The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

--v. 2 assume, propose, postulate, hypothesize, hypothecate, conjecture, posit, assert, suppose, presuppose, theorize, surmise, put or set forth, predicate, argue: If you accept what Einstein premised in the Special Theory of Relativity, then you accept that space is curved.

premium n. 1 bonus, extra, dividend, prize, award, reward, perquisite: In our slimming competition, a premium will be paid for each pound that you lose beyond five. 2 incentive, inducement, stimulus, incitement, lure, bait, spur, goad, reward, Colloq

come-on, Slang US and Canadian freebie: Many Building Societies offer premiums to first-time buyers. 3 value, importance,

regard, stock, store, appreciation: We place a premium on the way our staff treat customers. 4 at a premium. a scarce, rare, scant, scanty, sparse, hard to come by, in short supply, Colloq scarce as hen's teeth, Chiefly Brit thin on the ground:

Proficient, literate, experienced editors are at a premium these days. b costly, expensive, dear, high-priced, Colloq steep, stiff: The convertible model of this car is at a premium.

premonition

n. intuition, foreboding, presentiment, forewarning, suspicion, feeling, hunch, Colloq funny feeling, sneaking suspicion: I had a premonition that something terribly evil was lurking in store for me.

preoccupied

adj. 1 engrossed, lost in thought, rapt, thoughtful, pensive, absorbed, cogitating, cogitative, meditating, musing, reflecting, reflective, contemplative, contemplating, pondering, brooding, ruminating, in a brown study: John is preoccupied, thinking about the speech he has to deliver tonight. 2 vague, offhand, far-away, absent-minded, abstracted, oblivious, unaware, wrapped up, immersed, inattentive, distracted, distrait, Colloq turned off, US out of it: From her preoccupied air it was obvious that something was wrong.

preparation

n. 1 Often, preparations. a groundwork, spadework, provision(s), foundation, preparing, measures, proceedings: Nothing will interfere with our preparation for the royal visit. b plans, arrangements: We are making preparations to leave

tomorrow. 2 fitness, readiness, readying, preparing, training, education, teaching, instruction, instructing, tuition,

briefing, grooming, Colloq gearing up, prep, US prepping: The preparation of the students was your responsibility. 3 drawing up, draughting, planning, setting up, putting together, organizing, organization, composing, making: How is your preparation of the new proposal coming along? 4 work, preparing, getting ready, study, studying, practising, practice,

Colloq cramming, Brit swotting: All my preparation for the exam was to no avail. 5 substance, compound, concoction, mixture, product, material, stuff, composition: This preparation is a furniture wax, not a suntan lotion.

preparatory

adj. 1 preparative, preliminary, introductory, prefatory, opening: After some preparatory warnings about safety, the scuba-diving lessons began. 2 elementary, basic, essential, fundamental, primary, rudimentary: His preparatory training left him ill equipped to deal with such a major problem. 3 preparatory to. before, in preparation for, preceding: Preparatory to the mission, we were briefed by MI5.

prepare v. 1 (get or make) ready, prime, arrange, (put in) order, organize, provide for, make provision(s) for, lay the groundwork (for), (make) fit, fit (out), equip, outfit, adapt: Have you prepared adequately for the meeting? We prepared the house to receive guests. 2 train, (get or make) ready, study, practise, Colloq cram, Brit swot, get up: He is preparing to take an exam. 3 train, educate, teach, (get or make) ready, groom, brief, develop: Her mother is preparing her for the next Olympics. 4 cook (up), make, do, Colloq whip up, US and Canadian fix: I shall prepare dinner for eight o'clock. 5 manufacture, fabricate, produce, make, put out, build,

construct, assemble, put together, turn out, fashion, forge, mould: Our company prepares components for the printing industry. 6 brace, strengthen, steel, fortify, ready: When I saw the doctor's face, I prepared myself for bad news. 7 process, produce, make, treat, change, modify, transform: This fabric has been specially prepared to repel stains.

prepared adj. 1 ready, set, advance, prearranged, planned: We have six prepared questions for the interview. 2 treated, processed, modified, changed: Using an etching needle, incise the lines on

the prepared surface of the steel plate. 3 willing, disposed, predisposed, able, inclined, of a mind; ready, (all) set: Are you prepared to apologize? 4 oven-ready, microwave-ready, microwavable, instant, convenience, ready-to-eat, ready-to-serve, precooked, ready-made: He lives alone and usually buys prepared dinners that just need reheating.

preparedness

n. vigilance, alertness, readiness, fitness: The armed forces were kept in a continuous state of preparedness.

preponderance

n. 1 majority, greater part, bulk, mass, lion's share: The preponderance of voters want a change of government. 2 weight, influence, weightiness, superiority, supremacy, predominance, primacy, ascendancy, sway, strength, force, power, advantage, control, authority, hegemony, leadership, rule: Good has always appeared to have an incontestable preponderance over evil.

prepossessing

adj. attractive, appealing, pleasing, favourable, engaging, charming, captivating, fascinating, winsome, winning, magnetic, alluring, bewitching, taking, fetching, inviting, good-looking, handsome, lovely, beautiful: She is a woman of prepossessing appearance and a delightful nature.

preposterous

adj. absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, risible, asinine, foolish, senseless, irrational, nonsensical, fatuous,

fatuitous, mindless, insane, crazy, crack-brained, mad, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, incredible, unbelievable, outrageous, extravagant, extraordinary, extreme, exorbitant, outlandish, outr‚, weird, bizarre, Slang barmy, nutty, screwy, batty, dotty, wacky, loony, cuckoo, US balmy: To claim that it is all my fault is simply preposterous!

prerequisite

adj. 1 essential, necessary, requisite, imperative, indispensable, obligatory, required, called-for, demanded: Naval service is a prerequisite condition for joining the club.

--n. 2 precondition, requirement, qualification, requisite, condition, sine qua non, proviso, provision, necessity: A

thorough grounding in mathematics is a prerequisite for the study of advanced physics.

prerogative

n. privilege, right, liberty, power, due, advantage, licence, franchise, claim, sanction, authority, authorization: As managing director, she exercises her prerogative to park her car closest to the door.

prescribe v. ordain, order, direct, dictate, demand, decree, require, enjoin, rule, set (down), stipulate, command, instruct, define, specify, impose, lay down, exact, constrain: The doctor prescribed rest. An independent journalist, Healey would not let anyone prescribe what he could or could not write.

prescription

n. 1 formula, recipe, instruction, direction: The prescription is for three tablets a day, and this dose must not be exceeded.

2 remedy, medication, medicine, drug, preparation, medicament: That prescription had no effect at all on my headache.

prescriptive

adj. dictatorial, constrictive, didactic, restrictive,

dogmatic, authoritarian, overbearing, autocratic, imperious: As grammar is a description of how language works, it cannot be prescriptive.

presence n. 1 proximity, nearness, closeness, adjacency, vicinity, Formal propinquity: The presence of a hospital near her home made Aunt Mary feel more secure. 2 attendance, company, companionship, society, association, existence, manifestation, manifestness, being: The Queen honoured us by her presence at the unveiling of the plaque. 3 poise, self-assurance, bearing, self-possession, confidence, mien, carriage, comportment, deportment, air, personality, aspect, aura, appearance: When Geoffrey entered, his presence created quite a stir. 4 spirit, wraith, spectre, shade: I had the vague but pervading sense

that a unidentifiable presence was with me in the empty room. 5 presence of mind. aplomb, sophistication, coolness, cool-headedness, composure, imperturbability, phlegm, sang-froid, self-possession, self-assurance, calm, equanimity, level-headedness, quick-wittedness, alertness, Colloq cool:

With great presence of mind, Grainger walked up to the man and

took the gun from him.

present° adj. 1 current, contemporary, present-day, existing, existent, up to date, Colloq now: Do you understand the present generation? 2 nearby, nearest, immediate, closest, adjacent, proximate, propinquitous; close, remaining; accounted for: Everybody has been awful to me - present company excepted. All those present heard what she said to me.

--n. 3 at present. (right or just) now, for the time being, for the present, today, these days, Non-Standard presently, Colloq at this point in time: I am not ready to invest at present. 4 the present. the time being, the moment, the hour, the nonce, this juncture, these days, our times; today, (right) now, nowadays; Colloq this point in time: She lives for the present, and never thinks of the consequences.

presentý n. 1 gift: May I open my birthday presents now? 2 donation, offering, bounty, grant, largesse, contribution, endowment:

I'll make you a present of the painting if you like it. 3 tip, gratuity, pourboire, baksheesh or backsheesh, bonus; alms, hand-out, dole, aid, allowance: She gave the maŒtre d'h“tel a present for looking after us so well.

--v. 4 introduce, acquaint with, make known: I'd like to present my wife, Cordelia, who has been looking forward to meeting you. 5 offer, give, stage, show, exhibit, put on (show),

mount, produce: The local players will present a new production of Blithe Spirit tonight. 6 give (out), award, confer (on),

bestow (on), turn or hand over, grant, provide, furnish; dispense, distribute, dole out, pass out, deal out, mete out: They presented her with a prize for the best poem. Is it tonight that they present the awards? 7 offer, bring (in or up),

proffer, tender, introduce, produce, submit, set or put forth, put forward, adduce; register, file, record: The lawyer for the defence presented evidence of his client's alibi. 8 introduce,

announce, Brit compŠre, Colloq emcee: And here, to present our show, is the inimitable Reginald Norton!

presentable

adj. 1 fit, fitting, suitable, acceptable, satisfactory,

adequate, passable, tolerable, admissible, all right, allowable, up to par or standard or the mark, good enough, Colloq up to

scratch, OK or okay, up to snuff: Whether that argument is presentable in a court of law is disputable. 2 decent, proper, polite, decorous, respectable, well-bred, well-mannered, fit to be seen: After a bath, shave, and change of clothing he looked quite presentable.

presentation

n. 1 giving, bestowal, offering, proffering, presenting, award, awarding, conferral, conferring, delivery; donation: The presentation of the prizes will be at the annual dinner. 2 appearance, image, display, visual(s), spectacle, show, performance, demonstration, production: The text of the proposal was fine, but the presentation could be improved. 3 debut, launch, introduction, unveiling, disclosure: We attended the presentation of the latest electric car.

presently adv. soon, by and by, in a little while, shortly, after a short time, in due course, after a while or a time, before long, in a moment or a minute or a while, Archaic or literary anon, Colloq in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), Non-Standard now,

at present: The show opens presently in the West End. I shall be with you presently.

preservation

n. 1 upkeep, maintenance, care, conservation: The preservation of old paintings has become an art in itself. 2 keeping, retention, retaining, perpetuation, perpetuating, continuation, safe keeping, security, safeguarding, protection, protecting, conservation: Several charities are dedicated to the preservation of our heritage.

preserve v. 1 keep safe, protect, guard, take care of, care for, safeguard, watch over, shield, shelter, defend, spare: What can we do to preserve ourselves from this terrible pestilence? May God preserve me, I never expected to see you again! 2 keep (up), maintain, conserve, spare, perpetuate; continue, support,

sustain, save: We developed a technique to preserve antique furniture. The sea preserves much of the heat it absorbs in the summer. It is difficult to preserve one's sanity in this madhouse. 3 conserve, put up, pickle, cure, smoke, kipper, salt, corn, marinate, can, freeze, freeze-dry, refrigerate, dry, dehydrate, vacuum-pack; embalm, mummify: The berries were preserved by bottling and freezing. Some of the remains were

preserved for hundreds of years.

--n. 4 Often, preserves. conserve(s), jam, jelly, confiture, marmalade: Susan likes thick toast with butter and preserves for tea. 5 (game) reserve, reservation, sanctuary, Brit park: No hunting is allowed in this preserve.

preside v. supervise, run, oversee, direct, operate, lead, head (up), govern, rule, manage, handle, control, direct, chair, administer, administrate, regulate, officiate: Melissa presides over the meetings of the board.

press v. 1 subject to or exert pressure or force, force, push, impel, thrust, bear (on), weigh on or upon, jam, cram, crush; pressure or Brit also pressurize: The crowd was pressing against the door. Although hard pressed at first, we eventually won. 2 squeeze, compress, depress, push: When the picture is in focus, press this button to release the shutter. 3 squeeze, crush, compress, mash: After harvesting, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice. 4 iron, smooth, flatten, put through a

mangle; steam: I shall have to press my jacket before going out to dinner. 5 clasp, embrace, hug, hold (close or tight(ly)),

take in one's arms, throw one's arms about or around, cleave to, Archaic clip: She pressed the child to her with great

affection. 6 constrain, urge, force, pressure, compel, demand, persuade, induce, prod, provoke, importune, beseech, ask, request, beg, entreat: They pressed me to tell where the money was hidden. 7 crowd, flock, gather, mill, swarm, throng, seethe, cluster, congregate, meet, converge, huddle: The reporters pressed round the chancellor to catch every word.

--n. 8 crowding, gathering, thronging, converging, convergence, crowd, throng, swarm, cluster, huddle, pack, herd, host, multitude, horde, mob, crush: When the doors opened, the huge press of people pushed onto the train. 9 urgency, haste, hurry, hustle, bustle, pressure, stress: The press of business

required me to postpone my trip to Paris. 10 the press. a newspapers, the papers, Fleet Street, the fourth estate, the media, the wire or news services, broadcasting, television, radio: The press will have a field-day when this news gets out.

b newspaper people, newspapermen or newspaperwomen, newsmen or newswomen, reporters, correspondents, ladies or gentlemen of the press, journalists, commentators, paparazzi, Brit

leader-writers, US editorial writers, Colloq news-hounds, Brit journos: The doors were opened and the press were invited in.

pressing adj. urgent, compelling, crucial, pivotal, burning, grave, serious, major, important, vital, high-priority, critical, portentous, momentous, profound, significant: Some pressing matters kept me late at the office.

pressure n. 1 force, compression; weight, power, strength: The air pressure in your tyres is low. The pressure of the water burst the pipe. 2 compression, pressing, squeezing, compressing, tension, stress, crushing: The pressure of a tourniquet has to be loosened now and then. 3 affliction, oppression, press, weight, burden, load, albatross, strain, stress, urgency, demands, exigency or exigencies, vexation, distress, trouble(s), adversity, difficulty or difficulties, straits, constraint(s),

problem(s): Pressure of work prevents me from taking any time away from the office. When interest rates increase, we all feel financial pressure. 4 influence, power, sway, constraint, insistence, coercion, intimidation, arm-twisting; inducement, persuasion, urging, pressing: Without more pressure from local residents, the roadworks will not be completed in time.

--v. 5 persuade, influence; prevail upon or on, press, urge, sway, intimidate, bring pressure to bear (on), apply pressure (on or to), coerce, force, compel, constrain, require, demand, make, insist upon or on, Brit pressurize, Colloq twist (someone's) arm, lean on, turn the heat on, Slang put the screws on or to: They pressured him to take the assignment in New Zealand.

prestige n. status, reputation, standing, rank, stature, importance, significance, eminence, esteem, pre-eminence, prominence, predominance, primacy, superiority, supremacy, ascendancy, distinction, renown, regard, fame, cachet, repute, celebrity, glamour, stardom: To raise money, someone with prestige must be found to serve as director of the charity.

prestigious

adj. important, significant, eminent, estimable, imposing, impressive, pre-eminent, prominent, distinguished, august, dignified, renowned, famous, famed, well-known, illustrious, acclaimed, respected, celebrated, noted, notable, noteworthy,

outstanding, glorious, honoured, glamorous: She may be a prestigious author, but she does not live at a very prestigious address.

presumably

adv. probably, in all likelihood, (very or most) likely, in all probability, seemingly, doubtless(ly), indubitably, no doubt, undoubtedly, unquestionably, without a doubt, surely, certainly, on the face of it, all things considered, all things being

equal: Presumably, you have heard the one about the colonel's poodle.

presume v. 1 assume, take for granted, suppose, surmise, infer, suppose, presuppose, take it, gather, understand, think, believe, imagine, suspect, fancy, conjecture, postulate, posit,

theorize, speculate, hypothesize, hypothecate, US and Canadian guess: For some unaccountable reason, we presumed that your train would arrive on time. Dr Livingstone, I presume? 2 dare, take the liberty, be so presumptuous as, make (so) bold (as), have the audacity or effrontery, go so far as, venture: Who is he to presume to judge others? 3 Often, presume on or upon. encroach (on or upon), impose (on or upon), take liberties (with), intrude (on or upon or into): I hate to presume on our friendship, but could you lend me some money?

presumption

n. 1 arrogance, pride, effrontery, audacity, boldness, brazenness, impudence, impertinence, insolence, temerity,

overconfidence, presumptuousness, forwardness, immodesty, Colloq pushiness, cheek, cheekiness, nerve, gall, chutzpah, brass, Brit

brass neck: He had the presumption to ask my age. 2 assumption, supposition, presupposition, preconception, premise or premiss, surmise, proposition, postulation; probability, likelihood, plausibility, feasibility: The presumption of the innocence of a person accused of a crime is established in law. 3 assumption, stand, position, inference, feeling, deduction, conclusion, conviction, bias, guess, theory, hypothesis, conjecture, belief, thought; suspicion: Having examined the evidence, the pathologist's presumption was that the victim had died of natural causes. 4 ground(s), reason, basis, evidence: What is your presumption for thinking that you might win the lottery?

presumptive

adj. 1 likely, reasonable, plausible, tenable, believable, credible, conceivable, acceptable, justifiable, sensible, rational, sound: There is strong presumptive evidence, but we need proof. 2 inferred, presumed, assumed, supposed, understood, predicted, predicated: As King Richard was childless, his brother was heir presumptive to the Crown.

presumptuous

adj. arrogant, proud, prideful, audacious, bold, brazen, saucy, impudent, impertinent, insolent, temerarious, brash, overconfident, overweening, forward, presuming, immodest, egotistical, Colloq pushy, cheeky, too big for one's boots, Brit uppish: He is presumptuous enough to think he can do no wrong.

presuppose

v. See presume, 1, above.

presupposition

n. See presumption, 1, 2, above.

pretence n. 1 show, display, pretension, ostentation, airs, front, fa‡ade, appearance, make-believe, fiction, hypocrisy, fakery, faking, feigning, humbuggery, humbug, deception, artifice, pretext, posturing, pretentiousness, pretending, camouflage, cover-up: Her charming manner was all pretence, for in reality she despised him. 2 hoax, humbug, artifice, pretext, sham, show, pose, fa‡ade, front, cover-up, cover, cloak, veil, mask, masquerade, disguise, guise, deception, ruse, dodge, blind, fabrication, invention, fiction, story, fable, make-believe,

fairy tale, figment, falsification, impression: His loyalty was a pretence under which he carried on many liaisons. 3 excuse, pretext, pretension: They would ring for the butler on the slightest pretence, just to impress us.

pretend v. 1 feign, profess, represent, allege, make believe, make out: Let's pretend that we are royalty. Often, he pretends to be me.

2 try, attempt, endeavour, venture, presume, undertake: I could not pretend to guess the number of people attending last night's meeting. 3 make believe, act or play, play-act, fake, feign, put on an act, dissemble, sham, sail under false colours: Is she serious about wanting you to leave or was she just pretending?