The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms
.pdfincomparably, immeasurably, extraordinarily, remarkably; excessively, greatly, hugely, enormously: She plays the violin exceedingly well. Even for a dog, that is an exceedingly ugly dog.
excel v. surpass, be superior (to), dominate, top, exceed, go beyond, beat, outstrip, outrank, outdo, outpace, outshine, overshadow, eclipse; shine, be pre-eminent: Few places excel the Caribbean islands for beauty. He really excels when it comes to swimming.
excellence
n. superiority, merit, (high) quality, goodness, fineness, greatness, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, distinction, value, worth, supremacy: Those who attain excellence often devote their lives to one pursuit.
excellent adj. superb, outstanding, exceptional, superior, matchless, peerless, unequalled, without equal, nonpareil, supreme, superlative, sterling, capital, first-class, first-rate, prime, choice, select, distinguished, noteworthy, notable, worthy, the best, tiptop, admirable, splendid, remarkable, marvellous, extraordinary, Colloq A-1 or A-one, great, smashing, super, terrific, fantastic, Brit magic, Dialectal champion, Old-fashioned top-hole, ripping, tickety-boo, US A number 1, major, Australian bonzer, Slang cool, ripsnorting: Thank you for an excellent dinner. He is an excellent pianist.
except prep. 1 Sometimes except for. excepting, save, but, excluding, exclusive of, barring, bar, with the exception of, omitting, not counting, apart from, but for, other than, saving: There was no one there except us. Except for us, no one came.
--conj. 2 except that. except or but (for the fact) that, but, save that: He would have gone except that he has no car.
--v. 3 exclude, omit, leave out, excuse: As usual, the wealthy were excepted from the tax increase.
exception n. 1 exclusion, omission: With the exception of those who are absent, all members are entitled to a free T-shirt. 2 debarment, blockage, lockout, shut-out: His wife was deeply offended by
his exception from membership of the country club. 3 departure, anomaly, irregularity, special case; oddity, freak, rarity,
peculiarity, quirk: The exception proves the rule. Why does Viv always have to be an exception? 4 take exception (to). make or raise (an) objection (to or against), object (to), demur (at),
find fault (with), take offence or umbrage (at), be offended (at); (call into) question, cavil, quibble, challenge, oppose, disagree (with): She takes exception to everything I suggest.
If you propose to ban smoking at the meeting, will some people take exception?
exceptionable
adj. objectionable, disputable, questionable, criticizable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory: We found nothing exceptionable about the service.
exceptional
adj. 1 special, unusual, especial, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, uncommon, rare, singular; strange, irregular, aberrant, odd, peculiar, anomalous: The candlesticks turned out to be of exceptional value. He insisted that rainstorms in the Sahara were not exceptional. 2 gifted, talented, superior, outstanding, above average, excellent, prodigious, extraordinary: Your child is exceptional, Mrs Einstein. 3
handicapped, below average, deficient, Brit ESN (='educationally subnormal'): The boy attends a school for exceptional children.
excerpt n. 1 extract, selection, quotation, citation, passage, pericope: The speaker read excerpts from well-known writers.
--v. 2 extract, select, quote, cite, cull (out), pick (out), take: Parts of this book were excerpted from his earlier writings.
excess n. 1 surplus, over-abundance, overflow, superabundance, nimiety, superfluity, surfeit, plethora, glut, redundancy, over-sufficiency, supererogation, leftovers; overkill: The excess of income over expenses constitutes profit. There is an excess of water on the road after a rainstorm. 2 Often, excesses. debauchery, extravagance, immoderation, prodigality, overindulgence, intemperance, dissipation, dissoluteness: Because of their excesses they have been shunned by their friends.
--adj. 3 surplus, extra, superfluous, excessive, leftover,
residual, remaining: After paying the bills, any excess money goes into savings.
excessive adj. 1 immoderate, inordinate, disproportionate, extravagant, exorbitant, superfluous, excess, undue, enormous, extreme, unreasonable, unwarranted, unjustifiable, outrageous, unconscionable: This job is making excessive demands on my time. 2 overdone, fulsome, cloying, nauseating, disgusting: I was sickened by her excessive sweetness.
exchange v. 1 trade, barter, switch, change, interchange, reciprocate, return, Colloq swap or swop: We exchange gifts every Christmas.
--n. 2 trade, barter, change, traffic, commerce, dealing, truck, transfer, interchange, reciprocity, reciprocation, switch, quid pro quo, tit for tat, Colloq swap or swop: An
exchange of prisoners was negotiated. What can I do for you in exchange? 3 altercation, argument, quarrel, disagreement, unpleasantness: We had a brief exchange, then he struck me. 4 market, stock market, Stock Exchange, securities exchange, the Market, the Board, the Big Board, the Exchange, the Bourse, Wall Street, US the Street: The exchange reported little activity in anticipation of the finance minister's speech.
excitable adj. volatile, jumpy, apprehensive, nervous, restive, restless, fidgety, edgy, touchy, highly-strung, high-strung, mercurial, emotional, quick-tempered, testy, hot-blooded, feverish, hysterical, US on a short string: The director becomes very excitable before each performance.
excite v. 1 (a)rouse, spur (on), stir (up), move, animate, enliven, activate, motivate, invigorate, energize, stimulate, cause, provoke, prod, agitate, incite, quicken, urge, (a)wake, (a)waken, call forth, summon (up), elicit, inspire, inspirit, rally, galvanize, electrify, foment, fire (up), inflame, kindle, ignite, initiate, instigate, generate, occasion, begin, start, bring about, effect, set in motion, Colloq get going, spark,
wind up, get (someone) (all) steamed up, hop up, US kick-start, light a fire under: The speech excited the crowd's patriotic fervour. 2 agitate, disturb, perturb, stir up, discompose, fluster, ruffle, upset, disconcert: Don't excite the horses. 3 thrill, stir up, titillate, work up, arouse, inflame: Risqu‚
films are intended to excite viewers.
excited adj. 1 (a)roused, stirred (up), stimulated, agitated, disturbed, perturbed, upset, worked up, wrought up, wound up,
keyed up, overwrought, discomposed, disconcerted, discomfited, nervous, edgy, on edge, uneasy, flustered, ruffled, fidgety, frantic, frenetic, aflame, feverish, frenzied, hysterical,
beside oneself, Colloq itchy, (all) hot and bothered, high, on a high, off the deep end, out of one's mind: Turner was in a very excited state by the time the police arrived. Don't get so excited just because he called you a name. 2 ardent, zealous, impassioned, passionate, eager, energized, energetic, active, brisk, animated, lively, spirited, fervid, fervent, vehement, stimulated, enthusiastic, galvanized, electrified, intoxicated, Colloq turned on: The excited children scrambled into the boat. She becomes excited listening to rock 'n' roll.
excitement
n. 1 restlessness, disquiet, disquietude, tension, agitation, unrest, malaise, discomfort, jumpiness, nervousness, freneticness, excitation: He had to give the patient an injection to quell her excitement. 2 perturbation, upset, action, ado, activity, ferment, furore or US furor, turmoil, tumult, to-do, stir, commotion, hubbub, brouhaha, fuss, hurly-burly, Colloq fireworks: The robbery caused a lot of excitement at the bank. 3 animation, eagerness, enthusiasm, exhilaration, ebullience: She could hardly contain her excitement at winning the lottery.
exciting adj. 1 stimulating, intoxicating, heady, thrilling, stirring, moving, inspiring, rousing, exhilarating, electrifying, galvanizing, energizing, invigorating; overwhelming, overpowering, astounding, astonishing, amazing, mind-boggling, Colloq far-out, rip-roaring, mind-blowing: Orbiting the world in the space shuttle was the most exciting experience of my
life. 2 seductive, sensuous, voluptuous, ravishing, captivating, charming, tempting, enticing, alluring, provocative, titillating, Colloq sexy: Fenella is truly an exciting young woman.
exclaim v. call or cry (out), proclaim, vociferate, utter, declare, ejaculate, shout, yell, bawl, bellow, burst out (with), blurt out, Colloq holler: 'It's a girl!' he exclaimed.
exclamation
n. outcry, call, cry, utterance, ejaculation, interjection, vociferation, shout, yell, bellow, Colloq holler: She gave an exclamation of surprise at seeing me there.
exclude v. 1 Often, exclude from. keep out or away, lock or shut out, ban, bar, debar, prohibit, interdict, forbid, proscribe, deny, refuse, disallow: Women are excluded from participating in certain religious ceremonies. Must we exclude Maria, too? 2 eliminate, leave out, reject, omit, except, preclude, repudiate, count out: Exclude them from consideration as candidates. 3 eject, evict, expel, oust, get rid of, remove, throw out, Colloq toss out, Slang bounce: He was excluded from the club because of his behaviour.
exclusion n. 1 lockout, shut-out, ban, bar, prohibition, interdiction, forbiddance, denial, refusal, disallowance, proscription: He would not join a club that supported the exclusion of women members. 2 elimination, rejection, omission, repudiation, exception, preclusion: We must ensure the exclusion of unqualified candidates. 3 ejection, eviction, expulsion, ouster, removal, riddance: The exclusion of rowdies and hooligans is in the club's best interests.
exclusive adj. 1 incompatible, inimical; unshared, unique, absolute, restricted, limited: Exclusive concepts, like 'animal' and 'vegetable', do not coincide save in their both being 'alive'. Our newspaper printed the exclusive story of the disaster. 2 chic, clannish, choice, upper-class, aristocratic, closed, restricted, restrictive, private, snobbish, fashionable,
elegant, stylish, select, Colloq trendy, Slang classy: They are seen in the most exclusive nightclubs. 3 only, single, one, sole, singular, unique: Boats are the exclusive means of transport here. 4 Usually, exclusive of. excluding, excepting, except for, omitting, ignoring, leaving aside, apart from,
(de)barring, not counting, eliminating: Charges range from $220 to $350 a night, exclusive of meals.
excruciating
adj. tormenting, torturing, torturous, agonizing, painful, racking, intense, extreme, unbearable, unendurable, severe, acute, exquisite, harrowing, distressful, distressing, piercing, insufferable: She was racked with excruciating pain.
excursion n. 1 trip, tour, outing, airing, expedition, voyage, cruise, journey, junket, jaunt; ramble, stroll, walk, hike, trek, drive, ride, sail: We left the city and took an excursion into the mountains. 2 detour, deviation, side-trip, diversion, digression, excursus: Forgive the excursion, but I'll return to the subject in a minute.
excuse v. 1 forgive, pardon, overlook, absolve, clear, exonerate, acquit, exculpate, pass over, disregard, wink at, ignore, be blind to, look the other way, pay no attention or heed (to), find or prove innocent (of): Please excuse my tardiness. 2 release, let go or off, liberate, free, relieve, exempt,
absolve; dismiss, Colloq let off the hook: She was excused from attending class today. You may be excused. 3 condone, allow, permit, defend, apologize for, justify, warrant, explain, vindicate, rationalize, mitigate, extenuate, palliate: Poverty does not excuse your stealing.
--n. 4 apology, explanation, story, reason, justification, defence, plea, vindication, condonation, rationalization, extenuation, mitigation, palliation; basis, grounds, foundation, cause: Can you think of any excuse for your behaviour? 5 forgiveness, remission, pardon, indulgence, reprieve, clearing, exculpation, absolution, exoneration, acquittal, disregard, heedlessness, vindication, clearance, acquittance: Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. 6 evasion, subterfuge, pretence, pretext, makeshift, escape, loophole, way out, Colloq alibi, stall, Slang cop-out: He always uses his grandmother's illness as an excuse for missing school.
execute v. 1 accomplish, do, carry out or off or through, perform, discharge, dispatch or despatch, bring about or off, implement, engineer, cause, Colloq pull off, put over, Slang US swing, cut, hack (out): She executes her duties satisfactorily. 2
complete, finish, deliver; achieve, consummate, fulfil, effect, effectuate; sign, seal, validate, countersign: He executed the portrait in an hour. The contract was executed yesterday. 3 put to death, kill, put to the sword, butcher; liquidate,
assassinate, murder, remove, slay, Slang bump off, rub or wipe out, snuff (out), knock off, US waste, ice: Convicted murderers are no longer executed in this country. The mob executed the rival gangleaders.
execution n. 1 accomplishment, performance, carrying out, doing, discharge, dispatch or despatch, implementation, prosecution, realization, enactment: His drinking interferes with the execution of his responsibilities. 2 completion, fulfilment,
consummation, achievement, attainment, implementation, bringing about, administration, pursuance: The company will pay ten thousand dollars upon execution of the agreement. 3 killing, capital punishment; assassination, murder, removal, liquidation, slaying: The traitor's execution is tomorrow. There has been another gangland style execution. 4 skill, art, mastery,
technique, style, manner, mode, touch, approach, delivery, rendering, rendition, production: The cellist's execution was superb.
executive n. 1 chairman (of the board), director, managing director, chief executive, president, chief (executive officer), CEO, manager, head, leader, principal, administrator, official; supervisor, foreman, superintendent, overseer, boss, master, Colloq Mr Big, (chief or head) honcho, number one, kingpin, Slang top banana, big cheese, numero uno, top dog: She is an executive in the local power company. 2 administration, management, directorship, directorate, government, leadership, supervision: Five people form the executive of the society.
--adj. 3 administrative, managerial, supervisory, official, governing, governmental, gubernatorial, regulatory: He works in the executive department of the government.
exemplary adj. 1 illustrative, typical, characteristic, representative, archetypal; paradigmatic: The text contains passages exemplary of good writing. 2 model, meritorious, outstanding, noteworthy, admirable, commendable, praiseworthy, excellent, superior: Private Jones is an exemplary soldier. 3 cautionary, admonitory, warning, monitory: In addition to payment for the damage, we were awarded exemplary damages.
exemplify v. 1 illustrate, typify, represent, epitomize, instance; embody, personify: This painting exemplifies Picasso's blue period. 2 demonstrate, display, show, exhibit, model, depict: Early Mediterranean civilization is exemplified at Knossos.
exempt v. 1 Often, exempt from. free or liberate or release from,
excuse or relieve from, spare from, let off, absolve, except, Colloq let off the hook: The doctor exempted Becker from strenuous activity.
--adj. 2 exempted, free, liberated, released, excused, relieved, spared, let off, excepted, immune, Colloq off the
hook: It seems that Becker is now exempt from doing any work.
exemption n. exception, immunity, freedom, release, impunity, dispensation, exclusion: This document confirms his exemption from jury service.
exercise v. 1 employ, use, apply, practise, bring to bear, put to use or effect; discharge, exert, wield, execute; utilize, effect: Try
to exercise better judgement next time. The chairman exercises too much authority. 2 work out, limber up, warm up, train, drill: She exercises for an hour every day. 3 harass, annoy, irritate, vex, harry, distress, worry, concern, burden, try, trouble, perturb, disturb, agitate, make nervous, Colloq drive
crazy, drive up the wall: We have been much exercised over the issue of acid rain.
--n. 4 activity, workout, working-out, warm-up, warming up, callisthenics, aerobics, isometrics, gymnastics; training,
drill, drilling: Exercise is good for the heart. 5 action, application, practice, performance, discharge, use, utilization, employment, execution, operation: We expect the exercise of your best endeavours.
exert v. 1 exercise, use, utilize, put to use or work or effect, employ, wield, bring to bear, bring into play, expend: Please exert your influence to have his conviction quashed. 2 exert oneself. attempt, try, endeavour, make an effort, apply oneself, strive, do one's best, work, strain, struggle, toil, push, drive (oneself), go all out, give one's all, Colloq knock oneself out, cudgel one's brains, beat one's brains out, do one's damnedest, Slang bust a gut: If Peter exerted himself a bit more, we might see some results.
exertion n. action, effort, striving, strain, work, struggle, toil, drive, push, diligence, industry, assiduity, assiduousness, sedulousness, sedulity, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: By considerable exertion, we finished on time. He was tired after
all his exertions.
exhalation
n. 1 expiration, exhaling, breath, respiration, suspiration: The doctor could detect the wheezing only on exhalation. 2 vapour, breath, air, puff, whiff, exhaust, emission, steam, mist, gas, fog, fume, emanation, effluvium, evaporation:
Poisonous exhalations from vents on the side of the volcano had destroyed all vegetation.
exhale |
v. breathe (out), blow, puff, huff, gasp, evaporate, pass off, |
discharge, emit, emanate, issue (forth), respire, suspire, give |
|
forth, blow off, eject, expel, exsufflate: Please exhale into |
|
this balloon. The volcano continued to exhale noxious fumes. |
|
exhaust |
v. 1 use (up), expend, consume, finish, deplete, spend, |
dissipate, run through, squander, waste, fritter away, Slang blow: In less than a year, he had exhausted all his funds. 2 tire (out), fatigue, weary, wear out, enervate, fag, overtire, sap, strain, tax, weaken, prostrate, debilitate, disable, Colloq
frazzle: Working sixty hours a week would exhaust anyone. 3 empty, drain, evacuate, void, clean or clear out: The pump is used to exhaust the chamber of air. 4 overdo, overwork, treat thoroughly, deplete, drain, empty: I think we've exhausted that topic. 5 empty (out), drain (off or out), vent, issue, escape, discharge, run out: The fumes exhaust through this tube.
--n. 6 emanation, effluent, emission, fumes, gas: Car exhausts are polluting the atmosphere.
exhausted adj. 1 (dead) tired, fatigued, weary, wearied, worn out, enervated, debilitated, overtired, weak, weakened, prostrate, worn or fagged or played or burnt-out, spent, all in, out on one's feet, Colloq dog-tired, dead (on one's feet), wiped out, drained, knocked out, all in, done in, frazzled, Slang (dead)
beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian pooped: I must sleep: I'm exhausted. 2 empty, emptied, bare; depleted, consumed, done, gone, at an end, finished: Our supply of paper-clips is exhausted. 3 spent, worn out, depleted, impoverished, poor, infertile, barren: It is impossible to grow anything in this exhausted soil.
exhausting
adj. 1 tiring, fatiguing, wearying, enervating, wearing, debilitating: Proofreading these figures can be exhausting. 2 arduous, laborious, back-breaking, strenuous, hard, gruelling, crippling, difficult, burdensome, onerous: Harvesting sugar is exhausting work.
exhaustion
n. 1 emptying, drawing out or forth, discharge, draining, evacuation, voiding, depletion, consumption, finish(ing): The exhaustion of air from the cylinder is accomplished by a powerful pump. 2 tiredness, fatigue, enervation, debilitation, weariness, lassitude: The survivors were suffering from exposure and exhaustion.
exhaustive
adj. complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, thorough, all-encompassing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, extensive, thoroughgoing, far-reaching, sweeping, full-scale, in-depth, maximal, maximum, Colloq all-out: The police conducted an exhaustive investigation of the company's finances.
exhibit v. show, display, present, offer, expose; show off, parade, brandish, flaunt; demonstrate, reveal, betray, manifest, exemplify, evince, evidence, disclose, express: Her paintings are widely exhibited. Such behaviour exhibits poor judgement.
exhibition
n. exposition, fair, show(ing), display, demonstration, presentation, offering, US exhibit, Colloq expo, demo: The craft exhibition will be held at the civic centre.
exhilarating
adj. 1 invigorating, bracing, stimulating, vivifying, enlivening, rejuvenating, refreshing, vitalizing, fortifying, restorative, tonic: We took an exhilarating walk round the lake. 2 cheering, uplifting, gladdening, elating, inspiriting,
heartening, comforting, reassuring; happy, good, delightful: We received the exhilarating news of Phoebe's complete recovery.
exile n. 1 expatriation, banishment, expulsion, deportation, transportation; separation: Napoleon was sentenced to exile on Elba. 2 expatriate, ‚migr‚(e), emigrant, outcast, deportee, pariah, displaced person, DP; alien, foreigner, outsider: Many