Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

refined use of metaphor. These new devices are far more refined than any previously available. 4 purified, clarified, cleansed, pure, clean; distilled: Only refined chemicals may be used in pharmaceuticals.

refinement

n. 1 culture, polish, elegance, sophistication, urbanity, urbaneness, breeding, cultivation, gentility, propriety, courtliness, civility, politeness, politesse, delicacy, tact, diplomacy, finesse, suavity, suaveness, taste, tastefulness, discrimination, discernment, sensitivity: He drank thirstily, with no pretence at refinement. 2 subtlety, nicety, nuance, distinction, detail, fine point, delicacy, minutia; fastidiousness, finickiness: The latest version contains refinements that are beyond the appreciation of all but a few. 3 refining, purification, purifying, clarification, clarifying, cleaning, cleansing; filtration, distillation: The sugar must undergo refinement before being sold commercially. 4

improvement, betterment, bettering, enhancement, development, perfection: She is working on the refinement of her technique before performing in public.

reflect v. 1 mirror, send or throw back, reproduce, return; echo: The smooth surface of the lake reflected the sunlight. The radio waves are reflected and focused by this parabolic dish. 2 show, demonstrate, exhibit, illustrate, exemplify, reveal, lay bare, expose, display, disclose, bring to light, uncover, point to, indicate, suggest, evidence: They say that your true emotions are reflected in your dreams. His crime reflects the depths of depravity to which a person can sink. 3 Often, reflect about or on. think (about or over or on), contemplate, muse (about or on), consider, ponder (about or over or on), deliberate (on or over), ruminate or meditate (about or on or over), cogitate (about or on or over); mull over, weigh, evaluate, examine: I was just sitting here reflecting. I was reflecting on what you said about wanting to quit your job. 4 reflect on or upon.

result in, end in, bring, attract, cast, throw: The success of the team reflects credit on the coach.

reflection

n. 1 image, echo, Brit reflexion: Sonar works by detecting the reflection of generated sound waves. 2 thought, thinking, meditation, meditating, consideration, cogitation, rumination,

deliberation, deliberating, pondering, study, cerebration:

After a moment's reflection, I arrived at the same conclusion as you had. 3 aspersion, imputation; effect: Any reflection on his reputation might harm his career. 4 result, sign, token, symbol, mark; evidence, testimony, testament, proof, substantiation, corroboration: Her tears are a reflection of how she feels about having betrayed me.

reflective

adj. reflecting, thoughtful, pensive, contemplative, meditating, musing, meditative, cogitating, cogitative, ruminating, deliberative, deliberating, pondering: I found Alan in a reflective mood, staring out of the window.

reform v. 1 improve, better, ameliorate, meliorate, emend, rectify, correct, mend, repair, fix, remedy, redo, revise, revolutionize, rehabilitate, remodel, refashion, renovate, reorganize, rebuild, recover: The first thing to be done was to reform the political system. 2 mend one's ways, turn over a new leaf, Colloq go straight: After three convictions in as many years, there seemed little chance that he would reform.

--n. 3 improvement, betterment, amelioration, melioration, emendation, rectification, correction, rehabilitation, change, modification, perestroika, reorganization, renovation, recovery: Many believe that prison reform would reduce crime by second offenders. The many reforms introduced by the president were condemned by hard-line party members.

reform school

n. Brit youth custody centre, CHE (= 'community home (with education on the premises')), Formerly Borstal, approved school, US reformatory: He was sent to a reform school because of his persistent misbehaviour.

refrain° v. 1 Usually, refrain from. keep (from), forbear, abstain (from), eschew, avoid: Whatever you do, refrain from whistling on board his boat. 2 stop, cease, give up, discontinue, desist, quit, leave off, renounce: You must refrain from calling the headmaster, 'Pops', even if he is your father.

refrainý n. melody, song, tune, chorus, burden, reprise: It was one of those long boring folk songs with a refrain that we were all

supposed to join in.

refresh v. 1 enliven, renew, revive, freshen (up), resuscitate, bring back to life, breathe new life into, invigorate, vitalize, energize, brace, fortify, exhilarate, revitalize, reinvigorate, reanimate: I felt fully refreshed after a short nap. 2 arouse, rouse, awaken, waken, reawaken, stimulate, jog, prod, activate:

Would you mind refreshing my memory as to when and where we last met? 3 fix up, repair, redo, revamp, overhaul, spruce up,

recondition, renovate, refurbish, refurnish; renew, restock, restore: All the rooms in the hotel have been recently refreshed. We took the opportunity of the ship's arrival to refresh our supplies.

refreshing

adj. invigorating, stimulating, bracing, exhilarating, fresh, inspiriting, fortifying, tonic, like a breath of fresh air, rejuvenating, enlivening, vitalizing, revitalizing; cooling, thirst-quenching, slaking: It's refreshing to be around young people. I would love a cool refreshing glass of beer right now.

refreshment

n. 1 Usually, refreshments. nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, restorative, food, drink(s), edibles, eatables, bite, snack(s), titbit(s), Slang grub, eats, chow, nosh: Will they be serving refreshments after the meeting? 2 stimulation, invigoration, exhilaration, tonic, rejuvenation, enlivenment, revival, restoration, renewal, resuscitation, fortification,

reinforcement: The library provides an oasis of mental refreshment.

refrigerate

v. cool, chill, keep cool or cold or chilled, ice, freeze: The souffl‚ must be refrigerated for three hours to allow it to set.

refuge n. 1 sanctuary, shelter, haven, asylum, protection, cover, retreat, harbour, security, safe house, stronghold, citadel, bolt-hole, hideaway, hide-out, Colloq hidy-hole or hidey-hole: The abandoned mine served as a refuge from the storm. 2 excuse, pretext, resort, recourse, ruse, trick, stratagem, subterfuge,

dodge, evasion, expedient: Patriotism is often the last refuge of a scoundrel.

refugee n. fugitive, runaway, escapee, displaced person, DP, exile, ‚migr‚: The problem of the refugees was most acute after the war.

refurbish v. restore, refurnish, redecorate, clean (up), polish, renew, renovate, spruce up, remodel, refit, overhaul, repair, recondition, revamp, rebuild, Colloq do up, US fix up: The person who bought the house refurbished it completely, at enormous expense.

(something) the thumbs down, US turn thumbs down on, Colloq pass by or up: They refused our application to build a hotel here.

Did he actually refuse a knighthood? 2 deny, deprive (of), withhold, disallow, not allow or permit: They refused me my right to vote.

king or queen, noble, lordly, sovereign, majestic, imperial, stately, splendid, magnificent, grand, resplendent, palatial, exalted: The regal throne was decorated with gold and precious stones. 2 disdainful, haughty, proud, scornful, contumelious, contemptuous, derisory, derisive, pompous, lordly: She was dismissed with a regal wave of the hand.

furnishings, apparatus, gear, paraphernalia, trappings, tackle, appurtenances, equipment, equipage: The Bishop was dressed in

full regalia with mitre and crook.

regard v. 1 view, look at or upon or on, observe, note, notice, watch, eye, keep an eye on, gaze at or upon, stare at: The children regarded the magician's performance with great interest. 2 contemplate, consider, perceive, view, look upon or on, treat: The lion looked at me as if he regarded me as his dinner. Smith appears to regard his appointment as treasurer as a licence to steal. 3 respect, esteem, value: Gwen's friends regard her very highly indeed. 4 consider, view, look upon or on, think (of), judge, deem, rate, believe (to be), gauge, see, pay heed or attention to, esteem, account, take into account, imagine, reckon, evaluate: I don't regard her as a likely suspect. He regards his professor as his mentor. 5 concern, relate to, be relevant to, pertain to, apply to, refer to, affect, have (a)

bearing on, bear on or upon, involve, have to do with, go for: Our discussion regarded the disappearance of œ10 from petty cash.

--n. 6 reference, relation, relevance, relevancy, association, pertinence, application, bearing, connection, link, tie-in: We would like to talk to you with regard to your application for the post of assistant editor. 7 respect, consideration, attention, reverence, veneration, awe, deference, honour, favour, esteem, high opinion, approval, approbation, appreciation, admiration, affection, fondness: They have no regard for the law. 8 point, particular, respect, aspect, detail, matter: In this regard, I must take your past record into consideration. 9 care, concern, thought, consideration,

respect, sympathy, feeling, sentiment; heed, attention, notice, mind: The police behave as if they have no regard for the safety of the hostages. This work reflects the artisan's regard for detail. 10 regards. best wishes, good wishes, compliments, greetings, respects, salutations, Archaic devoirs: Please give my regards to your father.

regarding adj. concerning, about, respecting, with regard to, with respect to, with reference to, on or in the matter of, pertaining to, on the subject of, apropos, re, Law in re,

Archaic or Scots anent, Dialect anenst: We have received your letter regarding poor service. Regarding your claim, the processing of it has been delayed because you failed to sign the form.

regardless

adj. 1 Sometimes, regardless of. despite, notwithstanding; in spite of, heedless of, Non-Standard irregardless: Regardless of her father's protestations, she continued to go out with William.

--adv. 2 notwithstanding, nevertheless, no matter what, in any event, in any case, at all events, anyway, anyhow, Non-Standard irregardless: She heard his threats but is going out with William regardless.

regime n. r‚gime, regimen, reign, government, rule, regulation, administration, direction, order, leadership, management, system, discipline: Persistent offenders were given harsh penalties under the new regime.

regiment v. discipline, order, organize, systematize, whip into shape, standardize, regulate, control: I dislike the way management regiments people in this establishment, as if they were schoolchildren.

region n. 1 district, area, zone, territory, division, locality, sector, section, tract, part, dominion, precinct, province, quarter, department: Each region is under the suzerainty of a powerful dictator. 2 sphere, territory, domain, province, field, ambit, pale, jurisdiction, bailiwick: She is an expert

in the region of climatology.

register n. 1 record, roll, roster, rota, catalogue, annal(s),

archive(s), journal, daybook, diary, appointment book, calendar, chronicle, schedule, programme, directory, ledger, file, index, inventory, list, listing, poll, tally,: The council holds a

register of all houses sold since 1900 with the names of both sellers and buyers. 2 cash register, till, money box, cash-box: The money in the register does not agree with the figures for receipts.

--v. 3 record, write or jot or take or put or set down, list, enrol, sign in or on or up, enter, catalogue, log, index, chronicle, note, make or take note (of): All transactions must be registered. 4 show, display, express, indicate, manifest, reveal, betray, divulge, record, reflect: James pretended to

like my book, but his contempt for it was registered on his face. 5 make known, inform of, advise, transmit, communicate, record, note, make note of, report, write down, minute: I wish to register my disapproval of the way prisoners are treated here. 6 check in, sign in or on, log in: In the US, all aliens

are required to register each year in January. We registered in the hotel as man and wife. 7 Sometimes, register with or on. sink in, impress, become apparent (to), make an impression (on), come home (to), get through (to); dawn on or upon, occur to: I heard what you said, but it just didn't register. The name

didn't register with me at first, but I now know who you are. 8 indicate, read, mark, represent, measure, point to, specify, exhibit, show, manifest: The earthquake registered 7 on the Richter scale.

regret v. 1 rue, mourn, lament, bemoan, bewail, repent, be or feel sorry for, feel remorse for, feel or be remorseful over, be or feel upset, never forgive oneself, deplore, deprecate, weep or cry over: You will regret speaking to me that way! The

management regrets any inconvenience caused by the redecoration of the restaurant.

--n. 2 Sometimes, regrets. repentance, guilt, sorrow, disappointment, contrition, remorse, regretfulness, (pang or pangs of) conscience, self-reproach, self-condemnation, qualm, second thoughts, rue, ruefulness, grief, woe, sadness, mournfulness, Literary dolour: He felt no regret for his evil deeds. Do you ever have any regrets over the way you treated him? 3 regrets. refusal, non-acceptance, non-consent, US turn-down: Thank you for the invitation, but I must tender my regrets.

regretful adj. rueful, mournful, sad, repentant, guilty, sorry, sorrowful, disappointed, contrite, remorseful, apologetic, penitent: He was most regretful for the way he had behaved.

regrettable

adj. lamentable, deplorable, woeful, sad, distressing, upsetting, unhappy, unfortunate, unlucky, too bad, awful, terrible, execrable, reprehensible, wrong, shameful, shaming, Colloq tough, rough: It is regrettable that he had the car crash, but he had been warned about drinking and driving.

v. 1 restore, save, reclaim, rescue, redeem, re-establish, reinstate, re-educate, reorient, reform, US straighten out,

Colloq US rehab: They have had marked success at rehabilitating criminals. 2 renew, redecorate, renovate, refurbish, restore,

fix (up), repair, reconstruct, rebuild, change, transform: Sam has plans to rehabilitate vintage cars for a living.

rehash v. 1 rework, go over again, restate, redo, rearrange, reshuffle, reuse: Heverton has nothing new to offer - he just keeps on rehashing the same old material.

--n. 2 reworking, restatement, redoing, rearrangement, reshuffle, reshuffling, reuse, rewording: Her speech was a mere rehash of what she's said scores of times already.

rehearsal n. 1 practice, exercise, dry run, drill, run-through, read-through, dress rehearsal, Technical undress rehearsal: Is there a rehearsal of the school play scheduled for tonight? 2 narration, recounting, relation, recital, telling, description, enumeration, account, repetition, repeat: Do we have to listen to yet another rehearsal of your great-uncle's exploits in the war?

rehearse v. 1 practise, exercise, run through, read through, study, repeat: Sorry, Annie, but we are going to have to rehearse the scene till you get it right. 2 repeat, relate, recite, tell, describe, recount, review, go through or over, review, report, recapitulate, Colloq recap: I shall go mad if I hear him again rehearse the events leading up to the final acceptance of his novel.

reign n. 1 rule, sovereignty, ascendancy, power, hegemony, influence, command, suzerainty, administration, jurisdiction, leadership, government, direction, control, domination, mastery; kingdom, monarchy, empire: During her reign, the kingdom saw its

greatest prosperity.

--v. 2 rule, control, command, govern, lead, direct, dominate, supervise, manage, hold sway, wear the crown, wield the sceptre, occupy the throne, Colloq run the show, rule the roost, Slang call the shots: During the sixth Egyptian dynasty, Pepi II Nefektare reigned for 94 years, the longest in recorded history.

3 prevail, be or become prevalent, predominate, hold sway,