Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms
.pdf--n. 3 bombast, bravado, boasting, bragging, bluster, show, puffery; deception, blind; Literary rodomontade, gasconade; Colloq hot air: Roger's ranting is all bluff - he's really very timid.
bluffý adj. 1 blustering, gruff, rough, abrupt, blunt, curt, short, crude: Fred's bluff manner puts many people off. 2 frank, open, hearty, straightforward, plain, plain-spoken, outspoken, affable, approachable, good-natured, friendly: That comment is typical of his bluff honesty.
--n. 3 cliff, escarpment, precipice, scarp, headland,
promontory, palisades: As you sail down the lower Hudson river, the tall bluffs form a natural wall along the western bank.
blunder v. 1 stumble, flounder: I had somehow blundered into a meeting of the local crime syndicate. She blundered upon the truth when she saw them together.
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--n. 2 mistake, error, gaffe, faux pas, slip, slip-up, howler, |
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Colloq boo-boo, screw-up, fluff, boner, US goof, goof-up: I |
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made a stupid blunder in telling him about the plans. |
blunt |
adj. 1 dull, worn: This knife is too blunt to cut bread. 2 |
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abrupt, curt, rough-spoken, plain-spoken, short, direct, candid, |
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frank, unceremonious, undiplomatic, inconsiderate, thoughtless, |
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brusque, outspoken, bluff, brash, indelicate, rude, uncivil, |
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ungracious, discourteous, impolite; straightforward, straight, |
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uncomplicated, uncompromising: Ralph may be blunt, but at least |
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you know exactly where you stand with him. |
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--v. 3 dull, take the edge off: You've blunted the scissors |
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cutting that cardboard. 4 soften, mitigate, mollify, soothe; |
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efface, dim, obscure, blur, weaken: Mother's love is an |
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absorbing delight, blunting all other sensibilities. |
blur |
n. 1 indistinctness, dimness, haziness, cloudiness, fogginess: |
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We were unable to pick out the star from the blur of the Galaxy. |
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2 fog, haze, Brit fuzz: Without my spectacles, everything is a |
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blur. |
--v. 3 dim, befog, obscure, bedim; efface: My vision was
momentarily blurred, and I didn't see the oncoming car. 4 obscure, hide, conceal, veil, mask; weaken: The Honourable
Gentleman has blurred the distinction between the unemployed and the unemployable.
blurt |
v. Usually, blurt out. burst out with, utter; reveal, disclose, |
give away, divulge, Colloq blab: She blurted out the name of |
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her accomplice. |
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blush |
v. be or act ashamed, redden, flush, colour: He blushed when |
asked if he still loved Belinda. |
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bluster |
v. 1 storm, rage, harangue: It won't do any good to bluster on |
about the postal service. 2 swagger, strut, talk big, boast, brag, blow one's own horn or trumpet, show off, crow: He's always blustering about his conquests.
--n. 3 swaggering, storming, raging, raving, haranguing, tumult; hot air, puffery, bravado, grandiloquence, Literary rodomontade: He's all bluster and will do nothing despite his threats.
2.5 board...
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board n. 1 plank, scantling, timber: We nailed the last board in place and the house was finished. 2 table, gaming-table, game table or surface: I have the chessmen, have you brought the board? 3 food, meals, provisions: I am moving to the country, where room and board are cheaper. 4 council, committee, directors, directorship, management, cabinet, panel, trustees, advisers: That issue will be discussed at the meeting of the board. 5 on board. aboard, on: Young children are not allowed on board the boat.
--v. 6 go aboard, ship aboard; enter, embark on: We all boarded the ship but it didn't leave for an hour. 7 feed; eat, take meals; accommodate, lodge, house, billet, quarter; lodge, stay, live, room; Colloq put up: Mrs O'Brien already boards three gentlemen at her house, but she has agreed to let me board there too.
boast n. 1 brag, bragging: They did not make good their boasts of being the fastest in the competition.
--v. 2 brag, vaunt, crow, show off, Colloq US blow or toot one's (own) horn or trumpet; Slang lay it on thick, talk big: He boasted that he was the best poker player in the casino.
boastful adj. ostentatious, show-off, bragging, vainglorious, egotistical, vain, conceited: She's boastful about her wealth, but it was all left to her by her mother.
boat |
n. vessel, craft, skiff, small craft, motor boat, speedboat, |
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knockabout, runabout, yacht, motor yacht, sailing-yacht, Brit |
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rowing-boat, sailing-boat, US row-boat, sailboat, Colloq ship: |
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I bought a 30-foot boat at this year's show. They went off on a |
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slow boat to China. |
bode |
v. portend, promise, augur, betoken, forebode, presage; |
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foreshadow: The weather bodes well for the picnic. |
body |
n. 1 corpse, cadaver, remains, carcass, Slang stiff: A body |
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has been dragged up from the lake. 2 trunk, torso: They found |
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the body, but the arms, legs, and head were missing. 3 main |
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part or portion, hull, fuselage: The body of the plane remained |
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intact, though the wings and superstructure broke away. 4 |
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substance, essentials, main part, essence, heart, centre, core: |
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The body of the book is all right, but the index needs work. 5 |
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majority, bulk, main part or portion, mass(es): Under Henry |
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VIII the main body of the people were prosperous. 6 |
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association, league, band, corps, confederation, fraternity, |
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society; committee, council; group, assemblage, assembly, |
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congress, company: It is not within the power of this body to |
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do more than vote on the proposal. 7 richness, substance, |
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firmness, consistency, solidity, thickness, density, fullness, |
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viscosity, fullness: This wine has excellent body. Add a little |
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cornflour to give the sauce more body. |
bog |
n. 1 swamp, fen, marsh, quagmire: The peat bogs have yielded |
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interesting fossils. 2 bog down. impede, slow, hamper, |
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encumber, stymie, stick, handicap, clog, check, set back, hold |
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back: Traffic is bogged down owing to roadworks. |
bogus adj. counterfeit, spurious, fake, false, fraudulent, sham,
imitation, fictitious, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The police reported that a gang was trying to pass bogus money to unsuspecting shopkeepers in the area.
Bohemian adj. nonconformist, unconforming, unconventional, unorthodox, casual, free and easy: In the '60s she became a flower person
and adopted a Bohemian way of life.
boil° |
v. 1 bubble, seethe; simmer, stew, steam: A pot of soup was |
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boiling on the kitchen stove. 2 seethe, fume, sizzle, smoulder, |
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chafe, fulminate, ferment, sputter, splutter, bluster: When she |
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learned what he had been saying about her, she boiled with |
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furious indignation. |
boilý |
n. abscess, carbuncle, pustule, Technical furuncle: The doctor |
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said the boil had to be lanced at once. |
boisterous
adj. rowdy, clamorous, rough, noisy, lively, exuberant, unruly, wild, undisciplined, tempestuous, stormy, turbulent, Colloq rambunctious: The boys were sent outside because of their boisterous behaviour.
bold adj. 1 courageous, brave, plucky, confident, stout-hearted, lion-hearted, daring, enterprising, audacious, fearless, unafraid, intrepid, resolute, dauntless, undaunted, valiant, stout, valorous, stalwart, adventurous, venturesome; reckless, foolhardy, incautious, daredevil, rash: It would take a bold man to enter the ring with the champion. 2 audacious,
presumptuous, forward, immodest, brazen, impudent, temerarious, impertinent, shameless: It was very bold of you to speak your mind to the boss. 3 pronounced, outstanding, striking,
vigorous, clear, strong, vivid, distinct, conspicuous: He wrote down their demands in a good, bold hand.
bolster |
v. support, prop (up), brace, shore up, buttress, uphold, back |
(up), reinforce, aid, help, assist, further, advance: The |
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miners cited a lack of safety measures to bolster their |
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arguments. |
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bolt |
n. 1 arrow, dart, projectile, missile, Historical quarrel: He |
had only three bolts remaining for the crossbow. 2 pin, bar, rod, catch; latch: We hoped that the bolt would prevent their
opening the door. 3 machine screw: Bolts can be tightened or removed, unlike rivets. 4 roll, length: We sell only full
bolts of fabric. 5 lightning flash, thunderbolt, Formal fulguration: One bolt travelled down the television aerial and blew out the set. 6 bolt from or out of the blue. surprise, shock, bombshell, bomb, blow, revelation, eye-opener, Colloq shocker: The news of her resignation came like a bolt from the blue. 7 shoot one's bolt. exhaust or use up one's resources,
Slang burn out, US poop out: He was fast early in the marathon, but he'd shot his bolt long before the finishing line.
--v. 8 spring, dart, shoot off, take flight, run (away or off), rush (off or away), break away, flee, decamp, abscond, escape, fly, dash (off or away), Colloq skedaddle, scram, Brit scarper, do a bunk, do a moonlight flit, US take a (run-out) powder,: The youths bolted as soon as they saw the police. The couple in room 315 bolted without paying their bill. 9 gulp (down),
swallow whole: When the bell rang, she bolted her breakfast and ran out of the back door. 10 fasten, lock, latch, secure: Make sure you bolt your door at night and don't let anyone in. 11
fix, attach, fasten, connect, make fast to: The motor must be securely bolted to the workbench.
--adv. 12 bolt upright. erect, straight, rigidly, stiffly:
When her name was called, Penny sat bolt upright in her chair.
bomb n. 1 bombshell, shell, explosive: One of the bombs blew up the school.
--v. 2 bombard, shell, batter, blow up: Last night the railway station was bombed.
bombard v. 1 batter, bomb, shell: The artillery continued to bombard the enemy with everything in their arsenal. 2 assail, attack, assault, set upon; besiege: The Prime Minister was bombarded with requests to amend the law.
bombast n. pretentious language, flatulence, bluster, show, grandiloquence, magniloquence, hot air, bravado, boast, boasting, Literary gasconade, rodomontade; Colloq puffery: The
speaker continued to bore the audience with his pompous bombast.
bombastic adj. high-flown, extravagant, pompous, grandiose,
grandiloquent, magniloquent, inflated, fustian, flatulent, turgid, Literary euphuistic: The Minister made a bombastic speech full of emotive appeals, but his actual arguments were unconvincing.
bombshell n. surprise, shock, eye-opener, bomb, blow, revelation, bolt from or out of the blue, Colloq shocker: Then came the bombshell - she and Tony had been married the week before.
bona fide adj. genuine, authentic, attested, real, veritable, legitimate, true, valid; in good faith, sincere, honest: The jeweller affirmed that it was a bona fide ruby. I don't believe her reasons are bona fide.
bond n. 1 tie(s), shackles, chains, fetters, manacles, handcuffs, trammels, thongs, cord(s), rope(s); restraint(s), constraint(s), check(s), control(s), rein(s): The council is hampered by the bonds of the old regulations. 2 covenant, pact, contract, agreement, engagement, compact, treaty: To unite the party a bond of confederacy was formed. 3 connection, link, linkage, union, tie, relationship: The main bond between us was a shared love of the theatre. The bond between the veneer and the board should hold with a little more glue.
--v. 4 cement, bind, hold together, stick, cohere: They use mortar to bond the bricks together.
bondage n. slavery, servitude, subjection, subjugation, enslavement, serfdom, thraldom; vassalage, villeinage: The poor souls were
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kept in bondage for most of their lives, forced to row in the |
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galleys till they died. |
bonny |
adj. beautiful, comely, attractive, pretty, lovely: She's |
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grown into quite a bonny lass. |
bonus |
n. reward, largesse, hand-out, perquisite, extra, honorarium, |
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tip, gratuity, remuneration, compensation, Colloq perk: |
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Employees often receive a Christmas bonus. |
book |
n. 1 volume, tome, work, publication; hard-cover, soft-cover, |
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paperback: Our personal library contains more than 5000 books. |
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2 libretto, words, lyrics: Richard Rodgers wrote the music and |
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Oscar Hammerstein the book for several hit shows. 3 rules, laws, |
regulations: He always insists that we go by the book.
--v. 4 engage, reserve; earmark, ticket; order, register, enrol, list, enlist, log, record, post: Please phone the restaurant and book a table for four for seven-thirty.
bookkeeper
n. clerk; accountant, Brit chartered accountant, CA, cashier;
US CPA, certified public accountant: The office was haunted by the melancholy ghosts of departed bookkeepers.
bookworm n. bibliophile, book-lover, inveterate or ardent reader, Formal bibliophage: Fiona is such a bookworm, she hardly does anything but read.
boom |
v. 1 sound, resound, resonate, blast, rumble, thunder, roar, |
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bang, explode: We heard the cannons booming in the distance. 2 |
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prosper, thrive, flourish, progress, grow, increase, burgeon or |
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bourgeon: Business is booming in every sector. |
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--n. 3 blast, rumble, explosion: There was a resounding boom |
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and the car went up in flames. 4 prosperity, profitability; |
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growth, increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning: In this business |
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it is either boom or bust. |
boomerang v. rebound, recoil, backfire, miscarry, redound: His plan boomeranged.
boon |
n. gift, favour, award, reward, gratuity, present; blessing, |
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benefit, advantage: The mobile library service is a great boon |
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to the elderly in the area. |
boor |
n. 1 rustic, peasant, yokel, (country) bumpkin, provincial, |
backwoodsman, US hayseed, hill-billy, Juke, Kallikak, Slang hick: The boor is blind to the beauties of nature. 2 barbarian, yahoo, oaf, clod, clodhopper, philistine, clown,
Grobian; hoyden, Colloq lummox, Slang galoot, slob, US goop, slobbovian: The guests behaved like boors, throwing their food at each other.
boorish adj. rustic, barbarian, rude, crude, ill-mannered, uncultured, coarse, clownish, uncouth, loutish, oafish, gawky, vulgar, ill-bred: How can you even think of inviting such a boorish
fellow?
boost n. 1 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), Colloq leg up; rise, raise: If you give me a boost up, I can reach the window ledge. 2 encouragement, help, aid, assistance, support: With a boost from your constituency, Trevor should win the vote. 3 increase, rise, US raise, hike: He was given a slight boost in salary as
an incentive to stay.
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--v. 4 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), raise: He boosted |
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her over the fence. The second stage is intended to boost the |
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rocket beyond the atmosphere. 5 encourage, promote, help, aid, |
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support, assist, improve: A talk from the manager before the |
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game helped to boost the players' morale. 6 increase, raise: |
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Her salary was boosted twice in one year. |
boot |
n. 1 to boot. in addition, into the bargain, in addition, |
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besides, moreover, as well, also, too, additionally: He's |
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stingy and cruel - and ugly to boot. 2 shoe, riding-boot, |
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bootee: I need a new pair of boots for my walking holiday. |
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--v. 3 eject, expel, shove, propel, push, Colloq kick: The |
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landlord booted three rowdies out of the pub. 4 Literary |
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profit, avail, help, be in aid of: What boots it to complain? |
booth n. 1 stall, stand: Our company has taken three booths at the book fair. 2 compartment, cubicle, box, kiosk: We walked across the road to a telephone booth and phoned a garage.
bootless adj. pointless, unavailing, vain, purposeless, useless, futile,
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worthless, unproductive, ineffective, inefficacious, fruitless, |
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unprofitable, profitless, unremunerative, unrewarding, wasteful, |
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time-wasting, Sisyphean: It's a bootless task trying to |
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persuade him of the importance of a good education. |
booty |
n. plunder, gain, spoil(s), contraband, takings, loot, Slang |
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swag, boodle, (hot) goods, take: The pirates fought over the |
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booty seized from the Spanish galleon. |
booze |
n. 1 drink, (hard) liquor, spirit(s), whisk(e)y, alcohol, US |
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demon rum, John Barleycorn, mountain dew, white lightning, white |
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mule; Slang rot-gut, poison, fire-water, mother's ruin, US and |
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Canadian sauce, juice, hooch, red-eye: I ordered plenty of |
booze for the party.
--v. 2 drink, tipple; Humorous bibulate; Slang hit the bottle, US hit the sauce: He has a terrible hangover after boozing all night.
border n. 1 edge, margin, hem, binding, trimming, trim, edging, periphery, purfle, purfling: The border of the tablecloth is beautifully embroidered with flowers. 2 Usually, borders. limit(s), bound(s), confines: Sometimes Tony exceeds the borders of good taste. 3 boundary, frontier: You won't be able to cross the border without a passport. 4 frame, frieze, moulding; dado, wainscot or wainscoting or wainscotting: The border of the fresco is in Greek fretwork design. 5 borderline, edge, verge, brink: She is just on the border of becoming a born-again Christian. 6 bed, flowerbed, herbaceous border: Hollyhocks are growing in the border.
--v. 7 edge, trim, bind, fringe, purfle: The hem of the skirt is bordered with lace. 8 resemble (closely), approach (closely), verge upon or on: Isabel's attempts at playing the tuba border on the ludicrous. 9 lie alongside, adjoin, abut (on or upon), verge upon or on, touch, be adjacent to: The territory of the Gauls bordered the western lands of the Germans.
bore° n. 1 hole, drill-hole, borehole: A bore of six inches was carried to a depth of 2086 feet.
--v. 2 pierce, perforate, drill, penetrate, puncture, tap,
punch, stab, prick; sink, tunnel, dig (out), gouge (out); hollow out: Bore a hole through this sheet metal. The oil rig is boring through solid rock.
boreý n. 1 annoyance, nuisance: Reggie is such a bore - always talking about himself.
--v. 2 weary, wear out, tire, exhaust, jade: The programme so bored me that I fell asleep.
boredom n. dullness, dreariness, ennui, tedium, monotony: I have to look forward to the boredom of an evening of chamber music.
boring adj. dull, monotonous, tedious, humdrum, tiresome, dreary, flat, dead, uninteresting, unexciting, ennuyant, stale, tired, dry, dry-as-dust, arid; tiring, wearying, wearisome, exhausting,
soporific; repetitious, wordy, prolix, unending, long-drawn-out: Felicity's boring old stories put me to sleep.
borrow v. take, appropriate, draw, adopt, refer to, obtain, Colloq sponge, cadge, touch (someone) for, US bum; Slang mooch: Has Fred borrowed my lawnmower again?
Borstal |
n. youth custody centre, approved school, Now chiefly US reform |
school, reformatory: He was too young to go to prison, so he |
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was sent to a Borstal. |
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bosom |
n. 1 breast, chest, bust; Slang boobs, knockers, tits, titties, |
pair, jugs, Brit Bristols: The sex goddess's lack of talent was more than compensated for by her ample bosom. 2 midst, interior, heart, core, centre: She was welcomed into the bosom of the family as if she had been their own child. 3 soul, heart, heart
of hearts, bowels, blood, Colloq gut: I know he loves me, I can feel it in my bosom.
--adj. 4 close, intimate, dear, beloved, cherished, boon, special, confidential: We were once bosom companions.
bosomy |
adj. big-busted, busty, well-endowed: This tabloid always has |
a bosomy model on page 3. |
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boss |
n. 1 chief, supervisor, head, administrator, manager, foreman, |
superintendent, overseer; employer, director, proprietor, owner, |
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Brit managing director , US president, Dialect himself, Colloq supremo, Brit governor, gov., gaffer, US super, leader, kingpin, big cheese, the man, Slang honcho, head or chief honcho, Mr Big, prex or prexy: If you have to leave early, check with the boss. The company boss was interviewed on television last night.
--v. 2 supervise, head, manage, run, oversee, overlook, direct, control, superintend, command, take charge, be in charge: Clive has been here only a year and he's already bossing a department. 3 domineer, push or shove around or about, dominate, order about, lord it over: That slave-driver had better stop bossing me about or I'll quit!