance, for example). s. Get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly 2. noun: a. clutch, grab, seizure, snatch, haul, net, bag; The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding. b. clasp, fastener, hook, clip, bolt, latch, hasp, hook and eye, snib (Scot.), sneck (dialect, chiefly Scot. & Northern English); A device for fastening or for checking motion. c. plum, prize, brass ring; A person or thing worth catching. d. rub, snag, drawback, trick, trap, disadvantage, hitch, stumbling block, fly in the ointment; A tricky or unsuspected condition.

feed

1. verb: a. cater for, provide for, nourish, provide with food, supply, sustain, nurture, cook for, wine and dine, victual, provision; To sustain (a living organism) with food. b. graze, eat, browse, pasture; Take in food, grazing on land or vegetation. c. eat, drink milk, take nourishment, suckle; To take milk from the breast or teat. d. supply, take, send, carry, convey, impart; d1. To supply with something essential for growth, maintenance, or operation. d2. To provide for consumption, utilization, or operation. e. disclose, give, tell, reveal, supply, communicate, pass on, impart, divulge, promote, make known; To make known (something heretofore kept secret). f. live, subsist; To maintain existence in a certain way. g. To provide for consumption, utilization, or operation. h. To supply with something essential for growth, maintenance, or operation. i. course, flush, flow, run, jet, gush, move, tide, surge, circulate, pour, spill; move along. j. prey, exploit, work; Profit from in an exploitatory manner. k. encourage, boost, fuel, strengthen, foster, minister to, bolster, fortify, augment, make stronger, gratify; k1. To help bring about. k2. To minister to. k3. To support or promote. 2. noun: a. food, fodder, kai (N.Z. informal), forage, silage, provender, pasturage; food for domestic livestock.

clutch

1. verb: a. clasp, clench, grab, grapple, grasp, grip, seize, hold, embrace, cling to; To take firmly with the hand and maintain a strong but tentative hold on, often accomplished with anxious avidity. b. catch, grab, seize, snatch, nab, grasp, lay hands on; To get hold of (something moving), usually only temporarily. 2. noun: a. catch, grab, seizure, snatch; The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding. b. clasp, clench, grasp, grip, hold, grapple; An act or means of holding something. c. array, band, batch, bevy, body, bunch, bundle, clump, cluster, collection, group, knot, lot, party, set, aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage; A number of individuals making up or considered a unit. d. power, hands, control, grip, possession, grasp, custody, sway, keeping, claws; A tight grasp. Old English clyccan "bring together, bend (the fingers), clench."

transport

1. verb: a. convey, take, run, move, bring, send, carry, bear, remove, ship, transfer, deliver, conduct, shift, ferry, haul, fetch, lug, tote, schlep; a1. To move while supporting. a2. To cause to come along with oneself. b. enrapture, move, delight, entrance, enchant, carry away, captivate, electrify, ravish, spellbind, thrill, send; To emotionally rouse or excite greatly with intense pleasure. c. banish, deport, exile, expatriate, expel, ostracize; To force to leave a country or place by official decree, most often done in sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony. 2. noun: a. vehicle, wheels (informal), transportation, conveyance, carriage, transit; a vehicle (such as a truck or airplane) used to transport persons or goods. b. transference, carrying, shipping, delivery, distribution, removal, transportation, carriage, shipment, freight, haulage, conveyance, freightage; The moving of persons or goods from one place to another. c. ecstasy, heaven, paradise, rapture, delight, happiness, bliss, euphoria, enchantment, cloud nine (informal), seventh heaven, ravishment, frenzy, fit, passion, fervor, rhapsody, paroxysm, elation, exhilaration, high, intoxication, rapture, rhapsody, swoon; A state of overwhelmingly strong emotion or elated bliss by which one becomes beside oneself, usually provoking vehement expression or frenzied action. from Latin transportare "carry over, take across, convey, remove," from trans- "beyond, across" + portare "to carry."

risk

1. verb: a. dare, compromise, endanger, jeopardize, imperil, venture, gamble, hazard, take a chance on, put in jeopardy, expose to danger; A possibility of danger or harm. b. endanger, imperil, jeopardize, menace, peril, threaten; To subject to danger or destruction. c. bet, gamble, lay (down), post, put, stake, venture, wager, go; To put up as a stake in a game or speculation. d. adventure, chance, hazard, venture, stand a chance of, chance, venture, take the risk of; To run the risk of. 2. noun: a. chance, gamble, hazard, threat; A possibility of danger or harm. b. danger, endangerment, hazard, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, threat, menace; Exposure to possible harm, loss, or injury. c. bet, gamble, speculation, wager, chance, venture, speculation, leap in the dark; A venture depending on chance. d. danger, hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, threat, trouble; A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger.

dart

1. verb: a. dash, run, race, shoot, fly, speed, spring, tear, rush, fleet, flutterbound, flash, hurry, sprint, bolt, hasten, whizz, haste, flit, scoot, bolt, bucket, bustle, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, fly, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, rocket, run, rush, sail, scour, shoot, sprint, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom, hotfoot, rip, barrel, highball, nip, get a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it; To move swiftly and lightly. b. cast, dash, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, pitch, shoot, shy, sling, throw, toss, fire, rifle; To send through the air with a motion of the hand or arm. c. float, fly, sail, shoot, skim; To pass quickly and lightly through the air. 2. noun: a. arrow, missile, shaft, projectile; a small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot. b. dash, run, rush, sprint, race, bolt, spurt, sortie; a sudden quick movement. from Old French dart "throwing spear, arrow."

disorder

1. verb: a. derange, disarrange, disarray, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess up, mix up, muddle, tumble, unsettle, upset, ball up, confuse, scramble, snarl, snafu, play havoc with; a1. To put out of proper order a2. To put into total disorder. b. disarrange, dishevel, mess (up), muss (up), rumple, tousle; To put (the hair or clothes) into a state of disarray. c. derange, turn, unsettle, upset; To disturb the health or physiological functioning of. 2. noun: a. chaos, clutter, confusedness, confusion, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, mix-up, muddle, muss, scramble, topsy-turviness, tumble, snafu, untidiness, muddle, clutter, shambles, jumble, irregularity, hotchpotch, hodgepodge (U.S.), chance-medley, dishevelment, disorderedness, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, messiness, misorder, snake pit, tumble, welter, pig's breakfast (informal); a lack of order or regular arrangement. b. disturbance, fight, riot, turmoil, unrest, quarrel, upheaval, brawl, clamor, uproar, turbulence, fracas, commotion, rumpus, tumult, hubbub, shindig (informal), hullabaloo, scrimmage, unruliness, shindy (informal), bagarre (French), anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, agitation, disturbance, helter-skelter, stir, flap, to-do; b1. A lack of civil order or peace b2. An interruption of regular procedure or of public peace. c. illness, disease, complaint, condition, sickness, ailment, affliction, malady, infirmity, indisposition, ill; c1. A pathological condition of mind or body. c2. The condition of being sick.

spread

1. verb: a. expand, extend, fan (out), open (out or up), outstretch, stretch, unfold, unroll; To move or arrange so as to cover a larger area. b. circulate, diffuse, disperse, disseminate, distribute, radiate, scatter, strew, cast, shed; To extend over a wide area. c. blanket, cap, cover, overlay, coat, smear, smother, apply, rub, put, smooth, plaster, daub; To extend over the surface of. d. grow, increase, develop, expand, widen, mushroom, escalate, proliferate, multiply, broaden, metastasize; To become known or prevalent over an increasingly wide area. e. carry, communicate, convey, give, pass, transmit; To cause (a disease) to pass to another or others. f. circulate, publish, broadcast, advertise, distribute, scatter, proclaim, transmit, make public, publicize, propagate, disseminate, promulgate, make known, bruit, blaze, blazon, bruit, noise, spread far and wide, spread the word; To make (information) generally known. g. circulate, get around, go around, travel, go the rounds; To become known far and wide. h. open, extend, stretch; h1. To open to a fuller extent or width. h2. To make wider the gap between; move farther apart. 2. noun: a. increase, development, advance, spreading, expansion, enlargement, extension, transmission, proliferation, advancement, escalation, diffusion, dissemination, dispersal, suffusion; The act of increasing in dimensions, scope, or inclusiveness. b. distance, expanse, expansion, extent, reach, space, stretch, sweep, span, stretch, sweep, width, compass; A wide and open area, as of land, sky, or water. c. feast, banquet, blowout (slang), repast, array; A large meal elaborately prepared or served. d. feature, report, story, piece, article, item; d1. Two facing pages of a magazine, newspaper, or book, considered as a unit. d2. An article or advertisement running across two or more columns of a newspaper or magazine. e. range, variety, selection, assortment, gamut, spectrum; A number or collection of varied things, especially of a particular group f. gap, difference; A conspicuous disparity, as between two figures or totals. g. scatter, distribution, dispersion; A haphazard distribution in all directions. 3. adjective:

miss

1. verb: a. fail to hit, go wide of, fall short of, avoid, misshit; To fail to hit, reach, catch, or otherwise make contact with. b. fail to notice, mistake, overlook, pass over; fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind. c. misunderstand, fail to appreciate; To lose out on the meaning of something, being too obtuse, ill-equipped, or inattentive to apprehend it. d. pass up, skip, disregard, forego, lose, waste, let slip, let slip through one's fingers, lose out on; To fail to benefit from and take advantage of. e. long for, wish for, yearn for, want, need, hunger for, pine for, long to see, ache for, feel the loss of, regret the absence of; feel or suffer from the lack of. f. be late for, fail to catch or get; To be too late for or fail to meet (a train, for example). g. not go to, skip, cut, omit, be absent from, fail to attend, skive off (informal), play truant from, bludge; fail to attend an event or activity. h. mishear, misunderstand, fail to hear, fail to take in; To mistake the meaning of. i. avoid, beat, escape, skirt, duck, cheat, bypass, dodge, evade, get round, elude, steer clear of, sidestep, circumvent, find a way round, give a wide berth to; To stay clear of; go around or away from. j. neglect, omit, leave out, pretermit, overleap, overlook, drop; leave undone or leave out. l. To discover the absence or loss of. m. miscarry, misfire, fall short, miss fire, miss the mark; To go wrong, be unsuccessful, or fail to attain a goal. 2. noun: a. girl, maiden, maid, schoolgirl, young lady, lass, damsel, spinster, lassie (informal), missy, fille; A young woman. b. mistake, failure, fault, error, blunder, omission, oversight; b1. A failure to be successful. b2. An event that does not accomplish its intended purpose. c. The misfiring of an engine.

lock

1. verb: a. fasten, close, secure, shut, bar, seal, bolt, latch, sneck (dialect); to fix or become fixed together securely or inextricably. b. unite, join, link, engage, mesh, clench, entangle, interlock, entwine; To shut or make secure with or as if with locks. c. embrace, press, grasp, clutch, hug, enclose, grapple, clasp, encircle; To link firmly. d. To sight and follow (a moving target) unwaveringly. e. to become or cause to become rigid or immovable. f. to shut in by or as if by means of a lock, as for security or restraint. 2. noun: a. a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed. b. ringlet, whorl, curl; a strand or cluster of hair. c. any wrestling hold in which some part of the opponent's body is twisted or pressured by a grappling technique.

flip

1. verb: a. flick, switch, snap, slick, jerk; a1. Toss with a sharp movement so as to cause to turn over in the air. a2. To throw or toss with a light brisk motion. b. skip, skim, browse, dip into, glance at (or over) (or through), leaf (through), riffle (through), run through, scan, skim, thumb (through); (used with through) Look casually through a book or other written material. c. spin, turn, overturn, turn over, roll over, twist; turn upside down, or throw so as to reverse. d. toss, throw, cast, pitch, flick, fling, sling; throw or toss with a light motion. e. go mad, crazy; react in an excited, delighted, or surprised way. f. To change or reverse (one's position or attitude). g. To cause or persuade (a witness) to cooperate in prosecuting a criminal case against an associate h. To buy and resell (a house, for example) in a short period of time for a profit. i. to turn (something) on or off with a switch. 2. noun: a. somersault, somersaulting, summersault, summerset, somerset, tumble; an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return. b. throw; a sudden, quick movement.

sprout

1. verb: a. germinate, bud, shoot, push, spring, vegetate, bourgeon, burgeon forth, grow, develop, blossom, ripen; To begin to grow or develop. b. appear, emerge, turn up, show up (informal), materialize, surface, come into sight; To emerge and develop rapidly. 2. noun: a. bine, offshoot, runner, shoot, sprig, tendril; b. bairn [chiefly Scottish], bambino, bud, chap [Southern & Midland], chick, child, cub, juvenile, kid, kiddie (also kiddy), kiddo, moppet, sprat, squirt, whelp, youngling, youngster, youth; a young person.

compromise

1. verb: a. meet halfway, concede, make concessions, give and take, strike a balance, strike a happy medium, go fifty-fifty (informal); To make a concession. b. undermine, expose, embarrass, weaken, prejudice, endanger, discredit, implicate, jeopardize, dishonour, imperil, adventure, hazard, risk, venture, gamble (with), menace; To expose to possible loss or damage. 2. noun: a. accommodation, arrangement, give-and-take, medium, settlement, composition, agreement, concession, adjustment, trade-off, middle ground, half measures; A working out of differences through mutual concession. b. something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things. from Latin compromittere "to make a mutual promise" (to abide by the arbiter's decision), from com- "with, together" + promittere "to send forth; let go; foretell; assure beforehand, promise," from pro- "before" + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw."

temper

1. verb: a. moderate, restrain, tone down, calm, soften, soothe, dilute, lessen, allay, mitigate, abate, assuage, mollify, soft-pedal (informal), palliate, admix, mute, qualify, subdue, tame, mollify, season; To make or become less severe or extreme, by adding a moderating, balancing element. b. strengthen, harden, toughen, anneal; To strengthen and make more resilient through experience or hardship. 2. noun: a. complexion, disposition, humor, nature, temperament, frame of mind, character, attitude, mind, mood, constitution, vein, tenor; A person's customary manner of emotional response that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations, acquired through experience. b. frame of mind, humor, mood, spirit (used in plural), vein; A temporary state of mind or feeling at a particular time, usually dominated by a single strong emotion. c. irascibility, spleen, irritability, anger, passion, resentment, irritation, annoyance, petulance, surliness, ill-humor, peevishness, hot-headedness, temperament, tetchiness, dander, short fuse; A tendency to become angry or irritable. d. fit, huff, passion, tantrum, conniption, conniption fit, rage, fury, bad mood, paddy (Brit. informal), wax (informal, chiefly Brit.), bate (Brit. slang), fit of pique; An angry outburst. e. climate, mood, spirit, tone, trend, character, quality, air, ambience (or ambiance), aroma, atmosphere, aura, flavor, halo, karma, nimbus, note, odor, patina, smell, vibration(s); A prevailing quality, as of thought, behavior, or attitude. f. self-control, composure, cool (slang), calm, good humour, tranquillity, coolness, calmness, equanimity; Calmness of mind or emotions. from Latin temperare "observe proper measure, be moderate, restrain oneself," also transitive, "mix correctly, mix in due proportion; regulate, rule, govern, manage." This is often described as from Latin tempus "time, season." The temper root keeps its basic meaning—"to mix" or "to keep within limits"—in the English word temper. When you temper something, you mix it with some balancing quality or substance so as to avoid anything extreme.

march

1. verb: a. parade, walk, file, pace, stride, tread, tramp, swagger, footslog; To walk with long steps, especially in a steady vigorous manner with a rhythmic stride, in step with others among a formally coordinated procession. b. demonstrate, protest, rally; Take part in a demonstration. c. walk, strut, storm, sweep, stride, stalk, flounce; c1. Walk ostentatiously. c2. To move in a direct purposeful manner. d. backpack, hike, peregrinate, traipse, tramp, trek; To travel about or journey on foot. e. advance, come (along), get along, move, proceed, progress; To go forward, especially toward a conclusion. f. butt, butt against, butt on, abut, adjoin, edge, border adjoin, contact, touch, meet, neighbor; lie adjacent to another or share a boundary. 2. noun: a. advance, advancement, furtherance, headway, progress, progression; a1. A forward movement. a2. A long tiring journey on foot. b. border, borderland, boundary, frontier, marchland; The line or area separating geopolitical units, especially a district originally set up to defend a boundary—usually used in plural. c. A regulated pace. d. An organized walk or procession by a group of people for a specific cause or issue.

peck

1. verb: a. pick, bite, hit, strike, tap, poke, jab, prick, nibble; To strike repeatedly with the beak or a pointed instrument. b. buss, kiss, osculate, smack, smooch; To quickly and lightly touch or caress with the lips, especially as a sign of passion or affection. c. carp; To make repeated criticisms. d. To eat reluctantly and in small bites. 2. noun: a. a1. A stroke or light blow with the beak or a pointed instrument. a2. A mark or hole made by such a stroke. b. A light quick kiss.

pose

1. verb: a. posture, sit, position yourself, model, strike a pose, arrange yourself; To assume a particular position, as for a portrait. b. attitudinize, posture, strike an attitude, put on airs, affect, show off (informal), showboat; To assume an exaggerated or unnatural attitude or pose. c. attitudinize, impersonate, masquerade, pass, posture, pass oneself off as; To represent oneself in a given character or as other than what one is. d. act, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, play-act, pretend, put on, sham, simulate; To behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of. e. advance, offer, propose, propound, put forward, set forth, submit, suggest, state, put, set, submit, posit; To state, as an idea, for consideration. f. ask, put, raise; To seek an answer to (a question). g. present, cause, produce, create, lead to, result in, constitute, give rise to; To present or constitute. 2. noun: a. attitude, position, posture; The way in which one is placed or arranged. b. posture, position, bearing, attitude, stance, mien (literary); The way in which a person holds or carries his or her body. c. affectation, affectedness, air (used in plural), mannerism, pretense, act, airs, charade, disguise, facade (also façade), front, guise, masquerade, playacting, pretense (or pretence), put-on, semblance, show; Artificial behavior deliberately adopted to impress others. from Late Latin pausare "to halt, rest, cease, pause."

drag

1. verb: a. pull, draw, haul, trail, tow, tug, jerk, yank, hale, lug; a1. To exert force so as to move (something) toward the source of the force. a2. pull (someone or something) along forcefully, roughly, or with difficulty. b. lag, trail, linger, loiter, straggle, dawdle, hang back, tarry, draggle, drop behind, get behind, trail, drop back; To hang or cause to hang down and be pulled along behind. c. dally, dawdle, delay, dilly-dally, lag, linger, loiter, poke, procrastinate, tarry, trail, drag one's feet, mark time, take one's time, go slowly, inch, creep, crawl, advance slowly; c1. To advance slowly as if with great effort. c2. To go or move slowly so that progress is hindered. d. puff, draw, breathe in, inhale, inspire; suck in or take (air). e. drag in, embroil, sweep up, tangle, sweep, involve; force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action. 2. noun: a. nuisance, pain (informal), bore, bother, pest, hassle (informal), inconvenience, annoyance, pain in the neck, pain in the arse (taboo informal), pain in the backside, pain in the butt (informal); b. draw, puff, pull, hit; An inhalation, as of a cigar, pipe, or cigarette. c. something that retards or impedes motion, action, or advancement. d. bore, drip, droner, dullsville, nudnik (also nudnick), snooze, snoozer, yawn, yawner; one that is boring or gets in the way of enjoyment.

fling

1. verb: a. throw, toss, hurl, chuck (informal), launch, cast, pitch, send, shy, jerk, propel, sling, precipitate, lob (informal), catapult, heave, let fly, catapult, chuck, dash, fire, heave, hurtle, loft, peg, pelt, throw, toss; To throw with recklessly violent force. a. To put or send suddenly or unexpectedly. c. To engage (oneself) in an activity with abandon and energy. d. discard; To cast aside. 2. noun: a. cast, heave, hurl, launch, pitch, shy, sling, throw, toss; An act of throwing. b. orgy, rampage, spree, jagbinge, good time, bash, bit of fun, party, rave (Brit. slang), indulgence (informal), beano (Brit. slang), night on the town, rave-up (Brit. slang), night on the razzle (informal); A period of uncontrolled self-indulgence. c. try, go (informal), attempt, shot (informal), trial, crack (informal), venture, gamble, stab (informal), bash (informal), whirl (informal), try, whack, whirl; A brief trial. d. affair, relationship, involvement, liaison, flirtation, amour, dalliance; A brief, casual sexual or romantic relationship.

do

1. verb: a. perform, work, achieve, carry out, produce, effect, complete, conclude, undertake, accomplish, execute, discharge, pull off, transact, pull off, perpetrate, implement, finish, bring about, engineer, realize, pull off effectuate; perform (an action, the precise nature of which is often unspecified). b. discharge, execute, exercise, fulfill, implement, keep, perform, live up to; To carry out the functions, requirements, or terms of. c. acquit, act, bear, behave, carry, comport, demean, deport, quit; To conduct oneself in a specified way. d. fare, fend, get along, get by, manage, muddle through, shift, make out, make do, make shift, get on, proceed, prosper; To progress or perform adequately, especially in difficult circumstances. e. act (out), dramatize, enact, give, perform, present, put on, stage, show, produce, mount; To produce on the stage. f. act, enact, impersonate, perform, play, play-act, portray, represent; To play the part of. g. make, prepare, fix, arrange, look after, organize, be responsible for, see to, get ready, make ready; To make ready beforehand for a specific purpose, as for an event or occasion. h. answer, serve, suffice, be adequate, be enough, be sufficient, answer, content, satisfy, be of use, pass muster, cut the mustard, fill the bill (informal), meet requirements; To meet a need or requirement. i. put in, serve; To spend or complete (time), as a prison term. j. cheat, trick, con (informal), skin (slang), stiff (slang), sting (informal), deceive, fleece, hoax, defraud, dupe, swindle, diddle (informal), cozen, bilk, gull, mulct, rook, victimize, chisel, flimflam, take, trim, diddle, gyp, stick, sting, take (someone) for a ride (informal), pull a fast one on (informal); To get money or something else from by deceitful trickery. k. solve, work out, resolve, figure out, decode, decipher, puzzle out; to find an answer to. l. produce, make, create, develop, turn out, manufacture, construct, invent, put together, originate, fabricate; design, often in a certain way. m. decorate, paper, paint, colour, wallpaper, renovate, do up (informal), furbish; to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorning. n. design, style, dress, arrange, fashion, shape, adapt, tailor, coiffe, coiffure, coif; arrange attractively. o. grant, give, allow, accord, permit, render, confer, bestow; carry out, accomplish, or fulfill (an action, task, or function). p. study, read, learn, research, investigate, analyse, be taught, read up on, take a course in, take classes in, swot (up) on (Brit. informal); to work at, esp as a course of study or a profession. q. work as, be employed at, earn a living at, have as an occupation, have as a profession; carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions. r. cause, make, shape, determine, influence, regulate, mold, create, initiate, pioneer, call forth, evoke, kick up, provoke, breed, engender, spawn, incite, motivate, prompt, propel, actuate, move, effect, effectuate, set up, occasion; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally. s. travel at, go at, move at, drive at, proceed at; travel at a specified speed. t. visit, tour in or around, look at, cover, explore, take in (informal), stop in, journey through or around, travel in or around; To make a tour of. u. Used as a substitute for an antecedent verb or verb phrase. 2. noun: a. party, gathering, function, social, event, affair, at-home, occasion, celebration, reception, bash (informal), rave (Brit. slang), get-together (informal), festivity, knees-up (Brit. informal), beano (Brit. slang), social gathering, shindig (informal), soirée, fete, gala, jump-up, simcha, levee, blowout, rave, junket, rave-up, thrash; A large or important social gathering b. short for hairdo.

press

1. verb: a. push (down), depress, lean on, bear down, press down, force down; To exert pressure. b. push, squeeze, jam, thrust, ram, wedge, shove; To act on with a steady pushing force. c. hug, squeeze, embrace, clasp, crush, encircle, enfold, clasp, embrace, hold, hug, clinch, bosom, clip, embosomhold close, fold in your arms; To put one's arms around affectionately. d. compress, grind, reduce, mill, crush, pound, squeeze, tread, pulp, mash, trample, condense, pulverize, tamp, macerate, crush, express; To extract from by applying pressure. e. steam, finish, iron, smooth, flatten, mangle, put the creases in; To smooth by applying heat and pressure. f. crowd, flock, mob, throng, push, gather, rush, surge, mill, hurry, cluster, herd, swarm, hasten, seethe, throng; To congregate densely with overbearing closeness, as around a person. g. urge, force, beg, petition, sue, enforce, insist on, compel, constrain, exhort, implore, enjoin, pressurize, entreat, importune, supplicate, adjure, beseech, entreat, conjure, bid; To impel to action. h. push, ram, shove; h1. To do or achieve by forcing obstacles out of one's way. h2. To bear down on or attack. h3. To carry on or advance vigorously (an attack, for instance). h4. To place in trying or distressing circumstances. i. plead, present, lodge, submit, tender, advance; To try to influence or persuade or solicit, as by insistent arguments. j. call, ask, demand, campaign, push, insist on, clamour, make a claim; To insist upon or put forward insistently. k. To be worrisome or depressing; weigh heavily. l. crusade, campaign, agitate, fight, push, advocate; exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person. 2. noun: a. publicity, reports, reviews, articles, coverage, press reporting, write-ups, press treatment, fourth estate, medium (used in plural media), Fleet Street; Journalists and journalism in general. b. crowd, crush, drove, flock, horde, mass, mob, multitude, ruck, swarm, throng, host, pack, crush, bunch, herd, push (informal), swarm, multitude; An enormous number of persons gathered together. c. imperativeness, insistency, insistence, pressure; The state of demanding notice or attention. d. A machine used for printing. e. wardrobe, closet, armoire; a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes. f. Any machine that exerts pressure to form or shape or cut materials or extract liquids or compress solids.

rave

1. verb: a. rant, rage, roar, thunder, fume, go mad (informal), babble, splutter, storm, be delirious, talk wildly, declaim, harangue, mouth, perorate, jabber; To speak in a loud, pompous, or prolonged manner. b. enthuse, praise, gush, be delighted by, be mad about (informal), big up (slang, chiefly Caribbean), rhapsodize, be wild about (informal), cry up, carry on, drool, effuse, enthuse, fuss, slobber; b1. To show enthusiasm. b2. to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium. 2. adjective: enthusiastic, excellent, favourable, ecstatic, laudatory; Relating to or being an extravagantly enthusiastic opinion or review.

echo

1. verb: a. reverberate, repeat, resound, ring, resonate, rebound, reecho, reflect, reverberate; To send back the sound of. b. recall, reflect, copy, mirror, resemble, reproduce, parrot, imitate, reiterate, ape; To copy (another) slavishly. c. To restate in support or agreement 2. noun: a. reverberation, ringing, repetition, answer, resonance, resounding; Repetition of sound via reflection of sounds waves from a surface. b. copy, reflection, clone, reproduction, imitation, duplicate, double, reiteration, reflex, repetition; Imitative reproduction, as of the style of another. c. imitator, mimic, parrot, aper, copycat, copyist, follower, rubber stamp, wannabe (also wannabee); One who mindlessly imitates another. d. reminder, suggestion, trace, hint, recollection, vestige, evocation, intimation, remnant; a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication of something now lost or vanished. e. A sympathetic response. f. Soft repetition of a musical note or phrase. from Greek echo, personified in classical mythology as a mountain nymph who pined away for love of Narcissus until nothing was left of her but her voice, from or related to ekhe "sound," ekhein "to resound."

flow

1. verb: a. run, course, rush, sweep, move, issue, pass, roll, flood, pour, slide, proceed, stream, run out, surge, spill, go along, circulate, swirl, glide, ripple, cascade, whirl, overflow, gush, inundate, deluge, spurt, teem, spew, squirt, purl, well (forth), surge; To come forth or emit in abundance. b. circulate, course, run, stream; To move freely as a liquid. c. discharge, empty, issue; To pass or pour out. d. glide, roll, sail; To proceed with ease, especially said of fluent verbosity. e. arise, come, derive, emanate, issue, originate, proceed, rise, spring, stem, upspring; To be effected in rich abundance facilitating ease of inception. f. issue, follow, result, emerge, spring, pour, proceed, arise, derive, ensue, emanate, originate; Happen as a consequence. 2. noun: a. stream, current, movement, motion, course, issue, flood, drift, tide, spate, gush, flux, outpouring, outflow, undertow, tideway; a continuous stream or discharge. b. outpouring, flood, stream, succession, train, plenty, abundance, deluge, plethora, outflow, effusion, emanation; An apparent ease or effortlessness of performance. c. Continuity and smoothness of appearance. d. A general movement, tendency, or, on the same analogy, current.

scrub

1. verb: a. scour, clean, polish, rub, wash, cleanse, buff; a1. To rub hard in order to clean. a2. To remove (dirt or stains) by hard rubbing. b. cancel, drop, abandon, abolish, delete, do away with, discontinue, scrap, throw out, do away with, give up, discontinue, take away, stop, put an end to, eliminate, cut, jettison, discard, forget (about), abort, axe, ditch, dump, junk, abort, call, call off, cry off, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke; To decide not to go ahead with (something previously arranged). c. scour, scrape; To remove (an outer layer or adherent matter) by rubbing a surface with considerable pressure. 2. noun: a. undergrowth, brush, underwood, bracken, brambles, briars, underbrush, brushwood, underbush; Dense vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes. b. An insignificant or contemptible person. c. An athlete not among the best or most skilled.

ferret

1. verb: a. search, hunt, sift, scour, rummage, forage, fossick (Austral. & N.Z.), track down, discover, uncover, trace, disclose, get at, unearth, drive out, elicit, dig up, root out, search out, bring to light, nose out, smell out, run to earth; search for and discover through persistent investigation. b. expel; To drive out, as from a hiding place. c. worry; To hound or harry persistently. 2. noun: a. an active, persistent, assiduous searcher.

ooze

1. verb: a. seep, well, drop, escape, strain, leak, drain, sweat, filter, bleed, weep, drip, trickle, leach, dribble, percolate, exude, leach, percolate, transpire, transude, weep, emit, release, discharge, give out, give off, excrete, overflow with, pour forth; To flow or leak out or emit something slowly, as if through small openings or interstices. b. exude, emit, radiate, display, exhibit, manifest, gush, emanate, overflow with; To emit a particular essence or quality. c. To progress slowly and imperceptibly, but steadily. 2. noun: a. mire, muck, slime, slop, sludge, slush, seepage, leak, leaking, discharge, drip, dripping, trickle, oozing, dribble, leakage, exudation, goo, gook, goop, guck, gunk; A viscous, usually offensively dirty substance.

wave

1. verb: a. signal, sign, gesture, gesticulate, guide, point, direct, indicate, motion, nod, beckon, point in the direction; a1. signal with the hands or nod a2. To signal (a person) by using the hand to move in a specified direction. b. brandish, swing, flourish, wield, wag, move something to and fro, shake, sweep; To wield boldly and dramatically. c. flutter, flap, stir, waver, shake, swing, sway, ripple, wag, quiver, undulate, oscillate, move to and fro; To move or cause to move about while being fixed at one edge. d. beat, flap, flitter, flop, flutter, waggle; To move (one's arms or wings, for example) up and down. e. curl, curve, undulate; e1. To have or cause to have a curved or sinuous form or surface. e2. Move smoothly and continuously in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion. 2. noun: a. gesture, sign, signal, indication, gesticulation; b. ripple, breaker, sea surf, swell, ridge, roller, comber, billow; One of a series of small ridges or swells moving across the interface of two fluids and dependent on surface tension. c. curl, coil, kink, undulation, loop; A curve or succession of curves, as in the hair. d. vibration, ripple, resonance, tremor, reverberation, judder, pulsation; A disturbance that travels through a medium. e. surge, welling up, rush, flood, thrill, stab, shiver, feeling, tingle, spasm, upsurge, frisson; A surge or rush, as of intense sensation. f. outbreak, trend, rash, upsurge, sweep, flood, tendency, surge, ground swell; A sudden great rise, as in activity or intensity. g. stream, flood, surge, spate, current, movement, flow, rush, tide, torrent, deluge, upsurge; One of a succession of mass movements.

cut

1. verb: a. slit, saw, score, nick, slice, slash, pierce, hack, penetrate, notch, gash, incise; To penetrate with a sharp edge. b. carve, cleave, dissever, sever, slice, slit, split, chop, divide, segment, dissect, part; To separate into parts with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument. c. chop down, fell, hew; To bring down, as with a saw or ax. d. chop, sheer, skew, slue, swerve, veer, yaw; To turn aside sharply from a straight course. e. chop, clip, crop, cut back, cut down, lop, hack, mow, lower, pare, prune, shear, snip, slash, trim, truncate; To decrease, as in length or amount, by or as if by severing or excising. f. attenuate, dilute, thin, water (down), weaken; To lessen the strength of by or as if by admixture. g. rebuff, shun, snub, spurn, ignore, avoid, slight, blank (slang), freeze (someone) out (informal), cold-shoulder, turn your back on, send to Coventry, look straight through (someone), close the door on, give someone the cold shoulder, give someone the go-by, turn one's back on; To slight (someone) deliberately, refusing to speak to or recognize. h. slash, nick, wound, lance, gash, lacerate, incise; i. sever, cut in two, sunder; To cut off (a part) from a whole. j. shape, carve, engrave, chisel, form, score, fashion, chip, sculpture, whittle, sculpt, inscribe, hew; To form or shape by severing or incising or grinding. k. abridge, edit, shorten, curtail, condense, abbreviate, précis; To reduce the size, extent, complexity, or duration of while retaining essential elements. l. delete, take out, excise, edit out, expurgate; to strike out or cancel. m. stop, suspend, interrupt, discontinue, cease; To put an end to. n. hurt, wound, upset, sting, grieve, pain, hurt someone's feelings; To injure the feelings of. o. detach; To separate from a main body or group. p. To be very astute and penetrating. q. switch off, turn off, turn out, kill; Cause to stop operating by flipping a switch. r. To exhibit the appearance or give the impression of. s. truant, skip, go AWOL, play hooky; To fail to attend on purpose. 2. noun: a. incision, nick, rent, stroke, rip, slash, groove, slit, snip; The result of cutting. b. gash, nick, wound, slash, graze, laceration, incision, slice, slit, split; The result of cutting, especially an opening or wound made by a sharp edge. c. reduction, fall, lowering, slash, decrease, cutback, diminution, abatement, curtailment, decrement, diminishment, diminution, drain, slash, slowdown, taper; The act or process of decreasing. d. share, piece, slice, percentage, portion, kickback (chiefly U.S.), rake-off (slang); A part or portion belonging to, distributed to, contributed by, or owed by a person or group. e. style, look, form, fashion, shape, mode, configuration; The style in which a garment is cut. f. piece, portion, section, segment, slice; A part severed from a whole. g. allocation, allotment, allowance, dole, lot, measure, part, portion, quantum, quota, ration, share, split, divvy; That which is allotted. h. rebuff, snub, spurn, cold shoulder, go-by; A deliberate slight. i. truancy, truantry, hooky; An unexcused absence. j. (Film) films an immediate transition from one shot to the next, brought about by splicing the two shots together.

crash

1. verb: a. smash, break, break up, shatter, fragment, fracture, shiver, disintegrate, splinter, dash to pieces, crack up, pile up; To undergo wrecking. b. bump, collide; To come together or come up against with force. c. bang, clap, slam, whack; To strike, set down, or close in such a way as to make a loud noise. d. break, bust, collapse, fail, go under, be ruined, go bust (informal), fold up, go broke (informal), go to the wall, go belly up (informal), smash, fold; To suddenly undergo a severe downturn, especially economic ruin. e. bed (down), retire, turn in, flop, call it a night, hit the hay; To go to bed and sleep from exhaustion in a convenient place. f. fall, pitch, plunge, sprawl, topple, lurch, hurtle, come a cropper (informal), overbalance, fall headlong; come down violently. g. plunge, hurtle, precipitate yourself; To move noisily and forcefully, so as to cause damage or dismay throughout. h. go down, conk out, go bad, break down, die, fail, give out, give way, break, go; Stop operating. i. barge in, gate-cras, intrude, irrupt; enter uninvited. j. To undergo a period of unpleasant feeling or depression as an aftereffect of drug-taking. k. to land an aircraft in such a way that damage is unavoidable. 2. noun: a. collision, accident, smash, wreck, prang (informal), bump, crack-up, pile-up (informal), smash-up; A wrecking of a vehicle. b. smash, clash, boom, smashing, bang, thunder, thump, racket, din, clatter, clattering, thud, clang; c. smash, clash, boom, smashing, bang, thunder, thump, racket, din, clatter, clattering, thud, clang; To strike together with a loud, harsh noise. d. bump, collision, concussion, impact, jar, jolt, percussion, shock, smash; Violent forcible contact between two or more things. e. breakdown, collapse, debacle, smash, smashup, wreck, failure, depression, ruin, bankruptcy, downfall, comeuppance; An abrupt disastrous failure. 3. adjective: a. intensive, concentrated, immediate, urgent, round-the-clock, emergency; Designed to meet emergency needs as quickly as possible.

overflow

1. verb: a. spill over, discharge, well over, run over, pour over, pour out, bubble over, brim over, surge over, slop over, teem over, abound, bristle, crawl, flow, pullulate, swarm, teem; To be abundantly filled or richly supplied. b. flood, swamp, submerge, cover, drown, soak, immerse, inundate, deluge, engulf, flush, inundate, overwhelm, whelm, pour over; To flow over completely. 2. a. alluvion, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, downpour, flood, freshet, inundation, Niagara, torrent, spate, flooding, spill, discharge, spilling over, inundation; An abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain. b. excess, fat, glut, overage, overmuch, overrun, overstock, oversupply, superfluity, surplus, surplusage, extra, overspill, inundation, overabundance, additional people or things; An amount or quantity beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate.

seal

1. verb: a. stick down, close, secure, shut, fasten, shut, close, seal up, make watertight, make airtight; To secure or prevent passage into and out of (an area). b. cordon off, shut off, fence off, isolate, segregate, close off; divide by means of a boundary marker. c. settle, close, clinch, conclude, wind up, consummate, sew up, finalize, shake hands on (informal); to decide irrevocably. 2. noun: a. sealant, sealer, adhesive; any substance or device used to close or fasten tightly. b. authentication, stamp, confirmation, assurance, ratification, notification, insignia, imprimatur, attestation; That which confirms. c. badge, symbol, crest, emblem, mark, stamp, insignia, monogram; a visible object or representation that symbolizes a quality, type, group, etc, esp the concrete symbol of an abstract idea. d. cachet, seal of approval, accolade, honor, laurels, honour, award; an indication of approved or superior status.

remove

1. verb: a. take out, take off, take away, withdraw, get out, extract, abstract; To move (something) from a position occupied. b. take off, pull off, peel off, slip out of, climb out of, doff, divest yourself of; To take from one's own person. c. move, transfer, transport, shift, quit, depart, move away, relocate, vacate, flit (Scot. & Northern English dialect), maneuver; c1. To go or cause to go from one place to another. c2. To change one's residence or place of business, for example. d. fare, go, journey, pass, proceed, push on, travel, wend, make one's way; To move along a particular course. e. erase, eliminate, take out, wipe off, wipe out, wash off, clean off, rinse off, delete, shed, get rid of, excise, strike out, efface, expunge, eradicate, blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), blot out; To take or leave out. f. abolish, annihilate, blot out, clear, eradicate, erase, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, kill, liquidate, obliterate, root (out or up), rub out, snuff out, stamp out, uproot, wipe out, do away with, make an end of, put an end to; To destroy all traces of. g. dismiss, eliminate, get rid of, discharge, abolish, expel, throw out, oust, relegate, purge, eject, do away with, depose, unseat, see the back of, dethrone, show someone the door, give the bum's rush (slang), throw out on your ear (informal); To get rid of, especially by banishment or execution. h. kill, murder, do in (slang), eliminate, take out (slang), get rid of, execute, wipe out, dispose of, assassinate, do away with, liquidate, off, slay, polish off, dispatch, hit, bump off (slang), wipe from the face of the earth; kill intentionally and with premeditation. i. amputate, cut off, excise, chop off, hack off, lop off; To cut off (a projecting body part), especially by surgery. j. to do away with (a grievance, cause of anxiety, obstacle etc). 2. noun: distance, lead, length, spacing, spread, stretch, way; Distance or degree of separation or remoteness. from Latin removere "move back or away, take away, put out of view, subtract," from re- "back, away" + movere "to move."

rip

1. verb: a. tear, cut, score, split, burst, rend, slash, hack, claw, slit, gash, lacerate; To separate or pull apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint by carelessly rough force, or to undergo this action. b. bolt, bucket, bustle, dart, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, fly, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, race, rocket, run, rush, sail, scoot, scour, shoot, speed, sprint, tear, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom, hotfoot, barrel, highball, nip, get a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it; To move swiftly. 2. noun: tear, cut, hole, split, rent, slash, slit, cleavage, gash, laceration; A torn or split place, especially along a seam.

bend

1. verb: a. twist, turn, wind, lean, hook, bow, curve, arch, incline, arc, deflect, warp, buckle, coil, flex, stoop, veer, swerve, diverge, contort, inflect, incurvate; To cause to assume a curved or angular shape. b. wind, turn, twist, arch, arc, swerve; To veer from a straight line. c. submit, yield, bow, surrender, give in, give way, cede, concede, capitulate, resign yourself; To make a concession. d. force, direct, influence, shape, persuade, compel, mould, sway; To force to assume a different direction or shape, according to one's own purpose. e. address, apply, buckle down, concentrate, dedicate, devote, direct, focus, give, turn; To apply (the mind) closely. f. arch, bow, hump, hunch, scrunch, stoop; To incline the body downward as a passive capitulation to gravitational force. g. give; To be unable to hold up. h. To misrepresent; distort. i. To relax or make an exception to. j. to constrain or strain to tension by curving. k. to force from a proper shape. 2. noun: a. turn, crook, twist, bight; A circular segment of a curve. b. crease, crimp, fold, plication, flexure, pleat, plait, twirl, kink, twist; an angular or rounded shape made by folding.

strip

1. verb: a. undress, disrobe, expose yourself, take your clothes off, unclothe, uncover yourself; To remove all the clothing from. b. decorticate, pare, peel, scale, skin, clean, clear, rub, shave, scrape, abrade; To remove the skin of. c. deprive, dispossess, divest, rob; To take or keep something away from. d. bare, denude, disrobe, divest, expose, uncover; To make bare, removing nonessential detail. e. depredate, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, ransack, rape, ravage, sack, spoliate, harrow, spoil; To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war. f. dismantle, take apart, disassemble, take to pieces, take to bits; To divide a complex manifold into its constituent pieces. 2. noun: a. piece, shred, bit, band, slip, belt, tongue, ribbon, fillet, swathe; A long narrow piece, usually of uniform width. b. stretch, area, tract, expanse, extent; A long narrow region of land or body of water.. c. street, road, avenue, row, lane, terrace, boulevard, roadway, thoroughfare; An area, as along a busy street or highway, that is lined with a great number and variety of commercial establishments.

stroll

1. verb: a. walk, ramble, amble, wander, promenade, saunter, meander, perambulate, stooge (slang), take a turn, toddle, make your way, mooch (slang), mosey (informal), stretch your legs; To walk idly at a leisurely pace (usually in some public place). b. tramp, tromp; To travel from place to place seeking work or gain. 2. noun: amble, meander (often used in plural), perambulation, promenade, ramble, saunter, walk, wander, turn, airing, constitutional, excursion, breath of air; An act of walking, especially for leisurely pleasure.

quarrel

1. verb: disagree, fight, argue, row, clash, dispute, scrap (informal), differ, fall out (informal), brawl, squabble, spar, wrangle, bicker, be at odds, altercate, bicker, contend, quibble, spat, tiff, wrangle, hassle, tangle, cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns, fight like cat and dog, go at it hammer and tongs; to engage angrily in a disagreement or dispute. 2. noun: disagreement, fight, row, difference (of opinion), argument, dispute, controversy, breach, scrap (informal), disturbance, misunderstanding, contention, feud, fray, brawl, spat, strife, wrangle, skirmish, vendetta, discord, fracas, commotion, tiff, altercation, broil, tumult, dissension, affray, turf war (informal), shindig (informal), disputation, dissidence, shindy (informal), bagarre (French), bicker, clash, debate, difficulty, polemic, run-in, squabble, tiff, word (used in plural), wrangle, hassle, rhubarb, tangle; An interaction in which the parties involved express angry disagreement with one another which may continue to strain relations after the initial contention. from Latin querella "complaint, accusation; lamentation," from queri "to complain, lament."

backslide

1. verb: relapse, slip, weaken, go wrong, stray, lapse, revert to old habits, fall back, degenerate, slip back to old ways, regress, go astray, retrogress, regress, revert to one's bad habits, weaken, lose one's resolve, give in to temptation, go astray, leave the straight and narrow, go down the primrose path, deteriorate, slide, fall off, revert to a former state, go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, recidivate; To slip from a higher or better condition to a former, usually lower or poorer one, into bad ways or error. 2. noun: backsliding, lapse, recidivation, recidivism, relapse; A slipping from a higher or better condition to a lower or poorer one.

blackmail

1. verb: threaten, force, squeeze, compel, exact, intimidate, wring, coerce, milk, wrest, dragoon, extort, bleed (informal), press-gang, hold to ransom, extort money from, demand hush money from; demand money or another benefit from (someone) in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. 2. noun: a. threat, intimidation, ransom, compulsion, protection (informal), coercion, extortion, pay-off (informal), shakedown, hush money (slang), exaction, demanding money with menaces, exaction, protection racket, bribery, wringing, milking, bleeding, bloodsucking, chantage; the action, treated as a criminal offense, of demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. b. A tribute anciently exacted on the Scottish border by plundering chiefs in exchange for immunity from pillage.

uniquely

adverb: 1. in a way that belongs or is connected to only one particular person or thing. 2. in a very special or unusual way.

schatzi

German noun: dearest, beloved, sweet, angel, treasure, honey, dear, sweetie (informal), beloved, darling, dear, love, minion, precious, truelove, light of one's life; "German girlfriend," from German Schatzi, diminutive of Schatz, a term of endearment for a woman, literally "treasure."

press the flesh

To meet, mingle, talk to, and shake hands with many different people. Used especially in reference to a politician running for office.

uxorious

adjective: Excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife, foolishly lavishing doting affection. from Latin uxorius "of or pertaining to a wife," also "devoted to a wife" or "ruled by a wife," from uxor (genitive uxoris) "wife."

funicular

adjective: 1 A railway up the side of a mountain pulled by a moving cable and having counterbalancing ascending and descending cars. 2. having the form of or associated with a cord usually under tension. from Latin funiculus "a slender rope," diminutive of funis "a cord, rope."

subjacent

adjective: 1. Located beneath or below; underlying. 2. Lying at a lower level but not directly beneath. 3. Forming a foundation or basis. from Latin subjacēre "to lie under," from sub- + jacēre "to lie."

millenary

adjective: 1. Of or relating to a thousand, especially to a thousand years. 2. a. Of or relating to the doctrine of the millennium; millenarian. b. Of or relating to millenarians. from Latin milleni "one thousand each," from mille.

passable

adjective: 1. adequate, middling, average, fair, all right, ordinary, acceptable, moderate, fair enough, mediocre, so-so (informal), tolerable, not too bad, allowable, presentable, admissible, unexceptional, common, decent, goodish, respectable, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable, OK, tidy, adequate, all right, fairly good, sufficiently good, moderately good, not (too) bad, presentable, allowable, run-of-the-mill, workaday, indifferent, unremarkable, undistinguished, unexceptional, fair-to-middling, nothing to write home about, no great shakes, not up to much, not much cop, bog-standard, vanilla, plain vanilla, half-pie; just good enough to be acceptable. 2. clear, open, navigable, unobstructed, traversable, crossable, negotiable, navigable, traversable, negotiable, crossable, able to be traveled on/along, unblocked, unobstructed, open, clear, usable; (of a route or road) clear of obstacles and able to be traveled along or on.

decorated

adjective: 1. adorned; provided with something intended to increase beauty or distinction. 2. having been awarded a mark or marks of honor.

entire

adjective: 1. all, complete, gross, total, whole, full, whole; Including every constituent or individual. 2. complete, full, intact, integral, perfect, whole; Lacking nothing essential or normal, to which nothing need be added. 3. flawless, good, intact, perfect, sound, unblemished, unbroken, undamaged, unharmed, unhurt, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, whole, unmarked, without a scratch, unmarred; In excellent condition, deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.. 4. continuous, unified, unbroken, uninterrupted, undivided; having a smooth edge. from Latin integer (adj.) "intact, whole, complete," figuratively, "untainted, upright," literally "untouched," from in- "not" + root of tangere "to touch."

uneasy

adjective: 1. anxious, worried, troubled, upset, wired (slang), concerned, distressed, solicitous, nervous, disturbed, uncomfortable, unsettled, impatient, restless, agitated, apprehensive, edgy, jittery (informal), perturbed, on edge, ill at ease, restive, twitchy (informal), discomposed, aflutter, antsy, atwitter, dithery, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, insecure, jumpy, nervy, queasy (also queazy), tense, unquiet, uptigh, like a fish out of water, antsy (informal)t; Lacking a sense of security. 2. precarious, strained, uncomfortable, tense, awkward, unstable, shaky, insecure, constrained, unsure; a. Affording no ease, quiet, repose, rest, or reassurance. b. Characterized by embarrassment and discomfort. 3. disturbing, upsetting, disquieting, worrying, troubling, bothering, dismaying, restless; causing mental discomfort.

guilty

adjective: 1. ashamed, sorry, rueful, sheepish, contrite, remorseful, regretful, shamefaced, hangdog, conscience-stricken; Suffering from or prompted by a sense of guilt. 2. culpable, responsible, convicted, to blame, offending, erring, at fault, reprehensible, iniquitous, felonious, blameworthy, blamable, blameful, censurable, reprehensible; consciously responsible for a grave offence, crime, or misdeed.

observant

adjective: 1. attentive, quick, alert, perceptive, concentrating, careful, vigilant, mindful, watchful, wide-awake, sharp-eyed, eagle-eyed, keen-eyed, on your toes, heedful, open-eyed, wakeful, wary, on the ball, careful, heedful; a. paying close, strict attention, especially to fine details. b. quick to notice. 2. devout, godly, holy, orthodox, pious, obedient, reverent; (of individuals) adhering strictly to law, rules, duty, principle, custom, ritual, or ceremony. from Latin observare "watch over, note, heed, look to, attend to, guard, regard, comply with," from ob- "in front of, before" + servare "to watch, keep safe."

mediocre

adjective: 1. ordinary, common, commonplace, indifferent, average, middle-of-the-road, middling, medium, moderate, everyday, workaday, tolerable, passable, adequate, fair, inferior, second-rate, uninspired, undistinguished, unexceptional, unexciting, banal, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, not very good, pedestrian, prosaic, lackluster, forgettable, amateur, amateurish, OK, so-so, bog-standard, fair-to-middling, (plain) vanilla, nothing to write home about, no great shakes, not so hot, not up to much, half-pie; Being of no special quality or type. 2. common, inferior, low-grade, low-quality, mean, second-class, second-rate, shabby, substandard; Of low or lower quality. from Latin mediocris "of middling height or state, moderate, ordinary," figuratively "mediocre, mean, inferior," literally "halfway up a mountain," from medius "middle" + ocris "jagged mountain" (cognate with Greek okris "peak, point).

decent

adjective: 1. becoming, comely, comme il faut, correct, decorous, de rigueur, nice, proper, respectable, right, seemly, befitting, fitting, fit, appropriate, suitable, comme il faut (French); Conforming to standards of good taste, especially in deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity. 2. clean, modest, wholesome; Not lewd, indelicate, or obscene. 3. adequate, comfortable, competent, enough, satisfactory, sufficient; Being what is needed without being in excess. 4. acceptable, adequate, average, common, fair, fairish, goodish, moderate, passable, respectable, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable, OK, tidy, all right, reasonable, suitable, good enough, competent, ample, up to scratch, up to standard, up to the mark; Of moderately good quality but less than excellent. 5. chaste, modest, nice, pure, virgin, virginal, virtuous, respectable, proper, polite, presentable, decorous, upright; Morally beyond reproach, especially in sexual conduct. 6. presentable, respectable; Proper in appearance. 7. all right, ethical, good, honest, honorable, just, moral, nice, right, right-minded, righteous, straight, true, upright, virtuous; Marked by moral integrity, kindness, and goodwill. 8. Showing thoughtfulness or consideration. from Latin decentem (nominative decens) "becoming, seemly, fitting, proper," present participle of decere "to be fitting or suitable."

slipshod

adjective: 1. careless, messy, slapdash, slovenly, untidy, sloppy (informal), loose, casual, untidy, slovenly, unsystematic; (of an action) Indifferent to correctness, accuracy, or neatness. 2. disheveled, messy, mussy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, down-at-heel; (of a person's appearance) Marked by an absence of cleanliness and order. (originally in the sense 'wearing slippers or loose shoes')

childish

adjective: 1. childlike, youthful, young, young-looking, girlish, boyish, children's, child's, adolescent, teenaged, teenage, bread-and-butter; in the manner of, belonging to, or suitable to a child. 2. immature, babyish, infantile, juvenile, puerile, silly, inane, fatuous, jejune, foolish, stupid, irresponsible, naive, trifling, frivolous, weak, ridiculous, petty, irresponsible; 1. Displaying a complete lack of poise, forethought, judgement, and good sense. 2. lacking complexity.

airtight

adjective: 1. closed, shut, sealed, waterproof, watertight, stopped up, shut tight, tight, impermeable, hermetically sealed; not allowing air to escape or pass through. 2. incontestable, sure, sound, certain, safe, positive, guaranteed, absolute, undeniable, foolproof, infallible, indisputable, sure-fire (informal), unbreakable, irrefutable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, indubitable, unquestionable, unassailable, beyond dispute, beyond question, beyond doubt, flawless, watertight, conclusive, without loopholes; having no weak points or openings of which an opponent may take advantage.

agreeable

adjective: 1. congenial, favorable, good, grateful, gratifying, nice, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, acceptable, delightful, enjoyable, to your liking, to your taste, likable or likeable, all right, alright, copacetic (also copasetic or copesetic), ducky, fine, good, hunky-dory, jake [slang], OK (or okay), palatable, satisfactory; pleasing to the mind or senses especially as according well with one's tastes or needs. 2. affable, amiable, congenial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, pleasant, sociable, warm, nice, friendly, likable or likeable; Pleasant and friendly in disposition. 3. accordant, compatible, conformable, congenial, congruous, consistent, consonant, correspondent, corresponding, harmonious; In keeping with one's needs or expectations. 4. consenting, willing, agreeing, approving, sympathetic, complying, responsive, concurring, amenable, in accord, well-disposed, acquiescent, game, minded, ready, willing, fain; Disposed to accept or agree. 5. accommodating, complaisant, indulgent, obliging; Ready to do favors for another.

dusty

adjective: 1. dirty, grubby, unclean, unswept, undusted, grimy soiled, begrimed, befouled, mucky, sooty, stained, smudged, spotty, dust-covered, dust-filled, undusted, grungy, cruddy, manky, grotty, gungy, scungy, besmirched, powdery, crumbly, chalky, friable, granulated, granular, gritty, sandy; 2. powdery, sandy, chalky, crumbly, granular, friable; consisting of fine particles. 3. stale, moth-eaten, cold, unoriginal, timeworn; lacking originality, spontaneity. 4. muted, dull, flat, faded, pale, pastel, subtle, restrained, grayish, darkish, dirty; (of a color) dull or muted, tinged with gray.

telegenic

adjective: Having a physical appearance and exhibiting personal qualities deemed highly appealing, markedly attractive, well-suited to television viewers.

singular

adjective: 1. discrete, individual, particular, separate, single; Being or related to a distinct entity. 2. lone, one, only, particular, separate, single, sole, solitary, unique, first and last, one and only; Alone in a given category. 3. alone, incomparable, matchless, nonpareil, only, peerless, unequaled, unexampled, unique, unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled; Without equal or rival. 4. exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent, outstanding, preeminent, rare, remarkable, towering, uncommon, unusual, standout, awesome, unique, notable, eminent, conspicuous, prodigious, unparalleled, noteworthy, extraordinaire, phenomenal, preternatural, out of sight; Far beyond what is usual, normal, or customary, especially in being exceptionally good. 5. bizarre, cranky, eccentric, erratic, freakish, idiosyncratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, queer, quirky, strange, unnatural, unusual, weird, kooky, screwball, rum, rummy, extraordinary, puzzling, curious, out-of-the-way, queer, oddball (informal), wacko (slang), outré, out there (slang), aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, exceptional, freak, uncustomary, unwonted; Deviating from the customary and so appearing a confounding, unaccountable oddity to conformists.

dolorous

adjective: 1. doleful, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, rueful, sad, sorrowful, woebegone, woeful, weeping, tearful, aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, dolesome, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, plangent, regretful, sorry, wailing; Full of or expressive of pain, sorrow, misery, and grief. 2. deplorable, doleful, grievous, lamentable, mournful, regrettable, rueful, sad, sorrowful, woeful; Causing sorrow or regret. When dolorous first appeared around 1400, it was linked to physical pain—and appropriately so, since the word is a descendant of the Latin word dolor, meaning "pain" as well as "grief."

pleasing

adjective: 1. enjoyable, satisfying, attractive, charming, entertaining, delightful, gratifying, agreeable, pleasurable, congenial, favorable, good, grateful, gratifying, nice, pleasant, pleasurable, welcome, blessed (also blest), darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, felicitous, heavenly, jolly, luscious, palatable, pretty, savory (also savoury), sweet, tasty; Providing joy and pleasure. 2. likable or likeable, attractive, engaging, charming, winning, entertaining, amusing, delightful, polite, agreeable, amiable; To one's liking. 3. cheerful, cheery, festive, glad, happy, joyful, joyous; Providing joy and pleasure.

war-weary / battle-weary

adjective: 1. exhausted, depressed, and dispirited by war or conflict. 2. of, relating to, or being a combat plane so worn or damaged as to be beyond repair and consigned to be scrapped, cannibalized, or used for target practice.

accomplished

adjective: 1. expert, skilled, skillful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, proficient, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practiced, professional, polished, well versed, versed, smart, clever, ingenious, ready, apt, handy, artful, magnificent, brilliant, splendid, marvelous, impressive, excellent, formidable, outstanding, first-class, first-rate, fine, deadly, great, mean, wicked, nifty, crack, ace, a dab hand at, crackerjack, badass, wizard, compleat, habile, shit-hot, civilized, couth, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined; a. proficient as the result of practice or training. b. Having many social graces. 2. effected, established, settled, unquestionable, indubitable; settled securely and unconditionally. 3. completed, complete, realised, realized; successfully completed or brought to an end.

brittle

adjective: 1. fragile, delicate, crisp, crumbling, frail, crumbly, breakable, shivery, friable, frangible, shatterable, unstable, impermanent, evanescent; a. Easily broken or damaged. b. having hardness and rigidity but little tensile strength, elasticity, flexibility, or toughness; breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass. c. Likely to break, snap, or crack, as when subjected to pressure. 2. tense, nervous, edgy, stiff, wired (slang), irritable, curt; readily excited to impatience or anger. 3. harsh, rough, jarring, grating, raucous, strident, rasping, discordant, croaking, guttural, dissonant, unmelodious; lacking warmth and generosity of spirit.

lost

adjective: 1. gone, missing, missed, disappeared, vanished, strayed, wayward, forfeited, misplaced, mislaid; No longer in one's possession because of being unable to be found. 2. bewildered, confused, puzzled, baffled, helpless, ignorant, perplexed, mystified, clueless (slang); Being unable to think with clarity or act with understanding and intelligence. 3. wasted, consumed, neglected, misused, squandered, forfeited, dissipated, misdirected, frittered away, misspent, misapplied; Not used to good purpose. 4. gone, finished, destroyed, vanished, extinct, defunct, died out; No longer in use, force, or operation. 5. past, former, gone, dead, forgotten, lapsed, extinct, obsolete, out-of-date, bygone, unremembered, one-time, previous, old, olden, departed, vanished, unrecalled, consigned to oblivion, extinct, lost and gone, lost in time, out of date, outmoded, passé; a. No longer known or practiced b. No longer in existence. 6. engrossed, taken up, absorbed, entranced, abstracted, absent, distracted, preoccupied, immersed, dreamy, rapt, spellbound; Completely involved or absorbed. 7. fallen, corrupt, depraved, wanton, abandoned, damned, profligate, dissolute, licentious, unchaste, irreclaimable; Ruined or destroyed physically or morally beyond recovery or redemption. 8. off-course, stray, at sea, adrift, astray, disoriented, disorientated, off-track, gone astray, having lost your bearings; Unable to find one's way. 9. condemned, doomed, fated, foredoomed; Sentenced to terrible, irrevocable punishment. 10. Taken away or beyond reach or attainment. 11. (foll by to) insensible or impervious (to a sense of shame, justice, etc). 12. Lacking assurance or self-confidence. 13. futile; Hopelessly unattainable.

peaceable

adjective: 1. peace-loving, unwarlike, nonbelligerent, nonviolent, noncombative, nonaggressive, conflict-free, easy, easygoing, placid, gentle, meek, mild, inoffensive, good-natured, even-tempered, amiable, amicable, friendly, affable, genial, civil, cooperative, conciliatory, pacific, pacifist, antiwar, dove-like, dovish, irenic, friendly, peaceful, dovish, pacifistic, calm; inclined to avoid argument, quarrel, or violent conflict. 2. peaceful, strife-free, harmonious, amicable, amiable, friendly, cordial, well behaved, law-abiding, disciplined, orderly, civilized, ruly, tranquil; free from argument, strife, conflict, turmoil, or war.

forcible

adjective: 1. violent, armed, aggressive, compulsory, drastic, coercive,strong-arm; impelled by physical force especially against resistant opposition. 2. compelling, strong, powerful, effective, active, impressive, efficient, valid, mighty, potent, energetic, forceful, weighty, cogent, dynamic, dynamical, hard-hitting, powerful, vigorous; a. having or producing force; powerfully effective. b. convincing, as reasoning.

obscene

adjective: 1. indecent, dirty, offensive, gross, foul, coarse, filthy, vile, improper, immoral, pornographic, suggestive, blue, loose, shameless, lewd, depraved, X-rated (informal), bawdy, salacious, prurient, impure, lascivious, smutty, ribald, unwholesome, scabrous, immodest, licentious, indelicate, unchaste, barnyard, bawdy, broad, coarse, dirty, Fescennine, filthy, foul, gross, lewd, nasty, profane, ribald, scatologic, scatological, scurrilous, smutty, vulgar, raunchy, blue, crude, foul, gutter, locker-room, nasty, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, vulgar, wanton; a. intended to stimulate sexual appetite, lust, and moral looseness. b. Of or relating to materials that can be regulated or criminalized because their depiction of nudity, sex, or excretion is patently offensive and without artistic or scientific value. 2. offensive, shocking, evil, disgusting, outrageous, revolting, sickening, vile, wicked, repellent, atrocious, obnoxious, heinous, nauseating, odious, loathsome, abominable, detestable, preposterous, ridiculous, unconscionable, unreasonable, out of bounds, out of sight; a. Beyond all reason. b. Offensive to morality, decency, good taste, and virtue. from Latin obscenus "offensive," especially to modesty, originally "boding ill, inauspicious," a word of unknown origin; perhaps from ob- "in front of" + caenum "filth."

insinuating

adjective: 1. insinuative, insinuatory, suggestive; Provoking a change of outlook, especially gradual doubt, suspicion, and distrust, often in a slyly subtle manner, by indirect allusion, hints, innuendo, etc. 2. ingratiating, ingratiatory, saccharine, sugary; Purposefully contrived to please, gain favor, and win confidence through artful means by imperceptible degrees. from Latin insinuare "to thrust in, push in, make a way; creep in, intrude, bring in by windings and curvings, wind one's way into," from in- "in" + sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," from sinus "a curve, winding."

intriguing

adjective: 1. interesting, fascinating, absorbing, compelling, gripping, riveting, captivating, engaging, enthralling, diverting, titillating, tantalizing, stimulating, thought-provoking, exciting, gripping, stirring, curious, compelling, amusing, diverting, provocative, beguiling, engrossing, arresting, consuming, immersing, involving; disturbingly provocative, serving to excite and stimulate.

forgiving

adjective: 1. lenient, tolerant, compassionate, clement, patient, mild, humane, gracious, long-suffering, merciful, magnanimous, forbearing, willing to forgive, soft-hearted, merciful, pitying, humane, mild, softhearted, forbearing, easygoing, indulgent, accommodating, understanding, placable; inclined or able to forgive and show mercy. 2. absolvitory, exonerative, exculpatory; providing absolution. 3. Providing a margin for error or shortcomings or weakness. 4. (of a thing) easy or safe to deal with.

generous

adjective: 1. liberal, lavish, charitable, free, free-handed, hospitable, prodigal, bountiful, open-handed, unstinting, beneficent, princely, bounteous, munificent, ungrudging, free, handsome, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting, bighearted, freehearted, fulsome, unselfish; Characterized by warmhearted readiness in bounteous giving. 2. magnanimous, kind, noble, benevolent, good, big, high-minded, unselfish, big-hearted, ungrudging; a. Of noble lineage. b. Showing kindness and magnanimity and free from pettiness in character and mind. 3. abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, copious, heavy, plenitudinous, plenteous, plentiful, substantial, voluminous, lavish, full, rich, liberal, overflowing, unstinting, profuse, plenteous; Marked by abundance. 4. Having a rich bouquet and flavor. from Latin generosus "of noble birth," figuratively "magnanimous, giving," from genus (genitive generis) "race, stock."

downbeat

adjective: 1. low-key, muted, subdued, sober, somber, relaxed, unemphatic; restrained in style or quality. 2. gloomy, negative, depressed, pessimistic, unfavorable, defeatist, gloom-ridden, cynical, bleak, fatalistic, dark, black, despairing, despondent, dejected, demoralized, hopeless, melancholy, glum, lugubrious, suspicious, distrustful, doubting, alarmist, given to looking on the black side; A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view.

compromised

adjective: 1. made vulnerable (as to attack or misuse) by unauthorized access, revelation, or exposure. 2. weakened, damaged, or flawed; impaired or diminished in function. 3. exposed to suspicion or discredit; revealed as or suspected of being disreputable, untrustworthy, etc. from Latin compromittere "to make a mutual promise" (to abide by the arbiter's decision), from com- "with, together" + promittere "to send forth; let go; foretell; assure beforehand, promise," from pro- "before" + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw."

threatening

adjective: 1. menacing, bullying, intimidatory, terrorizing, minatory, comminatory, intimidating, frightening, terrifying, scary, fearsome, mean-looking, alarming, forbidding, baleful, warning, admonitory, cautionary, minacious, minatorial; having a hostile or deliberately frightening quality or manner. 2. ominous, sinister, forbidding, grim, baleful, inauspicious, bodeful, minacious, minatory; a. Expressing, indicating, or warning of an impending danger or misfortune. b. Causing the feeling that one's power, social standing, or self-esteem is in danger of being diminished. Old English þreat "crowd, troop," also "oppression, coercion, menace," related to þreotan "to trouble, weary."

loud

adjective: 1. noisy, strong, booming, roaring, piercing, thundering, forte (Music), turbulent, resounding, deafening, thunderous, rowdy, blaring, strident, boisterous, tumultuous, vociferous, vehement, sonorous, ear-splitting, obstreperous, stentorian, clamorous, ear-piercing, high-sounding, earsplitting, roaring, blaring, blasting, booming, clangorous, piercing, plangent, resounding, ringing, roaring, slam-bang, sonorous; Marked by extremely high volume and intensity of sound given out with unduly obtrusive vehemence. 2. garish, bold, glaring, flamboyant, vulgar, brash, tacky (informal), flashy, lurid, tasteless, naff (Brit. slang), gaudy, tawdry, showy, ostentatious, brassy, brummagem, chintzy, meretricious, tawdry, tinsel; a. Tastelessly showy. b. Having strikingly bright colors. c. Having a very strong or overpowering odor. 3. loud-mouthed, offensive, crude, coarse, vulgar, brash, crass, raucous, brazen (informal); characterized by noisy, vulgar, and offensive behavior. 4. Clamorous, insistent, and emphatic.

marked

adjective: 1. noticeable, clear, decided, striking, noted, obvious, signal, dramatic, considerable, outstanding, remarkable, apparent, prominent, patent, evident, distinct, pronounced, notable, manifest, blatant, conspicuous, salient, arresting, bold, conspicuous, eye-catching, observable, pointed, bodacious, brilliant, catchy, commanding, emphatic, flamboyant, grabby, kenspeckle [chiefly Scottish], noisy, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking, sticking out like a sore thumb; Clearly defined and evident and readily attracting notice. 2. watched as an object of suspicion or vengeance. 3. Singled out, especially for a dire fate.

feasible

adjective: 1. practicable, practical, workable, achievable, attainable, realizable, viable, realistic, sensible, reasonable, within reason, useful, suitable, expedient, helpful, constructive, doable, earthly, accomplishable; capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are—a formal term used best when describing more abstract notions, elements of abstraction, distance, and technical specificity 2. probable, likely, conceivable, imaginable, possible; capable of happening or existing. 3. capable of being used or dealt with successfully, likely to work or be useful in attaining the end desired. from Latin facere "to make, do, perform."

hairsplitting

adjective: 1. quibbling, fault-finding, niggling, cavilling, carping, captious, critical, criticizing, disapproving, censorious, judgmental, overcritical, hypercritical, pedantic, punctilious, pettifogging, pass-remarkable, nitpicking, pernickety, picky, persnickety, nice, overnice, nitpicking, frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, negligible, petty, piddling, trifling, trivial, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy, meticulous, particular; characterized by or fond of unreasonably overfine distinctions. 2. delicate, exact, fine, finespun, hairline, minute, nice, nuanced, refined, subtle; Made or done with extreme care and accuracy.

crushed

adjective: 1. rough, unsmooth; Treated so as to have a permanently crinkled or rumpled appearance. 2. humbled, humiliated, broken, low; a. Subdued or brought low in condition or status. b. Feeling overwhelmingly disappointed or embarrassed.

silken

adjective: 1. satiny, silklike, silky, sleek, slick, cottony, downy, soft, velvetlike, velvety; Smooth and lustrous as if polished. 2. agreeably smooth. 3. debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, urbane, charming, debonair, urbane, worldly, worldly-wise, polished, refined, poised, self-possessed, dignified, civilized, gentlemanly, gallant, smooth-talking, smooth-tongued, silver-tongued, glib, bland, polite, well mannered, civil, courteous, affable, tactful, diplomatic, slick, cool, mannerly; displaying smoothness and sophistication in manner or attitude.

hidden

adjective: 1. secret, veiled, dark, mysterious, obscure, mystical, mystic, shrouded, occult, latent, cryptic, hermetic, ulterior, abstruse, recondite, hermetical, cloistered, covert, isolated, quiet, remote, retired, secluded, secret, sheltered; Concealed from view. 2. buried, concealed, covert, obscured, ulterior, covered, secret, unseen, clandestine, secreted, under wraps, unrevealed, under cover; Lying beyond what is obvious or avowed.

easy

adjective: 1. simple, straightforward, no trouble, not difficult, effortless, painless, clear, light, uncomplicated, child's play (informal), plain sailing, undemanding, facile, smooth, snap, easy as ABC, easy as falling off a log, easy as one-two-three, easy as pie, like taking candy from a baby, nothing to ita pushover (slang), a piece of cake (informal), no bother, a bed of roses, easy-peasy (slang), a piece of piss (taboo slang); 2. light, moderate, leisurely, relaxed, comfortable, unhurried, undemanding; Requiring little effort or exertion. 3. effortless, flowing, fluent, fluid, graceful, smooth; Marked by facility, especially of expression. 4. comfortable, cozy, easeful, snug, comfy, soft; Affording pleasurable ease. 5. carefree, comfortable, pleasant, leisurely, trouble-free, untroubled, cushy (informal), unworried, easeful, prosperous, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, well-fixed, comfortably off, in clover, on easy street; Enjoying steady good fortune or financial security. 6. casual, easygoing, informal, natural, relaxed, spontaneous, unceremonious, unrestrained, laid-back, relaxed, friendly, open, pleasant, graceful, gracious, unaffected, affable, unpretentious, unforced, undemanding, unconstrained, unceremonious; Unconstrained by rigid standards or ceremony. 7. charitable, clement, forbearing, indulgent, lax, lenient, merciful, soft, tolerant, light, liberal, flexible, mild, laid-back (informal), easy-going, permissive, unoppressive; not strict or severe. 8. credulous, dupable, exploitable, gullible, naive, susceptible, vulnerable, soft; Easily imposed on or tricked. 9. gentle, gradual, moderate; Not steep or abrupt. 10. fast, libertine, light, loose, wanton, whorish; Marked by an absence of temperate restraint in sexual behavior. 11. (Informal) accommodating, yielding, manageable, easy-going, compliant, amenable, submissive, docile, pliant, tractable, biddable; readily influenced or persuaded, falling in with any suggestion made. 12. untroubled, contented, relaxed, satisfied, calm, peaceful, serene, tranquil, quiet, undisturbed, unworried; Relaxed in attitude. 13. not difficult to endure or undergo.

flowing

adjective: 1. streaming, rushing, gushing, teeming, falling, full, rolling, sweeping, flooded, fluid, prolific, abundant, overrun, brimming over; being released as a tumultuous outpouring. 2. fluent, easy, natural, continuous, effortless, uninterrupted, free-flowing, cursive, rich, fluid, graceful, smooth; smooth and graceful in one's activity, giving it a virtuous shine. 3. sleek, smooth, fluid, unbroken, uninterrupted; moving smoothly and continuously in or as if in a stream. 4. loose, hanging, floppy, flaccid; hanging loosely and gracefully.

greasy

adjective: 1. sycophantic, fawning, grovelling, ingratiating, smooth, slick, oily, unctuous, smarmy (Brit. informal), toadying; 2. slimy, oleaginous, adipose, fat, fatty, oily, oleaginous, unctuous, greased, lubricated, oiled, slick, slicked, slippery, slippy, slithery; Having the qualities of fat.

distressed

adjective: 1. upset, worried, troubled, anxious, distracted, tormented, distraught, afflicted, agitated, saddened, wretched, agitated, concerned, nervous, solicitous, uneasy, unsettled; suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain. 2. poverty-stricken, poor, impoverished, needy, destitute, indigent, down at heel, straitened, penurious; of, relating to, or experiencing economic decline or difficulty. 3. Intentionally marred or faded to convey an antique or used look. from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere "draw apart, hinder," also, in Medieval Latin "compel, coerce," from dis- "apart" + stringere "draw tight, press together."

bothered

adjective: aggravated, annoyed, exasperated, galled, irked, irritated, narked [British], peeved, put out, scunnered [chiefly Scottish], teed off, vexed, daunted, fazed; 1. irritated, especially by repeated acts. 2. agitated or perplexed; upset. 3. intruded on or disturbed without warrant or invitation. 4. worried.

thunderstruck

adjective: amazed, astonished, astounded, floored (informal), shocked, stunned, staggered, paralysed, dazed, taken aback, petrified, aghast, bowled over (informal), open-mouthed, gobsmacked (Brit. slang), dumbfounded, flabbergasted (informal), nonplussed, flummoxed, nonplussed, taken aback, startled, bewildered, flabbergasted, shell-shocked, stupefied, open-mouthed, dumbstruck, speechless, at a loss for words, benumbed, perplexed, confounded, agape, goggle-eyed, wide-eyed, dismayed, disconcerted, jolted, shaken up, bowled over, caught on the hop, caught on the wrong foot, unable to believe one's eyes, gobsmacked, rooted to the spot, struck dumb, left speechless, knocked for six (informal); as if struck dumb with amazement, astonishment, wonder, and surprise.

doughy

adjective: ashen, ashy, blanched, cadaverous, livid, lurid, mealy, pale, paled, pallid, pasty, peaked, wan; unhealthily pale, soft, and fat.

scatology

adjective: bawdry, dirt, filth, obscenity, profanity, ribaldry, smut, vulgarity, raunch; 1. a preoccupation with obscenity (especially that dealing with excrement or excretory functions). 2. interest in or treatment of obscene matters especially in literature. 3. the biologically oriented study of excrement (as for taxonomic purposes or for the determination of diet). Greek skat-, stem of skor (genitive skatos) "excrement."

hardwired

adjective: built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous, ingrain, ingrained (also engrained), inherent, innate, integral, intrinsic, native, natural; genetically or innately determined or predisposed.

lenitive

adjective: calming, comforting, dreamy, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, quieting, relaxing, sedative, tranquilizing (also tranquillizing); having a sedative effect. from Latin lenire "to soften, alleviate, allay; calm, soothe, pacify," from lenis "mild, gentle, calm."

aversive

adjective: causing strong dislike or disinclination due to the presence of a noxious or punishing stimulus. from Latin avertere "to turn away; to drive away; shun; ward off; alienate," from ab- "off, away from" + vertere "to turn."

dime-store

adjective: common, low-quality, mean, second-class, second-rate, shabby, substandard, bad, poor, mean, worse, poorer, pants (informal), flawed, rotten, dire, indifferent, duff (Brit. informal), mediocre, second-class, deficient, imperfect, second-rate, shoddy, low-grade, unsound, downmarket, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.), for the birds (informal), wretched, two-bit (U.S. & Canad. slang), crappy (slang), no great shakes (informal), poxy (slang), dime-a-dozen (informal), piss-poor (slang), chickenshit (U.S. slang), bush-league (Austral. & N.Z. informal), not much cop (Brit. slang), tinhorn (U.S. slang), half-pie (N.Z. informal), of a sort or of sorts, strictly for the birds (informal); of low or lower quality.

garden-variety

adjective: commonplace, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, mainstream, unremarkable, unexceptional, undistinguished, uninspired, unexciting, unmemorable, forgettable, indifferent, average, so-so, mediocre, stock, pedestrian, prosaic, lackluster, dull, bland, uninteresting, mundane, everyday, quotidian, humdrum, hackneyed, trite, banal, clichéd, predictable, overused, overdone, overworked, stale, worn out, timeworn, tired, unoriginal, derivative, common or garden, nothing to write home about, nothing to get excited about, no great shakes, not so hot, not up to much, vanilla, plain vanilla, bog-standard, a dime a dozen, old hat, corny, played out, not much cop, ornery, bush-league, cornball, dime-store, half-pie; being of no special quality or type.

big-headed

adjective: conceited, arrogant, boastful, cocky, cocksure, full of oneself, above oneself, self-important, immodest, swaggering, strutting, vain, self-satisfied, self-congratulatory, pleased with oneself, self-loving, in love with oneself, self-admiring, self-regarding, smug, complacent, swollen-headed, vainglorious, boastful, arrogant, swaggering, bragging, cocky, vaunting, conceited, puffed-up, bumptious, immodest, crowing, assured, biggety (or biggity) [Southern & Midland], consequential, egoistic (also egoistical), egotistic (or egotistical), overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, self-conceited, self-important, self-opinionated, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swellheaded, overconfident, swollen-headed, full of yourself, too big for your boots or breeches, too big for one's boots, blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering arrogant, assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, disdainful, fastuous, haughty, high-and-mighty, high-hat, huffy, lofty, lordly, masterful, peremptory, pontifical, self-asserting, self- assertive, snobbish, snobby, snooty, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity domineering, high-handed, imperious highfalutin (also hifalutin), holier-than-thou, pretentious overconfident, presuming, presumptuous, confident, self-assured, self- confident, self-adulatory, self-congratulatory, self- contented, self-gratulatory, self-applauding, self-dramatizing, self-glorifying, self-promoting, self-affected, self-centered, self-engrossed, selfish, condescending, patronizing; having too high an opinion of oneself and disdainful of those deemed superior.

fast-talking

adjective: conforming to a deceptive form of speech whose misleadingly smooth fluency betrays a kind of ideological skew, whereby seemingly straightforward, facile meanings and words become subtly infused with libidinous innuendo unconsciously ascertained, used as a covert tactic to pressure one into doing something while thinking another.

straightaway

adverb: 1. dead, direct, directly, due, right, straight; In a direct line. 2. directly, forthwith, immediately, instant, instantly, now, bang, directly, headlong, incontinently, instantaneously, PDQ, plumb, presently, promptly, pronto, right now, straightway, right away, right off, straight off, at once, first off, like a shot; Without delay or hesitation. from Old French par amour, from accusative of amor "love," from amare "to love."

dismissive

adjective: contemptuous, scornful, disdainful, insulting, sneering, derisive, snide, scathing, disparaging, negative, unenthusiastic, offhand, perfunctory, sniffy, snotty, dimissory; feeling or showing an indifference or disregard toward something to the effect that it is deemed unworthy of serious consideration.

imaginative

adjective: creative, original, inspired, enterprising, fantastic, clever, stimulating, vivid, ingenious, visionary, inventive, fanciful, dreamy, whimsical, poetical, insightful, resourceful, Promethean, ingenious, enterprising, innovative, innovatory, individual, unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist, unusual, out of the ordinary, off-center, fanciful, whimsical, blue-sky; 1. Having a lively, creative imagination. 2. Created by, indicative of, or characterized by imagination or creativity. 3. Tending to indulge in the fanciful or in make-believe. 4. Having no truth; false. 5. Appealing to fancy.

explicable

adjective: definable, understandable, accountable, intelligible, justifiable, explainable, interpretable, resolvable, decipherable, illustratable, comprehensible, soluble, answerable; able to be accounted for or understood. from Latin explicatus, past participle of explicare "unfold, unravel, explain," from ex- "out" + plicare "to fold."

rootless

adjective: deracinated, déraciné, footloose, homeless, roving, transient, itinerant, vagabond, unsettled, drifting, roving, without family ties, of no fixed abode, without a settled home; 1. having no basis of stability; unsteady. 2. Wandering aimlessly without a definite place or position in society. 3. Having no roots.

disreputable

adjective: discreditable, mean, low, base, shocking, disorderly, notorious, vicious, infamous, disgraceful, shameful, vile, shady (informal), scandalous, ignominious, contemptible, louche, unprincipled, dishonorable, opprobrious, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, ignominious, shady, shoddy, shy, unrespectable; 1. Meriting or causing shame or dishonor. 2. Disordered in appearance. from Latin dis-, word-forming element meaning "lack of, not; opposite of, do the opposite of," reputare "to count over, reckon; think over," from re- "repeatedly" + putare "to judge, suppose, believe, suspect," originally "to clean, trim, prune."

twitchy

adjective: edgy, fidgety, jittery, jumpy, nervous, restive, restless, skittish, tense, uptight, a bundle of nerves, all wound up, on edge; 1. Feeling or exhibiting nervous tension. 2. Characterized by jerky or spasmodic motion.

outsized

adjective: enormous, large, giant, massive, vast, immense, jumbo (informal), gigantic, colossal, extra-large, ginormous (informal), humongous or humungous (U.S. slang), bulky, massive larger than normal for its kind

fascinated

adjective: entranced, charmed, absorbed, very interested, captivated, hooked on, enthralled, beguiled, smitten, bewitched, engrossed, spellbound, infatuated, hypnotized, under a spell, mesmerized, transfixed; having your attention fixated as though by a spell

photogenic

adjective: forming an appealing subject for photography or having features that look attractive in a photograph.

searching

adjective: keen, sharp, probing, close, severe, intent, piercing, penetrating, thorough, quizzical, observant, curious, discerning, incisive, keen, alert, perceptive, shrewd, minute, inquisitive, analytic, deep, in-depth, inquiring; 1. thoroughly scrutinizing, especially in a disconcerting way. 2. acutely observant or penetrating.

demented

adjective: mad, crazy, foolish, daft (informal), frenzied, distraught, manic, insane, crazed, lunatic, unbalanced, deranged, idiotic, unhinged, dotty (slang, chiefly Brit.), loopy (informal), crackpot (informal), barking mad (slang), barking (slang), maniacal, gonzo (slang), doolally (slang), non compos mentis (Latin), brainsick, daft, disordered, dotty, lunatic, maniac, mentally ill, moonstruck, off, touched, unsound, wrong, bonkers, cracked, daffy, gaga, bananas, batty, buggy, cuckoo, fruity, loco, nuts, nutty, screwy, wacky, crackers, balmy, barmy [chiefly British], bats, bedlam, bonkers, bughouse [slang], certifiable, crackbrained, cranky [dialect], crazed, cuckoo, daffy, daft, fruity [slang], haywire, kooky (also kookie), loco [slang], loony (also looney), loony tunes (or looney tunes), mental, meshuga (or meshugge also meshugah or meshuggah), nuts, nutty, psycho, psychotic, scatty [chiefly British], screwy, wacko (also whacko), wud [chiefly Scottish], around the bend, crazy as a loon, mad as a hatter, not all there, nutty as a fruitcake, off one's head, off one's rocker, of unsound mind, out of one's mind, sick in the head, stark raving mad, not the full shilling (informal), crack brained, wacko or whacko (slang), off your trolley (slang), up the pole (informal), out to lunch (informal); Afflicted with or exhibiting irrationality and mental unsoundness. from Latin demens "out of one's senses, insane, raving, foolish; distracting, wild, reckless" (a less technical term than insanitas), from phrase de mente, from de- "from, away from" + mente, ablative of mens "mind."

lenient

adjective: merciful, sparing, gentle, forgiving, kind, tender, mild, tolerant, compassionate, clement, indulgent, forbearing charitable, easy, lax, merciful, soft, tolerant; Inclined not to be harsh, severe, or strict. from Latin lenire "to soften, alleviate, allay; calm, soothe, pacify," from lenis "mild, gentle, calm."

organized

adjective: methodical, ordered, efficient, disciplined, precise, neat, tidy, systematic, orderly, meticulous, businesslike; 1. Functioning in an orderly way by virtue of having a formal organization in place to coordinate and carry out activities according to a clear plan. 2. Affiliated in an organization, especially a union. 3. Formed into a structured or coherent whole.

permissive

adjective: olerant, liberal, open-minded, indulgent, easy-going, free, lax, lenient, forbearing, acquiescent, latitudinarian, easy-oasy (slang); Characterized by freedom of personal behavior or a disregard of traditional social mores. from Latin permittere "let pass, let go, let loose; give up, hand over; let, allow, grant, permit," from per- "through" + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw."

workaday

adjective: ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, mainstream, conventional, unremarkable, unexceptional, unpretentious, plain, simple, undistinguished, nondescript, characterless, colorless, commonplace, humdrum, mundane, unmemorable, unspectacular, pedestrian, prosaic, routine, everyday, day-to-day, quotidian, garden-variety, bog-standard, vanilla, plain vanilla, nothing to write home about, a dime a dozen, common or garden, two a penny, ornery; not special, unusual, or interesting in any way, being a part of general bourgeois life.

lenis

adjective: produced with an articulation that is lax in relation to another speech sound.

fortis

adjective: produced with relatively great articulatory tenseness and strong expiration. from Latin fortis "strong, mighty; firm, steadfast; brave, spirited."

well-equipped / well-appointed

adjective: properly fitted out; having good, complete, or sufficient equipment, supplies, or abilities.

convalescent

adjective: recovering, getting better, recuperating, on the mend, improving, mending; 1. Gradual return to health and strength after illness. 2. The period needed for returning to health after illness.

disinclined

adjective: reluctant, unwilling, averse, opposed, resistant, hesitant, balking, loath, not in the mood, indisposed, antipathetic, cagey, (also cagy), dubious, loath (also loth or loathe), reticent; Not inclined or willing to do or undertake because of mild dislike or disapproval.

resurgent

adjective: renascent, renewed, revived; Regaining a previous degree of activity, influence, or success, rising again as to new life and vigor. from Latin resurgere "rise again, lift oneself, be restored," from re- "again" + from urgere "to rise, arise, get up, mount up, ascend; attack," contraction of surrigere, from assimilated form of sub- "up from below" + regere "to keep straight, guide." Resurgence is particularly prominent in its Italian translation, risorgimento. In the 19th century, when the Italian peninsula consisted of a number of small independent states, a popular movement known as the Risorgimento managed to unify the peninsula and create the modern state of Italy in 1870.

protected

adjective: secure, saved, preserved; kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss or destruction.

vested

adjective: settled, fixed, absolute, inalienable, permanent, unconditional; Being without contingency. 2. protected or established by law, tradition, etc.

disciplined

adjective: showing great self-control in according one's behavior to a rigorously applied form, a very precise way of working under severe principled constraint. from Latin disciplina "instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge," also "object of instruction, knowledge, science, military discipline," from discipulus "pupil, student, follower," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + capere "to take, take hold of."

buffeted

adjective: storm-tossed, tempest-swept, tempest-tossed, tempest-tost, troubled; pounded or hit repeatedly by storms or adversities, requiring one to force one's way with difficulty.

reinforced

adjective: strengthened, fortifed, bolstered (up), shored (up), buttressed, propped up, underpinned, braced, stiffened, toughened, supported, held up, underpropped; given added strength or support.

mulish

adjective: stubborn, difficult, rigid, unreasonable, perverse, intractable, inflexible, recalcitrant, obstinate, intransigent, headstrong, stiff-necked, self-willed, refractory, hardheaded, pigheaded, iron-headed, bullheaded, cross-grained, bullheaded, dogged, hardheaded, pertinacious, pigheaded, tenacious, willful, contumacious, adamant, adamantine, hard, hard-nosed, hardened, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, self-opinionated, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful); resembling or likened to a mule in being extremely or irrationally stubborn and intractable, unwilling to yield.

superlative

adjective: supreme, excellent, outstanding, highest, greatest, crack (slang), magnificent, surpassing, consummate, stellar (informal), unparalleled, transcendent, unrivaled, peerless, unsurpassed, matchless, optimal, optimum, A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], boss [slang], brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool [slang], corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope [slang], down [slang], dynamite, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous [slang], fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters (also gangbuster), gilt-edged (or gilt-edge), gone [slang], grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype [slang], immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous (or marvellous), mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, out-of-sight [slang], par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat [slang], prime, primo [slang], prize, prizewinning, quality, radical [slang], righteous [slang], sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping [chiefly British], wizard [chiefly British], wonderful, of the highest order, of the first water; 1. Of the highest order, quality, or degree; surpassing or superior to all others. 2. Excessive or exaggerated. from Latin superlatus "exaggerated" (used as past participle of superferre "carry over or beyond"), from super- "beyond" + lat- "carry," from *tlat-, past participle stem of tollere "to take away."

perfumed

adjective: sweet-scented, sweet-smelling, odoriferous, odorous, scented, sweet, scented, smelling, fragranced, fragrant, aromatic; impregnated or scented with a sweet-smelling substance. from Latin per- "through" + fumare "to smoke."

lilting

adjective: swinging, swingy, tripping, rhythmic, rhythmical; characterized by a buoyant, cheerful, light rhythm. 1510s, "to lift up" (the voice), probably from West Midlands dialect lulten "to sound an alarm" (late 14c.), a word of unknown origin.

uptight

adjective: tense, wired (slang), anxious, neurotic, uneasy, prickly, edgy, on the defensive, nervy (Brit. informal), fidgety, jittery, jumpy, nervous, restive, restless, skittish, tense, aflutter, antsy, atwitter, dithery, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease, insecure, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, worried, twitchy, a bundle of nerves, all wound up, on edge; 1. displaying overly tense repressed nervousness, irritability, or anger. 2. unable to give expression to one's feelings, personality, etc.

inexplicable

adjective: unaccountable, strange, mysterious, baffling, enigmatic, incomprehensible, mystifying, unintelligible, insoluble, inscrutable, unfathomable, beyond comprehension, unexplainable, unfathomable, impenetrable, unsolvable, puzzling, perplexing, bewildering, mysterious, strange, weird, abstruse, beyond comprehension, beyond understanding; incapable of being explained, interpreted, or accounted for. from Latin inexplicabilis "that cannot be unfolded or disentangled, very intricate," figuratively, "inexplicable," from in- "not, opposite of" + explicabilis "that may be explained," from explicare "unfold, unravel, explain," from ex- "out" + plicare "to fold."

non-negotiable

adjective: undebatable, inflexible, settled, decided, closed, off the table; not open to discussion or reconsideration.

bottomless

adjective: unlimited, endless, infinite, limitless, boundless, inexhaustible, immeasurable, unbounded, illimitable, deep, profound, yawning, unfathomable, fathomless, abyssal; 1. Having no bottom. 2. Too deep to be measured. 3. Difficult or impossible to understand. 4. Having no limitations or bounds.

bearded

adjective: unshaven, hairy, stubbly, bushy, shaggy, hirsute, bristly, whiskered, whiskery, bewhiskered, shaggy, beavered; having a growth of hair on one's cheeks and chin.

inadvisable

adjective: unwise, ill-advised, imprudent, ill-judged, ill-considered, injudicious, impolitic, inexpedient, foolish, incautious, misguided, misconceived, wrongheaded, silly, thoughtless, foolhardy, brash, graceless, indelicate, indiscreet, tactless, undiplomatic; likely to have unfortunate consequences. from in- "not, opposite of," + from Latin visum, neuter past participle of videre "to see."

depleted

adjective: used (up), drained, exhausted, consumed, spent, reduced, emptied, weakened, decreased, lessened, worn out, depreciated, insufficient, low, deficient; 1. Extremely tired; exhausted or worn out. 2. No longer sufficient

full well

adjective: very much, absolutely, beyond doubt.

surely

adverb: 1. assuredly, clearly, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, it must be the case that, without question, assuredly; In a readily distinguished or certain manner. 2. undoubtedly, certainly, definitely, inevitably, doubtless, doubtlessly, for certain, without doubt, unquestionably, inexorably, come what may, without fail, indubitably, all right, alright, beyond the shadow of a doubt; With confidence. 3. steadily, determinedly, doggedly, assuredly, unswervingly, unfalteringly; without danger or risk of injury or loss. 4. indeed, really—often used as an intensive.

clearly

adverb: 1. obviously, undoubtedly, evidently, distinctly, markedly, overtly, undeniably, beyond doubt, incontrovertibly, incontestably, openly, patently, unquestionably, without doubt, indubitably, plainly, decidedly, surely, assuredly, certainly, definitely, undeniably, irrefutably, incontestably, unmistakably, doubtless, visibly, demonstrably, noticeably, manifestly, markedly, transparently, palpably, all right, alright, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, indeed, indisputably, really, so, truly; it goes without saying, needless to say, of course; without doubt or question. 2. legibly, distinctly; in an easily perceptible manner. 3. audibly, distinctly, intelligibly, comprehensibly; clear to the mind.

thus

adverb: 1. therefore, thereupon, wherefore, so, hence, accordingly, ergo, consequently, as a consequence, in consequence, that being so, as a result, for this/that reason, because of this/that, on this/that account; (used to introduce a logical conclusion) as a result or consequence of this. 2. like this/that, in this/that way, in this/that manner, in this/that fashion, so, like so, as follows, as shown, as demonstrated, thusly, in/on this/that wise; in the manner now being indicated or exemplified.

barely

adverb: hardly, scarcely, just, only just, narrowly, marginally, slightly, by the skin of one's teeth, by a hair's breadth, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, by a nose, almost not, by a whisker; 1. By a very little. 2. In a scanty manner; poorly, meagerly. 3. not quite.

piece by piece

adverb: incrementally, gradually, slowly, gradationally, gradually, inchmeal, little by little, piecemeal, one piece at a time, by degrees; in slow and small stages.

en route

adverb: on the way, in transit, on the journey, during the journey, during transport, along/on the road, on the move, in motion, coming, going, proceeding, journeying, traveling; during the course of a journey; on the way.

walls have ears

idiom/proverb: be careful what you say as people may be eavesdropping.

catch (one's) breath

idiom:

catch fire

idiom:

overplay one's hand

idiom: 1. (in a card game) play or bet on one's hand with a mistaken optimism. 2. spoil one's chance of success through excessive confidence in one's position, the false belief that one's position is stronger or better than it really is.

take up

idiom: 1. continue, pick up, renew, reopen, restart, resume; To begin or go on after an interruption. 2. approach, begin, commence, embark, enter, get off, inaugurate, initiate, institute, launch, lead off, open, set about, set out, set to, start, take on, undertake, kick off, get cracking, get going, get the show on the road; To go about the initial step in doing (something). 3. absorb, assimilate, digest, imbibe, soak (up), adopt, embrace, espouse, take on; a. To take in and incorporate, especially mentally. b. To take, as another's idea, and make one's own.

press on

idiom: 1. continue, proceed, carry on, keep going, move forward, make progress, press ahead, persevere, not give up, soldier on (informal), push on, struggle on, forge ahead, go the distance, stay the course, keep at it, stick at; To continue moving forward in a forceful or steady, determined way, especially when facing hardships or setbacks. 2. trouble, worry, plague, torment, harass, afflict, besiege, beset, disquiet, vex, assail; To challenge someone insistently on some point or argument. 3. To put pressure on someone or something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.)

bring someone down

idiom: 1. cut down, down, drop, fell, flatten, floor, ground, knock down, level, prostrate, strike down, throw, deck, lay low; To cause to fall, as from a shot or blow. 2. overthrow, overturn, subvert, topple, tumble, unhorse; To bring about the downfall of. 3. discourage, upset, depress, crush, dash, damp, deter, dismay, daunt, dampen, lay low, cast down, put a damper on, dispirit, deject, oppress, sadden, weigh down; To cause to lose spirit, hope, or enthusiasm.

take down

idiom: 1. depress, drop, let down, lower; To cause to descend. 2. break down, disassemble, dismantle, dismount; To take (something) apart. 3. make a note of, record, write down, minute, note, set down, transcribe, put on record; To write or make a record of, especially in shorthand or cursive writing. 4. dismantle, demolish, take apart, disassemble, level, tear down, raze, take to pieces; To damage (someone's reputation, for example) severely.

make the best of

idiom: 1. derive what limited advantage one can from (something unsatisfactorym unfortunate, or unwelcome). 2. to use (something) in an effective way.

take apart

idiom: 1. dismantle, break up, pull apart, disassemble, pull or take to pieces or bits; To divide into parts. 2. dissect, study, analyse, scrutinize, research, explore, break down; To dissect or analyze (a theory, for example), usually in an effort to discover hidden or innate flaws or weaknesses. 3. To beat up or defeat soundly; thrash.

take off

idiom: 1. doff, remove; to take from one's own position. 2. depart, exit, get away, get off, go, go away, leave, pull out, quit, retire, run (along), withdraw, cut out, push off, shove off, blow, split, split (slang), disappear, set out, strike out, beat it (slang), abscond, decamp, hook it (slang), slope off, pack your bags, hit the road, take leave; To move or proceed away from a place. 3. do well, succeed, thrive, flourish, progress, boom, prosper, have legs (informal), turn out well; To be in a period of highest productivity, excellence, or influence. 4. remove, discard, strip off, drop, peel off, doff, divest yourself of; To move (something) from a position occupied. 5. detach, remove, separate, cut off, pull off, chop off, hack off, clip off, prune off; To remove or cut out as superfluous. 6. subtract, deduct, take something away, remove, eliminate, knock off; To take away (a quantity) from another quantity. 7. lift (off); To rise up in flight.

rip off

idiom: 1. filch, pilfer, purloin, snatch, steal, thieve, lift, swipe, cop, heist, hook, nip, pinch, snitch, make off with; To take (another's property) without permission. 2. fleece, overcharge, clip, gouge, nick, scalp, skin, soak, make someone pay through the nose, take someone for a ride , take someone to the cleaners; To exploit (another) by charging too much for something.

take over

idiom: 1. gain control of, take command of, assume control of, come to power in, become leader of, occupy; a. To seize and move into by force. b. To assume control, management, or responsibility. 2. relieve, spell; To free from a specific duty by acting as a substitute.

cut in

idiom: 1. horn in, intrude, obtrude, break in, butt in, interpose; To force or come in as an improper or unwanted element. 2. break in, chime in, chip in, interrupt; To interject remarks or questions into another's discourse.

do in

idiom: 1. kill, murder, destroy, eliminate (slang), take out (slang), execute, butcher, slaughter, dispatch, assassinate, slay, do away with, blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), liquidate, annihilate, neutralize, take (someone's) life, bump off (slang), finish (off), put away, bump off, knock off, off, rub out, waste, wipe out, zap; To take the life of (a person or persons) unlawfully. 2. exhaust, tire, drain, shatter (informal), weaken, fatigue, weary, fag (informal), sap, wear out, tire out, knacker (slang), fag (out), knock out, tucker (out), poop (out, run ragged, take it out of; To make extremely tired.

do away with

idiom: 1. kill, murder, do in (slang), destroy, take out (slang), dispatch, slay, blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), knock off (slang), liquidate, exterminate, take (someone's) life, bump off (slang), 2. get rid of, remove, eliminate, axe (informal), abolish, junk (informal), pull, chuck (informal), discard, put an end to, dispense with, discontinue, put paid to, pull the plug on;

take out

idiom: 1. kill, murder, execute, assassinate, top (informal), eliminate, do someone in (informal), get rid of, dispatch, put an end to, do away with, exterminate, finish someone off, put someone to death, bump someone off (informal), rub someone out (informal); to kill or destroy. 2. date, go out, see; To be with another person socially on a regular basis.

take to

idiom: 1. like, fancy, get on with, warm to, be taken with, be pleased by, become friendly with, conceive an affection for; To find agreeable and develop attached feelings of fondness for. 2. To develop as a habit or a steady practice.

of course

idiom: 1. naturally, certainly, obviously, definitely, undoubtedly, needless to say, without a doubt, indubitably, as might be expected, as you/one would expect, needless to say, not unexpectedly, to be sure, as was anticipated, as a matter of course, clearly, it goes without saying, natch; used to introduce an idea or turn of events as being obvious or to be expected. 2. yes, certainly, definitely, absolutely, by all means, with pleasure, sure thing; used to give or emphasize agreement or permission.

bring up

idiom: 1. rear, raise, support, train, develop, teach, nurse, breed, foster, educate, care for, nurture; To take care of and educate (a child). 2. broach, introduce, moot, put forth, raise, put forward, present, suggest, advance, come up with, submit, tender, proffer, propound; (also bring forward) To put forward (a topic) for discussion. 3. advert, mention, point, point out, refer, touch (on or upon); To call or direct attention to something.

take away

idiom: 1. remove, take, take off, take out, withdraw; To move (something) from a position occupied.

take back

idiom: 1. return, restore, give back, bring something back, send something back, hand something back; To send, put, or carry back to a former location 2. retract, withdraw, renounce, renege on, disavow, recant, disclaim, unsay, abjure, recall; To disavow (something previously written or said) irrevocably and usually formally. 3. regain, get back, reclaim, recapture, repossess, retake, reconquer; to regain possession of. 4. be reconciled with, forgive, pardon, welcome someone back, accept someone back; to allow to return; resume a relationship with. 5. evoke, remind you of, awaken your memories of, call up, summon up; to bring an exceptionally striking and powerful memory before the mind, as though it were being relived..

take in

idiom: 1. understand, absorb, grasp, digest, comprehend, assimilate, get the hang of (informal); to understand and remember. 2. To convey (a prisoner) to a police station. 3. To reduce in size; make smaller or shorter. 4. comprehend, comprise, contain, embody, embrace, encompass, have, include, involve, subsume; To have as a part. 5. do, beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, double-cross, dupe, fool, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, trick, bamboozle, have, our-flush, lead astray, swindle, play false, pull the wool over someone's eyes, put something over on, take for a ride; To cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation. 6. accept, admit, receive; To allow admittance, as to a group.

feet of clay

idiom: A fundamental flaw or weakness, not readily apparent and inconspicuous, in a person otherwise revered. This expression comes from the Bible (Daniel 2:31-33), where the prophet interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue with a head of gold and feet of iron clay.

light at the end of the tunnel

idiom: A long-awaited indication giving reason to believe that a period of hardship or adversity is nearing an end, or that a long and difficult job will be finished soon.

loud and clear

idiom: A response to something that has been stated with intensity, intended to indicate that the listener understands the seriousness of the message.

only a matter of time

idiom: An inevitability or eventuality; something that is or seems sure to happen at some point in the future.

at this point

idiom: At the present moment, right now, currently, at this point in time or at this juncture, at this moment; implies that what is the case now may not always have been so or may not remain so.

hard to swallow

idiom: Difficult to believe or accept.

tail between legs

idiom: Displaying cowardly embarrassment or shame, especially after losing or having to admit that one was wrong. Likened to a humiliated dog literally putting its tail between its legs after being disciplined.

all eyes and ears

idiom: Eagerly giving one's full attention to something, watching and listening carefully.

on course

idiom: Following the planned or intended course.

in full view

idiom: In a position that can be clearly and easily seen by someone or something.

on the fence

idiom: Not making a decision or taking a side when presented with two options or possibilities; undecided.

for once

idiom: On this one occasion or occurrence, if (or but) not on another. Said of something unusual, contrasting sharply with what happens normally.

from now on

idiom: Starting this moment and continuing forever into the future.

bent out of shape

idiom: angered, angry, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off [chiefly British], choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed (also enflamed), infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty [chiefly British], sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth, ranting, raving, stormy, boiling, bristling, bristly, burning, cross, huffy, passionate, seething, sizzling, smoldering (or smouldering), worked up, wrought (up) acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, bitter, embittered, inimical, malevolent, piqued, rancorous, resentful, spiteful, vengeful, vindictive, virulent, vitriolic antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, ill-tempered, sorehead (or soreheaded), sulky, unfriendly, unpleasant aggravated, annoyed, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, exasperated, fretful, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, inflammable, irascible, irritable, peevish, perturbed, petulant, put out, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy argumentative, belligerent, contentious, contrary, disputatious, ornery, pugnacious, quarrelsome, querulous, blue in the face, fit o be tied, going crook [Australian & New Zealand], hopping mad, hot under the collar, in a fume, in a huff, in a pet; feeling or showing disconsolate anger and an agitated lack of composure.

more or less

idiom: approximately, roughly, nearly, almost, close to, about, of the order of, in the region of, give or take a few, plus-minus, about, all but, borderline, fair [chiefly British], fairly, feckly [chiefly Scottish], most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh, to a certain extent; 1. Speaking imprecisely. 2. To a varying or undetermined extent or degree. 3. With small variations.

take (one's) breath away

idiom: astonish, astound, amaze, surprise greatly, stun, startle, stagger, shock, shatter, take aback, stop someone in their tracks, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast, dumbfound, jolt, shake up, awe, overawe, thrill, knock for six, knock sideways, floor, flabbergast, blow someone's mind, blow away, knock someone out, bowl over; To astonish or inspire someone with awed respect or delight.

out of the loop / in the loop

idiom: aware (or unaware) of information known to only a privileged few.

over one's head

idiom: be baffling, be perplexing, be incomprehensible, be impenetrable, be beyond comprehension, be all Greek to you (informal), be above your head, be beyond your grasp; beyond someone's ability to understand.

take shape

idiom: become clear, become definite, become tangible, crystallize, gel, come together, fall into place; assume a distinct form; develop into something definite or tangible.

take up with

idiom: become friendly with, become friends with, go around with, go along with, fall in with, join up with, string along with, get involved with, start seeing, knock about/around with, hang around/out with, hang about with; To form a close relationship with or begin to associate or keep company with one. Often used in reference to an unsavory or untrustworthy person or group of people disapproved of by the speaker.

in arrears

idiom: behind, overdue, in debt, in arrears, behindhand, late in the red, in default; the state of being behind or late, especially in the fulfillment of a duty, promise, obligation, or the like.

rip into

idiom: blister, drub, excoriate, flay, lash, scarify, scathe, scorch, score, scourge, slap, slash, roast, slam, burn someone's ears, crawl all over, pin someone's ears back, put someone on the griddle, put someone on the hot seat, rake over the coals, read the riot act to; To criticize harshly and devastatingly.

cut short

idiom: bring to an end, stop, check, halt, dock, postpone, terminate, break off, abort, pull the plug on, truncate, leave unfinished;

light on / light upon

idiom: bump into, chance on (or upon), come across, come on (or upon), find, happen on (or upon), run across, run into, stumble on (or upon), tumble on, alight on (or upon), meet up with; To find or meet by chance.

make waves

idiom: cause trouble, stir up trouble, be disruptive, be troublesome, cause a disturbance, make an impression, be noticed; 1. To cause trouble or controversy, especially that which affects the course of a situation. 2. To do something innovative that draws a large amount of attention and makes a widespread impact on its society, industry, etc., often causing controversy in the process.

bring about/ bring on

idiom: cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off, produce, create, provoke, compel, motivate, induce, give rise to, precipitate, incite, engender, trigger, bring to pass, give rise to; To be the cause of.

do out of

idiom: cheat out of, deprive of, rob of, dispossess of, con out of (informal), swindle out of, trick out of, diddle out of (informal), prevent from having or gaining; to prevent from getting, especially by using dishonest methods.

cut and dried

idiom: clear-cut, settled, fixed, organized, automatic, sorted out (informal), predetermined, prearranged;

head over heels

idiom: completely, thoroughly, utterly, intensely, wholeheartedly, uncontrollably, madly; very much.

once and for all

idiom: conclusively, decisively, finally, positively, absolutely, determinedly, definitely, definitively, irrevocably, for good, for always, forever, permanently, in perpetuity, for keeps; now and for the last time, as a settled matter.

cast a wide net

idiom: consider a wide range of possibilities or cover a large area, especially to try to find somebody/something.

in (the) light of

idiom: considering, because of, taking into account, bearing in mind, in view of, taking into consideration, with knowledge of;

put heads together

idiom: consult, confer, discuss, deliberate, talk (something) over, powwow, confab (informal), confabulate; To work together to come up with an idea or solution.

cut across

idiom: crisscross, cross, crosscut, decussate, intersect; To pass through or over.

give one the creeps

idiom: disgust, frighten, scare, terrify, horrify, repel, repulse, make you wince, make your hair stand on end, make you squirm, make you flinch, scare the bejesus out of (informal), make you quail, make you shrink; To make one feel wary or uneasy due to eeriness or strange behavior.

take it out on

idiom: displace frustration or anger by relieving it through the attack or mistreatment of a person or thing not responsible for such feelings.

look the other way

idiom: disregard, take no notice of, pay no attention to, pay no heed to, pass over, shut one's eyes to, be oblivious to, turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, brush aside, shrug off, push aside, never mind, shun, look past, steer clear of, set aside, take no account of, omit, leave out, bypass, overlook, neglect, exclude, skip; To intentionally overlook a wrongdoing, break in regulation, etc.; to deliberately ignore something that one has a responsibility to report or enforce.

along the way

idiom: during a process or series of events; at some point in the past.

bring out

idiom: emphasize, highlight, accent, accentuate, foreground, feature, illuminate, play up, point (up), press, punctuate, stress, give prominence to; to make (something) more prominent or noticeable.

everybody who's anybody

idiom: every important or well-known person.

at last

idiom: finally, in the end, eventually, ultimately, at long last, after a long time, after a considerable time, in time, at the end of the day, in the fullness of time, lastly, in conclusion, after much delay; at the end of a period of waiting, trying etc.

with an eye on

idiom: focused on a particular thing or area.

take charge

idiom: forcefully assume control or responsibility, asserting one's authoritative power.

lie low

idiom: hide, lurk, hole up, hide away, keep a low profile, hide out, go underground, skulk, go into hiding, take cover, keep out of sight, go to earth, conceal oneself, find a hiding place, go to earth, go to ground, cover one's tracks, lie doggo; (especially of a criminal) avoid detection or attention.

let fly

idiom: hurl, fling, throw, propel, pitch, lob, toss, launch, cast, shy, project, catapult, bowl, shoot, fire, blast, discharge, chuck, sling, heave, lose one's temper with, lash out at, scold, criticize, condemn, chastise, chide, rant at, inveigh against, rail against, abuse, revile, explode, burst out, erupt with anger, let someone have it, keep nothing back, give vent to one's emotions, carpet, give someone a rocket, tear someone off a strip, tear into, excoriate; attack, either physically or verbally.

off the cuff

idiom: impromptu, spontaneous(ly), improvised, offhand, unrehearsed, extempore, without preparation, on the spur of the moment, ad lib, off the top of your head; In an extemporaneous or informal manner.

over and above

idiom: in addition to, on top of, over and beyond, plus, as well as, besides, not to mention, along with, let alone; more than something.

at all costs

idiom: in any way possible, no matter what; regardless of the risk, the price to be paid, or the effort needed.

on the scent

idiom: in possession of a useful clue in a search or investigation; following a trail that will likely lead to the discovery or acquisition of something.

in due course

idiom: in time, finally, eventually, in the end, sooner or later, in the course of time, at the appropriate time, when the time is ripe, in time, in due time, in the fullness of time, at a later time, at a later date, at length, at a future time/date, at some point in the future, in the future, in time to come, as time goes on/by, by and by, one day, someday, sooner or later, in a while, after a bit; In an expected or reasonable duration of time.

see to it

idiom: insure, ensure, ascertain, check, assure, control, see, verify, control; be careful or certain to do something.

head off

idiom: intercept, divert, deflect, cut someone off, interpose, block someone off; To block the progress of and force to change direction.

fly off the handle

idiom: lose one's temper, become very angry, fly into a rage, explode, blow up, erupt, lose control, go berserk, breathe fire, begin to rant and rave, flare up, boil over, go mad, go crazy, go wild, go bananas, have a fit, see red, blow one's top, blow a fuse, blow a gasket, do one's nut, hit the roof, go through the roof, go up the wall, go off the deep end, lose one's cool, go ape, flip, flip one's lid, lose one's rag, lose it, freak out, be fit to be tied, be foaming at the mouth, burst a blood vessel, get one's dander up, go nonlinear, go spare, go crackers, throw a wobbly, get one's knickers in a twist, flip one's wig, go crook, go apeshit; lose control over one's emotions or temper suddenly and unexpectedly.

raise the bar / lower the bar

idiom: lower (or raise) the standards of quality which need to be met in order to qualify for something; to make a task more or less difficult.

do without/ make do

idiom: manage without, give up, dispense with, forgo, kick (informal), sacrifice, abstain from, get along without; to manage without and accept the lack of.

pressed for time

idiom: needing time, in a hurry; Having a small or limited amount of time left available to do what one needs to do.

pull a fast one

idiom: outsmart, outwit, outthink, outmanoeuvre, outplay, be cleverer than, steal a march on, trick, gull, make a fool of, get the better of, outfox, put one over on, run/make rings round, outjockey; to successfully deceive someone in such a way that, just when the dupe in the game feels most assured and unerring, the presupposed ground upon which certitude rested suddenly disintegrates—producing a shock not unlike having the rug pulled out from under oneself, and revealing a kind of distorted desert, recognizable before it is too late only through critical elucidation, hidden in the guise of a fascinating mirage image.

bear down on

idiom: overcome, overwhelm, advance on, close in on, move in on, converge on, approach, come/move closer/close to, draw near/nearer to, press on toward, attack, set upon, fall upon, assail, set about, let fly at, tear into; 1. move directly toward someone or something in a purposeful or intimidating manner. 2. to exert full strength and concentrated attention. 3. To weigh heavily on. 4. Emphasize.

the big idea

idiom: purpose, intent; (exclusively used ironically) a clever or important intention or scheme.

lock horns

idiom: quarrel, disagree, have a dispute, wrangle, bicker, be at odds, be at loggerheads, lock antlers, cross swords, fight, do battle, engage in conflict, contend, challenge, have a dust-up, have a scrap, have a barney; (esp of two equally matched opponents) to become engaged in argument or battle.

cut back

idiom: reduce, check, lower, slash, decrease, curb, lessen, economize, downsize, retrench, draw or pull in your horns (informal);

do up

idiom: refurbish, improve, renovate, furbish; to adorn or dress lavishly.

take after

idiom: resemble, be like, be similar to, look like, favour (informal), remind you of, be the spitting image of (informal), bear a resemblance to, put you in mind of; 1. To follow as an example. 2. To resemble in appearance, temperament, or character.

fight back

idiom: retaliate, reply, resist, hit back, strike back, return fire, put up a fight, defend yourself, give as good as you get, give tit for tat; counterattack and try to defeat someone who is attacking or trying to defeat oneself.

done for

idiom: ruined, defeated or about to be killed etc.

do's and don'ts

idiom: rules, code, regulations, standards, instructions, customs, convention, usage, protocol, formalities, etiquette, p's and q's, good or proper behavior; those things that should or should not be done.

behind the scenes

idiom: secretly, in secret, privately, in private, behind closed doors, clandestinely, surreptitiously, confidentially, off the record, on the quiet, on the q.t., confidential, esoteric, hush-hush, hushed, inside, intimate, nonpublic, private, privy, secret; out of sight of the public at a theater or organization; without being widely known or attracting attention; without receiving credit or fame. Referring to the private portion of a venue, operation, or production, as opposed to the public part.

keep one's head

idiom: stay calm, stay cool, remain unruffled, keep your shirt on (informal), maintain your equilibrium; To be and remain in a calm, stable, sensible, and pragmatic state or condition despite stress.

cut out for

idiom: suited, designed, fitted, suitable, adapted, equipped, adequate, eligible, competent, qualified; To be suited to or capable of something, such as an activity or task.

on edge

idiom: tense, nervous, edgy, highly strung, anxious, apprehensive, uneasy, ill at ease, unsettled, unstable, excitable, twitchy, jumpy, keyed up, fidgety, restive, skittish, neurotic, brittle, hysterical, sensitive, insecure, irritable, touchy, tetchy, testy, crotchety, irascible, peevish, querulous, bad-tempered, short-tempered, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, temperamental, snappy, captious, crabbed, prickly, nervy, uptight, wired; In a state of agitated tension or mental strain.

given over to

idiom: the condition of allowing (oneself) to be fully affected by, controlled by, or involved in (something).

rumor has it / word has it

idiom: the information or story that is going around is.

make one's own

idiom: to adapt (something) to oneself so that it belongs to oneself.

cut a deal

idiom: to arrange a deal; to negotiate an agreement; broker a compromise.

make noise

idiom: to complain about something, performed as a impotent spectacle that does nothing but gratify its participant's vanity and proves perfectly compatible with the existing state of affairs.

keep on (keeping on)

idiom: to continue happening, doing something, working, etc.

hash out

idiom: to discuss about something in detail with someone else in order to reach agreement or resolution about it.

Get/lay One's Hands On

idiom: to find, get, or control (someone or something).

make of

idiom: to have or form an opinion about (something or someone).

smile on / smile upon

idiom: to make (someone or something) have good luck or success.

play house

idiom: to pretend in child's play to be grown-up people with the customary household duties.

bump into

idiom: to randomly and unexpectedly encounter an someone, usually an acquaintance.

hedge one's bets

idiom: to reduce the chance of one's losses on a bet or on an investment by counterbalancing the loss in some way, through other investments, affiliations, angles, positions, or the like.

press one's claim / press one's case

idiom: to repeat an argument in favor of something often in a way that is annoying to show that it is very important.

lay bare

idiom: to reveal, uncover, divulge, or explain private information or feelings not known publicly.

do one's time

idiom: to serve the number of months or years that is required of someone in the military or a prisoner —sometimes used figuratively.

call it a night

idiom: to stop what you have been doing in the evening or night, often in order to go to bed.

win over

idiom: to succeed by means of persuasion in making someone favorable to something after opposing it; prevail over someone.

pay the price

idiom: to suffer the difficult consequences for doing or risking something.

bend over backward

idiom: try, endeavour, try hard, toil, make every effort, go all out (informal), do your best, bust a gut (informal), do all you can, give it your best shot (informal), jump through hoops (informal), break your neck (informal), exert yourself, do your utmost, do your damnedest (informal), give it your all (informal), rupture yourself (informal), drive someone round the bend; strain strongly to make every effort to achieve something, especially to be fair or helpful. This phrase is often used to express frustration when one's efforts go unrecognized.

head and shoulders above

idiom: used to say that someone or something is significantly much better than, clearly superior to others.

lay someone low

idiom: weaken, reduce, tire, debilitate, make ill, make weak, sap the strength of, enervate, lower the strength; 1. (of an illness) reduce someone to inactivity. 2. overcome someone. 3. bring to an end the high position or good fortune formerly enjoyed by someone.

before one knows where one is (or before one knows it)

idiom: with baffling speed; almost immediately.

implosion

noun: 1. A violent collapse inward, as of a highly evacuated glass vessel. 2. Violent compression. 3. The inward collapse of a building that is being demolished in a controlled fashion by the weakening and breaking of structural members by explosives. 4. A catastrophic failure from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon," + plaudere "to clap the hands, applaud."

logomachy

noun: 1. An argumentative dispute about words or the meaning of words. 2. A dispute carried on in words only; A controversy marked by verbiage; a battle of words. 3. An argument or debate marked by the reckless or incorrect use of words. It comes from the Greek roots logos, meaning "word" or "speech," and machesthai, meaning "to fight," and it entered English in the mid-1500s.

high road

noun: 1. The easiest, most direct, or surest path or course. 2. The most positive, diplomatic, or ethically superior course.

transitus

noun: 1. Transit of a person or property en route from one place to another. 2. In Western Christianity, the Transitus (translation from Ecclesiastical Latin: crossing, transition, passing over) refers to "the time of passage through death to eternal life in heaven." Offering the sacrifice of his or her personal life, the believer shares in the divine mystery of the paschal transitus of Christ himself, and undergoes a process of transubstantiation from particularity to universality in the Holy Spirit.

serpent

noun: 1. a noxious creature that creeps, hisses, or stings. 2. A subtle, sly, deceitful, unscrupulous, treacherous person. from Latin serpent-, serpens, from present participle of serpere to creep; akin to Greek herpein to creep."

lemming

noun: 1. a person who unthinkingly joins a large mass movement in an unthinking headlong rush to destruction. 2. any of various small short-tailed furry-footed rodents (such as genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx) of circumpolar distribution that are notable for population fluctuations and recurrent mass migrations.

terror

noun: 1. affright, alarm, apprehension, dread, fear, fearfulness, fright, funk, horror, panic, trepidation, anxiety, intimidation, cold feet, fear and trembling; Extremely great, overpowering agitation and anxiety caused by the expectation or the realization of danger. 2. nightmare, monster, bogeyman, devil, fiend, bugbear, scourge; One that instills intense dreadful fear. 3. brat, rascal, devil, monkey, scamp, horror (informal), troublemaker, imp, tyke (Brit. informal), scally (Northwest English dialect), mischief-maker, perisher (Brit. informal), holy terror (informal), spalpeen (Irish informal), rapscallion, scalawag, scallywag; An annoying person or thing, especially an ill-mannered or disruptive child. 4. Violence committed or threatened by a group, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.

contretemps

noun: 1. argument, disagreement, quarrel, row, clash, dispute, controversy, falling out (informal), barney (informal), squabble, wrangle, bickering, difference of opinion, fight, altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argy-bargy [chiefly British], battle royal, bicker, brawl, controversy, cross fire, donnybrook, falling-out, fight, hassle, imbroglio, kickup, misunderstanding, rhubarb, row, scrap, set-to, spat, tiff, wrangle; a small disagreement that is rather embarrassing and awkward. 2. mishap, mistake, difficulty, accident, misfortune, uphill (S. African), predicament, calamity, casualty, mischance, misadventure; An unforeseen event that disrupts the normal course of things; an inopportune occurrence. from French contre-temps "motion out of time, unfortunate accident, bad times" (16c.), from contre, an occasional, obsolete variant of contra- (prep.) "against" + tempus "time."

arrears

noun: 1. arrearage, debt, due, indebtedness, liability, obligation; An unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation. 2. arrearage, indebtedness, debt, liability, obligation; The state of being behind in fulfilling obligations.

congress

noun: 1. assembly, conference, convention, convocation, meeting, council, diet, conclave, legislative assembly, convocation; a formal meeting of representatives for the discussion, arrangement, or promotion of some matter of common interest. 2. assemblage, assembly, body, company, conclave, conference, congregation, convention, convocation, crowd, gathering, group, meeting, muster, troop, get-together; A number of persons who have come or been gathered together to discuss problems. 3. association, club, confederation, federation, fellowship, fraternity, guild, league, order, organization, society, sorority, union; A group of people united in a relationship and having some interest, activity, or purpose in common. 4. legislature, house, council, parliament, representatives, delegates, quango, legislative assembly, chamber of deputies; The national legislative body of a nation, especially a republic. 5. coitus; Sexual intercourse. from Latin congressus "a friendly meeting; a hostile encounter," past participle of congredi "to meet with; to fight with," from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + gradi "to walk," from gradus "a step."

payoff

noun: 1. bribe, incentive, cut (informal), payment, sweetener (informal), bung (Brit. informal), inducement, kick-back (informal), backhander (informal), hush money (informal), fix, graft, payola, boodle; Money, property, or a favor given, offered, promised to a person in a position of trust as an inducement to dishonest behavior 2. acme, apex, apogee, climax, crest, crown, culmination, height, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, top, zenith, fastigium; The highest point or state. 3. outcome, result, consequence, conclusion, climax, finale, culmination, the crunch (informal), upshot, moment of truth, clincher (informal), punch line; a. The benefit gained as the result of a previous action. b. The climax of a narrative or sequence of events. 4. settlement, payment, reward, payout, recompense; a settlement or reckoning, as in retribution or reward.

tolerance

noun: 1. broad-mindedness, charity, sympathy, patience, indulgence, forbearance, permissiveness, magnanimity, open-mindedness, sufferance, lenity, lenience, indulgence; a. a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior, recognizing the beliefs and practices of others. b. Leeway for variation from a standard. 2. endurance, resistance, stamina, fortitude, resilience, toughness, staying power, hardness, hardiness, long-suffering; The capacity of enduring hardship, pain, or inconvenience without complaint. 3. resistance, immunity, resilience, non-susceptibility; Diminution in the response to an external agent that occurs after continued exposure, necessitating larger doses to produce a given response. from Latin tolerare "to endure, sustain, support, suffer," literally "to bear."

pretender

noun: 1. charlatan, fake, faker, fraud, humbug, impostor, mountebank, phony, quack, impostor, pseud, pseudo, role player, sham, shammer; A person who makes deceitful pretenses or allegations. 2. dissembler, dissimulator, hypocrite, phoney, phony, beguiler, cheater, deceiver, trickster, slicker, cheat, Tartuffe; a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal real feelings or motives. 3. claimant, claimer, aspirant; a claimant to the throne or to the office of ruler (usually without just title).

vehicle

noun: 1. conveyance, machine, motor vehicle, means of transport; A device or structure for transporting persons or things. 2. medium, means, channel, mechanism, organ, apparatus, agency, agent, instrument, instrumentality, machinery, ministry, organ, means of expression; A medium through which something (an idea, piece of information, power, etc.) is transmitted, communicated, expressed, or accomplished. 3. The concrete or specific word or phrase that is applied to the tenor of a metaphor and gives the metaphor its figurative power, as walking shadow in "Life's but a walking shadow" (Shakespeare). 4. A play, role, or piece of music used to display the special talents of one performer or company.

carriage

noun: 1. conveyance, transit, transport, transportation, vehicle, coach, trap, gig, cab, wagon, hackney; a. A wheeled vehicle, especially a four-wheeled horse-drawn passenger vehicle for private use and comfort, often of an elegant design. b. A railcar where passengers ride. c. A wheeled support carrying a burden 2. attitude, pose, posture, stance, bearing, gait, deportment, air; The way in which a person habitually holds or carries his or her body as an outward manifestation of personality traits. 3. transportation, transport, delivery, conveying, freight, conveyance, carrying; The moving of persons or goods from one place to another. 4. perambulator, pram, pushchair, baby buggy, baby carriage, stroller, go-cart, pusher, bassinet; a small vehicle with four wheels in which a baby or child is pushed around. from Latin carrus (plural carra), originally "two-wheeled Celtic war chariot," from Gaulish karros, a Celtic word (compare Old Irish and Welsh carr "cart, wagon."

découpage

noun: art produced by decorating a surface with cutouts and then coating it with several layers of varnish or lacquer. Decoupage originated in France in the 17th century as a means of artistically decorating pieces of furniture with pictures. It took a few centuries, but by the mid-20th century "decoupage" became a household name in American interior decoration. The word is fashioned from Middle French decouper, meaning "to cut out." "Decouper," in turn, pastes together the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and "couper" ("to cut). Other descendants of "couper" include "coppice" (a growth of small trees that are periodically cut), "coupé" (a horse-drawn carriage for two with a driver outside and whose name is thought to be from French carrosse coupé, literally, "cut-off coach"), and the clear-cut "coupon."

diablerie

noun: 1. crime, deviltry, evil, evildoing, immorality, iniquity, misdeed, offense, peccancy, sin, wickedness, wrong, wrongdoing; 2. devilry, deviltry, high jinks, impishness, mischief, mischievousness, prankishness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, tomfoolery, shenanigan (often used in plural); reckless mischief; charismatic wildness. 3. (Other Non-Christian Religions) magic, witchcraft, or sorcery supposedly assisted by the devil. 4. (Other Non-Christian Religions) demonic lore or esoteric knowledge of devils. 5. (Other Non-Christian Religions) the domain of devils. Like the related and perhaps more familiar diabolical, the French diablerie originated with the Late Latin diabolus, which means "devil." Fittingly, diablerie was first applied to things related to the devil or to demons, particularly sorcery that was thought to call upon their aid; the word is also applied to representations of the demonic. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown and Sylvia Townsend Warner's Lolly Willowes contain examples of such representations in literature. Nowadays, the word often suggests a devilish quality or air in a musical performance or artistic work.

diadem

noun: 1. crown, coronet, tiara, circlet, chaplet, headpiece, headband, fillet, wreath, garland, coronal, taj, coronal (also coronel); a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of dignified sovereignty. 2. Royal power or dignity. from Latin diadema "cloth band worn around the head as a sign of royalty," from Greek diadema "the headband worn by Persian kings and adopted by Alexander the Great and his successors," from diadein "to bind across," from dia-"across" or "through" + dein "to bind," which is related to desmos "band."

vespers

noun: 1. dusk, eve, evening, eventide, gloaming, nightfall, twilight, even; The period between afternoon and nighttime. 2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) an evening prayer, service, or hymn. from Latin vesper (masc.), vespera (fem.) "evening star, evening, west," related to Greek hesperos."

skill

noun: 1. expertise, ability, proficiency, experience, art, technique, facility, talent, intelligence, craft, competence, readiness, accomplishment, knack, ingenuity, finesse, aptitude, dexterity, cleverness, quickness, adroitness, expertness, handiness, skilfulness; Proficiency, facility, or dexterity in the use of technical knowledge acquired or developed through training or experience. 2. adroitness, deftness, dexterity, dexterousness, prowess, sleight; Poised refinement in the use of the hands or body. from Old Norse skil "distinction, ability to make out, discernment, adjustment," related to skilja (v.) "to separate; discern, understand."

indiscretion

noun: 1. folly, foolishness, recklessness, imprudence, rashness, tactlessness, gaucherie, injudiciousness, lack of caution incaution, irresponsibility, carelessness, rashness, unwariness, haste, recklessness, precipitateness, impulsiveness, foolhardiness, poor judgment, short-sightedness, indelicacy, lack of diplomacy, insensitivity, blunder, lapse, gaffe, mistake, error, breach of etiquette, slip, miscalculation, impropriety, mischievousness, wickedness; behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment. 2. mistake, slip, error, lapse, folly, boob (Brit. slang), gaffe, bloomer (Brit. informal), faux pas, peccadillo, transgression, offense, misdeed, crime, felony, sin, wrongdoing, misconduct, mischief, misbehavior, bad behavior, slip-up, trespass; a petty misdeed. from Late Latin indiscretionem (nominative indiscretio) "lack of discernment," from in- "not, opposite of" + discretionem "discernment, power to make distinctions," from Latin discernere "to separate, set apart, divide, distribute; distinguish, perceive," from dis- "off, away" + cernere "distinguish, separate, sift."

curiosity

noun: 1. inquisitiveness, interest, prying, snooping (informal), nosiness (informal); Undue interest in the affairs of others. 2. oddity, wonder, sight, phenomenon, spectacle, freak, marvel, novelty, rarity, oddment, peculiarity; something unusual, novel, strange, fascinating, or extraordinary. 3. collector's item, trinket, curio, knick-knack, objet d'art (French), bibelot; A curious or unusual object of art or piece of bric-a-brac. 4. inquisitiveness, interest, thirst for knowledge; Mental acquisitiveness. from Latin curiositatem (nominative curiositas) "desire of knowledge, inquisitiveness," from curiosus "careful, diligent; inquiring eagerly, meddlesome," akin to cura "care."

mediocrity

noun: 1. insignificance, indifference, inferiority, meanness, ordinariness, unimportance, poorness, banality; ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding. 2. nonentity, nobody, lightweight (informal), second-rater, cipher, non-person; a person of second-rate ability or value. from Latin mediocris "of middling height or state, moderate, ordinary," figuratively "mediocre, mean, inferior," literally "halfway up a mountain," from medius "middle" + ocris "jagged mountain" (cognate with Greek okris "peak, point).

landslide

noun: 1. landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthslip, earthfall, avalanche; the sliding down of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff. 2. decisive victory, runaway victory, overwhelming majority, grand slam, triumph, walkover, game, set and match; an overwhelming victory.

small-talk

noun: backchat, cackle, causerie, chat, chatter, chin music, chin-wag [slang], chitchat, confab, confabulation, gab, gabfest, gossip, jangle, jaw, natter [chiefly British], palaver, patter, rap, schmooze, table talk, talk, tête-à-tête, Polite, light, casual, informal conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions.

minuet

noun: ballroom dance; An elegant 17th century French court dance, it began as a folk dance and gradually became a slower, more dignified and complex dance that graced many an aristocratic ballroom, characterized by forward balancing, bowing, and toe pointing.

bearing

noun: 1. manner, attitude, conduct, appearance, aspect, presence, behavior, tone, carriage, posture, demeanor, deportment, mien, air, comportment, address, demeanor, mien, style, port, characteristic posture; The manner in which one carries and conducts oneself, through which one reveals—bears—one's personality. 2. course, heading, vector; The compass direction in which a ship or an aircraft moves. 3. location, orientation, position, situation, way, course, track, aim, direction, whereabouts, sense of direction; One's place and direction relative to one's surroundings. (Often used in plural.) 4. applicability, application, appositeness, concernment, germaneness, materiality, pertinence, pertinency, relevance, relevancy, relevance, relation, application, connection, import, reference, significance, appurtenance; The fact of being related to the matter at hand.

leniency

noun: 1. mercy, compassion, clemency, quarter, pity, tolerance, indulgence, tenderness, moderation, gentleness, forbearance, mildness, lenity; Kind, forgiving, yielding, or compassionate treatment of or disposition toward others. 2. charitableness, charity, forbearance, indulgence, lenience, lenity, tolerance, toleration; Forbearing or lenient treatment. 3. lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers. from Latin lenire "to soften, alleviate, allay; calm, soothe, pacify," from lenis "mild, gentle, calm."

extraction

noun: 1. origin, family, ancestry, descent, race, stock, birth, pedigree, lineage, parentage, derivation, blood, bloodline, descent, genealogy, line, seed; One's ancestors or their character or one's ancestral derivation. 2. taking out, drawing, pulling, withdrawal, removal, uprooting, extirpation; the action of taking out something (especially using effort or force). 3. distillation, separation, derivation; the purification or concentration of a substance or the separation of one substance from another by such a process. from Latin extractus, past participle of extrahere "draw out," from ex- "out, out of" + trahere "to draw."

sortie

noun: 1. outing, trip, expedition, excursion, jaunt, spin (informal), junket, ramble, sally, sashay, spin, awayday, pleasure trip; a short outward and return journey. 2. raid, operation, mission, flight; (military) an operational flight by a single aircraft (as in a military operation). 3. foray, sally, charge, offensive, attack, raid, thrust, drive, assault, onset, inroad, onslaught, rush, onrush, blitzkrieg, razzia; a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their defensive position. from French sortie (16c.), literally "a going out," noun use of fem. past participle of sortir "go out," from Vulgar Latin *surctire, from Latin surrectus, past participle of surgere "to rise, arise, get up, mount up, ascend; attack," contraction of surrigere, from assimilated form of sub- "up from below" + regere "to keep straight, guide."

ponce

noun: 1. pimp, procurer, pander, bawd (archaic); someone who procures customers for whores and lives off their earnings. 2. fop, dandy, swell, beau, popinjay, coxcomb (archaic); a man given to ostentatious effeminate display in manners, speech, dress, etc

métier

noun: 1. profession, calling, craft, occupation, line, trade, pursuit, vocation, art, business, career, craft, employment, job, line, pursuit, work, racket, employ; Activity pursued as a livelihood. 2. strong point, forte, speciality, specialty, strong suit, long suit (informal), forte, long suit, bag, thing; Something at which a person excels, for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted. from Latin minister (genitive ministri) "inferior, servant, priest's assistant" (in Medieval Latin, "priest"), from minus, minor "less," hence "subordinate."

refreshment

noun: 1. revival, restoration, renewal, stimulation, renovation, freshening, reanimation, enlivenment, repair, invigoration, revitalizing, restoring, strengthening, enlivening, perking up, freshening, energizing, resuscitation, revivification, rejuvenation, regeneration, renewal; a. activity that refreshes and recreates. b. activity that renews health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation 2. food and drink, drinks, snacks, nibbles (informal), sustenance, tidbits, comestibles, fare, liquid refreshment, eatables, a bite, eats, grub, bread, nosh, chow, booze, scoff, chuck, comestibles, provender, victuals, vittles, viands, meat, commons, aliment, pabulum; a light snack or drink, especially one provided in a public place or at a public event.

conceit

noun: 1. self-importance, arrogance, complacency, pride, swagger, narcissism, egotism, self-love, amour-propre, vainglory, ego, egoism, egotism, vainness, vanity, ego trip; A regarding of oneself with unduly excessive favor, as more virtuous than actually merited. 2. bee, boutade, caprice, fancy, freak, humor, impulse, megrim, notion, vagary, whim, whimsy, thought, idea, opinion, belief, notion, fantasy, judgment, vagary, whimsy, bee in one's bonnet; An impulsive, often illogical turn of mind. 3. an elaborate or strained metaphor. from Latin concipere (past participle conceptus) "to take in and hold; become pregnant" from con-, here probably an intensive prefix, + combining form of capere "to take."

yarn

noun: 1. story, tale, anecdote, account, narrative, fable, reminiscence, urban myth, tall story, urban legend, cock-and-bull story (informal), tall tale; A long or rambling story, especially one that is implausible. 2. thread, cotton, wool, fiber, filament, strand, ply, cord, twine, string, line; spun thread used for knitting, weaving, or sewing.

courtier

noun: attendant, retainer, companion, adviser, aide, henchman, follower, lady-in-waiting, lady of the bedchamber, cupbearer, steward, train-bearer, lord, lady, noble, equerry, page, squire, liegeman, adulator, flatterer, sycophant, toady, apple-polisher; 1. A person who attends a royal court as a companion or adviser to the sovereign. 2. One who seeks favor in an excessively ingratiating manner, especially by insincere flattery or obsequious behavior. from Old French cortoiier "to be at court, live at court," from cort "king's court; princely residence," ors (earlier cohors) "enclosed yard," and by extension (and perhaps by association with curia "sovereign's assembly"), "those assembled in the yard; company, cohort," from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + stem hort- related to hortus "garden, plot of ground."

conquest

noun: 1. takeover, coup, acquisition, invasion, occupation, appropriation, annexation, subjugation, subjection; The act or an instance of assuming control or management of or responsibility for something, especially the seizure of power, as in a territory, nation, political organization, or corporation. 2. defeat, victory, triumph, overthrow, pasting (slang), rout, mastery, vanquishment, domination, overpowering, subduing, subjecting, subjection, subjugating, subjugation, vanquishing, beating, drubbing, overthrow, rout, thrashing, massacre, trimming, whipping, dusting, licking; The act of defeating or the condition of being defeated. 3. seduction; the act or art of gaining a person's compliance, love, etc, by seduction or force of personality. 4. catch, prize, supporter, acquisition, follower, admirer, worshipper, adherent, fan, feather in your cap; A person or group whose affection or admiration has been gained. 5. success in mastering something difficult. from Latin conquirere "to search for, procure by effort, win," from assimilated form of Latin com-, here probably an intensive prefix, + quaerere "to seek, gain."

millenarianism

noun: 1. the doctrine of or belief in a future (and typically imminent) thousand-year age of blessedness, beginning with or culminating in the Second Coming of Christ. 2. Belief in a future golden age of peace, justice, and prosperity.

electuary

noun: A drug mixed with sugar and water or honey into a pasty mass suitable for oral administration. from Greek ekleikton, from ekleichein "to lick up," from ex- + leichein "to lick."

singerie

noun: A visual arts genre depicting monkeys imitating—aping—human behavior, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. (French: "monkey trick")

shitheap

noun: A worthless place, thing, or person.

tallow

noun: Rendered fat obtained from parts of the bodies of cattle or sheep, hard, white, nearly tasteless, used in foodstuffs or to make leather dressing, soap, and lubricants, and formerly used to make candles.

putschism

noun: The pursuance or advocacy of violent insurrection as a means of bringing about political change.

stoppage in transitu

noun: The right of a seller of goods to stop them on their way to the buyer and resume possession of them (as on discovery of the buyer's insolvency)—called also stoppage in transit. Latin in transitu in passing from one place to another."

broodmare

noun: a female kept for breeding. Old English brod "offspring of egg-laying animals, hatchlings, young birds hatched in one nest," + meare, also mere (Mercian), myre (West Saxon), fem. of mearh "horse

damask

noun: a firm, lustrous, rich woven fabric with a figured pattern visible on both sides, typically used for table linen and upholstery. "costly textile fabric woven in elaborate patterns," literally "cloth from Damascus," the Syrian city noted for fabric

valetudinarian

noun: a person of a weak or sickly constitution, especially one whose chief concern is his or her ill health. Oddly enough, "valetudinarian," a word for someone who is sickly (or at least thinks he or she is) comes from "valēre," a Latin word that means "to be strong" or "to be well." Most of the English offspring of "valēre" imply having some kind of strength or force—consider, for instance, "valiant," "prevail," "valor," and "value." But the Latin valēre also gave rise to "valetudo." In Latin, "valetudo" refers to one's state of health (whether good or bad), but by the time that root had given rise to "valetudinarian" in the early 1700s, English-speaking pessimists had given it a decidedly sickly spin.

frailty

noun: a. debility, decrepitude, delicacy, delicateness, feebleness, flimsiness, fragileness, fragility, frailness, infirmity, insubstantiality, puniness, unsoundness, unsubstantiality, weakliness, weakness; The condition of being infirm or physically weak. b. failing, fault, foible, infirmity, shortcoming, weakness, weak point, susceptibility, fallibility, peccability, fault, failing, vice, defect, deficiency, flaw, shortcoming, blemish, imperfection, foible, weak point, peccadillo, demerit, dereliction, sin, want, chink in your armor; An imperfection of character, especially a general or chronic moral intemperance, a proneness to yield to temptation.

talent

noun: ability, gift, aptitude, power, skill, facility, capacity, bent, genius, expertise, faculty, endowment, forte, flair, knack, aptness, head, instinct, turn; 1. A marked innate ability, as for artistic accomplishment, matured over time through studied practice. 2. Natural endowment or ability of a superior quality. from Medieval Latin talenta, plural of talentum "inclination, leaning, will, desire" (11c.), in classical Latin "balance, weight; sum of money," from Greek talanton "a balance, pair of scales," hence "weight, definite weight, anything weighed," and in later times sum of money."

buggery

noun: anal intercourse, anal sex, sodomy; The criminal offense of anal or oral copulation by penetration of the male organ into the anus or mouth of another person of either sex or copulation between members of either sex with an animal. from bougre "heretic" "unnatural intercourse" with man or beast, "carnalis copula contra Naturam, & hoc vel per confusionem Specierum."

caravan

noun: armada, cavalcade, fleet, line, motorcade, train; 1. A company of travelers journeying together, as across a desert or through hostile territory. 2. A single file of vehicles or pack animals.

backstabbing

noun: betrayal, business, disloyalty, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, sellout, treachery, treason, two-timing, unfaithfulness; betrayal (as by a verbal attack against one not present) especially by a false friend.

stool-pidgeon

noun: betrayer, canary [slang], deep throat, fink, informant, informer, nark [British], rat, rat fink, snitch, snitcher, squealer, stoolie, talebearer, tattler, tattletale, telltale, whistle-blower; 1. a person acting as a decoy or informerespecially : a spy sent into a group to report (as to the police) on its activities 2. a pigeon used as a decoy to draw others within a net

traitor

noun: betrayer, deserter, turncoat, deceiver, informer, renegade, defector, Judas, double-crosser (informal), quisling, apostate, miscreant, fifth columnist, snake in the grass (informal), back-stabber, apostate, double-dealer, recreant, serpent, snake, turncoat; One who betrays one's friends, country, a cause, or a trust, especially one who commits treason.

dementia

noun: brainsickness, craziness, derangement, disturbance, insaneness, insanity, lunacy, madness, mental illness, psychopathy, unbalance, mania, aberration, alienation, senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's, softening of the brain; a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. from Latin demens "out of one's senses, insane, raving, foolish; distracting, wild, reckless" (a less technical term than insanitas), from phrase de mente, from de- "from, away from" + mente, ablative of mens "mind."

moppet

noun: bud, child, innocent, juvenile, tot, youngster, kid, darling, bairn [chiefly Scottish], bambino, chap [Southern & Midland], chick, cub, kiddie (also kiddy), kiddo, sprat, sprout, squirt, whelp, youngling, youngster, youth; a little girl (usually one you are fond of).

dispersion

noun: circulation, dispersal, dissemination, distribution, diffusion, scattering, disbandment, dissipation; 1. The passing out or spreading about of something. 2. Spreading widely or driving off. 3. The Diaspora of the Jews. 4. (Military) the pattern of fire from a weapon system. 5. (Statistics) the degree to which values of a frequency distribution are scattered around some central point, usually the arithmetic mean or median. from Latin dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" + spargere ""to scatter, spread, shower."

thaumaturgy

noun: conjuration, magic, sorcery, sortilege, theurgy, witchcraft, witchery, witching, wizardry, bewitchery, bewitchment, conjuring, devilry (or deviltry), diablerie, enchantment, ensorcellment, mojo, necromancy, voodooism, legerdemain, illusion; 1. The working of miracles or magic feats. 2. Any art that invokes supernatural powers. 3. An illusory feat. from Greek thaumatourgos "wonder-working; conjurer," from thauma (genitive thaumatos) "wonder, astonishment; wondrous thing," literally "a thing to look at," from thea "a view, a seeing," + ergon "work."

collusion

noun: conspiracy, intrigue, deceit, complicity, connivance, cabal, machination, plot, scheme, secret understanding; 1. An often secret action taken by two or more parties to achieve an illegal or improper purpose. 2. (Law) a secret agreement between opponents at law in order to obtain a mutually favorable judicial decision for some wrongful or improper purpose. from Latin collusionem (nominative collusio) "act of colluding," from colludere, from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + ludere "to play."

unrest

noun: disruption, disturbance, agitation, upset, trouble, turmoil, tumult, disorder, chaos, anarchy, turbulence, uproar, discord, dissension, dissent, strife, protest, sedition, rebellion, uprising, rioting, dissatisfaction, discontent, discontentment, disaffection, unease, anxiety, anguish, disquiet, ructions, upheaval, disaffection, ferment, fermentation, restiveness, restlessness, Sturm und Drang, uneasiness, unquietness; 1. a state of dissatisfaction, disturbance, resentment, and agitation in a group of people, typically involving public demonstrations or disorder, brewing to an eventual explosion. 2. An uneasy or nervous psychic state.

credenda

noun: doctrines to be believed : articles of faith —distinguished from agenda. "things to be believed, matters of faith."

dinghy

noun: dory, rowboat, bark, sailboat, windjammer; a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled.

dreamworld

noun: dreamland, never-never land, fantasy-land; 1. a fantastic or idealized view of life. 2. a pleasing country existing only in dreams or imagination.

efficacy

noun: effectiveness, efficiency, power, value, success, strength, virtue, vigour, use, usefulness, potency, edge, fruitfulness, productiveness, efficaciousness, successfulness, benefit, advantage, constructiveness; Power or capacity to produce a desired effect.

splinter group / force

noun: faction, sect; a small organization, typically a political party or religious order, that has broken away from a larger one.

spoilsport

noun: killjoy, misery (Brit. informal), wet blanket (informal), damper, dog in the manger, party-pooper (U.S. slang), wowser (Austral. slang), drag, grinch, killjoy, wet blanket; a person whose attitude or action spoils others' pleasure, especially by not joining in an activity.

scullion

noun: kitchen wench; A servant employed to do menial tasks in a kitchen. from Latin scopa (plural scopæ) "broom," related to scapus "shaft, stem," cognate with Greek skapos "staff," skeptron "staff to lean on; royal scepter;" in transferred use, "royalty," from root of skeptein "to prop or stay, lean on."

vulture

noun: marauder, piranha, predator, aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker, bloodsucker, buzzard, harpy, kite, predator, shark, vampire, wolf; A contemptible person of a rapacious, predatory, or profiteering nature who preys greedily and ruthlessly on others, esp the helpless.

nancy

noun: nance, f_g, fag_ot, fagot, poof, poove, pouf, queer, fairy, pansy, queen; Used as a disparaging term for an effeminate man, especially one who is gay.

unguent

noun: ointment, salve, balm, unction; a soft greasy or viscous substance, usually containing medicine, used as ointment to remedy an irritation or for lubrication. from Latin unguentem "ointment," from stem of unguere "to anoint or smear with ointment."

leakage

noun: outflow, leak, escape, outpouring, discharge, run; 1. The accidental admission or escape of a fluid or gas through a hole or crack. 2. Deliberate disclosure of confidential information.

artiste

noun: performer, player, entertainer, Thespian, trouper, play-actor; 1. a skilled adept public performer. 2. an artistic or creative person. 3. a person highly skilled in some occupation.

stimulant

noun: pick-me-up, tonic, restorative, upper (slang), reviver, bracer (informal) (informal), energizer, pep pill (informal), excitant, analeptic, encouragement, fillip, impetus, impulse, incentive, inducement, motivation, prod, push, spur, stimulation, stimulator, stimulus, momentum, provocation, boost; 1. a drug that temporarily quickens some vital process. 2. any stimulating information or event. 3. Something that causes and encourages a given response.

rapine

noun: rape, pillaging, plundering, pillage; Forcible seizure of another's property in warfare. from Latin rapina "act of robbery, plundering, pillage," from rapere "hurry away, carry off, seize, plunder."

foretaste

noun: sample, example, indication, preview, trailer, prelude, whiff, foretoken, warning, taster, taste, appetizer, tester specimen, suggestion, hint, warning, forewarning, advance warning, omen, tip-off, tryout; 1. An advance but limited/brief token or warning. 2. A slight taste or sample in anticipation of something to come.

heartache

noun: sorrow, suffering, pain, torture, distress, despair, grief, agony, torment, bitterness, anguish, remorse, heartbreak, affliction, heartsickness, unhappiness, misery, sadness, hurt, agony, angst, wretchedness, despondency, woe, desolation, torment, torture, anxiety worry, dolor; emotional anguish or grief, typically caused by the loss or absence of someone loved.

syntagm

noun: syntagma; a linguistic unit consisting of a set of linguistic forms (phonemes, words, or phrases) that are in a sequential relationship to one another. from Greek syntagma "that which is put together in order," from syntaxis "a putting together or in order, arrangement, a grammatical construction," from stem of syntassein "put in order," from syn- "together" + tassein "arrange."

fabulation

noun: the act of inventing or relating false or fantastic tales. from Latin fabulari "to talk, chat," from fabula "a tale."

humus

noun: the dark organic material in soils, produced by the decomposition of vegetable or animal matter, providing plants with nutritional support. from Latin humus "earth, soil," probably from humi "on the ground."

command-and-control

noun: the set of administrative and technical processes vital to the running of an armed force or other organization.

wanderer

noun: traveler, rover, nomad, drifter, ranger, journeyer, gypsy, explorer, migrant, rolling stone, rambler, voyager, tripper, itinerant, globetrotter, vagrant, stroller, vagabond, wayfarer, gadabout, gypsy, knockabout, maunderer, nomad, roamer, stroller, laggard, straggler lingerer, loiterer, sojourner, bum, hobo, tramp, passenger, sightseer, migrant, transient, ambler, saunterer, bird of passage, homeless person, displaced person; someone who leads a wandering unsettled life without a fixed route or destination.

manger

noun: trough, feeding trough, fodder rack, feeder, crib; a long open box or trough for horses or cattle to eat from.

amour fou

noun: uncontrollable or obsessive passion.uncontrollable or obsessive passion. French, "insane/mad love."

harem

noun: women's quarters, seraglio, zenana (in eastern countries), gynaeceum (in ancient Greece); 1. A place reserved for wives, concubines, female relatives, and servants a polygamous man. 2. a group of women associated with one man. from Arabic haram "wives and concubines," originally "women's quarters," literally "something forbidden or kept safe," from root of harama "he guarded, forbade."

believe

verb: 1. accept, swallow, hold, buy (slang), trust, credit, depend on, rely on, swallow (informal), count on, buy into (slang), have faith in, swear by, be certain of, be convinced of, place confidence in, presume true, take as gospel, take on (U.S.), take at one's word; a. To regard (something) as true or real. b. To have confidence in the truthfulness or veracity of. 2. think, consider, judge, suppose, maintain, estimate, imagine, assume, gather, guess (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), reckon, conclude, deem, speculate, presume, conjecture, postulate, surmise, figure, be of the opinion; To have an opinion. 3. feel, hold, sense, think; To view in a certain way. 4. repute, suppose, think; To regard in an appraising way.

decorate

verb: 1. adorn, deck, trim, embroider, garnish, ornament, embellish, festoon, bedeck, beautify, grace, engarland, array, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, do, doll up, do up, drape, dress, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, glitz (up), gussy up, pretty (up); to make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc, relieving plainness or monotony. 2. do up, paper, paint, wallpaper, renovate (informal), furbish; to design the interior of (a room or building). 3. pin a medal on, give a medal to, cite, confer an honour on or upon; to confer a mark of distinction, esp a military medal, upon. from Latin decorare "to decorate, adorn, embellish, beautify," from decus (genitive decoris) "an ornament; grace, dignity, honor."

churn

verb: 1. agitate, convulse, rock, shake, swirl, boil, toss, foam, seethe, froth, stir up, beat, disturb, swirl, agitate; 2. boil, bubble, burn, ferment, seethe, simmer, smolder; To be in a state of emotional or mental turmoil.

rework

verb: 1. amend, emend, emendate, revamp, revise, rewrite, alter, change, make over, modify, recast, redo, refashion, remake, remodel, vary; To prepare a new version of. 2. make over, retread; a. To subject to a repeated or new process. b. To use again in altered form.

negotiate

verb: 1. bargain, deal, contract, discuss, debate, consult, confer, mediate, hold talks, arbitrate, cut a deal, conciliate, parley, discuss terms, dicker, haggle, higgle, huckster, palter; To argue about the terms, as of a sale. 2. arrange, manage, settle, work out, bring about, transact, conclude, fix; To arrange, bring about, or come to an agreement concerning. 3. get round, clear, pass, cross, pass through, get over, get past, surmount, clear, hurdle; a. To pass by or over safely or successfully. b. To succeed in accomplishing or managing. from Latin negotium "a business, employment, occupation, affair (public or private)," also "difficulty, pains, trouble, labor," literally "lack of leisure," from neg- "not" + otium "ease, leisure."

overreach

verb: 1. exceed, overrun, overstep, surpass, transcend, go too far, overdo it, bite off more than you can chew, be hoist with your own petard, have too many irons in the fire, defeat your own ends, have your schemes backfire or boomerang or rebound on you; a. fail by aiming too high or trying too hard. b. To defeat oneself by going too far or by doing or trying to gain too much. 2. outmaneuver, outsmart, outthink, outwit, fox, outfox, outslick; To get the better of by deceitful cleverness or cunning.

combust

verb: 1. catch fire, take fire, ignite, conflagrate, erupt, ignite; start to burn or burst into flames. 2. flip one's lid, flip one's wig, fly off the handle, go ballistic, have a fit, have kittens, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, lose one's temper, throw a fit, blow a fuse, blow one's stack, blow up; get very angry and burst into a rage. from Latin comburere "to burn up, consume," from com-, here probably an intensive prefix, + *burere, based on a faulty separation of amburere "to burn around," which is properly ambi-urere, from urere "to burn, singe."

unburden

verb: 1. clear, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, release, relieve, rid, shake off, throw off, shake; To free from or cast out something objectionable or undesirable. 2. reveal, confide, disclose, lay bare, unbosom, confess, come clean about (informal), get something off your chest (informal), tell all about; to relieve or make free (one's mind, conscience, oneself, etc) of a worry, care, trouble, etc., by revelation or confession. 3. unload, relieve, discharge, lighten, disencumber, disburden, ease the load of; to free or relieve from a burden.

agree

verb: 1. concur, accord, coincide, get together, harmonize, engage, be as one, sympathize, assent, see eye to eye, be of the same opinion, be of the same mind a. To come to a complete understanding or to terms, as by negotiating, discussion, and adjustment of differences. b. To share an opinion or feeling. 2. accede, accept, acquiesce, assent, consent, nod, subscribe, yes; To respond affirmatively; receive with agreement or compliance. 3. accord, check, chime, comport with, conform, consist, correspond, fit, harmonize, match, square, tally, jibe, quadrate, suit, get on, be good for, befit; To be compatible or in correspondence.

cower

verb: 1. cringe, shrink, tremble, crouch, flinch, quail, grovel, recoil, pull back, back away, draw back, shudder, shiver, shake, quake, blench, blanch; To crouch cringing as a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people. 2. fawn, grovel, cringe, crawl, creep; Show fearful submission.

weep

verb: 1. cry, shed tears, sob, whimper, complain, keen, greet (Scot. or archaic), moan, mourn, grieve, lament, whinge (informal), blubber, snivel, ululate, blub (slang), boohoo, bawl, howl, sob, wail, yowl; To make inarticulate sounds of grief or pain, usually accompanied by tears. 2. bleed, exude, leach, ooze, percolate, seep, transpire, transude, run, fester, suppurate, exude pus, percolate, strain, sweat; To flow or leak out or emit something slowly. 3. distill, dribble, drip, drop, trickle; To fall or let fall in drops of liquid.

condemn

verb: 1. denounce, damn, criticize, disapprove, censure, diss (slang, chiefly U.S.), reprove, upbraid, excoriate, reprehend, blame, anathematize, decry, denounce, execrate, reprobate, flame (informal); To feel or express strong disapproval of. 2. sentence, convict, damn, doom, pass sentence on; To pronounce unqualified and final judgment against. 3. To judge or declare to be unfit for use or consumption, usually by official order. 4. compel, obligate, oblige; To force one into a particular state or activity. from Latin condempnare "to sentence, doom, blame, disapprove," from assimilated form of com-, here probably an intensive prefix, + damnare "to adjudge guilty; to doom; to condemn, blame, reject," from noun damnum "damage, hurt, harm; loss, injury; a fine, penalty."

confer

verb: 1. discuss, talk, consult, deliberate, discourse, converse, parley; To meet and exchange views to reach a decision. 2. grant, give, present, accord, award, hand out, bestow, vouchsafe; To give graciously in a formal or official capacity. 3. To invest with (a characteristic, for example).

disband

verb: 1. dismiss, separate, break up, scatter, dissolve, let go, disperse, send home, demobilize; To separate and move in different directions. 2. break up, separate, scatter, disperse, part company, go (their) separate ways; To dissolve the organization of (a corporation, for example). from Middle French desbander "discharge in a body from military service" (Modern French débander), from des- "opposite of" + bander "to bind."

melt

verb: 1. dissolve, run, soften, fuse, thaw, diffuse, flux, defrost, liquefy, unfreeze, deliquesce; To change from a solid to a liquid. 2. vanish, fade (away), go away, evaporate, dissipate, dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, flee, fly, sink; become less intense and disappear gradually. 3. soften, touch, relax, disarm, mollify, affect, move; To make someone's feelings gentler and more tender and loving. 4. meld, coalesce, conflate, fuse, immix, mix, merge, commingle, blend, meld, flux, combine; lose one's distinct outline or shape, blending gradually. 5. To pass or merge imperceptibly into something else.

perform

verb: 1. do, achieve, carry out, effect, complete, satisfy, observe, fulfill, accomplish, execute, bring about, pull off, act out, transact, discharge, exercise, implement, keep, live up to, act, behave, function, operate, work, go, run, handle, respond; a. To begin and carry through to completion, following established patterns or procedures, fulfilling agreed-upon requirements, often via use of a special skill.. b. To carry out the functions, requirements, or terms of. c. To react in a specified way. 2. act, do, enact, impersonate, play, play-act, portray, represent, present, act (out), stage, produce, put on, render, depict, enact, appear as; a. to play the part of a character in a dramatic performance. b. To give a public presentation of. 3. play; To portray a role or demonstrate a skill before an audience. from Old French parfornir "to do, carry out, finish, accomplish," from par- "completely" + fornir "to provide."

await

verb: 1. expect, look for, look forward to, anticipate, stay for, bargain for (or on), count on, depend on (or upon), wait (for), figure on; To look forward to confidently. 2. be in store for, wait for, be ready for, lie in wait for, be in readiness for; To be in store for.

fly

verb: 1. flap, flit, flitter, flutter, sail, wing, take wing, soar, glide, take to the air, mount, hover, jet, travel by plane, go by air, travel in an aircraft, wave, float, flap; To move through the air with or as if with wings. 2. flap, flutter, wave, wave, flap; To move or cause to move about while being fixed at one edge. 3. dart, float, sail, shoot, skim; To pass quickly and lightly through the air. 4. bolt, bucket, bustle, dart, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, race, rocket, run, rush, sail, scoot, scour, shoot, speed, sprint, tear, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom, hotfoot, rip, highball, nip, career, barrel (along) (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), hare (Brit. informal), scamper, burn rubber (informal), be off like a shot (informal); To move swiftly. 5. abscond, break out, decamp, escape, flee, get away, run away, skip (out), lam, absquatulate, leave, disappear, get away, depart, run, take off, run from, shun, clear out (informal), light out (informal), take flight, do a runner (slang), run for it, cut and run (informal), fly the coop (U.S. & Canad. informal), beat a retreat, make a quick exit, make a getaway, show a clean pair of heels, skedaddle (informal), hightail (informal, chiefly U.S.), take a powder (U.S. & Canad. slang), hasten away, make your escape, take it on the lam (U.S. & Canad. slang), take to your heels; To break loose and leave suddenly, as from confinement or from a difficult or threatening situation. 6. flare (up); to be moved with sudden extreme emotion. 7. pass swiftly, pass, glide, slip away, roll on, flit, elapse, run its course, go quickly, vanish; To seem to pass quickly. 8. pilot, control, operate, steer, manoeuvre, navigate, be at the controls, aviate; To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.

float

verb: 1. glide, sail, drift, wash, move gently, bob, coast, slide, be carried, slip along; To move along with or be carried away by the action of water. 2. be buoyant, stay afloat, be or lie on the surface, rest on water, hang, hover, poise, displace water; To cause to move buoyantly, lightly, or freely across a surface or through air, water, etc. 3. dart, fly, sail, shoot, skim, waft, coast, drift, drift, glide, hang, hover, poise, ride, sail, swim, waft; To pass quickly and lightly through the air. 4. suggest, present, propose, recommend, put forward, move, test the waters with; circulate or discuss tentatively. 5. launch, offer, sell, set up, promote, get going, push off; to launch or establish (a commercial enterprise, etc). 6. wander; To move from place to place, especially at random. 7. To move about aimlessly, esp in the mind.

drown

verb: 1. go down, go under, go to a watery grave, go to Davy Jones's locker, die under water; To kill by submerging and suffocating in water or another liquid. 2. drench, flood, soak, steep, swamp, saturate, engulf, submerge, immerse, inundate, deluge, flush, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, whelm; To flow over completely. 3. overwhelm, overcome, wipe out, overpower, obliterate, swallow up, be louder than; to destroy or get rid of by immersion in some pervasive and sweeping totality that extinguishes all fine distinctions. 4. blot out; To deaden one's awareness of. 5. To muffle or mask (a sound) by a louder sound. 6. To engage (oneself) deeply and strenuously.

belong

verb: 1. go, fit in, have a home, have a rightful place; To be in an appropriate situation or environment. 2. go with, fit into, be part of, relate to, attach to, be connected with, pertain to, have as a proper place; To be proper, appropriate, suitable, or advantageous. 3. be a member of, be in, be included in, be affiliated to, be allied to, be associated with, be connected to, be linked to, be an adherent of; be a member or part of (a particular group, organization, or class). 4. be owned by, be the property of, be the possession of, be in the ownership of, be held by, be at the disposal of, be in the hands of; To be owned by someone. 5. To be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency —usually used with to. 6. To be an attribute, part, adjunct, or function of a person or thing.

overplay

verb: 1. ham, ham it up, overact; exaggerate one's performance (of a dramatic role). 2. give undue importance to; overemphasize. 3. To overestimate the strength of (one's holding or position) with resulting defeat.

inflict

verb: 1. impose, exact, administer, visit, apply, deliver, levy, wreak, mete or deal out; a. To cause to undergo or bear (something unwelcome or damaging, for example). b. To cause something injurious or harmful. 2. foist, impose, saddle, stick; To force (another) to accept a burden. 3. To deal or deliver (a blow, for example). from Latin inflictus, past participle of infligere "to strike or dash against; inflict," from in- "in" + fligere (past participle flictus) "to dash, strike."

meddle

verb: 1. interfere, intervene, tamper, intrude, pry, butt in, interlope, intermeddle, mess, muck (about or around), nose, obtrude, poke, pry, snoop, butt in, interpose, stick your nose in (informal), put your oar in, intermeddle, put your two cents in (U.S. slang); To intervene officiously, inconsiderately, or indiscreetly in the affairs of others. 2. fiddle, fool, mess, tamper, tinker, monkey, tamper; To handle something idly, ignorantly, carelessly, or destructively. from Latin miscere "to mix."

slay

verb: 1. kill, destroy, slaughter, eliminate, massacre, butcher, dispatch, annihilate, exterminate, finish (off), liquidate, murder, kill, assassinate, do in (slang), do away with, mow down, rub out (U.S. slang), put away, bump off, do in, knock off, off, waste, wipe out, zap; a. kill with wanton violence in great numbers. b. To take the life of (a person or persons) unlawfully. 2. To overwhelm with delightful amusement, as with laughter or love.

weigh

verb: 1. matter, carry weight, cut any ice (informal), impress, tell, count, have influence, be influential; To be of significance or importance. 2. chew on (or over), cogitate, consider, contemplate, deliberate, entertain, excogitate, meditate, muse, ponder, revolve, ruminate, study, consider, study, examine, contemplate, evaluate, mull (over), eye up, reflect (upon), give thought to, meditate upon, deliberate upon, think, think out, think over, think through, turn over, cudgel one's brains, put on one's thinking cap, rack one's brain; To consider carefully especially by balancing opposing factors, aspects, claims, or evidence in order to reach a choice or conclusion. 3. compare, balance, contrast, juxtapose, place side by side; To balance in the mind in order to make a choice. 4. measure the weight of, put someone or something on the scales, measure how heavy someone or something is; To ascertain the heaviness of by or as if by a balance.

vest

verb: 1. place, invest, entrust, settle, lodge, confer, endow, bestow, consign, put in the hands of, be devolved upon; a. Place (authority, property, or rights) in the control of a person or group of persons. b. To give to a person a legally fixed immediate right of present or future enjoyment of (such as an estate). c. To place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority. 2. endow with, furnish with, entrust with, empower with, authorize with; provide with power and authority. 3. robe, apparel, clothe, enclothe, garb, garment, raiment, tog, habilitate, fit out, dress; clothe formally, especially in ecclesiastical robes. from Latin vestis "clothing," from vestire "to clothe."

conspire

verb: 1. plot, scheme, collude, connive, intrigue, devise, manoeuvre, contrive, machinate, plan, hatch treason; To work out a secret plan to achieve an evil or illegal end. 2. work together, combine, contribute, cooperate, concur, tend, conduce; To join or act together in harmony to achieve some end as if by design. from Latin conspirare "to agree, unite, plot," literally "to breathe together," from assimilated form of com- "with, together" + spirare "to breathe."

distill

verb: 1. purify, refine, filter, treat, process, sublime, sublimate, fractionate; purify (a liquid) by vaporizing it, then condensing it by cooling the vapor, and collecting the resulting liquid. 2. brew, ferment, make; make (something, especially liquor or an essence) by distilling. 3. extract, press out, squeeze out, express, draw out, take out; extract the essence of (something) by heating it with a solvent. 4. boil down, reduce, concentrate, thicken, compress, condense, purify, refine, separate, rectify; remove (a volatile constituent) of a mixture by using heat. 5. emanate, exude, drip, leak, trickle, dribble, flow; emanate as a vapor or in minute drops. 6. To extract the essence of. from Latin distillare "trickle down in minute drops," from dis- "apart" + stillare "to drip, drop," from stilla "drop."

recover

verb: 1. recoup, restore, repair, get back, regain, make good, retrieve, reclaim, redeem, recapture, win back, take back, repossess, retake, find again; To get back (something lost or taken away), especially by making an effort. 2. reclaim, redeem, rescue, salvage, save, retrieve; To extricate from an undesirable state. 3. come around (or round), convalesce, gain, improve, mend, perk up, rally, recuperate, get better, get well, recuperate, pick up, heal, revive, bounce back, mend, turn the corner, pull through, be on the mend, take a turn for the better, get back on your feet, feel yourself again, regain your health or strength; a. To regain one's health, spirits, composure, etc. after an illness, shock, or setback. b. To regain the use of (a faculty) or be restored to (a normal or usual condition). 4. rally, improve, pick up, bounce back, make a recovery; regain a former condition after a financial loss. 5. To discover or be able to follow (a trail or scent) after losing it.

wallow

verb: 1. revel, indulge, relish, savour, delight, glory, thrive, bask, take pleasure, luxuriate, indulge yourself, bask, roll, rollick; To take extravagant pleasure. 2. roll about, lie, tumble, wade, slosh, welter, splash around, flounder, welter; To move about with difficulty in an indolent, relaxed, ungainly, clumsy, or rolling manner. 3. To be plentifully supplied. 4. billow, swell, wave; to billow forth. Old English wealwian "to roll."

refresh

verb: 1. revive, cool, freshen, revitalize, cheer, stimulate, brace, rejuvenate, kick-start (informal), enliven, breathe new life into, invigorate, revivify, reanimate, inspirit, freshen, reinvigorate, renew, restore, revivify; To impart renewed energy, animation, power, and strength to someone suffering in a state of exhaustion, supplying something necessary. 2. replenish, restore, repair, renew, top up, renovate, furbish, recondition, re-create, refurbish, rejuvenate, revamp, give a new look to; a. To make new or as if new again. b. to enliven (something worn or faded), as by adding new decorations. 3. stimulate, prompt, renew, jog, prod, brush up; To renew by stimulation. 4. to restore or maintain by renewing supply.

ransack

verb: 1. search, go through, rummage through, rake through, explore, comb, scour, forage, turn inside out, comb, forage, rummage, scour, shake down, beat the bushes, leave no stone unturned, look high and low, look up and down, turn inside out, turn upside down; To make a thorough search of, laying waste to nearby materials roughly discarded in the process. 2. depredate, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, rape, ravage, sack, spoliate, strip, harrow, spoil, raid, strip, gut, rifle; To rob of goods by force in damaging way, especially in time of war. akin to Old Norse rannsaka "to pillage," literally "search the house" (especially legally, for stolen goods), from rann "house," from Proto-Germanic *raznan (c.f. Gothic razn, Old English ærn "house;" see barn) + saka "to search."

backstab

verb: backbite, betray, double-cross, play Judas, sell down the river, slander; to attempt to discredit (a person) by underhanded means, as innuendo, accusation, or the like.

browbeat

verb: bully, threaten, cow, intimidate, badger, oppress, hector, coerce, bulldoze (informal), overawe, dragoon, ride roughshod over, tyrannize, overbear, domineer, bludgeon, bullyrag, menace, strong-arm, force, compel, persecute, domineer, pressure, pressurize, terrorize, subjugate, use strong-arm tactics on, harass, harry, hound, nag, goad, boss about/around, railroad, lean on; To domineer or drive into discouraged compliance by a stern, arrogant, threatening manner and scornful and contemptuous speech.

dismantle

verb: 1. take apart, demolish, disassemble, unrig, break down, disassemble, dismount, take down, pull apart, pull to pieces, deconstruct, break up, strip (down), knock down, pull down, tear down, fell, destroy, flatten, level, raze (to the ground), bulldoze, unbuild, take to pieces or bits; take apart and disconnect something into its constituent pieces. 2. abolish, end, overturn, suppress, overthrow, void, terminate, eradicate, put an end to, quash, do away with, stamp out, obliterate, vitiate, demolish, destroy, dynamite, knock down, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, tear down, wreck, destruct; a. To pull down or break up so that reconstruction is impossible. b. To put an end to in a gradual systematic way. from Middle French desmanteler "to tear down the walls of a fortress," literally "strip of a cloak," from des- "off, away" + manteler "to cloak," from mantel "cloak."

bring

verb: 1. take, carry, bear, transfer, deliver, transport, import, convey, fetch, convey, lead, guide, conduct, accompany, escort, usher; To cause to come along with oneself. 2. bring about, bring on, cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off, trigger, produce, create, result in, contribute to, inflict, wreak, engender, bring to pass, give rise to, beget, breed, catalyze, do, draw on, generate, invoke, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield; To be the cause of. 3. make, force, influence, convince, persuade, prompt, compel, induce, get, move, dispose, sway, prevail on or upon, argue into, bring around (or round), sell (on), talk into; To succeed in causing (a person) to act in a certain way. 4. fetch, realize, earn, return, produce, net, command, yield, gross, fetch, accrue, sell for; To achieve (a certain price).

strangle

verb: 1. throttle, choke, asphyxiate, garrotte, strangulate, smother, suffocate; To lethally interfere with or stop the normal breathing of, especially by squeezing the throat and constricting the windpipe with something, such as hands or rope. 2. suppress, inhibit, subdue, stifle, gag, repress, overpower, quash, quell, quench, burke, choke (back), gag, hold back, hold down, hush (up), muffle, quench, smother, squelch, stifle, suppress, throttle, sit on (or upon), hamper, cramp, halter, confine, limit, trammel, restrain, restrict, bound, conquer, stamp down, subdue, curb; a. To hold (something requiring an outlet) in check. b. Prevent the progress, growth, or free movement of. c. Conceal or hide. from Greek strangalan "to choke, twist," from strangale "a halter, cord, lace," related to strangos "twisted."

deplete

verb: 1. use up, reduce, drain, exhaust, consume, empty, decrease, evacuate, lessen, impoverish, expend, sap, burn, absorb, devour, draw down, spend; a. To lessen or weaken severely, as by removing something essential or principle. b. To consume or reduce to a very low amount. 2. desiccate, dry up, give out, play out, run out; To make or become no longer active or productive through over use or drastic reduction in necessary resources. from Latin deplere "to empty," literally "to un-fill," from de "off, away" + plere "to fill."

serve

verb: 1. work for, help, aid, assist, attend (to), do for, minister to, wait on (or upon), wait on, deal with, oblige, be of assistance, do something for, be of use to, be in the service of, do your bit for; To work and care for. 2. present, provide, supply, deliver, arrange, set out, distribute, dish up, purvey; To place before (someone). 3. put in, do; To spend or complete (time), as a prison term. 4. act, function, officiate; To perform the duties of another. 5. be adequate, do, suffice, answer, suit, content, satisfy, be good enough, be acceptable, fill the bill (informal), answer the purpose; To meet a need or requirement. 6. advantage, avail, benefit, profit, boot, stand someone in good stead; To be an advantage to. 7. to be worthy of reliance or trust. 8. deliver to, give to, present with, hand over to, cause to accept; deliver a warrant or summons to someone. 9. perform, do, complete, go through, fulfil, pass, discharge; meet the requirements or expectations of. 10. devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas. from Latin servire "be a servant, be in service, be enslaved;" figuratively "be devoted; be governed by; comply with; conform; flatter," originally "be a slave," related to servus "slave."

trump-up

verb: To conceive, concoct, or devise some idea or piece of information in a fraudulent and self-serving manner, especially as an excuse for a false accusation.

enlist

verb: a. recruit, secure, gather, take on, hire, sign up, sign on, call up, muster (in), mobilize, conscript, raise, rally, hire employ, engage, draft, induct, press, press-gang, levy, list; To engage (persons or a person) for service in the armed forces. b. join up, join, enter (into), register, volunteer, sign up, sign on, enroll; To become a member of. c. obtain, get, gain, secure, engage, procure, win; To engage the support or cooperation of in advancing an interest. from en- "make, put in," and Old High German lista "strip, border, list."

lascerate

verb: a. tear, cut, wound, rend, rip, slash, claw, maim, mangle, gash, jag; to tear (the flesh, etc) jaggedly. b. hurt, wound, rend, torture, distress, torment, afflict, harrow; to cause sharp mental or emotional pain to. lacerare "tear to pieces, mangle," figuratively, "to slander, censure, abuse," from lacer "torn, mangled," and related to Greek lakis "tatter, rag," lakizein "to tear to pieces."

confess

verb: admit, acknowledge, disclose, confide, divulge, declare, allow, reveal, grant, confirm, concede, assert, manifest, affirm, profess, attest, evince, aver, admit, avow, own (up), come clean (informal), blurt out, come out of the closet, make a clean breast of, get (something) off your chest (informal), spill your guts (slang), 'fess up (U.S.), sing (slang, chiefly U.S.), cough (it up) (slang); 1. To recognize, often reluctantly, the damaging and inconvenient reality or truth of one's omissions, failures, faults, weaknesses, misdeeds, crimes, guilt, sins, etc. 2. To acknowledge belief or faith in.

convalesce

verb: come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round [chiefly British], perk up, rally, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, get better, get well, regain one's strength/health, get back on one's feet, get over something, get back to normal, be on the road to recovery, be on the mend, improve; To regain one's health after illness or shock. from Latin convalescere "thrive, regain health, begin to grow strong or well," from assimilated form of com-, here probably an intensive prefix, + valescere "to begin to grow strong," inchoative of valere "to be strong."

reave

verb: despoil, foray, pillage, ransack, rifle, loot, plunder, strip take, deplume; 1. To seize and carry off forcibly. 2. To deprive (one) of something; bereave.

swaddle

verb: enfold, envelop, enwrap, infold, invest, roll, swathe, wrap, wrap up; 1. To cover completely and closely, as with clothing or bandages. 2. To prevent from doing, exhibiting, or expressing something. 3. To limit, restrict, or keep under control. 4. To moderate or limit the force, effect, development, or full exercise of.

forgive

verb: excuse, pardon, bear no malice towards, not hold something against, understand, acquit, condone, remit, let off (informal), turn a blind eye to, exonerate, absolve, bury the hatchet, let bygones be bygones, turn a deaf ear to, accept (someone's) apology, forgive and forget; 1. To give up angry vengeful resentment against or stop wanting to exact punishment as requital for an offense or fault. 2. To absolve from payment of (a debt, for example). Old English forgiefan "give, grant, allow; remit (a debt), pardon (an offense)," also "give up" and "give in marriage"; from for-, here probably "completely," + giefan "to give."

explicate

verb: explain, interpret, clarify, unfold, expound, make plain, untangle, elucidate, construe, decipher, explain, expound, interpret, spell out, enucleate, clear (up), construe, demonstrate, demystify, get across, illuminate, illustrate, simplify, unriddle, put into plain English, make clear or explicit; 1. To make clear the meaning of through a developed, detailed analysis. 2. to formulate or develop (a theory, hypothesis, etc). from Latin explicare "unfold, unravel, explain," from ex- "out" + plicare "to fold."

carp

verb: find fault, knock (informal), complain, beef (slang), criticize, nag, censure, reproach, quibble, cavil, pick holes, kvetch (U.S. slang), niggle, nitpick, pettifog, quibble, pick to pieces, henpeck, beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, caterwaul, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl; 1. To raise unnecessary or trivial objections. 2. To scold or find fault with constantly.

implode

verb: go off, collapse, fall in, give way, founder, give, break, buckle, cave (in), crumple, go, go out, tumble, yield; 1. To collapse inward violently. 2. To undergo a sudden catastrophic failure in dramatic fashion. from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon," + plaudere "to clap the hands, applaud."

thrum

verb: hum, sound, go, strum; 1. sound with a monotonous hum. 2. sound the strings of (a string instrument) in a relaxed and idle manner. 3. make a rhythmic sound.

comply

verb: obey, follow, respect, agree to, satisfy, observe, fulfil, submit to, conform to, adhere to, abide by, consent to, yield to, defer to, accede to, act in accordance with, perform, acquiesce, abide by, adhere, carry out, follow, keep, mind, obey, observe, observe, assent to, consent to, concur with/in, fall in with, go along with, submit to, bow to, defer to, meet, fulfill, measure up to, toe the line; 1. To act in accordance with another's command, request, rule, or wish. 2. (of an article) meet specified standards. from Latin complere "to fill up," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix, + plere "to fill."

resile

verb: recoil, retract; To return to a prior position. from the Latin verb resilire, which means "to jump back" or "recoil." (Resilire, in turn, comes from salire, meaning "to leap.") Resilient focuses on the ability of something to "bounce back" from damage, whereas resile generally applies to someone or something that withdraws from an agreement or "jumps back" from a stated position.

fine-tune

verb: refine, polish, down, tweak; make small, precise adjustments to (something) in order to achieve the best or a desired performance.

chasten

verb: subdue, discipline, cow, curb, humble, soften, humiliate, tame, afflict, repress, castigate, chastise, objurgate, correct, put in one's place, call on the carpet, dress down, have words, rebuke, reproof, scold, take to task, call down, lambaste, lecture, reprimand, remonstrate; 1. to discipline or correct by punishment or suffering. 2. to bring to a state of restrained, humble submission. 3. To rid of excess, pretense, or falsity. castigare "to correct, set right, keep right; purify; chastise; to reprove, chasten, to punish," literally "to make pure" from castus "pure" + agere "to do."

scumble

verb: to make (something, such as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush

defect

1. noun: a. deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, lack, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, shortcoming, shortfall, underage, want, failing, mistake, fault, error, absence, weakness, flaw, imperfection, frailty, foible; an imperfection or abnormality that impairs quality, function, or utility. b. blemish, bug, fault, flaw, imperfection, shortcoming, blight, blotch, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, mar, mark, pockmark, scar; a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body). 2. verb: desert, rebel, quit, revolt, change sides, apostatize, leave, abandon, desert, resign from, walk out on (informal), break faith with, renegade, tergiversate, turn, rat, change sides, turn one's coat; To abandon one's cause or party usually to join another. from Latin defectus, past participle of deficere "to fail, desert," from de- "down, away" + combining form of facere "to do, make."

crush

1 .verb: a. squash, pound, break, smash, squeeze, crumble, crunch, mash, compress, press, crumple, pulverize, mush, pulp; To press forcefully so as to break up into a deformed pulpy mass. b. overcome, overwhelm, put down, subdue, overpower, quash, quell, extinguish, stamp out, vanquish, conquer, annihilate, drub, smash, steamroll thrash, trounce, vanquish, massacre, wallop, clobber, cream, shellac, smear; To render totally ineffective by decisive defeat. b. bray, granulate, grind, mill, powder, pulverize, triturate; To break up into tiny particles. c. choke off, extinguish, put down, quash, quell, quench, squash, squelch, suppress, put the lid on; To bring to an end forcibly as if by imposing a heavy weight. d. demoralize, depress, devastate, discourage, humble, put down (slang), humiliate, squash, flatten, deflate, mortify, psych out (informal), dishearten, dispirit, deject, break, destroy, overwhelm, ruin; To severely impair the spirit, health, or effectiveness of. e. engulf, overcome, overpower, overwhelm, prostrate; e1. to cause overwhelming emotional pain to (someone) e2. to oppress or burden grievously. f. crowd, press, squeeze, embrace, hug, enfold; To act on with a steady pushing force. g. express, press, squeeze; To extract from by applying pressure. h. to suppress utterly and forcibly. 2. noun: a. infatuation, passion, obsession, fixation; An extravagant, short-lived romantic attachment. b. crowd, mob, horde, throng, press, pack, mass, jam, herd, huddle, swarm, multitude, rabble; An enormous grouping of persons compactly gathered together in which movement is difficult, attended by great discomfort. from Old French cruissir (Modern French écraser), variant of croissir "to gnash (teeth), crash, smash, break."

bound

1. adjective: a. compelled, obliged, forced, committed, pledged, constrained, obligated, beholden, duty-bound, beholden, indebted, obligated, obliged, bounden, under obligation; a1 .Owing something, such as gratitude, appreciation, or work to another. a2. morally obligated. b. tied, fixed, secured, attached, lashed, tied up, fastened, trussed, pinioned, made fast; To attach firmly to something else. c. certain, sure, fated, doomed, destined, predetermined, very likely; (usually followed by `to') governed by fate. 2. noun: a. leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, hurdle, skip, vault, pounce, caper, prance, lope, frisk, gambol; a sudden, lively, light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards. b. confine (used in plural), end, limit; b1. A demarcation point or boundary beyond which something does not extend or occur. (Often used in plural.) b2. The boundary surrounding a certain area. (Used in plural). b3. the greatest possible degree of something.

incumbent

1. adjective: a. obligatory, required, requisite, necessary, essential, binding, compulsory, mandatory, imperative, forced, involuntary, nonelective, peremptory; necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility. b. Lying, leaning, or resting on something else. c. current, existing, present, in office, in power, reigning; currently holding office. 2. noun: a. holder, bearer, occupant, office-holder, office-bearer, officer, functionary, official; the holder of an office or post. from Latin incumbere "recline on," figuratively "apply oneself to," from in- "on" + -cumbere "lie down," related to cubare "to lie."

frog-march

1. noun: a. a method of carrying a resisting person in which each limb is held by one person and the victim is carried horizontally and face downwards. b. a method of making a resisting person move forward against his will by pinning the arms from behind. 2. verb: to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward.

step-up

1. noun: a. accretion, accrual, addendum, addition, augmentation, boost, expansion, gain, increase, increment, more, plus, proliferation, raise, rise, supplement, uptick, an increase or advance in size, quality, or amount. 2. verb: a. accentuate, amp (up), amplify, beef (up), boost, consolidate, deepen, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify, redouble, strengthen; to increase, augment, or advance especially by one or more steps. b. to come forward. c. to succeed in meeting a challenge (as by increased effort or improved performance). d. to undergo an increase.

stain

1. noun: a. blot, blotch, daub, smear, smirch, smudge, smutch, splotch, mark, spot, blemish, discoloration; A discolored mark made by smearing. b. black eye, blemish, blot, onus, spot, stigma, taint, tarnish, attaint, shame, disgrace, slur, reproach, dishonor, infamy, blot on the escutcheon; b1. A mark symbolizing discredit or disgrace. b2. A diminishment of one's moral character or good reputation by being associated with something disgraceful. c. color, colorant, coloring, dye, dyestuff, pigment, tincture, tint; Something that imparts color. 2. verb: a. bestain, discolor, smut, mark, soil, discolor, dirty, tarnish, tinge, spot, blot, blemish, smirch; To soil with foreign matter. b. befoul, besmear, besmirch, bespatter, blacken, cloud, denigrate, dirty, smear, smudge, smut, soil, spatter, sully, taint, tarnish, disgrace, taint, sully, corrupt, contaminate, deprave, defile, blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate, drag through the mud, give a black eye to, sling mud on; To contaminate the reputation of. c. animalize, bastardize, bestialize, brutalize, canker, corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, vitiate, warp; To ruin utterly in character or quality. d. color, dye, tincture, tint; To suffuse with color. from Old French desteign-, stem of desteindre "to remove the color" (Modern French déteindre), from des- + Old French teindre "to dye," from Latin tingere "to tinge, dye, soak in color," originally merely "to moisten, wet, soak."

trail

1. noun: a. path, track, route, way, course, road, pathway, footpath, beaten track; A marked or beaten path. b. series, line, train, row, chain, string, stream, succession, train, series, chain, aftermath; A succession of things that come afterward or are left behind. c. wake, stream, tail, slipstream; A mark, trace, course, or path left by a moving body. d. scent, track, spoor; the track, scent, or the like, left by an animal, person, or thing. 2. verb: a. follow, track, chase, pursue, dog, hunt, shadow, trace, tail (informal), hound, stalk, keep an eye on, keep tabs on (informal), run to ground, dog, heel, tag, course, run, tag, tail, trace; a1. To follow the traces, track, or scent of, as in hunting, rather than a visible object. a2. To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind. a3. To follow closely or persistently b. drag, draw, pull, sweep, stream, haul, tow, dangle, droop; to pull or draw with force. c. lag, follow, drift, wander, linger, trudge, fall behind, plod, meander, amble, loiter, straggle, traipse (informal), dawdle, hang back, tag along (informal), bring up the rear, drag yourself, creep, slide, crawl, slither, slink, dally, dawdle, delay, dilly-dally, drag, lag, loiter, poke, procrastinate, tarry, drag one's feet, mark time, take one's time; To go or move slowly and wearily so that progress is hindered. d. lose, be down, be behind, fall behind, lag behind, drop behind; To be behind in competition. e. drag, draggle, train; To hang or cause to hang down and be pulled along behind. f. sink, weaken, diminish, decrease, dwindle, shrink, lessen, subside, fall away, peter out, die away, tail off, taper off, grow weak, grow faint; To become gradually fainter.

sedative

1. noun: tranquillizer, narcotic, sleeping pill, opiate, anodyne, calmative, downer or down (slang), hypnotic, narcotic, somnifacient, soporific; a drug that reduces nervous excitability and calms a person, inducing a sleepy haze. 2. adjective: calming, relaxing, soothing, allaying, anodyne, soporific, sleep-inducing, tranquillizing, calmative, lenitive, hypnotic, narcotic, opiate, sleepy, slumberous, somnifacient, somniferous, somnific, somnolent, ataractic, ataraxic, comforting, dreamy, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, quieting; tending to soothe or tranquilize. from Latin sedatus "composed, moderate, quiet, tranquil," past participle of sedare "to settle, calm," causative of sedere "to sit."

overestimate

1. verb: exaggerate, magnify, inflate, amplify, exalt, overstate, overemphasize, blow out of all proportion, make a production (out) of (informal), make a federal case of (U.S. informal), overrate, overvalue; a. to estimate at too high a value, amount, or rate. b. to hold in too great esteem. 2. noun: overappraisal, overestimation, overvaluation; an appraisal that is too high.

authoritative

adjective: 1. commanding, lordly, masterly, imposing, dominating, dominant, domineering, confident, decisive, imperative, assertive, autocratic, dictatorial, dogmatic, imperious, self-assured, peremptory, overbearing, masterful, magisterial, imposing, assertive, high-handed, sure of oneself; having a forceful and self-confident personality likely to be respected and obeyed. 2. official, approved, sanctioned, legitimate, sovereign, authorized, commanding, conclusive; Having or arising from established authority 3. reliable, learned, sound, true, accurate, valid, scholarly, faithful, authentic, definitive, factual, truthful, veritable, dependable, trustworthy, convincing, valid, credible, substantiated, trustworthy, good, sound, authentic, well founded, attested, certified, verifiable, factual, from the horse's mouth, classic, classical; Worthy of belief, as because of precision or faithfulness to an original.

blasted

adjective: 1. damned, bloody, freaking (slang, chiefly U.S.), confounded, hateful, infernal, detestable, accursed, blessed, bloody, confounded, cursed, damn, darn, execrable, blamed, blooming, ruddy, blessed, flaming precious, confounded, pestilential, rotten, wretched, flipping, blinking, blimming, bloody, bleeding, effing, chuffing, goddam, plurry, bally, ruddy, deuced, damnable, ****ing, frigging, sodding, fecking; So annoying or detestable as to deserve condemnation. 2. ruined, destroyed, wasted, devastated, shattered, spoiled, withered, ravaged, blighted, desolated; : damaged by or as if by an explosive, lightning, wind, or supernatural force.

negotiable

adjective: 1. debatable, flexible, unsettled, undecided, open to discussion, discussable or discussible, on the table; Capable of being discussed in an effort to reach an agreement. 2. valid, transferable, transactional; (Banking & Finance) (of a bill of exchange, promissory note, etc) legally transferable in title from one party to another 3. passable, open, clear, navigable, unobstructed, traversable, crossable; Capable of being traveled over or through. from Latin negotium "a business, employment, occupation, affair (public or private)," also "difficulty, pains, trouble, labor," literally "lack of leisure," from neg- "not" + otium "ease, leisure."

rocky

adjective: 1. rough, rugged, stony, craggy, pebbly, boulder-strewn, rock-strewn, shingly, bumpy, hard, mountainous; 2. bumpy, jolting, jolty, jumpy, rough, unsteady, shaky, unstable, wobbly, tottery, rickety, flimsy, bockety; causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements. 3. unstable, weak, uncertain, doubtful, shaky, unreliable, wobbly, rickety, unsteady, undependable, ailing, indisposed, low, mean, off-color, sickly, under the weather, difficult, rough; a. Affected or tending to be affected with minor health problems. b. full of hardship or trials. 4. affectless, callous, case-hardened, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard, hard-boiled, hard-hearted, heartless, indurate, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, ironhearted, merciless, obdurate, pachydermatous, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, slash- and-burn, soulless, stony (also stoney), stonyhearted, take-no-prisoners, thick-skinned, uncharitable, unfeeling, unmerciful, unsparing, unsympathetic; difficult to impress or affect.

juicy

adjective: 1. succulent, tender, moist, ripe, luscious, lush, sappy, mellow; full of juice. 2. very interesting, fascinating, intriguing, sensational, lurid, thrilling, exciting, colorful, entertaining, scandalous, racy, risqué, spicy, piquant, provocative, suggestive, hot, shock-horror; rich in interest. 3. luscious, red-hot, voluptuous, toothsome, sexy; Having strong sexual appeal. 4. gamey, gamy, naughty, risque, spicy, racy, blue; suggestive of sexual impropriety.

far-reaching

adjective: all-around, all-inclusive, all-round, broad, broad-spectrum, comprehensive, expansive, extended, extensive, far-ranging, general, global, inclusive, large, overall, sweeping, wide-ranging, wide-reaching, widespread, important, significant, pervasive, momentous, radical, profound, all-embracing, deep, far-flung, overarching, across the board, blanket, wholesale, major, of great import, of significance, ambitious, life-changing, of moment, weighty, consequential, of consequence; having important and widely applicable effects or implications.

addled

adjective: confused, silly, foolish, at sea, bewildered, mixed-up, muddled, perplexed, flustered, befuddled, addlepated, confounded, confused, confusional, muddle-headed, perplexed, turbid, bad, corrupted, decayed, decomposed, putrefied, putrid, rotten, spoiled; 1. confused or muddled. 2. not working properly, making one confused or muddled. 3. old-fashioned rotten. from Old English adela "mud, mire, liquid manure" (cognate with East Frisian adel "dung," Old Swedish adel "urine," Middle Low German adel "mud," Dutch aal "puddle").

high-handed

adjective: dictatorial, domineering, overbearing, arbitrary, oppressive, autocratic, bossy (informal), imperious, tyrannical, despotic, peremptory, cavalier, imperious arbitrary, arrogant, haughty, overweening, heavy-handed, lordly, inflexible, rigid, autocratic, authoritarian, undemocratic, antidemocratic, dictatorial, repressive, pushy, cocky, pushful, assumptive, bumptious, chesty, haughty, high-and-mighty, high-hat, highfalutin (also hifalutin), huffish, huffy, important, lofty, masterful, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity; tactlessly overbearing and inconsiderate.

ill-gotten

adjective: dirty, illegal; acquired by dishonest, improper, unfair, or evil means.

heartbreaking

adjective: distressing, tragic, bitter, poignant, harrowing, desolating, grievous, pitiful, agonizing, heart-rending, gut-wrenching, depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary, upsetting, disturbing heart-rending, painful, traumatic, desolating, harrowing excruciating, piteous, plaintive, affecting, moving, tear-jerking, distressful; 1. Causing overwhelming grief or distress. 2. Producing a strong, intense emotional reaction.

world-class

adjective: foremost, first-rate, top, prime, excellent, outstanding, superb, elite, exceptional, superlative, A1 or A-one (informal), mean (slang); 1. Being among the best or foremost in the world; of an international standard of excellence. 2. of or denoting someone with a skill or attribute that puts him or her in the highest class in the world.

half-baked

adjective: stupid, impractical, crazy, silly, foolish, senseless, short-sighted, inane, loopy (informal), ill-conceived, crackpot (informal), ill-judged, brainless, unformed, poorly planned, harebrained, ******** (slang), not thought through, not fully developed, undeveloped, unformed, unplanned, ill-judged, unrealistic, unworkable, injudicious, ridiculous, crazy, crackpot, cock-eyed, unthought out or through, absurd, asinine, balmy, bubbleheaded, cockeyed, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, fatuous, featherheaded, fool, foolish, half-witted, inept, insane, jerky, kooky (also kookie), loony (also looney), lunatic, lunkheaded, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, simpleminded, tomfool, unwise, wacky (also whacky), weak-minded, witless, zany; 1. Exhibiting a lack of good judgment, intelligence, or common sense. 2. (of an idea or philosophy) not fully thought through; lacking a sound basis.

run away with

idiom: 1. To flee or depart very suddenly and hurriedly along with someone else. 2. To give the best performance and succeed handily in something. 3. To give the best performance and succeed handily in something.

come of age

idiom: 1. To reach an advanced stage of development and become accepted by a large number of people. 2. (of a movement or activity) become fully established.

sniff around

idiom: pry, inquire impertinently, be inquisitive (about), inquire, do some detective work, be curious, poke about/around, mind someone else's business, be a busybody, nose into, stick/poke one's nose in/into, interfere (in/with), meddle (in/with), intrude (on), be nosy (about), nosy, stickybeak, investigate, explore ferret (about/around) in, rummage in, search, delve into, peer into, prowl around, nose around/about/round, have a good look at; To furtively investigate, search through, or inquire impertinently into something or some place.

lick one's wounds

idiom: retire into seclusion in order to recover one's strength or confidence after a defeat or humiliating experience.

slip away

idiom: 1. die, pass away, pass on, expire, breathe one's last, go, go to meet one's maker, shuffle off this mortal coil, go to one's last resting place, go the way of all flesh, cross the Styx, pop off, snuff it, croak, kick the bucket, give up the ghost, turn up one's toes, cash in one's chips, conk out, flatline, pop one's clogs, peg out, hop the twig/stick, check out, hand in one's dinner pail, go bung, decease, depart this life, exit; die peacefully (used euphemistically). 2. sneak away, sneak off, sneak out, steal away; depart without saying goodbye; leave quietly or surreptitiously. 3. lessen, fall, decline, contract, sink, fade, weaken, shrink, diminish, decrease, decay, wither, wane, subside, ebb, die down, die out, abate, shrivel, die away, waste away, taper off, grow less, drain, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, tail away (or off), taper (off); slowly disappear.

head something off

idiom: 1. intercept, divert, deflect, redirect, reroute, turn aside, draw away, turn away, cut off; To intercept or seize someone or something. 2. forestall, avert, ward off, fend off, stave off, hold off, nip in the bud, keep at bay, prevent, avoid, stop, check, thwart, help, obviate, preclude; To try to stop something from happening.

out of hand

idiom: 1. out of control, uncontrollable, unmanageable, ungovernable, unruly, disorderly, rowdy, wild, boisterous, difficult, disruptive, ill-disciplined, undisciplined, refractory, recalcitrant, intractable, impossible, obstreperous, fractious, wayward, incorrigible, stroppy, contumacious; In an unruly or unmanageable state or manner. 2. Without due discussion or consideration.

be unable to hold a candle to

idiom: Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something.

would do well to

idiom: One would benefit or fare better from, or be prudent or responsible by, , or be sensible or wise to, doing some specific task or action.

put one's faith in/ pin one's hope's on

idiom: Put one's hope or trust in someone or something. To attach one's aspirations for success to a particular event, individual, or the like.

get the drop on

idiom: To acquire an advantage over another person or entity; to catch someone or something in a vulnerable position or situation. The phrase refers to drawing a gun on someone first (thus causing them to "drop" their own gun).

talk of the town

idiom: To be a person or topic that many people are currently talking about excitedly in a certain area (typically a small town), most often due to their involvement in some recent event.

got it bad

idiom: To be madly in love; having extreme feelings about something.

leave much to be desired

idiom: To be very inadequate or unsatisfactory; to lack a large amount of what is desired or required—used to say that something is not very good at all or is not close to being good enough.

bring into line

idiom: To cause someone or something to conform, adhere to, or agree with that which is established or generally accepted, such as rules, beliefs, modes of behavior, etc.

stretched too thin/spread too thin

idiom: To expend more time, resources, or energy than one can maintain or sustain; to undertake too many activities at the same time.

stand tall/walk tall

idiom: To prove or display one's pride, confidence, bravery, or fortitude.

work like a charm

idiom: To work very well or be exceptionally effective.

call it a day

idiom: admit defeat, concede defeat, stop trying, give up, give in, surrender, capitulate, be beaten, despair, lose heart, abandon hope, give up hope, throw in the towel/spong, drop one's bundle; To stop working, either at one's job or on a particular task, for the rest of the day, especially resting content that enough has been done.

punch up

idiom: amp (up), animate, brace, energize, fillip, fire, ginger up), invigorate, jazz (up), juice up, jump-start, liven (up), pep (up), quicken, spike, stimulate, vitalize, vivify, zip up); to give energy, liveliness, dynamism, excitement, or forcefulness to.

plan of action (or campaign or attack)

idiom: an organized program of measures to be taken in order to achieve a goal.

rub elbows with

idiom: associate with, mingle with, fraternize with, socialize with, mix with, keep company with, consort with, rub elbows with, hang around/out with, hobnob with, run round with, knock about/around with, pal around with, chum around with, hang about; To interact or mingle with a person or group for pragmatic advantage.

tied-up

idiom: busy, occupied, engaged, engrossed, kept busy; Involved in activity or work and not available for anyone else.

on the rocks

idiom: in difficulty, in trouble, breaking down, practically over, heading for divorce, heading for the divorce courts, in tatters, in pieces, destroyed, shattered, ruined, beyond repair, kaput, done for, toast; 1. (of a relationship or enterprise) experiencing difficulties and likely to fail. 2. Literally, shipwrecked atop rocks in a body of water. 3. In state of bankruptcy, ruin, disrepair, or destitution.

when the time comes

idiom: in due course , in due season , in due time , in good time; eventually at the appropriate time.

see to it that

idiom: insure, ensure, ascertain, check, assure, control, see, make certain, verify; be careful or certain to do something.

for one's eyes only

idiom: intended to be seen only by a certain person.

lick one's chops

idiom: look forward to something with eager, impatient anticipation.

lose one's head

idiom: lose control of oneself, lose one's composure, lose one's self-control, lose one's equilibrium, lose control of the situation, go to pieces, fall to pieces, panic, go mad, get flustered, get confused, get angry, get excited, get hysterical, lose one's cool, freak out, crack up, go into a (flat) spin, throw a wobbly; to become confused or overly emotional about someone or something, losing one's self-controlled composure.

from time to time

idiom: sometimes, occasionally, (every) now and then/again, every so often, (every) once in a while, on occasion, on occasions, on the odd occasion, off and on, at times, at intervals, periodically, sporadically, spasmodically, erratically, irregularly, intermittently, in/by fits and starts, fitfully, discontinuously, piecemeal, interruptedly, now and then, here and there; sometimes, but not regularly.

in for a penny, in for a pound

idiom: used to express someone's intention to complete an enterprise once it has been undertaken, however much time, effort, or expense this entails.

jackal

noun: 1. Any of several mammals of the genus Canis of Africa, Asia, and southeast Europe, that are chiefly foragers feeding on plants, small animals, and occasionally carrion. 2. villain, swindler; One who seeks to gain advantage or profit from the difficulties of another. 3. A person who performs menial, routine, or degrading tasks as the accomplice of another. from French chacal, earlier jackal, from Turkish çakal, from Persian shaghal, from or cognate with Sanskrit srgala-s, literally "the howler."

rhapsodist

noun: 1. One who uses extravagantly enthusiastic or impassioned language. 2. (in ancient Greece) a person who recited epic poetry, esp. professionally. from rhapsōdos "reciter of epic poems," literally "one who stitches or strings songs together," from rhaptein "to stitch, sew, weave" + ōidē "song."

exit plan

noun: 1. a method or plan for extricating oneself from an undesirable situation. 2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a plan and timetable for withdrawal from a military engagement.

picaroon

noun: 1. an adventurer, rogue, vagabond, thief, or brigand. 2. a pirate or corsair. from Spanish picaro "rogue," of uncertain origin, possibly from picar "to pierce."

colossus

noun: 1. behemoth, goliath, monster, giant; a. a statue that is much bigger than life size. b. someone or something that, like a giant statue, is abnormally large, great, magnificent, and powerful. 2. titan, behemoth, giant, heavyweight, behemoth, blockbuster, dinosaur, dreadnought, elephant, giant, Goliath, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, mastodon, monster, titan, whale, whopper, important person, influential person, personage; a person of exceptional importance, reputation, and ability. from Greek kolossos "gigantic statue," which is of unknown origin. The Greek word was used by Herodotus of giant Egyptian statues and by Romans of the bronze Helios at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes.

uproar

noun: 1. commotion, noise, racket, riot, confusion, turmoil, brawl, mayhem, clamour, din, turbulence, pandemonium, rumpus, hubbub, hurly-burly, brouhaha, ruction (informal), hullabaloo, ruckus (informal), bagarre (French), sensation, stir, to-do, hoo-hah, agitation, disorder, disturbance, helter-skelter, tumult, flap, ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, storm, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo; a. A condition of intense public interest or excitement. b. An interruption of regular procedure or of public peace. 2. babel, clamor, din, hubbub, hullabaloo, noise, pandemonium, racket, rumpus, tumult; Sounds or a sound, especially when loud, confused, or disagreeable. 3. protest, outrage, criticism, complaint, objection, fuss, stink (informal), outcry, furore, clamor, hullabaloo, outcry, rumpus, vociferation, hue and cry; Offensively loud and insistent utterances, especially of disapproval. From German auf (Middle Dutch op) "up" + ruhr (Middle Dutch roer) "a stirring, motion."

mix-up

noun: 1. confusion, mistake, misunderstanding, mess, tangle, muddle, jumble, fankle (Scot.), error; a mistake that results from taking one thing to be another and leads to confusion. 2. chaos, clutter, confusedness, confusion, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, muddle, muss, scramble, topsy-turviness, tumble, snafu; a combination of different things, especially one whose effect is an inharmonious lack of order or regular arrangement.

devil

noun: 1. evil spirit, demon, fiend, ghoul, hellhound; a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God. 2. brute, monster, savage, beast, villain, rogue, barbarian, fiend, terror, swine, ogre; A wicked, cruel, ill-natured, or malevolent person. 3. person, individual, soul, creature, thing, human being, beggar; a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretched. 4. scamp, monkey (informal), rogue, imp, rascal, tyke (informal), scoundrel, scallywag (informal), mischief-maker, whippersnapper, toerag (slang), pickle (Brit. informal); a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, energetic, and possessing a dashing spirit. 5. Satan, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Old One, Deuce, Old Gentleman (informal), Lord of the Flies, Old Harry (informal), Mephistopheles, Evil One, Beelzebub, Old Nick (informal), Mephisto, Belial, Clootie (Scot.), deil (Scot.), Apollyon, Old Scratch (informal), Foul Fiend, Wicked One, archfiend, Old Hornie (informal), Abbadon; In many religions, the supreme personified spirit of evil, ruler of Hell, the foe of God, the tempter of humankind. (Used with the and capitalized.) from Late Latin diabolus.

puppet

noun: 1. marionette, doll, glove puppet, finger puppet; A small figure of a person or animal, having a cloth body and hollow head, designed to be fitted over and manipulated by the hand or controlled by strings from above. 2. pawn, tool, instrument, creature, dupe, gull (archaic), figurehead, mouthpiece, stooge, cat's-paw, poodle, hostage, counter, cog, mouthpiece, minion, figurehead, flunkey, lackey, stooge; One whose behavior is determined by the will of another force, though appearing independent.

silver bullet

noun: Something that provides an immediate, simple, extremely effective, and seemingly magical solution to a given problem, especially one that is normally very complex or hard to resolve. The phrase is almost always used in a statement that such a solution does not exist.

do-over

noun: a new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory.

adjutant

noun: aide, assistant, auxiliary, coadjutant, coadjutor, deputy, helper, lieutenant, second, adjunct, apprentice, helper, helpmate, helpmeet, mate, sidekick; A person who holds a position auxiliary to another and assumes some of the superior's responsibilities. from Latin adiutare "to give help to, help zealously, serve," frequentative of adiuvare (past participle adiutus) "help, assist, aid, support," from ad- "to" + iuvare "to help, give strength, support," which is perhaps from the same root as iuvenis "young man."

ofay

noun: an offensive pejorative term for a white person, used most by black people.

masterplan

noun: arrangement, blueprint, design, game, game plan, ground plan, plan, program, project, road map, scheme, strategy, system; a comprehensive, long-term, far-reaching plan of action providing overall guidance and instruction.

backdrop

noun: environment, situation, circumstances, background, atmosphere; the background setting to any scene or situation, as of a historical event or locale.

face-lift

noun: facelifting, refurbishment, rejuvenation, renewal, renovation, restoration, revampment, renovation, redecoration, refurbishment, revamp, revamping, makeover, rehabilitation, reconditioning, overhauling, modernization, repair, redevelopment, rebuilding, reconstruction, remodelling, updating, improvement, gentrification, upgrading, refit, updation, refurb; a procedure carried out to improve and restyle the appearance of something, intended especially to modernize.

hecatomb

noun: immolation, offering, sacrifice, victim; 1. One or more living creatures slain and offered to a deity as part of a religious rite. 2. any slaughter on a large scale. form of Greek hekatombe, properly (and literally) "offering of 100 oxen," but generally "a great public sacrifice."

madrigal

noun: song, anthem, carol, ballad, canzone, chanson, motet, chant, hymn, psalm; 1. A song for two or three unaccompanied voices, developed in Italy in the late 1200s and early 1300s. 2. A short poem, often about love, suitable for being set to music. from Italian madrigale, which is of uncertain origin; probably from Venetian dialect madregal "simple, ingenuous," from Late Latin matricalis "invented, original," literally "of or from the womb," from matrix (genitive matricis) "womb."

manage

verb: 1. be in charge of, run, handle, rule, direct, conduct, command, govern, administer, oversee, supervise, preside over, be head of, call the shots in, superintend, administrate, direct, govern, head, run, call the tune in; To have executive, supervisory, administrative charge of (the affairs of others). 2. operate, run, use, work, organize, handle, govern, regulate, direct, conduct, control, influence, guide, master, dominate, manipulate, pilot; a. To control or direct the functioning of. b. To control the course of (an activity). 3. cope, survive, shift, succeed, get on, carry on, fare, get through, make out, cut it (informal), get along, do, fare, fend, muddle through, make out, make do, make shift, get by (informal), crack it (informal), muddle through; To progress or perform adequately, especially in difficult circumstances. from Italian maneggio, from maneggiare "to handle, touch," especially "to control a horse," which ultimately from Latin noun manus "hand."

reap

verb: 1. get, win, gain, obtain, acquire, derive; receive (a reward or benefit) as a consequence of one's own or other people's actions. 2. collect, gather, bring in, harvest, garner, cut, crop; a. To cut (grain or pulse) for harvest with a scythe, sickle, or reaper. b. To harvest (a crop).

flatten

verb: 1. level, roll, plaster, squash, compress, trample, iron out, even out, smooth (off), even, plane, straighten; To make even, smooth, or level. 2. destroy, level, ruin, demolish, knock down, pull down, tear down, throw down, bulldoze, raze, remove; 3. bring down, cut down, down, drop, fell, floor, ground, knock down, level, prostrate, strike down, throw, deck, lay low, bowl over; To cause to fall, as from a shot or blow. 4. crush, beat, defeat, trounce, master, worst, overwhelm, conquer, lick (informal), undo, subdue, rout, overpower, quell, clobber (slang), vanquish, run rings around (informal), wipe the floor with (informal), make mincemeat of (informal), blow out of the water (slang); To render totally ineffective by decisive defeat with a far superior force. 5. to make lusterless. 6. to make dull or uninspired —often used with out. 7. to become dull or spiritless

trample

verb: 1. stamp, crush, squash, tread, flatten, run over, walk over; a. To step on heavily and repeatedly so as to crush, injure, violate, or destroy. b. to inflict injury or destruction especially contemptuously or ruthlessly. 2. stamp, stomp, tramp, tromp; To walk with loud, heavy steps. 3. grind, tyrannize; To treat arbitrarily, harshly, or cruelly. 4. crush, squash, flatten, run over; walk on and flatten. from Middle Low German trampen "to stamp."

suppose

verb: a. assume, posit, postulate, premise, presume, presuppose, reckon, imagine, believe, consider, conclude, fancy, conceive, conjecture, postulate, hypothesize, guess, infer, speculate, surmise, think, imagine, expect, judge, assume, guess (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), calculate (U.S. dialect), take for granted, infer, repute, dare say, opine, take as read; a. To draw an inference on the basis of inconclusive evidence or insufficient information. b. To regard in an appraising way. c. To take for granted without proof. d. To assume to be true or real for the sake of argument or explanation. 2. expect, require; To oblige to do or not do by force of authority, propriety, or custom. from Latin supponere "put or place under; to subordinate, make subject," from assimilated form of sub- "under" + ponere "put, place."

carry away

verb: enrapture, enthrall (or enthral), entrance, rap, rapture, ravish, transport; to arouse to a high and often excessive degree of engrossed emotion or enthusiasm that often reaches the point of an exaggerated display.

stipulate

verb: specify, state, agree, require, promise, contract, settle, guarantee, engage, pledge, lay down, covenant, postulate, insist upon, lay down or impose conditions; 1. To specify or agree to as a condition in an agreement. 2. to require as an essential condition in making an agreement. 3. To concede for the purposes of argument. stipulari "exact a promise, engage, bargain," of uncertain origin. Traditionally said to be from Latin stipula "stalk, straw." In Roman law, oral contracts were deemed valid only if they followed a proper question-and-answer format; "stipulate" was sometimes used specifically of this process of contract making, though it also could be used more generally for any means of making a contract or agreement.

corner the market

verb: to monopolize control over the available supply of a type of product or the ability to sell it.