The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

castigation, reproach, lecture, censure, criticism, disapproval, remonstrance, remonstration, reprehension, tongue-lashing, Colloq dressing-down, talking-to, telling-off, ticking-off, rap over or on the knuckles, slap on the wrist, Brit slating, US and Canadian chewing-out, Slang Brit wigging: Brown received a severe reprimand for violating the curfew.

--v. 2 scold, chide, reprove, rebuke, admonish, upbraid, castigate, reproach, berate, lecture, censure, criticize, find fault with, attack, flay (alive), reprehend, read (someone) the riot act, slap on the wrist, rap over the knuckles, take to task, Colloq bawl out, dress down, give a dressing-down, tell off, tick off, haul over the coals, give (someone) a piece of

(one's) mind, Brit slate, give (someone) a row, send (someone) away or off with a flea in his or her ear, tell (someone) a

thing or two, carpet, wig, skin (alive), US and Canadian chew out, rake over the coals, call on the carpet, pin (someone's) ears back: Nigel deserves to be reprimanded for what he did.

reprisal n. retaliation, revenge, retribution, redress, requital, vengeance, repayment, recompense, vindication, getting even, indemnity: She refused to be named because she feared reprisals. How many hostages did they shoot in reprisal?

reproachful

adj. fault-finding, critical, censorious, disapproving, disparaging, upbraiding, reproving, scolding, admonitory, condemnatory, hypercritical: She was quite reproachful after seeing what I had written about her in my book.

reprobate adj. 1 unprincipled, immoral, amoral, abandoned, depraved, despicable, dissolute, low, low-life, base, mean, debased, damned, accursed, cursed, degenerate, profligate, shameful, shameless, vile, evil, wicked, villainous, sinful, irredeemable, foul, iniquitous, reprehensible: Such reprobate behaviour soon brought him to the attention of the church fathers.

--n. 2 scoundrel, blackguard, miscreant, rake, profligate, rou‚, villain, wastrel, wretch, degenerate, unprincipled person, villain, evil-doer, debauchee, libertine, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, cur, rapscallion, scamp, knave, rascal, US

low-life, Colloq scallywag or scalawag: I can't understand what she sees in that old reprobate.

reproduce v. 1 duplicate, copy, replicate, match, recreate, repeat, imitate, simulate: The printer thinks he can reproduce successfully the colours of the original picture in a print. 2 breed, multiply, propagate, procreate, spawn, produce or bring forth or beget young; regenerate: These animals normally reproduce twice a year.

reproduction

n. 1 duplication, copying, printing: Unlicensed reproduction of this film is against the law. 2 duplicate, copy, print, clone, carbon (copy), facsimile, replica, look-alike, double, twin, imitation: The reproductions look better than the original. 3 propagation, breeding, spawning, proliferation,

production: Today's lecture concerns reproduction and breeding habits of large sea-mammals.

reproof n. See reprimand, 1, above.

reprove v. See reprimand, 2, above.

repudiate v. reject, scorn, turn down, renounce, retract, rescind, reverse, abandon, abrogate, forswear, forgo, deny, disown, discard: The government has repudiated its earlier policy of refusing to negotiate with the strikers.

repugnant adj. repulsive, abhorrent, disgusting, off-putting, offensive, repellent, revolting, vile, abominable, loathsome, foul, distasteful, unpalatable, unsavoury, execrable, intolerable, obnoxious, noisome, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, unpleasant, objectionable: I find the very thought of seeing them again repugnant.

repulse v. 1 repel, rebuff, drive back, ward off, fight or beat off, check: With a mighty effort, they were able to repulse the attacking forces. 2 refuse, spurn, snub, reject, rebuff, fend off, resist, turn down, give the cold shoulder to: She repulsed his offer of marriage, and he left, never to see her again.

--n. 3 rejection, rebuff, refusal, denial, snub, cold shoulder, spurning: Alistair told himself he could not accept another repulse.

repulsive adj. disgusting, revolting, abhorrent, loathsome, repugnant, repellent, offensive, obnoxious, objectionable, gross, unsavoury, distasteful, nasty, unpleasant, displeasing, disagreeable, ugly, off-putting, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, beastly, vile, dreadful, awful, rotten, feculent,

foul, odious, horrible, horrid, abominable, execrable, fulsome: I have seldom had so repulsive an experience as the tour of that

abattoir. The repulsive sights and smells were more than I could bear.

reputable adj. respectable, honourable, well-thought-of, estimable, respected, trustworthy, trusted, honest, reliable, dependable, principled, virtuous, good, worthy: Alan is one of Aylesbury's most reputable businessmen.

reputation

n. 1 repute, name, standing, stature, position, status: Jean

is a woman of excellent reputation in the community. 2 have a reputation for. be known or noted or notorious or famous for: The company has a reputation for dismissing employees without notice.

reputed adj. alleged, purported, supposed, assumed, presumed; rumoured, said, deemed, held, regarded, viewed, looked on or upon, judged, considered, thought, believed: The police arrested three

reputed gang members. They are reputed to be international drug dealers.

request v. 1 ask for, seek, plead for, apply for, put in for, requisition, call for, demand, insist on, solicit, beg, entreat,

beseech, importune: They request my cooperation. I requested to be excused. He requested her to open the door for him.

--n. 2 plea, petition, application, requisition, call, demand, solicitation, entreaty: We receive many requests for information.

require v. 1 order, command, ask (for), call (for), press (for), instruct, coerce, force; insist, demand; make: I am required to appear in court on Monday. The teacher required that I bring my mother to school. 2 need, want, lack, be lacking, be missing, be short (of); desire: We require one more trainee in order to

fill our quota.

requirement

n. 1 requisite, prerequisite, demand, precondition, condition, qualification, stipulation, sine qua non, provision, proviso, demand, necessity, essential, desideratum, must: It is a requirement of the loan agreement that you maintain an account with this bank. 2 need, want, demand: We hope the new design will meet all your requirements.

requisition

n. 1 request, order, demand, call, authorization, mandate, voucher: A requisition was issued by headquarters for the delivery of 200 desks and chairs.

--v. 2 request, order, demand, call, authorize, mandate: Have you requisitioned the office furniture we need? 3 seize, appropriate, commandeer, confiscate, take possession of, take (over), occupy; expropriate: The army of occupation has requisitioned all available sleeping accommodation in the town.

requital n. 1 repayment, return, recompense, redress, restitution, reparation, remuneration, quittance, amends, satisfaction, compensation, payment: I look forward to an opportunity to make requital for all the favours you have done for me. 2 revenge, retaliation, retribution, reprisal, vengeance; quid pro quo,

Roland for an Oliver: In requital for his shameful treachery, MacFallon was sent into exile.

requite v. 1 repay, reward, reciprocate, recompense, compensate for, respond to: Her years of tender care were requited with abuse and scorn. 2 retaliate for, revenge, avenge, make restitution for, redress, pay back for, give tit for tat for, make amends

for: Who can requite the wrongs inflicted on these poor people?

rescue v. 1 save, deliver, (set) free, liberate, let go (free), release, (let) loose: We rescued all the men who were being

held prisoner. Jane was rescued by a very handsome lifeguard.

--n. 2 deliverance, saving; freeing, liberating, release: The seaman's rescue was conducted by a navy helicopter team. Because of the heavy guard, the prisoners' rescue is out of the

question.

research n. 1 investigation, investigating, exploration, delving, digging, enquiry or inquiry, fact-finding, scrutinization, scrutiny, examination, inspection, probing, analysis, experimentation: Her research into the causes of the disease have yielded good results. The government no longer supports much research.

--v. 2 investigate, explore, delve into, dig into, enquire or inquire into, scrutinize, examine, study, analyse, inspect, check in or into or (up) on, probe, experiment with, Colloq check out: We are researching ways in which the virus attacks the blood cells.

resemblance

n. likeness, similarity; correspondence, congruity, coincidence, conformity, accord, agreement, equivalence,

comparableness, comparability, comparison: There is a striking resemblance between your wife and mine. Any resemblance is purely a matter of chance.

resemble v. look or sound or taste or seem or be like or similar to, bear (a) resemblance to, approximate, smack of, correspond to, have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, take after, Colloq favour: You are right, the taste does resemble that of liquorice. Does she resemble her mother?

resent v. feel embittered or bitter about, feel envious or jealous of, begrudge, have hard feelings about, be displeased or disgruntled at, be angry about: I resent having to go to work while you sit about the house all day.

resentful adj. embittered, bitter, acrimonious, spiteful, envious, jealous, begrudging, vindictive, indignant, displeased, disgruntled, dissatisfied, unsatisfied, unhappy, peeved, irritated, irked, annoyed, provoked, riled, angry, piqued, irate, furious, incensed, agitated, upset, worked up, antagonistic, hostile: Ronald is resentful because you got the promotion that he considered rightfully his.

resentment

n. bitterness, acrimony, rancour, envy, jealousy, grudge, indignation, displeasure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, irritation, annoyance, provocation, pique, anger, ire, fury,

taciturn, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, close-mouthed, unresponsive, undemonstrative, unemotional, poker-faced, cool, formal, aloof, guarded, standoffish, unsocial, antisocial,

distant, remote, detached, retiring, withdrawn, sedate, demure, dignified, guarded, prim, rigid, strait-laced, icy, frigid, ice-cold: She was always very reserved, not showing any emotion.

residence n. 1 abode, home, domicile, dwelling, dwelling-place, place, house, habitation, (living) quarters: A crowd was waiting to greet them outside their residence. 2 residency, stay, sojourn, visit, tenancy: During his residence in Cape Province, he became bilingual in Xhosa. 3 mansion, villa, manor (house), stately home, estate, chƒteau, castle, palace, Brit hall: The ambassadorial residence was a very imposing structure.

resident adj. 1 in residence, residing, living, staying, abiding, dwelling, remaining: Is he resident in this country? 2 local, neighbourhood, district, regional, neighbouring: Our resident astronomer mentioned there would be an eclipse of the moon tonight.

--n. 3 denizen, dweller, inhabitant, citizen, householder, home-owner, tenant, local: Parking permits are available only to residents.

residual adj. remaining, leftover, surplus, spare, extra, residuary: Residual units of the army are still bivouacked in the field. How would we survive nuclear fall-out and the subsequent residual contamination?

abandon, give up, forsake, hand over, yield up, renounce, relinquish, let go, release, vacate, surrender, deliver up, turn over: Amanda resigned because she was offered a better job elsewhere. Anthony refused to resign the last of his responsibilities till he was ninety. 2 resign (oneself) (to). reconcile (oneself) (to), be or become resigned or reconciled (to), accommodate (oneself) (to), adjust (oneself) (to), adapt

(oneself) (to), acclimatize or acclimate (oneself) (to), submit (oneself) (to): Knowing that no one had ever escaped from the prison, he resigned himself to his fate.

resignation

n. 1 notice; abandonment, abdication, resigning, renunciation, forgoing, relinquishment: After the incident in the boardroom, Kim was asked for her resignation. Stuart's resignation of his responsibilities led to a severe reprimand. 2 reconciliation, reconcilement, adjustment, adaptation, acclimatization or acclimation, submission, acceptance, compliance, capitulation, abandonment, acquiescence, passivity: His resignation to his fate won admiration from those around him.

resilience

n. rebound, recoil, bounce, elasticity, springiness, spring, buoyancy, flexibility, suppleness, ability to recover: The resilience of youth is astonishing, and William was soon on his feet again.

resist v. 1 stop, hinder, prevent, hold out (against), be proof (against), keep or hold at bay, hold the line (against), thwart, impede, block, obstruct, inhibit, restrain, preclude, check, control, curb, stem, bridle, hold back, withstand, weather, last (against), endure, outlast, stand up (to or against); combat, fight (against), battle, countervail (against), counteract, oppose, rebuff, defy: He was jailed for attempting to resist arrest. It is pointless to resist. 2 refuse, deny, turn down, forgo: I cannot resist a rich sweet for dessert.

resistance

n. 1 opposition, defiance, refusal, denial, obstruction, intransigence, rebelliousness, recalcitrance, stubbornness: The child puts up considerable resistance to any form of discipline. 2 defences: My resistance is low, I can deny you nothing. 3 Resistance. underground, partisans, freedom fighters, guerrilla or guerilla movement, guerrillas or guerillas, irregulars, Maquis, US resisters: During the war, he was a member of the Resistance and engaged in sabotage against the invaders.

resistant adj. 1 opposed, against, defiant, averse, unsubmissive; impervious, unaffected: The organisms are resistant to any change. 2 recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, intransigent,