Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

3 legible, decipherable, distinct: The print on that microfiche is too small to be readable.

readily adv. 1 cheerfully, willingly, eagerly, ungrudgingly, unhesitatingly, freely, gladly, happily, agreeably, graciously, charitably: He always gave readily of his time to anyone who sought his help, and we shall miss him sorely. 2 effortlessly, easily, smoothly, without difficulty: I was able to get the wheel off readily enough, getting it back on was the problem. 3 promptly, quickly, speedily, swiftly, apace, at once, without delay, in no time, immediately, instantly, instantaneously, instanter, straight away, right away, at or on short notice,

Colloq pronto: The police came readily but were unable to catch the thieves, who had already escaped.

readiness n. 1 willingness, cheerfulness, good will, eagerness, agreeableness, graciousness: Her readiness to help marked her as truly charitable. 2 promptness, quickness; facility, ease, skill, adroitness, expertness, proficiency: The readiness with

which he gave expert advice on gardening made him very popular with his neighbours. 3 in readiness. See ready, 1, below.

ready adj. 1 prepared, (all) set, in readiness, in (proper) shape; up, primed, ripe, fit, in condition; Colloq psyched (up): The charge is ready for detonation. I'm ready for a good run in the park. Are these apples ready for eating? Are you ready to meet the girl of your dreams? 2 agreeable, consenting, acquiescent, willing, content, eager, keen, happy, cheerful, genial, gracious, cordial, friendly, well-disposed, enthusiastic, Colloq

game: Tim was always a ready accomplice to any mischief devised by his brother. 3 apt, likely, inclined, disposed, given, prone:

She was all too ready to believe anything she was told. 4 about, liable, likely, apt; on the verge of, subject to, in danger of, on the brink of, on the point of, close to: The

volcano seemed ready to erupt at any moment. 5 prompt, rapid, quick, immediate, speedy, swift, punctual, timely: Alistair seems to have a ready answer for everything. 6 clever, keen, sharp, agile, deft, skilful, adroit, alert, bright, intelligent, perceptive, quick: It was Carlotta's ready wit that first

attracted me. 7 on or at or to hand, handy, available, accessible, at (one's) fingertips, at the ready, close at hand, convenient: I don't have the ready cash for a new car at the moment.

--n. 8 readies. money, cash, wherewithal: If you have the readies, please pay me what you owe me. 9 at the ready. a waiting, on tap, expectant, in position, poised: Keep your pistol at the ready in case there's trouble. b See 8, above.

--v. 10 prepare, make or get ready, set, fit out, equip, organize, psych up: He readied himself as best he could for the ordeal.

ready-made

adj. 1 ready-to-wear, finished, prefabricated, Brit off the peg: Ready-made clothes fit me better than custom-made. 2 convenient, expedient, serviceable, usable, handy, useful, suitable, adaptable; plausible, credible, believable: The storm

provided a ready-made excuse for cancelling the appointment. 3 stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, time-worn, trite,

stale, conventional, unoriginal, stock, pedestrian, routine, run-of-the-mill: His speeches are always full of ready-made clich‚s.

realistic adj. 1 practical, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, pragmatic, common-sense, sensible, reasonable, level-headed, rational,

sane, hard-headed, business-like, no-nonsense, unromantic, unsentimental, tough, tough-minded, Colloq hard-nosed, hard-boiled: Kevin's realistic grasp of the problems may make the company profitable at last. 2 natural, lifelike, true to

life, naturalistic, vivid, genuine, real, graphic: This painting is so realistic that it looks like a photograph. Harriet's description was so realistic that I felt I had actually been to Benidorm.

reality n. 1 actuality, fact, truth, genuineness, authenticity, Aristotelianism entelechy: It is important to deal with the reality not the potentiality of the situation. 2 in reality. See really, below.

realization

n. 1 conception, understanding, comprehension, apprehension, awareness, appreciation, perception, recognition, cognizance: Full realization of what he had done finally dawned on him. 2 actualization, consummation, accomplishment, achievement, establishment, fulfilment, materialization, effectuation: The realization of the dream of a united Europe seems possible in the last decade of the 20th century.

realize v. 1 make real, effect, bring about, make happen, make a reality, actualize, accomplish, produce, achieve, fulfil, materialize, effectuate: Many of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions were not realized in his lifetime. 2 understand, appreciate, comprehend, be aware of, conceive of, grasp, perceive, discern, be or become conscious or aware or appreciative of, recognize, see, Colloq catch on (to), cotton (on) to, Brit twig: Did Clare fully realize the consequences of her actions? 3 return, gain, clear, profit, make, earn, bring or take in, net, produce, get:

We have realized a substantial profit on the sale of the shares bought when the company was privatized.

really adv. 1 genuinely, actually, truly, honestly, in reality, in actuality, in (point of) fact, as a matter of fact, surely, indeed, absolutely, definitely: Is he really going to do the high-wire act without a net? 2 indeed, actually, absolutely, unqualifiedly, positively, categorically, unquestionably, definitely, undeniably: She is really the musical one in the family. 3 in effect, in reality, actually, in fact, de facto,

in the end, at bottom, in the final analysis, at the end of the

equality of opportunity was proving a myth.

reason n. 1 justification, argument, case, explanation, rationale, ground(s), pretext, vindication, defence, why (and wherefore), Literary apologia, apology: What reason did they give for confiscating our luggage? 2 judgement, common sense, intelligence, sanity, sense(s), saneness, insight, perspicacity, percipience, understanding, rationality, reasoning, mind, intellect: He must have lost his reason to accuse you of embezzlement. 3 purpose, aim, intention, object, objective, goal, motive, end, point: His reason for leaving now is to be on time for the curtain. 4 excuse, rationalization: Ignorance of the law is not an accepted reason for breaking it. 5 by reason of. because of, on account of, owing to, by virtue of, as a result of; due to: He was declared unfit to stand trial by reason of insanity. 6 within or in reason. reasonable, sensible, justifiable, rational, fitting, proper, acceptable:

We will consider any offer for the house that is within reason.

--v. 7 think, conclude, calculate, reckon, estimate, figure (out), work out, deduce, act or think rationally or logically,

ratiocinate, use (one's) judgement or common sense, use (one's) head, put two and two together: I reasoned that she would be arriving at the station at that very moment. Roy certainly

hasn't lost his powers of reasoning. 8 reason with. argue with, remonstrate with, debate with, discuss with, talk over with, plead with, convince; persuade, dissuade, urge, prevail upon: George is very stubborn and can't be reasoned with.

reasonable

adj. 1 sensible, rational, sane, logical, sober, sound, judicious, wise, intelligent, thinking: I had always thought Philip a reasonable man. 2 credible, believable, plausible, tenable, reasoned, arguable, well-thought-out, well-grounded: Her story about having found the child wandering in the street doesn't sound very reasonable to me. 3 moderate, tolerable, acceptable, within reason, equitable, fair; inexpensive, unexcessive, unextravagant, economical, conservative: Considering inflation, we thought the price increases were reasonable. 4 appropriate, suitable, proper, sensible, right: The car was travelling at a reasonable speed, considering conditions.

adj. 1 insubordinate, defiant, mutinous, revolutionary, contumacious, insurgent, insurrectionary, seditious: The more rebellious students organized mass meetings against the university authorities. 2 unmanageable, disobedient, incorrigible, ungovernable, unruly, difficult, refractory, stubborn, obstinate, recalcitrant: They resented being treated as rebellious children.

rebounded from the goalpost.

--n. 2 bounce, recoil, ricochet, return, comeback, repercussion, backlash, reflex: Carter caught the ball on the rebound.

rebuff n. 1 rejection, snub, check, denial, repulse, refusal, dismissal, defeat, repudiation, slight, discouragement, Colloq cold shoulder, cut, put-down, brush-off, Slang US brush: Ellie's friendly approach was met with an abrupt rebuff.

--v. 2 reject, snub, check, deny, repel, drive away, spurn, repulse, refuse, dismiss, defeat, repudiate, slight, ignore, send (someone) to Coventry, Colloq give (someone) the cold shoulder, cut, put (someone) down, brush (someone) off, give

(someone) the brush-off, tell (someone) where to go or get off, tell (someone) where to get lost, Slang give (someone) his or

her walking papers, freeze (someone) out , US give (someone) the brush, show (someone) the door: She rebuffed everyone who proposed marriage to her, preferring to remain a spinster.

rebuke v. 1 scold, reproach, admonish, reprove, reprimand, lecture, censure, chide, reprehend, berate, castigate, criticize, take to task, upbraid, revile, Colloq dress down, bawl out, give (someone) a piece of one's mind, haul (someone) over the coals, let (someone) have it, give (someone) hell or what for, tell (someone) off, tell (someone) where to get off, Brit carpet,

tear (someone) off a strip, tick (someone) off, wig, blow

(someone) up, give (someone) a wigging, US and Canadian rake (someone) over the coals, give (someone) the business, chew out: The headmaster severely rebuked those boys who had violated the school curfew.

--n. 2 scolding, reproach, admonition, reproof, reprimand, lecture, censure, chiding, reprehension, berating, castigation, criticism, upbraiding, revilement, tongue-lashing, Colloq dressing-down, what for, Brit wigging, blow-up or blowing up, Slang hell: Rawlings was let off with nothing more than a rebuke.

rebut v. refute, deny, disprove, confute, invalidate, negate, discredit, belie, contradict, controvert, puncture, expose, destroy, ruin, devastate, Colloq shoot full of holes, knock the bottom out of, shoot down, blow sky-high: We have all the evidence needed to rebut the contention that our client was anywhere near the scene of the crime.

rebuttal n. answer, reply, retort, response, rejoinder, counter-argument, riposte, retaliation, denial, refutation, contradiction, confutation, Colloq comeback: In rebuttal, the defence tried to prove that the witness for the prosecution had been bribed.

recalcitrant

adj. stubborn, obstinate, wilful, defiant, refractory, headstrong, perverse, contrary, contumacious, mutinous, rebellious, fractious, unruly, unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable, wayward, insubordinate, intractable, unsubmissive, unyielding, unbending, adamant, immovable, inflexible, stiff, firm: Recalcitrant students who refuse to obey the rules risk expulsion.

recall v. 1 remember, recollect, think back to, reminisce over or about, call to mind: I like to recall the happy days we had at Biarritz. 2 withdraw, retract, call back, summon: The legions guarding the frontier provinces were recalled to Rome. 3 rescind, cancel, annul, nullify, retract, withdraw, revoke, recant, take back, call back; disavow, disown, deny: Despite the fact that you might have been hasty, you cannot recall your promise.

--n. 4 memory, recollection, remembering, remembrance: He had a loving and near-photographic recall of their holiday in the

Alps. 5 withdrawal, recantation, cancellation, revocation, annulment, nullification, recision, rescission, retraction, repeal, disavowal, denial: The decision was made without any possibility of recall. 6 withdrawal, retraction, return: The manufacturer's recall of the shipment of defective toasters was voluntary.

recant v. recall, forswear, deny, rescind, repudiate, disavow, disclaim, withdraw, revoke, retract, forsake, abandon, apostasize, renounce, abjure, take back: He was given three days to recant: otherwise, he would be executed for heresy.

recapitulate

v. summarize, sum up; repeat, go over (again), reiterate, restate, review; recount, enumerate, recite, relate, list, Colloq recap: I shall begin by recapitulating some of the issues which I covered in my last lecture.

recede v. 1 ebb, subside, fall or go or move back, abate, return, withdraw, retreat, back up: As the flood waters receded, people began to go back to their homes. 2 diminish, lessen, decline, dwindle, shrink, wane, fade, become more distant or less likely: The likelihood of our being rescued receded with each passing day.

receipt n. 1 sales receipt, register receipt, sales slip, ticket, stub, counterfoil, proof of purchase, voucher: Any request for a return or exchange must be accompanied by a receipt. 2 delivery, acceptance, reception, arrival: He has acknowledged receipt of the merchandise. 3 receipts. income, proceeds, gate, takings, gains, return, Colloq take: The receipts from ticket sales were below expectations.

receive v. 1 get, obtain, come by, collect, take (into one's possession), accept, be given, acquire, come into, inherit,

gain, profit, make: She received a large sum of money from the sale of the house. What will he receive when his aunt dies? 2 earn, be paid, make, draw, gross, net, clear, pocket, Colloq

take home, walk off or away with, US pull down: He receives a bigger weekly salary than I make in a year. 3 greet, meet, welcome; show in, give entr‚e, let in, admit: We received our

guests in the foyer. 4 experience, undergo, endure, suffer, bear, sustain, be subjected to, meet with: In return for helping him all I received was a punch in the nose. 5 gather, hear, learn, ascertain, be told, be informed or notified of,

find out, pick up: We only received the information yesterday that you were coming to stay for a month.

recent adj. late, latest, new, just out, brand-new, fresh; current, modern, up to date, late-model: This feature is now supplied as standard on all our more recent models. Recent arrivals will be interviewed by the committee.

receptacle

n. container, holder, repository; box, tin, can, case, casket, chest, reliquary, vessel, bag, basket: Please put the rubbish into the receptacle. She kept the diamond in a velvet-lined receptacle which she always carried with her.

reception n. 1 welcome, greeting, treatment, reaction, response: My suggestion that we open a bottle of champagne met with a warm reception. 2 party, levee, social, soir‚e, function; opening, preview, vernissage, Colloq do: Would you like to go to a reception at the new art gallery next week?

receptive adj. 1 open, hospitable, amenable, pervious, persuasible, tractable, flexible, pliant, interested, willing, responsive: I

have always found Peggy receptive to suggestions on improving productivity and efficiency. 2 quick, alert, perceptive, astute, intelligent, keen, sharp, bright, sensitive: Julia has a

receptive mind.

recess n. 1 alcove, niche, nook, cranny, bay, hollow: The statuette fits perfectly in that recess outside the library. 2 respite,

rest, interlude, time off, break, intermission, breather, breathing-spell, pause; holiday, vacation: A brief recess has been scheduled to allow us to relax before continuing. 3 recesses. innermost reaches, corners, secret places, depths, penetralia: I searched for her name in the recesses of my mind.

recession n. set-back, (economic) downturn, slump, decline, dip, depression: The slowing of the economy led to a recession which soon deepened into a depression.