The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms
.pdfarbitrator did his best to calm the two litigants by suggesting a compromise. After everyone had calmed down, the speaker continued.
camouflage
n. 1 disguise, concealment, cover-up, cover, guise, cloak, mask, screen, blind, (false) front, show, fa‡ade, pretence, trickery, deception; protective colouring or coloration, Technical apatetic or aposematic or cryptic colouring or coloration: Camouflage prevented the enemy from seeing our tanks.
--v. 2 disguise, cloak, mask, cover (up), hide, conceal, screen, veil; misrepresent, falsify: We camouflaged our movements by fastening twigs and leaves to our helmets.
camp° n. 1 camping-ground, camp-ground, bivouac, encampment, camp-site; settlement; camping-site, Brit caravan site: The name 'Chester' derives from Latin castrum, meaning 'camp', for the city was originally the site of a Roman camp. Is there a camp where we can stay overnight? 2 faction, set, coterie, clique, group, party, body: On this issue, the politicians are divided into two camps.
--v. 3 encamp, pitch camp, tent: Our family likes to go camping in the mountains during the summer. 4 lodge, bivouac, settle: The platoon camped by the river. 5 camp out. Slang crash: Mind if I camp out in your pad tonight?
campý adj. 1 outr‚, outrageous, exaggerated, artless, affected, inartistic, extravagant, artificial, Dadaistic, theatrical, mannered, flamboyant, showy, ostentatious, effeminate, Colloq
campy: Some of the kitsch produced in the 1930s was the epitome of camp. His manner is a bit too camp for my taste.
--v. 2 exaggerate, show off, strut, flaunt, flounce, prance, posture, Colloq ham: Clarence just loves to camp it up whenever there are women around.
campaign n. 1 operation(s), manoeuvre(s), crusade, action; drive, offensive, push, effort; struggle: Napoleon's Russian campaign ended in disaster. Our next sales campaign will be aimed at teenagers. 2 competition, contest, rivalry, race: Presidential
campaigns last for more than a year.
--v. 3 run, electioneer, compete, Brit stand; US and Canadian stump; Colloq throw or toss one's hat in the ring: Next week the Labour candidate will campaign in Yorkshire.
cancel v. 1 void, annul, invalidate, nullify, quash; revoke, rescind, redeem, repeal, abolish, retract, withdraw, recall, repudiate, abrogate, countermand, deny: The bonds have been cancelled and are worthless. She cancelled the incorrect cheque. 2 delete, obliterate, cross or strike or blot out, dele, rub out, erase, expunge, efface, eradicate, quash, deracinate; eliminate, do
away with: I was forced to cancel the chapter of my book that dealt with M.I.5 activities. 3 Sometimes, cancel out. neutralize, nullify, counterbalance, countervail, compensate (for), make up for, offset, counteract: His later kindnesses cancel his previous injustices.
cancellation
n. 1 cancelling, annulment, nullification, rescinding, voiding, rescission, revocation, abolition, abandonment, withdrawal, abrogation; repeal: We found a hotel room in the end because of a late cancellation. 2 invalidation, revocation, abolition, discontinuance, termination, suppression: If you fail to pay
the premium, the policy is subject to cancellation. 3 elimination, abolition; stoppage, cessation: Owing to the storm, some trains are subject to cancellation.
candid adj. 1 frank, open, plain, sincere, ingenuous, straight, straightforward, truthful, forthright, direct, unequivocal, plain-spoken, plain-speaking, outspoken, honest, artless, blunt, guileless, open-hearted, above-board, undeceitful, undeceiving, undeliberative, uncalculating, uncalculated, unpremeditated, uncontrived , Colloq upfront: Henry offered a very candid account of his feelings. Let us be candid and speak our minds. 2 just, impartial, objective, fair, equitable, unbiased, unprejudiced, even-handed; unbigoted: The speaker expressed a candid view of all of the proposals. 3 unposed, informal, impromptu: Here is a candid photo of the two of us in Rome.
candidate n. aspirant, seeker, office-seeker, runner, nominee; applicant, entrant; prospect, possibility: There are quite a few
candidates for the post.
candour n. 1 openness, frankness, ingenuousness, simplicity, na‹vety, outspokenness, unreservedness, forthrightness, honesty, sincerity, directness, straightforwardness, unequivocalness: I admire her candour, but the truth sometimes hurts. 2 impartiality, fairness, justice, objectivity, open-mindedness:
In criticism candour is as rare as bigotry is frequent.
candy n. sweet(s), bon-bon(s), sweetmeat(s), confectionery: Eating candy can be bad for your teeth.
cannibal n. anthropophagite, man-eater: They were said to have been captured by cannibals living in remote regions.
cant |
n. 1 hypocrisy, insincerity, sham, pretence, humbug, |
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sanctimony, sanctimoniousness, lip-service, affectedness, |
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pretension: He wasn't really enthusiastic - all that talk was |
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just cant. 2 jargon, shop, shop-talk, argot, vernacular, slang, |
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dialect, patois, Creole, pidgin, gobbledegook or gobbledygook, |
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Colloq lingo: The criminals use a cant not understood by those |
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outside their fraternity. |
cantankerous
adj. ill-natured, quarrelsome, perverse, cross, choleric, cross-grained, crabby, curmudgeonly, crusty, grumpy, surly, irascible, snappish, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, bearish, bilious, peevish, testy, irritable, touchy, disagreeable,
tetchy, contrary, Colloq crotchety, grouchy, US cranky: Simon used to be so friendly, but he's become a cantankerous old codger.
canvass v. 1 solicit, electioneer, campaign, poll, US and Canadian stump: The candidates will be canvassing in farming areas next week. 2 survey, poll, study, analyse, examine, investigate, interview, question: The statisticians are not satisfied that enough women were canvassed to provide an accurate sample.
--n. 3 solicitation, campaign: The party's canvass of rural areas for new supporters was not very successful. 4 survey, study, investigation, poll, examination, tally: A canvass of editors shows they have a conservative view of the language.
canyon n. gorge, ravine, gully or gulley, pass, defile, Brit dialect
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gill or ghyll, US and Canadian coul‚e, gulch; US gap, arroyo: |
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The canyon created by the river is more than a thousand feet |
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deep. |
cap |
n. 1 hat, head covering: The plumber took off his cap and |
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scratched his head. 2 lid, top, cover: Screw the cap on tight. |
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3 cap in hand. humbly, meekly, servilely, submissively, |
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subserviently, docilely, respectfully: He went cap in hand to |
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ask for a pay rise. |
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--v. 4 surpass, outdo, outstrip, better, beat, exceed, top, |
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excel: Betty capped her earlier triumphs by winning the |
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semifinals. 5 cover, protect: As it's begun to rain, you'd |
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best cap the camera lens. |
capability
n. ability, power, potential, capacity, means, faculty, wherewithal; talent, proficiency, aptitude, adeptness, skill, competence: Deirdre has the capability to be first in her form.
capable adj. 1 able, competent, efficient, proficient, qualified, talented, gifted, skilled, skilful, accomplished, apt, adept, clever, effective, effectual; expert, masterly, masterful:
Halliwell is quite capable of speaking for himself. He is a capable violinist, but scarcely a virtuoso. 2 capable of. disposed to, inclined to, predisposed to: Though violent, he is not capable of murder.
capacity n. 1 volume, content, size, dimensions; room, space: What is the capacity of this bottle in litres? The car is of sufficient capacity to hold only four adults. 2 potential, ability,
capability, competence, intelligence, wit, brain(s), talent, aptitude, acumen, understanding, sense, judgement, perspicacity, perceptiveness, perception, mother wit, intellect, genius,
skill, gift, faculty, power, potential, Colloq chiefly US right stuff, the goods: They don't yet have the capacity to absorb advanced theory. 3 position, condition, character, place, post, role, job, office, duty, responsibility, province, sphere,
function; Law competency, qualification: She has every right to sign cheques in her capacity as director.
cape° n. headland, promontory, peninsula, neck, point, Archaic ness: We sailed round the cape and made for the harbour.
capeý |
n. mantle, shawl, stole, cloak: His black cape reached to the |
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floor. |
caper |
n. 1 skip, leap, spring, frolic, hop, gambol, frisk, curvet, |
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gambado: He can dance, though he does not cut capers. 2 |
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escapade, stunt, mischief, prank, high jinks, US crime, |
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burglary, robbery, Colloq shenanigan, dido, lark, Slang US and |
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Canadian job: The capers we used to get up to after lights-out |
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in the dormitory! |
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--v. 3 skip, hop, frolic, leap, jump, frisk, romp, gambol, |
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prance, cavort, curvet: She capered about like a lamb in a |
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meadow. |
capital n. 1 head, top, crown, cap: The column was surmounted by a finely carved capital. 2 seat (of government): Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba. 3 money, assets, funds, finance(s), cash, wherewithal; wealth, means, property, resources, savings, principal: My capital is invested in land at the moment. 4 majuscule, upper case, large letter, initial, Colloq cap: The chapter titles should be set in capitals.
--adj. 5 chief, main, major, important, cardinal, central, principal, prime, primary, paramount, pre-eminent, foremost, leading: Our capital responsibility is to ensure the passengers' safety. 6 first-class, first-rate, excellent, superior, matchless, peerless, choice, select, outstanding, fine, superb, splendid, marvellous, extraordinary, Colloq smashing, great, super, Brit brill, Old-fashioned topping, top-hole, ripping, ripsnorting: Eating out tonight was a capital idea.
capitulate
v. 1 surrender, yield, give up, submit, succumb: Want of provisions quickly obliged the fortress to capitulate. 2 acquiesce, concede, relent, give in, yield: He begged so piteously that the king finally capitulated and allowed him to live.
capricious
adj. whimsical, erratic, flighty, fickle, mercurial, unsteady, variable, unstable, wayward, unpredictable, undependable,
changeable, impulsive, crotchety, quirky, unreliable, inconstant, fanciful, wanton: His decisions are capricious and not based on sound judgement. The weather in March is capricious: as Mark Twain said, if you don't like it, just wait five minutes.
capsize v. upset, overturn, turn turtle or upside down, tip (over), keel over, invert: When the wind capsized the boat, we lost all our gear overboard.
captivate v. enthral or US enthrall, enslave, fascinate, hypnotize, entrance, beguile, charm, enamour, enchant, bewitch, enrapture, dazzle, infatuate, attract, allure, seduce, win: Her beauty captivated film-goers everywhere.
captive n. 1 prisoner, convict, hostage, detainee, internee; slave, bondman or bondsman, bondservant: The captives were kept in a wretched hole.
--adj. 2 imprisoned, incarcerated, confined, caged, locked up, under lock and key: Captive animals lose their free spirit.
captivity n. confinement, imprisonment, internment, detention, custody, incarceration, restraint; bondage, slavery, thraldom or US also thralldom, enslavement, servitude; Archaic durance: Some wild creatures do not survive in captivity. Entire populations of conquered territories were taken into captivity in ancient
times.
capture n. 1 seizure, taking, catching, arrest, apprehension, Slang pinch, collar: They celebrated the capture of the Spanish galleon. The State has offered a reward for the capture of the bank robbers.
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--v. 2 seize, take, catch, lay or take hold of, grab, |
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apprehend, arrest, Slang pinch, collar, nab, Brit nick: |
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Eventually, they captured the thief on the roof. |
car |
n. 1 (motor) vehicle, motor car, automobile, passenger car, |
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Old-fashioned or slang motor; Chiefly US auto; Colloq jalopy, |
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heap, pile, crate, machine, buggy, transport; Slang wheels: |
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Borrow a car and drive down for the weekend. 2 (railway) |
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carriage: The body was found in a sleeping car of the Orient |
Express.
card n. 1 playing-card, Slang pasteboard: The winning card was the ten of diamonds. 2 calling-card, visiting-card, carte de
visite, business card: Visitors used to leave their cards on the silver tray at the front door. 3 greetings card, Christmas card, birthday card, anniversary card, condolence card, Easter card, New Year card: I sent Jacquelyn a card for her birthday
last year. 4 postcard, US postal card: Drop me a card when you get there, just so I'll know you're all right. 5 index card,
file card: The names and addresses of our members, formerly held on cards, are now stored in the computer. 6 membership card; press card; union card: I showed my card at the door and they let me in without any problem. 7 dance-card: She told me that her dance-card was full - and was likely to be for the next ten years. 8 US car-card, window-card, show-card: At the cost of a card on the New York buses, we'd never get our money back. 9 credit card; bank card: You may pay by card or cheque. They won't accept your cheque without a card. 10 identity or identification card, I.D. (card): The police asked to see my
card. 11 joker, prankster, practical joker, wag, humorist, comedian, funny man: That Oscar - he's quite a card, isn't he? 12 on or esp. US in the cards. destined, fated, slated, in the offing; likely, probable, possible, liable: I doubt that a
change of government is on the cards for some time to come. 13 play one's cards right, well, badly, etc. act, behave, take
action; plan, use strategy: If Francis plays his cards right,
he may be made head of department when Mark leaves. 14 put or lay one's cards on the table or show one's cards. act openly, reveal all, be forthright, be direct, be open, be honest, be unsecretive, Colloq come clean: I'm going to put my cards on the table, and let you know all my plans.
cardinal adj. important, chief, key, special, main, central, principal, prime, primary, essential, necessary, fundamental; supreme, paramount, highest, first, foremost, leading, pre-eminent: The cardinal virtues are justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude, to which some writers add faith, hope, and charity.
care |
n. 1 anxiety, worry, trouble, anguish, disquiet, distress, |
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grief, sorrow, dolour, sadness, suffering, misery, woe, |
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tribulation: His haggard look reflected a life of care. 2 |
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concern, regard, vigilance, mindfulness, heed, solicitude; |
heedfulness, attention, pains, carefulness, meticulousness, punctiliousness; caution, circumspection: The essence of public-spiritedness is care for the common good. He looks after his moustache and beard with great care. Open with care. 3 responsibility, charge, protection, guardianship, custody, keeping, safe keeping; control, direction, supervision: The child has been released into our care. 4 take care of. look
after, attend to, be responsible for, take charge of, take responsibility for; tend, nurse: You should take care of your money. Does she have enough experience to take care of someone who is ill?
--v. 5 be concerned, trouble oneself, feel interest, worry, fret, trouble, Brit mind: Do you care whether Arnold gets the
job he wants? I don't care who you are, you can't come in here! 6 care for. a look after, tend, attend (to), watch over,
protect, take care of, provide for; nurse: He cared for his ailing parents for about twenty years. b like, fancy, be attracted to, be fond of, love, be keen on, be enamoured of: Jennifer admitted last night how much she cares for David.
careen |
v. heel over, keel over; US loosely career, sway, tip, pitch, |
veer, swerve, lurch: We hauled out the boat, careened her, and |
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proceeded to caulk her seams. |
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career |
n. 1 employment, occupation, calling, vocation, pursuit, |
(life's) work, job, business, livelihood; profession, trade, craft, m‚tier: She has made a career out of helping others. He is undecided whether to pursue a career in accountancy.
--v. 2 speed, race, rush, dash, fly, tear, hurtle, bolt, shoot, Colloq zoom: A bicycle came careering around the corner and knocked him down.
carefree adj. nonchalant, easy, easygoing, insouciant, light-hearted, blithe, happy-go-lucky, breezy, airy; blas‚, indifferent, unconcerned, unworried, trouble-free, worry-free, contented, happy: Till he graduated from university, he had lived an entirely carefree life.
careful adj. 1 cautious, wary, circumspect, chary, prudent, watchful, aware, alert, vigilant: These days one cannot be too careful about walking in the city at night. 2 meticulous, painstaking,
attentive, punctilious, (well-)organized, systematic, precise, fastidious, thorough, scrupulous, conscientious, particular, finicky, finical, fussy: The police conducted a careful search for weapons.
careless adj. 1 unconcerned, untroubled, unworried, casual, indifferent, heedless, thoughtless, inconsiderate, uncaring, devil-may-care, irresponsible, cursory, lackadaisical, perfunctory: No one
could approve of the careless way he treats his family. 2 inattentive, negligent, thoughtless, absent-minded, neglectful, remiss; unobservant, unthinking, imprudent, unmindful, incautious, unwary, reckless, slapdash, rash: Many of the errors come from being careless. 3 inaccurate, imprecise, inexact, incorrect, wrong, error-ridden, erroneous, Colloq sloppy: You won't get a good mark for such a careless paper. 4 unstudied, ingenuous, artless, casual, nonchalant: I dislike
his careless way of dressing, but it does show some style.
caress n. 1 pat, stroke, fondling, blandishment; cuddle, embrace, hug; nuzzle, kiss: He submitted willingly to her caresses.
--v. 2 touch, pat, pet, fondle, stroke; cuddle, embrace, hug; nuzzle, kiss: The kitten approached warily and Isabella caressed it.
cargo n. shipment, consignment, shipload, truckload, wagon-load, load, trainload, US carload; freight, goods, merchandise: The cargo of rifles was delivered to the warehouse. The ship was lost with all its cargo.
caricature
n. 1 cartoon, parody, burlesque, lampoon, satire, pasquinade, Colloq take-off, spoof, Brit send-up: The cartoon in the newspaper showed a caricature of the Prime Minister.
--v. 2 parody, satirize, lampoon, burlesque, ridicule, mock, distort, Colloq take off, Brit send up: Hogarth caricatured Churchill in the form of a bear.
carnage n. slaughter, butchery, massacre, blood bath, holocaust, killing, Shoah, Churban or Hurban: The battle was fought with much carnage on both sides.
carnal adj. fleshly, sensual, animal, bodily, lustful, voluptuous, libidinous, lecherous, concupiscent, sexual, erotic, lascivious, licentious, lewd, prurient: She is intent on satisfying her carnal desires.
carouse v. 1 make merry, revel, Colloq party, pub-crawl, make whoopee, go on a bender or tear or binge or toot, paint the town red,
binge, booze: After the cup final, we all caroused till the wee hours.
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--n. 2 revel, spree, fling, wassail, carousal, drunk, |
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bacchanal, Colloq binge, bender, booze, boozer, Brit knees-up, |
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US tear, toot: They go on a carouse on Burns Night every year, |
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then need a day to sleep it off. |
carp |
v. find fault, criticize, cavil, complain, nag, pick at, pick |
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on, bully, bullyrag or ballyrag, Colloq knock, pick holes (in), |
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gripe, Brit whinge: She said that she would leave him if he |
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kept on carping at her about her cooking. |
carriage n. 1 (railway) coach, US car: We moved our belongings into the next carriage. 2 bearing, mien, air, manner, deportment,
conduct, demeanour, attitude, posture, stance, presence, behaviour, comportment: His upright carriage immediately identified him as a military man. 3 freight, freightage, transportation, cartage, shipping; postage: Carriage is free within mainland Britain.
carrier n. 1 bearer, porter; transporter, drayman, shipper, haulier or US hauler; carter: The company we use as a carrier is
expensive. 2 transmitter, Immunology vector, US Typhoid Mary: She couldn't have caught the disease directly, only through some carrier.
carry v. 1 transport, convey, bear, lug, drag, cart, move, Colloq tote, Slang US schlep: He shouldn't carry such heavy packages at his age. 2 conduct, convey, lead, take, transport, transfer, transmit: This cable carries the power to the town. 3 drive, impel, conduct, convey, take, move: He travelled aimlessly, wherever the wind carried his ship. 4 support, maintain, finance: I had a wife and four children and was unable to carry my brother's family as well. 5 bear, hold up, uphold, maintain: Despite her troubles, she carried her head high. 6 win, take,