The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

egoistic adj. egoistical, self-centred, egocentric, narcissistic, self-seeking, self-absorbed, selfish, self-serving, self-indulgent, self-important: She is too egoistic to consider anyone but herself.

egotistical

adj. egotistic, conceited, proud, overweening, bragging, boastful, boasting, swelled-headed or swell-headed or swollen-headed, vain, vainglorious, self-worshipping, self-admiring, vaunting, crowing: Considering his poor track record, he has nothing to be so egotistical about.

5.8 eject...

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eject v. 1 force or drive out, expel, oust, remove, get rid of,

evict, Colloq throw or kick or boot out: They were ejected for causing a disturbance. 2 expel, emit, throw up or out, spew (forth), discharge, spout, disgorge, vomit (up or forth), send out or forth; ooze, exude, extravasate: The volcano ejected boulders the size of houses. 3 discharge, dismiss, cashier, drum out, lay off, declare or make redundant, Colloq fire, sack, boot out, axe, give the sack or boot or axe, give (someone) his

or her marching orders or US also walking papers, send packing: He was ejected for stealing paper clips.

ejection n. 1 expulsion, casting out or up, disgorgement, vomiting forth, throwing out or up, discharge, emission, disgorging: The ejection of lava was preceded by loud rumblings. 2 exile, expulsion, banishment, deportation, ouster, removal; eviction, dispossession: His ejection from the meeting angered his supporters. My ejection by the landlord was illegal. 3 dismissal, discharge, cong‚, cashiering, lay-off, Colloq firing, sacking, Slang the sack, the boot, the axe, the (old) heave-ho,

US the bounce: Business was bad, and the entire staff was faced with ejection.

5.9 elaborate...

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elaborate adj. 1 detailed, painstaking, meticulous, punctilious, comprehensive, thorough, complete, exhaustive, intricate, involved, minute, precise, exact: The escape had been worked out in elaborate detail. 2 complicated, complex, convoluted, ornate, fancy, Byzantine, laborious, laboured, extravagant, showy; ornamented, decorated, baroque, rococo, busy, fussy, gingerbread: We marvelled at the elaborate mosaics. His plan is too elaborate and should be simplified.

--v. 3 ornament, decorate, complicate, embellish, garnish, adorn: Later craftsmen elaborated the earlier Greek motifs. 4 enlarge, expand (upon or on), expatiate, develop, cultivate, flesh out, enhance, refine, enrich, improve, better, ameliorate, emend, polish: Later on, I shall elaborate on the recruitment methods we used.

elaboration

n. 1 enhancement, refinement, enrichment, improvement, amelioration, melioration, betterment; embellishment, adornment, garnish, garnishment, decoration, over-decoration, gingerbread, Slang bells and whistles: The customers always welcome elaboration of the equipment. 2 enlargement, development, amplification, expansion: The argument requires further elaboration.

pliable, springy, plastic, extensile, extensible, expansible, expandable, contractile, resilient, bouncy, compressible: Is it elastic enough to stretch round that box? 2 adjustable, adaptable, accommodating, flexible: The schedule for our main project is elastic, so we can fit in additional tasks at very

short notice.

elasticity

n. 1 flexibility, resilience, rubberiness, plasticity, ductility, springiness, stretchability, stretchiness, stretch,

suppleness, pliancy, Colloq give: Dry hair has no elasticity: it's brittle and breaks easily when brushed or combed. 2 flexibility, adjustability, adaptability, tolerance, suppleness:

Their plan lacks the elasticity needed to accommodate changes.

elated adj. exhilarated, uplifted, elevated, gleeful, joyful, jubilant, joyous, exultant, ecstatic, blissful, happy, delighted, euphoric, overjoyed, excited, thrilled, transported,

pleased (as Punch), on top of the world, on cloud nine, Colloq tickled, tickled pink, Brit chuffed, over the moon, in the seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven: We were elated to learn that our daughter had won first prize.

elder adj. 1 older, senior: My elder brother was born in 1930. 2 venerable, respected, (pre-)eminent; experienced, veteran: Clemenceau was an elder statesman at the Geneva Convention.

--n. 3 senior, superior; patriarch, elder statesman, dean,

doyen or doyenne: Everyone paid great respect to the elders of the tribe.

elderly adj. 1 old, past middle age, oldish, advanced in years, of advanced age, along in years, grey, ageing, aged, venerable; hoary, ancient, senescent, decrepit, superannuated; senile, anile; Colloq over the hill, past it, long in the tooth, having one foot in the grave, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish: Today, a person isn't considered elderly till he's past 65.

--n. 2 the elderly. the retired, the old, senior citizens, pensioners, O.A.P.'s, old-age pensioners, golden-agers, Colloq old-timers, (old) geezers, (old) fogies or fogeys, Brit wrinklies: The elderly constitute an increasingly large body of voters.

elect v. 1 choose, select, pick, vote (for), determine, designate: We must elect a new chairperson at the next meeting.

--adj. 2 chosen, elected, selected, picked out: The president-elect takes office next month. 3 select, choice, first-rate, first-class: An elect few make up the executive committee.

election n. poll, vote, referendum, plebiscite; selection, choice, choosing, nomination, designation, appointment; voting, electing: They held an election and Michael lost. The election of a new social secretary is required.

electioneer

v. campaign, canvass, support, back, promote: They are busy electioneering for their candidate.

electric adj. charged, tense, energized, stimulating, exciting, thrilling, galvanizing, electrifying, moving, stirring: As the jury filed in, the atmosphere in the courtroom was electric.

electricity

n. excitement, verve, energy, tension, tenseness, fervency, intensity, ardour; vibrations: I could feel the electricity between us.

electrify v. 1 startle, shock, stun, jolt, stagger, astound, jar, astonish, amaze: We were electrified by the news of the disaster. 2 excite, galvanize, animate, move, rouse, stir, stimulate, vitalize, fire, thrill, arouse: His fiery oratory electrified the audience.

elegance n. 1 refinement, grace, tastefulness, good taste, gentility, polish, courtliness, culture, politeness, politesse, propriety, dignity: Where but in 18th-century France could one find such elegance? 2 luxury, grandeur, luxuriousness, sumptuousness, exquisiteness, splendour, beauty: The overwhelming elegance of the palace took our breath away.

elegant adj. 1 tasteful, exquisite, handsome, beautiful, comely, dapper, smart, well turned out; graceful, choice, superior, fine, select, refined, delicate, discerning, artistic;

dignified, genteel, sophisticated, cultivated, polished, urbane, Chesterfieldian, suave, soign‚(e), debonair, courtly, to the manner born, well-bred, well-born, high-born: Desmond and Elizabeth are such an elegant couple! 2 artistic, stylish, modish, … la mode, chic, fashionable, Colloq in, with it: The newly refurbished rooms are very elegant. 3 luxurious, sumptuous, grand, opulent, plush, Colloq posh, swank, swanky, ritzy, fancy: We stayed in a very elegant West End hotel. 4 apt, clever, ingenious, neat: What is needed is a more elegant solution to the problem.

element n. 1 component, constituent, ingredient, essential, fundamental, part, unit, piece, segment, feature, factor,

detail, particular: Each element was carefully designed with a view to its place in the whole. 2 environment, atmosphere, situation, locale, territory, sphere, habitat, medium, domain: Ordway is really in his element at a party. 3 elements. a (adverse or unfavourable) weather, climatic conditions: Stay here tonight - there's no need to brave the elements. b rudiments, basics, fundamentals, foundations, essentials, principles: It was she who taught me the elements of flying a helicopter.

elemental adj. basic, fundamental, primal, original, primordial, primitive: Elemental religion focused on worship of the sun and fertility.

elementary

adj. 1 simple, rudimentary, easy, straightforward, uncomplicated, clear, understandable, plain: This is an elementary mistake which most beginners make. 2 basic, fundamental, primary, introductory, initial, beginning; elemental: She received her elementary education in France.

elevated adj. 1 raised, upraised, uplifted, lifted (up): Only three hands were elevated in opposition and the motion was carried. 2 uplifted, noble, lofty, high, grand, exalted, dignified,

eminent, pre-eminent, ennobled, prominent, notable, illustrious, distinguished, imposing, impressive, sublime: He has rather elevated notions of morality. 3 elated, cheerful, happy, exhilarated, animated, joyful, glad: Her elevated spirits and pleasant countenance make her a welcome guest.

elevation n. 1 altitude, height: The elevation of Denver, Colorado, is one mile above sea level. 2 swelling, lump, wen, eminence, prominence; hill, height, rise: From this elevation, you can see seven counties. The doctor noticed a slight elevation in the skin near the eye. 3 advancement, promotion, uplifting, enhancement, advance: Since her elevation to the peerage, she has had less time for local community work. 4 grandeur, nobleness, loftiness, exaltation, sublimity, distinction,

dignity, refinement, cultivation: The elevation of his style means that his work is not accessible to a mass readership.

elfin adj. 1 elvish, elfish, elf-like, impish, puckish, frolicsome, sprightly, arch, playful, mischievous, tricky: I suppose she

has a certain elfin charm, but I don't like her. 2 small, wee, diminutive, tiny, little, dainty, Lilliputian: This is a delightful tale of elfin folk and magic birds.

elicit v. draw out, call forth, evoke, bring out or forth, bring to light, extract, wring, wrest, wrench: They finally elicited the fact that she had been lying about his whereabouts.

eligible adj. 1 fit, worthy, qualified, proper, suitable, appropriate, fitting: Is he an eligible candidate for the post? 2 single, unmarried, unwed, available: He is one of the few eligible bachelors in the town.

eliminate v. 1 remove, exclude, rule out, reject, drop, leave out, omit: Police have eliminated him from their enquiries. 2 take out or away, omit, get rid of, dispose of, expel, knock out: He was eliminated in the first heat of the 100-metre run. 3 erase, eradicate, expunge, obliterate, strike (out), cross out or off,

cut (out), excise, delete, throw out, edit (out), blue-pencil, cancel: The censors have eliminated all references to sex. 4 kill, murder, assassinate, slay, terminate, exterminate, dispose of, liquidate, finish off, annihilate, stamp out, destroy, Slang bump off, polish off, US rub out, take for a ride, bury, ice, waste: They used a sub-machine gun to eliminate the competition.

‚lite n. 1 elite, gentry, aristocracy, aristocrats, elect, upper class, nobility, privileged class, blue bloods, crŠme de la crŠme, haut monde, jet set, jet-setters, US Four Hundred, F.F.V., First Families of Virginia, Colloq upper crust,

beautiful people, Brit nobs: The economic collapse had barely touched the wealthy ‚lite.

--adj. 2 elite, aristocratic, elect, upper-class, privileged, blue-blooded, noble, exclusive, choice, best, top: She socializes with rather an ‚lite group of people.

elixir n. 1 panacea, cure-all, nostrum, wonder drug, miracle drug, sovereign remedy: In the Middle Ages alchemists sought a universal cure, an elixir. 2 essence, potion, extract,

tincture, compound, mixture: Ophidia's Elixir was the name of a patent snake-oil medicine. 3 pith, core, kernel, heart,

essence, quintessence, principle, extract, base, basis, soul:

The elixir of life is wisdom and its mystic ingredient is not knowledge but understanding.

eloquent adj. 1 expressive, articulate, silver-tongued, fluent, well-spoken, effective, persuasive, convincing, cogent, trenchant, incisive, graphic, vivid, striking, facile, smooth, glib, oratorical, rhetorical: He was an eloquent speaker. He rose and gave an eloquent speech. 2 suggestive, meaningful, pregnant: His eyebrow was raised in eloquent scepticism.

elsewhere adv. somewhere else, to another place; in another place, abroad, absent, away: She's not in the office so I assume she's

gone elsewhere. Elsewhere, winds have died down and temperatures are slowly rising.

elude v. 1 evade, escape, avoid, dodge, slip away from, Colloq duck, give the slip, shake off: The suspect has eluded the police for

a year. 2 evade, escape; baffle, puzzle, confuse, bewilder, confound; frustrate, stump, thwart: The point of your argument eludes me.

elusive adj. 1 evasive, slippery, tricky, shifty: One of the world's most elusive guerrilla leaders was spotted in public yesterday. 2 evasive, evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, transitory, indefinable, elusory, intangible, impalpable: The notion of truth has always been elusive.

5.10 emaciated...

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emaciated adj. emaciate, atrophied, shrivelled, wizened, shrunken, haggard, gaunt, drawn, pinched, bony, skeletal, cadaverous, withered, wasted, consumptive, phthisic, anorexic or anorectic, wasting (away), scrawny, skinny, thin, lean, spare, undernourished, underfed, starved, half-starved: The inmates of the camp were so emaciated they could scarcely stand.

emanate v. 1 issue, come (out), emerge, proceed, flow, ooze, exude; radiate: Black smoke emanated from the mouth of the idol. 2 radiate, give off or out, send out or forth, disseminate, discharge, put out, emit; exhale, ooze, exude: The idol's eyes emanated a blue light.

emancipate

v. release, set free, liberate, enfranchise, manumit, loose, let loose, let go, set free, disenthral, unfetter, unchain,

unshackle; deliver: Britain emancipated the slaves almost 50 years before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

embargo n. 1 restraint, block, blockage, bar, ban, stoppage, cessation, proscription, prohibition, interdiction, check, restriction,

barrier; hindrance, impediment: The government placed an embargo on the export of oil.

--v. 2 restrain, block, bar, ban, stop, cease, proscribe, prohibit, interdict, check, restrict, hold back, prevent;

hinder, impede, retard, hold up: They may embargo oil shipments in case of war.

embark v. 1 board, go aboard; entrain; emplane or enplane: We embarked and the ship sailed. 2 Often, embark on. commence, begin, enter (upon), initiate, launch, start, go into, set

about, take up or on, engage in, assume, tackle: He will embark on the new enterprise next month.

embarrass v. disconcert, discomfit, chagrin, abash, shame, mortify, humble, humiliate, discountenance, discompose, fluster, upset, distress, disgrace, Colloq show up: He embarrassed his colleagues by his bad manners.

embarrassed

adj. 1 ashamed, shamefaced, blushing, disconcerted, discomfited, chagrined, abashed, shamed, mortified, humiliated, discountenanced, discomposed, flustered, distressed, red-faced, uncomfortable, self-conscious, sheepish, red in the face; humbled, disgraced: She was extremely embarrassed by all the attention. 2 in debt, in the red, straitened, insolvent, Colloq short, hard up, broke, Brit skint: I'm financially embarrassed now but I'll pay you later.

embarrassing

adj. awkward, humiliating, mortifying, shaming, shameful, uncomfortable, discomfiting, disconcerting, touchy, distressing, worrying: I had a very embarrassing moment when I forgot the client's name.

embarrassment

n. 1 bashfulness, awkwardness, clumsiness, discomposure, abashment, uneasiness, discomfort, self-consciousness, mortification, chagrin: My embarrassment made me blush. 2 difficulty, mess, predicament, dilemma, problem, trouble, Colloq hot water, pickle, fix, scrape, bind: Finding them together presented me with a real embarrassment. 3 excess, superfluity, superabundance, over-abundance, embarras de richesse, embarras de choix, oversupply, surplus, profusion: An embarrassment of options was open to me.

embellish v. 1 beautify, improve, titivate or tittivate, dress (up), trick out or up, enhance, elaborate, enrich, embroider, gild, furbish (up), garnish, decorate, adorn, ornament, deck, bedeck, trim, elaborate, caparison, rubricate, varnish; gild refined gold, paint the lily, Misquote gild the lily: The saddles are embellished with silver studs. 2 elaborate, exaggerate, overdo, embroider, enhance, dress up: His reports are so embellished that you cannot separate fact from fiction.

embellishment

n. 1 decoration, ornamentation, ornament, elaboration, adornment, embroidery: The basic design, which is shoddy, is unimproved by embellishment. Good pasta needs minimal embellishment. 2 exaggeration, enhancement, tinsel, garnish, gilding, frill: All the embellishments make her story totally unbelievable.

embers n.pl. live coals; cinders, ashes; remains, remnants: The dying embers of the fire symbolized her waning love for Darrin.

embezzle v. misappropriate, peculate, misapply, misuse, steal, make off or away with, filch, pilfer, purloin, Law defalcate; Colloq have one's hand in the till: The treasurer had embezzled half a

million from the company.

embezzlement

n. misappropriation, peculation, misapplication, misuse, misusing, abstraction, stealing, theft, thievery, larceny, filching, purloining, pilferage, pilfering, Law defalcation: Wanted for embezzlement, he fled to Brazil.

embittered

adj. bitter, resentful, sour, soured, caustic, acrimonious,

acid, envenomed; angry, choleric, rancorous: His conviction for fraud left him an embittered man.

emblem n. badge, insigne, symbol, representation, device, seal, crest, token, sign; trade mark, logotype or logo: The white knight's emblem was a pair of crossed flaming swords.

emblematic

adj. emblematical, symbolic(al), representative, representational: The white dove is emblematic of peace.

embodiment

n. 1 incarnation, realization, concretization, manifestation, expression, personification, materialization, actualization, reification, substantiation: The golden section is the embodiment of an ancient principle of proportion. 2 consolidation, collection, unification, incorporation, inclusion, integration, combination, concentration,

systematization, organization, codification, synthesis, epitome: This book is the embodiment of Arnolfo's theories of aesthetics.

embody v. 1 concretize, realize, manifest, express, personify, materialize, reify, actualize, externalize, incarnate: Her feminist convictions are embodied in her lifestyle. 2 exemplify, typify, represent, symbolize, stand for: Note how this painting embodies Longchamp's unique notions of form. 3 consolidate, collect, unite, unify, incorporate, include, integrate, combine, concentrate, systematize, organize, comprise, codify, epitomize, synthesize: The teachings of the sect are embodied in their scriptures.

embrace v. 1 hug, clasp, grasp, hold, enfold, cuddle, cleave together, Archaic clip: She embraced him warmly when they met again. 2 adopt, espouse, take up or in, avail oneself of, use, make use

of, employ, accept, receive, welcome: They embraced Christian ideals. 3 include, comprise, embody, incorporate, comprehend, encompass: Their tribal territory embraces all areas south of the mountains.

--n. 4 hug, squeeze, clutch, Slang clinch: He gave her a tender embrace and left.