The Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

effigy, figure, portrait, simulacrum; icon or ikon, idol, graven image, fetish, tiki: Images of Bol¡var can be seen in every

town square in Venezuela. The tribesmen still worshipped golden images of their gods. 2 epitome, duplicate, copy, counterpart, facsimile, replica, double, twin, Doppelg„nger, clone, Colloq spitting image or spit and image, (dead) ringer: He's the image

of father. He stared at his image in the mirror. 3 impression, concept, conception, perception, idea, perception, notion, mental picture: You are quite different from my image of you. 4 epitome, representative, model, (typical) example, essence, archetype, embodiment, incarnation, personification, materialization, reification, corporealization: For us, she was the very image of what a leader should be. 5 figure (of speech), trope, metaphor, allusion, simile, symbol: The poem

contains images that are obscure unless you know Greek myths. 6 form, appearance, likeness, guise, semblance, aspect, mould, cast: Man claims to be created in God's image.

imagery n. figurativeness, allusion, symbolism: Constance's poems are filled with ornate imagery.

imaginary adj. fictitious, fanciful, fancied, chimerical, imagined, fictive, illusory or illusive, visionary, made-up, unreal, untrue, mythical or mythic, notional, abstract; legendary,

mythological: When he was a boy, he had an imaginary friend called Carbonario.

imagination

n. 1 mind's eye, fancy; creativity, inventiveness, ingenuity, insight, inspiration, vision, imaginativeness, creative power(s): His fertile imagination conjured up all kinds of terrifying pictures. 2 thought, thinking, (mental) acuity, intelligence, wit: It doesn't take much imagination to see why you don't want to go to school this morning.

imaginative

adj. 1 creative, original, clever, ingenious, inventive, innovative, inspired, inspiring, enterprising, resourceful: Richard is a highly imaginative computer programmer. 2 fanciful, fantastic, visionary, poetic(al), whimsical, contrived, fictitious, fictional: The imaginative tale of Don Quixote sprang from the mind of Cervantes.

imagine v. 1 think of, contemplate, picture, envisage, consider, ponder, meditate on, envision, visualize, conceive (of), conceptualize, create, think up, concoct, devise, Colloq dream up, cook up: I cannot imagine what you are referring to. Imagine, if you can, a world without conflict. 2 suppose, guess, conjecture, assume, presume, take it, infer, take (it) for granted, take it as given, think, fancy, believe, gather,

surmise, suspect, judge, deem: I imagine that you won't want a drink if you are driving. You are imagining things if you think she is trying to undermine your authority.

imitate v. 1 mimic, copy, ape, parrot, monkey, emulate, impersonate, do an impression of; echo, simulate: Cruikshank was imitating the boss, who walked in at that very moment. His style imitates that

of Carlyle. 2 copy, mimic, mock, parody, satirize, burlesque, caricature, travesty, Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up: In Hudibras, Samuel Butler imitated the style of the heroic epic.

imitation n. 1 copying, mimicking, mimicry, aping, parroting, emulating, emulation, impersonating, impersonation, impression: Imitation

is the sincerest form of flattery. 2 impersonation, parody, satirization, burlesque, caricature, mockery, travesty, Colloq take-off, Brit send-up: In his nightclub act, he does scathing imitations of celebrities. 3 copy, fake, counterfeit, forgery: These are modern imitations of ancient coins. 4 copy, replica, replication, reproduction, simulation, facsimile, duplicate, duplication, simulacrum: We keep the original in a safe place and put the imitations on display.

--adj. 5 fake, synthetic, artificial, simulated, sham, ersatz, mock, factitious, reproduction, man-made, Colloq phoney or US also phony: It doesn't take an expert to see that this is an imitation diamond.

immaculate

adj. 1 spotless, stainless, unblemished, pure, clean, untarnished, unsullied, unsoiled, snow-white, spick and span, dapper, spruce; tidy, neat: Each morning he donned an immaculate uniform. 2 pure, chaste, innocent, virginal, virtuous, vestal, pristine, undefiled, untainted, unspoiled,

unblemished, stainless, unadulterated: He remained convinced of his wife's immaculate reputation. 3 faultless, flawless,

perfect, errorless, impeccable: His essay on Gibbon is an

example of immaculate scholarship.

immaterial

adj. 1 unimportant, inconsequential, nugatory, trivial, trifling, petty, slight, insignificant, slight, flimsy, light, unessential, non-essential, of little account or value: Whether he stays or goes is immaterial to me. 2 airy, incorporeal, disembodied, ethereal, ephemeral, evanescent, unsubstantial: The concept of immaterial matter, such as a gas, is difficult to comprehend.

immature adj. 1 premature, undeveloped, unripe, rudimentary, half-grown, unformed, unfledged, fledgling, unfinished, young, new, fresh, incomplete: The immature growth in the spring is not hardy

enough to survive a frost. 2 green, callow, unsophisticated, na‹ve, jejune, inexperienced, babyish, childish, childlike, puerile, juvenile, raw, Colloq wet behind the ears: She is a bit immature to assume so many responsibilities.

immeasurable

adj. vast, infinite, immense, huge, great, limitless, boundless, endless, interminable, unbounded, unlimited, measureless, inestimable, measureless, unfathomable;

innumerable, numberless, uncountable, uncounted, incalculable: The tiny ship hurtled through the immeasurable vastness of space. An immeasurable quantity of angels can dance on the head of a pin. He accomplished immeasurable good during his lifetime.

immediate adj. 1 instantaneous, instant, abrupt, sudden, swift; spontaneous, instinctive, triggered, unhesitating, unthinking, automatic, reflex, knee-jerk: Why is your immediate reaction always to say 'It cannot be done'? 2 direct, nearest, next, closest, adjacent, proximate; nearby: Although he had cancer, the immediate cause of death was pneumonia. Is there a phone box in the immediate vicinity? 3 existing, present, current, actual, pressing, urgent: The immediate problem is to find a way of getting out of here.

immediately

adv. 1 at once, instantly, instantaneously, promptly, right away, right now, without delay, unhesitatingly, without hesitation, forthwith, this instant, directly, in a wink, in a

second, in a minute, tout de suite, instanter, Chiefly Brit straightaway or straight away, Colloq pronto, in a jiffy, in two shakes of a lamb's tail, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', at the drop of a hat: Come here immediately. I shall be there immediately. 2 directly, closely, intimately: These reactions are immediately concerned with the temperature.

--conj. 3 when, as soon as, the moment (that), Brit directly: Immediately he heard the news, he hurried to her side.

immense adj. enormous, gigantic, extensive, vast, huge, massive, voluminous, tremendous, staggering, stupendous, mammoth, colossal, giant, titanic, Cyclopean, jumbo, elephantine, Brobdingnagian, Slang US humongous: Our exit from the cave was blocked by an immense boulder.

immerse v. 1 plunge, sink, submerge, dip, dunk, duck, inundate: Immerse the device in the water before switching it on. 2 plunge, sink, submerge, bury, absorb, engross, engage, occupy, involve: I immersed myself in my work and never noticed the time.

immigrant n. newcomer, arrival, settler, Australian migrant; alien, foreigner, outlander, outsider: Her parents were immigrants from the Ukraine.

imminent adj. impending, looming, threatening, menacing, at hand, nigh, immediate, close (by or at hand), (forth)coming, drawing near or close or nigh, momentary: We face imminent disaster if steps

are not taken now.

immoderate

adj. excessive, extreme, exorbitant, unreasonable, inordinate, extravagant, intemperate; outrageous, preposterous, exaggerated, unrestrained, undue: Their immoderate demands for reparations cannot be met.

immodest adj. 1 indecent, shameless, shameful, indecorous, titillating, revealing; indelicate, improper, wanton, loose, unrestrained, provocative, obscene, lewd, smutty, dirty, lascivious, bawdy, coarse, Colloq sexy: The striptease was, to say the least, immodest. The streakers will be punished for their immodest behaviour. 2 brazen, forward, bold, impudent, impertinent,

brash, arrogant, insolent, presumptuous, disrespectful, Colloq fresh, cheeky: Carl's immodest demand for a private office was ignored.

immoral adj. 1 corrupt, bad, wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, impure, unethical, unprincipled, abandoned, base, wrong, vile, depraved, dissolute, degenerate, reprobate, unregenerate, nefarious, flagitious, villainous, treacherous, unscrupulous, dishonest:

Is it immoral to avoid paying one's taxes? 2 immodest, debauched, indecent, wanton, libertine, lecherous, lustful, libidinous, carnal, concupiscent, salacious, licentious, lascivious, lewd, obscene, pornographic, dirty, smutty, filthy: He was convicted for living off immoral earnings.

immortal adj. 1 undying, eternal, deathless, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, sempiternal, never-ending, endless, ceaseless, perpetual, timeless, constant, permanent, indestructible: Did the Egyptian pharaohs believe themselves immortal? 2 divine,

heavenly, godlike: The immortal wisdom of God guides man. 3 remembered, celebrated, unfading, famous, renowned, classic, lauded, praised, honoured, timeless: The immortal writings of Shakespeare inspire us still.

--n. 4 Olympian, god or goddess; hero or heroine, legend, genius, great: To be sure, we must consider Bach as one of the immortals.

immortalize

v. celebrate, honour, glorify, memorialize, commemorate, apotheosize, canonize, beatify, exalt, ennoble, extol: Dickens's father was immortalized as Mr Micawber.

immovable adj. 1 unmovable, fixed, fast, rooted, set, immobile, stationary, motionless, stable, riveted, anchored, frozen: What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? 2 immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, settled, set, unmovable, fixed, inflexible; unshakeable or unshakable, unswerving, firm, determined, steadfast, staunch, rigid, dogged, obdurate, unyielding, unwavering, resolute, unflinching, adamant(ine), stony, impassive, unbending, impassive, emotionless, unmoved: Christmas day, which always falls on December 25th, is an immovable feast. Despite pleas for mercy, the judge was immovable and she was hanged the next day.

immune adj. inoculated, vaccinated; exempt, safe, protected, insusceptible or unsusceptible, invulnerable, untouched, unaffected: She never caught smallpox because a mild case of cowpox had made her immune. Rick mistakenly thought himself immune to Sally's charms.

immunity n. 1 exemption, non-liability, invulnerability, protection, excuse, release, exclusion, privilege, freedom, indemnity, amnesty, exoneration, absolution: In return for his testimony

he was granted immunity from prosecution. 2 insusceptibility or unsusceptibility, protection, inoculation, vaccination:

Immunity to a number of diseases is conferred by this one injection.

urchin, gamin, rogue, rascal, mischief-maker, brat: Sitting on my shoulder as I write is a tiny imp that inserts the misspellings. Give me a hug, you little imp!

impact n. 1 collision, contact, striking, crash, smash, bump, colliding, crashing, smashing, bumping: The impact of the car against the stone wall was heard a mile away. 2 effect, impression, influence, import, meaning, bearing, force, thrust, weight, burden, brunt, repercussions, results, consequences: It is becoming clear that technology is having an adverse impact on the environment.

--v. 3 strike, hit, collide with: When its orbit decays, the satellite will impact the surface of the moon. 4 affect, modify, change: I wonder how the news of the bankruptcy will impact share prices.

impair v. weaken, cripple, damage, harm, mar, injure, spoil, ruin: 'I understand that leading a wild life can impair your hearing.' 'What did you say?'

impairment

n. lessening, weakening, damage, harm, injury, flaw, imperfection, reduction, vitiation, deterioration, decrease, diminution, enfeeblement, debilitation, undermining, worsening, marring: The impairment to my eyesight was caused by reading in

the dark.

accord, contribute: The dyes impart different colours to the ink. 2 communicate, tell, relate, transmit, reveal, divulge, disclose, pass on, intimate, confide: I've had a hard week imparting knowledge to bored schoolchildren.

impartial adj. fair, just, even-handed, disinterested, neutral, unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, equitable: Judge Leaver can be relied on to render an impartial verdict.

impasse n. deadlock, dead end, stalemate, stand-off, block, blockage, Colloq blind alley: Negotiations reached an impasse and the meeting broke up.

impassioned

adj. passionate, inspired, spirited, stirring, fervent, emotional, fervid, ardent, heated, warm, rousing, aroused, vehement, zealous, eager, earnest, enthusiastic, vigorous, animated, fiery, inflamed, glowing: The barrister made an impassioned plea for the accused.

impassive adj. cool, apathetic, calm, serene, composed, unmoved, cold, cold-blooded, reserved, imperturbable, unimpressionable, unruffled, controlled, contained, phlegmatic, lackadaisical, stoical, unemotional, taciturn, unfeeling, stolid, emotionless, uncaring, indifferent, undisturbed, callous, unsympathetic,

stony, dispassionate, detached, nonchalant, unconcerned, insouciant, remote: I could see nothing in the judge's impassive expression to hint at his decision.

impatient adj. 1 uneasy, nervous, fidgety, agitated, restless, restive, unquiet, eager, fretful, agog, chafing, impetuous, athirst, Slang itchy, US antsy: There is a short wait for seats, so please don't get impatient. 2 irritable, irascible, testy, short-tempered, querulous, waspish, brusque, curt, short,

hot-tempered, snappish, indignant, demanding: I don't mean to be impatient, but I have been waiting for three hours.

impeach v. 1 charge, accuse, arraign, indict, incriminate, implicate, inculpate, blame, censure: They were impeached for crimes against the state. 2 (call into) question, challenge, attack, disparage, discredit, impugn, deprecate, belittle, asperse, cast aspersions on, declaim, slander, malign, vilify: My daughter's character had been impeached by the witness.

impeccable

adj. faultless, flawless, perfect, ideal, pure, correct, proper, spotless, immaculate, unblemished, spotless,

unimpeachable, blameless: His lectures, though impeccable in content and style, lacked fire.

impede v. bar, obstruct, block, thwart, check, hinder, hamper, slow, retard, restrain, brake, hold up, delay, foil, confound,

inhibit, curb, spike, stop: You can do nothing to impede the relentless march of time.

impediment

n. bar, barrier, obstruction, block, check, hindrance, encumbrance, restraint, hold-up, hitch, snag, restriction, stricture, bottleneck, delay, hang-up, inhibition, curb: What are the impediments to a happy marriage?

impending adj. imminent, approaching, (close or near) at hand, close, nearing, forthcoming, brewing, to come, in view, in prospect, in store, in the offing, on the horizon, in the air; looming, threatening, menacing; Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the cards: The impending deadline made us work all the faster. We had a feeling of impending doom.

imperative

adj. 1 mandatory, compulsory, necessary, required, requisite, demanded, obligatory, indispensable, essential, crucial, vital, urgent, pressing, exigent: It is imperative that we catch the 5.04 to London. 2 imperious, commanding, authoritarian, overbearing, peremptory, autocratic, domineering, magisterial, lordly, arbitrary, dictatorial, dogmatic, tyrannical, despotic, Colloq bossy: We were all shaken into obedience by her imperative tone.

imperceptible

adj. 1 invisible, indiscernible, indistinguishable,

undetectable, obscure, vague, ill-defined; inaudible: The differences between the twins are imperceptible. 2 indistinct, unclear, unnoticeable, slight, subtle, inconsiderable, inappreciable, minute, tiny, slight, minuscule, infinitesimal, microscopic: Her only response was an imperceptible flicker of her eyelid.

imperfect adj. wanting, unfinished, undeveloped, incomplete, deficient, defective, faulty, flawed, patchy: This is an imperfect

translation of the poem.

imperfection

n. flaw, failing, fault, error, defect, blemish, damage; inadequacy, insufficiency, deficiency, frailty, weakness, foible, shortcoming, peccadillo, shortfall, fallibility, infirmity: We have reduced the price because of tiny

imperfections in the weave. Imperfections in her character make her unsuitable for the job.

imperial adj. 1 kingly, kinglike, queenly, queenlike, princely, princelike, regal, royal, sovereign: The imperial court was rich and splendid. 2 majestic, royal, regal, lofty, exalted, supreme, august, noble, superior, imposing, splendid, magnificent, grand, excellent: Her imperial presence outshone all at the ball.

impermeable

adj. impenetrable, impassable, impervious, closed, sealed, hermetic: The floor has been damp-proofed by the insertion of an impermeable membrane under the concrete.

impersonal

adj. 1 detached, objective, disinterested, fair, equitable, dispassionate, unprejudiced, unbiased: The enforcement of the law should be entirely impersonal. 2 formal, stiff,

strait-laced, wooden, rigid, prim, stuffy, cool, detached, unfriendly, cold, mechanical: Why does my bank manager have to be so impersonal?

impertinence

n. insolence, boldness, brazenness, impudence, presumption, presumptuousness, brashness, sauciness, pertness, incivility, forwardness, impoliteness, discourtesy, disrespect, audacity,