Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

usual adj. same, customary, habitual, accustomed, familiar, well-known, common, everyday, established, traditional, set, time-honoured, old, conventional, workaday, stock, wonted, regular, ordinary, normal, expected, routine, typical, run-of-the-mill, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, trite, prosaic, worn out, shop-worn, predictable, unexceptional, unoriginal,

unremarkable, unimaginative: The usual answer I get is 'Why?' I missed my usual train this morning. They still sing the usual drinking songs.

usually adv. customarily, as a rule, generally (speaking), most of the time, for the most part, most often, mostly, almost always, inveterately, on the whole, normally, commonly, regularly, predominantly, chiefly, all things considered, in the main, mainly, by and large, as usual, Colloq as per usual: I usually walk home from the office. Johnson usually interviews applicants in the morning.

21.8 Utopia...

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Utopia n. paradise, heaven, seventh heaven, (Garden of) Eden, bliss, cloud-cuckoo-land, Nephelococcygia, never-never land, Shangri-La, Cockaigne or Cockayne, heaven on earth, perfection: He dreams about a Utopia where everyone is rich and there are no taxes.

utterly adv. completely, perfectly, absolutely, thoroughly, fully, entirely, wholly, unreservedly, totally, unqualifiedly, out-and-out, altogether, overwhelmingly, unequivocally, categorically, definitely, properly; extremely, Brit dialect proper; (with) no holds barred, body and soul, head over heels: The proposal was utterly defeated in the Commons. That was an utterly foolish act. She gave herself to him utterly.

22.0 V =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

22.1 vacancy...

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vacancy n. 1 emptiness, void, gap, lacuna, hiatus, blank, deficiency, opening, breach, vacuum: Only after she left did Hubert sense the vacancy in his life. 2 (job) opening, slot, position, post, situation: Her promotion created a vacancy in the personnel department. 3 blankness, emptiness, vacuity, absent-mindedness, inanity, vacuousness, incomprehension, fatuity, unawareness: I knew by the vacancy of his look that he hadn't any idea of what

I was talking about.

vacant adj. 1 empty, void, hollow, unoccupied, untenanted, uninhabited, abandoned, deserted: The house remained vacant all summer. 2 blank, expressionless, deadpan, empty, vacuous, dull, absent-minded, inane, uncomprehending, fatuous, unaware: After the accident, she would just sit, for hours on end, with a

vacant look on her face. 3 unoccupied, free, unused, unutilized, spare, extra, idle, unfilled, unengaged, unspoken for: The doctor has a vacant hour tomorrow at ten and could see you then.

vacate v. 1 leave, depart (from), withdraw from, quit, evacuate, get or go out of; desert, abandon: In a fire drill, employees must vacate the building in five minutes. 2 give up, relinquish, sacrifice, renounce, let go, resign, abdicate, cede, give up

right or claim to, abandon: We vacated all claims to my aunt's property. 3 annul, declare null and void, nullify, void, repudiate, override, overrule, rescind, revoke, recall, quash, set aside, invalidate: The judge vacated the defendant's plea of diminished capacity.

vade-mecum

n. handbook, manual, ready reference, book, guide: She always had with her a vade-mecum on rare poisons.

vagabond n. 1 gypsy, tramp, vagrant, wayfarer, rover, wanderer, itinerant, migrant, bird of passage, rolling stone, beachcomber, derelict, Chiefly US and Canadian hobo, Australian swagman, Colloq US bum, Slang US bindle-stiff: The police interviewed every vagabond they could find for a clue to the murder.

--adj. 2 vagrant, wayfaring, roving, wandering, itinerant, migrant, derelict, nomadic, gypsy, rambling, roaming, drifting, peripatetic, transient, peregrinating: When will he give up his

vagabond ways and settle down?

vague adj. 1 indefinite, indistinct, imprecise, inexact, unclear, confused, unspecified or non-specified, general, generalized, unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit, ill-defined, hazy, fuzzy, ambiguous, obscure, amorphous;

shapeless, blurred, blurry, filmy, dim, shadowy, veiled, bleary, foggy, misty, cloudy, clouded, hardly or barely distinguishable or discernible: I have only a vague recollection of our having met. She must have had a vague idea of your intentions. Leon could almost make out the vague shape of an approaching figure. 2 undetermined, indeterminate, unfixed, indefinite, inexact, unspecified or non-specified, unspecific or non-specific, ambiguous, doubtful, in doubt, uncertain, equivocal, ambiguous: For security reasons, her time of arrival was left vague. 3 veiled, concealed, hidden, shrouded, obscure, ill-defined, unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit, ambiguous: There had been a vague threat of kidnapping, which should not have been ignored. 4 subliminal, subconscious, indefinable, unexplained: I had a vague sensation of being followed. 5 indefinite, ambiguous, wishy-washy, undecided, indecisive, irresolute, vacillating, wavering, inconstant, unsettled,

uncertain, nebulous, up in the air: Leonore is vague about her plans to run for re-election. 6 vacant, empty, blank, expressionless, empty, vacuous, dull; puzzled: By their vague expressions I could see they hadn't understood a word.

vaguely adv. 1 distantly, remotely, indefinitely, dimly, subliminally,

to win her back. 3 in vain. a vainly, futilely, unsuccessfully, fruitlessly, bootlessly: In vain, we sought the help of the police. b irreverently, blasphemously, disrespectfully, improperly: Despite his mother's admonitions, he continues to take the Lord's name in vain.

valley n. glen, dale, dell, vale, dingle, hollow, coomb or coombe or combe or comb, No. Brit and Welsh cirque or corrie or cwm, Scots strath: Oh, to stroll once again the cool valleys and the

heathered hills of home!

vanity n. 1 conceit, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, arrogance, cockiness, self-importance, vainglory, haughtiness, pride, self-admiration, self-worship, Colloq swell-headedness, big-headedness: It is disgraceful what some people do to satisfy their vanity. 2 vainness, emptiness, hollowness, worthlessness, futility, unreality, bootlessness, pointlessness, uselessness, folly, vapidity, silliness, vacuousness, vacuity, foolishness, fatuity, frivolousness: The vanity of trying to complete the book in a year must be obvious by now.

vapid adj. insipid, flavourless, tasteless, bland, watery, watered down, wishy-washy, jejune, colourless, unpalatable, flat, tame, lifeless, boring, tedious, tiresome, uninteresting, trite,

wearisome, wearying, humdrum, Colloq blah, ho-hum: The minister attacked green politics as vapid romanticism.

vapour n. 1 mist, fog, steam, cloud, smoke, smog, exhalation: There arose from the bog a suffocating, miasmic vapour. 2 the vapours. morbidity, hypochondria, hysteria, nervousness, depression, rheuminess, Archaic distemper, Colloq the pip: Charlotte suffered an attack of the vapours and retired to her room.

variable adj. changeable, protean, changing, inconstant, varying, wavering, mercurial, fickle, capricious, unsteady, unfixed, unstable, uncertain, undependable, unpredictable, fluctuating, vacillating, mutable, chameleonic, chameleon-like: The weather can be quite variable depending on the season.

variance n. 1 variation, difference, disparity, discrepancy, disagreement, deviation, inconsistency, divergence, incongruity: The monitor takes account of minute variance in blood pressure.

2 disagreement, misunderstanding, discord, difference (of opinion), dissension, contention, dispute, dissent, controversy, quarrel, conflict, argument, debate, lack of harmony, falling out, schism, rift: There has never been any variance between us about the disciplining of the children. 3 at variance. in

dispute, in disagreement, quarrelling, in contention, in

conflict: The workforce was at variance with management in the matter of day care.

variant n. 1 alternative, modification, variation: 'Labor' is an American spelling variant of 'labour'.

--adj. 2 varying, variable, changing, altering, unstable, deviant, deviating, different, differing; separate, distinct: It is claimed that the law is given variant interpretations depending on the social standing of the suspect.

variation n. 1 change, changing, alteration, altering, variety, varying, modification, modifying, difference, differing, diversification, diversity, diversifying, modulation, modulating, conversion, converting, permutation, permuting: We have to allow for variation in the intensity of the light. 2 variety, choice, novelty, diversity, departure (from the norm or usual), change of pace, divergence, variegation, deviation (from the norm): This restaurant offers considerable variation in its menu.

varied adj. 1 diverse, diversified, mixed, miscellaneous, assorted, heterogeneous: An insufficiently varied diet may lead to malnutrition. 2 See various, below 3 See variegated, below.

variegated

adj. multicolour(ed), particolour(ed), varicoloured, many-coloured, motley, pied, piebald, brindled, mottled, polychrome, polychromatic; nacreous, changeant, opalescent, opaline: Plants with variegated foliage always add interest to a garden.

variety n. 1 diversity, diversification, multifariousness, multiplicity, number, range, assortment, medley, mixture, mix, miscellany, heterogeneity, choice, selection, collection: Don't you find that the variety of foods in supermarkets today is astonishing? There was certainly a wide variety of people at their party. 2 difference, heterogeneity, discrepancy,

diversity, disparity, variation, contrast: The flora and fauna of Australia display great variety. 3 sort, brand, make, mark, kind, class, category, breed, type, order, genre, species,

genus, classification, strain: Which variety of washing powder do you prefer? Rex cultivated only the rarest varieties of orchid.

22.2 vehicle...

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vehicle n. 1 conveyance: The police report that two vehicles were

velocity n. speed, swiftness, rapidity, fleetness, quickness, briskness,

bitterness, hatred, ill will, bad blood: Fifty years after

leaving Palermo, the vendetta between their families still persisted.

veneer n. gloss, fa‡ade, finish, pretence, (false) front, (outward) show or display, appearance, mask, guise, aspect, superficies: Beneath that veneer of elegance and refinement lie the heart and soul of a monstrous criminal.

venerable adj. respectable, honourable, estimable, respected, honoured, esteemed, august, sedate, impressive, revered, reverenced, worshipped: Venerable old military men were called on for advice.

venerate v. respect, honour, esteem, revere, reverence, worship, hallow, adore, admire, look up to: Schweitzer was widely venerated for his charitable works.

veneration

n. respect, honour, esteem, reverence, deference, homage, devotion, worship, admiration, adoration, idolization, awe: Their veneration for their hero turned to contempt when his past was revealed.

venereal adj. sexual; genital; social, sexually transmitted, gonorrhoeal or gonorrhoeic, syphilitic: Reports indicate that venereal disease has been on the decline since the advent of AIDS.

vengeance n. 1 revenge, retaliation, retribution, requital, reprisal: Her vengeance for what he had done was to disinherit him. 2 with a vengeance. a violently, fiercely, ferociously, wildly, vehemently, furiously, forcefully: The wind blew with a vengeance all night. b energetically, to the fullest extent, to the utmost or the fullest or the limit, (with) no holds barred, enthusiastically, wholeheartedly: Give Richard a job to do and he goes at with a vengeance.

venial adj. forgivable, excusable, pardonable, tolerable, tolerated, minor, petty, insignificant, unimportant, remittable or remissible: That hypocrite considers even his most heinous crimes to be venial.

venom n. 1 poison, toxin: The snakes are 'milked' of their venom, which is collected for research in antitoxins and

pharmaceuticals. 2 malice, maliciousness, malevolence, ill will, malignity, animosity, hate, hatred, hostility, antagonism,

spite, spitefulness, spleen, rancour, bitterness,

embitteredness, gall, poison, poisonousness, virulence: Vinnie was totally unprepared for the venom of the attack.

venomous adj. 1 poisonous, deadly, toxic, dangerous, life-threatening, lethal: There are few venomous snakes in the British Isles. 2 poisonous, virulent, malicious, malevolent, malign, malignant, savage, baleful, envenomed, hostile, antagonistic, spiteful, splenetic, acerbic, rancorous, bitter, embittered, mean,

vicious: That venomous little man caused me to lose my job.

venture n. 1 risk, chance, hazardous undertaking, experiment, speculation, gamble, plunge, fling: Their new publishing venture turned out to be quite a success.

--v. 2 dare(say), make bold, hazard, volunteer, tender, offer, broach, advance, proffer, put forward: Ambrose ventured some nasty remark and was asked to leave. 3 jeopardize, risk, endanger, hazard, imperil; gamble, bet, wager, plunge, put down: Thomas ventured his last chip on the number four.

venturesome

adj. 1 daring, bold, intrepid, adventurous, courageous, plucky, adventuresome, audacious, fearless, doughty, brave, spirited: Henderson felt that he was being truly venturesome by sailing

single-handed round the Isle of Wight. 2 risky, rash, reckless, sporting, game, daredevil: Taking one's family into the American West was truly a venturesome undertaking - even in the 20th century.

verbal adj. 1 spoken, oral, vocal, said, uttered, expressed, enunciated, articulated, colloquial, conversational, viva voce, word-of-mouth, unwritten: We had a verbal agreement that you would behave yourself. 2 word-for-word, verbatim, literal: We have an accurate verbal transcript of the proceedings. 3 word, lexical, vocabulary: She did very well on the verbal parts of the examination but poorly on the mathematics.

verbatim adj. 1 word-for-word, verbatim et literatim (= 'word-for-word and letter for letter'), literal, exact, precise, accurate,

faithful, strict: This verbatim translation may be accurate but all the poetic expressiveness is lost.

--adv. 2 word for word, verbatim et literatim, literally, exactly, precisely, accurately, faithfully, to the letter,

strictly: To make certain there would be no misunderstanding, the speech was copied verbatim.

verge° n. 1 edge, border, boundary, margin, brink, threshold, brim: Frances is jealous of John to the verge of insanity. 2 on the verge of. about to, ready to, on the (very) point of, preparing to, soon to: Many smaller companies are on the verge of bankruptcy.

--v. 3 Often, verge on. border (on), approach, come close or near (to), Technical be asymptotic to: Cathy's idea of comfort verges on what is more commonly thought of as luxury. Her charitable contributions last year verged on zero.

vouch for, corroborate, support, substantiate, clinch or clench, prove, demonstrate, show, bear out, authenticate, validate, certify, guarantee, back up, warrant: Can you verify the accuracy of his testimony?