Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

when they get out of their teens.

stamp v. 1 trample, bring down one's foot; tread, step, tramp; Colloq stomp (on): He flew into a rage and stamped on the floor, like

a petulant child. 2 impress, mark, imprint, print, record, document, register, log; engrave, emboss, inscribe; sign, initial: That last night in Rio is stamped forever in my memory. Their passports were stamped at the frontier. 3 brand, label, mark, tag, term, name, style, identify, categorize, classify, characterize, designate, denominate, show to be: The

episode on Friday stamped him as someone not to be trifled with. 4 stamp out. eliminate, eradicate, abolish, get rid of,

annihilate, exterminate, kill, snuff out, terminate, end, put an end to, destroy, put down, put out, extinguish, extirpate; quell, subdue, suppress, squelch, repress: Something must be done to stamp out the drug traffic.

--n. 5 mark, sign, hallmark, earmarks, traits, features, characteristics: Her work bears the stamp of genius. 6 die, block, punch, seal, matrix, plate, die-stamp, stereotype, mould; signet(-ring): The stamps for the binding are not quite ready. 7 seal, (trade or service) mark, brand, logo, logotype, symbol, representation, colophon, imprint, emblem, insigne (singular of insignia), label, monogram, sign, crest, coat of arms, escutcheon, cartouche, signature, initials: As it bears his stamp, it must belong to him. 8 character, kind, sort, make, fashion, type, cast, mould, grade, style, cut, genre, class,

level, kidney, feather, stripe, classification, species, genus, variety, description: Men of Randolph's stamp are hard to find amongst gentlemen and scholars alike.

stampede n. 1 rout, flight, scattering, panic, rush, dash: When the store opened its doors for its annual sale, we were nearly trampled in the stampede.

--v. 2 panic, frighten, rush, scatter, rout: Millions of

buffalo were killed by stampeding them off cliffs. 3 rush, run, race, charge, take to one's heels, flee, take flight: At the

cry of 'Fire!', the audience stampeded for the exits.

stance n. carriage, bearing, deportment; position, posture, attitude, standpoint, stand, viewpoint, point of view: Legs apart and arms akimbo, she assumed a defiant stance at the door. Her

stance was that she must protect the children at all costs.

when the master of ceremonies proposed a toast to McArthur. 2 Sometimes, stand up. a set, place (upright), position, put, move; up-end: Please stand the cabinet in the corner. b stay, remain (standing): Just for that you can go and stand in the corner! 3 endure, survive, tolerate, brook, countenance, face, confront, last through, abide, allow, accept, take, suffer,

bear, withstand, undergo, experience, cope with, brave, stand or bear up under, stand for, withstand, stomach, weather, handle, Colloq put up with: I could not stand another year in the tropics. She can stand neither hypocrites nor vanilla ice-cream. 4 continue, remain, persist, be or remain in effect or in force, prevail, obtain, apply, exist: The law will stand as it is till

it is rescinded or modified by the court. 5 stand by. a support, defend, back, stand or stick up for, stand behind, be or remain loyal or faithful to, uphold, take the side of, side

with, sympathize with, US go to bat for: No matter what he did, she always stood by him. b wait (in the wings), stand or wait

or stay or remain on the sidelines, be or stand ready or available or accessible, be or stand in readiness: Would you mind standing by in case we need your help? c stick to, adhere to, support, maintain, persist in, affirm, reaffirm, confirm, abide by: We shall stand by every word of the agreement. 6 stand down. resign, quit, step aside, withdraw: When it was revealed that she was taking steroids, she agreed to stand down from the team. 7 stand for. a symbolize, betoken, represent, signify, mean, be emblematic of, exemplify, epitomize, illustrate, typify, refer to, allude to: The initials in P. G. Wodehouse's name stand for 'Pelham Grenville'. b support, advocate, favour, sponsor, promote, espouse (the cause of), subscribe to, back, champion, lend support or one's name to,

second: Norma has always stood for the principles of democratic freedom. c campaign for, be or present (oneself) as a candidate for, US stump for, run for: Who will stand for chairman this year? d See 3, above. 8 stand in. substitute (for), understudy (for), replace, relieve, double for, take the place of, US and Canadian pinch-hit (for), Colloq cover for: If you can't get to

the rehearsal, I'll stand in for you. 9 stand out. a be prominent or conspicuous or noticeable, be notable or noteworthy: With her green spike hairdo and a safety pin through her cheek, Kylie really stands out in a crowd. His farewell speech stands out in my mind as one of his best. b protrude, project, stick out, jut out, bulge, obtrude, beetle, overhang, extend: The balcony stands out over the village square. 10 stand up. a stand, rise, arise, get to one's feet, get up: The boys had been taught to stand up when a woman

entered the room. b endure, last, wear (well), survive: Today's products, with their built-in obsolescence, don't stand up to long use. c jilt, break or fail to keep an appointment with: After waiting for two hours, he realized that he had been stood up. 11 stand up for. support, defend, take the side of, side with, champion, uphold, Colloq stick up for: I shall never

forget how you stood up for me when they accused me of cheating. 12 stand up to. a confront, brave, challenge, encounter,

dispute, question, resist, defy, withstand: He's a coward when it comes to standing up to authority. b resist, defy,

withstand, endure, outlast, last through, suffer: This material will stand up to years of abuse.

--n. 13 position, attitude, stance, posture, policy, philosophy, point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, belief, opinion, sentiment, feeling, line: I disagree completely with

the Chancellor's stand on the economy. 14 defence, resistance, effort: This campaign will be our last stand in trying to retrieve some of the market we lost. 15 stop, stopover, halt, stay; performance, show: We do some one-night stands in the country before returning to Manchester. 16 counter, booth, stall, table; wagon or Brit waggon, barrow, cart: He sells

fruit from a stand in the street. 17 rack, frame, bracket; hatstand, coat-rack: This stand is for displaying a china plate. I left my hat on the stand in your office. 18 staging, platform, dais, stage, staging, bandstand, summer-house: We like to go to the stand in the park to hear the band play. 19

copse, grove, wood, thicket, brake, wood, Brit spinney, coppice: Near the house was a small stand of beeches.

standard n. 1 criterion, measure, benchmark, model, pattern, archetype, touchstone, yardstick, gauge, guide, guideline, paradigm, paragon, exemplar, example, sample, type, ideal, beau id‚al,

rule, canon, law, requirement, precept, principle: The metric

system has become the standard in many countries. People resent having imposed on them the standards of another culture. 2 mean, average, norm, par, level, rating: With many luxuries now necessities, the standard of living has improved enormously. The course was for students of intermediate standard. 3 flag,

banner, ensign, emblem, pennant, burgee, insigne (singular of insignia), guidon, gonfalon or gonfanon, labarum: The black knight bore a curiously coloured standard into battle. 4 pole, post, stanchion, lamppost, column, pillar, support, pedestal, pier, footing, (upright) bar or rod or timber: The car went out of control and knocked down two lighting standards.

--adj. 5 accepted, approved, definitive, defined, authoritative, official, required, regulative, regulatory,

textbook: Must we follow standard procedure? The tests were conducted according to the standard methods. 6 recognized, prevailing, prevalent, usual, customary, habitual, orthodox, set, established, regular, familiar, ordinary, traditional, classic, stock, typical, normal, staple, conventional,

universal: People in the south usually regard themselves as speakers of standard English.

standardize

v. regiment, systematize, codify, normalize, homogenize: We could save money if we standardized the dimensions of the books we publish.

stand-by n. 1 supporter, defender, backer, upholder, partisan, sympathizer, adherent, stalwart: His mother had always been his stand-by against the severity of his father. 2 substitute, surrogate, replacement, backup, understudy, second, US and Canadian alternate: They had a second ambulance as a stand-by in case the first broke down or needed servicing. 3 resource, support, replacement: I knew I could always count on you as a stand-by in case I had trouble.

stand-in n. double, substitute, stunt man or woman; surrogate, replacement, stand-by, backup, understudy, second, US and Canadian alternate: Any time they had to shoot a dangerous scene, my stand-in went through the motions.

standing adj. 1 established, set, standard, conventional, customary, usual, normal, regular, fixed, permanent, continued, continuing,

regular: The club has standing rules concerning use of the card-room. 2 stagnant, motionless, unmoving, stationary, still, static: Insects bred in the standing pools of rainwater. 3 continuous, fixed, ongoing, perpetual, unbroken: Michael placed a standing order for six cases of Beaujolais Nouveau every November. 4 erect, upright, on one's feet, vertical, unseated: Please remain standing till the signal is given to be seated.

--n. 5 status, rank, station, position, place, grade, order, level, stratum: Considering her standing in the party, Mrs Miller ought to win the nomination easily. 6 eminence, prominence, repute, reputation: Foster is a surgeon of

considerable standing. 7 Usually, long standing. (considerable) age or longevity or experience or seniority or duration: Ivan

is an art expert of long standing.

standoffish

adj. aloof, haughty, unsocial, reserved, cool, frosty,

withdrawn, remote, removed, distant, detached, unapproachable, inaccessible, uncongenial, unfriendly, unsociable; Olympian, lordly, pompous, Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, snooty:

Oliver is much too standoffish to deign to come to my party.

standpoint

n. viewpoint, point of view, vantage point, perspective, position, angle, view: From the standpoint of mice, cats do not make good pets.

standstill

n. (dead or full) stop, halt: The car came to a standstill with the front wheels overhanging a cliff.

staple adj. 1 basic, elementary, essential, necessary, requisite, required, vital, indispensable, critical, fundamental, primary, principal, main, chief: These people cannot afford even staple commodities like flour and salt. 2 standard, usual, habitual, ordinary, customary, prevailing, normal, conventional, universal: The staple fare on television seems to consist of old and new sitcoms.

--n. 3 Often, staples. necessities, essentials, basics, fundamentals: Supermarkets disperse low-cost staples such as bread, tea, and milk to force shoppers to pass luxury items.

thoroughgoing, arrant, unmitigated, out-and-out, downright, outright, total, unconditional, unqualified, clear, plain, evident, obvious, patent, flagrant, gross, rank: They were shocked by the stark poverty they saw in the rural areas.

start v. 1 Often, start off or up. begin, commence, get (something) going, get off the ground, originate, initiate, open, set in motion, activate, embark on; set in motion, turn or switch on, crank up, Colloq kick off: They started operations at once. I can't start my car. 2 Often, start off or up or in. arise, come up, come to be or into being, emerge, crop up, develop, begin, commence, get under way, originate: How did this situation start? 3 Often, start off or up or in. go, leave, depart, get going, move (off or out or on), get under way, set off or out or forth, Colloq hit the road, get the show on the road: You start and I'll follow shortly. 4 Often, start in. begin, commence, get or start the ball rolling, get things under way, be on one's way, get going: When I went in I found that she had started without me. 5 jump, flinch, blench, quail, shy, recoil, wince,

shrink, draw back: He started when he saw her suddenly behind him in the mirror. 6 cause to spring or leap or dart or jump or bound: Any abrupt movement will start the plovers from cover. 7 establish, found, begin, set up, initiate, institute, create, father, give birth to, beget: It was her ideas that started the current trend in mystery novels. 8 bulge, protrude, stick out; Colloq US bug out: Warping caused these boards to start from

the floor. When he saw what was in his swimming-pool, his eyes started from their sockets.

--n. 9 beginning, opening, move: This is not very good, but it's a start. 10 beginning, commencement, opening, outset, onset, inception, start-up: The start of the race is set for

ten o'clock. 11 beginning(s), inception, birth, initiation, onset, rise, genesis, creation, emergence, origin: The start of

the blues can be traced to New Orleans. 12 opportunity, chance, beginning; help, assistance, aid, backing, financing, sponsorship, encouragement, Colloq break: Her father-in-law gave her the start she needed in business. 13 head start, advantage, edge, lead, Colloq (the) jump, US and New Zealand drop (on someone): Having the inside track gave her a start on the competition. If he has a ten-minute start, we'll never catch him. 14 inauguration, opening, beginning, initiation, Colloq kick-off: When is the start of the salmon fishing season this

year? 15 beginning(s), founding, foundation, establishment, inception, birth, origin: This company had its start in 1781.

startle v. frighten, surprise, scare, disturb, unsettle, upset, discompose, make (someone) jump, jolt, jar, dismay, perturb, stun, take (someone) aback, shock, astound, astonish, Colloq shake up, give (someone) a turn, US discombobulate: He jumped out from behind the door and startled me. She was startled when she was told that she had to leave at once.

startling adj. shocking, terrifying, frightening, astounding, astonishing, awesome, staggering, jarring, disturbing, unsettling, upsetting, amazing, surprising: Monica fainted when told the startling news.

starved adj. 1 starving, (extremely) hungry, famished, ravenous: Harry came in from the fields, declaring he was starved and ready to

eat a horse. 2 starved or starving for. yearning for, dying for, hankering for, hungry or hungering for, pining for, longing for, burning for, craving, thirsting for or after, desirous of,

aching for, Colloq hurting for: I was starved for a pint of cold lager. 3 starved of. deprived of, in need or want of, lacking, be reft of: The children seemed starved of affection.

state n. 1 condition(s), circumstance(s), situation, state of affairs, status, shape, position: He was concerned about the state of the company's finances. 2 structure, form, constitution, shape, phase, stage: One does not see iodine in its gaseous state outside the laboratory. 3 grandeur, pomp, style, splendour, magnificence, glory, brilliance: The prince was met at the airport and escorted in state to the palace. 4 nation, country, land, body politic: No longer a colony, it became an independent state in 1952.

--adj. 5 governmental, government, national, federal: The State schools in the town had a good reputation. 6 ceremonial, formal, dignified, stately, solemn, official; royal, regal, imperial, majestic: We attended a state dinner at the White

House. The Queen travelled in the state coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster.

--v. 7 aver, assert, asseverate, declare, affirm, express, report, articulate, voice, specify, delineate, claim, maintain,

allege, submit, confirm; say, testify, hold, have: He has often stated his firm belief in democracy. He stated firmly that he was not in the house on the night of the murder.

stately adj. dignified, august, solemn, distinguished, impressive, striking, imposing, awesome, grand, lofty, elevated, noble, majestic, regal, royal, imperial: The stately procession wound through the streets of the capital.

statement n. assertion, allegation, declaration, expression, report, account, affirmation, asseveration, averral, announcement, annunciation, proclamation, utterance, communication, communiqu‚, disclosure: Your statement is subject to interpretation. He made a long and detailed statement about the future of the project.

static adj. 1 immovable, immobile, unmoving, motionless, stationary, fixed, stagnant, inert, still, unchanging, unchanged,

changeless, unvarying, invariable, constant: The situation remained static for years. A living language is not static but dynamic.

--n. 2 interference, noise, atmospherics; difficulty or difficulties, trouble, problem(s), Colloq flak: With all the static, I couldn't understand what she was saying. You can expect some static about being late for your wedding.

station n. 1 place, position, spot, post, site, location: The sentry is not to leave his station till relieved. 2 position, place, status, rank, caste, standing, class, level: As a doctor, he attained a station in life far above that of his father. 3 railway station, train station, passenger station, bus station,

US and Canadian depot: Let's meet in the waiting-room in the station.

--v. 4 position, place, spot, post, site, locate, assign, appoint, garrison, install or instal, Colloq billet: He was stationed in three different places in four years.

stationery

n. writing-paper, letterhead(s), paper and envelopes, writing implements or supplies; office supplies or equipment: We consider stationery costs as part of overheads.