Related WordNet synsets for SUMO concept SubjectiveAssessmentAttribute

More specialized WordNet synsets

deed, feat, effort, exploit
a notable achievement: "the book was her finest effort"
kindness
a kind act
masterpiece
an outstanding achievement
masterstroke
an achievement demonstrating great skill or mastery
credit
used in the phrase "to your credit" to indicate an achievement deserving praise; "she already had several performances to her credit"
derring-do
brave and heroic deeds
tour de force
a masterly or brilliant feat
overachievement
better than expected performance (better than might have been predicted from intelligence tests)
underachievement
poorer than expected performance (poorer than might have been predicted from intelligence tests)
going, sledding
advancing toward a goal; "persuading him was easy going" or "the proposal faces tough sledding"
record
the sum of recognized accomplishments; "the lawyer has a good record"
close call, close shave, squeak, squeaker, narrow escape
something achieved (or escaped) by a narrow margin
success
an attainment that is successful; "his success in the marathon was unexpected"; "his new play was a great success"
hit, bang, smash, strike
a conspicuous success; "that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career"
bell ringer, bull's eye, mark
something that exactly succeeds in achieving its goal; "the new advertising campaign was a bell ringer"; "scored a bull's_eye"; "hit the mark"
conquest
success in mastering something difficult; "the conquest of space"
coup
a brilliant and notable success
naught
complete failure; "all my efforts led to naught"
failure
an act that fails
overturn, upset
an improbable and unexpected victory; "the biggest upset since David beat Goliath"
frustrating, frustration, thwarting, foiling
an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts
backsliding, lapse, lapsing, recidivism, relapse, relapsing, reversion, reverting
a failure to maintain a higher state
disappointing, disappointment, dashing hopes
the act of disappointing someone
copout
a failure to face some difficulty squarely
mistake, error, fault
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention; "the fault was all mine"
blot, smear, smirch, spot, stain
an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook"
backfire, boomerang
a miscalculation that recoils on its maker
distortion
the mistake of misrepresenting the facts
oversight, lapse
a mistake resulting from inattention
slip, slipup, miscue
an inadvertent mistake
snafu
an acronym often used by soldiers in World War II: Situation Normal All Fucked Up
omission, skip
a mistake resulting from neglect
blunder, blooper, bungle, foul-up, fuckup, flub, botch, boner, boo-boo, misdoing
an embarrassing mistake
spectacle
a blunder that makes you look ridiculous; used in the phrase "make a spectacle of" yourself
ballup, balls-up, cockup, mess-up
(British) something badly botched or muddled
bull
a serious and ludicrous blunder; "he made a bad bull of the assignment"
clanger
(British) a conspicuous mistake whose effects seem to reverberate; "he dropped a clanger"
fluff
a blunder (especially an actor's forgetting the lines)
faux pas, gaffe, solecism, slip, gaucherie
a socially awkward or tactless act
trip, stumble, misstep
an unintentional but embarrassing blunder; "he recited the whole poem without a single trip"; "confusion caused his unfortunate misstep"
misappropriation
wrongful borrowing; "his explanation was a misappropriation of sociological theory"
best
the supreme effort one can make: "they did their best"
worst
the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of: "it was the worst he had ever done on a test"
hit
a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball); "he came all the way around on Williams' hit"
leading astray, leading off
the act of enticing others into sinful ways
seduction
enticing someone astray from right behavior
desperate measure
desperate actions taken as a means to an end; "he had to resort to desperate measures"
pis aller, last resort
French for `worst going'
open sesame
any very successful means of achieving a result
salvation
a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness; "tourism was their economic salvation"; "they turned to individualism as their salvation"
tooth
a means of enforcement; "the treaty had no teeth in it"
equalization, equilisation, leveling
the act of making equal or uniform
stunt
a difficult or unusual feat; usually done to gain attention
fossilization
becoming inflexible or out of date
disaster
an act that has disastrous consequences
improvement
the act of improving something: "Their improvements increased the value of the property"
advancement, progress
gradual improvement or growth or development: "advancement of knowledge"; "great progress in the arts"; "their research and development gave them an advantagte"
forwarding, furtherance, promotion
the advancement of some enterprise; "his experience in marketing resulted in the forwarding of his career"
stride
significant progress (especially in the phrase "make strides" or "make rapid strides")
purge, purging, purgation
the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge
purification
the act of purging of sin or guilt; "purification through repentance"
correction, correcting, rectification
the act of offering an improvement to replace a mistake
retribution
the act of correcting for your wrongdoing
redress, remedy, remediation
act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil
salve
anything that remedies or heals or soothes; "he needed a salve for his conscience"
perfection
the act of making something perfect
reform
a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses; "justice was for sale before the reform of the law courts"
amelioration, melioration, betterment
the act of relieving ills and changing for the better
reform
self-improvement in behavior or morals by abandoning some vice; "the family rejoiced in the drunkard's reform"
self-improvement, self-reformation
the act of improving yourself
beautification
the act of making something more beautiful
adornment
the action of decorating yourself with something colorful and interesting
glamorization
the act of glamorizing; making something or someone more beautiful (often in a superficial way)
decoration
the act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)
enrichment
act of making fuller or more meaningful or rewarding
modernization, modernisation, modernizing
making modern in appearance of behavior; "the modernizing of Nigeria will be a long process"
humanization, humanisation
the act of making more humane
upturn
an upward movement or trend as in business activity
enhancement, sweetening
an improvement that makes something more agreeable
worsening
changing something with the result that it becomes worse
downturn, downswing
a worsening of business or economic activity; "the market took a downturn"
downspin
a swift and dangerous downturn
reclamation, renewal, revival, rehabilitation
the conversion of waste land into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation
brutalization, brutalisation, animalization, animalisation
an act that makes people cruel or lacking normal human qualities
degradation, debasement
changing to a lower state (a less respected state)
dehumanization, dehumanisation
the act of degrading people with respect to their best qualities; "science has been blamed for the dehumanization of modern life"
barbarization, barbarisation
an act that makes people primitive and uncivilized
corruption
destroying someone's honesty or loyalty or moral integrity: "corruption of a minor"
bastardization, bastardisation
an act that debases or corrupts
demoralization
destroying the moral basis for a doctrine or policy
stultification, impairment, deadening
the act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)
popularization, popularisation, vulgarization, vulgarisation, coarsening
the act of making something attractive to the general public
humiliation, humbling, abasement
depriving one of self-esteem
comedown
decline to a lower status or level
contamination, pollution
the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors
dust contamination
the act of contaminating with dust particles
decontamination
the removal of contaminants
back door
a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position); "he got his job through the back door"
overshoot, wave-off, go-around
an approach that fails and gives way to another attempt
march
a steady advance; "the march of science"; "the march of time"
plain sailing, clear sailing, easy going
easy unobstructed progress: "after we solved that problem the rest was plain sailing"
gait
a person's manner of walking
twiddle
a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns
wave
a movement like that of an ocean wave; "a wave of settlers"; "troops advancing in waves"
outreach
the act of reaching out; "the outreach toward truth of the human spirit"
red herring
any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
extenuation, mitigation, palliation
to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious
de-escalation
a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war)
easing, alleviation, relief
the act of reducing something unpleasant as pain; "he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain"
palliation
easing the severity of a pain or a disease without removing the cause
detente
the easing of tensions or strained relations (especially between nations)
liberalization, liberalisation, relaxation
the act of making less strict
minimization, minimisation
the act of minimizing something
exhaustion
the act of exhausting something entirely
wilt, wilting
causing to become limp or drooping
exaggeration
the act of making something more noticeable than usual; "the dance involved a deliberate exaggeration of his awkwardness"
hyperextension
greater than normal extension
stretch
extension to or beyond the ordinary limit; "running at full stretch"; "by no stretch of the imagination"; "beyond any stretch of his understanding"
self-aggrandizement, self-aggrandisement, ego trip
an act undertaken to increase your own power and influence or to draw attention to your own importance
aggravation, exacerbation
action that makes a problem or a disease (or its symptoms) worse; "the aggravation of her condition resulted from lack of care"
union, unification, uniting
making or becoming a single unit; "the union of opposing factions"; "he looked forward to the unification of his family for the holidays"
umbrella
having the function of uniting a group of similar things; "the Democratic Party is an umbrella for many liberal groups"; "under the umbrella of capitalism"
reunion, reunification
the act of coming together again
transfiguration
the act of transforming so as to exalt or glorify
transmogrification
changing into a different form or appearance especially a fantastic or grotesque one: "transmogrification into a porcupine"
rehabilitation
the restoration of someone to a useful place in society
rejuvenation
the act of restoring to a more youthful condition
refreshment
act of refreshing or renewing strength or liveliness
free-living
a way of life given to easy indulgence of the appetites
straight and narrow
the way of proper and honest behavior; "he taught his children to keep strictly to the straight and narrow"
primrose path
a life of ease and pleasure
vanity fair
a vain and frivolous way of life especially in large cities (after a fair held in the town of Vanity in Pilgrim's Progress)
line of least resistance, path of least resistance
the easiest way; "In marrying him she simply took the path of least resistance"
mistreatment
the practice of treating (someone or something) badly; "he should be punished for his mistreatment of his mother"
maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill-usage, abuse
cruel or inhumane treatment
persecution
the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)
oppression, subjugation
the act of subjugating by cruelty
exasperation
actions that cause great irritation (or even anger)
witch-hunt
searching out and harassing dissenters
exploitation, victimization, victimisation, using
an act that exploits or victimizes someone
McCarthyism
unscrupulously accusing people of disloyalty (as by saying they were Communists)
disregard, neglect
lack of care and attention
escape, escapism
an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy; "he escaped into romantic novels"; "his alcohol problem was a form of escapism"
folly, foolery, tomfoolery, indulgence
foolish or senseless behavior
buffoonery, clowning, frivolity, harlequinade, prank
acting like a clown or buffoon
circus, carnival
a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a circus or carnival; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere"
liveliness, animation
general activity and motion
brouhaha
a confused disturbance far greater than its cause merits
dislocation, breakdown
the act of disrupting an established order
disruption, perturbation
the act of causing disorder
rampage, violent disorder
violently angry and destructive behavior
furor, furore
a sudden outburst (as of protest)
havoc, mayhem
violent and needless disturbance
agitation, excitement, turmoil, upheaval, hullabaloo
disturbance usually in protest
outburst, tumultuous disturbance
a sudden violent disturbance
upset, derangement, overthrow
the act of disturbing the mind or body; "his carelessness could have caused an ecological upset"; "she was unprepared for this sudden overthrow of their normal way of living"
burst, fit
a sudden flurry of activity (often for no obvious reason); "a burst of applause"; "a fit of housecleaning"
bustle, hustle, flurry, ado, fuss, stir
a rapid bustling commotion
obstruction
getting in someone's way
cinch, picnic, snap, duck soup, child's play, pushover, walkover, piece of cake
any activity that is easy to do; "marketing this product will be no picnic"
job
a damaging piece of work: "dry rot did the job of destroying the barn"; "the barber did a real job on my hair"
busywork, make-work
active work of little value; "while he was waiting he filled the days with busywork"
loose end, unfinished business
work that is left incomplete
spiritualization, spiritualisation
the act of making something spiritual; infusing it with spiritual content
treadmill, salt mine
a job involving drudgery and confinement
hackwork
professional work done according to formula
haymaking
taking full advantage of an opportunity while it lasts
overwork, overworking
the act working too much or too long; "he became ill from overwork"
trouble, difficulty
an effort that is inconvenient; "I went to a lot of trouble"; "he won without any trouble"; "had difficulty walking"; "finished the test only with great difficulty"
slavery
work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay
least effort, least resistance
the least effortful way to do something
strain, straining, stress
an intense or violent exertion
pull
a sustained effort; "it was a long pull but we made it"
application, diligence
a diligent effort; "it is a job requiring serious application"
overkill
any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal
supererogation
an effort above and beyond the call of duty
overexertion
the exertion of so much effort that discomfort or injury results
second fiddle
a secondary role or function; "he hated to play second fiddle to anyone"
disagreeable task
a chore that causes discomfort
malversation
misconduct in public office
hell, blaze
noisy and unrestrained mischief; "raising blazes"
mischief, mischief-making, mischievousness, deviltry, devilry, devilment, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
infantilism
infantile behavior in mature persons
ruffianism
violent lawless behavior
familiarity, impropriety, indecorum, liberty
an act of undue intimacy
deviation, deviance
deviate behavior
indecency, impropriety
an indecent or improper act
obscenity
an obscene act
indiscretion, peccadillo
a petty misdeed
escape mechanism
a form of behavior that evades unpleasant realities
malingering, skulking
evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated
shirking, slacking, soldiering, goofing off, goldbricking
the evasion of work or duty
waste, wastefulness, dissipation
useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly: "if the effort brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless dissipaton of natural resources"
waste of money
money spent for inadequate return; "the senator said that the project was a waste of money"
waste of effort, waste of energy
a useless effort
waste of material
a useless consumption of material
squandermania
prodigious squandering (usually by a government)
waste of time
the devotion of time to a useless activity; "the waste of time could prove fatal"
extravagance, prodigality, lavishness
excessive spending
squandering
spending money wastefully
foul play
unfair or treacherous behavior (especially involving violence)
villainy
a treacherous or vicious act
deviltry, devilry
wicked and cruel behavior
enormity
an act of extreme wickedness
vice
a specific form of evildoing; "vice offends the moral standards of the community"
irreverence, violation
a disrespectful act
profanation, desecration, blasphemy, sacrilege
blasphemous behavior
depravity, turpitude
a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice: "the various turpitudes of modern society"
pornography, porno, porn
illegal activities designed to stimulate sexual desire
intemperance, intemperateness, self-indulgence
immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites
profligacy, dissipation, dissolution, licentiousness
dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure
dishonesty, knavery
lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing
treachery, betrayal, treason, perfidy
an act of deliberate betrayal
double cross, double-crossing
an act of betrayal; "he gave us the old double cross"; "I could no longer tolerate his impudent double-crossing"
sellout
an act of betrayal
charlatanism, quackery
the dishonesty of a charlatan
trick
an attempt to get you to do something foolish or imprudent; "that offer was a dirty trick"
goldbrick
anything that is supposed to be valuable but turns out to be worthless
jugglery
artful trickery designed to achieve an end; "the senator's tax program was mere jugglery"
gerrymander
an act of gerrymandering (dividing a voting area so as to give your own party an unfair advantage)
obscurantism
a deliberate act intended to make something obscure
fall
a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity; "a fall from virtue"
pride, superbia
unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem (personified as one of the deadly sins)
envy, invidia
spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins)
avarice, greed, covetousness, rapacity, avaritia
reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)
sloth, laziness, acedia
apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins)
wrath, anger, ire, ira
belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins)
lust, luxuria
self-indulgent sexual desire (personified as one of the deadly sins)
gluttony, overeating, gula
eating to excess (personified as one of the deadly sins)
crime
an evil act not necessarily punishable by law; "crimes of the heart"
disorderly conduct, disorderly behavior, disturbance of the peace, breach of the peace
any act of molesting or interrupting or hindering or disquieting or agitating or arousing from a state of repose or otherwise depriving inhabitants of the peace and quiet to which they are entitled
indecent exposure, public nudity
vulgar and offensive nakedness in a public place
victimless crime
an act that is legally a crime but that seem to have no victims; "he considers prostitution to be a victimless crime"
forlorn hope
a hopeless or desperate enterprise
braving, confronting, coping with, grappling, tackling
taking the bull by the horns
face, facing
the act of confronting bravely; "he hated facing the facts"; "he excelled in the face of danger"
adventure, escapade, risky venture, dangerous undertaking
a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
baby
a project of personal concern to someone; "this project is his baby"
no-brainer
(informal) anything that requires little thought
marathon, endurance contest
any long and arduous undertaking
tall order, large order
a formidable task or requirement; "finishing in time was a tall order but we did it"
sally, sallying forth
a venture off the beaten path; "a sally into the wide world beyond his home"
self-help
the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else
long shot
a venture that involves great risk but promises great rewards
risk, peril, danger
a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury; "he saw the rewards but not the risks of crime"; "there was a danger he would do the wrong thing"
chance
a risk involving danger; "you take a chance when you let her drive"
gamble
a risky act or venture
momism, overprotection, overshielding
excessive protection
lechery
unrestrained indulgence in sexual activity
promiscuity, promiscuousness, sleeping around
promiscuous sexual relations
rebound
a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration; "he is still on the rebound from his wife's death"
overreaction
an excessive reaction
soul
the human embodiment of something; "the soul of honor"
personification, incarnation
the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.
misuse, abuse
improper or excessive use
capitalization, capitalisation
the act of capitalizing on an opportunity
meat grinder
any action resulting in injury or destruction; "the meat grinder of politics destroyed his reputation" or "allied forces crumbled before the Wehrmacht meat grinder"
duplication, duplicating
the act of duplicating something; "this kind of duplication is wasteful"
redundancy
repetition of an act needlessly
reduplication
an act of duplicating
copying
an act of copying
reproduction, replication
the act of reproducing
abidance
the act of abiding (enduring without yielding)
perseverance, persistence, perseveration
the act of persevering
pursuance, prosecution
the continuance of something begun with a view to its completion
discontinuance, discontinuation
the act of discontinuing
indirection
indirect procedure or action; "he tried to find out by indirection"
rigmarole, rigamarole
a long and complicated and confusing procedure; "all that academic rigmarole was a waste of time"
rat race
an exhausting routine that leaves no time for relaxation
routine, modus operandi
an unvarying or habitual method of procedure
rut, groove
a settled and monotonous routine that is hard to escape; "they fell into a conversational rut"
ritualism
exaggerated emphasis on the importance of rites or ritualistic forms in worship
love match
a marriage for love's sake; not an arranged marriage
consecration
a solemn dedication to a service or a goal; "his consecration to study"
idolatry, devotion, veneration
religious zeal; willingness to serve God
idolization, idolisation
worshiping blindly and to excess
idolatry, idol worship
the worship of idols; the worship of images that are not God
bardolatry
idolization of William Shakespeare
lordolatry
worship of a lord because of his rank or title
idiolatry, autolatry, self-worship
worship of yourself
verbolatry, grammatolatry, word-worship
worship of words
symbolatry, symbololatry, symbol-worship
worship of symbols
anthropolatry, worship of man
worship of human beings
gyneolatry, gynaeolatry, woman-worship
worship of women
energizing, activating, activation
the activity of causing to have energy and be active
repudiation, debunking
the exposure of falseness or pretensions; "the debunking of religion has been too successful"
procrastination, cunctation, shillyshally
the act of procrastinating
dalliance, dawdling, trifling, wasting time
the deliberate act of wasting time instead of working
tarrying, tarriance, lingering
the act of lingering
self-denial, self-discipline, self-control
the act of denying yourself; controlling your impulses
heckling, barracking
shouting to interrupt a speech with which you disagree
abstinence
act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite
sobriety, temperance
abstaining from excess
lenience, leniency
lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore by judges or parents or teachers
tolerance
the act of tolerating something
clemency, mercifulness, mercy
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; "he threw himself on the mercy of the court"
enjoyment, delectation
act of receiving pleasure from something
pleasure
an activity that affords enjoyment; "he puts duty before pleasure"
satisfaction, satisfying
act of fulfilling a desire or need or appetite; "the satisfaction of their demand for better services"
gratification
the act or an instance of gratifying or satisfying
self-gratification
the act of satisfying your own desires and giving yourself pleasure
indulgence, indulging, pampering, humoring, pleasing
the act of indulging or gratifying a desire
overindulgence, excess
excessive indulgence; "the child was spoiled by overindulgence"
orgy
any act of immoderate indulgence
complication, complicating
the act or process of complicating
generosity, unselfishness
acting generously
wash
(informal) any enterprise in which losses and gains cancel out
land-office business
very large and profitable volume of commercial activity
mastery, subordination
the act of mastering or subordinating someone
domination
social control by dominating
monopolization, monopolisation
domination (of a market or commodity) to the exclusion of others
white man's burden
the supposed responsibility of the white race to take of their non-white subjects
obedience, respect
behavior intended to please your parents; "their children were never very strong on obedience"; "he went to law school out of respect for his father's wishes"
mismanagement
management that is careless or inefficient
short shrift
brief and unsympathetic treatment
collar
a figurative restraint; "a collar on program trading in the stock market"
restraint
the act of restraining
bridle, check, curb
the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; "his common sense is a bridle to his quick temper"
damper
a depressing restraint; "rain put a damper on our picnic plans"
swaddling clothes
restrictions placed on the immature
appeasement, calming
the act of appeasing
pacification, mollification
the act of pacifying
placation, conciliation, propitiation
the act of placating
obedience
dutiful or submissive behavior
truckling
the act of obeying (especially in a humble manner)
acquiescence
submission without protest
discord, discordance
a discordant act
defiance
a defiant act
aggro
(informal British usage) aggravation or aggression; "I skipped it because it was too much aggro"
selflessness, self-sacrifice
acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity
devotion
commitment to some purpose; "the devotion of his time and wealth to science"
commitment, allegiance, loyalty, dedication
the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action; "his long commitment to public service"; "they felt no loyalty to a losing team"
faith
loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person; "keep the faith"; "they broke faith with their investors"
fetish, fetich
excessive or irrational devotion to some activity; "made a fetish of cleanliness"
party spirit
devotion to a political party
boost, encouragement
the act of giving hope or support to someone
morale building, morale booster
anything that serves to increase morale; "the sight of flowers every morning was my morale builder"
oversimplification
excessive simplification (to the point of misrepresentation)
consolation, comfort, solace
the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction; "his presence was a consolation to her"
simplification
elimination of superfluous details
reassurance
the act of reassuring; restoring someone's confidence
admiration, appreciation
a favorable judgment; "a small token in admiration of your works"
idealization, idealisation, glorification
a portrayal of something as ideal; "the idealization of rural life was very misleading"
adoration, adulation, idolization, idolisation
the act of admiring strongly
glorification
the act of glorifying (as in worship); "the glorification of God"
sentimentalization, sentimentalisation, romanticization, romanticisation
the act of indulging in sentiment
disparagement, dispraise
the act of speaking contemptuously of
belittling
the act of belittling
deprecation, denigration
the act of depreciating
aspersion, calumny, slander, defamation
the act of defaming
exacerbation
violent and bitter exasperation; "his foolishness was followed by an exacerbation of their quarrel"
aggravation, irritation, provocation
unfriendly behavior that aggravates or irritates someone
bitchery
aggressive remarks and behavior like that of a spiteful malicious woman
twitting, taunt, taunting
aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing
raising hell, hell raising
making trouble just for the fun of it
discourtesy, offense, offence, offensive activity
a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others
indelicacy
an impolite act or expression
insolence
an offensive disrespectful impudent act
insult, affront
a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of an affront; "turning his back on me was a deliberate insult"
indignity
an affront to one's dignity or self-esteem
rebuff, slight
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
scandalization, scandalisation, outrage
the act of scandalizing
snub, cut, cold shoulder
a refusal to recognize someone you know; "the snub was clearly intentional"
silent treatment
an aloof refusal to speak to someone you know
benevolence, benefaction
an act intending or showing kindness and good will
turn, good turn
a favor for someone; "he did me a good turn"
cupboard love
a show of affection motivated by selfishness
favor, favour
an act of gracious kindness
mercy
alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed; "distributing food and clothing to the flood victims was an act of mercy"
exculpation
the act of freeing from guilt or blame
politeness, civility
the act of showing regard for others
endearment
the act of showing affection
courtesy
a courteous or respectful or considerate act
beau geste
a gracious (but usually meaningless) gesture
attention
a courteous act indicating affection; "she tried to win his heart with her many attentions"
gallantry
polite attentiveness to women
consideration, thoughtfulness
a considerate and thoughtful act
mobilization, mobilisation, marshaling
act of assembling or organizing and making ready for use or action: "mobiliation of the country's economic resources"; "marshaling public support"
economic mobilization, economic mobilisation
mobilization of the economy
rallying
the act of mobilizing for a common purpose; "the bell was a signal for the rallying of the whole neighborhood"
incurrence
the act of incurring (making yourself subject to something undesirable)
vindication, exoneration, whitewash
the act of vindicating; "subsequent events have proved to be a vindication of his position"
stupidity, betise, folly, foolishness, imbecility
a stupid mistake
renewal
the act of renewing
fun
violent and excited activity; "she asked for money and then the fun began"; (colloquial) "they began to fight like fun"
buzz
a confusion of activity and gossip; "the buzz of excitement was so great that a formal denial was issued"
sin, hell
(colloquial) violent and excited activity; "they began to fight like sin"
face saver, face saving
an act that avoids a loss of face (of dignity or prestige)
spoil, spoiling, spoilage
the act of spoiling
emphasizing, accenting
the act of giving special importance or significance to something
release, outlet
activity that releases or expresses creative energy or emotion; "she had no other outlet for her feelings"
stayer
a person or other animal having powers of endurance or perseverence: "the horse that won the race is a good stayer"
giant
any creature of exceptional size
survivor
an animal that survives in spite of adversity; "only the fittest animals were survivors of the cold winters"
adornment
a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness
anachronism
an artifact that belongs to another time
bagatelle, fluff, frippery, frivolity
something of little value or significance
bangle, bauble, gaud, gewgaw, novelty, trinket, fallal
cheap showy jewelry or ornament or clothing
beehive
any workplace where people are very busy
burthen
a variant of `burden'
butt, stub
the small unused part of something (especially the end of a cigarette that is left after smoking)
change
a thing that is different; "he inspected several changes before selecting one"
charm, good luck charm
something believed to bring good luck
classic
a creation of the highest excellence
clutter
many things in a disorderly state
collector's item, showpiece, piece de resistance
the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection
curio, curiosity, oddity, oddment, peculiarity, rarity
something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting
etcetera
more of the same
fag end
the frayed end of a length of cloth or rope
fake, sham, postiche
something false; not what it seems to be
falderal, folderol, frills, gimcrackery, gimcracks, nonsense, trumpery
ornamental objects of no great value
fig leaf
anything intended to conceal something regarded as shameful
flagship
the chief one of a related group; "it is their flagship newspaper"
funk hole
a place of safe retreat
gem, treasure
something highly prized for its beauty or perfection
golden calf
(Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedly
haven, oasis
place of safety or sanctuary
hoodoo
something believed to bring bad luck
horror
something that inspires horror; something horrible; "the painting that others found so beautiful was a horror to him"
idol, graven image, god
a material object that is worshipped as a god; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god"
je ne sais quois
something indescribable
jimdandy, jimhickey, crackerjack
something excellent of its kind; "the bike was a jimdandy"
juju, voodoo, hoodoo, fetish, fetich
an object superstitiously believed to embody magical powers
keepsake, souvenir, token, relic
something of sentimental value
kitsch
art in pretentious bad taste
lash-up, contrivance
any improvised arrangement for temporary use
love-token
something given as a token of love
magic bullet
a drug or therapy or preventive that cures or prevents a disease: "there is no magic bullet against cancer
magnum opus
a great work of art or literature
marker
some conspicuous object used to distinguish or mark something; "the buoys were markers for the channel"
middling
any commodity of intermediate quality or size (especially when coarse particles of ground wheat are mixed with bran)
millstone
something difficult to carry
overload, overburden
an excessive burden
proving ground
a place for testing new equipment or ideas
refuge, sanctuary, asylum
a shelter from danger or hardship
safehold
a refuge from attack
schlock, shlock
(slang) merchandise that is shoddy or inferior
scum
a film of impurities or vegetation that can form on the surface of a liquid
security blanket
(informal) anything that a person uses to reduce their anxiety
slack
a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely; "he took of the slack"
snorter
something that is extraordinary or remarkable or prominent: "a snorter of a sermon"; "the storm wasn't long but it was a snorter"
spectacle
an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale
standby
something that can be relied on when needed
stock-in-trade
anything constantly used as part of a profession or occupation; "friendliness is the salesman's stock in trade"
tinsel
a showy decoration that is basically valueless; "all the tinsel of self-promotion"
top of the line
the best (most expensive) in a given line of merchandise
trivia, triviality, trifle, small beer
something of small importance
undercharge
an insufficient charge
variation
something that deviates from a norm or standard
web, entanglement
an intricate trap that entangles or ensnares its victim
whacker, whopper
something especially big or impressive of its kind
drama
the quality of being arresting or highly emotional
affectionateness, fondness, lovingness, warmth
a quality proceeding from feelings of affection or love
tenderness
a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling
uxoriousness
foolish fondness for or excessive submissiveness to one's wife
mawkishness, sentimentality
falsely emotional in a maudlin way
schmaltz, schmalz, mushiness
(informal) excessive sentimentality
heat, warmth, passion
intense passion or emotion
uncheerfulness
not conducive to cheer or good spirits
energy, vigor, vigour, vim
an imaginative lively style (especially style of writing); "his writing conveys great energy"
gloominess, lugubriousness
excessive sadness and mournfulness
animation, spiritedness
quality of being active or spirited or vigorous
chirpiness
cheerful and lively
liveliness, life, spirit, sprightliness
animation and energy in action or expression; "it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it"
airiness, delicacy
lightness in movement or manner
alacrity, briskness
liveliness and eagerness; "he accepted with alacrity"
vitality, verve
an energetic style
elan
enthusiastic and assured vigor and liveliness; "a performance of great elan and sophistication"
esprit
liveliness of mind or spirit
breeziness, jauntiness
a breezy liveliness; "a delightful breeziness of manner"
restfulness
the attribute of being restful; "he longed for the restfulness of home"
stodginess, stuffiness
dull and pompous gravity
chumminess, comaraderie, comradeliness, comradery
the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
companionability, companionableness
suitability to be a companion
familiarity, intimacy, closeness
close or warm friendship; "the absence of fences created a mysterious intimacy in which no one knew privacy"
camaraderie, good fellowship
spirit of friendly familiarity and goodwill between comrades
pliability, pliancy, pliantness
the quality of being easily adaptable
adaptability
the ability to change or be changed to fit changed circumstances
flexibility
the quality of being adaptable or variable; "he enjoyed the flexibility of his working arrangement"
unadaptability
the inability to change or be changed to fit changed circumstances
inflexibility, rigidity
the quality of being rigid and rigorously severe
ladylikeness
behavior befitting a lady
maidenliness
behavior befitting a young maiden
passport
any quality or characteristic that gains a person acceptance or admission; "his wealth was not a passport into the exclusive circles of society"
face value
the apparent worth as opposed to the real worth
simulacrum
an insubstantial or vague semblance
speck, pinpoint
a very small spot; "the plane was just a speck in the sky"
pleasingness
a likeable beauty; "the liveliness and pleasingness of dark eyes"- T.N. Carver
beauty
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
raw beauty
beauty that is stark and powerfully impressive
glory, resplendence, resplendency
brilliant radiant beauty; "the glory of the sunrise"
exquisiteness
extreme beauty of a delicate sort
picturesqueness
visually vivid and pleasing
pulchritude
physical beauty (especially of a woman)
glamor, glamour
alluring beauty or charm (often with sex-appeal)
comeliness, fairness, loveliness, beauteousness
the quality of being good looking and attractive
handsomeness, good looks
the quality of having regular well-defined features (especially of a man)
prettiness, cuteness
the quality of being appealing in a delicate or graceful way (of a girl or young woman)
charisma, personal appeal, personal magnetism
a personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others
attractiveness
a beauty that appeals to the senses
adorability, adorableness
extreme attractiveness
bewitchery, beguilement, animal magnetism
magnetic personal charm
sex appeal, desirability, desirableness, oomph
attractiveness to the opposite sex
appeal, appealingness, charm
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
winsomeness
childlike charm or appeal
attraction, attractiveness
the quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attracts; "her personality held a strange attraction for him"
allure, allurement, temptingness
the power to entice or attract through personal charm
affinity
a natural attraction or feeling of kinship: "an affinity for politics"; "the mysterious affinity between them"; "James's affinity with Sam"
binding
the capacity to attract and hold something
lure, enticement, come-on
qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward
drawing power
the capacity for attracting people (customers or supporters)
ugliness
qualities that do not give pleasure to the senses
unsightliness
ugliness that is unpleasant to look at
grotesqueness, grotesquery, grotesquerie
ludicrous or incongruous unnaturalness or distortion
garishness, gaudiness
strident color or excessive ornamentation
homeliness, plainness
an appearance that is not attractive or beautiful; "fine clothes could not conceal the girl's homeliness"
unpleasingness
the quality of being unpleasant
hideousness
extreme ugliness
unattractiveness
ugliness that is not appealing
blemish, defect
a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)
eyesore
something very ugly and offensive
ornateness, elaborateness
an ornate appearance; being elaborately decorated
plainness
the appearance of being plain and unpretentious
chasteness, restraint, simplicity
lack of ornamentation
austereness, severeness
extreme plainness
bareness, starkness
an extreme lack of furnishings or ornamentation
fussiness
unnecessary elaborateness in details
baroque, baroqueness
elaborate symmetrical ornamentation
rococo
fanciful asymmetric ornamentation
flamboyance, floridness, showiness
extravagant elaborateness
decorativeness
an appearance that serves to decorate and make something more attractive
obviousness, noticeability, noticeableness
the property of being easy to see and understand
blatancy
the property of being both obvious and offensive; "the blatancy of his attempt to whitewash the crime was unforgivable"
obtrusiveness
an unwelcome conspicuousness
unobtrusiveness
the quality of not sticking out in an unwelcome way
effortlessness
the quality of requiring little effort; "such effortlessness is achieved only after hours of practice"
ease, easiness, simplicity
freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort: "he rose through the ranks with apparent ease"; "they put it into containers for ease of transportation"
smoothness
the quality of being free from errors or interruptions
facility, readiness
a natural effortlessness; "a happy readiness of conversation"--Jane Austen
difficulty, difficultness
the quality of being difficult; "they agreed about the difficulty of the climb"
effortfulness
the quality of requiring deliberate effort
laboriousness, operoseness, toilsomeness
the quality of requiring extended effort
arduousness, strenuousness
extreme effortfulness
asperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, rigorousness
something hard to endure; "the asperity of northern winters"
hardness
the quality of being difficult to do; "he assigned a series of problems of increasing hardness"
awkwardness, cumbersomeness, unwieldiness
trouble in carrying or managing caused by bulk or shape: "the movers cursed the unwieldiness of the big piano"
formidability, toughness
impressive difficulty
burdensomeness, onerousness, oppressiveness
unwelcome burdensome difficulty
subtlety, niceness
the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze; "you had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew"
troublesomeness, inconvenience, worriment
a difficulty that causes anxiety
compatibility
capability of existing or performing in harmonious or congenial combination
flea bite
a very minor inconvenience
fly in the ointment
an inconvenience that detracts from the usefulness of something
congenialness, congeniality
compatibility between persons
harmony, harmoniousness
compatibility in opinion and action
accord, rapport
sympathetic compatibility
incompatibility
the quality of being unable to exist or work in congenial combination
congruity, congruousness, congruence
the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate
antagonism
being an opposing principle or force or factor: "inherent antagonism of capitalism and socialism"
conflict
an incompatibility of dates or events; "he noticed a conflict in the dates of the two meetings"
irony
incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
incongruity, incongruousness
the quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate
suitability, suitableness
the quality of having the properties that are right for a specific purpose; "an important requirement is suitability for long trips"
Socratic irony
admission of your own ignorance and willingness to learn while exposing someone's inconsistencies by close questioning
appropriateness
the quality of being specially suitable
felicity, felicitousness
pleasing and appropriate manner or style esp of expression
fitness, fittingness
the condition of being suitable; "they had to prove their fitness for the position"
aptness, appositeness
appropriateness; "the phrase had considerable aptness"
handiness, accessibility, availability, availableness
the quality of being at hand when needed
convenience
the quality of being useful and convenient; "they offered the convenience of an installment plan"
opportuneness, patness, timeliness
timely convenience
command
availability for use; "the materials at the command of the potters grew"
unsuitability, unsuitableness, ineptness
the quality of having the wrong properties for a specific purpose
inaptness, inappositeness
in appropriateness; "greater inaptness of expression would be hard to imagine"
inappropriateness
the quality of not being particularly suitable
unfitness
the condition of not being suitable; "the judges agreed on his unfirness for the appointment"
infelicity
inappropriate and unpleasing manner or style esp of expression
inaccessibility, unavailability
the quality of not being unavailable when needed
inconvenience
the quality of not being useful or convenient
ethos
the distinctive spirit of a people or an era; "the Greek ethos"
inopportuneness, untimeliness
the quality of occurring at an inconvenient time
air, aura, atmosphere
a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing: "an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate's headquarters"; "the place had an aura of romance"
mystique
an aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing
quality, caliber, calibre
a degree or grade of excellence or worth: "the quality of students has risen"; "an executive of low caliber"
note
a characteristic emotional quality; "it ended on a sour note"; "there was a note of gaiety in her manner"; "he detected a note of sarcasm"
excellence
the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree
superiority, high quality
the quality of being superior
fineness, choiceness
the quality of being very good indeed; "the inn is distinguished by the fineness of its cuisine"
expansiveness
a quality characterized by magnificence of scale; "the expansiveness of their extravagant life style was soon curtailed"
admirability, admirableness, wonderfulness
admirable excellence
impressiveness, grandness, magnificence
splendid or imposing in size or appearance; "the grandness of the architecture"
stateliness, majesty, loftiness
impressiveness in scale or proportion
first class
the highest rank in a classification
ingenuity, ingeniousness, cleverness
the property of being ingenious; "a plot of great ingenuity"; "the cleverness of its design"
first water
the highest quality gems
second class
not the highest rank in a classification
inferiority, low quality
an inferior quality
poorness
the quality of being poorly made or maintained; "she was unrecognizable because of the poorness of the photography"
hallmark, trademark, earmark, stylemark
a distinctive characteristic or attribute
point, spot
an outstanding characteristic; "his acting was one of the high points of the movie"
capriciousness, unpredictability
the quality of being guided by sudden unpredictable impulses
inconstancy, changefulness
the quality of being changeable and variable
variability, variableness, variance
the quality of being subject to variation
diversity
the condition or result of being variable
variedness, variational
characterized by variation
progressiveness, progressivity
advancement toward better conditions or policies or methods
constancy, stability
the quality of being free from change or variation
absoluteness
the quality of being absolute; "the absoluteness of the Pope's decree could not be challenged"
unvariedness
characterized by an absence of variation
monotony, sameness
the quality of wearisome constancy and lack of variety; "he had never grown accustomed to the monotony of his work"; "he hated the sameness of the food the college served"
fixedness, unalterability
the quality of being fixed and unchangeable; "the fixedness of his gaze upset her"
vicissitude
mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another)
analogy
similarity in some respect between things that are otherwise dissimilar: "the operation of a computer presents an interesting analogy to the working of the brain"
similarity
the quality of being similar
approximation
the quality of of being similar (especially close in value)
homology
the quality of being similar or corresponding in position or value or structure or function
likeness, alikeness, similitude
similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things: "man created God in his own likeness"
parallelism, correspondence
similarity by virtue of correspondence
homogeneity, homogeneousness
the quality of being similar or comparable in kind or nature; "there is a remarkable homogeneity between the two companies"
uniformity, uniformness
the quality of lacking diversity or variation (even to the point of boredom)
consistency, consistence
a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts
approach
a close approximation; "the nearest approach to genius"
analogue, analog, parallel
something having the property of being analogous to something else
resemblance
similarity in appearance or external or superficial details
affinity
inherent resemblance between persons or things
mutual resemblance
symmetrical resemblance
parity
functional equality
evenness
the quality of being balanced
discrepancy, disagreement, divergence, variance
a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions; "a growing divergence of opinion"
unlikeness, dissimilitude
dissimilarity evidenced by an absence of likeness
allowance, leeway, margin, tolerance
a permissible difference
dissimilarity, unsimilarity
the quality of being dissimilar
disparateness, distinctiveness
utter dissimilarity
heterogeneity, heterogeneousness
the quality of being diverse and not comparable in kind
nonuniformity
the quality of being diverse and interesting
diverseness, diversity, multifariousness, variety
noticeable heterogeneity; "a diversity of possibilities"; "the range and variety of his work is amazing"
inconsistency
the quality of being inconsistent and lacking a harmonious uniformity among things or parts
variety, change
a difference that is usually pleasant; "he goes to France for variety"; "it is a refreshing change to meet a woman mechanic"
far cry
a disappointing disparity; "it was a far cry from what he had expected"
gap, spread
a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures: "gap between income and outgo"; "the spread between lending and borrowing costs"
gulf
an unbridgeable disparity (as from a failure of understanding); "he felt a gulf between himself and his former friends"
unevenness
the quality of being unbalanced
finality, conclusiveness, decisiveness
the quality of being final or definitely settled: "the finality of death"
fortuitousness
the quality of happening accidentally and by lucky chance
concreteness
the quality of being concrete (not abstract)
literalness
adhereing to the concrete construal of something
smoke
(informal) something with no concrete substance; "his dreams all turned to smoke"; "it was just smoke and mirrors"
insubstantiality
lacking substance or reality
reality
the quality possessed by something that is real
unreality
the quality possessed by something that is unreal
generality
the quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability
singularity, uniqueness
the quality of being one of a kind; "that singularity distinguished him from all his companions"
peculiarity, specialness, specialty, speciality, distinctiveness
a distinguishing trait
prevalence
the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread; "the prevalence of dysentery is horrible"
solidarity
a union of interests or purposes or sympathies among members of a group
pervasiveness
the quality of filling or spreading throughout: "the pervasiveness of the odor of cabbage in tenement hallways"
universality, catholicity
the quality of being universal; existing everywhere
currency
general acceptance or use: "the currency of ideas"
elaborateness, elaboration, intricacy
marked by elaborately complex detail
totality
the quality of being complete and indiscriminate: "the totality of war and its consequences"; "the all-embracing totality of the state"
simplicity, simpleness
the quality of being simple or uncompounded; "the simplicity of a crystal"
complexity, complexness
the quality of being intricate and compounded; "he enjoyed the complexity of modern computers"
complicatedness, complication, knottiness
puzzling complexity
tapestry
something that is felt to resemble a tapestry in its complexity; "the tapestry of European history"
regularity
the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate; "he was famous for the regularity of his habits"
cyclicity, periodicity
the quality of recurring at intervals
orderliness, methodicalness
the quality of appreciating method and system
rhythm, regular recurrence
recurring at regular intervals; "the rhythm of the seasons"
uniformity
a condition in which everything is regular and unvarying
organization, organisation, system
an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized; "his compulsive organization was not an endearing quality"; "we can't do it unless we establish some system around here"
homogeneity
the quality of being of uniform throughout in composition or structure
steadiness
the quality of being steady--regular and unvarying
evenness, invariability
a quality of uniformity and lack of variation
even spacing
regularity of spacing
irregularity, unregularity
not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals
intermittence, intermittency
the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping
fitfulness, jerkiness
the quality of being spasmodic and irregular
fluctuation, wavering
the quality of being unsteady and subject to fluctuations; "he kept a record of price fluctuations"
randomness, haphazardness
the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan
spasticity
the quality of moving or acting in spasms
unevenness, variability
a quality of variability and lack of uniformity
patchiness
unevenness in quality or performance
jaggedness
something irregular like a bump or crack in a smooth surface
personal equation
variability attributable to individual differences
unsteadiness
the quality of being unsteady--varying and irregular
looseness, play
movement or space for movement; "there was too much play in the steering wheel"
restlessness
the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active; "the restlessness of the wind"
wiggliness
a jerky back and forth kind of mobility; "he walked with the wiggliness of a child on high heels"
slack, slackness
the condition of being loose (not taut); "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope"
instability, unstableness
the quality or attribute of being unstable
unsteadiness
the quality of not being steady or securely fixed in place
shakiness, ricketiness
the quality of being unstable and insecure; "the shakiness of the present regime"
granite
something having the quality of granite (unyielding firmness); "a man of granite"
sureness
the quality of being steady and unfailing; "sureness of hand"
stability, stableness
the quality or attribute of being stable
agreeableness, amenity
pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions; "a well trained staff saw to the agreeableness of our accommodations"; "he discovered the amenities of reading at an early age"
pleasantness, sweetness
the quality of giving pleasure; "he was charmed by the sweetness of her manner"; "the pleasantness of a cool breeze on a hot summer day"
enjoyableness
pleasantness resulting from something that can be enjoyed; "the enjoyableness of an afternoon at the beach"
unpleasantness
the quality of giving displeasure; "the recent unpleasantness of the weather"
niceness
the quality of nice
disagreeableness
the quality of being disagreeable; and unpleasant
loathsomeness, repulsiveness, sliminess, vileness
the quality of being disgusting to the senses or emotions
nastiness
the quality of being unpleasant; "I flinched at the nastiness of his wound"
offensiveness, odiousness, distastefulness
the quality of being offensive
beastliness
(British) unpleasant nastiness; used especially of nasty weather
hatefulness, obnoxiousness, objectionableness
the quality of being hateful
awfulness, dreadfulness, horridness, terribleness
a quality of extreme unpleasantness
frightfulness
the quality of being frightful
ghastliness, grimness, gruesomeness, luridness
the quality of being ghastly
naturalness
the quality of being natural or based on natural principles: "he accepted the naturalness of death"; "the spontaneous naturalness of his manner"
sincerity, unassumingness
a quality of naturalness and simplicity; "the simple sincerity of folk songs"
unaffectedness
not affected; a personal manner that is not consciously constrained
simplicity
absence of affectation or pretense
ease, informality
freedom from constraint or embarrassment; "I am never at ease with strangers"
spontaneity, spontaneousness
the quality of being spontaneous and coming from natural feelings without constraint; "the spontaneity of his laughter"
unpretentiousness
the quality of being natural and without pretensions
affectedness
the quality of being false or artificial
naturalization
the quality of being brought into conformity with nature
unnaturalness
the quality of being unnatural or not based on natural principles
airs, pose
affected manners intended to impress others; "don't put on airs with me"
coyness, demureness
the affectation of being demure in a provocative way
pretentiousness, pretension
the quality of being pretentious (creating a false appearance of great importance or worth)
preciosity
the quality of being fastidious or excessively refined
artificiality
the quality of being produced by people and not occurring naturally
staginess, theatricality
an artificial and mannered quality
pretension, pretence, pretense
a false or unsupportable quality
ostentation
pretentious or showy or vulgar display
supernaturalism, supernaturalness
the quality of being attributed to power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces
virtu, vertu
artistic quality
wholesomeness
the quality of being beneficial and generally good for you
harmfulness, noisomeness, noxiousness
the quality of being noxious
perniciousness, toxicity
grave harmfulness or deadliness
admissibility
acceptability by virtue of being admissible
satisfactoriness
the quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet a demand or requirement
adequacy, adequateness
the quality of being able to meet a need satisfactorily: "he questioned the adequacy of the usual sentimental interpretation of the Golden Rule
acceptability, acceptableness
satisfactoriness by virtue of conforming to approved standards
permissibility
admissibility as a consequence of being permitted
unsatisfactoriness
the quality of being adequate or suitable
inadequacy, inadequateness
unsatisfactoriness by virtue of being inadequate
averageness, mediocrity
ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding
unacceptability, unacceptableness
unsatisfactoriness by virtue of not conforming to approved standards
inadmissibility
unacceptability as a consequence of not being admissible
impermissibility
inadmissibility as a consequence of not being permitted
ordinariness
the quality of being ordinary
expectedness
ordinariness as a consequence of being expected and not surprising
commonness, commonplaceness, everydayness
ordinariness as a consequence of being frequent and commonplace
usualness
commonness by virtue of not being unusual
prosiness, prosaicness
commonplaceness as a consequence of being humdrum and not exciting
familiarity
usualness by virtue of being familiar or well known
extraordinariness
the quality of being extraordinary and not commonly encountered
unexpectedness, surprisingness
extraordinariness by virtue of being unexpected; "the unexpectedness of the warm welcome"
unusualness
uncommonness by virtue of being unusual
uncommonness
extraordinariness as a consequence of being rare and uncommon
eeriness, ghostliness
strangeness by virtue of being mysterious and inspiring fear
unfamiliarity, strangeness
unusualness as a consequence of not being well known
oddity, queerness, quirk, quirkiness, crotchet
a strange attitude or habit
singularity
strangeness by virtue of being remarkable or unusual
abnormality, freakishness
marked strangeness as a consequence of being abnormal
quaintness
strangeness as a consequence of being old fashioned; "some words in her dialect had a charming quaintness"
outlandishness, bizarreness, weirdness
strikingly out of the ordinary
oddity, oddness
eccentricity that is not easily explained
eccentricity
strange and unconventional behavior
foreignness, strangeness, curiousness
the quality of being alien or not native: "the strangeness of a foreigner"
exoticism, exoticness, exotism
the quality of being exotic; "he loved the exocitism of Egypt"
nativeness
the quality of belonging to or being connected with a certain place or region by virtue of birth or origin
alienage, alienism
the quality of being alien
originality
the quality of being new and original (not derived from something else)
indigenousness, autochthony, endemism
nativeness by virtue or originating or occurring naturally (as in a particular place)
orthodoxy
the quality of being orthodox (especially in religion)
freshness, novelty
originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
unorthodoxy, heterodoxy
the quality of being unorthodox
unconventionality
unorthodoxy by virtue of being unconventional
nonconformity
unorthodoxy as a consequence of not conforming to expected standards or values
unoriginality
the quality of being unoriginal
traditionalism, traditionality
strict adherence to traditional methods or teachings
conventionality, convention, conventionalism
orthodoxy as a consequence of being conventional
ossification, conformity
hardened conventionality
scholasticism, academicism, academism
orthodoxy of a scholastic variety
exactness, exactitude
the quality of being exact; "he demanded exactness in all details"; "a man of great exactitude"
preciseness, precision
the quality of being precise in amount or performance; "he handled it with the preciseness of an automaton"; "note the meticulous precision of his measurements"
fidelity
accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
trueness
exactness of adjustment; "I marveled at the trueness of his aim"
infallibility
the quality of never making an error
inaccuracy
the quality of being inaccurate and having errors
inexactness, inexactitude
the quality of being inaccurate and having errors
impreciseness, imprecision
the quality of lacking precision
inerrancy
(Christianity) exemption from error; "biblical inerrancy"
errancy
(Christianity) holding views that disagree with accepted doctrine
errancy
a tendency to err
instability
unreliability attributable to being unstable
fallibility
the likelihood of making errors
worthiness
the quality or state of having merit or value
deservingness, merit, meritoriousness
the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance); "there were many children whose deservingness he recognized and rewarded"
praiseworthiness
the quality of being worthy of praise
quotability
the quality of being worthy of being quoted
unworthiness
the quality of being bad by virtue of lacking merit or value
baseness, contemptibility, despicableness, despicability
unworthiness by virtue of lacking higher values
shamefulness, disgracefulness, ignominiousness
unworthiness meriting public disgrace and dishonor
hot stuff
the quality of being popular; "skiing is hot stuff in New Hampshire"
scandalousness
disgracefulness that offends public morality
popularity
the quality of being widely admired or accepted or sought after: "his charm soon won him affection and popularity"; "the universal popularity of American movies"
unpopularity
the quality of lacking general approval or acceptance
elegance
a quality of refined gracefulness and good taste
courtliness
elegance suggestive of a royal court
dash, elan, flair, panache, style
distinctive and stylish elegance; "he wooed her with the confident dash of a cavalry officer"
daintiness, delicacy, fineness
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance; "the daintiness of her touch"; "the fineness of her features"
refinement, breeding, genteelness, gentility
elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression
tastefulness
elegance indicated by good taste
chic, chicness, modishness, smartness, stylishness, swank
elegance by virtue of being fashionable
eclat
brilliant or conspicuous success or effect: "the eclat of a great achievement"
jauntiness, nattiness, dapperness, rakishness
stylishness as evidenced by a smart appearance
magnificence, brilliance, splendor, splendour, grandeur, grandness
the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand
pomp, eclat
ceremonial elegance and splendor; "entered with much eclat in a coach drawn by eight white horses"
class
(informal) elegance in dress or behavior; "she has a lot of class"
inelegance
the quality of lacking refinement and good taste
rusticity, gaucherie
the quality of being rustic or gauche
awkwardness, clumsiness, gracelessness, stiffness
the inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment)
raggedness
shabbiness by virtue of being in rags
dowdiness, drabness, homeliness
lacking stylishness or neatness
shabbiness, seediness, manginess
a lack of elegance as a consequence of wearing threadbare or dirty clothing
coarseness, commonness, grossness, vulgarity, vulgarism
the quality of lacking taste and refinement
crudeness, roughness
an unpolished unrefined quality; "the crudeness of frontier dwellings depressed her"
boorishness, uncouthness
inelegance by virtue of being an uncouth boor
ostentation, ostentatiousness, pomposity, pompousness, pretentiousness, splashiness
lack of elegance as a consequence of pomposity
tastelessness
inelegance indicated by a lack of good taste
cheapness, tackiness, tat, sleaze
tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar
flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, loudness, brashness, meretriciousness, tawdriness, glitz
tasteless showiness
preciseness, clearcutness
clarity as a consequence of precision
expressiveness
the quality of being expressive
clarity, lucidity, pellucidity, clearness, limpidity
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
focus
maximum clarity or distinctness of an idea; "the controversy brought clearly into focus an important difference of opinion"
coherence, coherency
logical and orderly and consistent relation of parts
unambiguity, unequivocalness
clarity achieved by the avoidance of ambiguity
perspicuity, perspicuousness, plainness
clarity as a consequence of being perspicuous
explicitness
clarity as a consequence of being explicit
obscureness, obscurity, abstruseness, reconditeness
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
unintelligibility
incomprehensibility as a consequence of being unintelligible
unclearness
incomprehensibility as a result of not being clear
elusiveness
the quality of being difficult to grasp or pin down: "the author's elusiveness may at times be construed as evasiveness"
vagueness
unclearness by virtue of being vague
haziness
vagueness attributable to being not clearly defined
inexplicitness
unclearness by virtue of not being explici
implicitness
inexplicitness as a consequence of being implied or indirect
uprightness, rectitude
uprightness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
equivocation, evasiveness
deliberate vagueness or ambiguity
righteousness
adhering to moral principles
piety, piousness
righteousness by virtue of being pious
godliness
piety by virtue of being a godly person
devoutness, religiousness
piety by virtue of being devout
religiosity, pietism
exaggerated or affected piety
dutifulness
piety by virtue of devotion to duty
unrighteousness
failure to adhere to moral principles
impiety, impiousness
unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god
sin, sinfulness, wickedness
estrangement from god
mark of Cain
the mark that God set upon Cain now refers to a person's sinful nature
undutifulness
impiety characterized by lack of devotion to duty
ungodliness, godlessness
impiety by virtue of not being a godly person
irreligiousness, irreligion
the quality of not being devout
atrocity, atrociousness, barbarity, barbarousness, heinousness
the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane
mercilessness, unmercifulness
inhumaneness evidenced by an unwillingness to be kind or forgiving
ferociousness, brutality, viciousness, savageness, savagery
the trait of extreme cruelty
murderousness, bloodthirstiness
cruelty evidence by a capability to commit murder
pitilessness, ruthlessness
mercilessness characterized by a lack of pity
generosity, generousness
the trait of being willing to give your money or time
relentlessness, inexorability, inexorableness
mercilessness characterized by an unwillingness to relent or let up; "the relentlessness or their pursuit"
charitableness
generosity as manifested by practicing charity (as for the poor or unfortunate)
bounty, bounteousness
generosity evidenced by a willingness to give freely
bigheartedness
the quality of being kind and generous
munificence, largess, largesse, magnanimity, openhandedness
extremely liberal generosity of spirit
liberality, liberalness
the trait of being generous in behavior and temperament
altruism, selflessness
the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
unselfishness
the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others; "rural people show more devotion and unselfishness than do their urban cousins"
pettiness
lack of generosity in trifling matters
stinginess
a lack of generosity; a general unwillingness to part with money
meanness, minginess, niggardliness, niggardness, parsimony, parsimoniousness, tightness, tightfistedness, closeness
extreme stinginess
miserliness
total lack of generosity with money
uppityness, uppishness
assumption of airs beyond one's station
presumption, presumptuousness, assumption
audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to; "he despised them for their presumptuousness"
grace
free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God: "there but for the grace of God go I"
delicacy, diplomacy, discreetness, finesse
subtly skillful handling of a situation
malignity, malignancy, malignance
quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will
savoir-faire, address
social skill
malevolence, malevolency, malice
the quality of threatening evil
cattiness, bitchiness, spite, spitefulness, nastiness
malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty
bluntness
the quality of being direct and outspoken; "the bluntness of a Yorkshireman"
unhelpfulness
an inability to be helpful
maleficence, mischief, balefulness
the quality or nature of being harmful or evil
saintliness
the quality of resembling a saint
corruption, degeneracy, depravity
moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles: "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes"; "moral degeneracy followed intellectual degeneration"; "its brothels; its opium parlors; its depravity"
licentiousness, wantonness, sexual immorality
the quality of being lewd and lascivious
worst
the greatest damage or wickedness of which one is capable: "the invaders did their worst"; "so pure of heart that his worst is another man's best"
nefariousness, wickedness, vileness
the quality of being wicked
enormity
the quality of extreme wickedness
reprehensibility
being reprehensible; worthy of and deserving reprehension or reproof
villainy, villainousness
the quality of evil by virtue of villainous behavior
perversity
deliberately deviating from what is good
venality
prostitution of talents or offices or services for reward
frailty, vice
moral weakness
corruptness, corruption
lack of integrity or honesty; esp susceptibility to bribery; use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
divinity
the quality of being divine; "ancient Egyptians believed in the divinity of the Pharaohs"
profaneness, unsanctification
unholiness by virtue of being profane
holiness, sanctity
the quality of being holy
sacredness
the quality of being sacred
unholiness
the quality of being unholy
sacrilegiousness
profaneness by virtue of committing sacrilege
safeness
the quality of being safe
dangerousness
the quality of not being safe
precariousness
extreme dangerousness
heroism, gallantry, valor, valour, valorousness, valourousness, valiance, valiancy
the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle); "he showed great heroism in battle"; "he received a medal for valor"
dauntlessness, intrepidity
resolute courageousness
Dutch courage
courage resulting from intoxication
shamelessness, brazenness
behavior marked by a bold defiance of the proprieties and lack of shame
daredevilry, daredeviltry
boldness as manifested in rash and daredevil behavior
audacity, audaciousness, temerity
fearless daring
cravenness
mean-spirited cowardice
pusillanimity, pusillanimousness
contemptible fearfulness
poltroonery
abject pusillanimity
dastardliness
treacherous cowardice
assiduity, assiduousness, concentration
great diligence
sanctimoniousness, sanctimony
the quality of being hypocritically devout
honorableness, honourableness
the quality of deserving honor or respect; characterized by honor
fulsomeness, oiliness, oleaginousness, smarminess, unctuousness, unction
smug self-serving earnestness
scrupulousness
conformity to high standards of ethics or excellence
honor, honour
the quality of being honorable and having a good name; "a man of honor"
incorruptibility
the incapability of being corrupted
nobility, magnanimousness, grandeur
the quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
high-mindedness, idealism, noble-mindedness
elevated ideals or conduct; the quality of believing that ideals should be pursued
sublimity, the sublime
nobility in thought or feeling or style
decency
the quality of being polite and respectable
respectability, reputability
honorableness by virtue of being respectable and having a good reputation
good faith, straightness
having honest intentions; "he acted in good faith"; "doubt was expressed as to the good faith of the immigrants"
artlessness
ingenuousness by virtue of being free from artful deceit
motherliness, maternal quality
the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother: "the girl's motherliness made her invaluable in caring for the children"
parental quality
a quality appropriate to a parent
dishonorableness, dishonourableness
the quality of not deserving honor or respect
fatherliness, paternal quality
the benignity and protectiveness of or befitting a father: "the gentleness and fatherliness of the strange old man eased her fears"
unscrupulousness
the quality of unscrupulous dishonesty
ignobleness
the quality of being ignoble
dishonor, dishonour
lacking honor or integrity
unrespectability, disreputability, disreputableness
dishonorableness by virtue of lacking respectability or a good reputation
speciousness, meretriciousness
an appearance of truth that is false or deceptive; seeming plausibility: "the speciousness of his argument"
dishonesty
the quality of being dishonest
rascality, shiftiness, slipperiness, trickiness
the quality of being a slippery rascal
fraudulence, deceit
the quality of being fraudulent
jobbery
corruptness among public officials
crookedness, deviousness
the quality of being deceitful and underhanded
disingenuousness
the quality of being disingenuous and lacking candor
artfulness
the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage
craftiness, deceitfulness, guile
the quality of being crafty
cunning
drafty artfulness (especially in deception)
insidiousness
the quality of being designed to entrap
naivete, naivety, naiveness
lack of sophistication or worldliness
sophistication, worldliness
the quality or character of being intellectually sophisticated through cultivation or experience or disillusionment
artlessness, innocence, ingenuousness, naturalness
the quality of innocent naivete
taboo, tabu
an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
rakishness
the quality of a rake
intemperance
the quality of being intemperate
dignity, self-respect, self-esteem, self-regard
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect: "it was beneath his dignity to cheat"; "showed his true dignity when under pressure"
arrogance, haughtiness, lordliness
overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
boastfulness, vainglory
outspoken conceit
egotism, self-importance, swelled head
an exaggerated opinion of your own importance
posturing
adopting a vain conceited posture
superiority complex
an exaggerated estimate of your own value and importance
hubris
overbearing pride or presumption
superiority
displaying a sense of being better than others; "he hated the white man's superiority and condecension"
absurdity, fatuity, fatuousness, silliness
a ludicrous folly; "the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown's behavior"
providence
the prudence and care exercised by someone in the management of resources
foresight, foresightedness, foresightfulness
providence by virtue of planning prudently for the future
peasanthood
an uncleanliness characteristic of peasants
slatternliness, sluttishness
in the manner of a slattern
disarray, disorderliness
untidiness (especially of clothing and appearance)
priggishness, primness
exaggerated and arrogant properness
seemliness, grace
a sense of propriety and consideration for others
becomingness
the quality of being becoming
modesty
freedom from vanity or conceit
primness, prudishness, prudery, Grundyism
excessive or affected modesty
impropriety, improperness
an improper demeanor
immodesty
the trait of being vain and conceited
gaminess, raciness, ribaldry, spiciness
behavior or language bordering on indelicacy
unseemliness
a lack of consideration for others
unbecomingness
the quality of being unbecoming
outrageousness, enormity
the quality of being outrageous
composure, calm, calmness, equanimity
steadiness of mind under stress; "he accepted their problems with composure and she with equanimity"
smuttiness, dirtiness
obscenity in speech or writing
wildness
a state of nature
cussedness, orneriness
mean-spirited disagreeable contrariness
naughtiness, mischievousness, badness
an attribute of mischievous children
dignity, lordliness
formality in bearing and appearance: "he behaved with great dignity"
informality
a manner that does not take forms and ceremonies seriously
formality, formalness
a manner that strictly observes all forms and ceremonies
ceremoniousness
a ceremonial manner
stateliness
a elaborate manner of doing something; "she served coffee with great stateliness"
politeness, niceness
a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage
casualness, familiarity
a casual manner
slanginess
casualness in use of language
unceremoniousness
an unceremonial manner
courtesy, good manners
a courteous manner
urbanity
polished courtesy; elegance of manner
graciousness
excellence of manners or social conduct
suavity, suaveness, blandness
smooth and gracious in manner
chivalry, gallantry, politesse
courtesy towards women
deference, respect, respectfulness
courteous regard for people's feelings; "in deference to your wishes"; "out of respect for his privacy"
civility
formal or perfunctory politeness
discourtesy, rudeness
a manner that is rude and insulting
boorishness
the manner of a rude or insensitive person
bad manners, ill-breeding
impoliteness resulting from ignorance
impoliteness
a discourteous manner that ignores accepted social usage
crudeness, crudity, gaucheness
an impolite manner that is vulgar and lacking tact or refinement; "the whole town was famous for its crudeness"
ungraciousness
an offensive lack of good manners
incivility
deliberate discourtesy
immediacy, immediateness
lack of an intervening or mediating agency: "the immediacy of television coverage"
directness, straightness
trueness of course toward a goal: "rivaling a hawk in directness of aim"
downrightness, straightforwardness
the quality of being direct and straightforward; "what some people take for rudeness is really straightforwardness"
deviousness, obliqueness
the quality of being oblique and rambling indirectly
indirectness
having the characteristic of lacking a true course toward a goal
allusiveness
a quality characterized by indirect reference
mediacy, mediateness
the quality of being mediate
discursiveness
the quality of being discursive
obsolescence, obsoleteness, superannuation
the property of being out of date and not current
oldness
the opposite of newness
old-fashionedness
the property of being no longer fashionable
ancientness, antiquity
extreme oldness
hoariness
great age esp gray or white with age
quaintness
the quality of being quaint and old-fshioned; "she liked the old cottage; its quaintness was appealing"
newness
the opposite of oldness
brand-newness
the property of being very new
freshness
the property of being pure and fresh (as if newly made); not stale or deteriorated; "she loved the freshness of newly baked bread"; "the freshness of the air revived him"
crispness
a pleasing firmness and freshness: "crispness of new dollar bills"; "crispness of fresh lettuce"
recency, recentness
the property of having happened or appeared not long ago
oldness
the opposite of youngness
mustiness, moldiness
the quality of smelling or tasting old or stale or mouldy
staleness
having lost purity and freshness as a consequence of aging
youth, youthfulness, juvenility
the freshness and vitality characteristic of a young person
youngness
the opposite of oldness
childishness, puerility
a property characteristic of a child
common touch
the property of appealing to people in general (usually by appearing to have qualities in common with them)
downiness, featheriness, fluffiness
a light softness
flabbiness, limpness, flaccidity
a flabby softness
mushiness
a mushy pulpy softness
lyricality, lyricism, songfulness
the property of being suitable for singing
boisterousness
the property of being noisy and lively and unrestrained
grace, gracility
elegance and beauty of movement or expression
agility, legerity, lightsomeness, nimbleness
the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble
lissomeness, litheness, suppleness
the gracefulness of a person or animal that is flexible and supple
awkwardness, clumsiness
the carriage of someone whose movements and posture are ungainly or inelegant
gracelessness, ungracefulness
an unpleasant carriage
gawkiness, ungainliness
the carriage of someone whose movements and posture are extremely ungainly and inelegant
strength
the property of being physically or mentally strong; "fatigue sapped his strength"
good part
a place of especial strength
robustness, hardiness, lustiness
the property of strong in constitution
brawn, muscle, sinew
muscular strength
might, mightiness, power
physical strength
vigor, vigour
active strength of body or mind
huskiness, ruggedness, toughness
the property of being big and strong
stoutness, stalwartness
the property of being strong and resolute
sturdiness
the property of something that is strongly built
firmness, soundness
the firmness and tone of healthy tissue: "his muscle firmness"
indomitability, invincibility
the property being difficult or impossible to defeat
backbone, grit, guts, sand, gumption
(informal) fortitude; "he didn't have the guts to try it"
fortitude
strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage
endurance
the power to withstand hardship or stress
sufferance
patient endurance esp of pain or destress
long-sufferance, long-suffering
patient endurance of pain or unhappiness
stamina, staying power, toughness
enduring strength and energy
seriousness, distressfulness
the quality of arousing fear or distress; "he learned the seriousness of his illness"
energy, vigor, vigour
an exertion of force; "he plays tennis with great energy"
athleticism, strenuosity
intense energy; "his music is characterized by a happy athleticism"
intensity, intensiveness
high level or degree; the property of being intense
badness, severity
used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather
vehemence, emphasis
intensity or forcefulness of expression: "the vehemence of his denial" or "his emphasis on civil rights"
top
the greatest possible intensity: "he screamed at the top of his lungs"
ferocity, fierceness, furiousness, fury, vehemence, violence, wildness
the property of being wild or turbulent; "the storm's violence"
overemphasis
too much emphasis
adynamia
lack of strength or vigor esp from illness
weakness
the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain; "his weakness increased as he became older"; "the weakness of the span was overlooked until it collapsed"
flimsiness, shoddiness
the property of weakness by virtue of careless construction
feebleness, tenuity
the quality of lacking intensity or substance; "a shrill yet sweet tenuity of voice"- Nathaniel Hawthorne
insubstantiality
lack of solid substance and strength
fragility, delicacy
lack of physical strength
jugular
a vital part that is vulnerable to attack; "he always goes for the jugular"
enervation
lack of vitality; "an enervation of mind greater than any fatigue"
inanition, lassitude, lethargy
lack of vitality or energy
Achilles' heel
a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness
underbelly
the quality of being weak or unprotected; "the soft underbelly of the Axis"- Winston Churchill
defenselessness, defencelessness, unprotectedness
the property of being helpless in the face of attack
rain, pelting
anything happening rapidly or in quick successive; "a rain of bullets"; "a pelting of insults"
seasonableness, timeliness
being at the right time
unseasonableness, untimeliness
being at an inappropriate time
presentness, nowness
the quality of being the present: "a study of the pastness of the present and...of the presentness of the past"- R.E.Spiller
currentness, currency, up-to-dateness
the property of belonging to the present time: "the currency of a slang term"
modernity, modernness, modernism, contemporaneity, contemporaneousness
the quality of being current or of the present: "a shopping mall would instill a spirit of modernity into this village"
fleetness
rapidity of movement: "fleetness of foot"
promptness, promptitude
the characteristic of doing things without delay
celerity, quickness, rapidity
a rate that is rapid
immediacy, immediateness, instantaneousness, instancy
the quickness of action or occurrence; "the immediacy of their response"; "the instancy of modern communication"
dispatch, expedition, expeditiousness
the property of being prompt and efficient; "it was done with dispatch"
abruptness, precipitateness, precipitance, precipitancy, suddenness
the quality of happening with headlong haste or without warning
haste, hastiness, hurry, hurriedness
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness); "he soon regretted his haste"
pickup, getaway
the attribute of being capable of rapid acceleration; "his car has a lot of pickup"
precipitation
an unexpected acceleration or hastening: "he is responsible for the precipitation of his own demise"
graduality, gradualness
the quality of being gradual or of coming about by gradual stages
leisureliness
slowness by virtue of being leisurely
slowness, deliberation, deliberateness, unhurriedness
a rate demonstrating an absence of haste or hurry
dilatoriness, procrastination
slowness as a consequence of not getting around to it
abruptness, precipitousness, steepness
the property possessed by a slope that is very steep
gradualness, gentleness
the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual
alignment
the spatial property possessed by an arrangement or position of things in a straight line or in parallel lines
composition, composing
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole; "harmonious composition is essential in a serious work of art"
proportion, balance
harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design): "in all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another and a reciprocal balance"- John Ruskin
true
the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment: "out of true"
misalignment
the spatial property of things that are not properly aligned
marginality
the property of being marginal or on the fringes
centrality
the property of being central
outwardness, externality
the quality or state of being outside or directed toward or relating to the outside or exterior: "the outwardness of the world"
inwardness
the quality or state of being inward or internal: "the inwardness of the body's organs"
malposition, misplacement
faulty position
openness
without obstructions to passage or view: "the openness of the prairies"
remove
degree of figurative distance or separation: "just one remove from madness" or "it imitates at many removes a Shakespearean tragedy"
depth
degree of psychological or intellectual depth
degree
the seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime); "murder in the second degree"; "a second degree burn"
profundity, profoundness
intellectual depth; penetrating knowledge; keen insight; etc: "the depth of my feeling"; "the profoundness of the silence"
superficiality, shallowness
lack of depth of knowledge or thought or feeling
glibness, slickness
a kind of fluent easy superficiality; "the glibness of a high-pressure salesman"
high
a lofty level or position or degree: "summer temperatures reached an all-time high"
low
a low level or position or degree: "the stock market fell to a new low"
extreme
the furthest or highest degree of something; "he carried it to extremes"
bulk, mass, volume
the property of something that is great in magnitude; "it is cheaper to buy it in bulk"; "he received a mass of correspondence"; "the volume of exports"
multiplicity
the property of being multiple
muchness
(archaic) greatness of quantity or measure or extent
thinness, tenuity, slenderness
relatively small dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width: "the tenuity of a hair"; "the thinness of a rope"
ampleness
the property of impressive largeness in size; "he admired the ampleness of its proportions"
largeness, bigness
the property of having a relatively great size
capaciousness, roominess, spaciousness, commodiousness
spatial largeness (especially inside a building)
bulkiness, massiveness
an unwieldy largeness
enormousness, grandness, greatness, immenseness, immensity, sizeableness, vastness
unusual largeness in size or extent
airiness
the property of something spacious and abounding in fresh air
fullness, voluminosity, voluminousness
greatness of volume
gigantism, giantism
excessive largeness of stature
smallness, littleness
the property of having a relatively small size
diminutiveness, minuteness, petiteness, tinyness, weeness
the property of being very small in size
quantity
an adequate or large amount; "he had a quantity of ammunition"
delicacy, slightness
smallness of stature
puniness, runtiness, stuntedness
smallness of stature
dwarfishness
smallness of stature
complement
something added to complete or make perfect: "a fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner"
insufficiency, inadequacy, deficiency
lack of an adequate quantity or number; "the inadequacy of unemployment benefits"
sufficiency, adequacy
a quantity or number sufficient for a purpose
ampleness
the property of being more than sufficient; comfortable sufficiency; "the ampleness of her servings more than satisfied his hunger"
meagerness, meagreness, poorness, scantiness, scantness, exiguity
the quality of being meager; "an exiguity of cloth that would only allow of miniature capes"-George Eliot
sparseness, spareness, sparsity
the property of being scanty or scattered; lacking denseness
abundance, copiousness
the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply; "an age of abundance"
profusion, profuseness, richness, cornucopia
the property of being extremely abundant
amplitude, bountifulness, bounty
the property of copious abundance
plenty, plentifulness, plenteousness, plenitude, plentitude
a full supply; "there was plenty of food for everyone"
wealth
the quality of profuse abundance; "she has a wealth of talent"
luxuriance, lushness
the property of being lush and abundant
overgrowth
a profusion of growth on or over something else
moderation, moderateness
quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes
scarcity, scarceness
a small and inadequate amount
dearth, paucity
an insufficient quantity or number
rarity, rareness, infrequency
noteworthy scarcity
reasonableness
moderation in expectations; "without greater reasonableness by both parties we will never settle this matter!"
golden mean
the middle between extremes
immoderation, immoderateness
the quality of being excessive and lacking in moderation
excess, excessiveness, inordinateness
immoderation as a consequence of going beyond sufficient or permitted limits
overabundance, overmuch, overmuchness, superabundance
a quantity that is more than what is appropriate; "four-year-olds have an overabundance of energy"
exorbitance, outrageousness
excessive excess
luxury, extravagance
something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity
excess, surplus, surplusage
a quantity much larger than is needed
bellyful
an undesirable overabundance: "a bellyful of your complaints"
nimiety, overplus, plethora, superfluity, embarrassment
extreme excess; "an embarrassment of riches"
redundancy, redundance
the attribute of being superfluous and unneeded; "the use of industrial robots created redundancy among workers"
multitudinousness
a very large number (especially of people)
numerousness, numerosity, multiplicity
a large number
innumerableness, countlessness
a number beyond counting
fewness
the quality of being small in number
coverage
the extent to which something is covered; "the dictionary's coverage of standard English is excellent"
limit, bounds, boundary
the greatest possible degree of something: "what he did was beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior"; "to the limit of his ability"
utmost, uttermost, maximum, level best
the greatestest possible degree; "he tried his utmost"
confines
a bounded scope; "he stayed with the confines of the city"
verge, brink
the limit beyond which something happens or changes; "on the verge of tears"; "on the brink of bankruptcy"
scope, range, reach, orbit, compass, ambit
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "the ambit of municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this article"; within the scope of an investigation"; "outside the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world power"
horizon, view, purview
the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated; "It is beyond the horizon of present knowledge"
latitude
scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction
sweep, expanse
a wide scope; "the sweep of the plains"
spectrum
broad range of related values or qualities or ideas or activities
gamut
a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut of emotions
arm's length
a distance sufficient to exclude intimacy
shortness
the property of being of short spatial extent
elongation
the quality of being elongated
briefness
the temporal property of being very short
deepness, profundity, profoundness
the quality of being physically deep: "the profundity of the mine was almost a mile"
bottomlessness
the property of being very deep; without limit
shallowness
the quality of lacking physical depth: "take into account the shallowness at that end of the pool before you dive"
superficiality
shallowness in terms of affecting only surface layers of something: "he ignored the wound because of its superficiality"
fineness, thinness
the property of being very narrow or thin; "he marvelled at the fineness of her hair"
thickness, heaviness
used of a line or mark
narrowness
the property of being narrow
highness, loftiness
the condition of being high or lofty
lowness
the condition of being low; lacking height
squatness, stubbiness
the property of being short and broad
shortness, truncation
the property of being truncated or short
value
the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable; "the Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world"
worth
the quality that renders something desirable or valuable or useful
demerit, fault
the quality of being faulty or inadequate; "they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel"
merit, virtue
any admirable quality or attribute; "work of great merit"
worthwhileness
value sufficient to repay time or effort spent
praisworthiness
the property of deserving praise
worthlessness
having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful; "the drill sergeant's intent was to convince all the recruits of their worthlessness"
fecklessness
worthlessness due to being feeble and ineffectual
valuelessness
having none of the properties that endow something with value
paltriness, sorriness
worthlessness due to insignificance
shoddiness, trashiness
the quality of being cheaply imitative of something better
vanity, emptiness
the quality of being valueless or futile; "he rejected the vanities of the world"
damn, darn, hoot, shit, shucks, tinker's damn, tinker's dam
something of little value; "it is not worth a damn"; "not worth shucks"
invaluableness, preciousness, pricelessness, valuableness
the positive quality of being precious and beyond value
price
the high value or worth of something; "her price is far above rubies"
desirability, desirableness
the quality of being worthy of desiring
undesirability
the quality possessed by something that should be avoided
good, goodness
that which is good or valuable or useful: "weigh the good against the bad"; "among the highest goods of all are happiness and self-realization"
benefit, welfare
something that aids or promotes well-being: "for the common good"
better
something better: "I expected better of him"
better
the superior one of two alternatives: "chose the better of the two"
worse
something inferior in quality or condition or effect: "for better or for worse"; "accused of cheating and lying and worse"
optimum
most favorable condition or greatest degree or amount possible under given circumstances
better
one having claim to precedence; a superior: "the common man has been kept in his place by his betters"
bad, badness
that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency: "take the bad with the good"
evil
that which causes harm or destruction or misfortune: "the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones"- Shakespeare
costliness, dearness
the quality possessed by something with a great price or value
expensiveness
the quality of being high-priced
lavishness, luxury, sumptuosity, sumptuousness
the quality possessed by something that is excessively expensive
reasonableness, moderateness, modestness
the property of being moderate in price; "the store is famous for the reasonableness of its prices"
inexpensiveness
the quality of being affordable
fruitfulness, fecundity
the quality of something that causes or assists healthy growth
bargain rate, cheapness, cut rate, cut price
a price below the standard price
richness, prolificacy, fertility
the property of producing abundantly and sustaining growth; "he praised the richness of the soil"
fruitlessness, aridity, barrenness
a condition yielding nothing of value
poorness
less than adequate; "the relative poorness of New England farmland"
utility, usefulness
the quality of being of practical use
helpfulness
the property of providing useful assistance
serviceability, serviceableness, usableness
the quality of being able to provide good service
inutility, uselessness, unusefulness
the quality of having to practical use
futility
uselessness as a consequence of having no practical result
worthlessness
the quality of being without practical use
practicality
concerned with actual use rather than theoretical possibilities
sensibleness
the quality of showing good sense or practical judgment
realism
the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
impracticality
concerned with theoretical possibilities rather than actual use
practicability, practicableness
the quality of being usable
feasibility, feasibleness
the quality of being doable
idealism
impracticality by virtue of thinking of things in their ideal form rather than as they really are
romanticism
impractical romantic ideals and attitudes
competence, competency
the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually
knight errantry, quixotism
quixotic (romantic and impractical) behavior
impracticability, impracticableness
the quality of not being usable
infeasibility, unfeasibility
the quality of not being doable
proficiency
the quality of having great facility and competence
fitness
the quality of being qualified
aid, assistance, help
a resource: "visual aids in teaching"; "economic assistance to depressed areas"
incompetence, incompetency
lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications
asset, plus
a useful or valuable quality
resource
a source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed: "the local library is a valuable resource"
resourcefulness
the quality of being able to cope with a difficult situation: "a man of great resourcefulness"
recourse, refuge, resort
something or someone turned to for assistance or security: "his only recourse was the police"; "took refuge in lying"
shadow
refuge from danger or observation; "he felt secure in his father's shadow"
inner resources
a resource provided by the mind or one's personal capabilities: "to have resource against loneliness"
favor, favour
an advantage to the benefit of someone or something; "the outcome was in his favor"
advantage, vantage
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position; "he experience gave him the advantage over me"
bargaining chip
leverage in the form of an inducement or a concession useful in successful negotiations
leverage
strategic advantage; power to act effectively: "relatively small groups can sometimes exert immense political leverage"
lead
an advantage held by a competitor in a race: "he took the lead at the last turn"
handicap
advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning
pull
special advantage or influence; "the chairman's nephew has a lot of pull"
start, head start
advantage gained by an early start as in a race: "with an hour's start he will be hard to catch"
account
the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing skills to good account"
profit, gain
the advantageous quality of being beneficial
preference
grant of favor or advantage to one over another (esp to a country or countries in matters of international trade such as levying duties)
profitableness, profitability
the quality of affording gain or benefit or profit
privilege
a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
expedience, expediency
the quality of being suited to the end in view
forte, long suit, metier, specialty, speciality, strong point, strength
an asset of special worth or utility; "cooking is his forte"
superiority, favorable position
the quality of being a competitive advantage
edge
a slight competitive advantage; "he had an edge on the competition"
inside track
a favorable position in a competition; "the boss's son had the inside track for that job"
upper hand, whip hand
position of advantage and control
green thumb, green fingers
a special ability to make plants grow
good
benefit; "for your own good"; "what's the good of worrying?"
weak point
an attribute that is inadequate or deficient
wisdom, wiseness, soundness
the quality of being prudent and sensible
common good, commonweal
the good of a community
advisability
the quality of being advisable; "they questioned the advisability of our policy"
reasonableness
goodness of reason and judgment; "the judiciary is built on the reasonableness of judges"
disadvantage
the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
favorableness, favourableness, advantageousness
the quality of being encouraging or promising of a successful outcome
auspiciousness, propitiousness
the favorable quality of strongly indicating a successful result
liability
the quality of being something that holds you back
unfavorableness, unfavourableness
the quality of not being encouraging or indicative of success
inauspiciousness, unpropitiousness
the quality of suggesting an unsuccessful result
awkwardness, inconvenience, nuisance value
the quality of an embarrassing situation; "he sensed the awkwardness of his proposal"
limitation, restriction
the quality of being limited or restricted; "it is a good plan but it has serious limitations"
defect, shortcoming
a failing or deficiency; "that interpretation is an unfortunate defect of our lack of information"
loss, deprivation
the disadvantage that results from losing something; "his loss of credibility led to his resignation" or "losing him is no great deprivation"
price, cost, toll
value measured by what must be given or done or undergone to obtain something: "the cost in human life was enormous"; "the price of success is hard work"; "what price glory?"
drawback
the quality of being a hindrance; "he pointed out all the drawbacks to my plan"
catch
a hidden drawback; "it sounds good but what's the catch?"
constructiveness
the quality of serving to build or improve
penalty
the disadvantage or painful consequences of an action or condition: "neglected his health and paid the penalty"
inadvisability
the quality of being ill advised
inferiority, unfavorable position
the quality of being a competitive disadvantage
inexpedience, inexpediency
the quality of being unsuited to the end in view
unprofitableness, unprofitability
the quality of affording no gain or no benefit or no profit
destructiveness
the quality of causing destruction
harmfulness, injuriousness
destructiveness that causes harm or injury
insidiousness
subtle and cumulative harmfulness esp of a disease
poison
anything that harms or destroys; "the poison of fascism"
virulence
extreme harmfulness; "the virulence of the plague"
importance
the quality of being important and worthy of note; "the importance of a well-balanced diet"
face
status in the eyes of others; "he lost face"
magnitude
relative importance: "a problem of the first magnitude"
matter
(used with negation) having consequence; "they were friends and it was no matter who won the games"
account
importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he predicted that although it is of small account now it will rapidly increase in importance"
significance
the quality of being significant; "do not underestimate the significance of nuclear power"
momentousness
utmost importance
prominence
relative importance
greatness
the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance
meaningfulness
the quality of having great value or significance
historicalness
significance owing to its history
consequence, import, moment
having important effects or influence; "decisions of great consequence are made by the president himself"; "virtue is of more moment that security"
hell to pay
dire consequences; "when the pig ran away there was hell to pay"
essentiality, essentialness
basic importance
urgency
pressing importance requiring speedy action: "the urgency of his need"
indispensability, indispensableness, vitalness
the quality possessed by something that you cannot possibly do without
unimportance
the quality of not being important or worthy of note
edge, sharpness
the attribute of urgency; "his voice had an edge to it"
imperativeness, insistence, insistency, instancy
urgently demanding attention; "the insistence of their hunger"; "he pressed his demand with considerable instancy"
weight
the relative importance granted to something; "his opinion carries great weight"
pettiness, triviality, slightness
the quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous
inessentiality
not of baic importance
dispensability, dispensableness
the quality possessed by something that you can get along without
meaninglessness
the quality of having great value or significance; "he resented the meaninglessness of the tasks they assigned him"
insignificance
the quality of having little or no significance
inanity, senselessness, mindlessness, vacuity, pointlessness
total lack of meaning or ideas
inconsequence
having no important effects or influence
door
anything providing a means of access (or escape); "we closed the door to Haitian immigrants"; "education is the door to success"
open door
freedom of access; "he maintained an open door for all employees"
power, powerfulness, potency
possession of controlling influence; "the deterrent power of nuclear weapons"; "the power of his love saved her"
convincingness
the power of argument or evidence to cause belief
puissance
power to influence or coerce; "the puissance of the labor vote"
alchemy
a power like that claimed by alchemists: "a mysterious alchemy brought the musician and the music to ultimate fusion"
persuasiveness, strength
the power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty; "the strength of his argument settled the matter"
interest, interestingness
the power of attracting or holding one's interest (because it is unusual or exciting etc.); "they said nothing of great interest"; "primary colors can add interest to a room"
stranglehold, throttlehold
complete power over a person or situation
newsworthiness, news
the quality of being sufficiently interesting to be reported in news bulletins; "the judge conceded the newsworthiness of the trial"; "he is no longer news in the fashion world"
color, colour, vividness
interest and variety and intensity: "the Puritan Period was lacking in color"
dead hand, dead hand of the past, mortmain
the oppressive influence of past events of decisions
sway
controlling influence
influence
a power to affect persons or events esp power based on prestige etc: "used her parents' influence to get the job"
force
a powerful effect or influence: "the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them"
grip, grasp
a firm controlling influence; "he was in the grip of a powerful emotion" or "a terrible power had her its grasp"
pressure
a force that compels; "the public brought pressure to bear on the government"
tentacle
something that acts like a tentacle in its ability to grasp; "caught in the tentacles of organized crime"
duress
compulsory force or threat; "confessed under duress"
lifeblood
an essential or life-giving force; "water is the lifeblood of India"
wheels
forces that provide energy and direction; "the wheels of government began to turn"
control
power to direct or determine: "under control"
hold
power by which something or someone is affected or dominated: "he has a hold over them"
rein
any means of control; "he took up the reins of government"
carte blanche
complete freedom or authority to act
disposal
the power to use something or someone: "used all the resources at his disposal"
reins
power to control; "the reins of government"
incisiveness, trenchancy
keenness and forcefulness of thought or expression or intellect
effectiveness, effectivity, effectualness, effectuality
the power to be effective
efficacy, efficaciousness
capacity or power to produce a desired effect
form
an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night"
powerlessness, impotence, impotency
the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble
helplessness, weakness, impuissance
powerlessness revealed by an inability to act; "in spite of their weakness the group remains highly active"
uninterestingness
inability to capture or hold one's interest
unpersuasiveness
inability to persuade
dullness, dulness
the quality of lacking interestingness
boringness, dreariness
extreme dullness
tediousness, tedium, tiresomeness
dullness owing to length or slowness
jejunity, jejuneness, tameness, vapidity, vapidness
the quality of being vapid and unsophisticated
stardust
a dreamy romantic or sentimental quality
ineffectiveness, ineffectualness, ineffectuality
lacking the power to be effective
inefficacy, inefficaciousness
a lack of efficacy
romanticism, romance
an exciting and mysterious quality (as of a heroic time or adventure)
analyticity
the property of being analytic
selectivity
the property of being selective
domesticity
the quality of being domestic or domesticated: "a royal family living in unpretentious domesticity"
stuff
unspecified qualities required to do or be something; "the stuff of heros"; "you don't have the stuff to be a United States Marine"
solubility
the quality of being soluble
insolubility
the quality of being insoluble
hot stuff
(informal) the quality of being attractive and exciting (especially sexually exciting); "he thought she was really hot stuff"
tone
the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author; "the general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw"; "from the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome"
humor, humour
the quality of being funny; "I fail to see the humor in it"
pathos, poignancy
a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow); "the film captured all the pathos of their situation"
astuteness, profundity, profoundness, depth
the intellectual ability to penetrate deeply into ideas
eye
good discernment (either with the eyes or as if with the eyes); "she has an eye for fresh talent"; "he has an artist's eye"
sagacity, sagaciousness, judgment, judgement, discernment
ability to make good judgments
common sense, good sense, gumption, horse sense, sense, mother wit
sound practical judgment; "he hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples"
logic
reasoned and reasonable judgment; "it made a certain kind of logic"
nous
(British) common sense; "she has great social nous"
road sense
good judgment in avoiding trouble or accidents on the road
discretion, discreetness, circumspection, prudence
knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; "the servants showed great tact and discretion"
judiciousness
good judgment
confidentiality
discretion in keeping secret information
caution, precaution, care, forethought
judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger; "he exercised caution in opening the door"; "he handled the vase with care"
injudiciousness, indiscreetness
lacking good judgment
pyrotechnics
brilliance of display (as in the performance of music)
acuteness, acuity, sharpness, keenness
a quick and penetrating intelligence; "he argued with great acuteness"; "I admired the keenness of his mind"
steel trap
an acute intelligence (an analogy based on the well known sharpness of steel traps); "he's as sharp as a steel trap"; "a mind like a steel trap"
cunning
shrewdness in deception; "as cunning as a fox"
brightness, cleverness, smartness
intelligence as manifested in being quick and witty
knowingness
shrewdness demonstrated by knowledge
shrewdness, astuteness, perspicacity, perspicaciousness
intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)
insightfulness, acumen
shrewdness shown by keen insight
craft, craftiness, cunning, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness
shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
perfectibility, perfectability
the capability of becoming perfect; "he believes in the ultimate perfectability of man"
flight
passing above and beyond ordinary bounds; "a flight of fancy"; "flights of rhetoric"; "flights of imagination"
raw talent
powerfully impressive talent
fecundity, fruitfulness
the intellectual fruitfulness of a creative imagination
fancy
fancy was held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than imagination
genius, wizardry
exceptional creative ability
pipe dream, dream
a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe); "I have this pipe dream about being emperor of the universe"
fantasy life, phantasy life
an imaginary life lived in a fantasy world
fantasy world, phantasy world, fairyland
a place existing solely in the imagination (but often mistaken for reality)
originality
the ability to think and act independently
contrivance
the faculty of contriving; inventive skill; "his skillful contrivance of answers to every problem"
innovativeness
originality by virtue of introducing new ideas
novelty, freshness
originality by virtue of being new and surprising
unconventionality
originality by virtue of being unconventional
musicianship
artistry in performing music
virtuosity
technical skill or fluency or style exhibited by a virtuoso
coordination
the skillful and effective interaction of movements
professionalism
the expertness characteristic of a professional person
adeptness, adroitness, deftness, facility, quickness
skillful performance without difficulty; "his quick adeptness was a product of good design"
incoordination
a lack of coordination of movements
versatility
having a wide variety of skills
command, control, mastery
great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity; "a good command of French"
touch
deftness in handling matters; "he has a master's touch"
brushwork
an artist's distinctive technique of applying paint with a brush
dexterity, manual dexterity, sleight
adroitness in using the hands
fluency
skillfulness in speaking or writing
proficiency, facility, technique
skillfulness in the command of fundamentals deriving from practice and familiarity; "practice greatly improves proficiency"
efficiency
skillfulness in avoiding wasted time and effort; "she did the work with great efficiency"
economy
the efficient use of resources; "economy of effort"
stupidity
a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience
denseness, dumbness, slow-wittedness
the quality of being mentally slow and limited
dullness, dulness, obtuseness
the quality of being slow to understand
imbecility
retardation more severe than a moron but not as severe as an idiot
feeblemindedness
severe mental deficiency
moronity, mental deficiency
mild mental retardation
idiocy, amentia
extreme mental retardation
folly, foolishness, craziness
the quality of being rash and foolish
talentlessness
a lack of talent
awkwardness, clumsiness, ineptness, ineptitude, maladroitness, slowness
unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training
unskillfulness
a lack of cognitive skill
inefficiency
unskillfulness resulting from a lack of efficiency
amateurishness
something that demonstrates a lack of professional competency
unoriginality
uncreativeness due to a lack of originality
uncreativeness
a lack of creativity
fruitlessness
a lack of creative imagination
camp
something that is considered amusing not because of its originality but because of its unoriginality; "the livingroom was pure camp"
triteness, staleness
unoriginality as a result of being dull and hackneyed
conventionality
unoriginality as a result of being too conventional
frame of reference
a system of assumptions and standards that sanction behavior and give it meaning
vocabulary
the system of techniques or symbols serving as a means of expression (as in arts or crafts); "he introduced a wide vocabulary of techniques"
nosiness, prying, snoopiness
offensive inquisitiveness
mystery, enigma, secret, closed book
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained; "how it got out is a mystery"; "it remains one of nature's secrets"
cognitive factor
something immaterial (as a circumstance or influence) that contributes to producing a result
complication, tangle, snarl
something jumbled or confused
dilemma, quandary
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
difficulty
a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result; "serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent"
trouble, problem
a source of difficulty: "one trouble after another delayed the job"; "what's the problem?"
matter
a problem; "is anything the matter?"
facer
(a dated Briticism) a serious difficulty with which one is suddenly faced
pitfall
an unforeseen or unexpected difficulty
snorter
(British) something outstandingly difficult; "the problem was a real snorter"
stymie
a thwarting and distressing situation
clincher, decisive factor
a point or fact or remark that settles something conclusively
imponderable
a factor whose effects cannot be accurately assessed: "human behavior depends on many imponderables"
support
something providing immaterial support or assistance to a person or cause or interest; "the policy found little public support"; "his faith was all the support he needed"; "the team enjoyed the support of their fans"
morale builder
something or someone who influences by building or strengthening morale
pestilence
a pernicious evil influence
anchor, mainstay, backbone, linchpin, lynchpin
a central cohesive source of support and stability: "faith is his anchor"; "he is the linchpin of this firm"
lifeline
support that enables people to survive or to continue doing something (often by providing an essential connection); "the airlift provided a lifeline for Berlin"; "she offered me a lifeline in my time of grief"
bait, come-on, hook, lure, sweetener
anything that serves as an enticement
temptation, enticement
something tempting or enticing
forbidden fruit
the original forbidden fruit was an apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden; it is now used to refer to anything that is tempting but dangerous (as sexuality)
allurement
attractiveness; "its allure was its remoteness"
match
something that resembles or harmonizes with; "that tie makes a good match with your jacket"
complement
either of two parts that mutually complete each other
substitute, replacement
a person or thing that takes or can take the place of another
advertence, advertency
the process of being heedful
hang-up
(informal) an emotional preoccupation
hobbyhorse
a topic to which on constantly reverts: "don't get him started on his hobbyhorse"
jealousy
zealous vigilance: "cherish their official political freedom with fierce jealousy"-Paul Blanshard
disregard, neglect
lack of attention and due care
penetration, insight
clear or deep perception of a situation
discernment, perceptiveness
perception of that which is obscure
overvaluation
too high a value or price assigned to something
undervaluation
too low a value or price assigned to something
underevaluation
an appraisal that underestimates the value of something
hairsplitting, word-splitting
making too fine distinctions of little importance; "they didn't take his hairsplitting seriously"
Rubicon, point of no return
a line that when crossed permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment
virtu, vertu, connoisseurship
love of or taste for fine objects of art
taste, appreciation, discernment, perceptiveness
delicate discrimination (especially of aesthetic values); "arrogance and lack of taste contributed to his rapid success"; "to ask at that particular time was the ultimate in bad taste"
fashion
the latest and most admired style in clothes and cosmetics and behavior
vogue, trend, style
the popular taste at a given time; "leather is the latest vogue"; "he followed current trends"; "the 1920s had a style of their own"
bandwagon
a popular trend that attracts growing support; "when they saw how things were going everybody jumped on the bandwagon"
haute couture, high fashion
trend-setting fashions
fad, craze, furor, furore, cult, rage
an interest followed with exaggerated zeal: "he always follows the latest fads"; "it was all the rage that season"
culture
the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group
delicacy, discretion
refined taste; tact
counterculture
a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture
letters
the literary culture; "this book shows American letters at its best"
mass culture
the culture that is widely disseminated via the mass media
flower power
a counterculture of young people in the US during the 1960s and 70s
crossroads
a point where a choice must be made; "Freud's work stands at the crossroads between psychology and neurology"
pseudoscience
an activity resembling science but based on fallacious assumptions
pleasure
a formal expression; "he serves at the pleasure of the President"
favorite, favourite
something regarded with special favor or liking; "that book is one of my favorites"
cull, reject
the person or thing rejected or set aside as inferior in quality
option, alternative, choice
an alternative action; "what option did I have?" or "there no other alternative" or "my only choice is to refuse"
obverse
the more conspicuous of two alternatives or cases or sides: "the obverse of this issue"
key
something crucial for explaining; "the key to development is economic integration"
smattering
a slight or superficial understanding of a subject
appreciation, grasp, hold
understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something; "he has a good grasp of accounting practices"
grasping
understanding with difficulty; "the lecture was beyond his most strenuous graspings"
sense
a natural appreciation; "a keen musical sense"; "a good sense of timing"
hindsight
understanding the nature of an event after it has happened; "hindisght is always better than foresight"
insight, brainstorm, brainwave
the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation
light
mental understanding as an enlightening experience; "he finally saw the light"; "can you shed light on this problem?"
revelation
an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
discovery, breakthrough, find
a productive insight
flash
a sudden brilliant understanding; "he had a flash of intuition"
tradition
an inherited pattern of thought or action
world, reality
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you; "his world was shattered"; "we live in different worlds"; "for them demons were as much a part of reality as trees were"
real world, real life
the practical world as opposed to the academic world; "a good consultant must have a lot of experience in the real world"
food for thought, pabulum, intellectual nourishment
intellectual sustenance
cynosure
something that strongly attracts attention (as the north star attracts mariners); "let faith be your cynosure to walk by"
infatuation
an object of extravagant short-lived passion
love, passion
any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love" or "he has a passion for cock fighting"
minutia
a small or minor detail; "he had memorized the many minutiae of the legal code"
nook and cranny, nooks and crannies
something remote; "he explored every nook and cranny of science"
technicality, trifle, triviality
a detail that is considered insignificant
turn-on
(informal) something causing excitement or stimulating interest
turnoff, negative stimulation
(informal) something causing antagonism or loss of interest
irritant, thorn
something that causes irritation and annoyance; "he's a thorn in my flesh"
bonus, fillip
anything that tends to arouse; "his approval was an added fillip"
joy, delight, pleasure
something or someone that provides pleasure; a source of happiness; "a joy to behold"; "the pleasure of his company"; "the new car is a delight"
annoyance, nuisance, bother, botheration, pain, pain in the neck, pain in the ass
something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "a bit of a bother"
bugaboo
a source of concern; "the old bugaboo of inflation still bothers them"
concern, worry, headache, vexation
something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness; "New York traffic is a constant concern"; "it's a major worry"
burden, load, encumbrance, incumbrance, onus
an onerous or difficult concern; "the burden of responsibility"; "that's a load off my mind"
business
a rightful concern or responsibility; used in such phrases as "it's none of your business" or "mind your own business"
imposition
an uncalled-for burden; "he listened but resented the imposition"
fardel
(archaic) a burden (figuratively in the form of a bundle)
inspiration
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
source, seed, germ
anything that provides inspiration for later work
muse
the source of an artist's inspiration; "Euterpe was his muse"
mother
a condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation; "necessity is the mother of invention"
afflatus
a strong creative impulse; divine inspiration
self-absorption
preoccupation with yourself to the exclusion of everything else
trap, snare
something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares; "the exam was full of trap questions"; "it was all a snare and delusion"
iron trap
a trap from which there is no escape
excellence
something in which something or some one excels: "the use of herbs is one of the excellences of French cuisine"
peculiarity, distinctive feature
an odd or unusual characteristic
leaven, leavening
an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something; "his sermons benefited from a leavening of humor"
fundamentals, basics, fundamental principle, basic principle, bedrock
principles from which other truths can be derived; "first you must learn the fundamentals"; "let's get down to basics"
priestcraft
a derogatory reference to priests who use their influence to control secular or political affairs
figment
a contrived or fantastic idea; "a figment of the imagination"
pillar
a fundamental principle or practice; "science eroded the pillars of superstition"
heart, bosom
the locus of feelings and intuitions; "in your heart you know it is true"; "her story would melt your bosom"
notion, whim, whimsy, whimsey
a whimsical idea; "the theatrical notion of disguise is associated with disaster in his stories"
meaning, sense, substance
the idea that is intended; "What is the sense of this proverb?"
significance, import, implication
a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred; "the significance of his remark became clear only later"; "the expectation was spread both by word and by implication"
kernel, substance, core, center, essence, gist, heart, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience: "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the nub of the story"
stuff
a critically important or characteristic component; "suspense is the very stuff of narrative"
hypostasis
(metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality
quintessence
the purest and most concentrated essence of something
tenor, strain
pervading note of an utterance; "I could follow the general tenor of his argument"
undertone, undercurrent
subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning
drift, purport
general meaning or tenor: "caught the drift of the conversation"
connotation
an idea that is implied or suggested
ideal
the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain
value
an ideal accepted by some individual or group; "he has old-fashioned values"
criterion, standard
the ideal in terms of which something can be judged; "they live by the standards of their community"
exemplar, example, model, good example
something to be imitated; "an exemplar of success"; "a model of clarity"; "he is the very model of a modern major general"
ego ideal
an ideal of personal excellence toward which a person strives
beauty, beaut
an outstanding example of its kind; "his roses were beauties"; "when I make a mistake it's a beaut"
keynote
a fundamental or central idea
reconditeness, abstruseness, abstrusity, profoundness, profundity
wisdom that is recondite and abstruse and profound; "the anthropologist was impressed by the reconditeness of the native proverbs"
stereotype
a conventional or formulaic conception or image: "regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding"
antitype
a person or thing represented or foreshadowed by a type or symbol; especially a figure in the Old Testament having a counterpart in the New Testament
phantasmagoria
a constantly changing medley or real or imagined images (as in a dream)
lodestar, loadstar
something that serves as a model or guide
prototype, paradigm, epitome, image
a standard or typical example; "he is the prototype of good breeding"; "he provided America with an image of the good father"
imago
(psychoanalysis) an idealized image of someone (usually a parent) formed in childhood
front
the outward appearance of a person; "he put up a bold front"
mirage
something illusory and unattainable
blur, fuzz
a hazy or indistinct representation; "it happened so fast it was just a blur"; "he tried to clear his head of the whisky fuzz"
possibility
a future prospect or potential; "this room has great possibilities"
foretaste
an early limited awareness of something yet to occur
diabolism, demonism, Satanism
the worship of devils (especially Satan)
enchantment, bewitchment
a magical spell
edification, sophistication
uplifting enlightenment
outlier
an extreme deviation from the mean
direction
a general course along which something has a tendency to develop; "I couldn't follow the direction of his thoughts"; "his ideals determined the direction of his career"; "they proposed a new direction for the firm"
drift, trend
a general tendency as of opinion: "not openly liberal but that is the tendency of the book"
Call
a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course; "he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call"
liberality, liberalness
an inclination to favor progress and individual freedom
parochialism
a limitation of views or interests like that defined by a local parish
pettiness
narrowness of mind or ideas or views
provincialism
a lack of sophistication
bigotry, dogmatism
the intolerance and prejudice of a bigot
fanaticism, zealotry
excessive intolerance of opposing views
profaneness
an attitude of irreverence or contempt for a divinity
reverence
a reverent mental attitude
irreverence
an irreverent mental attitude
wavelength
a shared orientation leading to mutual understanding; "they are on the same wavelength"
vanguard, forefront, cutting edge
the position of greatest advancement; the leading position in any movement or field
reception
quality or fidelity of a received broadcast
overestimate, overestimation, overvaluation, overappraisal
an appraisal that is too high
overtone
(usually plural) an ulterior implicit meaning or quality; "overtones of despair"
nuance, nicety, shade, subtlety, refinement
a subtle difference in meaning
bottom line
the decisive point
crux, crux of the matter
the most important point
nonsense, nonsensicality, meaninglessness
a message that seems to convey no meaning
buzzword, cant
stock phrases that have become nonsense through endless repetition
absurdity, absurdness, ridiculousness
a message whose content is at variance with reason
balderdash, fiddle-faddle, piffle
trivial nonsense
fa la, fal la
meaningless syllables in the refrain of a part-song
incoherence, incoherency, unintelligibility
nonsense that is simply incoherent and unintelligible
gibberish, gibber
unintelligible talking
palaver, hot air, empty words, empty talk, rhetoric
loud and confused and empty talk; "mere rhetoric"
mummery, flummery
meaningless ceremonies and flattery
rigmarole, rigamarole
a set of confused and meaningless statements
stuff, stuff and nonsense, hooey, poppycock
senseless talk; "don't give me that stuff"
babble, babbling
gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
abracadabra
gibberish and nonsense
double Dutch
(colloquial British) incomprehensible talk
blather, blatherskite
foolish gibberish
double talk
deliberately unintelligible gibberish
baloney, boloney, bilgewater, bosh, drool, humbug, taradiddle, tarradiddle, tommyrot, tosh, twaddle
pretentious or silly talk or writing
jabber, jabbering, gabble
rapid and indistinct speech
chickenshit
a false statement that is considered to indicate timidity or fear
bullshit, bull, Irish bull, horseshit, shit, crap, bunk, bunkum, buncombe, guff, rot, hogwash, dogshit
a ludicrously false statement
folderol, rubbish, tripe, trumpery, trash, wish-wash, applesauce
nonsensical talk or writing
pap, pablum
worthless or oversimplified ideas
drivel
a worthless message
mumbo jumbo
language that is unnecessarily difficult to understand
trace, vestige, shadow
a clue that something has been present; "there wasn't a trace of evidence for the claim"
dodge, dodging, scheme
a statement that evades the question by cleverness or trickery
fairytale, fairy story, cock-and-bull story, song and dance
an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse
understatement
a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said
litote
an understatement that expresses an affirmative thought negatively; "printing wasn't a bad idea"
circumlocution, indirect expression
an indirect way of expressing something
evasion, equivocation
a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth
doublespeak
any language that pretends to communicate but actually does not
hedge, hedging
an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement
quibble
an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections
weasel word
an equivocal qualification; a word used to avoid making an outright assertion
shot, shaft, slam, dig, barb, jibe, gibe
an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect; "his parting shot was `drop dead'"; "she threw shafts of sarcasm"; "she takes a dig at me every chance she gets"
wisecrack, crack, sally, quip
witty remark
sarcasm, irony, satire, caustic remark
witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"
wit, humor, humour, witticism, wittiness
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
jeu d'esprit
a witty comment or writing
bon mot
a clever remark
punch line, laugh line, gag line, tag line
the point of a joke or humorous story
repartee
adroitness and cleverness in reply
banter, raillery, give-and-take, backchat
light teasing repartee
badinage
frivolous banter
persiflage
light teasing
joke, gag, laugh, jest, jape, yak, wheeze
a humorous anecdote or remark
ethnic joke
a joke at the expense of some ethnic group
belly laugh, sidesplitter, howler, thigh-slapper, scream, wow, riot
a joke that seems extremely funny
dirty joke, dirty story, blue joke, blue story
an indelicate joke
funny story, good story
an account of an amusing incident (usually with a punch line)
shaggy dog story
a long rambling joke whose humor derives from its pointlessness
one-liner
a one-line joke
sight gag, visual joke
a joke whose effect is achieved by visual means rather than by speech (as in a movie)
sick joke
a joke in bad taste
fun, play, sport
verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"
drollery, clowning, comedy, funniness
a comic incident or series of incidents
jocosity, jocularity
fun characterized by humor
waggery, waggishness
waggish behavior
pun, punning, wordplay
a humorous play on words; "I do it for the pun of it"
ribaldry
ribald humor
approximation
an imprecise or incomplete account; "newspapers gave only an approximation of the actual events"
puzzle, puzzler
a particularly baffling problem; "That's a real puzzler"
poser, stumper, toughie
a particularly difficult or baffling question or problem
riddle, conundrum, enigma, brain-teaser
a difficult problem
Gordian knot
any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms
pons asinorum
a problem that severely tests the ability of an inexperienced person
array
an impressive display; "it was a bewildering array of books"; "his tools were in an orderly array on the basement wall"
spectacle
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight); "the tragic spectacle of cripples trying to escape"
exhibitionism
extravagant and conspicuous behavior intended to attract attention to yourself
ostentation, fanfare
a showy outward display
bravado, bluster
a swaggering show of courage
splurge
an ostentatious display (of effort or extravagance etc.)
pedantry
a ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
coup de theatre
a highly successful theatrical production
coup de theatre
a sensational bit of stagecraft
bathos
triteness or triviality of style
ecobabble
using the technical language of ecology to make the user seem ecologically aware
euphuism
any artificially elegant style of language
eloquence, fluency
powerful and effective language
Eurobabble
the jargon of European community documents and regulations
gobbledygook
incomprehensible or pompous jargon of specialists
grandiosity, magniloquence, grandiloquence, rhetoric
high_flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
prose
matter_of_fact, commonplace, or dull expression
pathos
a style that has the power to evoke feelings
psychobabble
using language loaded with psychological terminology
rhetoric
using language effectively to please or persuade
archaism, archaicism
the use of an archaic expression
mot juste
the appropriate word or expression
sharp tongue
a bitter or critical manner of speaking
shibboleth
a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people
elocution
an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
barrage, outpouring, onslaught
the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)
bombast, fustian, rant, claptrap, blah
pompous or pretentious talk or writing
terseness
a neatly short and concise expressive style
sesquipedality
using long words
sensationalism, luridness
the journalistic use of subject matter that appeals to vulgar tastes; "the tabloids relied on sensationalism to maintain their circulation"
technobabble
technical jargon from computing and other high-tech subjects
conciseness, pithiness, succinctness
terseness achieved by expressing a great deal in just a few words
verboseness, verbosity
an expressive style that uses excessive words
crispness
a style of expression that is direct and to the point; "the crispness of his reply"
brevity
the use of brief expressions
laconism, laconicism
terseness of expression
repetitiveness, repetitiousness
verboseness resulting from excessive repetitions
verbiage
overabundance of words
prolixity, prolixness, long-windedness, wordiness
boring verboseness
circumlocution, periphrasis
a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
turgidity, turgidness, flatulence
pompously embellished language
tautology
useless repetition; "to say that something is `adequate enough' is a tautology"
pleonasm
using more words than necessary; "a tiny little child"
bawdry, bawdy
lewd or obscene talk or writing; " it was smoking-room bawdry" or "they published a collection of Elizabethan bawdy"
blasphemy
blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)
obscenity, vulgarism
obscene word or phrase
curse, curse word, expletive, oath, swearing, swearword, cuss
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
scatology
a preoccupation with scatology
profanity
vulgar or irreverent speech or action
detail
extended treatment of particulars; "the essay contained too much detail"
imbroglio
a very embarrassing misunderstanding
shocker
a sensational message (in a film or play or novel)
sensationalism
subject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes
reference point, point of reference, reference
an indicator that orients you generally; "it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved"
voice
something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression; "the wee small voice of conscience"; "the voice of experience"; "he said his voices told him to do it"
avalanche
a sudden appearance of an overwhelming number of things; "the program brought an avalanche of mail"
background
relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation: "when the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background"
appalling
an experience that appalls; "is it better to view the appalling or merely hear of it?"
augury, sign
an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come; "he hoped it was an augury"; "it was a sign from God"
omen, portent, presage, prognostic
a sign of something about to happen; "he looked for an omen before going into battle"
war cloud
an ominous sign that war threatens
flash, flashing
a short vivid experience; "a flash of emotion swept over him"; "the flashings of pain were a warning"
auspice
a favorable omen
foreboding
an unfavorable omen
death knell
an omen of death or destruction
taste
a brief experience of something; "he got a taste of life on the wild side"; "she enjoyed her brief taste of independence"
ordeal
a severe or trying experience
time
a person's experience on a particular occasion; "he had a time holding back the tears" or "they had a good time together"
vision
a religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance; "he had a vision of the Virgin Mary"
wonder, marvel
something that causes feelings of wonder; "the wonders of modern science"
miracle
a marvellous event manifesting a supernatural act of God
trouble
an event causing distress or pain; "what is the trouble?"; "heart trouble"
miracle
any amazing or wonderful occurrence
feast
something experienced with great delight; "a feast for the eyes"
drama, dramatic event
an episode that is turbulent or highly emotional
fair deal, square deal
fair treatment
raw deal
unfair treatment
poetic justice, just deserts
an outcome in which virtue triumphs over vice (often ironically)
worst
the least favorable outcome; "the worst that could happen"
wages, reward, payoff
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing; "the wages of sin is death"; "virtue is its own reward"
bombshell, thunderbolt, thunderclap
a shocking surprise; "news of the attack came like a bombshell"
surprise
a sudden unexpected event
shock, blow
an unpleasant or disappointing surprise; "it came as a shock to learn that he was injured"; "it was blow to their hopes of reconciliation"
coup de theatre
a dramatic surprise
eye opener
something surprising and revealing
stunner
an unexpected and amazing event: "the stunner was what happened on Saturday"
pity, shame
an unfortunate development; "it's a pity he couldn't do it"
misfortune, bad luck
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble
affliction
a cause of great suffering and distress
embarrassment
some event that causes someone to be embarrassed; "the outcome of the vote was an embarrassment for the liberals"
hell, blaze
a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to blazes"
disembarrassment
something that extricates you from embarrassment
onslaught
a sudden and severe onset of trouble
calvary, martyrdom
any experience that causes intense suffering
scandal, outrage
a disgraceful event
idyll
an episode of such pastoral or romantic charm as to qualify as the subject of a poetic idyll
rupture, breach, break, severance, rift, falling out
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"
calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysm
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"
mishap, misadventure, mischance
an instance of misfortune
apocalypse
a cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil
break, good luck, happy chance
an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"
Godspeed
a successful journey; "they wished him Godspeed"
barnburner
(informal) a impressively successful event; "the rock concert was a real barnburner"
anticlimax
a disappointing decline after ad previous rise: "the anticlimax of a brilliant career"
Word of God
a manifestation of the mind and will of God
epiphany
a divine manifestation
doom, doomsday, day of reckoning
an unpleasant or disastrous destiny; "everyone was aware of the approaching doom but was helpless to avoid it"
adversity
a stroke of ill fortune; a calamitous event: "a period marked by adversities"
knock
a bad experience; "the school of hard knocks"
hardship
something that causes or entails suffering: "I cannot thinking it a hardship that more more indulgence is allowed to men than to women"- James Boswell; "the many hardships of frontier life"
improvement, betterment, advance
a change for the better; progress in development
easing, moderation, relief
a change for the better
refinement, elaboration
the result of improving something; "he described a refinement of this technique"
sideshow
a subordinate incident of little importance relative to the main event; "instruction is not an educational sideshow"
turkey, bomb, dud
an event that fails badly or is totally ineffectual; "the first experiment was a real turkey"; "the meeting was a dud as far as new business was concerned"
flop, bust
a complete failure; "the play was a dismal flop"
debacle, fiasco
a sudden and violent collapse
monstrosity
something hideous or frightful; "they regarded the atom bomb as a monstrosity"
adjustment, accommodation, fitting
making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances
fuss, trouble, bother, hassle
an angry disturbance; "he didn't want to make a fuss"; "they had labor trouble"; "a spot of bother"
trial, tribulation, visitation
an annoying or frustrating event; "his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"; "life is full of tribulations"; "a visitation of the plague"
news event
a newsworthy event
juncture, occasion
an event that occurs at a critical time; "at such junctures he always had an impulse to leave"; "it was needed only on special occasions"
pass, head, straits
a difficult juncture; "a pretty pass"; "matters came to a head yesterday"
climax, flood tide
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding: "the climax of the artist's career"; "in the flood tide of his success"
landmark, turning point
an event marking a unique or important historical change or one on which important developments depend
conjuncture
a critical combination of events or circumstances
emergency, exigency, pinch
a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action; "he never knew what to do in an emergency"
crisis
a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something; "after the crisis the patient either dies or gets better"
road to Damascus
a sudden turning point in a person's life (similar to the sudden conversion of the Apostle Paul on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus of arrest Christians)
Fall of Man
(Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology--when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden God punished them by driving them out of the Garden and into the world where they would be subject to sickness and pain and eventual death
milestone
a significant event in your life (or in a project)
conservation, preservation
an occurrence of improvement by virtue of preventing loss or injury or other change
recovery
return to an original state; "the recovery of the forest after the fire was surprisingly rapid"
fire
a severe trial; "he went through fire and damnation"
curse, torment
a severe affliction
expense
a detriment or sacrifice; "at the expense of"
damage, harm, impairment
the occurrence of a change for the worse
development
a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation; "recent developments in Iraq"; "what a revolting development!"
turn, turn of events, twist
an unforeseen development; "events suddenly took an awkward turn"
revolution
a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving; "the industrial revolution was also a cultural revolution"
phenomenon
a remarkable development
complication, ramification
a development that complicates a situation; "the court's decision had many unforeseen ramifications"
distortion, deformation
a change for the worse
warp, warping
a moral or mental distortion
rush
a sudden burst of activity; "come back after the rush"; "he joined the gold rush"
springtide
a swelling rush of anything; "he rose on the springtide of prosperity"
whirl, commotion
confused movement; "he was caught up in a whirl of work"; "a commotion of people fought for the exits"
reverse, reversal, setback, blow
an unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
boom, bonanza, goldmine, manna from heaven
a sudden happening that brings very good fortune
Fall
the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve; "women have been blamed ever since the Fall"
shipwreck
an irretrievable loss; "that was the shipwreck of their romance"
silver lining, bright side
a consoling aspect of a difficult situation; "every cloud has a silver lining" or "look on the bright side of it"
maleficence
doing or causing evil
ensemble, tout ensemble
an assemblage of parts or details (as in a work of art) considered as forming a whole
amalgam
a combination or blend of diverse things; "his theory is an amalgam of earlier ideas"
overpopulation, overspill
too much population
lunatic fringe
a political unit with extreme and fanatical views
rabble, riffraff, ragtag, ragtag and bobtail
disparaging terms for the common people
smart money
people who are highly experienced or who have inside information; "the smart money said Truman would lose the election"
trash, scum
worthless people
stream, flow, current
dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas: "two streams of development run through American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of thought"; "the current of history"
ambiance, ambience
the atmosphere of an environment
depth
(usually plural) the deepest and most remote part; "from the depths of darkest Africa"; "signals received from the depths of space"
cloud-cuckoo-land
a place where you say people are when they seem optimistically out of touch with reality
eden, paradise, nirvana, heaven, promised land, Shangri-la
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
stage
any scene regarded as a setting for exhibiting or doing something; "All the world's a stage"--Shakespeare; "it set the stage for peaceful negotiations"
pool, puddle
something resembling a pool of liquid; "he stood in a pool of light"; "his chair sat in a puddle of books and magazines"
vagabond
anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place; "pirate ships were vagabonds of the sea"
wall
anything that suggests a wall in structure or effect; "a wall of water"; "a wall of smoke"; "a wall of prejudice"
anticipation
some early entity whose type or style anticipates a later one; "there were many anticipations of Darwinian theory"; "the hour glass was an anticipation of the clock"
web
an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving; "the trees cast a delicate web of shadows over the lawn"
boy
offensive term for Black man; "get out of my way boy"
colored person, colored
a US term for Blacks that is now considered offensive
darky, darkie, darkey
offensive term for Black people
nigger, spade, coon, jigaboo, nigra
ethnic slur; offensive name for Black person
Tom, Uncle Tom
contemptuous name for a Black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to Whites
white trash, poor white trash, poor white
an offensive term for White people who are impoverished
whitey, honky
offensive name for White person
coolie, cooly
an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer
yellow woman
offensive term for an Oriental woman
yellow man
offensive term for an Oriental man
gook, slant-eye
a disparaging term for an Asian person (especially for North Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War)
Redskin, Injun, red man
offensive terms for Native Americans
kike
ethnic slur; offensive term for a Jew
chink, Chinaman
offensive terms for a person of Chinese descent
pommy, pom
(Australian and New Zealand) a disparaging term for English immigrants to Australia or New Zealand
limey, John Bull
a man of English descent
frog, Gaul
a person of French descent
Paddy, Mick, Mickey
ethnic slur; a person of Irish descent
wop, dago, Guinea, greaseball
ethnic slur; offensive terms for a person of Italian descent
Jap, Nip
a person of Japanese descent
spic, spik, spick
ethnic slur; offensive terms for persons of Latin American descent
greaser, wetback, taco
ethnic slur; offensive terms for a person of Mexican descent
Kraut, Krauthead, Boche, Jerry, Hun
offensive terms for a person of German descent
asshole, bastard, cocksucker, shit, mother fucker, motherfucker, mother, prick, son of a bitch, SOB
(obscene) insulting terms of address
bag, old bag
an ugly or ill-tempered woman; "he was romancing the old bag for her money"
baggage
a worthless or immoral woman
battle-ax, battle-axe
a sharp-tongued domineering wife
Bolshevik, Marxist, pinko, red
emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals
bore, dullard
a person who evokes boredom
broad
slang term for a woman; "a broad is a woman who can throw a mean punch"
bull, cop, copper, fuzz, pig
(informal) uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
bullyboy
a swaggering tough; usually one acting as an agent of a political faction
bully, tough, hooligan, ruffian, roughneck, rowdy, yob, yobo, yobbo
a cruel and brutal fellow
bungler, blunderer, fumbler, bumbler, sad sack, botcher, butcher, fuckup
someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence
butch, dyke
a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
butcher
a brutal indiscriminate murderer
cunt, bitch
a woman who is thoroughly disliked; "she said her son thought Hilary was a bitch"
fagot, faggot, fag, fairy, pansy, queer, poof, poove, pouf
a disparaging term for an openly homosexual man
freak, monster, monstrosity, lusus naturae
a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed
frump, dog
a dull unattractive unpleasant girl or woman; "she got a reputation as a frump"; "she's a real dog"
fucker
a stupid despised man
gringo
a Latin American (disparaging) term for foreigners (especially Americans and Englishmen)
hag, beldam, beldame, witch, crone
an ugly evil-looking old woman
paynim
a heathen (especially a Muslim)
hillbilly, bushwhacker
a disparaging term for an unsophisticated person
jezebel
a shameless impudent scheming woman
kaffir, kafir, caffer, caffre
(South Africa) an offensive term for any Black African
mammy
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
ideal, paragon, nonpareil, saint, apotheosis, nonesuch, nonsuch
model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
pickaninny, piccaninny, picaninny
(offensive) a Black child
runt, shrimp, peewee, half-pint
disparaging terms for small people
shegetz
an offensive term for non-Jewish young man; "why does she like all those shkotzim?"
shiksa, shikse
a derogatory term used by Jews to refer to non-Jewish women
silly
a word used for misbehaving children; "don't be a silly"
sissy, pantywaist, pansy, milksop, Milquetoast
a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive
slattern, slut, slovenly woman
a dirty untidy woman
wanton
lewd or lascivious woman
worm, louse, insect, dirt ball
has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect
worthy
word is often used humorously
bad luck, mischance, mishap
an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate; "if I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all"
good luck, fluke, good fortune
a stroke of luck
hot weather, heat wave, hot spell
a period of unusually hot weather
scorcher
an extremely hot day
sultriness
oppressively hot and humid weather
leverage, purchase
the mechanical advantage gained by being in a position to use a lever
rejuvenation, greening
the phenomenon of vitality and freshness being restored; "the annual rejuvenation of the landscape"
overstrain
too much strain
toss-up, even chance
an unpredictable phenomenon; "it's a toss-up whether he will win or lose"
own right
by title vested in oneself or by virtue of qualifications one has achieved; "a peer of the realm in his own right"; "a leading sports figure in his own right"; "a fine opera in its own right"
pile
informal: a large sum of money
song
a very small sum; "he bought it for a song"
travel bargain
a bargain rate for travellers on commercial routes (usually air routes)
easy money, gravy train
income obtained with a minimum of effort
easy money
the economic condition in which credit is easy to secure
tight money
the economic condition in which credit is difficult to secure
windfall profit
profit that occurs unexpectedly as a consequence of some event not controlled by those who profit from it
killing, cleanup
(informal) a very large profit
windfall, gravy, bunce, godsend
a sudden unexpected piece of good fortune
overcompensation
excessive compensation
meed
(archaic) a fitting reward
rack rent
an extortionate rent
fringe benefit, perquisite, perk
an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right); "a limousine is one of the fringe benefits of the job"
appanage, apanage
any customary and rightful perquisite appropriate to your station in life
pittance
an inadequate payment; "they work all day for a mere pittance"
retribution, requittal
a justly deserved penalty
undercharge
a price that is too low
overcharge
a price that is too high
extortion
an exorbitant charge
usury
an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest
loss
something that is lost; "the car was a total loss"; "loss of livestock left the rancher bankrupt"
wastage
anything lost by wear or waste
hot stock, hot issue
newly issued stock that is in great public demand
smart money
money bet or invested by experienced gamblers or investors (especially if they have inside information)
gamble
money that is risked for possible monetary gain
stake, stakes, bet, wager
the money risked on a gamble
wealth, riches
an abundance of material possessions and resources
gold
great wealth; "Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold, and almost every vice--almighty gold"--Ben Jonson
means, substance
considerable capital (wealth or income); "he is a man of means"
pork barrel, pork
a legislative appropriation designed to ingratiate legislators with their constituents
comforts, creature comforts, amenities, conveniences
things that make you comfortable and at ease; "all the comforts of home"
fortune
a large amount of wealth or prosperity
valuable
something of value; "all our valuables were stolen"
swag
(informal) valuable goods
king's ransom
a very large treasure
cheap money
credit available at low rates of interest
shiplaster
paper money of little value issued on insufficient security
small change, chickenfeed
a trifling sum of money
bad debt
a debt that is unlikely to be repaid
malabsorption
abnormal absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract
overactivity
excessive activity; "overactivity of the sebaceous glands causes the skin to become oily"
deepening
a process of becoming deeper and more profound
development, evolution
a process in which something passes by degrees to a more advanced or mature stage; "the development of his ideas took many years"; "the evolution of Greek civilization"; "the slow development of her skill as a writer"
unfolding, flowering
a developmental process; "the flowering of ante-bellum culture"
growth
a progression from simpler to more complex forms; "the growth of culture"
conspicuous consumption
buying expensive services and products in order to flaunt your wealth
wastage
the process of wasting
deterioration, decline in quality, worsening
process of changing to an inferior state
decay
the process of gradually becoming inferior
dilapidation, ruin
the process of becoming dilapidated
vicious circle, vicious cycle
one trouble leads to another that aggravates the first
degeneration
the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality
enough, sufficiency
a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose or satisfy a desire; "enough is as good as a feast"; "there is more than a sufficiency of lawyers in this country"
fill
a quantity sufficient to satisfy; "he ate his fill of potatoes"; " she had heard her fill of gossip"
complement
a complete number or quantity: "a full complement"
bad block
a block (usually one sector) that cannot reliably hold data
overexposure
exposure to too much light or for too long a time
underexposure
exposure to too little light or for too short a time
extremum, peak
the most extreme possible amount or value; "voltage peak"
nothing, nil, nix, nada, aught, cipher, cypher, goose egg, naught, zero, zilch, zip
a quantity of no importance; "it looked like nothing I had ever seen before"; "reduced to nil all the work we had done"; "we racked up a pathetic goose egg"; "it was all for naught"; "I didn't hear zilch about it"
bugger all, fuck all
(British slang) little or nothing at all; "I asked for a raise and they gave me bugger-all"
nihil, nil
nothing (as used by a sheriff after an unsuccessful effort to serve a writ: "nihil habet")
large indefinite quantity, large indefinite amount
an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude
region, neighborhood
the approximate amount of something (usually used prepositionally as in `in the region of'); "it was going to take in the region of two or three months to finish the job"; "the price is in the neighborhood of $100"
small indefinite quantity, small indefinite amount
an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude
few
an indefinite but relatively small number; "they bought a case of beer and drank a few"
dab, splash, splatter
a small quantity of something moist or soft; "a dab of paint"; "a splatter of mud"
spot, bit
(British) a small quantity; "a spot of tea"; "a bit of paper"
hair's-breadth, hairbreadth, hair
a very small distance or space; "they escaped by a hair's-breadth"; "they lost by a hair"
modicum
a small or moderate or token amount: "England still expects a modicum of eccentricity in its artists"- Ian Jack
scattering, sprinkling
a small number dispersed haphazardly: "the first scatterings of green"
shoestring, shoe string
a small amount of money; "he managed it on a shoestring"
nose
a small distance; "my horse lost the race by a nose"
little
a small amount or duration; "he accepted the little they gave him"
step
a short distance; "it's only a step to the drugstore"
minimum, lower limit
the smallest possible quantity
morsel
a small quantity of anything; "a morsel of paper was all he needed"
handful, smattering
a small number or amount; "only a handful of responses were received"
drop, driblet
a small quantity of liquid; "one drop of each sample was analyzed"; "any child with a drop of negro blood was legally a negro"
couple
a small indefinite number; "he's coming for a couple of days"
droplet
a tiny drop
dollop
a small measure (usually of food)
spark
a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might become stronger; "a spark of interest"; "a spark of decency"
dreg
a small amount of residue
nip, shot
a small drink of liquor; "he poured a shot of whiskey"
trace, hint, suggestion
a just detectable amount; "he speaks French with a trace of an accent"
shred, scintilla, whit, iota, tittle, smidgen, smidgeon, smidgin, smidge
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
touch, hint, mite, pinch, jot, speck, soupcon
a small but appreciable amount; "this dish could use a touch of garlic"
barrels
the amount that many barrels might hold
batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, muckle, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad, whole lot, whole slew
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent: "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "it must have cost plenty"
battalion, large number, multitude, pack
a large indefinite number; "a battalion of ants"; "a multitude of TV antennas"
billyo, billyoh, billy-ho, all get out
an unimaginably large amount; British say "it rained like billyo" where Americans say "it rained like all get out"
flood, deluge, torrent
an overwhelming number or amount; "a flood of requests"; "a torrent of abuse"
mile
a large distance; "he missed by a mile"
millions, billions, trillions, zillions, jillions
a very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole)
myriad
a large indefinite number; "he faced a myriad of details"
much
a great amount or extent; "they did much for humanity"
reservoir
a large or extra supply of something: "a reservoir of talent"
ocean, sea
anything apparently limitless in quantity or volume
small fortune
a large sum of money; "he made a small fortune in the commodities market"
ream
a large quantity of written matter; "he wrote reams and reams"
breathing room, breathing space
sufficient room for easy breathing or movement: "moved to the country to find breathing room"
tons, dozens, heaps, lots, piles, scores, stacks, loads, rafts, slews, wads, oodles, gobs, scads, lashings
a large number or amount; "made lots of new friends"
room, way, elbow room
space for movement; "room to pass"; "make way for": "hardly enough elbow room to turn around"
foundation
the basis on which something is grounded; "there is little foundation for his objections"
common ground
a basis agreed to by all parties for reaching a mutual understanding
footing, basis, ground
a relation that provides the foundation for something; "they were on a friendly footing" or "he worked on an interim basis"
grass roots
the essential foundation or source; "the problem was attacked at the grass roots"
bridge
something resembling a bridge in form or function: "his letters provided a bridge across the centuries"
point
a style in speech or writing that arrests attention and has a penetrating or convincing quality or effect
highlight, high spot
the most interesting or memorable part; "the highlight of the tour was our visit to the Vatican"
detail, particular, item
a small part that can be considered separately from the whole; "it was perfect in all details"
scale
relative magnitude; "they entertained on a grand scale"
commensurateness, correspondence, proportionateness
the relation of correspondence in degree or size or amount
reverse, contrary, opposite
a relation of direct opposition; "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true"
inverse, opposite
something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse"
symmetry, proportion
balance among the parts of something
balance, equilibrium, equipoise, counterbalance
equality of distribution
disproportion
lack of proportion; imbalance among the parts of something
medium
a state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position; "a happy medium"
niche
a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it; "he found his niche in the academic world"
soup
(informal) an unfortunate situation; "we're in the soup now"
utopia
ideally perfect state; especially in its social and political and moral aspects
dystopia
state in which the condition of life is extremely bad as from deprivation or oppression or terror
acceptance
the state of being acceptable and accepted; "torn jeans received no acceptance at the country club"
challenge
a demanding or stimulating situation; "they reacted irrationally to the challenge of Russian power"
complication
a situation or condition that is complex or confused: "her coming was a serious complication"
crisis
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty; "they went bankrupt during the economic crisis"
equilibrium
a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
disequilibrium
an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others
element
the situation in which you are happiest and most effective; "in your element"
environment
the totality of surrounding conditions; "he longed for the comfortable environment of his livingroom"
hot potato
a difficult situation; "he dropped the topic like a hot potato"
exclusion
the state of being excluded
hotbed
a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad); "it was a hotbed of vice"
how-do-you-do, how-d'ye-do
an awkward situation; "that's a fine how-d'ye-do"
imbroglio, embroilment
an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation
inclusion
the state of being included
nightmare, incubus
a situation resembling a terrifying dream
pass, strait, straits
a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
prison, prison house
a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement
purgatory
a temporary condition of torment or suffering: "a purgatory of drug abuse"
rejection
the state of being rejected
swamp
a situation fraught with difficulties and imponderables; "he was trapped in a medical swamp"
way
the condition of things generally; "that's the way it is" or "I felt the same way"
nature, wild, natural state, state of nature
a wild primitive state untouched by civilization; "he lived in the wild"; "they tried to preserve nature as they found it"
acme, height, elevation, peak, pinnacle, summit, superlative, top
the highest level or degree attainable: "his landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man"; "at the top of his profession"
plane
a level of existence or development; "he lived on a worldly plane"
ordinary
the expected or commonplace condition or situation: "not out of the ordinary"
tinderbox
a dangerous state of affairs; a situation that is a potential source of violence; "the Balkans are the tinderbox of Europe"
event, case
a special set of circumstances; "in that event, the first possibility is excluded"; "it may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled"
hinge
a circumstance upon which subsequent events depend; "his absence is the hinge of our plan"
thing
a special situation; "this thing has got to end"; "it is a remarkable thing"
crowding
a situation in which people or things are crowded together; "he didn't like the crowding on the beach"
congestion, over-crowding
excessive crowding; "traffic congestion"
place, station
proper or designated social situation: "he overstepped his place"; "the responsibilities of a man in his station"; "married above her station"
quality
high social status; "a man of quality"
place
proper or appropriate position or location; "a woman's place is no longer in the kitchen"
stardom
the status of being acknowledged as a star: "stardom meant nothing to her"
high status
of superior status
championship, title
the status of being a champion; "he held the title for two years"
precedence, precedency, priority
status established in order of importance or urgency: "...its precedence as the world's leading manufacturer of pharmaceuticals"; "national independence takes priority over class struggle"
backseat
a secondary or inferior position or status: "tennis has had to take a backseat while his work is so demanding"
transcendence, transcendency, superiority
the state of excelling or surpassing or going beyond usual limits
low status
of inferior status
inferiority, lower status, lower rank
the state of being inferior
subordinateness, subsidiarity
secondary importance
handmaid, handmaiden, servant
in a subordinate position; "theology should be the handmaiden of ethics"; "the state cannot be a servant of the church"
junior status
in a junior position
second fiddle
in a secondary position
subservience, subservientness
in a subservient state
cloud
out of touch with reality; "his head was in the clouds"
life
a characteristic state or mode of living; "social life"; "city life"; "real life"
transcendence, transcendency
a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience
misalliance
an unsuitable marriage
mesalliance
a marriage with a person of inferior social status
tranquillity, quiet
an untroubled state; free from disturbances
peace
the state prevailing during the absence of war
harmony, concord, concordance
a harmonious state; congruity of parts with one another and with the whole
peace
harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; "the roommates lived in peace together"
comity
a state or atmosphere of harmony or mutual civility and respect
comity of nations
courteous respect by one nation for the laws and institutions of another
stability
a stable order
amity
a state of friendship and cordiality
peaceableness, peacefulness
a state that is calm and tranquil
disorder
a disturbance of the peace or of public order
anarchy, lawlessness
a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)
demoralization
a state of disorder and confusion; "his inconsistency resulted in the demoralization of his staff"
instability
an unstable order
confusion
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably; "the army retreated in confusion"
babel
a confusion of voices and other sounds
chaos, pandemonium, bedlam, topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyness
a state of extreme confusion and disorder
bluster
noisy confusion and turbulence; "he was awakened by the bluster of their preparations"
tumult, tumultuousness, uproar, garboil
a state of commotion and loud confused noise
balagan
a word for chaos or fiasco borrowed from modern Hebrew (where it is a loan word from Russian); "it was utter and complete balagan!"
hugger-mugger, mumbo jumbo
a state of confusion; ritual accompanied by complicated and purposeless activity that obscures and confuses; "he engaged in the hugger-mugger of international finance"
rioting, riot
a state of disorder involving group violence
rowdiness, rowdyism, roughness, disorderliness
rowdy behavior
disturbance, disruption, commotion, turmoil, stir, hurly burly, to-do
a disorderly outburst or tumult; "they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused"
incident
a public disturbance: "the police investigated an incident at the bus station"
storm, tempest
a violent commotion or disturbance; "the storms that had characterized their relationship had died away"; "it was only a tempest in a teapot"
storm center, storm centre
a center of trouble or disturbance
discord, strife
lack of agreement or harmony
turbulence, upheaval, Sturm und Drang
a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally); "the industrial revolution was a period of great turbulence"
agitation, ferment, fermentation, unrest
a state of agitation or turbulent change or development: "the political ferment produced a new leadership"; "social unrest"
violence
a turbulent state resulting in injuries and destruction etc.
rage
violent state of the elements: "the sea hurled itself in thundering rage against the rocks"
hostility, enmity, antagonism
a state of deep-seated ill-will
latent hostility, tension
feelings of hostility that are not manifest; "he could sense her latent hostility to him"; "the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions"
disagreement, dissension
a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters
disunity
lack of unity (usually resulting from dissension)
suspicion
the state of being suspected; "he tried to shield me from suspicion"
cloud
suspicion affecting your reputation; "after that mistake he was under a cloud"
clear
the state of being free of suspicion: "investigation showed that he was in the clear"
poetic license
license used by a writer or artist to heighten the effect of their work
license
excessive freedom; lack of due restraint: "when liberty becomes license dictatorship is near"- Will Durant; "the intolerable license with which the newspapers break...the rules of decorum"- Edmund Burke
iron cage
a cage from which there is no escape
cage
something that restricts freedom as a cage restricts movement
dependence, dependance, dependency
lack of independence or self-sufficiency
helplessness
the state of needing help from something
subordination
the state of being subordinate to something
reliance
the state of relying on something
contingency
the state of being contingent on something
polarization
the condition of having or giving polarity
tension
a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature); "there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time"; "there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history"
dead letter, non-issue
the state of something that has outlived its relevance
play
a state in which action is feasible; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play"
busyness
the state of being or appearing to be actively engaged in an activity: "they manifested all the busyness of a pack of beavers"
swing
a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity; "the party went with a swing"; "it took time to get into the swing of things"
stagnation, stagnancy, doldrums
a state of inactivity (in business or art etc); "economic growth of less than 1% per year is considered to be economic stagnation"
deadlock, impasse, stalemate, standstill
a situation in which no progress can be made: "reached an impasse on the negotiations"
logjam
any stoppage attributable to unusual activity; "the legislation ran into a logjam"
frazzle
(informal) a state of extreme exhaustion; "he was worn to a frazzle"
emergency
a state in which martial law applies; "the governor declared a state of emergency"
clutch
a tense critical situation; "he is a good man in the clutch"
exigency
a pressing or urgent situation: "the health-care exigency"
criticality
a critical state; especially the point at which a nuclear reaction is self-sustaining
juncture, critical point, crossroads
a crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be made; "at that juncture he had no idea what to do"; "he must be made to realize that the company stands at a critical point"
desperate straits, dire straits
a state of extreme distress
flash point
point at which something is ready to blow up
trouble
an unwanted pregnancy; "he got several girls in trouble"
good health, healthiness
the state of being vigorous and free from bodily or mental disease
energy, vim, vitality
a healthy capacity for vigorous activity; "jogging works off my excess energy"; "he seemed full of vim and vigor"
wholeness, haleness
a state of robust good health
bloom, blush, flush, rosiness
a rosy color (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health
radiance
an attractive combination of good health and happiness; "the radiance of her countenance"
freshness, glow
an alert and refreshed state
craziness, daftness, flakiness
informal terms for insanity
difficulty
a situation or condition almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome: "grappling with financial difficulties"
bitch
(slang) an unpleasant difficulty; "this problem is a real bitch"
predicament, quandary, plight
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one: "finds himself in a most awkward predicament"; "the woeful plight of homeless people"
pinch
a painful or straitened circumstance: "the pinch of the recession"
corner, box
a predicament from which a skillful or graceful escape is impossible; "his lying got him into a tight corner"
rattrap
a difficult entangling situation
fix, hole, jam, mess, muddle, pickle, kettle of fish
informal terms for a difficult situation; "he got into a terrible fix"; "he made a muddle of his marriage"
hard time
a difficulty that can be overcome with effort; "we had a hard time getting here"
race problem
a social and political problem caused by conflict between races occupying the same or adjacent regions
stress, strain
a state of extreme difficulty: "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson
problem, job
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved; "she and her husband are having problems"; "it is always a job to contact him"; "urban problems such as traffic congestion and smog"
balance-of-payments problem
an economic problem caused by payments for imports being greater than receipts for exports
currency, vogue
a current state of general acceptance and use
recognition, acknowledgment, acknowledgement
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
incoherence, incoherency
lack of cohesion or clarity or organization
disjointedness
lacking order or coherence
marriage
a close and intimate union; "the marriage of music and dance"; "a marriage of ideas"
betterment
an improvement that adds to the value of a property or facility
improvement
a condition superior to an earlier condition: "the new school represents a great improvement"
decline
a condition inferior to an earlier condition
development
a state in which things are improving; the result of developing; "after he saw the latest development he changed his mind and became a supporter"; "in chess your should take care of your development before moving your queen"
underdevelopment
state of inadequate development: "much poverty can be traced to the underdevelopment of industry"
omission
something that has been omitted; "she searched the table for omissions"
neglect, disuse
the state of something that has been unused and neglected; "the house was in a terrible state of neglect"
renovation, restoration
the state of being restored to its former good condition; "the inn was a renovation of a Colonial house"
twilight
a condition of decline following successes; "in the twilight of the empire"
wreck
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation; "the house was a wreck when they bought it"; "thanks to that quack I am a human wreck"
callowness, jejuneness, juvenility
lacking and evidencing lack of experience of life
embrace
the state of taking in or encircling; "an island in the embrace of the sea"
encompassment
including entirely
pedestal
a position of great esteem (and supposed superiority); "they put him on a pedestal"
dignity
high office or rank or station: "he respected the dignity of the emissaries"
prominence
the state of being prominent: widely known or eminent
ennoblement
the state of being noble
limelight, spotlight, public eye
a focus of public attention; "he enjoyed being in the limelight"
stress, focus
special emphasis attached to something; "the stress was more on accuracy than on speed"
salience, saliency, strikingness
the state of being salient
conspicuousness, visibility
the state of being conspicuous
importance, grandness
a prominent status; "a person of importance"
emphasis, accent
special importance or significance; "the red light gave the central figure increased emphasis"; "the room was decorated in shades of gray with distinctive red accents"
primacy
the state of being first in importance
eminence, distinction, preeminence, note
high status importance owing to marked superiority; "a scholar of great eminence"
obscurity
an obscure and unimportant standing; not well known; "he worked in obscurity for many years"
prestige, prestigiousness
a high standing achieved through success or influence or wealth etc.; "he wanted to achieve power and prestige"
humbleness, unimportance, obscureness
the state of being humble and unimportant
anonymity, namelessness
the state of being anonymous
nowhere
an insignificant place; "he came out of nowhere"
oblivion, limbo
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
glory, glorification
a state of high honor; "he valued glory above life itself"
honor, honour, laurels
the state of being honored
fame, celebrity, renown
the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
disesteem
the state in which esteem has been lost
esteem, regard, respect
the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded); "it is held in esteem"; "a man who has earned high regard"
stature
high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement: "a man of great stature"
repute, reputation
the state of being held in high esteem and honor
character
good repute; "he is a man of character"
stock
the reputation and popularity a person has; "his stock was so high he could have been elected mayor"
name
a person's reputation; "he wanted to protect his good name"
dishonor, dishonour
a state of shame or disgrace; "he was resigned to a life of dishonor"
fame
favorable public reputation
infamy
evil fame or public reputation
notoriety, ill fame
the state of being known for some unfavorable act or quality
reputation
notoriety for some particular characteristic; "his reputation for promiscuity"
disrepute, discredit
the state of being held in low esteem; "your actions will bring discredit to your name"; "because of the scandal the school has fallen into disrepute"
shame, disgrace, ignominy
a state of dishonor; "one mistake brought shame to all his family"; "suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison"
corruptness
the state of being corrupt
humiliation
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
abasement, degradation, abjection
a low or downcast state: "each confesson brought her into an attitude of abasement"- H.L.Menchken
degeneracy, degeneration
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
depth
(usually plural) a low moral state; "he had sunk to the depths of addiction"
infamy, opprobrium
a state of extreme dishonor: "a date which will live in infamy"- F.D.Roosevelt; "the name was a by-word of scorn and approbrium throughout the city"
reproach
disgrace or shame; "he brought reproach upon his family"
obloquy, opprobrium
the state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
dominance, ascendance, ascendence, ascendancy, ascendency, control
the state that exists when one person or group has power over another; "her apparent dominance of her husband was really her attempt to make him pay attention to her"
domination, mastery, supremacy
power to dominate or defeat; "mastery of the seas"
ascendant, ascendent
position or state of being dominant or in control: "that idea was in the ascendant"
predominance, predomination
the state of being predominant over others
paramountcy
the state of being paramount; the highest rank or authority
absolutism, tyranny, despotism
dominance through threat of punishment and violence
monopoly
exclusive control or possession of something; "They have no monopoly on intelligence"
bane, curse, scourge, nemesis
something causes misery or death; "the bane of my life"
convenience
the state of being suitable or opportune; "chairs arranged for his own convenience"
ill-being
lack of prosperity or happiness or health
fool's paradise
an illusory state of well-being
misery, wretchedness
a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune; "the misery and wretchedness of those slums is intolerable"
living death
a state of constant misery
suffering, woe
misery resulting from affliction
anguish
extreme distress of body or mind
dearth, famine, shortage
a severe shortage (especially a shortage of food)
stringency, tightness
a state occasioned by scarcity of money and a shortage of credit
urgency
the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity
hurry, haste
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry; "in a hurry to lock the door"
imperativeness, insistence, insistency, press, pressure
the state of urgently demanding notice or attention; "the press of business matters"
criticality, criticalness, cruciality
a state of critical urgency
repletion, satiety, satiation
the state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more
infestation
the state of being overrun in unpleasantly large numbers (as by parasites)
surfeit, excess, overabundance
the state of being more than full
damnation, eternal damnation
the state of being condemned to eternal punishment in Hell
grace, state of grace
a state of sanctification by God
fire and brimstone
(Old Testament) God's means of destroying sinners; "his sermons were full of fire and brimstone"
perfection, flawlessness, ne plus ultra
the state of being without a flaw or defect
dream
someone of something wonderful; "this dessert is a dream"
polish, refinement
a highly developed state; "they performed with great polish"
fare-thee-well
state of perfection; the utmost degree; "they polished the furniture to a fare-thee-well"
integrity, unity, wholeness
an unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality
intactness
the state of being unimpaired
completeness
the state of being complete and entire; having everything that is needed
wholeheartedness
undivided purpose or will or enthusiasm
entirety, entireness, totality
the state of being total: "appalled by the totality of the destruction"
comprehensiveness, fullness
completeness over a broad scope
whole shebang, whole kit and caboodle, kit and caboodle, whole kit and boodle, kit and boodle, whole kit, whole caboodle, whole works, works, full treatment
everything available; usually preceded by `the'; "we saw the whole shebang"; "a hotdog with the works"; "we took on the whole caboodle"; "for $10 you get the full treatment"
incompleteness
the state of being incomplete and imperfect
imperfection, imperfectness
the state or an instance of being imperfect
sketchiness
incompleteness of details
insufficiency, inadequacy
a lack of competence; "pointed out the insufficiencies in my report"; "juvenile offenses often reflect an inadequacy in the parents"
failing, weakness
a flaw or weak point; "he was quick to point out his wife's failings"
tragic flaw
a failing in the character of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall
hole
a fault; "he shot holes in my argument"
fortune, destiny, fate, luck, lot, circumstances, portion
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you): "whatever my fortune may be"; "deserved a better fate"; "has a happy lot"; "the luck of the Irish"; "a victim of circumstances"; "success that was her portion"
defectiveness, faultiness
the state of being defective
bugginess
the state of having bugs
crudeness, crudity, primitiveness, primitivism, rudeness
a natural or unrefined state
providence
a manifestation of God's foresightful care for His creatures
good fortune, good luck
a auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes
blessing, boon
a desirable state; "enjoy the blessings of peace"; "a spanking breeze is a boon to sailors"
prosperity, successfulness
the condition of prospering; having good fortune
mercy
something for which to be thankful; "it was a mercy we got out alive"
weakness
the condition of being financially weak; "the weakness of the dollar against the yen"
strength
the condition of financial success; "the strength of the company's stock in recent weeks"
success
a state of prosperity or fame; "he is enjoying great success"; "he does not consider wealth synonymous with success"
adversity, hardship
a state of misfortune or affliction: "debt-ridden farmers struggling with adversity"; "a life of hardship"
big time
the highest level of an occupation (especially in entertainment)
pay dirt
a profitable success; "the inventor worked for years before hitting pay dirt"
misfortune, bad luck, ill luck
an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes
catastrophe, disaster
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"
extremity
an extreme condition or state (especially of adversity or disease)
bitter end
the final extremity (however unpleasant it may be); "he was determined to fight to the bitter end"
trouble, ill, distress
a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need); "in trouble with the police"; "he wanted to cure the ills of all mankind"; "she was the classic maiden in distress"
throe
hard or painful trouble or struggle: "a country in the throes of economic collapse"
affliction
a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
cross, crown of thorns
any affliction that causes great suffering; "that is his cross to bear"; "he bears his afflictions like a crown of thorns"
failure
lack of success
bankruptcy
a state of complete lack of some abstract property; "spiritual bankruptcy"; "moral bankruptcy"; "intellectual bankruptcy"
conceivableness, conceivability
the state of being conceivable
achievability, attainability, attainableness
the state of being achievable
inconceivability, inconceivableness
the state of being impossible to conceive
unattainableness
the state of being unattainable
day
a period of opportunity; "he deserves his day in court"; "every dog has his day"
opportunity, chance
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"
fresh start, clean slate, tabula rasa
an opportunity to start over without prejudice
hunting ground
a place where opportunities abound
room
opportunity for; "room for improvement"
say
the chance to speak; "let him have his say"
shot, crack
(informal) a chance to do something; "he wanted a shot at the champion"
street
(informal) a situation offering opportunities; "he worked both sides of the street"; "cooperation is a two-way street"
throw
(informal) a single chance or instance; "he couldn't afford $50 a throw"
nadir, low-water mark
an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
despair, desperation
a state in which everything seems wrong and will turn out badly; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"
purity, pureness
being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material
plainness
the state of being unmixed with other material; "the plainess of vanilla ice cream"
adulteration, debasement
being mixed with extraneous material
impurity, impureness
the condition of being impure
admixture, alloy
the state of impairing the quality or reducing the value of something
dust contamination
state of being contaminated with dust
contamination, taint
the state of being contaminated
dirtiness
the state of containing dirty impurities
putridity
the state of being putrid
credit crunch, liquidity crisis
a state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to businesses and consumers
depression, slump, economic crisis
a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment
full employment
the economic condition when everyone who wishes to work at the going wage-rate for their type of labor is employed
prosperity
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
boom
a state of economic prosperity
wealth, wealthiness
the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money: "great wealth is not a sign of great intelligence"
luxury, luxuriousness, opulence, sumptuousness
wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
affluence, richness
abundant wealth
ease, comfort
a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state: "a life of luxury and ease"; "he had all the material comforts of this world"
mammon
wealth regarded as an evil influence
poverty, poorness, impoverishment
the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
silver spoon
inherited wealth; "he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth"
indigence, need, penury, pauperism
a state of extreme poverty or destitution; "their indigence appalled him"; "a general state of need exists among the homeless"
privation, want, deprivation
a state of extreme poverty
destitution
a state without friends or money or prospects
sanitariness
the state of being conducive to health
hygiene
a condition promoting sanitary practices; "personal hygiene"
sanitation
the state of being clean and conducive to health
unsanitariness
a state that is not conducive to health
tilth
the state of aggregation of soil and its condition for supporting plant growth
filth, filthiness, foulness, nastiness
a state characterized by foul or disgusting dirt and refuse
dunghill
a foul or degraded condition
cleanness
the state of being clean; without dirt or other impurities
cleanliness
the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections
spit and polish
careful attention to order and appearance (as in the military)
spotlessness, immaculateness
the state of being spotlessly clean
orderliness, order
a condition of regular or proper arrangement: "he put his desk in order"; "put the chessmen in order"
neatness, spruceness
the state of being neat and smart and trim
tidiness
the habit of being tidy
trim, trimness
a state of arrangement or appearance: "in good trim"
dirt, filth, grime, soil, stain, grease
the state of being covered with unclean things
shambles
a condition of great disorder
dirtiness, uncleanness
the state of being unsanitary
mess, messiness, muss, mussiness
a state of confusion and disorderliness; "the house was a mess"; "she smoothed the mussiness of the bed"
befoulment, defilement, pollution
the state of being polluted
griminess, grubbiness
the state of being grimy
sordidness, squalor, squalidness
sordid dirtiness
dinginess
discoloration due to dirtiness
smuttiness, sootiness
the state of being dirty with soot
uncleanliness
the habit of neglecting cleanliness
disorderliness, disorder
a condition in which things are not in their expected places: "the files are in complete disorder"
untidiness
the condition of being untidy
sloppiness, slovenliness, unkemptness
untidiness in personal appearance
shagginess
unkemptness of hair
disorganization, disarrangement
a condition in which an orderly system has been disrupted
clutter, jumble, muddle, mare's nest, welter, smother
a confused multitude of things
rummage
a jumble of things to be given away
commonness, expectedness
the state of being commonly observed
typicality
the state of being that is typical
deflection, warp
a twist or aberration; especially a perverse or abnormal way of judging or acting
home
an environment offering affection and security; "home is where the heart is"; "he grew up in a good Christian home"; "there's no place like home"
kingdom, land, realm
a domain in which something is dominant; "the untroubled kingdom of reason"; "a land of make-believe"; "the rise of the realm of cotton in the south"
sphere, domain, area, orbit, field, arena
a particular environment or walk of life; "his social sphere is limited"; "it was a closed area of employment"; "he's out of my orbit"
distaff
the sphere of work by women
front
a sphere of activity involving effort; "the Japanese were active last week on the diplomatic front"; "they advertise on many different fronts"
lap
an area of control or responsibility; "the job fell right in my lap"
political arena, political sphere
a sphere of intense political activity
preserve
a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone; "medicine is no longer a male preserve"
province, responsibility
the proper sphere or extent of your activities; "it was his province to take care of himself"
showcase, show window
a setting in which something can be displayed to best effect; "it was a showcase for democracy in Africa"
street
the streets of a city viewed as a depressed environment in which there is poverty and crime and prostitution and dereliction; "she tried to keep her children off the street"
good weather
weather suitable for outdoor activities
mildness, clemency
good weather with comfortable temperatures
calmness
an absence of strong winds or rain
bad weather, inclemency, inclementness
weather unsuitable for outdoor activities
stillness, windlessness
calmness without winds
lull, quiet
a period of calm weather; "there was a lull in the storm"
storminess
the state of being stormy; "he dreaded the storminess of the North Atlantic in winter"
raw weather
unpleasantly cold and damp weather
boisterousness
a turbulent and stormy state of the sea
breeziness, windiness
a mildly windy state of the air
tempestuousness
a state of wild storminess
choppiness, roughness, rough water
used of the sea
miasma
an unwholesome atmosphere; "the novel spun a miasma of death and decay"
genius loci
the special atmosphere of a place
gloom, gloominess, glumness
an atmosphere of depression and melancholy; "gloom pervaded the office"
bleakness, desolation
a bleak and desolate atmosphere
spirit, tone, feel, feeling, flavor, look, smell
the general atmosphere of a place or situation; "the feel of the city excited him"; "a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting"; "it had the smell of treason"
vibes, vibrations
a distinctive emotional atmosphere; sensed intuitively; "the place gives me bad vibes"
suggestibility
susceptibility or responsiveness to suggestion
risklessness
safety as a consequence of entailing no risk
drought
a temporary shortage of rainfall
safety
the state of being safe; "the safety of the children"
peace, public security
the general security of public places; "he was arrested for disturbing the peace"
security
the state of being free from danger or injury; "we support the armed services in the name of national security"
protection, shelter
the condition of being protected; "they were huddled together for protection"; "he enjoyed a sense of peace and protection in his new home"
secureness
the state of being secure
insecurity
the state of being subject to danger or injury
clear and present danger
a standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridged; "no one has a right to shout `fire' in a crowded theather when there is no fire because such an action would pose a clear and present danger to public safety"
hazardousness, perilousness
the state of being dangerous
hazard, jeopardy, peril, risk
a source of danger; "drinking alcohol is a health hazard"
menace, threat
something that is a source of danger; "earthquakes are a constant threat in Japan"
powder keg
a potentially explosive state
yellow peril
the threat to Western civilization said to arise from the power of Asiatic peoples
riskiness, peril
a state of danger involving risk
speculativeness
financial risk
insecureness
the state of being insecure
fitness, physical fitness, good shape, good condition
good physical condition; being in shape or in condition
fettle
a state of fitness and good health; "in fine fettle"
soundness
a state or condition free from damage or decay
seaworthiness, fitness
fitness to traverse the seas
airworthiness
fitness to fly: "the plane received a certificate of airworthiness"
unfitness, poor shape, bad condition
poor physical condition; being out of shape or out of condition
iniquity, wickedness, darkness, dark
absence of moral or spiritual values; "the powers of darkness"
blight
a state or condition being blighted
malady
any unwholesome or desperate condition; "what maladies afflict our nation?"
light, illumination
a condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination; "follow God's light"
wall
a difficult or awkward situation; "his back was to the wall"; "competition was pushing them to the wall"
philosopher's stone
a hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing other metals into gold
impurity, dross
worthless material that should be removed; "there were impurities in the water"
atom, molecule, particle, mote, speck
(nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
waste, waste material, waste matter, waste product
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted; "they collect the waste once a week"; "much of the waste material is carried off in the sewers"
rubbish, trash
worthless material that is discarded
snake oil
any of various liquids sold as medicine (as by a travelling medicine show) but medically worthless
soup
(informal) any composition having a consistency suggestive of soup
bygone
past events to be put aside; "let bygones be bygones"
dead
a time when coldness (or some other quality associated with death) is intense; "the dead of winter"
hard times
a time of difficulty
longueur
a period of dullness or boredom (especially in a work of literature or performing art)
field day
a time of unusual pleasure and success
bloom, bloom of youth
the best time of youth
prime, prime of life
the time of maturity when power and vigor are greatest
night
a period of ignorance or backwardness or gloom
small hours
the hours just after midnight
day of reckoning
day when the consequences of misdeeds are felt
off-day
a day when things go poorly; "I guess this is one of my off-days"
hour
a special and memorable period; "it was their finest hour"
silly season
a time usually late summer characterized by exaggerated news stories about frivolous matters for want of real news
long time, age, years
a prolonged period of time; "we've known each other for ages"; "I haven't been there for years and years"
month of Sundays
(informal) a time perceived as long; "I hadn't seen him in a month of Sundays"
long
a comparatively long time; "this won't take long"; "they haven't been gone long"
long run, long haul
a period of time sufficient for factors to work themselves out; "in the long run we will win" or "he performed well over the long haul"
eon, aeon
an immeasurably long period of time
blue moon
(informal) a long time; "something that happens once in blue moon almost never happens"
drought
a prolonged shortage
time
a suitable moment; "it is time to go"
high time
the latest possible moment; "it is high time you went to work"
psychological moment
the most appropriate time for achieving a desired effect
blink of an eye, flash, instant, jiffy, split second, trice, twinkling, wink, New York minute
a very short time; "if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"
ephemera
something transitory; lasting a day
auld langsyne, langsyne, old times, the good old days
past times remembered with nostalgia
reign
a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful; "he was helpless under the reign of his egotism"
hypervelocity
excessive velocity; "the meteorites struck the earth with hypervelocity impacts"
honeymoon
the early usually calm and harmonious period of a relationship; business or political
rainy day
a (future) time of financial need; "I am saving for a rainy day"
flower, prime, peak, heyday, bloom, blossom, efflorescence, flush
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
swelter
be uncomfortably hot
sit tight
maintain the same position; wait it out; "Let's not make a decision--let's sit tight"
beautify, embellish, prettify
make more beautiful
sparkle
be lively: "The music sparkled"
prim
assume a prim appearance: "They mince and prim"
shame
surpass or beat by a wide margin
cry
demand immediate action; "This situation is crying for attention"
bedizen
decorate tastelessly
crumble, crumple, tumble, break down, collapse
fall apart; also used metaphorically: "Negociations broke down"
push, crowd
approach a certain age or speed: "She is pushing fifty"
leave behind
to depart and forget, or neglect to bring or take along: She wept thinking she'd been left behind.
bestir, rouse
become active: "He finally bestirred himself"
come to the fore, step forward, come forward, step up, step to the fore, come out
make oneself visible; take action; "Young people should step to the fore and help their peers"
stoop, descend
to sink in status or dignity, or worsen in condition
bed hop
sleep around; "His wife bed hops"
throw
to put into a state or activity hastily, suddenly, or carelessly; "Jane threw dinner together", throw the car into reverse"
enjoy
have for one's benefit; "The industry enjoyed a boom"
overexpose
expose excessively: "As a child, I was overexposed to French movies"
underexpose
expose insufficiently; "The child was underexposed to language"
act up, play up
make itself felt; as of recurring pains
look, appear, seem
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect; "She seems to be sleeping"; "This appears to be a very difficult problem"; "This project looks fishy"; "They appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long time"
cut
give the appearance or impression of; "cut a nice figure"
feel
produce a certain impression; "It feels nice to be home again"
sound
appear in a certain way; "This sounds interesting"
appear, seem
seem to be true, probable, or apparent; "It seems that he is very gifted"; "It appears that the weather in California is very bad"
show
make visible or noticeable: "She showed her talent for cooking"
do justice
bring out fully or to advantage; "This photograph does not do her justice"
register
show in one's face; "Her surprise did not register"
expose, exhibit, display
to show, make visible or apparent: "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?" "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship.."
hold up
hold up something as an example; hold up one's achievements for admiration
flaunt, flash, show off, swank
display proudly
brandish
exhibit aggressively
trot out
bring out and show for inspection and admiration; "His novel trots out a rich heiress"; "always able to trot out some new excuse"
whitewash, gloss over, sleek over, hush up
cover up a misdemeanor; "Let's not whitewash the crimes of Stallin"
spring
produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly; "He sprang a new haircut on his wife"
crop up, pop up
appear suddenly or unexpectedly
overshadow
cast a shadow upon; "The tall tree overshadowed the house"; "The tragedy overshadowed the couple's happiness"
smack, reek
have an element suggestive (of something); "his speeches smacked of racism"
disgust, turn off, revolt, repel
fill with distaste
cosponsor
sponsor together with another sponsor
sponsor
assume responsibility for or leadership of; "The senator announced that he would sponsor the health care plan"
eke out, squeeze out
make by laborious and precarious means; "He eked out a living as a painter"
recover, recoup
make up for or make good
lavish, shower
expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns: "He was showered with praise"
wanton, wanton away, trifle away
spend wastefully; "wanton one's money away"
squander, blow
spend lavishly or wastefully on; "He blew a lot of money on his new home theater"
overspend
spend at a high rate
underspend
spend at less than the normal rate
misspend
spend unwisely, as of money
penny-pinch
spend money frugally
overspend
spend more than available of (a budget, for example)
underspend
spend less than the whole of (a budget, for example)
burn
spend (significant amounts of money); "He has money to burn"
waste, blow, squander
spend thoughtlessly; throw away; "He wasted his inheritance on his insincere friends"
splurge, fling
indulge oneself; "I splurged on a new TV"
retrench
tighten one's belt; use resources carefully
conserve, husband, economize, economise
use cautiously and frugally
freeload
live off somebody's generosity
arrogate, ascribe, assign
make undue claims to having
line one's pockets
make a lot of money
capitalize, take advantage
draw advantages from; "he is capitalizing on her mistake"; "she took advantage of his absence to meet her lover"
clean up
make a big profit; often in a short period of time; "The investor really cleaned up when the stock market went up"
cash in on
take advantage of or capitalize on
profiteer
make an unreasonable profit, as on the sale of difficult to obtain goods
lose
fail to get or obtain; "I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad"
rake in, shovel in
earn large sums of money
benefit, do good
be beneficial for; "This will do you good"
agree
be agreeable or suitable; "White wine doesn't agree with me"
overbid
bid more than the object is worth, as during an auction
underbid
bid too low
overtax
tax excessively; "Don't overtax my constitutents!"
relieve, deliver
free from a burden, evil, or distress
smooth, smooth out
free from obstructions; "smooth the way towards peace negociations"
overcharge, soak, surcharge, gazump, fleece, plume, pluck, rob, hook
rip off; ask an unreasonable price
undercharge
charge (someone) too little money
overstock
stock excessively
understock
stock with less than the usual or desirable number or quantity
tinsel
impart a cheap brightness to; "his tinseled image of Hollywood"
scrimp, stint, skimp
scratch and scrimp
overprice
price excessively high
undersell, undercut
sell cheaper than one's competition
pour
supply in large amounts or quantities: "We poured money into the education of our children"
pump
supply in great quantities; "Pump money into a project"
flood, oversupply
supply with an excess of; "flood the market with tennis shoes"
reciprocate
act, feel, or give in return; "We always invite the neighbors and they never reciprocate!"
exert
make a great effort at a mental or physical task; "exert oneself"
overexert
exert (oneself) excessively; "don't overexert yourself when exercising!"
egotrip
act in a way that attracts attention; "This teacher always egotrips and the students don't like him"
steamroller
proceed with great force; "The new teacher tends to steamroller"
come close
nearly do something; "She came close to quitting her job"
assert, put forward
insist on having one's opinions and rights recognized; "Women should assert themselves more!"
sit by, sit back
be inactive or indifferent while something is happening; "Don't just sit by while your rights are violated!"
whip through
go through very fast; "We whipped through the last papers that we had to read before the weekend"
bull, bull through
push or force; "He bulled through his demands"
play out
perform to the end; "We've got to play this out"
make bold, dare, presume to
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission; "How dare you call my lawyer?"
lie dormant
be inactive, as if asleep; "His work lay dormant for many years"
sophisticate
make less natural or innocent
connect
establish a rapport or relationship; "The President of this university really connects with the faculty"
lionize, celebrate
assign great social importance to; "The film director war celebrated all over Hollywood"; "The tenor was lionized in Vienna"
demote, bump, relegate, break, kick downstairs
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; "She was demoted because she always speaks up"
reduce
bring to humbler or weaker state or condition; "He reduced the population to slavery"
take time by the forelock
act quickly and decisively; not let slip an opportunity
tug, labor, labour, push, drive
exert oneself; "She tugged for years to make a decent living"
flounder
behave awkwardly; have difficulties; "She is floundering in college"
fight, struggle
make a strenuous or labored effort; "She struggled for years to survive without welfare"; "He fought for breath"
overdrive
drive or work too hard; "The teacher is overworking his students"
misapply
apply incorrectly or badly
overwork, exploit
work excessively hard
beaver, beaver away
work hard on something
belabor, belabour
to work at or to absurd length: "belabor the obvious"
potter, putter
work lightly; "The old lady is pottering around in the garden"
dabble, smatter, play at, dip into, dabble with, dabble at, dabble in
work with in a non-serious manner; "She dabbles in astronomy"
plug away, peg away, slog
work doggedly or persistently; "She keeps plugging away at her dissertation"
idle, laze, stagnate
spent time in idleness
moon, moon around, moon on
be idle in a listless or dreamy way
labor, labour, toil, fag, travail, grind, drudge, dig, moil
work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"
slave, break one's back, buckle down, knuckle down
work very hard, like a slave
restrain, keep, keep back, hold back
keep under control
misally
make a bad alliance; ally inappropriately; "The two countries are misallied"
hold one's own
maintain one's position and be in control of a situation
disorganize
remove the organization from
come to grips, get to grips
deal with (a problem or a subject); "I still have not come to grips with the death of my parents"
dally, toy, play, flirt
behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection"
coordinate
be co-ordinated; "These activities co-ordinate well"
mismanage, mishandle, misconduct
manage badly or incompetently; "The funds were mismanaged"
monopolize
control fully and exclusively; "He monopolizes the laser printer"
corner
gain control over; "corner the gold market"
boondoggle
do useless, wasteful, or trivial work
favor
treat gently or carefully
liberalize
make liberal or more liberal, of laws and rules
trust
allow without fear
mismarry
marry an unsuitable partner
victimize
punish unjustly
scourge
punish severely
trouble, put out, inconvenience, disoblige, discommode, incommode, bother
to cause inconvenience or discomfort to: "Sorry to trouble you, but..."
control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb, moderate
lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake" "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger"
indulge
give free rein to; "The write indulged in metaphorical language"
wrong
treat unjustly; do wrong to
upstage
treat snobbishly, put in one's place
strong-arm
handle roughly; "He was strong-armed by the policemen"
ride roughshod, run roughshod
treat inconsiderately or harshly
rough-house
treat in a rough or boisterous manner
gloss over, skate over, smooth over, slur over, skimp over
treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly
brutalize, brutalise
treat brutally
do justice, do-well by
treat or consider adequately or fairly; "To do him justice, he is brilliant"
skimp, scant
work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially
kick around
treat badly; abuse; "They won't have me to kick around any more!"
mistreat, maltreat, abuse, ill-use, ill-treat
treat badly
misbehave, misdemean
behave badly; "The children misbehaved all morning"
sandbag
treat harshly or unfairly
act up
misbehave badly; "The children acted up when they were not bored"
condescend, stoop, lower oneself
act in an undignified or dishonorable way; "I won't stoop to this"
hugger mugger
act stealthily
pose
behave affectedly in order to impress others
sauce
behave saucy or impudently towards
assert oneself
put oneself forward in an assertive and insistent manner
footle
act foolishly, as by talking nonsense
attitudinize, attitudinise
assume certain affected attitudes
behave, comport
behave well or properly; "The children must learn to behave"
expiate, aby, abye, atone
make amends for; "expiate one's sins"
over-correct, overcompensate
make excessive corrections for fear of making an error
breeze through, ace, pass with flying colors, sweep through, sail through, pass easily
pass easily and do very well; "She sailed through her exams"; "You will pass with flying colors"
do, manage
carry on or manage; "We could do with a little more help around here"
luck out
succeed by sheer luck
work, act
have a desired effect; do the trick; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"
overreach
fail by aiming too high or trying too hard
begin
achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative: "This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation"
pan out, work out
be a success
achieve, accomplish, attain, reach
to gain with effort: "she achieved her goal despite setbacks."
wangle, finagle, manage
achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
fail, go wrong, miscarry
be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt tp rescue the hostages failed miserably"
botch, fumble, botch up, muff, blow, flub, screw up, ball up, blunder, spoil, muck up, bungle, fluff, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, bobble, mishandle, louse up, foul up, mess up, fuck up
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
fall
suffer defeat, failure, or ruin; "We must stand or fall"
shipwreck
suffer failure, as in some enterprise
fall through, fall flat, founder, flop
fail utterly; collapse; "The project foundered"
dominate, master
have dominance over
counteract, countervail, neutralize, counterbalance
oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions; "This will counteract the foolish actions of my colleagues"
dare
to be courageous enough to try or do something: "I don't dare call him", "she dares to dress differently from the others."
luck it, luck through
act by relying on one's luck
risk, put on the line, lay on the line
expose to a chance of loss or damage; "We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"; "Why risk your life?"
bell the cat
take a risk; perform a daring act; "Who is going to bell the cat?"
honor, honour, reward
bestow honor upon; "Today we honor our soldiers"
recognize
show approval or appreciation of; "My work is not recognized by anybody!"
ennoble, dignify
lend dignity or honor to
dishonor, disgrace, dishonour, attaint, shame
bring dishonor upon
help, assist, aid
give help or assistance; be of service; "Everyone helped out during the earthquake"; "Can you help me carry this table?" "She never helps around the house"
help out
be of help, as in a particular situation of need; "Can you help out tonight?"
subserve
be helpful or useful
succor, succour
help in a difficult situation
expedite, hasten
speed up the progress of; facilitate; "This should expedite the process"
attend, take care, look, see
take charge of; "Could you see about lunch?"; "I must attend to this matter"; "She took care of this business"
minister
attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister to my mother all the time"
mother, fuss, overprotect
care for like a mother; "She fusses over her husband"
bootstrap
help oneself, often through improvised means
reinstate
restore to the previous state or rank
restore
return to its original condition
help
contribute to the furtherance of; "This money will help the development of literacy in developing countries"
promote, advance, boost, further, encourage
contribute to the progress or growth of; "I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom"
carry
take further or advance; "carry a cause"
feed
support or promote; "His admiration fed her vanity"
carry
compensate for a weaker partner or member by one's own performance; "I resent having to carry her all the time"
support, back up
be supportive of; "Will you support me during the meeting?"
carry
maintain or support somebody who is weaker or less competent
second, back, endorse, indorse
give support or one's blessing to; "I'll second that motion"; "I can't back this plan"; "endorse a new project"
undergird
lend moral support to
carry, execute
extend beyond reasonable limits; "carry too far"
misdo
do wrongly or improperly; "misdo one's job"
go all out, give one's best, do one's best
perform as well as possible
anticipate, foresee, forestall, counter
act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
desecrate, profane, outrage, violate
violate the sacred character of a place, such as a graveyard
overdo, exaggerate
do something to an excessive degree: "He overdid it last night when he did 100 push-ups"
overleap
defeat (oneself) by going too far
trespass, take advantage
make excessive use of; "You are taking advantage of my good will!"; "She is trespassing upon my privacy"
swindle, rook, nobble, diddle, bunco, defraud, mulct, gyp, con
deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"
short-change, short
cheat someone by not returning him enough money
bilk
cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
whipsaw
victimize, esp. in gambling or negotiations
victimize, victimise
make a victim of; "I was victimized by this con-man"
cheat
engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud
trick, fob, fox
pull a fast one, play a trick on somebody; "We tricked the teacher into thinking that class would be cancelled next week"
cozen
act with artful deceit
shill
act as a shill
fool, dupe, gull, befool
make a fool or dupe of
solemnize
observe or perform with dignity or gravity
poison
spoil as if by poison; "poison someone's mind"; "poison the atmosphere in the office"
whore
corrupt by lewd intercourse
bastardize, bastardise
change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms
rat
desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage
rumpus
cause a disturbance
persecute, oppress, harass
cause to suffer; "Jews were persecuted in the former Soviet Union"
arrive, make it, get in, go far
succeed in a big way; get to the top; "After he published his book, he had arrived"; "I don't know whether I can make it in science!"; "You will go far, my boy!"
carry, persuade, sway
win approval or support for; "Carry all before one"
misgovern
govern badly
hack, cut
informal: be able to manage or manage successfully; "I can't hack it anymore"; "she could not cut the long days in the office"
cope, get by, make out, make do, contend, grapple, deal, manage
come to terms or deal successfully with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas."
scrape along, scrape by, scratch along, squeak by, squeeze by, rub along
manage one's existence barely; "I guess I can squeeze by on this lousy salary"
condescend
behave in a patronizing and condescending manner
condescend, deign, descend
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
take care
be careful, prudent, or watchful; "Take care when you cross the street!"
follow through, go through
to conclude or bring to a conclusion with some effort; "John worked hard to make that deal go through."
fag
act as a fag for older boys, in British public schools
serve
be in the service of, be a servant of, as of people, institutions, or ideas: "She served the art of music"; "He served the church"; "Marie served her mistress faithfully until her death"
frivol, trifle
act frivolously
humbug
trick or deceive
lord it over, queen it over, put on airs, act superior
act like the master of; "He is lording it over the students"
stampede
act, usually en masse, hurriedly or on an impulse: "Companies will now stampede to release their latest software"
meet, match, cope with
satisfy or fulfill; "meet a need"
come near
almost do or experience something; "She came near to screaming with fear"
sneak
put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner: "sneak a look"; "sneak a cigarette"
remember oneself
recover one's good manners after a lapse or stop behaving badly; "Please remember yourself, Charles!"
guard
take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence; "guard against becoming too friendly with the staff"; "guard against infection"
cut across
be contrary to ordinary procedure or limitations; "Opinions on bombing the Serbs cut across party lines"
work out
turn out well; "Everything worked out in the end"
swing
live in a lively, modern, and relaxed style; "The Woodstock generation attempted to swing freely"
vegetate
lead a passive existence without using one's body or mind
unlive, live down
live so as to annul some previous behavior; "You can never live this down!"
wanton
indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life
pig, pig it
live like a pig, in squalor
eke out
live from day to day, as with some hardship: "He eked out his years in great poverty"
freewheel, drift
live irresponsibly or freely
stand up, hold up
resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc.; "Her shoes won't hold up"; This theory won't hold up"
make sense, add up
be reasonable or logical or comprehensible
compose
form the substance of; "Greed and ambition composed his personality
make
constitute the essence of; "Clothes make the man"
tide over, bridge over, keep going
suffice for a period between two points
sport, feature, boast
wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner; "she was sporting a new hat"
miss
be absent; "The child had been missing for a week"
overstay, outstay
stay too long; "overstay or outstay one's welcome"
kick one's heels
wait or pass the time aimlessly or futilely; be kept waiting; "She kicked her heels for hours at the gate of the Embassy"
loiter, lounge, footle, lollygag, loaf, lallygag, hang around, mess about, tarry, linger, lurk, mill about, mill around
be about; "The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square"; "Who is this man that is hanging around the department?"
bum around, bum about, arse around, arse about, loaf, frig around, waste one's time, lounge around, loll, loll around, lounge about
be lazy or idle; "Her son is just bumming around all day"
prowl, lurch
loiter about, with no apparent aim
lie about, lie around
hang around idly; "She did all the work while he lay around"
lurk, skulk
lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
hesitate, waver, swiver
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness: "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures."
dwell on, linger over
delay
boggle
hesitate when confronted with a problem, or when in doubt or fear
hover, linger
move to and fro; "The shy student lingered in the corner"
redound
be excessive in quantity
overarch
be central or dominant: "This scene overarches the entire first act"
weigh, press
to be oppressive or burdensome; "weigh heavily on the mind", "Something pressed on his mind"
count, matter, weigh
have weight; have import, carry weight; "It does not matter much"
overbear
overcome; "overbear criticism, protest, or arguments"
shine
be clear and obvious; "A shining example"
match, fit, correspond, check, jibe, gibe, tally, agree
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics; "The two stories don't agree in many details"; "The handwriting checks with the signature on the check"
check, check out
be verified or confirmed; pass inspection; "These stories don't check!"
look
accord in appearance with; "You don't look your age!"
answer
match or correspond; "The drawing of the suspect answers to the description the victim gave"
coincide
be the same; "our views on this matter coincided"
align
align with; be or come into adjustment
correlate, corelate
to establish or bear reciprocal or mutual relations
twin, duplicate, parallel
duplicate or match; "The polished surface twinned his face and chest in reverse"
parallel
be parallel to; "Their roles are paralleled by ours"
square
be compatible with; "one idea squares with another"
fit, go
be the right size or shape; fit correctly or as desired; "This skirt won't go around your waist"
deviate, vary, diverge, depart
be at variance with; be out of line with
conform
be similar, be in line with
depend
Elliptical use of "depend on": "That depends"
resemble
appear like; be similar to "She resembles her mother very much"; "This paper resembles my own work"
look like
bear a physical resemblance to; "She looks like her mother"
come to life
be lifelike; as of paintings: "If you look at it long enough, this portrait comes to life!"
take after
be similar to a relative; "She takes after her father!"
approximate, come close
be close or similar; "Her results approximate my own"
oppose, counterbalance
place in opposition: can also be used in an abstract sense; "Oppose thy steadfast gazing eyes to mine"- Shakespeare
come in
come into fashion; become fashionable
conflict
be in conflict; "The two proposals conflict!"
go out
go out of fashion; become unfashionable
clash, jar, collide
be incompatible; be or come into conflict; "These colors clash"
behoove, behove
be appropriate or necessary; "IT behooves us to reflect on this matter"
meet, fit, conform to
of a condition or restriction
exceed, transcend, overstep, pass, go past, top
go beyond; "She exceeded out expectations"
exceed, transcend, surpass
go beyond; "Their loyalty exceeds their national bonds"
suffice, do, answer
be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity; "A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A "B" grade doesn't suffice to get me into medical school"
go a long way
suffice or be adequate for a while or to a certain extent
serve
promote; "Art serves commerce"; "Their interests are served"; "The lake serves recreation"
fall short of
fail to satisfy, as of expectations, for example
satisfy, fulfill, fulfil, live up to
fulfil the requirements or expectations of
unbalance
throw out of balance or equilibrium; "The tax relief unbalanced the budget"
compensate, counterbalance, even out, even off, even up
make up for, make good
cover
compensate or make up for
balance, equilibrate, equilibrize
bring into balance or equilibrium
excel, stand out, surpass
distinguish oneself; "She excelled in math"
stink
be extremely bad in quality or in one's performance; "This term paper stinks!"
shine at, excel at
be good at; "She shines at math"
leap out, jump out, jump, stand out
be highly noticeable
apply, hold, go for
be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!" "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone"
focus on, center on, revolve around, revolve about, concentrate on, center
center upon; "Her entire attention centered on her children"; "Our day revolved around our work"
involve, affect, regard
connect closely and often incriminatingly; "This new ruling affects your business"
involve
engage as a participant; "Don't involve me in your family affairs!"
entangle, mire
entrap; "Our people should not be mired in the past"
matter to, interest
be of importance or consequence; "This matters to me!"
intrigue, fascinate
cause to be interested or curious
cheese
used in the imperative: "Cheese it!"
hold
remain in a certain state, position, or condition; "The weather held"; "They held on the road and kept marching"
run on, keep going
continue uninterrupted; "The disease will run on unchecked"
taper off, peter out, fizzle out, fizzle
end weakly; "The music just petered out--there was no proper ending"
ramble on, ramble, jog
continue talking or writing in a desultory manner: "This novel rambles on and jogs"
ride
continue undisturbed and without interference; "Let it ride"
cross, traverse, span, sweep
to cover a wide area; "Rivers traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres"
run, go, pass, lead, extend
stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point; "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets"
rise, lift, rear
rise up; "The building rose before them"
shadow, overshadow, dwarf
cast a shadow
loom, tower, hulk
appear very large
loom
come into view indistinctly, often threateningly; "Another air plane loomed into the sky"
endanger, jeopardize, menace, threaten, imperil, peril
pose a threat to; present a danger to; "The pollution is endangering the crops"
dote
be foolish or senile due to old age
characterize
be characteristic of; "What characterizes a Venetian painting?"
individuate
give individual character to
homologize
be homologous; "A person's arms homologize with a quadruped's forelimbs"
harmonize, consort, accord, fit in, agree
go together; "The colors don't harmonize"
befit, suit, beseem
accord or comport with
blend, go, blend in
blend or harmonize; "This flavor will blend with those in your dish"; "This sofa won't go with the chairs"
stand, remain firm
hold one's ground; maintain a position; be steadfast or upright
suit, accommodate, fit
be agreeable or acceptable to; "This suits my needs"
truckle
yield to out of weakness
drag on, drag out
last unnecessarily long
overshadow, eclipse
exceed in importance; outweigh; "This prblem overshadows our lives right now"
shillyshally
be uncertain and vague
weather, endure, brave, brave out
face or endure with courage; "She braved the elements"
brave, venture
brave the dangers of; "brave the natural elements"
lend oneself, apply
be applicable to; as to an analysis; "This theory lends itself well to our new data"
beggar
be beyond the resources of; "This beggars description!"
defy, resist, refuse
elude, esp. in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
piddle, wanton, wanton away, piddle away, trifle
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
misspend
spend time badly or unwisely: "He misspent his youth"
while away, get through
spend or pass, as with boredom or in a pleasant manner; of time
abound
be abundant or plentiful; exist in large quantities
teem, swarm
be teeming, be abuzz
abound, burst, bristle
be in a state of movement or action; "The room abounded with screaming children"; "The garden bristled with toddlers"
brim
be completely full; "His eyes brimmed with tears"
crawl
be crawling with; "The old cheese was crawling with maggots"
abound in, teem in, pullulate with
exist in large quantity
rule
have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiac
droop, loll
hang loosely or laxly; "His tongue lolled"
bag
hang loosely, like an empty bag
dangle, swing, drop
hang freely; "the ornaments dangled from the tree"; "The light dropped from the ceiling"
offset, countervail
compensate for or counterbalance; "offset deposits and withdrawals"
cancel, offset, set off
make up for; "His skills offset his opponent's superior strength"
overlap
have something in common
share
share in common; "Our children share a love of music"
run
be affected by; be subjected to; as in "run a temperature," "run a risk"
play
be received or accepted; "This speech didn't play well with the American public"
press
be urgent; "This is a pressing problem"
rage
be violent; as of fires and storms
elude, escape
be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
do well, had best
act in one's own or everybody's best interest; "You will do well to arrive on time tomorrow!"
become, suit
enhance the appearance of: "Mourning becomes Electra"; "This behavior doesn't suit you!"
come in handy
be useful for a certain purpose
hoodoo
bring back luck; be a source of misfortune
compare
be comparable; "This car does not compare with our line of Mercedes"
go
be ranked or compare; "This violinist is as good as Juilliard-trained violinists go"
run into, encounter
be beset by; "The project ran into numerous financial difficulties"
owe
be indebted to, in an abstract or intellectual sense; "This new theory owes much to Einstein's Relativity Theory"
keep, preserve
maintain in safety form injury, harm, or danger; "May God keep you"
shine
be distinguished or eminent; "His talent shines"
go far, go deep
extend in importance or range; "His accomplishments go far"
hang
be menacing, burdensome, or oppressive; "This worry hangs on my mind"; "The cloud of suspicion hangs over her"
litter
strew; "Cigar butts littered the ground"
suit
be agreeable or acceptable; "This time suits me"
help, facilitate
be of use; "This will help to prevent accidents"
tie in
be in connection with something relevant; "This ties in closely with his earlier remarks"
belong
be suitable or acceptable; "This student somehow doesn't belong"
go around
be sufficient; "There's not enough to go around"
belong, go
be in the right place or situation; "Where do these books belong?" "Let's put health care where it belongs--under the control of the government"; "Where do these books go?"
fry
be excessively hot; "If the children stay out on the beach for another hour, they'll be fried"
contrast
put in contrast
jumble, mingle
be all mixed up or jumbled together; "His words jumbled"
falter, waver
be unsure or weak; "Their enthusiasm is faltering"
have
be confronted with: "What do we have here?"; "Now we have a fine mess"
promise
give grounds for expectations; "The new results were promising"; "The results promised fame and glory"
hold one's own
be sufficiently competent in a certain situation: "He can hold his own in graduate school"
mean
have a specified degree of importance; "My ex-husband means nothing to me"; "Happiness means everything"
balance
be in equilibrium; "He was balancing on one foot"
flow
be abundantly present; "The champagne flowed at the wedding"
brood, hover, loom, bulk large
hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing; "The terrible vision brooded over her all day long"
act
be suitable for theatrical performance: "This scene acts well"
add
constitute an addition; "This paper will add to her reputation"
seem
appear to exist; "There seems no reason to go ahead with the project now"
beat
be superior: "Reading beats watching television"; "This sure beats work!"
hold
have as a major characteristic; "The novel holds many surprises"; "The book holds in store much valuable advise"
sell
be responsible for the sale of; "All her publicity sold the products"
sell
be approved of or gain acceptance; "The new idea sold well in certain circles"
make
be suitable for; "Wood makes good furniture"
blight, plague
cause to suffer a blight
absolute
perfect or complete or pure; "absolute loyalty"; "absolute silence"; "absolute truth"; "absolute alcohol"
dead(a), utter(a)
total; "dead silence"; "utter seriousness"
implicit, unquestioning
being without doubt or reserve; "implicit trust"
direct
exact; "the direct opposite"
independent
not dependent on or conditioned by or relative to anything else
infinite
total and all-embracing; "God's infinite wisdom"
living
(intensifier) "she is a living doll"; "scared the living daylights out of them"; "beat the living hell out of him"
pure, unmixed, undiluted
not mixed; "pure oxygen"
relative
not absolute or complete; "a relative stranger"
very(a)
used to give emphasis; "the very essence of artistic expression is invention"- Irving R. Kaufman; "the very back of the room"
comparative
having significance only in relation to something else; "a comparative newcomer"
abstemious
sparing in consumption of especially food and drink; "the pleasures of the table, never of much consequence to one naturally abstemious"- John Galsworthy
crapulous
given to gross intemperance in eating or drinking; "a crapulous old reprobate"
abstinent, abstentious
self-restraining; not indulging an appetite especially for food or drink; "not totally abstinent but abstemious"
ascetic, ascetical, austere, spartan
practicing great self-denial; "Be systematically ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence"
gluttonous
given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink; "over-fed women and their gluttonous husbands"; "a gluttonous debauch"; "a gluttonous appetite for food and praise and pleasure"
greedy
wanting to eat or drink more than one can reasonably consume; "don't be greedy with the cookies"
crapulent, crapulous
suffering from excessive eating or drinking; "crapulent sleep"; "a crapulous stomach"
edacious, esurient, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, voracious, wolfish
devouring or craving food in great quantities; "edacious vultures"; "a rapacious appetite"; "ravenous as wolves"; "voracious sharks"
hoggish, piggish, piggy, porcine, swinish
resembling swine; coarsely gluttonous or greedy; "piggish table manners"; "the piggy fat-cheeked little boy and his porcine pot-bellied father"; "swinish slavering over food"
overgreedy, too-greedy
excessively gluttonous
real, tangible
possible to be treated as fact; "tangible evidence"; "his brief time as Prime Minister brought few real benefits to the poor"
objective
belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events; "concrete benefits"; "a concrete example"; "there is no objective evidence of anything of the kind"
abundant
present in great quantity; "an abundant supply of water"
ample, copious, plenteous, plentiful, rich
affording an abundant supply; "had ample food for the party"; "copious provisions"; "food is plentiful"; "a plenteous grape harvest"; "a rich supply"
abounding, galore(ip)
existing in abundance; "abounding confidence"; "whiskey galore"
bumper
extraordinarily abundant; "a bumper crop"
copious, extensive
large in number or quantity; "she took copious notes"; "extensive press coverage"
exuberant, lush, luxuriant, profuse, riotous
produced or growing in extreme abundance; "their riotous blooming"
easy
(economics) plentiful and therefore at low interest rates; easy to come by; "easy money"
thick
abundantly covered of filled; "the top was thick with dust"
plentiful
existing in great number or quantity; "rhinoceroses were once plentiful here"
long
having or being more than normal or necessary:"long on brains"; "in long supply"
overabundant, plethoric, rife
excessively abundant
rank
growing profusely; "rank jungle vegetation"
teeming, swarming
abundantly filled with especially living things; "the Third World's teeming millions"; "the teeming boulevard"; "harried by swarming rats"
superabundant
most excessively abundant
torrential
pouring in abundance; "torrential rains"
scarce
deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; "fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought"
tight
(economics) affected by scarcity and expensive to borrow; "tight money"; "a tight market"
rare
not widely distributed; "rare herbs"; "rare patches of gree in the desert"
misunderstood
not given sympathetic understanding; "a sorely misunderstood child"
abused, ill-treated, maltreated, mistreated
physically abused; "an abused wife
unabused
not physically abused; treated properly
acceptable
worthy of acceptance or satisfactory; "acceptable levels of radiation"; "performances varied from acceptable to excellent"
tolerable
capable of being borne; "tolerable noise levels"
unacceptable
not acceptable; not welcome; "a word unacceptable in polite society"; "an unacceptable violation of personal freedom"
unexceptionable, unimpeachable
completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; "two unexceptionable witnesses"; "a judge's ethics should be unexceptionable"
unobjectionable
not objectionable; "the ends are unobjectionable; it's the means that one can't accept"
intolerable
completely unacceptable; "this noise is intolerable"
exceptionable, objectionable
liable to objection or debate; used of something one might take exception to; "a thoroughly unpleasant highly exceptionable piece of writing"; "found the politician's views objectionable"
convenient, handy, ready to hand(p)
easy to reach; "found a handy spot for the can opener"
inaccessible, unaccessible
capable of being reached only with great difficulty or not at all
in hand(p)
accessible at the present time; "waited for supper...glasses in hand"
deserted
remote from civilization; "the victim was lured to a deserted spot"
backwoods(a), outback(a), remote
inaccessible and sparsely populated
lonely(a), solitary, unfrequented
separated from or unfrequented by others; remote or secluded; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary retreat"; "a trail leading to an unfrequented lake"
unapproachable, unreachable, unreached, out of reach(p)
inaccessibly located or situated; "an unapproachable chalet high in the mountains"; "an unreachable canyon"; "the unreachable stars"
un-come-at-able, ungetatable
(informal) difficult to reach or attain
dead-on(a)
(informal) accurate and to the point; "a dead-on feel for characterization"; "She avoids big scenes...preferring to rely on small gestures and dead-on dialogue"- Peter S.Prescott
close, faithful
marked by fidelity to an original; "a close translation"; "a faithful copy of the portrait"; "a faithful rendering of the observed facts"
used to(p), wont to(p)
in the habit; "I am used to hitchhiking"; "you'll get used to the idea"; "...was wont to complain that this is a cold world"- Henry David Thoreau
accustomed
(often followed by `to') in the habit of or adapted to; "accustomed to doing her own work"; "I've grown accustomed to her face"
unaccustomed
not habituated to; unfamiliar with; "unaccustomed to wearing suits"
unused to(p)
(usually followed by `to') infrequently exposed to; "feet unused to shoes"
accepted, recognized
generally approved or compelling recognition; "several accepted techniques for treating the condition"; "his recognized superiority in this kind of work"
unappreciated, unsung, unvalued
having value that is not acknowledged
sordid
meanly avaricious and mercenary; "sordid avarice"; "sordid material interests"
rapacious, ravening, voracious
excessively greedy and grasping; "a rapacious divorcee on the prowl"; "ravening creditors"; "paying taxes to voracious governments"
about(p), astir(p)
on the move; "up and about"; "the whole town was astir over the incident"
acrobatic, athletic, gymnastic
vigorously active; "an acrobatic dance"; "an athletic child"; "athletic playing"; "gymnastic exercises"
agile, nimble, quick, spry
moving quickly and lightly; "sleek and agile as a gymnast"; "as nimble as a deer"; "nimble fingers"; "quick of foot"; "the old dog was so spry it was halfway up the stairs before we could stop it"
dancing
moving quickly and excitedly; "on dancing feet"
hot
(informal) marked by excited activity; "a hot week on the stock market"
lively
characterized by energetic activity; "a lively baby"
on the go(p)
(of a person) very busy and active; "is always on the go"
active
full of activity or engaged in continuous activity; "an active seaport"; "an active bond market"; "an active account"
brisk
very active; "doing a brisk business"
bustling
full of energetic and noisy activity; "a bustling city"
busy
crowded with or characterized by much activity; "a very busy week"; "a busy life"; "a busy street"; "a busy seaport"
going(a)
in full operation; "a going concern"
in full swing(p)
at the highest level of activity; "for the first time in years the factory was in full swing"
dead
devoid of activity; "this is a dead town; nothing ever happens here"
dull, slow, sluggish
(of business) not active or brisk; "business is dull (or slow)"; "a sluggish market"
passive, inactive
lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith
countervailing, offsetting, compensatory, compensative
compensating for
very(a)
used to give emphasis to the relevance of the thing modified; "his very name struck terror"; "caught in the very act"
accommodative, reconciling
tending to reconcile or accommodate; bringing into harmony
adequate
(sometimes followed by `to') meeting the requirements especially of a task; "she had adequate training"; "her training was adequate"; "she was adequate to the job"
competent
adequate for the purpose; "a competent performance"
adequate to(p), capable, equal to(p), up to(p)
having the requisite qualities for; "equal to the task"; "the work isn't up to the standard I require"
inadequate
(sometimes followed by `to') not meeting the requirements especially of a task; "inadequate training"; "the staff was inadequate"; "she was inadequate to the job"
deficient, lacking(p), wanting(p)
inadequate in amount or degree; "a deficient education"; "deficient in common sense"; "lacking in stamina"; "tested and found wanting"
short-handed, short-staffed, undermanned, understaffed
inadequate in number of workers or assistants etc.; "they're rather short-handed at the moment"; "overcrowded and understaffed hospitals"
unadoptable
difficult to place in an adoptive home
embellished, ornamented, ornate
rich in decorative detail
tricked-out
decorated in a particular way; "tricked-out cupboards looking like Georgian cabinets"
plain, unembellished, unornamented
lacking embellishment or ornamentation; "a plain hair style"; "unembellished white walls"; "functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete"
adroit
quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; "an exceptionally adroit pianist"; "an adroit technician"; "his adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers"; "an adroit negotiator"
clean, neat
free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed; "he landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek"; "a clean throw"; "the neat exactness of the surgeon's knife"
deft, dexterous, dextrous
skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands; "a deft waiter"; "deft fingers massaged her face"; "dexterous of hand and inventive of mind"
clever, cunning, ingenious
showing inventiveness and skill; "a clever gadget"; "the cunning maneuvers leading to his success""; "an ingenious solution to the problem"
coordinated
being dexterous in the use of more than one set of muscle movements; "she was usually good with her hands and well coordinated"- Mary McCarthy
handy
skillful with the hands; "handy with an axe"
maladroit
not adroit; "a maladroit movement of his hand caused the car to swerve"; "a maladroit translation"; "maladroit propaganda"
light-fingered, nimble-fingered
having nimble fingers literally or figuratively; especially for stealing or picking pockets; "a light-fingered burglar who can crack the combination of a bank vault"- Harry Hansen; "the light-fingered thoughtfulness...of the most civilized playwright of the era"- Time
quick-witted
mentally nimble and resourceful; "quick-witted debater"; "saved an embarrassing situation with quick-witted tact"
uncoordinated
not well coordinated; "his movements are clumsy and uncoordinated"
bumbling, bungling, butterfingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, left-handed
not skillful in physical movement especially with the hands; "a bumbling mechanic"; "a bungling performance"; "ham-handed governmental interference"; "could scarcely empty a scuttle of ashes, so handless was the poor creature"- Mary H. Vorse
inept, tactless
revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse; "an inept remark"; "it was tactless to bring up those disagreeable"
plus, positive
involving advantage or good; "a plus (or positive) factor"
advantageous
giving an advantage; "a contract advantageous to our country"; "socially advantageous to entertain often"
beneficial, good
promoting or enhancing well-being; "an arms limitation agreement beneficial to all countries"; "the beneficial effects of a temperate climate"; "the experience was good for her"
profitable
promoting benefit or gain; "a profitable meeting to resolve difficulties"
minus, negative
involving disadvantage or harm; "minus (or negative) factors"
disadvantageous, harmful
constituting a disadvantage
advisable
worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise; "such action is neither necessary nor advisable"; "extreme caution is advisable"; "it is advisable to telephone first"
safe
of an undertaking
better(p), best(p)
(comparative and superlative of `well') wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be better to speak to him"; "the White House thought it best not to respond"
judicious, sensible
proceeding from good sense or judgment; "a sensible choice"
recommended, suggested
mentioned as worthy of acceptance; "the recommended medicine"; "the suggested course of study"
well(p)
wise or advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be well to start early"
inadvisable, unadvisable
not prudent or wise; not recommended; "running on the ice is inadvisable"
ill-advised, unadvised
without careful prior deliberation or counsel; "ill-advised efforts"; it would be ill-advised to accept the offer"; "took the unadvised measure of going public with the accusations"
well-advised, advised
having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel; "a well-advised delay in carrying out the plan"
considered, wise
carefully considered; "a considered opinion"
ugly
deficient in beauty; "ugly gray slums"
aesthetic, esthetic, aesthetical, esthetical
concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste; "the aesthetic faculties"; "an aesthetic person"; "aesthetic feeling"; "the illustrations made the book an aesthetic success"
artistic
satisfying aesthetic standards and sensibilities; "artistic workmanship"
beautiful
aesthetically pleasing
cosmetic, enhancive
serving an aesthetic purpose in beautifying the body; "cosmetic surgery"; "enhansive makeup"
sensuous
taking delight in beauty; "the sensuous joy from all things fair"
inaesthetic, unaesthetic
violating aesthetic canons or requirements; deficient in tastefulness or beauty; "inaesthetic and quite unintellectual"; "peered through those inaesthetic spectacles"
inartistic, unartistic
lacking aesthetic sensibility;
tasteless
deficient in tastefulness; "coarse and tasteless luxury"
superior(p)
(often followed by `to') above being affected or influenced by; "he is superior to fear"; "an ignited firework proceeds superior to circumstances until its blazing vitality fades"
lifelike, natural
natural looking; "a natural pose"
negative
expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial
concessive, conceding(a)
making for or being a concession
favorable, positive
granting what has been desired or requested; "a favorable reply"; "a positive answer"
dismissive
tending to dismiss or reject; "a dismissive gesture"
agreeable
to your own liking or feelings or nature; "Is the plan agreeable to you?"; "he's an agreeable fellow"; "My idea of an agreeable person...is a person who agrees with me"- Disraeli; "an agreeable manner"
disagreeable
not to your liking; "a most disagreeable journey"; "a disagreeable old man"; "in a disagreeable mood"
annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing
causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong"
harsh, abrasive
sharply disagreeable; rigorous; "the harsh facts of court delays"; "an abrasive character"
unsweet
distasteful; "he found life unsweet"
doomed
marked for certain death; "the black spot told the old sailor he was doomed"
live
showing characteristics of life; exerting force or containing energy; "live coals"; "tossd a live cigarette out the window"; "got a shock from a live wire"; "live ore is unmined ore"; "a live bomb"; "a live ball is one in play"
living(a)
full of life and interest; "made history a living subject"
dead
not showing characteristics of life especially the capacity to sustain life; no longer exerting force or having energy or heat; "Mars is a dead planet"; "a dead battery"; "dead soil"; "dead coals"; "the fire is dead"
enigmatic, oracular
resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; "the oracular sayings of Victorian poets"; "so obscure that priests might have to clarify it"; "an enigmatic smile"
left-handed
ironically ambiguous; "a left-handed compliment"
multivalent, multi-valued
having many values, meanings, or appeals; "subtle, multivalent allegory"
uncertain
especially in the negative "no uncertain," as in "spoke in no uncertain terms"
ample
more than enough in size or scope or capacity; "had ample food for the party"; "an ample supply"
manque, would-be(a)
unfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition
overambitious
excessively ambitious
generous
more than adequate; "a generous portion"
full, good
having the normally expected amount; "gives full measure"; "gives good measure"; "a good mile from here"
meager, meagre, meagerly
deficient in amount or quality or extent; "meager resources"; "meager fare"
wide, wide-cut, full
having ample fabric; "the current taste for wide trousers"; "a full skirt"
bare(a), scanty, spare
lacking in amplitude or quantity; "a bare livelihood"; "a scanty harvest"; "a spare diet"
exiguous
extremely scanty; "a meager income"; "an exiguous budget"
hardscrabble, marginal
of a bare living gained by great labor; "the sharecropper's hardscrabble life"; "a marginal existence"
hand-to-mouth(a)
providing only bare essentials; "a hand-to-mouth existence"
measly, miserable, paltry
contemptibly small in amount; "a measly tip"; "the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief"; "a paltry wage"; "almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans"
vital
having or characterized by life; "a vital being"; "the population of the vital teeming slums"
enlivened, spirited
made lively or spirited; "a meal enlivened by the music"; "a spirited debate"
animated, alive
having life or vigor or spirit; "an animated and expressive face"; "animated conversation"; "became very animated when he heard the good news"
full of life, lively, vital
full of spirit; "a vital and charismatic leader"; "this whole vital world"
reanimated, revived
given fresh life or vigor or spirit; "stirred by revived hopes"
wan
lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness; "a wan smile"
unanimated
not animated or enlivened; dull
dead, lifeless
lacking animation or excitement or activity; "the party being dead we left early"; "it was a lifeless party until she arrived"
perked up
made or become more cheerful or lively; "his attention made her feel all perked up"
enlivened
made sprightly or cheerful
unenlivened
not made lively or brightened; "a life unenlivened by romance"
new, unexampled
having no previous example or precedent or parallel; "a time of unexampled prosperity"
precedented
having or supported or justified by a precedent
unprecedented
having no precedent; novel; "an unprecedented expansion in population and industry"
approachable
easy to meet or converse or do business with; "a friendly approachable person"
unapproachable
discouraging intimacies; reserved; "an unapproachable executive"
accessible
easy to get along with or talk to; friendly; "an accessible and genial man"
due
reasonable in the circumstances; "gave my comments due consideration"; "exercising due care"
offish, standoffish
lacking cordiality; unfriendly; "a standoffish manner"
appropriate
suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc; "a book not appropriate for children"; "a funeral conducted the appropriate solemnity"; "it seems that an apology is appropriate"
befitting
appropriate to; "behavior befitting a father"
pat
exactly suited to the occasion; "a pat reply"
in order(p), called for
appropriate or even needed in the circumstances; "a change is in order"
proper, right, suitable
appropriate for a condition or occasion; "everything in its proper place"; "the right man for the job"; "she is not suitable for the position"
unbefitting
not befitting; "behavior unbefitting a father"
inappropriate
not suitable for a particular occasion etc; "noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness"; "inappropriate shoes for a walk on the beach"; "put inappropriate pressure on them"
unsuitable, improper, wrong
not appropriate for a purpose or occasion; "unsuitable attire for the office"; "said all the wrong things"
anticipated, looked-for(a)
rightfully expected; "his looked-for advancement";
undue
not appropriate or proper (or even legal) in the circumstances; "undue influence"; "I didn't want to show undue excitement"; "accused of using undue force"
apropos
of an appropriate or pertinent nature
apposite, appropriate, apt, pertinent
being of striking appropriateness and pertinence; "the successful copywriter is a master of apposite and evocative verbal images"; "an apt reply"
malapropos
of an inappropriate or incorrectly applied nature
inapposite, out of place
of an inappropriate or misapplied nature
artful
marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"
adroit, clever, ingenious
skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends; "cool prudence and sensitive selfishness along with quick perception of what is possible--these distinguish an adroit politician"; "came up with a clever story"; "an ingenious press agent"; "an ingenious scheme"
crafty, cunning, dodgy, foxy, guileful, knavish, slick, sly, tricksy, tricky, wily
marked by skill in deception; "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney"
Byzantine
characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue; devious; "Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship"; "a fine hand for Byzantine deals and cozy arrangements"
cute, precious
obviously contrived to charm; "an insufferably precious performance"; "a child with intolerably cute mannerisms"
deep
exhibiting great cunning usually with secrecy; "deep political machinations"; "a deep plot"
elusive, evasive
skillful at eluding capture; "a cabal of conspirators, each more elusive than the archterrorist"- David Kline
manipulative
skillful in influencing or controlling others to your own advantage; "the early manipulative techniques of a three-year-old"
pawky
(British) cunning and sly; "the pawky rich old lady who incessantly scores off her parasitical descendants"- Punch
articulated
pronounced distinctly and clearly; "her words were well articulated"
artless
simple and natural; without cunning or deceit; "an artless manner"; "artless elegance"
careless
effortless and unstudied; "an impression of careless elegance"; "danced with careless grace"
guileless, honest
free from guile; "his answer was simple and honest"
naive, unsophisticated
lacking sophistication
articulate
expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language; "articulate speech"; "an articulate orator"; "articulate beings"
eloquent, facile, fluent, silver, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively; "able to dazzle with his facile tongue"; "silver speech"
well-spoken
speaking or spoken fittingly or pleasingly; "a well-spoken gentleman"; "a few well-spoken words on civic pride"
tongued
having a manner of speaking as specified; often used in combination; "golden-tongued"; "sharp-tongued"
audacious, barefaced, bodacious, bold-faced, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, insolent
unrestrained by convention or propriety; "an audacious trick to pull"; "a barefaced hypocrite"; "the most bodacious display of tourism this side of Anaheim"- Los Angeles Times; "bold-faced lies"; "brazen arrogance"; "the modern world with its quick material successes and insolent belief in the boundless possibilities of progress"- Bertrand Russell
emphatic, forceful
forceful and definite in expression or action; "the document contained a particularly emphatic guarantee of religious liberty"
gullible
easily tricked because of being too trusting; "gullible tourists taken in by the shell game"
oversolicitous
excessively solicitous
attractive
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm; "a remarkably attractive young man"; "an attractive personality"; "attractive clothes"; "a book with attractive illustrations"
forgetful, oblivious
failing to keep in mind; "forgetful of her responsibilities"; "oblivious old age"
bewitching, captivating, enchanting, enthralling, entrancing, fascinating
capturing interest as if by a spell; "bewitching smile"; "Roosevelt was a captivating speaker"; "enchanting music"; "an enthralling book"; "antique papers of entrancing design"; "a fascinating woman"
dinky
(British informal) pretty and neat; "what a dinky little hat"
charismatic, magnetic
possessing an extraordinary ability to attract; "a charismatic leader"; "a magnetic personality"
cunning, cute
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness; "a cute kid with pigtails"; "a cute little apartment"; "cunning kittens"; "a cunning baby"
engaging, piquant
attracting or delighting; "an engaging frankness"; "a piquant face with large appealing eyes"
fetching, taking, winning
very attractive; capturing interest; "a fetching new hairstyle"; "something inexpressibly taking in his manner"; "a winning personality"
hypnotic, mesmeric, mesmerizing, spellbinding
attracting and holding interest as if by a spell; "read the bedtime story in a hypnotic voice"; "she had a warm mesmeric charm"; "the sheer force of his presence was mesmerizing"; "a spellbinding description of life in ancient Rome"
irresistible
overpoweringly attractive; "irresistible beauty"
prepossessing
creating a favorable impression; "strong and vigorous and of prepossessing appearance"
personable
(of persons) pleasant in appearance and personality
photogenic
looking attractive in photographs
winsome
charming in a childlike or naive way
unattractive
lacking beauty or charm; "as unattractive as most mining regions"
homely, plain
lacking in physical beauty or proportion; "a homely child"; "several of the buildings were downright homely"; "a plain girl with a freckled face"
subfusc
devoid of brightness or appeal; "a subfusc mining town"; "dark subfusc clothing"
unprepossessing, unpresentable
creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression
appealing
able to attract interest or draw favorable attention; "He added an appealing and memorable figure to popular American mythology"- Vincent Starrett; "an appealing sense of humor"; "the idea of having enough money to retire at fifty is very appealing"
attention-getting, catchy
likely to attract attention; "a catchy title for a movie"
attractive
having power to arouse interest; "an attractive opportunity"; "the job is attractive because of the pay"
unappealing
not able to attract favorable attention; "they have made the place as unappealing as possible"; "was forced to talk to his singularly unappealing hostess"
unattractive
lacking power to arouse interest; "being unemployed is a most unattractive prospect"
off-putting
tending to repel; "The trappings of upper-class life are off-putting and sterile"- Elizabeth Hess
auspicious
attended by favorable circumstances; "an auspicious beginning for the campaign"
advantageous, favorable, golden
very favorable or advantageous; "a golden opportunity"
bright, promising
full or promise; "had a bright future in publishing"; "the scandal threatened an abrupt end to a promising political career"
auspicious, encouraging, favorable, favourable, lucky, prosperous
tending to favor or bring good luck; "miracles are auspicious accidents"; "encouraging omens"; "a favorable time to ask for a raise"; "lucky stars"; "a prosperous moment to make a decision"
fortunate, hopeful, rosy
presaging good fortune; "she made a fortunate decision to go to medical school"; "rosy predictions"
inauspicious, unfortunate
not auspicious; boding ill
unpromising
appearing to be unlikely to result favorably or be enjoyable; "faced an unpromising task"; "music for unpromising combinations of instruments"
propitious
presenting favorable circumstances; "propitious omens"
gracious
disposed to bestow favors; "thanks to the gracious gods"
unpropitious
not propitious
ill, inauspicious, ominous
presaging ill-fortune; "ill omens"; "ill predictions"; "my words with inauspicious thunderings shook heaven"- P.B.Shelley;"a dead and ominous silence prevailed"; "a by-election at a time highly unpropitious for the Government"
thunderous
extremely ominous; "world events of thunderous import"
available
obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service; "kept a fire extinguisher available"; "much information is available through computers"; "available in many colors"; "the list of available candidates is unusually long"
easy
(economics) less in demand and therefore readily obtainable; "commodities are easy this quarter"
accessible
easily obtained; "most students now have computers accessible"; "accessible money"
forthcoming
available when required or as promised; "federal funds were not forthcoming"
on hand(p), visible(a)
present and easily available; "the cash on hand is adequate for current needs"; "emergency police were on hand in case of trouble"; "a visible supply"; "visible resources"
on tap(p)
available for immediate use; "extra personnel on tap"; "other sports and entertainment facilities are on tap"; "there are numerous projects on tap"
unavailable
not available or accessible or at hand; "fresh milk was unavailable during the emergency"; "his secretary said he was unavailable for comment"
ready(a)
(of especially money) immediately available; "he seems to have ample ready money"; "a ready source of cash"
inaccessible, unobtainable, unprocurable, untouchable
not capable of being obtained; "a rare work, today almost inaccessible"; "timber is virtually unobtainable in the islands"; "untouchable resources buried deep within the earth"
atrocious, frightful, horrifying, horrible, ugly
provoking horror; "an atrocious automobile accident"; "a frightful crime of decapitation"; "an alarming, even horrifying, picture"; "war is beyond all words horrible"- Winston Churchill; "an ugly wound"
alarming
causing alarm or fear
appalling, dismaying
causing consternation; "appalling conditions"
chilling, scarey, scary, shivery, shuddery
so scary as to cause chills and shudders; "the most terrible and shuddery...tales of murder and revenge"
awful, dire, direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible
causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse"
baleful, forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening, ugly
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments; "a baleful look"; "forbidding thunderclouds"; "his tone became menacing"; "ominous rumblings of discontent"; "sinister storm clouds"; "a sinister smile"; "his threatening behavior"; "ugly black clouds"; "the situation became ugly"
bloodcurdling, hair-raising, nightmarish
extremely alarming
creepy
causing a sensation as of things crawling on your skin; "a creepy story"
ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, macabre
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror; "ghastly wounds"; "the grim aftermath of the bombing"; "the grim task of burying the victims"; "a grisly murder"; "gruesome evidence of human sacrifice"; "macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle ages"; "macabre tortures conceived by madmen"
formidable, redoubtable, unnerving
inspiring fear; "the formidable prospect of major surgery"; "a tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic"- G.H.Johnston; "something unnerving and prisonlike about high gray wall"
hairy
hazardous and frightening; "hairy moments in the mountains"
stupefying
shocking with surprise and consternation; "the stupefying impact of the tragedy"
petrifying
paralyzing with terror
terrific, terrifying
causing extreme terror; "a terrifying wail"
unalarming
not alarming; assuaging alarm
calming, lulling, quietening
causing to become tranquil
unreassuring, worrisome
not reassuring; tending to cause anxiety
reassuring
restoring confidence and relieving anxiety; "a very reassuring remark"
assuasive, calming, pacifying, soothing
freeing from fear and anxiety
assuring
giving confidence
comforting, consolatory, consoling
affording comfort or solace
familiar, overfamiliar
taking undue liberties; "young women disliked the familiar tone he took with them"; "instructors should not be familir in their behavior toward students of the opposite sex"
fresh, impertinent, impudent, overbold, smart, saucy
improperly forward or bold; "don't be fresh with me"; "impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup"; "an impudent boy given to insulting strangers"
assumptive, assuming, presumptuous
excessively forward; "an assumptive person"; "on a subject like this it would be too assuming for me to decide"; "the duchess would not put up with presumptuous servants"
exquisite
of extreme beauty; "her exquisite face"
beautiful
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration; "a beautiful child"; "beautiful country"; "a beautiful painting"; "a beautiful theory"; "a beautiful party"
beauteous
poetic
bonny, bonnie, comely, fair
very pleasing to the eye; "my bonny lass"; "there's a bonny bay beyond"; "a comely face"; "young fair maidens"
dishy
(informal British) good-looking; "a dishy blonde"
glorious, resplendent, splendid, splendiferous
having great beauty and splendor; "a glorious spring morning"; "a glorious sunset"; "splendid costumes"; "a kind of splendiferous native simplicity"
fair, sightly
visually appealing; "our fair city"
fine-looking, good-looking, better-looking, handsome, well-favored, well-favoured
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion; "a fine-looking woman"; "a good-looking man"; "better-looking than her sister"; "very pretty but not so extraordinarily handsome"- Thackeray; "our southern women are well-favored"- Lillian Hellman
lovely
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
gorgeous
dazzlingly beautiful; "a gorgeous Victorian gown"
picturesque
suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture; "a picturesque village"
pretty-pretty
ostentatiously or inappropriately pretty
pretty
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing; "pretty girl"; "pretty song"; "pretty room"
ravishing
stunningly beautiful; "a ravishing blonde"
pulchritudinous
used of persons only; having great physical beauty; "pulchritudinous movie stars"
scenic
used of locations; having beautiful natural scenery; "scenic drives"
ugly
displeasing to the senses and morally revolting; "an ugly face"; "ugly furniture"; "war is ugly"
stunning
strikingly beautiful or attractive; "quite stunning with large dark eyes and a beautiful high-bosomed figure"; "stunning photographs of Canada's wilderness areas"
hideous, repulsive
so extremely ugly as to be terrifying; "a hideous scar"; "a repulsive mask"
disfigured
having the appearance spoiled; "a disfigured face"; "strip mining left a disfigured landscape"
grotesque, monstrous, unnatural
distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous; "tales of grotesque serpents eight fathoms long that churned the seas"; "twisted into monstrous shapes"
ill-favored, ill-favoured
usually used of a face; "an ill-favored countenance"
scrofulous
having a diseased appearance resembling scrofula; "our canoe...lay with her scrofulous sides on the shore"- Farley Mowat
unlovely, unpicturesque
without beauty or charm
unsightly
unpleasant to look at; "unsightly billboards"
baleful, baneful
deadly or sinister; "the Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look"
beneficent
doing or producing good; "the most beneficent regime in history"
benefic
exerting a favorable or beneficent influence; "a benefic star"; "a benefic force"
maleficent
harmful or evil in intent or effect
malefic, malevolent, malign, evil
having or exerting a malignant influence; "malevolent stars"; "a malefic force"
good-hearted, kind, kindly, openhearted
generously responsive; "good-hearted but inept efforts to help"; "take a kindly interest"; "a kindly gentleman"; "an openhearted gift to charity"
benevolent, good
having or showing or arising from a desire to promote the welfare or happiness of others; "his benevolent smile"; "a benevolent nature"
malevolent, malicious
wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred; "a gossipy malevolent old woman"; "failure made him malevolent toward those who were successful"
bitchy, catty, cattish
marked by or arising from malice; "a catty remark"
beady-eyed
having eyes that gleam with malice
poisonous, venomous, vicious
marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful; "a malevolent lie"; "poisonous hate...in his eyes"- Ernest Hemingway; "venomous criticism"; "vicious gossip"
venomed
full of malice or hate; "venomed remarks"
malicious
having the nature of or resulting from malice; "malicious gossip"; "took malicious pleasure in...watching me wince"- Rudyard Kipling
despiteful, spiteful, vindictive
showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; "a despiteful fiend"; "a truly spiteful child"; "a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment"
leering
showing sly or knowing malice in a glance; "she had run in fear of...his evil leering eye"- Amy Lowell
benign, benignant
pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure air
vixenish
shrewish and malicious; "a vixenish old woman"
unmalicious
not malicious or spiteful
genial, kind
conducive to comfort; beneficial; "the genial sunshine"; "a kind climate"; "hot summer pavements are anything but kind to the feet"
malign
evil or harmful in nature or influence; "prompted by malign motives"; "believed in witches and malign spirits"; "gave him a malign look"; "a malign lesion"
harmless, nonmalignant
(pathology) not threatening to life or health; not malignant; "a benign tumor is usually harmless"
kindly
pleasant and agreeable; "a kindly climate"; "kindly breeze"
malevolent, malignant
extremely malevolent or malicious; "the malignant tongues of gossipers"
evil, harmful, injurious
tending to cause great harm
best
(superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit"
finest, high-grade, top-quality, top-grade
surpassing in quality; "top-grade ore"
good, go-to-meeting(a), Sunday, Sunday-go-to-meeting(a)
used of clothing; "my good clothes"; "her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes"
first, foremost, top(a)
ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"
most advantageous, most desirable
of greatest advantage or suitability
optimum, optimal
most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied; "an optimum return on capital"; "optimal concentration of a drug"
superfine
(used especially of merchandise) very fine in quality; "made of superfine Flemish cloth"
unsurpassable
not to be exceeded; "unsurpassable skill"; "unsurpassable standards of workmanship"
unexcelled, unexceeded, unsurpassed
not capable of being improved on
worst
(superlative of `bad') most wanting in quality or value or condition; "the worst player on the team"; "the worst weather of the year"
most undesirable, most unpleasant
superlatively undesirable and unpleasant
most evil, most wicked
superlatively evil and wicked
most unsuitable, most unattractive
superlatively unsuitable and unattractive
better
(comparative of `good') superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another; "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din"; "a better coat"; "a better type of car"; "a suit with a better fit"; "a better chance of success"; "produced a better mousetrap"; "she's better in math than in history"
pessimal, pessimum(a)
of an organism's environment; least favorable for survival
amended
modified for the better; "his amended ways"
finer
(comparative of `fine') greater in quality or excellence; "a finer wine"; "a finer musician"
improved
become or made better in quality; "was proud of his improved grades"; "an improved viewfinder"
worse
(comparative of `bad') inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability; "this road is worse than the first one we took"; "the road is in worse shape than it was"; "she was accused of worse things than cheating and lying"
worsened
made or become worse; impaired; "troubled by the worsened economic conditions"; "the worsened diplomatic relations"
fitter, healthier
improved in health or physical condition
better
(comparative of `good') changed for the better in health or fitness; "her health is better now"; "I feel better"
amendatory
effecting amendment; "added amendatory phrases to the text"
worse, worsened
changed for the worse in health or fitness; "I feel worse today"; "her cold is worse"
bettering
changing for the better
ameliorating(a), ameliorative, amelioratory, meliorative
tending to ameliorate
remedial
tending or intended to rectify or improve; "a remedial reading course"; "remedial education"
corrective
tending or intended to correct or counteract or restore to a normal condition; "corrective measures"; "corrective lenses"
worsening
changing for the worse; "worried by the worsening storm"
sweet-faced
having a pleasing face or one showing a sweet disposition; "a sweet-faced child"
blemished
marred by imperfections
blebbed, blebby
(of glass or quartzite) marred by small bubbles or small particles of foreign material
blotchy
marred by discolored spots or blotches; "blotchy skin"
besmirched, damaged, flyblown, spotted, stained, sullied, tainted, tarnished
especially of reputation; "the senator's seriously damaged reputation"; "a flyblown reputation"; "a tarnished reputation"; "inherited a spotted name"
unblemished
free from physical or moral spots or stains; "an unblemished record"; "an unblemished complexion"
stainless, unstained, unsullied, untainted, untarnished
of reputation; "his unsullied name"; "an untarnished reputation"
bloodthirsty, bloody-minded, sanguinary
marked by eagerness to resort to violence and bloodshed; "bloody-minded tyrants"; "bloodthirsty yells"; "went after the collaborators with a sanguinary fury that drenched the land with blood"-G.W.Johnson
crimson, red, violent
characterized by violence or bloodshed; "writes of crimson deeds and barbaric days"- Andrea Parke; "fann'd by Conquest's crimson wing"- Thomas Gray; "convulsed with red rage"- Hudson Strode
cutthroat, homicidal, murderous
capable of or conducive to bloodshed; "a cutthroat rogue"; "a homicidal rage"; "murderous thugs"
gory, sanguinary, sanguineous, slaughterous, butcherly
accompanied by bloodshed; "this bitter and sanguinary war"
internecine, mutually ruinous
characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides; "internecine war"
bold
fearless and daring; "bold settlers on some foreign shore"; "a bold speech"; "a bold adventure"
audacious, brave, dauntless, fearless, intrepid, unfearing
invulnerable to fear or intimidation; "audacious explorers"; "fearless reporters and photographers"; "intrepid pioneers"
foolhardy, rash, reckless
marked by unthinking boldness; with defiant disregard for danger or consequences; "foolhardy enough to try to seize the gun from the hijacker"; "became the fiercest and most reckless of partisans"-Macaulay; "a reckless driver"; "a rash attempt to climb the World Trade Center"
brash, daredevil, temerarious
presumptuously daring; "a daredevil test pilot having the right stuff"
emboldened
made bold or courageous
heroic, heroical
having or displaying qualities appropriate for heroes; "the heroic attack on the beaches of Normandy"; "heroic explorers"
nervy
showing or requiring courage and contempt of danger; "the nervy feats of mountaineers"
overreaching, vaulting
revealing excessive self-confidence; reaching for the heights; "vaulting ambition"
overvaliant
having or showing undue valor or boldness; "a foolish overvaliant act"
tangled
in a confused mass; "pushed back her tangled hair"; "the tangled ropes"
enmeshed, intermeshed
caught as if in a mesh; "enmeshed in financial difficulties"
afoul(ip), foul, fouled
especially of a ship's lines etc; "with its sails afoul"; "a foul anchor"
quality
of high social status; "people of quality"; "a quality family"
brave, courageous, fearless
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching; "Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver but less daring"- Herman Melville; "a frank courageous heart...triumphed over pain"- William Wordsworth"; "set a courageous example by leading them safely into and out of enemy-held territory"
gallant
unflinching in battle or action; "a gallant warrior"; "put up a gallant resistance to the attackers"
desperate, heroic
showing extreme courage; especially of actions courageously undertaken in desperation as a last resort; "made a last desperate attempt to reach the climber"; "the desperate gallantry of our naval task forces marked the turning point in the Pacific war"- G.C.Marshall; "they took heroic measures to save his life"
stalwart, stouthearted
used especially of persons; "a stalwart knight"; "a stouthearted fellow who had an active career in the army"
game, gamy, gamey, gritty, mettlesome, spirited, spunky
willing to face danger
lionhearted
extraordinarily courageous
undaunted
resolutely courageous; "undaunted in the face of death"
valiant, valorous
having or showing valor; "a valiant attempt to prevent the hijack"; "a valiant soldier"
craven, recreant
lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful; "the craven fellow turned and ran"; "a craven proposal to raise the white flag"; "this recreant knight"- Spenser
cowardly, coward(a), fearful
lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted; "cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then"- P.B.Shelley
caitiff
despicably mean and cowardly
chicken, chickenhearted, lily-livered, white-livered, yellow, yellow-bellied
(informal) easily frightened
cowering(a), cringing(a)
shrinking or flinching in fear
faint, fainthearted, timid
lacking conviction or boldness or courage; "faint heart ne'er won fair lady"
dastard(a), dastardly
treacherously cowardly; "the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th"- F.D. Roosevelt
poltroon
characterized by complete cowardliness
funky
in a state of cowardly fright
pusillanimous, poor-spirited, unmanly
lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful
plucky
showing courage in the face of danger; "a plucky lampooner of the administration"
gutsy
marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited; "you have to admire her; it was a gutsy thing to do"; "the gutsy...intensity of her musical involvement"-Judith Crist; "a gutsy red wine"
gutless, spineless
lacking courage or vitality; "he was a yellow gutless worm"; "a spineless craven fellow"
Acheronian, Acherontic, Stygian
dark and dismal as of the rivers Acheron and Styx in Hades; "in the depths of an Acheronian forest"; "upon those roseate lips a Stygian hue"-Wordsworth
caliginous
dark and misty and gloomy
Cimmerian
intensely dark and gloomy as with perpetual darkness; "the Cimmerian gloom...a darkness that could be felt"-Norman Douglas
darkling
uncannily or threateningly dark or obscure; "a darkling glance"; "secret operatives and darkling conspiracies"-Archibald MacLeish
glooming, gloomy, gloomful
depressingly dark; "the gloomy forest"; "the glooming interior of an old inn"; "`gloomful' is archaic"
tenebrous, tenebrific, tenebrious
dark and gloomy; "a tenebrous cave"
murky, mirky
so shaded as to be dark or gloomy; "a murky dungeon"; "murky rooms lit by smoke-blackened lamps"
shining
reflecting an inner radiance; "with shining eyes"
jaundiced
showing or affected by prejudice or envy or distaste; "looked with a jaundiced eye on the growth of regimentation"; "takes a jaundiced view of societies and clubs"
loaded
(of statements or questions) charged with associative significance and often meant to mislead or influence; "a loaded question"
open
receptive to new ideas; "an open mind"; "open to new ideas"
broad-minded
inclined to respect views and beliefs that differ from your own; "a judge who is broad-minded but even-handed"
free-thinking, latitudinarian, undogmatic, undogmatical
unwilling to accept authority or dogma (especially in religion)
broad, liberal, tolerant
showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent's opinions"
catholic
free from provincial prejudices or attachments; "catholic in one's tastes"
narrow-minded, narrow
lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view; "a brilliant but narrow-minded judge"; "narrow opinions"
open-minded
ready to entertain new ideas; "an open-minded curiosity"; "open-minded impartiality"
illiberal, intolerant
narrow-minded about cherished opinions
close-minded, closed-minded
not ready to receive to new ideas
dogmatic, dogmatical
characterized by arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles
little, petty, small, small-minded
contemptibly narrow in outlook; "a little mind consumed with trivia"; "petty little comments"; "disgusted with the pettiness of small minds"
opinionated, opinionative, self-opinionated
obstinate in your opinions
reconstructed
adapted to social or economic change; "a reconstructed feminist"
unreconstructed
adhering to an attitude or position widely held to be outmoded; "peasants are still unreconstructed small capitalists at heart"; "there are probably more unreconstructed Southerners than one would like to admit"
obstinate, stubborn, unregenerate
persisting in a reactionary stand
fitful, interrupted, off-and-on(a)
intermittently stopping and starting; "fitful (or interrupted) sleep"; "off-and-on static"
halting
fragmentary or halting from emotional strain; "uttered a few broken words of sorrow"
brotherly, brotherlike, fraternal
like or characteristic of or befitting a brother; "brotherly feelings"; "close fraternal ties"
sisterly, sisterlike, sororal
like or characteristic of or befitting a sister; "sisterly kindness"; "sororal concern
busy
actively or fully engaged or occupied; "busy with her work"; "a busy man"; "too busy to eat lunch"; "the line is busy"
drudging, laboring, labouring, toiling
doing arduous or unpleasant work; "drudging peasants"; "the bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton"; "toiling coal miners in the black deeps"
overbusy
too busy
tied up(p)
kept occupied or engaged; "she's tied up at the moment and can't see you"; "the phone was tied up for almost an hour"
idle
not in action or at work; "an idle laborer"; "idle drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind"
bone-idle, bone-lazy
(informal) constitutionally lazy or idle
faineant, indolent, lazy, otiose, slothful, work-shy
disinclined to work or exertion; "faineant kings under whose rule the country languished"; "an indolent hanger-on"; "too lazy to wash the dishes"; "shiftless idle youth"; "slothful employees"; "the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy"
lackadaisical
idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way; "she was annoyingly lackadaisical and impractical"; "a...lackadaisical, spiritless young man-about-town"- P.G.Wodehouse
goldbricking(a)
shirking your assigned duties; "too many goldbricking employees"
countless, infinite, innumerable, innumerous, myriad(a), multitudinous, numberless, uncounted, unnumberable, unnumbered, unnumerable
too numerous to be counted; "incalculable riches"; "countless hours"; "an infinite number of reasons"; "innumerable difficulties"; "the multitudinous seas"; "myriad stars"; "untold thousands"
incomputable, inestimable, immeasurable
beyond calculation or measure; "of incalculable value"; "an incomputable amount"; "jewels of inestimable value"; "immeasurable wealth"
confident, surefooted
not liable to error in judgment or action; "most surefooted of the statesmen who dealt with the depression"- Walter Lippman; "demonstrates a surefooted storytelling talent"- Michiko Kakutani
resourceful
having inner resources; adroit or imaginative; "someone who is resourceful is capable of dealing with difficult situations"; "an able and resourceful politician"; "the most resourceful cook in town"
conscientious, painstaking, scrupulous
characterized by extreme care and great effort; "conscientious application to the work at hand"; "painstaking research"; "scrupulous attention to details"
minute, narrow
characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination; "a minute inspection of the grounds"; "a narrow scrutiny"; "an exact and minute report"
detailed, elaborate, elaborated
developed or executed with care and in minute detail; "a detailed plan"; "the elaborate register of the inhabitants prevented tax evasion"- John Buchan; "the carefully elaborated theme"
overcareful, too-careful
excessively or unduly careful
particular(a)
providing specific details or circumstances; "a particular description of the room"
casual, cursory, passing(a), perfunctory
hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; "a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws"; "a passing glance"; "perfunctory courtesy"
studious
marked by care and effort; "made a studious attempt to fix the television set"
thorough
painstakingly careful and accurate; "our accountant is thorough"; "thorough research"
careless
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful; "careless about her clothes"; "forgotten by some careless person"; "a careless housekeeper"; "careless proofreading"; "it was a careless mistake"; "hurt by a careless remark"
haphazard, slapdash, slipshod, sloppy
marked by great carelessness; "a most haphazard system of record keeping"; "slapdash work"; "slipshod spelling"; "sloppy workmanship"
incautious
without out proper caution; "an incautious step sent her headlong down the stairs"
heedless, reckless
characterized by careless unconcerned; "the heedless generosity and the spasmodic extravagance of persons used to large fortunes"- Edith Wharton; "reckless squandering of public funds"
negligent
marked by insufficient care or attention; "a negligent housekeeper"; "negligent about personal cleanliness"
offhand, offhanded
casually thoughtless or inconsiderate; "an offhand manner"; "she treated most men with offhand contempt"
fabian, dilatory
using cautious slow strategy to wear down opposition; avoiding direct confrontation; "a fabian policy"
gingerly
with extreme care or delicacy; "they proceeded with gingerly footwork over the jagged stones"; "the issue was handled only in a gingerly way"- W.S.White
overcautious
unnecessarily cautious; "sometimes it doesn't pay to be overcautious in business"
guarded, restrained
prudent; "guarded optimism"
hotheaded, impulsive, impetuous, madcap, tearaway(a), brainish
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; "a hotheaded decision"; "liable to such impulsive acts as hugging strangers"; "an impetuous display of spending and gambling"; "madcap escapades"; (`brainish' is archaic)
incautious
lacking in caution; "an incautious remark"; "incautious talk"
bold, cocksure, overconfident, positive
marked by excessive confidence; "an arrogant and cocksure materialist"; "so bold and impudent as to speak to the queen"; "the less he knows the more positive he gets"
doomed, fated
(usually followed by `to') determined by tragic fate; "doomed to unhappiness"; "fated to be the scene of Kennedy's assassination"
distortable
capable of having the meaning altered or twisted; "our words are distortable things--as in a crooked mirror held up to nature"
astatic
not static or stable
erratic, fickle, mercurial, quicksilver(a)
liable to sudden unpredictable change; "erratic behavior"; "fickle weather"; "mercurial twists of temperament"; "a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next"
fluid, unstable
subject to change; variable; "a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty"; "everything was unstable following the coup
fluid, mobile
affording change (especially in social status); "Britain is not a truly fluid society"; "upwardly mobile"
kaleidoscopic, kaleidoscopical
continually shifting or rapidly changing
open-ended
allowing for future changes or revisions; "open-ended agreements"
volatile
tending to vary often or widely; "volatile stocks"; "volatile emotions"
confirmed
of persons; not subject to change; "a confirmed bachelor"; "a confirmed invalid"
changeless, unalterable
remaining the same for indefinitely long times
static, stable, unchanging
showing little if any change; "a static population"
maladjusted
not well adjusted; "a maladjusted carburetor"
characteristic
typical or distinctive; "heard my friend's characteristic laugh"; "red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn"; "stripes characteristic of the zebra"
distinctive, typical
of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing; "Jerusalem has a distinctive Middle East flavor"- Curtis Wilkie; "that is typical of you!"
distinguishing, distinctive, identifying(a)
serving to distinguish or identify a species or group; "the distinguishing mark of the species is its plumage"; "distinctive tribal tattoos"; "we were asked to describe any identifying marks or distinguishing features"
peculiar(a)
characteristic of one only; distinctive or special; "the peculiar character of the Government of the U.S."- R.B.Taney
uncharacteristic, uncharacteristic of
distinctive and not typical; "a book uncharacteristic of its author
atypical
not conforming to type; "showed atypical agility"
uncharitable
lacking love and generosity; "all pious words and uncharitable deeds"- Charles Reade
charitable
full of love and generosity; "charitable to the poor"; "a charitable trust"
beneficent, benevolent, eleemosynary, philanthropic
generous in assistance to the poor; "a benevolent contributor"; "eleemosynary relief"; "philanthropic contributions"
ungenerous
lacking in largess; "an ungenerous response to an appeal for funds"
chaste
morally pure especially not having experienced sexual intercourse; "a holy woman innocent and chaste"
fallen
having lost your chastity; "a fallen woman"
easy, light, loose, promiscuous, sluttish, wanton
casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior"
licentious
lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained; "coarse and licentious men"
cheering
bringing cheer or gladness; "cheering news"
cheerless, uncheerful
lacking cheer; depressing; "something cheerless about the room"; "a moody and uncheerful person"; "an uncheerful place"
blue, dark, depressing, disconsolate, dismal, dispiriting, gloomy, grim
causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather"; "a disconsolate winter landscape"; "the first dismal dispiriting days of November"; "a dark gloomy day"; "grim rainy weather"
dingy, dismal, drab, drear, dreary, gloomy, sorry
depressing in character or appearance; "drove through dingy streets"; "the dismal prison twilight"- Charles Dickens; "drab old buildings"; "a dreary mining town"; "gloomy tenements"; "sorry routine that follows on the heels of death"- B.A.Williams
somber, sombre
grave or even gloomy in character; "solemn and mournful music"; "a suit of somber black"; "a somber mood"
colorful
striking in variety and interest; "a colorful period of history"; "a colorful character"; "colorful language"
brave, braw, gay
brightly colored and showy; "girls decked out in brave new dresses"; "brave banners flying"; "`braw' is a Scottish word"; "a dress a bit too gay for her years"; "birds with gay plumage"
many-sided
full of variety or interest; "a many-sided personality"
flamboyant, resplendent, unrestrained
richly and brilliantly colorful
flashy, gaudy, jazzy, showy, sporty
(used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display
picturesque
strikingly expressive; "a picturesque description of the rainforest"
colorless
lacking in variety and interest; "a colorless and unimaginative person"; "a colorless description of the parade"
neutral
lacking distinguishing quality or characteristics; "a neutral personality that made no impression whatever"
pale, pallid
lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness; "a pale rendition of the aria"; "pale prose with the faint sweetness of lavender"; "a pallid performance"
christianly
becoming to or like a Christian; "gentle christianly behavior"
christlike, christly
resembling or showing the spirit of Christ
unchristianly, unchristlike
not becoming to or like a Christian; "ashamed to have to recognize how unchristianly his assumptions and motives are"
advanced
(of societies) highly developed especially in technology or industry; "advanced societies"; "an advanced country technologically"
civilized
having a high state of culture and development both social and technological; "terrorist acts that shocked the civilized world"
civil
of or in a condition of social order; "civil peoples"
humane
showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement
noncivilized
not having a high state of culture and social development
barbarian, barbaric, savage, uncivilized, wild
without civilizing influences; "barbarian invaders"; "barbaric practices"; "a savage people"; "fighting is crude and uncivilized especially if the weapons are efficient"-Margaret Meade; "wild tribes"
barbarous
primitive in customs and culture
immaculate, speckless, spick-and-span, spic-and-span, spic, spick, spotless
completely neat and clean; "the apartment was immaculate"; "in her immaculate white uniform"; "a spick-and-span kitchen"; "their spic red-visored caps"
pristine
immaculately clean and unused; "handed her his pristine white handkerchief"
unsullied
spotlessly clean and fresh; "the unsullied snow of mountains"; "the unsullied splender of eternal youth"- Oscar Wilde
unsoiled, unspotted, unstained
without soil or spot or stain
dirty, soiled, unclean
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime; "dirty unswept sidewalks"; "a child in dirty overalls"; "dirty slums"; "piles of dirty dishes"; "put his dirty feet on the clean sheet"; "wore an unclean shirt"; "mining is a dirty job"; "Cinderella did the dirty work while her sisters preened themselves"
bedraggled, draggled
limp and soiled as if dragged in the mud; "the beggar's bedraggled clothes"; "scarecrows in battered hats or draggled skirts"
befouled, fouled
made dirty or foul; "a building befouled with soot"; "breathing air fouled and darkened with factory soot"
bespattered, spattered, besplashed, splashed
spattered or spotted with dirt or filth; often used in combination; "dingy bespattered walls"; "a grease-spattered floor"; "a besplashed coach"; "mud-splashed trouser legs"
begrimed, dingy, grimy, grubby, grungy
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot; "a miner's begrimed face"; "dingy linen"; "grimy hands"; "grubby little fingers"; "a grungy kitchen"
black
soiled with dirt or soot; "with feet black from playing outdoors"; "his shirt was black within an hour"
buggy
infested with bugs
filthy, foul, nasty
disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter; "as filthy as a pigsty"; "a foul pond"; "a nasty pigsty of a room"
fecal, feculent
foul with waste matter
greasy, oily
smeared or soiled with grease or oil; "greasy coveralls"; "get rid of rubbish and oily rags"
flyblown, squalid, sordid
foul and run-down and repulsive; "a flyblown bar on the edge of town"; "a squalid overcrowded apartment in the poorest part of town"; "squalid living conditions"; "sordid shantytowns"
lousy
infested with lice; "burned their lousy clothes"
mucky, muddy
dirty and messy; covered with mud or muck; "muddy boots"; "a mucky stable"
maculate
spotted or blotched
scummy
covered with scum; "the scummy surface of the polluted pond"
smeared, smirched, smudged, smudgy
smeared with something that soils or stains; these words are often used in combination; "oil-smeared work clothes"; "hostile faces smirched by the grime and rust"- Henry Roth; "ink-smudged fingers"
snotty, snot-nosed
dirty with nasal discharge; "a snotty nose"; "a house full of snot-nosed kids"
travel-soiled, travel-stained
soiled from travel; "travel-soiled clothes"
clean, unobjectionable
(of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements; fit for all observers; "good clean fun"; "a clean joke"
antiseptic
(extended sense) of exceptionally clean language; "lyrics as antiseptic as Sunday School"
dirty
(of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency; "dirty words"; "a dirty old man"; "dirty books and movies"; "boys telling dirty jokes"; "has a dirty mouth"
blasphemous, blue, profane
characterized by profanity or cursing; "foul-mouthed and blasphemous"; "blue language"; "profane words"
bawdy, off-color, ribald
humorously vulgar; "bawdy songs"; "off-color jokes"; "ribald language"
filthy, foul, nasty, smutty
characterized by obscenity; "had a filthy mouth"; "foul language"; "smutty jokes"
dirty-minded
having lewd thoughts
foul-mouthed, foul-spoken
using foul or obscene language; "noisy foul-mouthed women all shouting at once"
scatological
dealing pruriently with excrement and excretory functions; "scatological literature"
lewd, obscene, salacious
suggestive of or tending to moral looseness; "lewd whisperings of a dirty old man"; "an indecent gesture"; "obscene telephone calls"; "salacious limericks"
scabrous
dealing with salacious or indecent material; "a scabrous novel"
clean, uncontaminating
not spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination; "a clean fuel"; "cleaner and more efficient engines"; "the tactical bomb is reasonably clean"
dirty, contaminating
spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination; "the air near the foundry was always dirty"; "the air near the foundry was always dirty"; "a dirty bomb releases enormous amounts of long-lived radioactive fallout"
clear
clear to the mind; "a clear and present danger"; "a clear explanation"; "a clear case of murder"; "a clear indication that she was angry"; "gave us a clear idea of human nature
broad, unsubtle
lacking subtlety; obvious; "gave us a broad hint that it was time to leave"
clear-cut, distinct, trenchant
clearly or sharply defined to the mind; "clear-cut evidence of tampering"; "Claudius was the first to invade Britain with distinct...intentions of conquest"; "trenchant distinctions between right and wrong"
limpid, lucid, luculent, pellucid, crystal clear, perspicuous
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable; "writes in a limpid style"; "lucid directions"; "a luculent oration"- Robert Burton; "pellucid prose"; "a crystal clear explanation"; "a perspicuous argument"
prima facie
as it seems at first sight; "a prima facie case of murder"
unclear
not clear to the mind; "the law itself was unclear on that point"; "the reason for their actions is unclear to this day"
unmistakable
clearly evident to the mind; "his opposition to slavery was unmistakable"
vivid
having the clarity and freshness of immediate experience; "a vivid recollection"
bewildering
causing bafflement; "the play was at the same time a bewildering and an exciting experience"
blurred, clouded
unclear in form or expression; "the blurred aims of the group"; "sometimes one understood clearly and sometimes the meaning was clouded"- H.G.Wells
indeterminate, obscure, vague
not clearly understood or expressed; "an indeterminate turn of phrase"; "an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"-Anatole Broyard; "their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear"- P.A.Sorokin; "vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science"- John Locke
confusing, perplexing, puzzling
lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity; "sent confusing signals to Iraq"; "perplexing to someone who knew nothing about it"; "a puzzling statement"
clear
free from cloudiness; allowing light to pass through; "clear water"; "clear plastic bags"; "clear glass"; "the air is clear and clean"
crystalline, crystal clear, limpid, lucid, pellucid, transparent
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity; "the cold crystalline water of melted snow"; "crystal clear skies"; "could see the sand on the bottom of the limpid pool"; "lucid air"; "a pellucid brook"; "transparent cristal"
liquid, limpid
clear and bright; "the liquid air of a spring morning"; "eyes shining with a liquid luster"; "limpid blue eyes"
hyaline
resembling glass in transparency or translucency; "the morning is as clear as diamond or as hyaline"-Sacheverell Sitwell
translucent, semitransparent
almost transparent; allowing light to pass through diffusely; "translucent amber"
unclouded
not made opaque or cloudy by sediment; "the wine was unclouded"
opaque
not clear; not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; "opaque windows of the jail"; "opaque to X-rays"
cloudy, muddy, mirky, murky, turbid
(of especially liquids) clouded as with sediment; "a cloudy liquid"; "muddy coffee"; "murky waters"
fogged, foggy
obscured by fog; "he could barely see through the fogged window"
milk(a), milky, milklike, whitish
resembling milk in color or cloudiness; not clear; "milk glass"
clearheaded, clear-thinking
not mentally confused; able to think clearly and act intelligently
clear
free from confusion or doubt; "a complex problem requiring a clear head"; "not clear about what is expected of us"
unclouded
not mentally disordered; "an unclouded mind"
confused
mentally confused; unable to think with clarity or act intelligently; "the flood of questions left her bewildered and confused"
addlebrained, addlepated, potty, puddingheaded, muddleheaded
stupid and confused; used especially of persons; "blathering like the addlepated nincompoop that you are"; "a confused puddingheaded, muddleheaded fellow"- Isaac Sterne
befogged, befuddled
stupefied by alcoholic drink; "the wino's poor befuddled mind"; "a mind befogged with drink"
addled, befuddled, muddled, muzzy, woolly, wooly, woolly-headed, wooly-minded
confused and vague; used especially of thinking; "muddleheaded ideas"; "your addled little brain"; "woolly thinking"; "woolly-headed ideas"
clouded
mentally disordered; "a mind clouded by sorrow"
clement
(used of persons or behavior) inclined to show mercy; "a more clement judge reduced the sentence"
dazzled
stupefied or dizzied by something overpowering; "I fall back dazzled at beholding myself all rosy red, / At having, I myself, caused the sun to rise."- `Chanticler' by Rostand
lenient
characterized by tolerance and mercy
inclement
used of persons or behavior; showing no clemency or mercy; "the harse sentence of an inclement judge"
unsparing
not forbearing; ruthless; "an unsparing critic"
clement
(of weather or climate) physically mild; "clement weather"
inclement
(of weather of climate) physically severe
balmy, mild
mild and pleasant; "balmy days and nights"; "the climate was mild and conducive to life or growth"
filthy, foul, nasty, vile
(informal) thoroughly unpleasant; "filthy (or foul or nasty or vile) weather we're having"
smart
showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness
cagey, cagy, canny, clever
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others; "a cagey lawyer"; "too clever to be sound"
astute, sharp, shrewd
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence; "a smart businessman"; "an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease"; "he was too shrewd to go along with them on a road that could lead only to their overthrow"
stupid
lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
anserine, dopy, dopey, fool(a), foolish, goosey, goosy, gooselike
(informal) having or revealing stupidity; "ridiculous anserine behavior"; "a dopey answer"; "a dopey kid"; "some fool idea about rewriting authors' books"
dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, slow
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students"
blockheaded, boneheaded, fatheaded, loggerheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-skulled, wooden-headed
used informally
cloddish, doltish
heavy and dull and stupid
nitwitted, senseless, soft-witted, witless
(of especially persons) lacking sense or understanding or judgment
gaumless, gormless
British informal
lumpish, lumpen, unthinking
mentally sluggish
yokel-like
stupid and ignorant like proverbial rural inhabitants; 'the boy's empty yokel-like expression"
cold
of a seeker; far from the object sought
off the beaten track(p), out-of-the-way(a)
remote from populous or much-traveled regions; "found a quiet out-of-the-way resort"
outlying(a)
relatively far from a center or middle; "outlying settlements"
moral(a)
based on strong likelihood or firm conviction rather than actual evidence; "a moral certainty"
extreme
most distant in any direction; "the extreme edge of town"
far-flung
remote; "far-flung corners of the Empire"
distant
far apart in relevance or relationship; "a distant cousin"; "a distant likeness"
faraway
far removed mentally; "a faraway (or distant) look in her eyes"
remote, removed(p)
far apart in nature; "considerations entirely removed (or remote) from politics"
loosely knit
having only distant social or legal ties; "a loosely knit group"
ulterior
beyond or outside an area of immediate interest; remote; "a suggestion ulterior to the present discussion"; "without...any purpose, immediate or ulterior"- G.B.Shaw
approximate, near
very close in resemblance; "sketched in an approximate likeness"; "a near likeness"
close
close in relevance or relationship; "a close family"; "we are all...in close sympathy with..."; "close kin"; "a close resemblance"
cousinly
like or befitting a cousin; "a cousinly kiss"
avuncular
like an uncle in kindness or indulgence; "showed avuncular concern"
uncousinly
not befitting a cousin
clothed, clad
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination; "clothed and in his right mind"- Bible; "proud of her well-clothed family"; "nurses clad in white"; "white-clad nurses"
seamless
perfectly consistent and coherent; "the novel's seamless plot"
coherent
marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts; "a coherent argument"
consistent, logical, ordered, orderly
marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts; "a logical argument"; "the orderly presentation"
incoherent
without logical or meaningful connection; "a turgid incoherent presentation"
confused, disconnected, disjointed, disordered, garbled, illogical, scattered, unconnected
lacking orderly continuity; "a confused set of instructions"; "a confused dream about the end of the world"; "disconnected fragments of a story"; "scattered thoughts"
publishable
suitable for publication
unpublishable
not suitable for publication
reportable
meriting report; "years of research produced no reportable results"
roomy, spacious
(of buildings and rooms) having ample space; "a roomy but sparcely furnished apartment"; "a spacious ballroom"
commodious, convenient
large and and roomy; "a commodious harbor"; "a commodious building suitable for conventions"; (`convenient' is archaic in this sense)
incommodious
uncomfortably or inconveniently small; "incommodious hotel accommodations"
cramped
constricted in size; "cramped quarters"; "trying to bring children up in cramped high-rise apartments"
soothing
affording physical relief; "a soothing ointment for her sunburn"
comfortable, comfy
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief; "comfortable clothes"; "comfortable suburban houses"; "made himself comfortable in an armchair"; "the antihistamine made her feel more comfortable"; "are you comfortable?"; (`comfy' is informal as in "feeling comfy now?")
cozy, cosy, snug
enjoying or affording comforting warmth and shelter especially in a small space; "a cozy nook near the fire"; "snug in bed"; "a snug little apartment"
easy
affording comfort; "soft light that was easy on the eyes"
homelike, homely, homey, homy
having a feeling of home; cozy and comfortable; "the homely everyday atmosphere"; "a homey little inn"
uncomfortable
providing or experiencing physical discomfort; "an uncomfortable chair"; "an uncomfortable day in the hot sun"
comfortless
without comfort; "a comfortless room"
miserable, wretched
characterized by physical misery; "a wet miserable weekend"; "spent a wretched night on the floor"
comfortable
free from stress or conducive to mental ease; having or affording peace of mind; "was settled in a comfortable job, one for which he was well prepared"; "the comfortable thought that nothing could go wrong"; "was comfortable in his religious beliefs"; "she's a comfortable person to be with"; "she felt comfortable with her fiance's parents"
warm
uncomfortable because of possible danger or trouble; "made things warm for the bookies"
comforted
made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress; "the news make her feel comforted"
at ease(p)
socially at ease; "was at ease with strangers"
uncomfortable
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort; "this kind of life can prove disruptive and uncomfortable"; "the uncomfortable truth"; "grew uncomfortable beneath his appraising eye"; "an uncomfortable way of surprising me just when I felt surest"; "the teacher's presence at the conference made the child very uncomfortable"
awkward, ill at ease(p), uneasy
not at ease socially; unsure and constrained in manner; "awkward and reserved at parties"; "ill at ease among eddies of people he didn't know"; "was always uneasy with strangers"
discomfited, embarrassed
caused to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable; "was discomfited by the personal questions"; "the child felt embarrassed by the attention of the adults"
disquieting
causing mental discomfort; "the disquieting sounds of nearby gunfire"
proportionate
being in due proportion
proportionable
(archaic) proportionate
proportional, relative
properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to'; "punishment oughtt to be proportional to the crime"; "earnings relative to production"
disproportionate, disproportional
out of proportion
uncommercial
not conducive to commercial success; "might prove arty and hence uncommercial"- H.E.Clurman
common
of no special distinction or quality; widely known or commonly encountered; average or ordinary or usual; "the common man"; "a common sailor"; "the common cold"; "a common nuisance"; "followed common procedure"; "it is common knowledge that she lives alone"; "the common housefly"; "a common brand of soap"
average, ordinary
lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered; "average people"; "the ordinary (or common) man in the street"
demotic
of or for the common people; "demotic entertainments"; "demotic speech"; "a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms"
democratic, popular
representing or appealing to or adapted for the benefit of the people at large; "democratic art forms"; "a democratic or popular movement"; "popular thought"; "popular science"; "popular fiction"
general
prevailing among and common to the general public; "the general discontent"
frequent
frequently encountered; "a frequent (or common) error is using the transitive verb `lay' for the intransitive `lie'";
grassroots
of or involving the common people as constituting a fundamental politico-economic group; "a grassroots movement for nuclear disarmament"
standard
commonly used or supplied; "standard procedure"; "standard car equipment"
uncommon
not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind; "uncommon birds"; "frost and floods are uncommon during these months"; "doing an uncommon amount of business"; "an uncommon liking for money"; "he owed his greatest debt to his mother's uncommon character and ability"
especial(a), exceptional, particular(a), special
surpassing what is common or usual or expected; "he paid especial attention to her"; "exceptional kindness"; "a matter of particular and unusual importance"; "a special occasion"; "a special reason to confide in her"; "what's so special about the year 2000?"
rare
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness; "a rare word"; "rare books"
unusual
not commonly encountered; "two-career families are no longer unusual"
unwonted
out of the ordinary; "an unwonted softness in her face"
usual
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure; "grew the usual vegetables"; "the usual summer heat"; "came at the usual time"; "the child's usual bedtime"
accustomed, customary, habitual, wonted(a)
commonly used or practiced; usual; "his accustomed thoroughness"; "took his customary morning walk"; "his habitual comment"; "with her wonted candor"
regular
in accord with regular practice or procedure; "took his regular morning walk"; "her regular bedtime"
unusual
not usual or common or ordinary; "a scene of unusual beauty"; "a man of unusual ability"; "cruel and unusual punishment"; "an unusual meteorite"
odd
not easily explained; "it is odd that his name is never mentioned"
extraordinary(p)
(of an official) serving an unusual or special function in addition to those of the regular officials; "an ambassador extraordinary"
out-of-the-way
out of the ordinary; "out-of-the-way information"
peculiar
markedly different from the usual; "a peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats"; "a man...feels it a peculiar insult to be taunted with cowardice by a woman"-Virginia Woolf
unaccustomed
not customary or usual; "an unaccustomed pleasure"; "many varieties of unaccustomed foods"; "a new budget of unaccustomed austerity"
unique
highly unusual or rare but not the single instance; "spoke with a unique accent"; "had unique ability in raising funds"; "a frankness unique in literature"; "a unique dining experience"
community(a), public
affecting the people or community as a whole; "community leaders"; "community interests"; "the public welfare"
individualist, individualistic
marked by or expressing individuality; "an individualistic way of dressing"
individual
being or characteristic of a single thing or person; "individual drops of rain"; "please mark the individual pages"; "they went their individual ways"
idiosyncratic
peculiar to the individual; "we all have our own idiosyncratic gestures"; "Michelangelo's highly idiosyncratic style of painting"
particular(a)
separate and distinct from others; "an exception in this particular case"
respective(a), several(a), various(a)
considered individually; "the respective club members"; "specialists in their several fields"; "the various reports all agreed"
separate, single(a)
individual and distinct; "pegged down each separate branch to the earth"; "a gift for every single child"
single(a)
involved two individuals; "single combat"
singular
being a single and separate person or thing; "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"; "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James
anecdotic, anecdotal, anecdotical
characterized by or given to telling anecdotes; "anecdotal conversation"; "an anectodal history of jazz"; "he was at his anecdotic best"
chatty, gossipy, newsy
prone to friendly informal communication
blabbermouthed, leaky, talebearing(a), tattling(a)
prone to communicate confidential information
expansive, talkative
friendly and open and willing to talk; "wine made the guest expansive"
expressive
characterized by expression; "an expressive glance"; "a very expressive face"
expressive(p), indicative of(p), revelatory
(usually followed by `of') giving expression to; "actons indicative of fear"
heraldic
indicative of or announcing something to come; "the Beetles were heraldic of a new style of music"
openhearted
freely communicative; candidly straightforward; "openhearted advice"
outspoken, vocal
given to expressing yourself freely or insistently; "outspoken in their opposition to segregation"; "a vocal assembly"
yarn-spinning
inclined to tell long and involved stories (often of incredible happenings)
close, closelipped, closemouthed, secretive, tightlipped
inclined to secrecy or reticence about divulging information; "although they knew her whereabouts her friends kept close about it"
uncommunicative, incommunicative
not inclined to talk or give information or express opinions
blank
void of expression; "a blank stare"
deadpan, expressionless, impassive, poker-faced, unexpressive
deliberately impassive in manner; "deadpan humor"; "his face remained expressionless as the verdict was read"
guarded, noncommittal, unrevealing
very reluctant to give out information
inexpressive
not expressive; "an inexpressive face"
unpronounceable, unutterable
very difficult to pronounce correctly; "an unpronounceable foreign word"; "unutterable consonant clusters"
clayey, cloggy, heavy
(used of soil) compact and fine-grained; "the clayey soil was heavy and easily saturated"
compact
closely and firmly united or packed together; "compact soil"; "compact clusters of flowers"
impacted, wedged
wedged or packed in together; "an impacted tooth"
close-packed
packed especially tightly
consolidated
forming a solid mass
packed
pressed together or compressed; "packed snow"
loose
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel"
serried
(especially of rows as of troops or mountains) pressed together; "in serried ranks"
tight
packed closely together; "the stood in a tight little group"; "hair in tight curls"; "the pub was packed tight"
friable, light, sandy
(used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency; "light sandy soil"
shifting, unfirm
(of soil) unstable; "shifting sands"; "unfirm earth"
unconsolidated
loose and unstratified; "unconsolidated soil"
silty
full of silt; "silty soil"
comparable
able to be compared or worthy of comparison
comparable to(p)
worthy of comparison; as good as; "at that moment nothing in the world seemed comparable to sleep"
comparable with(p)
similar in some respect and so able to be compared in order to show differences and similarities; "pianists of comparable ability"; "cars comparable with each other in terms of fuel consumption"
incomparable, uncomparable
such that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be compared; "an incomparable week of rest and pleasure"; "the computer proceeds with its incomparable logic and efficiency"; "this report is incomparable with the earlier ones because of different breakdowns of the data"
alone(p), unique, unequaled, unequalled, unparalleled
radically distinctive and without equal; "he is alone in the field of microbiology"; "this theory is altogether alone in its penetration of the problem"; "Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint"; "craftsmen whose skill is unequaled"; "unparalleled athletic ability"; "a breakdown of law unparalleled in our history"
matchless, nonpareil, one(a), one and only(a), peerless, unmatched, unmatchable, unrivaled, unrivalled
eminent beyond or above comparison; "matchless beauty"; "the team's nonpareil center fielder"; "she's one girl in a million"; "the one and only Muhammad Ali"; "a peerless scholar"; "infamy unmatched in the Western world"; "wrote with unmatchable clarity"; "unrivaled mastery of her art"
compassionate
showing or having compassion; "heard the soft and compassionate voices of women"
uncompassionate
lacking compassion or feeling for others; "nor silver-shedding tears could penetrate her uncompassionate sire"- Shakespeare
compatible
able to exist and perform in harmonious or agreeable combination; "a compatible married couple";"her deeds were compatible with her ideology"
hardhearted, stonyhearted, unfeeling
devoid of feeling for others; "an unfeeling wretch"
harmonious
existing together in harmony; "harmonious family relationships"
congruous
suitable or appropriate together
clashing
sharply and harshly discordant; "clashing interests of loggers and conservationists"; "clashing colors"
incompatible
not compatible; "incompatible personalities"; "incompatible colors"
antagonistic
incapable of harmonious association
competent
properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient; "a competent typist"
able, capable
have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable"
effective, efficient
able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively; "people who will do nothing unless they get something out of it for themselves are often highly effective persons..."-G.B.Shaw; "effective personnel"; "an efficient secretary"; "the efficient cause of the revolution"
workmanlike
worthy of a good workman; "a competent job"; "the book is a workmanlike job with chronology and bibliography and index"
incompetent
not qualified or suited for a purpose; "an incompetent secret service"; "the filming was hopeless incompetent"
feckless, inept
generally incompetent and ineffectual; "feckless attempts to repair the plumbing"; "inept handling of the account"
incapable, unqualified
lacking the necessary skill or knowledge etc.; "an incapable helper"
ineffective, inefficient
lacking the ability or skill to perform effectively; inadequate; "an ineffective administration"; "inefficient workers"
unworkmanlike
not characteristic of or suitable for a good workman; "an unworkmanlike result"; "an unworkmanlike tool"
accommodative, cooperative
willing to adjust to differences in order to obtain agreement
complaining(a), complaintive
expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment; "a complaining wife"
fretful, querulous, whiney, whining(a), whiny
habitually complaining; "a whining child"
grumbling
muttering discontentedly; "the grumbling boarders requested a meeting with the cook"
uncomplaining
not complaining; "uncomplaining courage"
protesting(a), protestant
making a protest
repining
wishing discontentedly
patient
enduring without protest or complaint
unmurmuring, unprotesting
without any murmur of discontent or protest
integral, entire, intact
constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged; "a local motion keepeth bodies integral"- Bacon; "was able to keep the collection entire during his lifetime"; "fought to keep the union intact"
fancy-free
having no commitments or responsibilities; carefree; "a fancy-free bachelor"
bound up, wrapped up
deeply devoted to; "bound up in her teaching"; "is wrapped up in his family"
dedicated
devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose; "a dedicated dancer"; "dedicated teachers"; "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal"- A.Lincoln
devoted
zealous in devotion or affection; "a devoted husband and father"; "devoted friends"
devoted(p)
(followed by `to') dedicated exclusively to a purpose or use; "large sums devoted to the care of the poor"; "a life devoted to poetry"
sacred
(often followed by `to') devoted exclusively to a single use or purpose or person; "a fund sacred to charity"; "a morning hour sacred to study"; "a private office sacred to the President"
complete
having every necessary or normal part or component or step; "a complete meal"; "a complete wardrobe"; "a complete set pf the Britannica"; "a complete set of china"; "a complete defeat"; "a complete accounting"
accomplished, completed, realized
successfully completed or brought to an end; "his mission accomplished he took a vacation"; "the completed project"; "the joy of a realized ambition overcame him"
absolute, downright, out-and-out(a), rank(a), right-down, sheer(a)
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity"
clean
thorough and without qualification; "a clean getaway"; "a clean sweep"; "a clean break"
dead(a)
sudden and complete; "came to a dead stop"
exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing
very thorough; exhaustively complete; "an exhaustive study"; "made a thorough search"; "thoroughgoing research"
fleshed out, full-clad
given substance or detail; completed; "did not spring full-clad from his imagination"; "a plan fleshed out with statistics and details"
full-dress
complete in every respect; "a full-dress debate"; "a full-dress investigation"
full, total
complete in extent or degree and in every particular; "a full game"; "a total eclipse"; "a total disaster"
full-blown
having or displaying all the characteristics necessary for completeness; "a full-blown financial crisis"
good
thorough; "had a good workout"; "gave the house a good cleaning"
hearty
without reservation; "hearty support"
self-contained
constituting a complete and independent unit in and of itself; "the university is like a self-contained city with shops and all amenities"
incomplete, uncomplete
not complete or total; not completed; "an incomplete account of his life"; "political consequences of incomplete military success"; "an incomplete forward pass"
sound
thorough; "a sound thrashing"
all-around(a), all-round(a), well-rounded
many-sided; "an all-around athlete"; "a well-rounded curriculum"
rudimentary
being in the earliest stages of development; "rudimentary plans"
sketchy, unelaborated
giving only major points; lacking completeness; "a sketchy account"; "details of the plan remain sketchy"
comprehensive
including all or everything; "comprehensive coverage"; "a comprehensive history of the revolution"; "a comprehensive survey"; "a comprehensive education"
across-the-board, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-inclusive, blanket(a), broad, encompassing, panoptic, wide
broad in scope or content; "across-the-board pay increases"; "an all-embracing definition"; "blanket sanctions against human-rights violators"; "an invention with broad applications"; "a panoptic study of Soviet nationality"- T.G.Winner; "granted him wide powers"
cosmopolitan, ecumenical, oecumenical, general, universal, worldwide
of worldwide scope or applicability; "an issue of cosmopolitan import"; "the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time"- Christopher Morley; "universal experience"
encyclopedic, encyclopaedic
broad in scope or content; "encyclopedic knowledge"
door-to-door, house-to-house
omitting no one; from the door of one house to that of the next; "a door-to-door campaign"; "house-to-house coverage"
large
having broad power and range and scope; "taking the large view"; "a large effect"; "a large sympathy"
extensive, far-reaching, sweeping
having broad range or effect; "had extensive press coverage"; "far-reaching changes in the social structure"; "sweeping reforms"
omnibus(a)
providing for many things at once; "an omnibus law"
plenary
full in all respects; "a plenary session of the legislature"; "a diplomat with plenary powers"
super
including more than a specified category; "a super experiment"
umbrella
covering or applying simultaneously to a number of similar items or elements or groups; "an umbrella organization"; "umbrella insurance coverage"
noncomprehensive, incomprehensive
not comprehensive
limited
including only a part
accessible, approachable
capable of being read with comprehension; "readily accessible to the nonprofessional reader"; "the tales seem more approachable than his more difficult novels"
comprehensible, comprehendible
readily comprehended or understood; "an idea comprehensible to the average mind"
apprehensible, intelligible, graspable, perceivable, understandable
capable of being apprehended or understood
enigmatic, enigmatical, puzzling
not clear to the understanding; "I didn't grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later"; "prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries"
cognizable, cognisable, knowable
capable of being known
incomprehensible, uncomprehensible
difficult to understand; "the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible"- A. Einstein
dark, obscure
marked by difficulty of style or expression; "much that was dark is now quite clear to me"; "those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure"
impenetrable
impossible to understand; "impenetrable jargon"
indecipherable
impossible to determine the meaning of; "an indecipherable message"
lost, missed
not caught with the senses or the mind; "words lost in the din"
opaque, unintelligible
not clearly understood or expressed
single(a), undivided, exclusive
not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object or objective; "judging a contest with a single eye"; "a single devotion to duty"; "undivided affection"; "gained their exclusive attention"
far-flung, widespread
distributed over a considerable extent; "far-flung trading operations"; "the West's far-flung mountain ranges"; "widespread nuclear fallout"
scattered, strewn
being distributed here and there without order; "scattered leaves littered the sidewalk"; "don't forget to pick up the clothes lying strewn all over the floor"
suffused
being spread through with or as with color or light or liquid
straggly
growing or spreading sparsely or irregularly; "straggly ivy"
unfocused, unfocussed
not concentrated at one point or upon one objective; "diversity...in our huge unfocused country"- Owen Wister
concise
expressing much in few words; "a concise explanation"
aphoristic, apothegmatic, epigrammatic
terse and witty and like a maxim; "much given to apothegmatic instruction"
brief
concise and succinct; "covered the matter in a brief statement"
compendious, compact, succinct, summary
briefly giving the gist of something; "a short and compendious book"; "a compact style is brief and pithy"; "succinct comparisons"; "a summary formulation of a wide-ranging subject"
cryptic
having a puzzling terseness; "a cryptic note"
crisp, curt, laconic, terse
brief and to the point; effectively cut short; "a crisp retort"; "a response so curt as to be almost rude"; "the laconic reply; `yes'"; "short and terse and easy to understand"
pithy, sententious
concise and full of meaning; "welcomed her pithy comments"; "the peculiarly sardonic and sententious style in which Don Luis composed his epigrams"- Hervey Allen
elliptic, elliptical
characterized by extreme economy of expression or omission of superfluous elements; "the dialogue is elliptic and full of dark hints"; "the explanation was concise, even elliptical to the verge of obscurity"- H.O.Taylor
prolix
tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length; "editing a prolix manuscript"; "a prolix lecturer telling you more than you want to know"
telegraphic
having the style of a telegram with many short words left out; "telegraphic economy of words"; "the strange telegraphic speech of some aphasics"
diffuse
lacking conciseness; "a diffuse historical novel"
long-winded, tedious, verbose, windy, wordy
using or containing too many words; "long-winded (or windy) speakers"; "verbose and ineffective instructional methods"; "newspapers of the day printed long wordy editorials"; "proceedings were delayed by wordy disputes"
conclusive
forming an end or termination; especially putting an end to doubt or question; "conclusive proof"; "the evidence is conclusive"
convincing
capable of convincing or persuading; "a convincing argument"
definitive, determinate
supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement; "a definitive verdict"; "a determinate answer to the problem"
equivocal
uncertain as a sign or indication; "the evidence from bacteriologic analysis was equivocal"
inconclusive
not conclusive; not putting an end to doubt or question; "an inconclusive reply"; "inconclusive evidence"; "the inconclusive committee vote"
indeterminate
not leading to a definite ending or result; "an indeterminate campaign"
nisi
not final or absolute; "the decree is nisi and not absolute"
consummated
brought to completion; "a consummated transaction"
fulfilled
completed to perfection
accordant
being in agreement or harmony; often followed by `with'; "a place perfectly accordant with man's nature"-Thomas Hardy
discordant
not in agreement or harmony; "views discordant with present-day ideas"
at variance(p), discrepant
not in accord; "desires at variance with his duty"; "widely discrepant statements"
boiled-down
expressing the essence of; "the final boiled-down crux of the matter"
conditional
imposing or depending on or containing a condition; "conditional acceptance of the terms"; "lent conditional support"; "the conditional sale will not be complete until the full purchase price is paid"
unconditional
not conditional; "unconditional surrender"
absolute, total, unconditioned
without conditions or limitations; "a total ban"
blunt, crude(a), stark(a)
devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment; "the blunt truth"; "the crude facts"; "facing the stark reality of the deadline"
independent
not contingent
claustrophobic
uncomfortably closed or hemmed in; "a claustrophobic little room"
congenial, agreeable
suitable to your needs or similar to your nature"; "a congenial atmosphere to work in"; "two congenial spirits united...by mutual confidence and reciprocal virtues"- T.L.Peacock
close, confining
crowded; "close quarters"
crowded
overfilled or compacted or concentrated; "a crowded theater"; "a crowded program"; "crowded trains"; "a young mother's crowded days"
huddled
crowded or massed together; "give me...your huddled masses"; "the huddled sheep turned their backs against the wind"
jammed, jam-packed, packed
filled to capacity; "a suitcase jammed with dirty clothes"; "stands jam-packed with fans"; "a packed theater"
thronged
filled with great numbers crowded together; "I try to avoid the thronged streets and stores just before Christmas"
uncrowded
having or allowing sufficient room; "an uncrowded train"; "an uncrowded view"
compatible, sympathetic
having similar disposition and tastes; "a compatible married couple"; "with their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion"
uncongenial, incompatible
not suitable to your tastes or needs; "the uncongenial roommates were always fighting"; "the task was uncongenial to one sensitive to rebuffs"
sociable
friendly and pleasant; "a sociable gathering"
disagreeable, unsympathetic
not agreeing with your tastes or expectations; "found the task disagreeable and decided to abandon it"; "a job temperamentally unsympathetic to him"
appropriate, harmonious
suitable and fitting; "the tailored clothes were harmonious with her military bearing"
ironic, ironical
characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is; "madness, an ironic fate for such a clear thinker"; "it was ironical that the well-planned scheme failed so completely"
incongruous
lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness; "a plan incongruous with reason"; "incongruous behavior"; "a joke that was incongruous with polite conversation"
discrepant, inconsistent
not in agreement
inharmonious
lacking in harmony of parts; "an inharmonious (or incongruous) mixture of architectural styles"
adversative, oppositive
expressing antithesis or opposition; "the adversative conjunction `but' in `poor but happy'"
affined
closely related; "syllable to blessed syllable affined"- Wallace Stevens
intimate
closely interconnected or interrelated; "the intimate relations...beween economics, politics, and legal principles"- V.L.Parrington
socially connected, well-connected
connected by blood or close acquaintance with people of wealth or social position; "a well-connected Edinburgh family"
consecrated, consecrate, dedicated
solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose; "a life consecrated to science"; "the consecrated chapel"; "a chapel dedicated to the dead of World War II"
desecrated
treated with contempt; "many desecrated shrines and cemeteries"
profaned, violated
treated irreverently or sacrilegiously
deconsecrated
divested of consecration
priestly, priestlike
befitting or characteristic of a priest or the priesthood; "priestly dedication to the people of his parish"
buttoned-up
conservative in professional manner; "employers are looking for buttoned-up types"
unpriestly
not priestly; unbefitting a priest; "unpriestly behavior"
conservative
resistant to change
blimpish
pompously ultraconservative and nationalistic
hidebound, traditionalist
stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded
fusty, standpat(a), unprogressive, nonprogressive
old-fashioned and out of date
civil-libertarian
having or showing active concern for protection of civil liberties protected by law
ultraconservative
extremely conservative
liberal
tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition
liberalistic
having or demonstrating belief in the essential goodness of man and the autonomy of the individual; favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority
neoliberal
having or showing belief in the need for economic growth in addition to traditional liberalistic values
accordant, agreeable, conformable, consonant, in accord(p), in agreement(p), concordant
in keeping; "salaries agreeable with current trends"; "plans conformable with your wishes"; "expressed views concordant with his background"
progressive, reformist
favoring or promoting reform (often by government action)
consistent
(sometimes followed by `with') in agreement or consistent or reliable; "testimony consistent with the known facts"; "I have decided that the course of conduct which I am following is consistent with my sense of responsibility as president in time of war"- FDR
pursuant(p)
(followed by `to') in conformance to or agreement with; "pursuant to our agreement"; "pursuant to the dictates of one's conscience"
at odds(p), conflicting, contradictory, self-contradictory
in disagreement; "the figures are at odds with our findings"; "contradictory attributes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness"- John Morley
reconciled
made compatible or consistent
unchanging
conforming to the same principles or course of action over time
unreconciled
not made consistent or compatible; "two unreconciled accountings"
discrepant, incompatible
not compatible with other facts
spotty, uneven
inconsistent in quality
unconformable
not correspondent; "a description unconformable to previous accounts"
conspicuous, obvious
obvious to the eye or mind; "a tower conspicuous at a great distance"; "wore conspicuous neckties"; "made herself conspicuous by her exhibitionistic preening"
attention-getting, eye-catching
seizing the attention; "eye-catching posters"
big, large, prominent
conspicuous in position or importance; "a big figure in the movement"; "big man on campus"; "he's very large in financial circles"; "a prominent citizen"
bold
clear and distinct; "bold handwriting"; "a figure carved in bold relief"
crying(a), egregious, flagrant, glaring, gross, rank
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation of human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross ineptitude"; "gross injustice"; "rank treachery"
marked
singled out for notice or especially for a dire fate; "a marked man"
featured
made a feature or highlight; given prominence; "a featured actor"; "a featured item at the sale"
in evidence
clearly to be seen; "they were much in evidence during the fighting"; "she made certain that her engagement ring was in evidence"
outstanding, prominent, salient, spectacular, striking
having a quality that thrusts itself into attention; "an outstanding fact of our time is that nations poisoned by anti_semitism proved less fortunate in regard to their own freedom"; "a new theory is the most prominent feature of the book"; "salient traits"; "a spectacular rise in prices"; "a striking thing about Picadilly Circus is the statue of Eros in the center"; "a striking resemblance between parent and child"
visible
being often in the public eye; "a visible public figure"
inconspicuous, invisible
not prominent or readily noticeable; "he pushed the string through an inconspicuous hole"; "the invisible man"
steadfast, staunch, unswerving
firm and dependable especially in loyalty; "a steadfast ally"; "a staunch defender of free speech"; "unswerving devotion"; "unswerving allegiance"
constant
steadfast in purpose or devotion or affection; "a man constant in adherence to his ideals"; "a constant lover"; "constant as the northern star"
faithful, fast(a), loyal, true
(used of persons) dependable in devotion or allegiance or affection; "a faithful old dog"; "a faithful friend"; "fast friends"; "a loyal companion"; "she proved a true friend"; "a lover absolutely true in act and word and thought"- H.O.Taylor
unfailing, unflagging
unceasing; "unfailing loyalty"; "unfailing good spirits"; "unflagging courtesy"
inconstant
likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable; "inconstant affections"; "an inconstant lover"; "swear not by...the inconstant moon"- Shakespeare
constructive
constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development; "constructive criticism"; "a constructive attitude"; "a constructive philosophy"; "constructive permission"
false, untrue
(used especially of persons) not dependable in devotion or affection; unfaithful; "a false friend; "when lovers prove untrue"
fickle, volatile
marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments; "fickle friends"; "a flirt's volatile affections"
structural
concerned with systematic structure in a particular field of study
crushing, devastating
physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination; "a crushing blow"; "a crushing rejection"; "bone-crushing"
damaging, negative
designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions; "negative criticism"
soul-destroying
destructive to the spirit or soul; "soul-destroying labor"
ironclad, unassailable, unshakable, watertight
without flaws or loopholes; "an ironclad contract"; "a watertight alibi"
unanswerable
impossible to answer; "an unanswerable argument"
continual
seemingly without interruption; chiefly restricted to what recurs regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series; "the continual banging of the shutters"
constant
continually recurring or continuing without interruption; "constant repetition of the exercise"; "constant chatter of monkeys"
insistent, repetitive
persistently continual; "the bluejay's insistent cry"
everlasting
(informal) continuing too long; "everlasting complaints"
incessant, perpetual, endless
occurring so frequently as to seem ceaseless or uninterrupted; "a child's incessant questions"; "your perpetual (or continual) complaints"
perennial, recurrent, repeated
recurring again and again; "perennial efforts to stipulate the requirements"
running(a)
continually repeated over a period of time; "a running joke among us"
sporadic
recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances; "a city subjected to sporadic bombing raids"
persistent, relentless, unrelenting
never-ceasing; "the relentless beat of the drums"
fitful, spasmodic
occurring in spells and often abruptly; "fitful bursts of energy"; "spasmodic rifle fire"
isolated, scattered, stray
not close together in time; "isolated instances of rebellion"; "scattered fire"; "a stray bullet grazed his thigh"
intermittent
stopping and starting at irregular intervals; "intermittent rain showers"
periodic
recurring or reappearing from time to time; "periodic feelings of anxiety"
irregular, unpredictable
not occurring at expected times
dogging, persisting
relentless and indefatigable in pursuit or as if in pursuit; "impossible to escape the dogging fears"
continual
`continual' (meaning seemingly uninterrupted) is often used interchangeably with `continuous' (meaning without interruption)
sustained
maintained at length without interruption or weakening; "sustained flight"
ridden(ip)
(used in combination) dominated or obsessed by; "grief-ridden"; "war-ridden"
wild
not subjected to control or restraint; "a piano played with a wild exuberance"- Louis Bromfield
lordless, masterless
having no lord or master; "harsh punishments for sturdy vagabonds and masterless men"
rampant
unrestrained and violent; "rampant aggression"
runaway
completely out of control; "runaway inflation"
torrential
resembling a torrent in force and abundance; "torrential applause"; "torrential abuse"; "the torrential facility and fecundity characteristic of his style"- Winthrop Sargeant
undisciplined, ungoverned
lacking in discipline or control; "undisciplined behavior"; "ungoverned youth"
wild
deviating widely from an intended course; "a wild bullet"; "a wild pitch"
contentious
involving or likely to cause controversy; "a central and contentious element of the book"- Tim W.Ferfuson
controversial
marked by or capable of arousing controversy; "the issue of the death penalty is highly controversial"; "Rushdie's controversial book"; "a controversial decision on affirmative action"
arguable, debatable, disputable
open to argument or debate
polemic, polemical
of or involving dispute or controversy
disputed, moot
open to debate
accepted, undisputed
generally agreed upon; not subject to dispute; "the accepted interpretation of the poem"; "an accepted theory"
uncontroversial, noncontroversial
not likely to arouse controversy
argumentative
given to or characterized by argument; "an argumentative discourse"; "argumentative to the point of being cantankerous"; "an intelligent but argumentative child"
favorable, favourable, opportune
at a convenient or suitable time; "an opportune time to receive guests"
convenient
suited to your comfort or purpose or needs; "a convenient excuse for not going"
handy
easy to use; "a handy gadget"
awkward
causing inconvenience; "they arrived at an awkward time"
inconvenient
not suited to your comfort, purpose or needs; "it is inconvenient not to have a telephone in the kitchen"; "the back hall is an inconvenient place for the telephone"
accepted, received
widely accepted as true or worthy; "the accepted wisdom about old age"; "a received moral idea"; "Received political wisdom says not; surveys show otherwise"- Economist
conventional
following accepted customs and proprieties; "conventional wisdom"; "she had strayed from the path of conventional behavior"; "conventional forms of address"
customary
in accordance with convention or custom; "sealed the deal with the customary handshake"
stodgy, stuffy
excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull; "why is the middle class so stodgy, so utterly without a sense of humor?"; "a stodgy dinner party"
formulaic
characterized by or in accordance with some formula
go-as-you-please
not bound by rule or law or convention; "bewildered by the old go-as-you-please liberty of alliterative rhythm"- George Saintsbury
unconventional
not conforming to accepted rules or standards; "her unconventional dress and hair style"
bohemian
unconventional in especially appearance and behavior; "a bohemian life style"
button-down, buttoned-down, conservative
unimaginatively conventional; "a colorful character in the buttoned-down, dull-gray world of business"- Newsweek
irregular, maverick, unorthodox
independent in behavior or thought; "she led a somewhat irregular private life"; "maverick politicians"
conventional
unimaginative and conformist; "conventional bourgeois lives"; "conventional attitudes"
stereotyped, stereotypic, stereotypical, unimaginative
lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality; "stereotyped phrases of condolence"; "even his profanity was unimaginative"
square, straight
(slang) rigidly conventional or old-fashioned
alternative
pertaining to unconventional choices; "an alternative life style"
unconventional
not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles"
bizarre, eccentric, freakish, freaky, flaky, outlandish, outre
conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual; "restaurants of bizarre design--one like a hat, another like a rabbit"; "famed for his eccentric spelling"; "a freakish combination of styles"; "the outlandish clothes of teenagers"; "outre and affected stage antics"
devil-may-care, raffish, rakish
marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness; "a cocktail party given by some...raffish bachelors"- Crary Moore
far-out, kinky, offbeat, quirky, way-out
informal terms; strikingly unconventional
nonconformist, unconformist
not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought; "their rabidly nonformist deportment has made them legendary"; "the old stubborn nonconformist spirit of the early settlers"
conformist
marked by conformity or convention; not corresponding to current customs or rules or styles; "underneath the radical image teenagers are surprisingly conformist"
traditional
consisting of or derived from tradition; "traditional history"; "traditional morality"
conventional
in accord with or being a tradition or practice accepted from the past; "a conventional church wedding with the bride in traditional white"; "the conventional handshake"
handed-down, tralatitious
having been passed along from generation to generation; "among Biblical critics a tralatitious interpretation is one received by expositor from expositor"
time-honored, time-honoured
of long standing and acceptance; "time-honored customs"
traditionalistic
adhering to tradition especially in cultural or religious practices
nontraditional, untraditional
not conforming to or in accord with tradition; "nontraditional designs"; "nontraditional practices"
disenchanting, disillusioning
freeing from illusion or false belief
convincing
causing one to believe the truth of something; "a convincing story"; "a convincing manner"
credible, plausible
appearing to merit belief or acceptance; "a credible witness"; "a plausible story"
persuasive
capable of convincing; "a persuasive argument"
unconvincing
not convincing; "unconvincing excuses"; "as unconvincing as a forced smile"
unpersuasive
not capable of persuading
corrupt
lacking in integrity; "humanity they knew to be corrupt...from the day of Adam's creation"; "a corrupt and incompetent city government"
corruptible, bribable, dishonest, purchasable, venal
capable of being corrupted; "corruptible judges"; "dishonest politicians"; "a purchasable senator"; "a venal police officer"
Augean
extremely dirty and corrupt; "every government ought to attend to cleaning its own Augean stables"
corrupted, debased, vitiated
ruined in character or quality
depraved, immoral, perverse, perverted, reprobate
marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good; "depraved criminals"; "a perverted sense of loyalty"; "the reprobate conduct of a gambling aristocrat"
dirty, sordid
unethical or dishonest; "dirty police officers"; "a sordid political campaign"
praetorian, pretorian
characteristic of Praetorian soldiers in respect to corruption or political venality; "a large praetorian bureaucracy filled with ambitious...and often sycophantic people makes work and makes trouble"- Arthur M.Schlesinger Jr.
putrid
morally corrupt or evil; "the putrid atmosphere of the court"
incorrupt
free of corruption or immorality; "a policeman who was incorrupt and incorruptible"
antiseptic
clean and honest; "antiseptic financial practices"
incorruptible
incapable of being morally corrupted; "incorruptible judges are the backbone of the society"
uncorrupted
not debased; "though his associates were dishonest, he remained uncorrupted"; "uncorrupted values"
uncorrupted, unspoiled
not decayed or decomposed
extended, extensive, wide
great in range or scope; "an extended vocabulary"; "surgeons with extended experience"; "extensive examples of picture writing"; "suffered extensive damage"; "a wide selection"
considerable
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree; "a considerable quantity"; "the economy was a considerable issue in the campaign"; "went to considerable trouble for us"; "spent a considerable amount of time on the problem"
appreciable
enough to be estimated or measured; "appreciable amounts of noxious wastes are dumped into the harbor"
goodly, goodish, hefty, respectable, sizable, sizeable, tidy
large in amount or extent or degree; "it cost a considerable amount"; "a goodly amount"; "received a hefty bonus"; "a respectable sum"; "a tidy sum of money"; "a sizable fortune"
right smart
(regional; S and Midland) "it's a right smart distance"
significant, substantial
fairly large; "won by a substantial margin"
insignificant, trivial
not large enough to consider or notice
inconsiderable
too small or unimportant to merit attention; "passed his life in an inconsiderble village"; "their duties were inconsiderable"; "had no inconsiderable influence"
substantial, real, material
having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary; "the substantial world"; "a mere dream, neither substantial nor practical"; "most ponderous and substantial things"- Shakespeare
insubstantial, unsubstantial, unreal
lacking material form or substance; unreal; "as insubstantial as a dream"; "an insubstantial mirage on the horizon"
shadowy, wraithlike
lacking in substance; "strange fancies of unreal and shadowy worlds"- W.A.Butler; "dim shadowy forms"; "a wraithlike column of smoke"
aeriform, aerial, airy, aery, ethereal
characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; "figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away"- Thomas Carlyle; "aerial fancies"; "an airy apparition"; "physical rather than ethereal forms"
corrected
having something undesirable neutralized; "with glasses her corrected vision was 20:20"
unremedied
not having been put right; "unremedied errors"
rectified
having been put right
uncorrected
left faulty or wrong; "uncorrected astigmatism"
delinquent
persistently bad; "school for delinquent boys"
depraved, unreformable, unregenerate
hopelessly bad; "an unregenerate criminal"
cosmopolitan
composed of people from or at home in many parts of the world ; especially not provincial in attitudes or interests; "his cosmopolitan benevolence impartially extended to all races and to all creeds"- T.B. Macaulay; "the ancient and cosmopolitan societies of Syria and Egypt"; "that queer, cosmopolitan, rather sinister crowd found around the Marseilles docks"
sophisticated, urbane
marked by wide-ranging knowledge and appreciation of many parts of the world arising from urban life and wide travel; "the sophisticated manners of a true cosmopolite"; "urbane and pliant...he was at ease even in the drawing rooms of Paris"
traveled, travelled
familiar with many parts of the world; "a traveled, educated man"; "well-traveled people"
provincial
characteristic of the provinces or their people; "deeply provincial and conformist"; "in that well-educated company I felt uncomfortably provincial"; "narrow provincial attitudes"
corn-fed
strong and healthy but not sophisticated
bumpkinly, hick, rustic, unsophisticated
awkwardly simple and provincial; "bumpkinly country boys"; "rustic farmers"; "a hick town"; "the nightlife of Montmartre awed the unsophisticated tourists"
insular, parochial
narrowly restricted in outlook or scope; "little sympathy with parocial mentality"; "insular attitudes toward foreigners"
jerkwater, one-horse, pokey, poky
small and remote and insignificant; "a jerkwater college"; "passed a series of poky little one-horse towns"
kind, thoughtful
showing consideration and anticipation of needs; "it was thoughtful of you to bring flowers"; "a neighbor showed thoughtful attention"
considerate
showing concern for the rights and feelings of others; "friends considerate enough to leave us alone"
inconsiderate
lacking regard for the rights or feelings of others; "shockingly inconsiderate behavior"
discourteous
showing no courtesy; rude; "a distant and at times discourteous young"
careless
showing an unthinking lack of consideration; "a careless remark"
thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking
without care or thought for others; "the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; `Let them eat cake'"
courteous
characterized by courtesy and gracious good manners; "if a man be gracious and courteous to strangers it shows he is a citizen of the world"-Francis Bacon
chivalrous, gallant, knightly
having the qualities of gallantry attributed to an ideal knight
brusque, brusk, curt, short(p)
marked by rude or peremptory shortness; "try to cultivate a less brusque manner"; "a curt reply"; "the salesgirl was very short with him"
abrupt
surprisingly and unceremoniously brusque in manner; "an abrupt reply"
unceremonious
without due formalities; "unceremonious dismissal from office"
caddish, unchivalrous, ungallant
offensively discourteous
polite
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
courteous, gracious, nice
exhibiting courtesy and politeness; "a nice gesture"
mannerly, well-mannered
socially correct in behavior
bratty, brattish
(used of an ill-mannered child) impolitely unruly
impolite
not polite
civil, polite
not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others; "even if he didn't like them he should have been civil"- W.S. Maugham
ill-mannered, rude, unmannered, unmannerly
socially incorrect in behavior; "resentment flared at such an unmannered intrusion"
discourteous, ungracious
lacking social graces
unparliamentary
so rude and abusive as to be unsuitable for Parliament
uncivil, rude
lacking civility or good manners; "want nothing from you but to get away from your uncivil tongue"- Willa Cather
fanciful, notional
indulging in or influenced by fancy; "a fanciful mind"; "all the notional vagaries of childhood"
imaginative, ingenious, inventive
(used of persons or artifacts) marked by independence and creativity in thought or action; "an imaginative use of material"; "the invention of the knitting frame by another ingenious English clergyman"- Lewis Mumford; "an ingenious device"; "had an inventive turn of mind"; "inventive ceramics"
yeasty
exuberantly creative
sterile, unimaginative, uninspired, uninventive
deficient in originality or creativity; lacking powers of invention:i "a sterile ideology lacking in originality"; "unimaginative development of a musical theme"; "uninspired writing"
credible, believable
capable of being believed; "completely credible testimony"; "credible information"
likely, plausible
within the realm of credibility; "not a very likely excuse"; "a plausible story"
presumptive
affording reasonable grounds for belief or acceptance; "presumptive evidence"; "a strong presumptive case is made out"
astounding, dumbfounding, dumfounding
bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
incredible, unbelievable
beyond belief or understanding; "at incredible speed"; "the book's plot is simply incredible"
improbable, marvelous, marvellous, tall(a)
too improbable to admit of belief; "a tall story"
fabulous
barely credible; "the fabulous endurance of a marathon runner"
undreamed, undreamed of, undreamt, undreamt of, unimagined
not imagined even in a dream
overcredulous
too credulous for your own good
scathing, vituperative
marked by harshly abusive criticism; "his scathing remarks about silly lady novelists"; "her vituperative railing"
hypercritical, overcritical
inclined to judge too severely; "hypercritical of colloquial speech"; "the overcritical teacher can discourage originality"
uncritical, noncritical
marked by disregard for critical standards or procedures; "news sources reflected uncritical estimates of the number of juvenile addicts"
critical
characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; "a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings
appraising(a), evaluative
exercising or involving careful evaluations; "looked him over with an appraising eye"; "the literary judge uses many evaluative terms"
discriminative, judicial
expressing careful judgment; "discriminative censure"; "a biography ...appreciative and yet judicial in purpose"-Tyler Dennett
dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe
causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"
critical
being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage"
acute
of critical importance and consequence; "an acute (or critical) lack of research funds"
noncritical, noncrucial
not in a state of crisis or emergency
desperate, dire
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless; "a desperate illness"; "on all fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of materiel"- G.C.Marshall; "a dire emergency"
critical, decisive
forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis; "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test"
crucial, important
of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; "a crucial moment in his career"; "a crucial election"; "a crucial issue for women"
pivotal, polar
being of crucial importance; "a pivotal event"; "Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions"- Henry Kissinger; "the polar events of this study"; "a polar principal"
noncrucial
of little importance; not decisive
crystallized
having become fixed and definite in form; "distinguish between crystallized and uncrystallized opinion"- Psychological Abstracts
uncrystallized
not finally or definitely formed; "uncrystallized ideas"
unidimensional, one-dimensional
relating to a single dimension or aspect; having no depth or scope; "a prose statement of fact is unidimensional, its value being measured wholly in terms of its truth"- Mary Sheehan; "a novel with one-dimensional characters"
multidimensional
having or involving or marked by several dimensions or aspects; "multidimensional problems"; "a multidimensional proposition"; "a multidimensional personality"
dimensional
having dimension--the quality or character or stature proper to a person; "never matures as a dimensional character; he is pasty, bland, faceless"- Norman Cousins
two-dimensional, flat
lacking the expected range or depth; not designed to give an illusion or depth; "a film with two-dimensional characters"; "a flat two-dimensional painting"
nosy, nosey, prying, snoopy
offensively curious or inquisitive; "curious about the neighbor's doings"; "he flipped through my letters in his nosy way"; "prying eyes"; "the snoopy neighbor watched us all day"
overcurious
showing excessive curiosity
live
of current relevance; "a live issue"; "still a live option"
topical
of interest at the present time; "a topical reference"; "a topical and timely study of civil liberty"
prevailing, prevalent, rife
encountered generally especially at the present time; "the prevailing opinion was that a trade war could be averted"; "the most prevalent religion in our area"; "speculation concerning the books author was rife"
up-to-date
reflecting the latest information or changes; "an up-to-date issue of the magazine"
up-to-the-minute, latest
up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date; "the news is up-to-the-minute"; "the very latest scientific discoveries"
dead
no longer having force or relevance; "a dead issue"
cursed, curst
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier; "villagers shun the area believing it to be cursed"; "cursed with four daughter"; "not a cursed drop"; "his cursed stupidity"; "I'll be cursed if I can see your reasoning"
disused, obsolete
no longer in use; "obsolete words"
obsolete, outdated, out-of-date, superannuated
old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable; "obsolete words"; "an obsolete locomotive"; "outdated equipment"; "superannuated laws"; "out-of-date ideas"
obsolescent
becoming obsolete
damnable, execrable
deserving a curse; "her damnable pride"
accursed, accurst, maledict
under a curse
blasted, blame, blamed, blessed, damn, damned, darned, deuced, everlasting, goddam, goddamn, goddamned, infernal
expletives used informally as intensifiers; "he's a blasted idiot"; "it's a blamed shame"; "a blame cold winter"; "not a blessed dime"; "I'll be damned (or blessed or darned or goddamned) if I'll do any such thing"; "he's a damn (or goddam or goddamned) fool"; "a deuced idiot"; "tired or his everlasting whimpering"; "an infernal nuisance"
cursed with(p), stuck with(p)
burdened with; "stuck with the tab"
damn, goddamn
used as expletives; "oh, damn (or goddamn)!"
blessed, blest
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace); "our blessed land"; "the blessed assurance of a steady income"
favored, fortunate, golden
supremely favored or fortunate; "golden lads and girls all must / like chimney sweepers come to dust"
glorious
bringing great happiness and thankfulness; "glorious freedom"; "glorious times"
blessed, blessed with(p), endued with(p)
having good fortune bestowed or conferred upon; sometimes used as in combination; "blessed with a strong healthy body"; "a nation blessed with peace"; "a peace-blessed era"
unblessed
not provided with something desirable; "a hovel unblessed with electricity or running water"
alternate(a), alternating(a)
occurring by turns; first one and then the other; "alternating feelings of love and hate"
cyclic, cyclical
recurring in cycles
bedraggled, broken-down, dilapidated, ramshackle, tumble-down, unsound
in deplorable condition; "a street of bedraggled tenements"; "a broken-down fence"; "a ramshackle old pier"; "a tumble-down shack"
riddled
(often followed by `with') damaged throughout by numerous perforations or holes; "a sweater riddled with moth holes"; "cliffs riddled with caves"; "the bullet-riddled target"
dateless
of such great duration as to preclude the possibility of being assigned a date; "dateless customs"
indecent
offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters; "an earthy but not indecent story"; "an indecent gesture"
decent
conforming to conventions of sexual behavior; "speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"- George Santayana
coarse, crude, earthy, gross, vulgar
conspicuously and tastelessly indecent; "coarse language"; "a crude joke"; "crude behavior"; "an earthy sense of humor"; "a revoltingly gross expletive"; "a vulgar gesture"; "full of language so vulgar it should have been edited"
indelicate
verging on the indecent; "an indelicate proposition"
obscene
designed to incite to indecency or lust; "the dance often becomes flagrantly obscene"- Margaret Mead
decisive
determining or having the power to determine an outcome; "cast the decisive vote"; "two factors had a decisive influence"
conclusive
final and deciding; "the conclusive reason"
crucial, deciding(a), determinant, determinative, determining(a)
having the power or quality of deciding; "the crucial experiment"; "cast the deciding vote"; "the determinative (or determinant) battle"
fateful, fatal
having momentous consequences; of decisive importance; "that fateful meeting of the U.N. when...it declared war on North Korea"- Saturday Rev; "the fatal day of the election finally arrived"
peremptory
putting an end to all debate or action; "a peremptory decree"
indecisive
not definitely settling something; "a long and indecisive war"
unhesitating, resolute
characterized by quickness and firmness; "his reply was unhesitating"
inconclusive
leading to no final results or outcome; "an inconclusive experiment"
decisive
characterized by decision and firmness; "an able an decisive young woman"; "we needed decisive leadership"; "she gave him a decisive answer"
indecisive
characterized by lack of decision and firmness; "an indecisive manager brought the enterprise to a standstill"
on the fence(p), undecided
characterized by indecision; "some who had been on the fence came out in favor of the plan"; "too many voters still declare they are undecided"
decorous
characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct; "the tete-a-tete was decorous in the extreme"
in good taste(p)
satisfying generally accepted social or esthetic standards
sedate, staid
characterized by dignity and propriety
indecorous, indelicate
lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct; "indecorous behavior"
profound, unfathomed, unplumbed, unsounded
situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed; "the profound depths of the sea"; "the dark unfathomed caves of ocean"-Thomas Gray; "unplumbed depths of the sea"; "remote and unsounded caverns"
deep
having great spatial extension or penetration; downward ("a deep well"; "a deep dive"; "deep water"; "a deep casserole"); or inward from an outer surface ("a deep gash"; "deep massage"; "deep pressure receptors in muscles"); or backward ("deep shelves"; "a deep closet"); or laterally ("surrounded by a deep yard"); or outward from a center ((sports) "hit the ball to deep center field"); sometimes used in combination; "waist-deep"
abysmal, abyssal
so deep as to be unmeasurable; unfathomable; "the abyssal depths of the ocean"
bottomless
extremely deep; "a bottomless pit"; "a bottomless lake"
shallow
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension; downward ("shallow water"; "a shallow dish"); or inward from an outer surface ("a shallow cut"); or backward ("a shallow closet"; "established a shallow beachhead"); or outward from a center ((sports) "hit the ball to shallow left field")
ankle-deep, knee-deep
coming only to the ankle or knee
deep
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply; "a deep breath"; "a deep sigh"; "deep concentration"; "deep emotion"; "a deep trance"; "in a deep sleep"
profound
coming from deep within one; "a profound sigh"
shallow
not deep or strong; not affecting one deeply; "shallow breathing"; "a night of shallow fretful sleep"; "in a shallow trance"
licked
(informal) having been got the better of; "I'm pretty beat up but I don't feel licked yet"
crushed
humiliated in defeat
subjugated
reduced to submission; "subjugated peoples"
unbowed
not forced to bow down to a conqueror
defiant
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force; "brought up to be aggressive and defiant"; "a defiant attitude"
insubordinate, resistant, resistive
disposed to or engaged in defiance of established authority
obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant; "obstreperous boys"
recalcitrant
marked by stubborn resistance to authority; "the University suspended the most recalcitrant demonstraters"
lamblike
like a lamb in meekness and gentleness
complying, obliging, yielding
happy to comply
circumscribed, delimited
showing or determining a boundary; "it is impossible to specify a clearly circumscribed (or delimited) area for any particular science"
nonresistant
offering no resistance
defined
clearly characterized or delimited; "lost in a maze of words both defined and undefined"; "each child has clearly defined duties"
characterized
of the meaning of words or concepts; stated precisely
undefined, vague
not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished; "an undefined term"; "undefined authority"; "some undefined sense of excitement"; "vague feelings of sadness"; "a vague uneasiness"
well-defined, clear
accurately stated or described; "a set of well-defined values"
ill-defined, unclear
poorly stated or described; "he confuses the reader with ill-defined terms and concepts"
derived
formed or developed from something else; not original; "the belief that classes and organizations are secondary and derived"- John Dewey
derivative
resulting from or employing derivation; "a derivative process"; "a highly derivative prose style"
primary, primitive
not derived from or reducible to something else; basic; "a primary instinct"; "seeks excellence at its primitive source--nature"- John Dewey
underived, simple
not derived; primary or simple
original
not derived or copied or translated from something else; "the play is original; not an adaptation"; "he kept the original copy and gave her only a xerox"; "the translation misses much of the subtlety of the original French"
definite
precise; explicit and clearly defined; "I want a definite answer"; "a definite statement of the terms of the will"; "a definite amount"; "definite restrictions on the sale of alcohol"; "the wedding date is now definite"; "a definite drop in attendance"
certain(a)
definite but not specified or identified; "set aside a certain sum each week"; "to a certain degree"; "certain breeds do not make good pets"; "certain members have not paid their dues"; "a certain popular teacher"; "a certain Mrs. Jones"
decisive
unmistakable; "had a decisive lead in the polls"
defined, formed, settled
clearly defined; "I have no formed opinion about the chances of success"
distinct, decided
recognizable; marked; "noticed a distinct improvement"; "at a distinct (or decided) disadvantage"
indefinite
vague or not clearly defined or stated; "must you be so indefinite?"; "amorphous blots of color having vague and indefinite edges"; "he would not answer so indefinite a proposal"
nebulous, unfixed
lacking definition or definite content; "nebulous reasons"; "unfixed as were her general notions of what men ought to be"- Jane Austen
coy
showing marked and often playful or irritating evasiveness or reluctance to make a definite or committing statement; "a politician coy about his intentions"
indecisive
not clearly defined; "indecisive boundaries running through mountains"
one(a)
indefinite in time or position; "he will come one day"; "one place or another"
delicate
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"
dainty, exquisite, fine
of delicate composition and artistry; "a dainty teacup"; "an exquisite cameo"; "fine china and crystal"
ethereal, gossamer
characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy; "this smallest and most ethereal of birds"; "gossamer shading through his playing"
fragile
vulnerably delicate; "she has the fragile beauty of youth"
light-handed
having a metaphorically delicate touch; "the translation is...light-handed...and generally unobtrusive"- New Yorker
overdelicate
extremely delicate; "an overdelicate digestive system"
pastel
lacking in body or vigor; "faded pastel charms of the naive music"
subtle
faint and difficult to analyze; "subtle aromas"
rugged
sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring; "a rugged trapper who spent months in the winderness"; "those that survive are stalwart rugged men"; "with a house full of boys you have to have rugged furniture"
knockabout
suitable for rough use; "a knockabout overcoat"; "a knockabout old car"
hardy
able to survive under unfavorable conditions; "strawberries are hardy and easy to grow"; "camels are tough and hardy creatures"
sturdy, tough
substantially made or constructed; "sturdy steel shelves"; "sturdy canvas"; "a tough all-weather fabric"; "some plastics are as tough as metal"
demanding
requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill; "found the job very demanding"; "a baby can be so demanding"
exigent, exacting
requiring precise accuracy; "an exacting job"; "became more exigent over his pronunciation"
stern, strict, exacting
severe and unremitting in making demands; "an exacting instructor"; "a stern disciplinarian"; "strict standards"
hard-to-please(a), hard to please(p)
of persons; "his father was a hard-to-please taskmaster"; "was very hard to please"
rigorous, stringent, tight
demanding strict attention to rules and procedures; "rigorous discipline"; "tight security"; "stringent safety measures"
tightened
made tighter or more stringent; "endured tightened economic controls"
undemanding
not demanding; requiring little if any patience or effort or skill; "the pay was adequate and the job undemanding"; "simple undemanding affection"; "an undemanding boss"
easy, lenient
not strict; "an easy teacher"; "easy standards"; "lenient rules"
easygoing
not stressful; "an easygoing life as a parttime consultant"
light
demanding little effort; not burdensome; "light housework"; "light exercise"
unexacting
not rigorous; "relaxed and unexacting standards"
imperative
requiring attention or action; "as nuclear weapons proliferate, preventing war becomes imperative"; "requests that grew more and more imperative"
adjuratory
containing a solemn charge or command
clamant, crying, exigent, insistent, instant
demanding attention; "clamant needs"; "a crying need"; "regarded literary questions as exigent and momentous"- H.L.Mencken; "insistent hunger"; "an instant need"
commanding, peremptory
not allowing contradiction or refusal; "spoke in commanding (or peremptory) tones"; "peremptory commands"
desperate
showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of great need or desire; "felt a desperate urge to confess"; "a desperate need for recognition"
pressing, urgent
compelling immediate action; "too pressing to permit of longer delay"; "the urgent words `Hurry! Hurry!'"; "bridges in urgent need of repair"
absolute
not limited by law; "an absolute monarch"
arbitrary
based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice; "an arbitrary decision"; "the arbitrary rule of a dictator";"an arbitrary penalty"; "of arbitrary size and shape"; "an arbitrary choice"; "arbitrary division of the group into halves"
capricious, impulsive, whimsical
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; "a capricious refusal"; "authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious"; "the victim of whimsical persecutions"
nonarbitrary, unarbitrary
not subject to individual determination
implicational, implicative, suggestive, suggestive of(p)
tending to suggest or imply; "artifacts suggestive of an ancient society"; "an implicative statement"
reliable, dependable
worthy of reliance or trust; "a reliable source of information"; "a dependable worker"
certain, sure
capable of being depended on; "a quick and certain remedy"; "a sure way to distinguish the two"; "wood dust is a sure sign of termites"
faithful
consistently reliable or dependable; "a faithful old car that always gets us home"
true
reliable as a basis for action; "a true prophesy"
straight
reliable in matters of fact; "he was always straight with me"
tested, time-tested, tried, tried and true
tested and proved to be reliable
undeviating
used of values and principles; not subject to change; steady; "undeviating loyalty"
unreliable, undependable
not worthy of reliance or trust; "in the early 1950s computers were large and expensive and unreliable"; "an undependable assistant"
erratic, temperamental
likely to perform unpredictably; "erratic winds are the bane of a sailor"; "a temperamental motor; sometimes it would start and sometimes it wouldn't"; "that beautiful but temperamental instrument the flute"- Osbert Lancaster
uncertain
not consistent or dependable; "an uncertain recollection of events"; "a gun with a rather uncertain trigger"
unsound
of e.g. advice
babelike
like a baby especially in dependence; "babelike innocence and dependence"
reliant, reliant on(p), dependent on(p)
relying on another for support; "dependent on Middle Eastern oil"
independent
free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism"; "an independent republic"
individual, case-by-case, item-by-item
separate and distinct from others of the same kind; "mark the individual pages"; "on a case-by-case basis"
on one's own(p), on his own(p), on her own(p), on your own(p), on their own(p)
responsible for yourself; "now out of college and on their own"
strong-minded
marked by vigorous independence of thought and judgment
unconditional
not contingent; not determined or influenced by someone or something else
one-sided, biased
excessively devoted to one faction
tendentious, tendencious
having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one; "a tendentious account of recent elections"; "distinguishing between verifiable fact and tendentious assertion"
independent
not controlled by a party or interest group
unbiased, unbiassed
without bias
desirable
worth having or seeking or achieving; "a desirable job"; "computer with many desirable features"; "a desirable outcome"
advantageous
likely to be of benefit or advantage; "in an advantageous position"
enviable
causing envy; "an enviable position"
coveted, desired, in demand(p), sought after
greatly desired
delectable, sexually attractive
capable of arousing desire; "the delectable Miss Haynes"
preferable, preferred
more desirable than another; "coffee is preferable to tea"; "Danny's preferred name is 'Dan'"
plummy
(informal) "a plummy leading role"
undesirable
not desirable; "undesirable impurities in steel"; "legislation excluding undesirable aliens"
unenviable
so undesirable as to be incapable of arousing envy; "unenviable notoriety"
unwanted
interfering; "unwanted shadows distort the picture"; "removed the unwanted vegetation"
blighted, spoilt
affected by blight--anything that mars or events growth or prosperity; "a blighted rose"; "blighted urtan districts"
broken, wiped out(p), impoverished
destroyed financially; "the broken fortunes of the family"
despoiled, pillaged, raped, ravaged, sacked
having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence; "the raped countryside"
indeterminate, undetermined
not precisely determined or established; not fixed or known in advance; "of indeterminate age"; "a zillion is a large indeterminate number"; "an indeterminate point of law"; "the influence of environment is indeterminate"; "an indeterminate future"
determinate
precisely determined or limited or defined; especially fixed by rule or by a specific and constant cause; "a determinate distance"; "a determinate number"; "determinate variations in animals"
open-ended
allowing for a spontaneous response; "an open-ended question"
developed
being changed over time so as to be e.g. stronger or more complete or more useful; "the developed qualities of the Hellenic outlook"; "they have very small limbs with only two fully developed toes on each"
formed
fully developed as by discipline or training"a fully formed literary style"
mature, matured
fully considered and perfected; "mature plans"
budding
beginning to develop; "a budding genius"
undeveloped
not developed; "courses in interior design were rare and undeveloped"; "undeveloped social awareness"
immature, unformed
lacking in development; "immature plans"; "an unformed character"
difficult, hard
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; "a difficult task"; "nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access"; "difficult times"; "a difficult child"; "found himself in a difficult situation"; "why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?"
ambitious, challenging
requiring full use of your abilities or resources; "ambitious schedule"; "performed the most challenging task without a mistake"
awkward, embarrassing, sticky, unenviable
hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment; "awkward (or embarrassing or difficult) moments in the discussion"; "an awkward pause followed his remark"; "a sticky question"; "in the unenviable position of resorting to an act he had planned to save for the climax of the campaign"
arduous
difficult to accomplish; demanding considerable mental effort and skill; "the arduous work of preparing a dictionary"
baffling, knotty, problematic, problematical
making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve; "a baffling problem"; "I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast"; "a problematic situation at home"
catchy, tricky
having concealed difficulty; "a catchy question"; "a tricky recipe to follow"
delicate, ticklish
difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers"; "hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"
fractious
unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be troublesome; "rockets were much too fractious to be tested near thigkly populated areas"; "fractious components of a communication system"
hard-fought
requiring great effort; "a hard-fought primary"
herculean, Herculean
of extreme difficulty; requiring the strength of a Hercules; "a herculean task"
nasty, tight
exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent; "a nasty problem"; "a good man to have on your side in a tight situation"
serious
requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve; "raised serious objections to the proposal"; "the plan has a serious flaw"
rocky, rough
full of hardship or trials; "the rocky road to success"; "they were having a rough time"
rugged, tough
very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution; "a rugged competitive examination"; "the rugged conditions of frontier life"; "the competition was tough"; "it's a tough life"; "it was a tough job"
stubborn
difficult to treat or deal with; "stubborn rust stains"; "a stubborn case of acne"
tall(a)
(informal) impressively difficult; "a tall order"
thorny
bristling with perplexities; "the thorny question of states' rights"
troublesome
difficult to deal with; "a troublesome infection"; "a troublesome situation"
trying
hard to endure; "fell upon trying times"
vexed
causing difficulty in finding an answer or solution; much disputed; "the vexed issue of priorities"; "we live in vexed and troubled times"
easy
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort; "an easy job"; "an easy problem"; "an easy victory"; "the house is easy to heat"; "satisfied with easy answers"; "took the easy way out of his dilemma"
casual, effortless
not showing effort or strain; "a difficult feat performed with casual mastery"; "careless grace"
cushy, soft
(informal) not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship; "what a cushy job!"; "a soft job"
painless
requiring little hard work or exertion; "a painless solution to the problem"
elementary, simple, uncomplicated, unproblematic
not involved or complicated; "an elementary problem in statistics"; "elementary, my dear Watson"; "a simple game"; "found an uncomplicated solution to the problem"
hands-down
achieved without great effort; "a hands-down victory"
smooth
lacking obstructions or difficulties; "the bill's path through the legislature was smooth and orderly"
simplified
made easy or uncomplicated
dignified
having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance; "her dignified demeanor"; "the director of the school was a dignified white-haired gentleman"
distinguished, imposing, magisterial
used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person; "his distinguished bearing"; "the monarch's imposing presence"; "she reigned in magisterial beauty"
courtly, elegant, formal, stately
refined or imposing in manner or appearance; befitting a royal court; "a courtly gentleman"
demeaning, humbling, humiliating, mortifying
causing awareness of your shortcomings; "golf is a humbling game"
undignified
lacking dignity
infra dig(p)
beneath your dignity; "considered helping with the dishes to be infra dig"
statesmanlike, statesmanly
marked by the qualities of or befitting a statesman; "a man of statesmanlike judgment"; "a statesmanlike solution of the present perplexities"-V.L.Parrington
pathetic, ridiculous, silly
inspiring scornful pity; "how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett
diplomatic, wise
able to take a broad view of negotiations between states
presidential
befitting a president; "criticized the candidate for not looking presidential"
unstatesmanlike
not statesmanlike; "unstatesmanlike procedure"
unpresidential
not presidential; "very unpresidential behavior"
diligent
characterized by care and perseverence in carrying out tasks; "a diligent detective investigates all clues"; "a diligent search of the files"
assiduous, sedulous
marked by care and persistent effort; "her assiduous attempts to learn French"; "assiduous research"; "sedulous pursuit of legal and moral principles"
hardworking, industrious, tireless, untiring
characterized by hard work and perseverance
negligent
characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern; "negligent parents"; "negligent of detail"; "negligent in his correspondence"
derelict, delinquent, neglectful, remiss
failing in what duty requires; "derelict (or delinquent) in his duty"; "neglectful of his duties"; "remiss of you not to pay your bills"
lax, slack
lacking in rigor or strictness; "such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable"; "lax in attending classes"; "slack in maintaining discipline"
inattentive, neglectful
not showing due care or attention; "inattentive students"; "an inattentive babysitter"; "neglectful parents"
diplomatic, diplomatical
skilled in dealing with sensitive matters or people
politic, smooth, suave
smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication; "he was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage"; "the hostess averted a confrontation between two guests with a diplomatic change of subject"; "the manager pacified the customer with a smooth apology for the error"; "affable, suave, moderate men...smugly convinced of their respectability"_ Ezra Pound
tactful
showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with people; "by diplomatic conduct he avoided antagonizing anyone"; "a tactful way of correcting someone"
conciliating, conciliatory, conciliative
overcoming animosity or hostility; "spoke in a conciliating tone"; "a conciliatory visit"
undiplomatic
not skilled in dealing with others
appeasing(a), placating, placative, placatory
tending or intended to pacify by acceding to demands or granting concessions; "the appeasing concessions to the Nazis at Munich"; "placating (or placative) gestures"; "an astonishingly placatory speech"
propitiative, propitiatory
intended to reconcile or appease; "sent flowers as a propitiatory gesture"
antagonizing, antagonistic
arousing animosity or hostility; "his antagonizing brusqueness"; "a speech that was antagonizing to many voters"
alienating
causing hostility or loss of friendliness; "her sudden alienating aloofness"
blunt, candid, forthright, frank, free-spoken, outspoken, plainspoken, point-blank
characterized by disconcerting directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; "blunt talking and straight shooting"; "a blunt New England farmer"; "I gave them my candid opinion"; "forthright criticism"; "a forthright approach to the problem"; "tell me what you think--and you may just as well be frank"; "it is possible to be outspoken without being rude"; "plainspoken and to the point"; "a point-blank accusation"
direct
extended senses; direct in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach"
bluff
bluntly direct and outspoken but good-natured; "a bluff but pleasant manner"; "a bluff and rugged natural leader"
man-to-man
forthright and honest; "had a man-to-man talk about the facts of life"
flat-footed
(informal) without reservation; "a flat-footed refusal"
square(a), straightforward
without evasion or compromise; "a square contradiction"; "he is not being as straightforward as it appears"
no-nonsense
not tolerating irrelevancies; "the no-nonsense tones of a stern parent"
plain, unvarnished
free from any effort to soften to disguise; "the plain and unvarnished truth"; "the unvarnished candor of old people and children"
pointed
direct and obvious in meaning or reference; often unpleasant; "a pointed critique"; "a pointed allusion to what was going on"; "another pointed look in their direction"
indirect
extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action; "making indirect but legitimate inquiries"; "an indirect insult"; "doubtless they had some indirect purpose in mind"; "though his methods are indirect they are not dishonest"; "known as a shady indirect fellow"
backhanded
roundabout or ambiguous; "attacks from tht source amounted to a backhanded compliment to his integrity"; "a backhanded and dishonest way of reaching his goal"
circuitous, roundabout
marked by obliqueness or indirection in speech or conduct; "the explanation was circuitous and puzzling"; "a roundabout paragraph"; "hear in a roundabout way that her ex-husband was marrying her best friend"
devious, oblique
departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading; "used devious means to achieve success"; "gave oblique answers to direct questions"; "oblique political maneuvers"
circumlocutious, circumlocutory, periphrastic, ambagious
roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; "had a preference for circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than forthright expression"; "A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle/ With words and meanings."-T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic)
digressive, discursive, excursive, rambling
(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects; "amusingly digressive with satirical thrusts at women's fashions among other things"; "a rambling discursive book"; "his excursive remarks"; "a rambling speech about this and that"
mealymouthed
hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy; "a mealymouthed politician"
tortuous
not straightforward; "his tortuous reasoning"
direct
immediate or direct in bearing or force; having nothing intervening; "in direct sunlight"; "in direct contact with the voters"; "direct exposure to the disease"; "a direct link"; "the direct cause of the accident"
immediate
having no intervening medium; "an immediate influence"
indirect
having intervening factors or persons or influences; "reflection from the ceiling provided a soft indirect light"; "indirect evidence"; "an indirect cause"
unmediated
without the interposition of other agencies or conditions; "unmediated relations between God and man"
mediate
acting through or dependent on an intervening agency; "the disease spread by mediate as well as direct contact"
discerning
having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; "a discerning critic"; "a discerning reader"
mediated
acting or brought about through an intervening agency; "the mediated settlement brought satisfaction to both sides"
prescient
perceiving the significance of events before they occur; "extroardinarily prescient memoranda on the probable course of postwar relations"-R.H.Rovere
clear, percipient
characterized by ease and quickness in perceiving; "clear mind"; "a percipient author"
clear-eyed, clear-sighted, perspicacious
mentally acute or penetratingly discerning; "too clear-eyed not to see what problems would follow"; "chaos could be prevented only by clear-sighted leadership"; "much too perspicacious to be taken in by so spurious an argument"
obtuse, purblind
lacking in insight or discernment; "too obtuse to grasp the implications of his behavior"; "a purblind oligarchy that flatly refused to see that history was condemning it to the dustbin"- Jasper Griffin
undiscerning
lacking discernment
discreet
marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint; "his trusted discreet aide"; "a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace
uncomprehending
lacking understanding; "tried to explain to her uncomprehending husband"
modest, restrained, unostentatious
free from ostentation or pretension; "the restrained elegance of the room"
prudent
showing wise self-restraint in speech and behavior especially in preserving prudent silence; "maintained a prudent silence"
indiscreet
lacking discretion; injudicious; "her behavor was indiscreet at the very best"
imprudent
lacking wise self-restraint; "an imprudent remark"
bigmouthed, blabbermouthed, blabby, talkative
unwisely talking too much
discriminate, discriminating
marked by the ability to see or make fine distinctions; "discriminate judgments"; "discriminate people"
promiscuous
not selective of a single class or person; "Clinton was criticized for his promiscuous solicitation of campaign money"
indiscriminate
not marked by fine distinctions; "indiscriminate reading habits"; "an indiscriminate mixture of colors and styles"
sweeping, wholesale
ignoring distinctions; "indiscriminate slaughter of a population"; "sweeping generalizations"; "wholesale destruction"
discriminating
showing or indicating careful judgment and discernment especially in matters of taste; "the discriminating eye of the connoisseur"
discerning, fine
able to make or detect effects of great subtlety; sensitive; "discerning taste"; "a fine eye for color"
selective
tending to select; characterized by careful choice; "an exceptionally quick and selective reader"- John Mason Brown
discriminate, nice
noting distinctions with nicety; "a discriminating interior designer"; "a nice sense of color"; "a nice point in the argument"
discriminative, discriminatory
capable of making fine distinctions
eclectic
selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
good
generally admired; "good taste"
indiscriminate
failing to make or recognize distinctions
undiscriminating, indiscriminating
not discriminating
unperceptive
lacking sensitivity, taste, or judgment
uncritical
lacking in discrimination; "she was absolutely uncritical, she believed everything"
unselective
not selective or discriminating; "unselective in her reading habits; her choices seemed completely random"
available, usable, useable
convenient for use or disposal; "the house is available after July 1"; "2000 square feet of usable office space"
distinct
easy to perceive; especially clearly outlined; "a distinct flavor"; "a distinct odor of turpentine"; "a distinct outline"; "the ship appeared as a distinct silhouette"; "distinct fingerprints"
clear, clean-cut, clear-cut
clear and distinct to the senses; easily perceptible; "as clear as a whistle"; "clear footprints in the snow"; "the letter brought back a clear image of his grandfather"; "a spire clean-cut against the sky"; "a clear-cut pattern"
chiseled, well-defined
having a clean and distinct outline as if precisely cut along the edges; "a finely chiseled nose"; "well-defined features"
crisp, sharp
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined; "a sharp photographic image"; "the sharp crack of a twig"; "the crisp snap of dry leaves underfoot"
defined, outlined
showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary; "hills defined against the evening sky"; "the setting sun showed the outlined figure of a man standing on the hill"
crystalline
distinctly or sharply outlined; "crystalline sharpness of outline"- John Buchan
razor-sharp
very clearly delineated; "razor-sharp definition"
indistinct
not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand; "indistinct shapes in the gloom"; "an indistinct memory"; "only indistinct notions of what to do"
cloudy, nebulose, nebulous
lacking definite form or limits; "gropes among cloudy issues toward a feeble conclusion"- H.T.Moore; "nebulous distinction between pride and conceit"
veiled
muted or unclear; "veiled sounds"; "the image is veiled or foggy"
dim, faint, shadowy, vague, wispy
lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood"
faint
indistinctly understood or felt or perceived; "a faint clue to the origin of the mystery"; "haven't the faintest idea"
diversified
having variety of character or form or components; or having increased variety; "a diversified musical program ranging from classical to modern"; "diversified farming"; "diversified manufacturing"; "diversified scenery"; "diversified investments"
varied, wide-ranging
widely different; "varied motives prompt people to join a political party"; "varied ethnic traditions of the immigrants"
general
not specialized or limited to one class of things; "general studies"; "general knowledge"
undiversified, unvaried
not diversified
monolithic
characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total uniformity; "a monolithic society"; "a monolithic worldwide movement"
solid, unanimous
acting together as a single undiversified whole; "a solid voting bloc"
unsupported
not supported by written evidence; "unsupported accusations"
heavy-handed, roughshod
unjustly domineering; "incensed at the government's heavy-handed economic economic policies"; "a manager who rode roughshod over all opposition"
imperious, masterful
able to deal authoritatively with affairs; "dismissed the matter with an imperious wave of her hand"
oppressive, tyrannical, tyrannous
marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior; "the oppressive government"; "oppressive laws"; "a tyrannical parent"; "tyrannous disregard of human rights"
abject
showing humiliation or submissiveness; "an abject apology"
bowed, bowing
showing an excessively deferential manner
servile
submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior; "spoke in a servile tone"; "the incurably servile housekeeper"; "servile tasks such as floor scrubbing and barn work"
compliant, meek, spiritless
evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; "compliant and anxious to suit his opinions of those of others"; "a fine fiery blast against meek conformity"- Orville Prescott; "she looked meek but had the heart of a lion"; "was submissive and subservient"
cringing, groveling, grovelling, wormlike, wormy
totally submissive
dominated, henpecked
harassed by persistent nagging
obsequious
attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; "obsequious shop assistants"
ascendant, ascendent, dominating
most powerful or important or influential; "the economically ascendant class"; "D-day is considered the dominating event of the war in Europe"
slavish, subservient, submissive
abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant; "slavish devotion to her job ruled her life"; "a slavish yes-man to the party bosses"- S.H.Adams; "she has become submissive and subservient"
slavelike
suitable for a slave or servant
unservile, unsubmissive
not servile or submissive
dominant
exercising influence or control; "television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion"; "the dominant partner in the marriage"
sovereign, supreme
greatest in status or authority or power; "a supreme tribunal"
superior
(sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by; "overcome by a superior opponent"; "trust magnates who felt themselves superior to law"
subordinate, low-level
lower in rank or importance
dramatic
suitable to or characteristic of drama; "a dramatic entrance in a swirling cape"; "a dramatic rescue at sea"
spectacular
of the nature of spectacle or drama; "spectacular dives from the cliff"
melodramatic
having the excitement and emotional appeal of melodrama; "a melodramatic account of two perilous days at sea"
unspectacular
not spectacular; "an unspectacular but necessary task"
undramatic
lacking dramatic force and quality; "moved with quiet force and undramatic bearing"
untheatrical
not suited to or characteristic of the stage or theater; "a well-written but untheatrical play"; "an untheatrical personality"
theatrical
suited to or characteristic of the stage or theater; "a theatrical pose"; "one of the most theatrical figures in public life"
showy
marked by extravagant display
stagy
having characteristics of the stage especially an artificial and mannered quality; "stagy heroics"
potable
of alcoholic beverages that are suitable for drinking; "it's an impudent young wine but I think you will find it quite potable"
drinkable
fit to drink
bacchanalian, bacchanal, bacchic, carousing, orgiastic
used of riotously drunken merrymaking; "a night of bacchanalian revelry"; "carousing bands of drunken soldiers"; "orgiastic festivity"
undrinkable
not fit to drink
sharp
keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point; "a sharp pain"; "sharp winds"
acute, intense
extremely sharp or intense; "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance"; "intense itching and burning"
cutting, keen, knifelike, piercing, stabbing
as physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; "a cutting wind"; "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing knifelike pains"; "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism"; "a stabbing pain"; "a gray world with ice and toothed winds"
salt
(rare; of speech) painful; bitter; "salt scorn"- Shakespeare; "a salt apology"
fulgurating
(medicine) sharp and piercing
scratching
(of a pain) as if caused by scraping with nails or claws
dull
not keenly felt; "a dull throbbing"; "dull pain"
eventful
full of events or incidents; "the most exhausting and eventful day of my life"
lively
filled with events or activity; "a lively period in history"
uneventful
marked by no noteworthy or significant events; "an uneventful life"; "the voyage was pleasant and uneventful"; "recovery was uneventful"
breezy
fresh and animated; "her breezy nature"
placid, quiet
without untoward incident or disruption; "a placid existence"; "quiet times"
lively
full of life and energy; "a lively discussion"; "lively and attractive parents"; "a lively party"
alive(p)
(often followed by `with') full of life and spirit; "she was wonderfully alive for her age"; "a face alive with mischief"
bouncing, bouncy, peppy, spirited, zippy
marked by lively action; "a bouncing gait"; "bouncy tunes"; "the peppy and interesting talk"; "a spirited dance"
bubbly
full of or showing high spirits; "bright bubbly children"; "a bubbly personality"
bubbling, effervescent, scintillating, sparkling, sparkly
marked by high spirits or excitement; "his fertile effervescent mind"; "scintillating personality"; "sparkling conversation"; "a row of sparkly cheerleaders"
burbling, burbly, effusive, gushing
uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm; "a novel told in burbly panting tones"
live
(informal) abounding with life and energy; "the club members are a really live bunch"
warm
characterized by liveliness or excitement or disagreement; "a warm debate"
dull
lacking in liveliness or animation; "he was so dull at parties"; "a dull political campaign"; "a large dull impassive man"; "dull days with nothing to do"; "how dull and dreary the world is"; "fell back into one of her dull moods"
arid, desiccate, desiccated
lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless; "a technically perfect but arid performance of the sonata";l "a desiccate romance"; "a prissy and emotionless creature...settles into a mold of desiccated snobbery"-C.J.Rolo
bovine
dull and slow-moving and stolid; like an ox; "showed a bovine apathy"
heavy, leaden
lacking lightness or liveliness; "heavy humor"; "a leaden conversation"
drab, dreary
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise; "her drab personality"; "life was drab compared with the more exciting life style overseas"; "a series of dreary dinner parties"
lackluster, lacklustre, lusterless, lustreless
lacking brilliance or vitality; "a dull lackluster life"; "a lusterless performance"
humdrum, monotonous
tediously repetitious or lacking in variety; "a humdrum existence; all work and no play"; "nothing is so monotonous as the sea"
dynamic, dynamical
characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality; "a dynamic market"; "a dynamic speaker"; "the dynamic president of the firm"
can-do
(slang) "a can-do kind of person"; "the city's indomitable optimism and can-do spirit"
active
in a state of habitual or vigorous activity; "an active man is a man of action"
changing, ever-changing
marked by continuous change or effective action
driving, impulsive
having the power of driving or impelling; "a driving personal ambition"; "the driving force was his innate enthusiasm"; "an impulsive force"
energizing, energising, kinetic
supplying motive force; "the complex civilization of which Rome was the kinetic center"- H.O.Taylor
high-octane, high-powered, high-power, high-voltage
vigorously energetic or forceful; "a high-octane sales manager"; "a high-octane marketing plan"; "high-powered executives"; "a high-voltage theatrical entrepreneur"
undynamic, adynamic
characterized by an absence of force or forcefulness
slashing
as if striking with slashing blows; "his slashing demon-ridden cadenza"
stagnant, moribund
not growing or changing; without force or vitality
static, unchanging
not active or moving; "a static village community and a completely undynamic type of agriculture"; "static feudal societies"
overeager
excessively eager; "overeager in his pursuit of the girl"
uneager
lacking interest or spirit or animation; "decrepit, colorless uneager things"
earlyish
being somewhat early; "at an earlyish hour"
premature, untimely
uncommonly early or before the expected time; "illness led to his premature death"; "alcohol brought him to an untimely end"
previous(p), premature
too soon or too hasty; "our condemnation of him was a bit previous"; "a premature judgment"
wee
very early; "the wee hours of the morning"
advanced, ripe
far along in time; "a man of advanced age"; "advanced in years"; "a ripe old age"; "the ripe age of 90"
latish
somewhat late
archaic, primitive
little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type; "archaic forms of life"; "primitive mammals"; "the okapi is a short-necked primitive cousin of the giraffe"
beginning(a), novice(a)
at a first stage of development; just becoming familiar with the rudiments or skills or routines; "a beginning bodybuilder"; "a beginning reader"; "a novice cook"
crude, primitive, rude
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness; "the crude weapons and rude agricultural implements of early man"; "primitive movies of the 1890s"; "primitive living conditions in the Appalachian mountains"
embryo(a), embryonic, embryotic, in embryo
in an early stage of development; "the embryo government staffed by survivors of the massacre"; "an embryonic nation, not yet self-governing"; "an idea in embryo"
incipient, inchoate
only partly in existence; imperfectly formed; "incipient civil disorder"; "an incipient tumor"; "a vague inchoate idea"
advanced(a)
comparatively late in a course of development; "the illness had reached an advanced stage"; "an advanced state of exhaustion"
precarious, unstable
affording no ease or reassurance; "a precarious truce"
fat, rounded
a chubby body; "the boy had a rounded face and fat cheeks"
undereducated
poorly or insufficiently educated
working
serving to permit or facilitate further work or activity; "discussed the working draft of a peace treaty"; "they need working agreements with their neighbor states on interstate projects"
effective, effectual, efficacious
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect; "an air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford; "effective teaching methods"; "effective steps toward peace"; "made an effective entrance"; "his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action"; "an efficacious law"
hard-hitting, trenchant
characterized by or full of force and vigor; "a hard-hitting expose"; "a trenchant argument"
impelling
markedly effective as if by emotional pressure; "impelling skill as a teller of tales"; "an impelling personality"
ineffective, uneffective, ineffectual
not producing an intended effect; "an ineffective teacher"; "ineffective legislation"
impressive, telling
producing a strong effect; "gave an impressive performance as Othello"; "a telling gesture"
toothless
lacking necessary force for effectiveness; "a toothless piece of legislation"
effectual
sufficient to produce a result; "a man to whom painting was but another and less effectual way of writing dramas or novels or history"
unproductive
not producing desired results; "the talks between labor and management were unproductive"
ineffectual
not sufficient to produce a desired result; "an ineffectual effort to block the legislation"
difficult
requiring much effort and trouble; "the mountain climb was long, steep, and difficult"
effortful
requiring great physical effort
arduous, backbreaking, grueling, gruelling, hard, heavy, laborious, labourious, punishing, toilsome
characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace"
dragging
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner; "it was a strange dragging approach"; "years of dragging war"
exhausting, tiring, wearing, wearying
producing exhaustion; "an exhausting march"; "the visit was especially wearing"
leaden, plodding
(of movement) slow and laborious; "leaden steps"
heavy, labored, laboured
requiring or showing effort; "heavy breathing"; "the subject made for labored reading"
arduous, straining, strenuous
taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance; "his final, straining burst of speed"; "a strenuous task"; "your willingness after these six arduous days to remain here"- F.D.Roosevelt
effortless
requiring or apparently requiring no effort; "the swallows glided in an effortless way through the busy air"
easy, facile
performing adroitly and without effort; "her easy grace"; "a facile hand"
unforced, unstrained
not resulting from undue effort; not forced; "a voice with a pleasingly unforced quality"; "his playing is facile and unstrained"
efficacious
marked by qualities giving the power to produce an intended effect; "written propaganda is less efficacious than the habits and prejudices...of the readers"-Aldous Huxley; "the medicine is efficacious in stopping a cough"
effective
works well as a means or remedy; "an effective reprimand"; "a lotion that is effective in cases of prickly heat"
inefficacious
lacking the power to produce a desired effect; "laws that are inefficacious in stopping crime"
efficient
being effective without wasting time or effort or expense; "an efficient production manager"; "efficient engines save gas"
businesslike
exhibiting methodical and systematic characteristics that would be useful in business
economic, economical
using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness; "an economic use of home heating oil"; "a modern economical heating system"; "an economical use of her time"
expeditious, prompt, timesaving
characterized by speed and efficiency
inefficient
not producing desired results; wasteful; "an inefficient campaign against drugs"; "outdated and inefficient design and methods"
streamlined
made efficient by stripping off nonessentials; "short streamlined meetings"
underspent
not spending at the normal rate
uneconomical, wasteful
inefficient in use of time and effort and materials; "a clumsy and wasteful process"; "wasteful duplication of effort"; "uneconomical ebb and flow of power"
forceful
characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical); "a forceful speaker"; "a forceful personality"; "forceful measures"; "a forceful plan for peace"
firm, strong
strong and sure; "a firm grasp"; "gave a strong pull on the rope"
bruising
brutally forceful and compelling; "protected from the bruising facts of battle"
cogent, telling, weighty
powerfully persuasive; "a cogent argument"; "a telling presentation"; "a weighty argument"
drastic
forceful and extreme and rigorous; "drastic measures"
emphatic, exclamatory
sudden and strong; "an emphatic no"
forcible, physical, strong-arm
impelled by physical force especially against resistance; "forcible entry"; "a real cop would get physical"; "strong-arm tactics"
impellent
forcing forward or onward; impelling; "an impellent power"; "an impellent cause"
impetuous
marked by violent force; "impetuous heving waves"
sharp
quick and forceful; "a sharp blow"
forceless, unforceful, weak
lacking force; feeble; "a forceless argument"
wimpish, wimpy
weak and ineffectual
springless
lacking in elasticity or vitality; "went off with springless steps"
elegant
refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style; "elegant handwriting"; "an elegant dark suit"; "she was elegant to her fingertips"; "small churches with elegant white spires"; "an elegant mathematical solution--simple and precise and lucid"
bijou
small and elegant; "bijou villas"; "can Americans be persuaded to pay out dollars for bijou cars?"
deluxe, de luxe, luxe, luxury(a)
elegant and sumptuous; "a deluxe car"; "luxe accommodations"; "a luxury condominium"
fine
characterized by elegance or refinement; "looking fine in her Easter suit"; "a fine gentleman"
high-class, high-toned
pretentiously elegant; "a high-toned restaurant"
neat, refined, tasteful
free from what is tawdry or unbecoming; "a neat style"; "a neat set of rules"; "she hated to have her neat plans upset"
exquisite, recherche
lavishly elegant and refined
inelegant
lacking in refinement or grace or good taste
ritzy
(informal) luxuriously elegant
simple
cleverly simple; used of e.g. a solution to a problem; "his proposal is elegantly simple"
soigne, soignee
polished and well-groomed; showing sophisticated elegance
homely
without artificial refinement or elegance; "plain homely furniture"; "homely manners"
gauche, graceless, unpolished
lacking social polish; "too gauche to leave the room when the conversation became intimate"; "their excellent manners always may be feel gauche"
desirable, suitable, worthy
worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse; "the parents found the girl suitable for their son"
in line
awaiting something; especially something due; "people were in line at the checkout counter"; "she was in line for promotion"
undesirable, unsuitable
not worthy of being chosen (especially as a spouse)
lyric, lyrical
expressing deep personal emotion; "the dancer's lyrical performance"
hot-blooded
prone to emotion; "hot-blooded Latin-Americans"
Latin
having or resembling the psychology or temper characteristic of people of Latin America; "very Latin in temperament"; "a Latin disdain"; "his hot Latin blood"
overemotional
excessively or abnormally emotional
soulful
full of or expressing deep emotion; "soulful eyes"; "soulful music"
philosophical, philosophic
characterized by the attitude of a philosopher; meeting trouble with level-headed detachment; "philosophical resignation"; "a philosophic attitude toward life"
unblinking
showing no visible emotion; "stood unblinking and accepted a sentence of a year"
abstractive
of an abstracting nature or having the power of abstracting; "abstractive analysis"
conjectural, supposed, suppositional, suppositious, supposititious
based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence; "theories about the extinction of dinosaurs are still highly conjectural"; "the supposed reason for his absence"; "suppositious reconstructions of dead languages"; "supposititious hypotheses"
metaphysical
highly abstract and over-theoretical; "metaphysical reasoning"
notional, speculative
not based on fact or investigation; "a notional figure of cost helps in determining production costs"; "speculative knowledge"
abstract
dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention; "abstract reasoning"; "abstract science"
academic
hypothetical or theoretical and not expected to produce an immediate or practical result; "an academic discussion"; "an academic question"
practical
having or put to a practical purpose or use; "practical mathematics"; "practical applications of calculus"
disabused(p), undeceived
freed of a mistaken or misguided notion; "some people are still not disabused of the old idea that the universe revolves around the Earth"
encouraging
giving courage or confidence or hope; "encouraging advances in medical research"
disillusioned, enlightened
freed from illusion
rallying
rousing or recalling to unity and renewed effort; "a rallying cry"
exhortative, exhortatory, hortative, hortatory
giving strong encouragement
heartening, inspiriting
cheerfully encouraging
promotive
tending to further or encourage
demoralizing, demoralising, disheartening, dispiriting
destructive of morale and self-reliance
discouraging
depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action; "where never is heard a discouraging word"
daunting, intimidating
discouraging through fear
encumbered
loaded to excess or impeded by a heavy load; "a summer resort...encumbered with great clapboard-and-stucco hotels"- A.J.Liebling; "a hiker encumbered with a heavy backpack"; "an encumbered estate"
frustrating
discouraging by hindering
unencouraging
not encouraging
burdened, heavy-laden, loaded down
bearing a physically heavy weight or load; "tree limbs burdened with ice"; "a heavy-laden cart"; "loaded down with packages"
burdonless, unburdened
not encumbered with a physical burden or load
involved, mired
entangled or hindered as if e.g. in mire; "the difficulties in which the question is involved"; "brilliant leadership mired in details and confusion"
unencumbered
free of encumbrance; "inherited an unencumbered estate"
saddled
subject to an imposed burden; "left me saddled with the bill"; "found himself saddled with more responsibility than power"
energetic
possessing or exerting or displaying energy; "an energetic fund raiser for the college"; "an energetic group of hikers"
brisk, lively, merry, rattling, snappy, spanking, zippy
quick and energetic; "a brisk walk in the park"; "a lively gait"; "a merry chase"; "traveling at a rattling rate"; "a snappy pace"; "a spanking breeze"
active, physical
characterized by energetic bodily activity; "tennis is an active sport"; "a very physical dance performance"
driving
acting with vigor; "responsibility turned the spoiled playboy into a driving young executive"
canty
(British) lively and brisk
indefatigable, tireless, unflagging, unwearying
showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality; "an indefatigable advocate of equal rights"; "a tireless worker"; "unflagging pursuit of excellence"
strenuous
characterized by or performed with much energy or force; "strenuous exercise"
vigorous
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity; "a vigorous hiker"; "gave her skirt a vigorous shake"; "a vigorous campaign"; "a vigorous foreign policy"; "vigorous opposition to the war"
listless
lacking zest or vivacity; "he was listless and bored"
dreamy, lackadaisical, languid, languorous
lacking spirit or liveliness; "a lackadaisical attempt"; "a languid mood"; "a languid wave of the hand"; "a hot languorous afternoon"
exportable
suitable for export; "exportable cultural schievements"
marketable
capable of being marketed; "the marketable surplus"
unexportable
not suitable for export
preliminary
designed to orient or acquaint with the a situation before proceeding; "a preliminary investigation"
exaggerated, hyperbolic, inflated
enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness; "had an exaggerated (or inflated) opinion of himself"; "a hyperbolic style"
exaggerated, magnified, enlarged
enlarged to an abnormal degree; "thick lenses exaggerated the size of her eyes"
belittled, diminished, small
made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth); "her comments made me feel small"
enlightened
having knowledge and spiritual insight;
unenlightened
not enlightened; ignorant; "the devices by which unenlightened men preserved the unjust social order"
edified
instructed and encouraged in moral, intellectual, and spiritual improvement
benighted, dark
lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture; "this benighted country"; "benighted ages of barbarism and superstition"; "the dark ages"; "a dark age in the history of education"
enterprising
marked by imagination, initiative, and readiness to undertake new projects; "an enterprising foreign policy"; "an enterprising young man likely to go far"
bold, venturesome
willing to take risks and try new things; "a new venturesome spirit among today's young people"
energetic, gumptious, industrious, up-and-coming
working hard to promote an enterprise
entrepreneurial
willing to take risks in order to make a profit
unenterprising, nonenterprising
lacking in enterprise; not bold or venturesome
slowgoing, unenergetic
not inclined to be enterprising
avid, great, eager, zealous
marked by active interest and enthusiasm; "an avid sports fan"; "a great walker"; "an eager beaver"
crazy
(informal) intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with; "crazy about cars and racing"
evangelical, evangelistic
marked by ardent or zealous enthusiasm for a cause
overenthusiastic
unduly enthusiastic
spiritless
lacking spirit; "it was a spiritless attempt"
equivalent
essentially equal; "women are paid less than men doing equivalent work"
even, fifty-fifty
equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced; "even amounts of butter and sugar"; "on even terms"; "it was a fifty-fifty (or even) split"; "had a fifty-fifty (or even) chance"; "an even fight"
balanced
being in a state of proper balance or equilibrium; "the carefully balanced seesaw"; "a properly balanced symphony orchestra"; "a balanced assessment of intellectual and cultural history"; "a balanced blend of whiskeys"; "the educated man shows a balanced development of all his powers"
harmonious, proportionate, symmetrical
exhibiting equivalence or correspondence among constituents of an entity or between different entities
counterbalanced, counterpoised
brought into equipoise by means of a weight or force that offsets another
poised
marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action; "a gull in poised flight"; "George's poised hammer"
stable
maintaining equilibrium
well-balanced
in an optimal state of balance or equilibrium; "a well-balanced wheel"
unbalanced, imbalanced
being or thrown out of equilibrium
equivocal, ambiguous
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; "an equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question"
evasive
deliberately vague or ambiguous; "his answers were brief, constrained and evasive"; "an evasive statement"
indeterminate
of uncertain or ambiguous nature; "the equivocal (or indeterminate) objects painted by surrealists"
unequivocal, univocal, unambiguous
admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion; "unequivocal evidence"; "took an unequivocal position"; "an unequivocal success"; "an unequivocal promise"; "an unequivocal (or univocal) statement"
absolute, conclusive
expressing finality with no implication of possible change; "an absolute (or unequivocal) quarantee to respect the nation's authority"; "inability to make a conclusive (or unequivocal) refusal"
unquestionable
not open to question; "an unquestionable (or unequivocal) loss of prestige"
straightforward
free from ambiguity; "a straightforward set of instructions"
esoteric
confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories"
arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge; "the arcane science of dowsing"
abstruse, deep, recondite
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge; "the professor's lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them"; "a deep metaphysical theory"; "some recondite problem in historiography"
exoteric
suitable for the general public; "writings of an exoteric nature"
cabalistic, cryptic, cryptical, sibylline
having a secret or hidden meaning; "cabalistic symbols engraved in stone"; "cryptic writings"; "thoroughly sibylline in most of his pronouncements"- John Gunther
mysterious, mystic, mystical, occult, secret
having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding; "mysterious symbols"; "the mystical style of Blake"; "occult lore"; "the secret learning of the ancients"
essential
basic and fundamental; "the essential feature"
basal, basic, primary
of primary importance; "basic truths"
virtual(a)
being such in essence or effect though not in actual fact; "a virtual dependence on charity"; "a virtual revolution"; "virtual reality"
must(a)
highly recommended; "a book that is must reading"
staple
necessary foods or commodities; "wheat is a staple crop"
substantial, substantive, in essence
being the essence or essential element of a thing; "substantial equivalents"; "substantive information"
inessential, unessential
not basic or fundamental
incidental, nonessential
not of prime or central importance; "nonessential to the integral meanings of poetry"- Pubs.MLA
complemental, complementary, completing
acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)
abject, low, low-down, miserable, scummy, scurvy
of the most contemptible kind; "abject cowardice"; "a low stunt to pull"; "a low-down sneak"; "his miserable treatment of his family"; "You miserable skunk!"; "a scummy rabble"; "a scurvy trick"
estimable
deserving of respect or high regard
admirable
deserving of the highest esteem or admiration; "an estimable young professor"; "trains ran with admirable precision"; "his taste was impeccable, his health admirable"
contemptible
deserving of contempt or scorn
pathetic, pitiable, pitiful
inspiring mixed contempt and pity; "their efforts were pathetic"; "pitiable lack of character"; "pitiful exhibition of cowardice"
flattering
tending to reveal or represent favorably
candid
starkly realistic; "I have never lacked candid critics in my own ranks"-Clement Atlee
becoming
displaying or setting off to best advantage; "a becoming new shade of rose"; "a becoming portrait"
ingratiating, ingratiatory
calculated to please or gain favor; "a smooth ingratiating manner"
unflattering
tending to reveal or represent unfavorably; "an unflattering portrait"; "the full unflattering light of morning"- Walter de la Mare
euphemistic, inoffensive
of an inoffensive substitute for offensive terminology; "`peepee' is a common euphemistic term"
dysphemistic, offensive
of an offensive substitute for inoffensive terminology; "`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'"
patchy
irregular or uneven in quality, texture, etc.; "a patchy essay"; "patchy fog"
exact
marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact; "an exact mind"; "an exact copy"; "hit the exact center of the target"
literal
without interpretation or embellishment; "a literal translation of the scene before him"
perfect
precisely accurate or exact; "perfect timing"
mathematical
(mathematics) characterized by the exactness or precision of mathematics; "mathematical precision"
rigorous, strict
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard; "rigorous application of the law"; "a strict vegetarian"
free, loose, liberal
not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"
inexact
not exact
approximate, approximative, rough
not quite exact or correct; "the approximate time was 10 o'clock"; "a rough estimate"
odd
(in combination) an indefinite quantity more than that specified; "invited 30-odd guests"
overexcited
unduly excited
exciting
creating or arousing excitement; "an exciting account of her trip"
breathless, breathtaking
tending to cause suspension of regular breathing; "a breathless flight"; "breathtaking adventure"
elating, exhilarating
making lively and joyful
electrifying, thrilling
causing a surge of emotion or excitement; "she gave a electrifying performance"; "a thrilling performer to watch"
glamorous, glamourous
having an air of allure, romance and excitement; "glamorous movie stars"
titillating
pleasantly and superficially exciting
heady, intoxicating
extremely exciting as if by alcohol or a narcotic
unexciting
not exciting; "an unexciting novel"; "lived an unexciting life"
commonplace, humdrum, prosaic, unglamorous, unglamourous
not challenging; dull and lacking excitement; "an unglamorous job greasing engines"
uninspired
having no intellectual or emotional or spiritual excitement; "the production was professional but uninspired"
tame
flat and uninspiring
active, alive(p)
in operation; "keep hope alive"; "the tradition was still alive"; "an active tradition"
unprovided for(p)
not prepared or ready for
expedient
serving to promote your interest; "was merciful only when mercy was expedient"
inexpedient
not suitable or advisable; "an inexpedient tactic"
advantageous, appropriate
appropriate for achieving a particular end; implies a lack of concern for fairness
opportunist, opportunistic, timeserving
taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit
inadvisable
not advisable; "an unnecessary and inadvisable action"
facilitated
freed from difficulty or impediment
abeyant, inactive, in abeyance(p), suspended
temporarily inactive
sacrificeable
may be deliberately sacrificed to achieve an objective
expendable
suitable to be expended
unexpendable
not suitable to be expended
expensive
high in price or charging high prices; "expensive clothes"; "an expensive shop"
big-ticket(a)
(informal) very expensive; "big-ticket items like cars and furs"; "a big-ticket government program"
costly, dear(p), high-priced, pricey, pricy
having a high price; "costly jewelry"; "high-priced merchandise"; "much too dear for my pocketbook"; "a pricey restaurant"
dearly-won, costly
entailing great loss or sacrifice; "a dearly-won victory"
overpriced
too costly for the value; "overpriced items at resort shops"
cheap, inexpensive
relatively low in price or charging low prices; "it would have been cheap at twice the price"; "inexpensive family restaurants"
catchpenny(a)
designed to sell quickly without concern for quality; "catchpenny ornaments"
low-cost, low-priced, affordable
that you have the financial means for; "low-cost housing"
dirt cheap
very cheap; "a dirt cheap property"
nickel-and-dime(a)
low-paying; "a nickel-and-dime job"
sixpenny, threepenny, twopenny, tuppeny, two-a-penny, twopenny-halfpenny
of trifling worth
full-fledged, fully fledged
(of persons e.g.) having gained full status; "a full-fledged lawyer"; "by the age of seventeen I was a full-fledged atheist"; "sees itself as a fully fledged rival party"
practiced, practised
skillful after much practice
fledgling, unfledged
young and inexperienced; "a fledgling enterprise"; "a fledgling skier"; "an unfledged lawyer"
raw, green, new, wet behind the ears(p)
lacking training or experience; "the new men were eager to fight"; "raw recruits"; "he shipped as a green hand on a vessel"
uninitiate, uninitiated
not initiated; deficient in relevant experience; "it seemed a bizarre ceremony to uninitiated western eyes"
unpracticed, unpractised
not having had extensive practice
unseasoned, untested, untried
not tried or tested by experience; "unseasoned artillery volunteers"; "still untested in battle"; "an illustrator untried in mural painting"
cryptic, cryptical, deep, inscrutable, mysterious, mystifying
of an obscure nature; "the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms"; "a deep dark secret"; "the inscrutible workings of Providence"; "in its mysterious past it encompasses all the dim origins of life"- Rachel Carson; "rituals totally mystifying to visitors from other lands"
paradoxical, self-contradictory
seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true; "it is paradoxical that standing is more tiring than walking"
definitive, unequivocal
clearly defined or formulated; "the plain and unequivocal language of the laws"- R.B.Taney
graphic
describing nudity or sexual activity in graphic detail; "graphic sexual scenes"
implicit in(p), inherent, underlying
in the nature of something though not readily apparent; "shortcomings inherent in our approach"; "an underlying meaning"
exploited
developed or used to greatest advantage
external
purely outward or superficial; "external composure"; "an external concern for reputation"- A.R.Gurney,Jr.
outward
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind; "a concern with outward beauty rather than with inward reflections"
inmost, innermost
being deepest within the self; "one's innermost feelings"
inward
relating to or existing in the mind or thoughts; "a concern with inward reflections"
indwelling
existing or residing as an inner activating spirit or force or principle; "an indwelling divinity"; "an indwelling goodness"
inner, interior, internal
located inward; "Beethoven's manuscript looks like a bloody record of a tremendous inner battle"- Leonard Bernstein; "she thinks she has no soul, no interior life, but the truth is that she has no access to it"- David Denby; "an internal sense of rightousness"- A.R.Gurney,Jr.
fair, just
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; or conforming with established standards or rules; "a fair referee; "fair deal"; "on a fair footing"; "a fair fight"; "by fair means or foul"
clean, sporting, sportsmanlike
marked by or calling for sportsmanship or fair play; "a clean fight"; "a sporting solution of the disagreement"; "sportsmanlike conduct"
fair-minded
of a person; just and impartial; not prejudiced
cheating(a), dirty, foul, unsporting, unsportsmanlike
violating accepted standards or rules; "a dirty fighter"; "used foul means to gain power"; "a nasty unsporting serve"; "fined for unsportsmanlike behavior"
fair-and-square
just and honest
unfair, unjust
not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception; "used unfair methods"; "it was an unfair trial"; "took an unfair advantage"
equitable, just
implying justice dictated by reason, conscience, and a natural sense of what is fair to all; "equitable treatment of all citizens"; "an equitable distribution of gifts among the children"
raw
brutally unfair or harsh; "received raw treatment from his friends"; "a raw deal"
evenhanded
without partiality; "evenhanded justice"
inequitable, unjust
not equitable or fair; "the inequitable division of wealth"; "inequitable taxation"
faithful
steadfast in affection or allegiance; "years of faithful service"; "faithful employees"; "we do not doubt that England has a faithful patriot in the Lord Chancellor"
true to(p), true
sexually faithful; "remained true to his wife"
firm, loyal, truehearted
unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause; "a firm ally"; "loyal supporters"; "a loyal friend"; "the true-hearted soldier...of Tippecanoe"- Campaign song for William Henry Harrison
true
devoted (sometimes fanatically) to a cause or concept of truth; "true believers bonded together against all who disagreed with them"
punic, perfidious, treacherous
tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans; "Punic faith"; "the perfidious Judas"; "the fiercest and most treacherous of foes"; "treacherous intrigues"
loyal
steadfast in allegiance or duty; "loyal subjects"; "loyal friends stood by him"
allegiant
steadfast in devotion (especially to your lawful monarch or government); "it is impossible to be allegiant to two opposing forces"
doglike
resembling a dog; especially in devotion; "a doglike affection"
leal
(archaic or Scottish) faithful and true; "leal to the core of her intrepid Scottish heart"- Harry Lauder
true-blue
marked by unswerving loyalty; "a true-blue American"; "a reliable true-blue country club conservative"
disloyal
deserting your allegiance or duty to leader or cause or principle; "disloyal aides revealed his indiscretions to the papers"
faithless, traitorous, unfaithful
deliberately and abominably disloyal or likely to betray trust or confidence; "the faithless Benedict Arnold"; "a lying traitorous insurrectionist"
fallible
likely to fail or be inaccurate; "everyone is fallible to some degree"
errant, erring, error-prone
capable of making an error; "all men are error-prone"
undependable, unreliable
liable to be erroneous or misleading; "an undependable generalization"
familiar
(often followed by `with') well known or easily recognized; "a familiar figure"; "he was familiar with those roads"; "familiar songs"; "familiar guests"
infallible
incapable of failure or error; "an infallible antidote"; "an infallible memmory"; "the Catholic Church considers the Pope infallible"; "no doctor is infallible"
foolproof, unfailing
not liable to failure; "a foolproof identification system"; "the unfailing sign of an amateur"; "an unfailing test"
inerrable, inerrant, unerring
not liable to error; "the Church was...theoretically inerrant and omnicompetent"-G.G.Coulton; "lack an inerrant literary sense"; "an unerring marksman"
long-familiar, well-known(a), well known(p)
frequently experienced; known closely or intimately; "a long-familiar face"; "a well-known voice reached her ears"
old(a)
(used for emphasis) very familiar; "good old boy"; "same old story"
unfamiliar
not known or well known; "a name unfamiliar to most"; "be alert at night especially in unfamiliar surroundings"
strange, unusual
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird; "a strange exaltation that was indefinable"; "a strange fantastical mind"; "what a strange sense of humor she has"
antic, fantastic, fantastical, grotesque
ludicrously odd; "Hamlet's assumed antic disposition"; "fantastic Halloween costumes"; "a grotesque reflection in the mirror"
crazy
bizarre or fantastic; "had a crazy dream"; "wore a crazy hat"
curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior"
exotic
strikingly strange or unusual; "exotic costumes from the Far East"; "an exotic hair style"
eerie, eery
so strange as to inspire a feeling of fear; "an uncomfortable and eerie stillness in the woods"; "an eerie midnight howl"
freaky
(slang) strange and somewhat frightening; "the whole experience was really freaky"
other
very unusual; different in character or quality from the normal or expected; "a strange, other dimension...where his powers seemed to fail"- Lance Morrow
quaint
strange in an interesting or pleasing way; "quaint dialect words"; "quaint streets of New Orleans, that most foreign of American cities"
quaint
very strange or unusual; odd or even incongruous in character or appearance; "the head terminating in the quaint duck bill which gives the animal its vernacular name"- Bill Beatty; "came forth a quaint and fearful sight"- Sir Walter Scott; "a quaint sense of humor"
weird
strikingly odd or unusual; "some trick of the moonlight; some weird effect of shadow"- Bram Stoker
familiar
within normal everyday experience; common and ordinary; "familiar ordinary objects found in every home"; "a familiar everyday scene"; "a familiar excuse"; "a day like any other filled with familiar duties and experiences"
everyday
commonplace and ordinary; "the familiar everyday world"
common, usual
commonly encountered; "a common (or familiar) complaint"; "the usual greeting"
dapper, dashing, jaunty, natty, raffish, rakish, smart, snappy, spruce
marked by smartness in dress and manners; "a dapper young man"; "a jaunty red hat"
fashionable, stylish
being or in accordance with current fashion; "fashionable clothing"; "the fashionable side of town"; "a fashionable cafe"
a la mode(p), in style(p), in vogue(p), modish
in the current fashion or style
faddish, faddy
intensely fashionable for a short time
groovy, swagger
(British informal) very chic; "groovy clothes"
in
(informal) "the in thing to do"; "large shoulder pads are in"
smart
of or associated with people of fashion; "the smart set"
mod, modern, up-to-date
relating to a recently developed fashion or style
trendy, voguish
in accord with the latest fad; "trendy ideas"; "trendy clothes"; "voguish terminology"
swank, swanky
imposingly fashionable and elegant; "a swank apartment"
trendsetting
initiating or popularizing a trend
unfashionable, unstylish, out of fashion
not in accord with or not following current fashion; "unfashionable clothes"; "melodrama of a now unfashionable kind"
antique, demode, old-fashioned, old-hat(p), outmoded, passe, passee
out of fashion; "a suit of rather antique appearance"; "demode (or outmoded) attire"; "outmoded ideas"
out
no longer fashionable; "that style is out these days"
dated
marked by features of the immediate and usually discounted past
dowdy, frumpy, frumpish
primly out of date; "nothing so frumpish as last year's gambling game"
stylish, fashionable
having elegance or taste or refinement in manners or dress; "a little less posh but every bit as stylish as Lord Peter Wimsey"; "the stylish resort of Gstadd"
prehistoric
(informal) "my mother has these prehistoric ideas about proper clothes"
chic, smart, voguish
elegant and stylish; "chic elegance"; "a smart new dress"; "a suit of voguish cut"
classy, posh, swish
(informal) elegant and fashionable; "classy clothes"; "a posh restaurant"; "a swish pastry shop oon the Rue du Bac"- Julia Child
chichi
affectedly trendy
snazzy
(informal) flashily stylish; "a snazzy outfit"
styleless, unstylish
lacking in style or elegance; "a styleless way of dressing"; "expensive but styleless country tweeds"; "wearing unstylish clothes"
dowdy
lacking in smartness or taste; "a dowdy gray outfit"; "a clean and sunny but completely dowdy room"
fast
acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; "fast film"; "on the fast track in school"; "set a fast pace"; "a fast car"
alacritous
quick and eager; "an alacritous response to the invitation"
blistering, hot, red-hot
very fast; "a blistering pace"; "got off to a hot start"; "in hot pursuit"; "a red-hot line drive"
immediate, prompt, quick, straightaway
performed with little or no delay; "an immediate reply to my letter"; "prompt obedience"; "was quick to respond"; "a straightaway denial"
hot
capable of quick response and great speed; "a hot sports car"
instantaneous, instant(a)
occurring with no delay; "relief was instantaneous"; "instant gratification"
meteoric
like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience; "a meteoric rise to fame"
quick, speedy
accomplished rapidly and without delay; "was quick to make friends"; "his quick reaction prevented an accident"; "hoped for a speedy resolution of the problem"; "a speedy recovery"; "he has a right to a speedy trial"
rapid
done or occurring in a brief period of time; "a rapid rise through the ranks"
winged
very fast; as if with wings; "on winged feet"
slow
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time; "a slow walker"; "the slow lane of traffic"; "her steps were slow"; "he was slow in reacting to the news"; "slow but steady growth"
bumper-to-bumper, crawling
used of traffic; "bumper-to-bumper traffic"
dawdling, dilatory, laggard, poky, pokey
wasting time
dragging
passing painfully or tediously slowly; "the dragging minutes"
lazy
moving slowly and gently; "up a lazy river"; "lazy white clouds"; "at a lazy pace"
fastidious
giving and careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness; "a fastidious and incisive intellect"; "fastidious about personal cleanliness"
finical, finicky, fussy, particular
exacting especially about details; "a finicky eater"; "fussy about clothes"; "very particular about how her food was prepared"
choosy, choosey
difficult to please
dainty, nice, overnice, prissy, squeamish
excessively fastidious and easily disgusted; "too nice about his food to take to camp cooking"; "so squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow"
pernickety, persnickety
characterized by excessive precision and attention to trivial details; "a persnickety job"; "a persnickety school teacher"
meticulous
marked by extreme care in treatment of details; "a meticulous craftsman"; "almost worryingly meticulous in his business formalities"
old-maidish, old-womanish
primly fastidious
unfastidious
not fastidious; not concerned with cleanliness; "unfastidious in her dress"
untidy
careless and slovenly
buxom, chubby, embonpoint, plump, zaftig, zoftig
euphemisms for slightly fat; "a generation ago...buxom actresses were popular"- Robt.A.Hamilton; "chubby babies"; "pleasingly plump"
fat
having much flesh (especially fat); "he hadn't remembered how fat she was"
abdominous, paunchy, potbellied
having a large belly
blubber, blubbery
swollen with fat; "blubber cheeks"; "blubber lips"; "a coarse blubbery individual"
corpulent, obese, weighty, rotund
excessively fat; "a weighty man"
gross, porcine
repellently fat; "a bald porcine old man"
dumpy, podgy, pudgy, tubby
short and fat
fattish
somewhat fat
portly, stout
euphemisms for `fat'; "men are portly and women are stout"
thin, lean
lacking excess flesh; "you can't be too rich or too thin"; "Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look"-Shakespeare
bony, cadaverous, emaciated, gaunt, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold; "emaciated bony hands"; "a nightmare population of gaunt men and skeletal boys"; "eyes were haggard and cavernous"; "small pinched faces"; kept life in his wasted frame only by grim concentration"
reedy, twiggy, twiglike
resembling a reed or twig in being slender and fragile
gangling, gangly, lanky
ungracefully tall and thin
lank, spindly
long and lean
rawboned
having a lean and bony physique; "a rawboned cow hand"
scarecrowish
resembling a scarecrow in being thin and ragged; "a forlorn scarecrowish figure"
shriveled, shrivelled, shrunken, withered, wizen, wizened
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness; "the old woman's shriveled skin"; "he looked shriveled and ill"; "a shrunken old man"; "a lanky scarecrow of a man with withered face and lantern jaws"-W.F.Starkie; "he did well despite his withered arm"; "a wizened little man with frizzy gray hair"
scraggy, scrawny, skinny, underweight, weedy
having unattractive thinness; "a child with skinny freckled legs"; "a long scrawny neck"
spare, trim
thin and fit; "the spare figure of a marathon runner"; "a body kept trim by exercise"
slender, slight, slim
being of delicate or slender build; "she was slender as a willow shoot is slender"- Frank Norris; "a slim girl with straight blonde hair"; "watched her slight figure cross the street"
slender-waisted, slim-waisted, wasp-waisted
having a small waist
wisplike, wispy
thin and weak; "a wispy little fellow with small hands and feet"- Edmund Wilson
spindle-legged, spindle-shanked
having long slender legs
stringy, wiry
lean and sinewy
buttery
resembling or containing or spread with butter; "a rich buttery cake"
fathomable, comprehensible
(of meaning) capable of being penetrated or comprehended
unfathomable, fathomless
of meaning; not capable of being penetrated; "a philosophy complex and, to the ordinary thinker, quite fathomless"; "unfathomable theories"
bottomless
too deep for understanding; "one of the bottomless mysteries of life"
favorable, favourable
encouraging or approving or pleasing; "a favorable reply"; "he received a favorable rating"; "listened with a favorable ear"; "made a favorable impression"
high
very favorable; "he has a high opinion of himself"
unfavorable, unfavourable
not encouraging or approving or pleasing; "unfavorable conditions"; "an unfavorable comparison"; "unfavorable comments"
pleasing
able to please or win approval
adverse, harmful, inauspicious, untoward
contrary to your interests or welfare; "adverse circumstances"; "made a place for themselves under the most untoward conditions"
hostile
marked by features that oppose constructive treatment or development; "not able to accomplish much in such a hostile environment"
discriminatory, invidious
containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice; "discriminatory attitudes and practices"; "invidious comparisons"
felicitous
exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style; "a felicitous speaker"
cool
(informal) socially adept; "it's not cool to arrive at a party too early"
happy, well-chosen
well expressed and to the point; "a happy turn of phrase"; "a few well-chosen words"; "a felicitous comment"
well-turned
(of language) aptly and pleasingly expressed; "a well-turned phrase"
infelicitous
not appropriate in application; defective; "an infelicitous remark"; "infelicitous phrasing"; "the infelicitous typesetting was due to illegible copy"
awkward, clumsy, cumbersome, inapt, inept, ill-chosen
not elegant or graceful in expression; "an awkward prose style"; "a clumsy apology"; "his cumbersome writing style"; "if the rumor is true, can anything be more inept than to repeat it now?"
unfortunate
unsuitable or regrettable; "an unfortunate choice of words"; "an unfortunate speech"
done with(p), through with(p)
having no further concern with; "he was through with school and he was through with family"- John Dos Passos; "done with gambling"; "done with drinking"
impermanent
existing or enduring for a limited time only
introductory
serving to open or begin; "began the slide show with some introductory remarks"
starting
appropriate to the beginning or start of an event; "the starting point"; "hands in the starting position"
archetypal, archetypical, prototypal, prototypic, prototypical
representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned; "archetypal patterns"; "she was the prototypal student activist"
basic, introductory
serving as a base or starting point; "a basic course in Russian"; "basic training for raw recruits"; "a set of basic tools"; "an introductory art course"
gray, grey
intermediate in character or position; "a gray area between clearly legal and strictly illegal"
fit, healthy
physically and mentally sound or healthy; "felt relaxed and fit after their holiday"; "keeps fit with diet and exercise"
able, able-bodied
having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able-bodied young man served in the army"
unfit
not in good physical or mental condition; out of condition; "fat and very unfit"; "certified as unfit for army service"; "drunk and unfit for service"
conditioned, in condition(p)
physically fit; "exercised daily to keep herself in condition"
afflicted, impaired
mentally or physically unfit
fit
meeting adequate standards for a purpose; "water fit to drink"; "fit for duty"; "do as you think fit"
acceptable
adequate for the purpose; "the water was acceptable for drinking"
appropriate, suitable, suited
meant or adapted for an occasion or use; "a tractor suitable (or fit) for heavy duty"; "not an appropriate (or fit) time for flippancy"
unsuitable
not meant or adapted for a particular purpose; "a solvent unsuitable for use on wood surfaces"
unfit
below the required standards for a purpose; "an unfit parent"; "unfit for human consumption"
subhuman
unfit for human beings; "subhuman conditions of life"
limber, supple
(used of e.g. personality traits) readily adaptable; "a supple mind"; "a limber imagination"
versatile
(used of persons) having many skills
flinty, granitic, unyielding
having austere inflexibility; "a flinty manner"; "granitic morality"; "his unyielding mouth and glassy eyes"- Marchette Chute
die-hard(a), rock-ribbed
tradition-bound and obstinately opinionated; "an inflexible (or die-hard) conservative"; "rock-ribbed republican"
fossilized, ossified
set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs; "obsolete fossilized ways"; "an ossified bureaucratic system"
ironclad, brassbound
inflexibly entrenched and unchangeable; "brassbound traditions"; "brassbound party loyalists"; "an ironclad rule"
compromising, conciliatory, flexible
making or willing to make concessions; "loneliness tore through him...whenever he thought of...even the compromising Louis du Tillet"
uncompromising, inflexible
not making concessions; "took an uncompromising stance in the peace talks"; "uncompromising honesty"
unyielding
refusing to give way or compromise; "unyielding determination"
yielding
tending to give in or surrender or agree; "too yielding to make a stand against any encroachments"- V.I.Parrington"
elastic, flexible, pliable, pliant
able to adjust readily to different conditions; "an adaptable person"; "a flexible personality"; "an elastic clause in a contract"
labile
open to change; liable to change; "an emotionally labile person"
splay
turned outward in an ungainly manner; "splay knees"
foreign
relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "foreign nations"; "a foreign accent"; "on business in a foreign city"
alien, exotic, strange
being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "alien customs"; "exotic plants in a greenhouse"; "moved to a strange country"
native
being such by origin; "the native North American sugar maple"; "many native artists studied abroad"
native, aboriginal
being or composed of people inhabiting a region from the beginning; "native Americans"; "the aboriginal peoples of Australia"
nonnative
not being or composed of aborigines; "the nonnative population of South Africa"
domestic
of or involving the home or family; "domestic worries"; "domestic happiness"; "they share the domestic chores"; "everything sounded very peaceful and domestic"; "an author of blood-and-thunder novels yet quite domestic in his taste"
domesticated
accustomed to home life; "some men think it unmanly to be domesticated; others find gratification in it"
home-loving
devoted to home duties and pleasures
undomestic
not domestic or related to home; "had established herself in her career at the price of being so undomestic she didn't even know how to light the oven"
housewifely
related or suited to a housewife; "housewifely virtues"
husbandly
related to or suited to a husband; "assumed husbandly duties like mowing the lawn"
undomesticated
unaccustomed to home life; "after years of marriage he remained essentially undomesticated"
lingering(a)
continuing for a long time; "a lingering sense of guilt"
forgettable
easily forgotten
unmemorable
not worth remembering
unforgettable
impossible to forget
haunting, persistent
continually recurring to the mind; "haunting memories"; "the cathedral organ and the distant voices have a haunting beauty"- Claudia Cassidy
kind, tolerant
tolerant and forgiving under provocation; "our neighbor was very kind about the window our son broke"
memorable
worth remembering
forgiving
inclined or able to forgive and show mercy; "a kindly forgiving nature"; "a forgiving embrace to the naughty child"
unforgiving
unwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy; "a surly unforgiving old woman"
unvindictive
not vindictive
revengeful, vindictive, vengeful
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge; "more vindictive than jealous love"- Shakespeare; "punishments...essentially vindictive in their nature"- M.R.Cohen
ceremonious, conventional
rigidly formal or bound by convention; "their ceremonious greetings did not seem heartfelt"
ceremonial, solemn
marked by pomp or ceremony or formality; "a solemn occasion"; "ceremonial garb"
form-only(a)
being a matter of form only; lacking substance; "a form-only requirement that is usually ignored"
nominal, titular
being such in name only; "the nominal (or titular) head of his party"
pro forma, perfunctory
as a formality only; "a one-candidate pro forma election"
casual, everyday
suited for everyday use; "casual clothes"; "everyday clothes"
starchy, stiff, buckram
rigidly formal; "a starchy manner"; "the letter was stiff and formal"; "his prose has a buckram quality"
informal
not formal; "conservative people unaccustomed to informal dress"; "an informal free-and-easy manner"; "an informal gathering of friends"
familiar, free-and-easy, casual
natural and unstudied; "using their Christian names in a casual way"; "lectured in a familiar style"
folksy
very informal and familiar; "a folksy radio commentator"; "a folksy style"
unceremonious, unceremonial
without ceremony or formality; "an unceremonious speech"
literary
appropriate to literature rather than everyday speech or writing; "when trying to impress someone she spoke in an affected literary style"
forsaken
left entirely; "forsaken slopes where children once played"
abandoned, deserted
left desolate or empty; "an abandoned child"; "their deserted wives and children"; "an abandoned shack"; "deserted villages"
derelict
deserted or abandoned as by an owner; "a derelict ship"
castaway(a), rejected
cast off as valueless
desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, lorn
pitiable in circumstances especially through abandonment; "desolate and despairing"; "left forlorn"
fortunate
having unexpected good fortune; "other, less fortunate, children died"; "a fortunate choice"
unforsaken
not forsaken
cherished, held dear(p)
thought of and clung to fondly or reverentially
felicitous, happy
marked by good fortune; "a felicitous life"; "a happy outcome"
better off(p)
in a more fortunate or prosperous condition; "she would have been better off if she had stuck with teaching"; "is better off than his classmate"
heaven-sent, providential, miraculous
peculiarly fortunate or appropriate; as if by divine intervention; "a heaven-sent rain saved the crops"; "a providential recovery"
fortuitous
occurring by happy chance; "profits were enhanced by a fortuitous drop in the cost of raw materials"
good, well(p)
resulting favorably; "its a good thing that I wasn't there"; "it is good that you stayed"; "it is well that no one saw you"; "all's well that ends well"
lucky
blessed with good fortune; "considered himself lucky that the tornado missed his house"; "a lucky guess"
well-off
fortunately situated; "doesn't know when he's well-off"
unfortunate
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned"
abject
most unfortunate or miserable; "the most abject slaves joined in the revolt"; "abject poverty"
black, calamitous, disastrous, fatal, fateful
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin; "the stock market crashed on Black Friday"; "a calamitous defeat"; "the battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign"; "such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory"- Charles Darwin; "it is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it"- Douglas MacArthur; "a fateful error"
dispossessed, homeless, roofless
physically or spiritually homeless or deprived of security; "made a living out of shepherding dispossed people from one country to another"- James Stern
hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched
deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "couldn't rescue the poor fellow"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"
regrettable, too bad
deserving regret; "regrettable remarks"; "it's regrettable that she didn't go to college"; "it's too bad he had no feeling himself for church"
doomed, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, unlucky
marked by or promising bad fortune; "their business venture was doomed from the start"; "an ill-fated business venture"; "an ill-starred romance"; "the unlucky prisoner was again put in irons"- W.H.Prescott
infelicitous, unhappy
marked by or producing unhappiness; "infelicitous circumstances"; "unhappy caravans, straggling afoot through swamps and canebrakes"- American Guide Series
available, uncommitted
not busy; not otherwise committed; "he was not available for comment"; "he was available and willing to accompany her"
emancipated, liberated
free from traditional social restraints; "an emancipated young woman pursuing her career"; "a liberated lifestyle"
footloose
free to go or do as one pleases; "Americans have always been a footloose people always moving on"; "a footloose young man eager to see the big city"
quit(p), rid(p)
(usually followed by `of') released from something onerous (especially an obligation or duty); "quit of all further responsibility for their safety"; "well rid of him"
entangled
involved in difficulties
prisonlike
resembling a prison
serflike
like someone in servitude
prevailing, predominant
most frequent or common; "prevailing winds"
frequent
coming at short intervals or habitually; "a frequent guest"; "frequent complaints"
regular, steady
relating to a person who does something regularly; "a regular customer"; "a steady drinker"
occasional(a)
occurring from time to time; "took an occasional glass of wine"
infrequent
not frequent; not occurring regularly or at short intervals; "infrequent outbursts of temper"
rare
recurring only at long intervals; "a rare appearance"; "total eclipses are rare events"
fresh
not stale or old; "fresh bread"; "a fresh scent"
caller
(Scottish) "caller fish"
new-made
newly made; "the aroma of new-made bread"
hot
newly made; "a hot scent"
strong, warm
freshly made or left; "a warm trail"; "the scent is warm"
cold
having lost freshness through passage of time; "a cold trail"; "dogs attempting to catch a cold scent"
unprocessed
not treated or prepared by a special process
friendly
characteristic or or befitting a friend; "friendly advice"; "a friendly neighborhood"; "the only friendly person here"; "a friendly host and hostess"
affable, amiable, cordial, genial
diffusing warmth and friendliness; "an affable smile"; "an amiable gathering"; "cordial relations"; "a cordial greeting"; "a genial host"
couthie, couthy
(chiefly Scottish) agreeable and genial
comradely, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met
heartily friendly and congenial
cozy, intimate, informal
having or fostering a warm or friendly atmosphere; especially through smallness and informality; "had a cozy chat"; "a relaxed informal manner"; "an intimate cocktail lounge"; "the small room was cozy and intimate"
favorable, well-disposed
favorably disposed; not antagonistic; "a government favorable to our interests"
neighborly, neighbourly
exhibiting the qualities expected in a friendly neighbor
social
marked by friendly companionship with others; "a social cup of coffee"
hostile
very unfriendly; "a hostile attitude"
unfriendly
not disposed to friendship or friendliness; "an unfriendly coldness of manner"; "an unfriendly action to take"
beetle-browed, scowling
sullen or unfriendly in appearance
uncordial
lacking warmth or friendliness; "looked uncordial as we approached"
unneighborly, unneighbourly
not exhibiting the qualities expected in a friendly neighbor
friendly
(in combination) easy to understand or use; "user-friendly computers"; "a consumer-friendly policy"; "a reader-friendly novel"
unfriendly
(in combination) not easy to understand or use; "user-unfriendly"
fruitful
productive or conducive to producing in abundance; "be fruitful and multiply"
bountiful, plentiful
producing in abundance; "the bountiful earth"; "a plentiful year"; "fruitful soil"
fat, fertile, productive, rich
marked by great fruitfulness; "fertile farmland"; "a fat land"; "a productive vineyard"; "rich soil"
prolific, fertile
bearing in abundance especially offspring; "flying foxes are extremely prolific"; "a prolific pear tree"
unfruitful
not fruitful; not conducive to abundant production
abounding in(p), abounding with(p), rich in(p), rife with(p), thick with(p)
abundantly filled; "garden abounding with flowers"; "rich in ideas"; "slums rife with crime"; "the air was thick with snow"
hardscrabble, poor
yielding little by great labor; "a hardscrabble farm"; "poor soil"
full
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal; "a full glass"; "a sky full of stars"; "a full life"; "the auditorium was full to overflowing"
brimful, brimful of(p), brimfull, brimfull of(p), brimming
filled to capacity; "a brimful cup"; "I am brimful of chowder"; "a child brimming over with curiosity"; "eyes brimming with tears"
alive with(p), crawling with(p), overflowing with(p), overrun with(p), swarming with(p), teeming with(p)
filled to overflowing with a vast number of moving or especially living things; sometimes used in combination; "ditches alive with frogs"; "a blanket alive with fleas"; "roads crawling with cars"; "a picnic table crawling with ants"; "a house overflowing with guests"; "fields overrun with locusts"; "swarming with insects"; "parade route swarming with spectators"; "a drop of water teeming with microorganisms"
chockablock(p), chock-full, chockful, choke-full, chuck-full, cram full
packed full to capacity; "chowder chockablock with pieces of fish"
congested, engorged
overfull as with blood
filled
(usually followed by `with' or used as a combining form) generously supplied with; "theirs was a house filled with laughter"; "a large hall filled with rows of desks"; "fog-filled air"
glutted, overfull
exceeding demand; "a glutted market"
imbued(p), instinct(p)
(followed by `with') deeply filled or permeated; "imbued with the spirit of the Reformation"; "words instinct with love"
heavy, weighed down
full of; bearing great weight; "trees heavy with fruit"; "vines weighed down with grapes"
laden, loaded, ladened
filled with a great quantity; "a tray loaded with dishes"; "table laden with food"; "`ladened' is not current usage"
riddled
spread throughout; "cities riddled with corruption"
overladen, overloaded
loaded past capacity
stuffed
filled with something; "a stuffed turkey"
swarming
filled by being spread over; sometimes used in combination; "the foe-swarming field"
well-lined
full of money; "a well-lined purse"
lifeless
destitute or having been emptied of life or living beings; "after the dance the littered and lifeless ballroom echoed hollowly"
open
relatively empty of and unobstructed by fences or hedges or headlands or shoals; "in open country"; "the open countryside"; "open waters"; "on the open seas"
vacant
void of thought or knowledge; "a vacant mind"
ill-equipped
poorly supplied with physical equipment; "the school was ill-equipped"
unprepared
lacking with intellectual equipment; "unprepared to stand on his own feet"
stocked, stocked with
furnished with more than enough; "rivers well stocked with fish"; "a well-stocked store"
well-appointed, well-found
having a full array of suitable equipment or furnishings; "a well-appointed kitchen"; "a well-appointed apartment"
unfed
not given support; "a grudge that remained unfed"
self-sustained
needing no outside support
mere(a)
being nothing more than specified; "a mere child"
such(p), such that
of a degree or quality specified (by the `that' clause); "their anxiety was such that they could not sleep"
such(a), such as
of a kind specified or understood; "it's difficult to please such people"; "on such a night as this"; "animals such as lions and tigers"
at-large(ip)
representing the whole of a state or body rather than one specific division or part of it; "ambassador-at-large"
as a whole(ip), at large(ip), in general(ip)
considered altogether; "the country at large"; "I enjoyed the play as a whole though I thought the acting could have been better"
broad, unspecific
not detailed or specific; "a broad rule"; "the broad outlines of the plan"; "felt an unspecific dread"
generalized
made general; widely prevalent; "a problem of generalized human needs"; "a state of generalized discontent"
gross
of general aspects or broad distinctions; "the gross details of the structure appear reasonable"
generic
applicable to an entire class or group; "is there a generic Asian mind?"
miscellaneous
constituting a grab-bag category; "the usual collection of miscellaneous expenses"
mass, large-scale
occurring widely (as to many people); "mass destruction"
overall
involving only main features; "the overall pattern of his life"
pervading, pervasive
spread throughout; "a pervasive anxiety overshadows the triumphs of individuals"
pandemic
existing everywhere; "pandemic fear of nuclear war"
plain, popular
comprehensible to the general public; "written for the popular press in plain nontechnical language"
limited, special
having a specific function or scope; "a special (or specific) role in the mission"
widespread
widely circulated or diffused; "a widespread doctrine"; "widespread fear of nuclear war"
specific
(sometimes followed by `to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique; "rules with specific application"; "demands specific to the job"; "a specific and detailed account of the accident"
ad hoc
for or concerned with one specific purpose; "a coordinated policy instead of ad hoc decisions"
circumstantial
fully detailed and specific about particulars; "a circumstantial report about the debate"
particular(a), peculiar(a), special(a)
unique or specific to a person or thing or category; "the particular demands of the job"; "has a paraticular preference for Chinese art"; "a peculiar bond of sympathy between them"; "an expression peculiar to Canadians"; "rights peculiar to the rich"; "the special features of a computer"; "my own special chair"
particular(a)
separate and distinct from others of the same group or category; "interested in one particular artist"; "a man who wishes to make a particular woman fall in love with him"
proper(ip)
limited to the thing specified; "the city proper"; "his claim is connected with the deed proper"
particularized, particularised
directed toward a specific object; "particularized thinking as distinct from stereotyped sloganeering"
unique(p)
(followed by `to') applying exclusively to a given category or condition or locality; "a species unique to Australia"
technical
characterizing or showing skill in or specialized knowledge of applied arts and sciences; "a technical problem"; "highly technical matters hardly suitable for the general public"; "a technical report"; "producing the A-bomb was a challenge to the technical people of this country"; "technical training"; "technical language"
nontechnical, untechnical
not characteristic of or skilled in applied arts and sciences; "nontechnical aspects of the job"; "nontechnical training"; "an untechnical reader"; "in clear effective nontechnical language"
abstract, theoretical
based on specialized theory; "a theoretical analysis"
specialized
marked by or characteristic of specialization in a mechanical or scientific subject; "his specialized qualifications for the job"; "all kinds of specialized technical books"
generous
willing to give and share unstintingly; "a generous donation"
lavish, munificent, overgenerous, prodigal, too-generous, unsparing, unstinted, unstinting
very generous; "distributed gifts with a lavish hand"; "the critics were lavish in their praise"; "a munificent gift"; "his father gave him a half-dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent"; "prodigal praise"; "unsparing generosity"; "his unstinted devotion"; "called for unstinting aid to Britain"
benevolent, freehearted
generous in providing aid to others
big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, handsome, giving, liberal, openhanded
given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"
stingy, ungenerous
not generous; "she practices economy without being stingy"; "an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds"
unselfish
not greedy
beggarly, mean
used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt
grudging, niggardly, scrimy
petty in giving or spending; "a niggardly tip"
cheap, chinchy, chintzy
embarrassingly stingy
cheeseparing, close, near, penny-pinching
giving or spending with reluctance; "our cheeseparing administration"; "very close (or near) with his money"; "a penny-pinching miserly old man"
closefisted, hardfisted, tightfisted
unwilling to part with money
meager, scrimpy
barely adequate; "a meager allowance"
mean, mingy, miserly, little, small, tight
used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity; "a small miserly man"
ungrudging
without envy or reluctance; "ungrudging admiration"
parsimonious, penurious
excessively unwilling to spend; "parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses"; "lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence"
generous
not petty in character and mind; "unusually generous in his judgment of people"
big, large, magnanimous
generous and understanding and tolerant; "a heart big enough to hold no grudges"; "that's very big of you to be so forgiving"; "a large and generous spirit"; "a large heart"; "magnanimous toward his enemies"
kind
liberal; "kind words of praise"
uncharitable, unforgiving
harsh and severe; "I hope I'm not being uncharitable but he really is a bore"; "unjust and uncharitable criticism"
ungenerous, meanspirited
lacking in magnanimity; "it seems ungenerous to end this review of a splendid work of scholarship on a critical note"- Times Litt. Sup.; "a meanspirited man unwilling to forgive"
grudging
"grudging in her praise"
authentic, bona fide, unquestionable, veritable
not counterfeit or copied; "an authentic signature"; "a bona fide manuscript"; "an unquestionable antique"; "photographs taken in a veritable bull ring"
genuine
not fake or counterfeit; "a genuine Picasso"; "genuine leather"
real, true
not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin; "real mink"; "true gold"
good
not forged; "a good dollar bill"
honest-to-god, honest-to-goodness, old(a), sure-enough(a)
used informally especially for emphasis; "a real honest-to-god live cowboy"; "had us a high old time"; "went upriver to look at a sure-enough fish wheel"
base
debased; not genuine; "an attempt to eliminate the base coinage"
bogus, fake, phony, phoney, bastard
fraudulent; having a misleading appearance
inauthentic, unauthentic, spurious
intended to deceive; "a spurious work of art"
pinchbeck
serving as an imitation or substitute; "pinchbeck heroism"
mock
constituting a copy or imitation of something; "boys in mock battle"
synthetic
not genuine or natural; "counterfeit rhetoric that flourishes when passions are synthetic"- George Will
pseudo
(often used in combination) not genuine but having the appearance of; "a pseudo esthete"; "pseudoclassic"
bright
splendid; "the bright stars of stage and screen"; "a bright moment in history"; "the bright pageantry of court"
glorious
having or deserving or conferring glory; "a long and glorious career"; "our glorious literature"
divine, elysian, inspired
of such surpassing excellence as to suggest divine inspiration; "her pies were simply divine"; "the divine Shakespeare"; "an elysian meal"; "an inspired performance"
celebrated, historied, storied
having an illustrious past
empyreal, empyrean, sublime
inspiring awe; "well-meaning ineptitude that rises to empyreal absurdity"- M.S.Dworkin; "empyrean aplomb"- Hamilton Basso; "the sublime beauty of the night"
lustrous
brilliant; "set a lustrous example for others to follow"; "lustrous actors of the time"
illustrious
having or conferring glory; "an illustrious achievement"
incandescent
characterized by ardent emotion or intensity or brilliance; "an incandescent performance"
obscure, unknown, unsung
not famous or acclaimed; "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war"
inglorious, dishonorable
not bringing honor and glory; "some mute inglorious Milton here may rest"
good
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified; "good news from the hospital"; "a good report card"; "when she was good she was very very good"; "a good knife is one good for cutting"; "this stump will make a good picnic table"; "a good check"; "a good joke"; "a good exterior paint"; "a good secretary"; "a good dress for the office"
bang-up, bully, cool, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing
(informal) very good; "a bully pulpit"; "a cool sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"
good enough
adequately good for the circumstances; "if it's good enough for you it's good enough for me"
goodish
moderately good of its kind; "a goodish wine"
hot
very good; often used in the negative; "he's hot at math but not so hot at history"
satisfactory, acceptable
meeting requirements; "the step makes a satisfactory seat"
redeeming(a)
compensating for some fault or defect; "the redeeming feature of the plan is its simplicity"; "his saving grace was his sense of humor"
suitable
suitable for the desired purpose; "Is this a suitable dress for the office?"
solid
of good substantial quality; "solid comfort"; "a solid base hit"
superb
surpassingly good; "a superb meal"
bad
having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice"
atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable
exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"
fearful, frightful, terrible
extremely distressing; "fearful slum conditions"; "a frightful mistake"; "suffered terrible thirst"
deplorable, distressing, lamentable, pitiful, sad, sorry
very bad; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs"
fine, pretty
used ironically; "a fine mess"; "a pretty kettle of fish"
hard, tough
unfortunate or hard to bear; "had hard luck"; "a tough break"
hopeless
(informal to emphasize how bad it is) beyond hope of management or reform; "she handed me a hopeless jumble of papers"; "he is a hopeless romantic"
horrid
exceedingly bad; "when she was bad she was horrid"
icky, crappy, lousy, rotten, shitty, stinking, stinky
(informal) very bad; "a lousy play"; "it's a stinking world"
ill
distressing; "ill manners"; "of ill repute"
negative
having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant; "ran a negative campaign"; "delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life"
mediocre
poor to middling in quality; "there have been good and mediocre and bad artists"
poor
unsatisfactory; "a poor light for reading"; "poor morale"
severe
very bad in degree or extent; "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage"
unsatisfactory
not adequate recompense or expiation; "the pay is unsatisfactory and the conditions are unacceptable"
swingeing
(British) severe; punishingly bad; "swingeing taxation"; "swingeing damages awarded by the judge"
unfavorable
not favorable; "made an unfavorable impression"; "unfavorable reviews"
unsuitable
not conducive to good moral development; "the movie is unsuitable for children"
angelic, angelical, beatific, saintlike, saintly, sainted
marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint; "angelic benificence"; "a beatific smile"; "a saintly concern for his fellow men"; "my sainted mother"
good
morally admirable
goody-goody
affectedly or smugly good or self-righteous
beneficent, benevolent, gracious
doing or producing good
white
benevolent; without malicious intent; "white magic"; "a white lie"; "that's white of you"
worthy
morally admirable; "a worthy citizen"
evil, wicked
morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds"
bad, immoral
characterized by wickedness or immorality; "led a very bad life"
atrocious, flagitious, grievous, heinous, monstrous
shockingly brutal or cruel; "murder is an atrocious crime"; "a grievous offense against morality"; "a grievous crime"; "no excess was too monstrous for them to commit"
black, dark, sinister
stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable; "black deeds"; "a black lie"; "his black heart has concocted yet another black deed"; "Darth Vader of the dark side"; "a dark purpose"; "dark undercurrents of ethnic hostility"; "the scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him"-Thomas Hardy
despicable, ugly, vile, unworthy
morally reprehensible; "would do something as despicable as murder"; "ugly crimes"; "the vile development of slavery appalled them"
corruptive, perversive
tending to corrupt or pervert
demonic, diabolic, diabolical, fiendish, hellish, infernal, satanic, unholy
extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell; "something demonic in him--something that could be cruel"; "fires lit up a diabolic scene"; "diabolical sorcerers under the influence of devils"; "a fiendish despot"; "hellish torture"; "infernal instruments of war"; "satanic cruelty"; "unholy grimaces"
devilish, diabolic, diabolical, mephistophelian, mephistophelean
showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil; "devilish schemes"; "the cold calculation and diabolic art of some statesmen"; "the diabolical expression on his face"; "a mephistophelian glint in his eye"
evil-minded
having evil thoughts or intentions
atrabilious, bilious, dyspeptic, liverish
irritable as if suffering from indigestion
ill-natured
having an irritable and unpleasant disposition; "an ill-natured disagreeable old man"
bristly, prickly, splenetic, waspish
very irritable; "bristly exchanges between the White House and the press"; "he became prickly and spiteful"; "witty and waspish about his colleagues"
cantankerous, crotchety, ornery
having a difficult and contrary disposition; "a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady"- Dorothy Sayers
churlish
having a bad disposition; surly; "churlish as a bear"- Shakespeare
crusty, curmudgeonly, gruff, ill-humored, ill-humoured
brusque and surly and forbidding; "crusty remarks"; "a crusty old man"; "his curmudgeonly temper"; "gruff manner"; "a gruff reply"
crabbed, crabby, cross, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, bad-tempered, ill-tempered
perversely irritable
cranky, fractious, irritable, nettlesome, peevish, peckish, pettish, petulant, testy, tetchy, techy
easily irritated or annoyed; "an incorrigibly fractious young man"; "not the least nettlesome of his countrymen"
dark, dour, glowering, glum, moody, morose, saturnine, sour, sullen
showing a brooding ill humor; "a dark scowl"; "the proverbially dour New England Puritan"; "a glum, hopeless shrug"; "he sat in moody silence"; "a morose and unsociable manner"; "a saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius"- Bruce Bliven; "a sour temper"; "a sullen crowd"
currish
resembling a cur; snarling and rude
feisty, touchy
irritable and looking for trouble; "too touchy to make judicious decisions"
shirty, snorty
(British informal) ill-tempered or annoyed
huffish, sulky
sullen or moody
snappish, snappy
tending to speak irritably; "a snappish tone of voice"
shrewish, nagging
continually complaining or faultfinding; "a shrewish wife"; "nagging parents"
surly, ugly
inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace; "a surly waiter"; "an ugly frame of mind"
spoiled, spoilt
having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or oversolicitous attention; "a spoiled child"
elegant
of seemingly effortless beauty in form or proportion
graceful
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form etc.
deft
quick and skillful in movement
flowing, fluent, fluid, liquid, smooth
smooth and unconstrained in movement; "a long, smooth stride"; "the fluid motion of a cat"; "the liquid grace of a ballerina"; "liquid prose"
fluent
easy and graceful in shape; "a yacht with long, fluent curves"
gawky, clumsy, clunky, ungainly, unwieldy
lacking grace in movement or posture; "a gawky lad with long ungainly legs"; "clumsy fingers"; "what an ungainly creature a giraffe is"; "heaved his unwieldy figure out of his chair"
gainly
graceful and pleasing; "gainly conduct"; "a gainly youth with dark hair and eyes
gracile, willowy
slender and graceful
lissome, lissom, lithe, lithesome, slender, supple, svelte, sylphlike
gracefully slender; moving and bending with ease
awkward
lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance; "an awkward dancer"; "an awkward gesture"; "too awkward with a needle to make her own clothes"; "his clumsy fingers produced an awkward knot"
labored, laboured, strained
lacking natural ease; "a labored style of debating"
graceless, ungraceful
lacking grace; clumsy; "a graceless production of the play"; "his stature low...his bearing ungraceful"- Sir Walter Scott
merciful
used conventionally of royalty and high nobility; "our merciful king"
wooden
lacking ease or grace; "the actor's performance was wooden;" "a wooden smile"
gracious
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit; "gracious even to unexpected visitors"; "gracious living"; "he bears insult with gracious good humor"
elegant, graceful, refined
suggesting taste, ease, and wealth
graceless, unpleasing
lacking graciousness; "a totally graceless hostess"
urbane
characterized by tact and propriety
ungracious
lacking charm and good taste; "an ungracious industrial city; "this curt summary is not meant to be ungracious"; "ungracious behavior"
churlish
rude and boorish
sudden
happening without warning or in a short space of time; "a sudden storm"; "a sudden decision"; "a sudden cure"
explosive
sudden and loud; "an explosive laugh"
abrupt
exceedingly sudden and unexpected; "came to an abrupt stop"; "an abrupt change in the weather"
sharp
very sudden and in great amount or degree; "a sharp drop in the stock market"
unexpected, unforeseen
happening or coming quickly and without warning; "a sudden unexpected development"
blessed
characterized by happiness and good fortune; "a blessed time"
elysian, paradisiacal, paradisiac, paradisaical, paradisaic, paradisal, paradisial
resembling paradise; causing happiness; "elysian peace"; "a paradisal place without work or struggle"; "paradisial isles"; "an age of paradisiacal happiness"
golden, halcyon, prosperous
marked by peace and prosperity; "a golden era"; "the halcyon days of the clipper trade"
halcyon
joyful and carefree; "halcyon days of youth"
hard
metaphorically hard; "a hard fate"; "took a hard look"; "a hard bargainer"; "a hard climb"
brutal, cruel, harsh, rigorous, unkind
(of circumstances; especially weather) causing suffering; "brutal weather"; "northern winters can be cruel"; "a cruel world"; "a harsh climate; "a rigorous climate"; "unkind winters"
steely
resembling steel as in hardness; "steely eyes"; "steely nerves like those of a steeplejack"
stiff, uphill
hard to overcome or surmount; "a stiff hike"; "a stiff exam"; "an uphill battle against a popular incumbant"
soft
metaphorically soft; "my father is a soft touch"; "soft light"; "a soft rain"; "a soft Southern drawl"; "soft brown eyes"; "a soft glance"
easy
readily exploited or tricked; "an easy mark"; "an easy victim"
coddled, pampered, spoiled
treated with excessive indulgence; "pampered from earliest childhood, he believed the world had been invented for his entertainment"
compliant
easily influenced or imposed on
effeminate, weak
characterized by excessive softness or self-indulgence; "an effeminate civilization"
liquid
yielding; lacking any hint of hardness; "the liquid stillness of the night enveloping him"; "the liquid brown eyes of a spaniel"
mellow, mellowing
having or suggesting softness and richness in quality; "a mellow sound"; "the mellow air brought in the feel of imminent autumn"- Thomas Hardy; "a mellowing sun"
hardhearted, heartless
lacking in feeling or pity or warmth
flinty, obdurate, stony
showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings; "the child's misery would move even the most obdurate heart"
cruel, unkind
lacking or showing kindness or compassion or mercy
softhearted, soft-boiled
easily moved to pity or sorrow; "a softhearted judge"
hearted
(used only in combination) having a heart as specified; "gave pleasure to lighter-hearted members of the staff"
heartless
marked by lack of heart or feeling; "a heartless tyrant"; "heartless words"
inoffensive, unoffending
causing no harm; "an inoffensive animal"
catastrophic, ruinous
extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin; "a catastrophic depression"; "catastrophic illness"; "a ruinous course of action"
ill
resulting in suffering or adversity; "ill effects"; "it's an ill wind that blows no good"
insidious, pernicious, subtle
working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; "a subtle poison"
mischievous
deliberately causing harm or damage; "mischievous rumors and falsehoods"
nocent
having a tendency to cause harm
pure
free from discordant qualities
cathartic, psychotherapeutic
emotionally purging
sallow, sickly
unhealthy looking
celestial, ethereal, supernal
of heaven or the spirit; "celestial peace"; "ethereal melodies"; "the supernal happiness of a quiet death"
heavenly
of or belonging to heaven or god
ambrosial, ambrosian
worthy of the gods
divine, godly
emanating from God; "divine judgment"; "divine guidance"; "everything is black1 or white...satanic or godlyt"-Saturday Rev.
divine, godlike
being or having the nature of a god; "the custom of killing the divine king upon any serious failure of his...powers"-J.G.Frazier; "the divine will"; "the divine capacity for love"; "'Tis wise to learn; 'tis God-like to create"-J.G.Saxe
translunar, translunary, superlunar, superlunary
unworldly or ethereal; "high translunary dreams"
paradisiacal, paradisiac, paradisaical, paradisaic, paradisal
relating to or befitting paradise; "together in that paradisal place"; "paradisiacal innocense"
providential, divine
resulting from divine providence; "providential care"
earthly
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven; "earthly beings"; "believed that our earthly life is all that matters"; "earthly love"; "our earthly home"
earthborn
connected with earthly life; of earthly origin; "earthborn cares and pleasures"
earthlike
resembling or characteristic of earth; "earthlike atmosphere"
earthbound
confined to the earth
sublunar, sublunary, terrestrial
of this earth; "transcendental motives for sublunary actions"; "fleeting sublunary pleasures"; "the nearest to an angelic being that treads this terrestrial ball"
mundane, terrene
belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; "not a fairy palace; yet a mundane wonder of unimagined kind"; "so terrene a being as himself"
temporal
of this earth or world; "temporal joys"; "our temporal existence"
heavy
of comparatively great physical weight or density; "a heavy load"; "lead is a heavy metal"; "heavy mahogony furniture"
dense
having high relative density or specific gravity; "dense as lead"
massive
consisting of great mass; containing a great quantity of matter; "Earth is the most massive of the terrestrial planets"
hefty
of considerable weight and size; "a hefty dictionary"
ponderous
having great mass and weight and unwieldiness; "a ponderous stone"; "a ponderous burden"; "ponderous weapons"
light
of comparatively little physical weight or density; "a light load"; "magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C"
airy
having little or no perceptible weight; so light as to resemble air; "airy gauze curtains"
feathery, featherlike
suggestive of feathers in lightness; "feathery snowflakes"
lightweight
having relatively little weight; "lightweight fabrics"
low-density(p)
having low relative density or specific gravity
weighty
having relatively great weight; heavy; "a weighty load"; "a weighty package"
weightless
having little or no weight or apparent gravitational pull; light; "floating freely in a weightless condition"; "a baby bat...fluffy and weightless as a moth"; "jackets made of a weightless polyester fabric"
heavy
marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness; "a heavy heart"; "a heavy schedule"; "heavy news"; "a heavy silence"; "heavy eyelids"
burdensome, onerous, taxing
not easily borne; wearing; "the burdensome task of preparing the income tax return"; "my duties weren't onerous; I only had to greet the guests"; "a taxing schedule"
distressing, distressful, disturbing, perturbing, troubling, worrisome, worrying
causing distress or worry or anxiety; "distressing (or disturbing) news"; "lived in heroic if something distressful isolation"; "a disturbing amount of crime"; "a revelation that was most perturbing"; "a new and troubling thought"; "in a particularly worrisome predicament"; "a worrying situation"; "a worrying time"
oppressive
weighing heavily on the senses or spirit; "the atmosphere was oppressive"; "oppressive sorrows"
leaden, weighted
made heavy or weighted down with weariness; "his leaden arms"; "weighted eyelids"
weighty
weighing heavily on the spirit; causing anxiety or worry; "weighty problems"
heavy
unusually great in degree or quantity or number; "heavy taxes"; "a heavy fine"; "heavy casualties"; "heavy losses"; "heavy rain"; "heavy traffic"
light
psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles; "a light heart"
fooling, casual
characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility; "a broken back is nothing to be casual about; it is no fooling matter"
light
not great in degree or quantity or number; "a light sentence"; "a light accent"; "casualties were light"; "light snow was falling"; "light misty rain"; "light smoke from the chimney"
harsh
severe; "a harsh penalty"
thick
abundant; "a thick head of hair"
easy
not harsh; causing little distress; "an easy penalty"
heavy
of great intensity or power or force; "a heavy blow"; "the fighting was heavy"; "heavy seas"
big, high
marked by intense physical force; "a big wind"; "high winds"
easy, gentle, soft
having little impact; "an easy pat on the shoulder"; "gentle rain"; "a gentle breeze"; "a soft (or light) tapping at the window"
light
of little intensity or power or force; "the light touch of her fingers"; "a light breeze"
light-footed
(of movement) having a light and springy step; "a light-footed girl"
careless(p), thoughtless(p), regardless
(usually followed by `of') without due thought or consideration; "careless of the consequences"; "the proverbial grasshopper--thoughtless of tomorrow"; "crushing the blooms with regardless tread"
heedless, thoughtless, unheeding
marked by or paying little heed or attention; "We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"- "Franklin D. Roosevelt; "heedless of danger"; "heedless of the child's crying"
deaf(p), indifferent(p)
(usually followed by `to') unwilling or refusing to pay heed; "deaf to her warnings"
heedful, attentive, thoughtful
taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention; "heedful of the warnings"; "so heedful a writer"; "heedful of what they were doing"
helpful
providing assistance or serving a useful function
facilitative
freeing from difficulty or impediment; "facilitative changes in the economic structure"
assistive
giving assistance
face-saving
maintaining dignity or prestige; "a face-saving compromise"
kind
helpful to other people; "helping an old lady with her bundles was his kind deed for the day"
right-hand
most helpful and reliable; "my right-hand man"
reformative, reformatory
tending to reform; "reformative and rehabilitative agencies"; "reformatory punishment"
stabilizing
causing to become stable; "the family is one of the great stabilizing elements in society"
steadying
causing to become steady; "had a steadying effect on her nerves"
useless
not useful; "a curiously unhelpful and useless manual"
unhelpful
providing no assistance
unconstructive
not constructive
assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, sundry(a)
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds (even to the point of incongruity); "an arrangement of assorted spring flowers"; "assorted sizes"; "miscellaneous accessories"; "a mixed program of baroque and contemporary music"; "a motley crew"; "sundry sciences commonly known as social"- I.A.Richards
heterogeneous
consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; "the population of the United States is vast and heterogeneous"
disparate
including markedly dissimilar elements; "a disparate aggregate of creeds and songs and prayers"
homogeneous
of the same or similar kind or nature; "a tight-knit homogeneous society"
inhomogeneous, nonuniform
not homogeneous
butch
pejorative synonym for lesbian
high
(literal meanings) being at or having a relatively great or specific elevation or upward extension; "a high mountain"; "high ceilings"; "high buildings"; "a high forehead"; "a high incline"; "a foot high"; sometimes used in combination; "knee-high grass"
high-level
occurring at or from a relative high altitude; "high-level bombing"
altitudinous
indefinitely high; lofty
commanding, dominating, overlooking
used of a height or viewpoint; "a commanding view of the ocean"; "looked up at the castle dominating the countryside"; "the balcony overlooking the ballroom"
eminent, lofty, soaring, towering
of imposing height; especially standing out above others; "an eminent peak"; "lofty mountains"; "the soaring spires of the cathedral"; "towering iceburgs"
low
literal meanings; being at or having a relatively small elevation or upward extension; "low ceilings"; "low clouds"; "low hills"; "the sun is low"; "low furniture"; "a low bow"
low-level
occurring at a relatively low altitude; "a low-level strafing run"
low-lying
having a small elevation above the ground or horizon or sea level; "low-lying clouds"
squat, underslung
having a low center of gravity; built low to the ground
high-ceilinged
having a higher than normal ceiling
low-ceilinged
having a lower than normal ceiling
high
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount; "a high temperature"; "a high price"; "the high point of his career"; "high risks"; "has high hopes"; "high winds"; "the river is high"
advanced
at a higher level in training or knowledge or skill; "an advanced degree"; "an advanced text in physics"; "special seminars for small groups of advanced students at the University"
broad(a), full(a)
being at a peak or culminating point; "broad day"; "full summer"; "high noon"
climactic, climactical, peak(a)
consisting of or causing a climax; "a peak experience"
exalted
high or exalted in style or character; "high drama"
flooding, in flood(p), overflowing, swollen
overfull with water; "swollen rivers and creeks"
great
more than usual; "great expectations"; "great worry"
soaring
ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual; "soaring prices"
low
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount; "low prices"; "the reservoire is low"
reduced, rock-bottom
well below normal (especially in price)
low-level
not intense; "low-level radiation"
poor
low in degree; "expectations were poor"
honest, honorable
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent; "honest lawyers"; "honest reporting"; "an honest wage"; "honest weight"
downright
characterized by plain blunt honesty; "a downright answer"; "a downright kind of person"
open
sincere and free of reserve in expression; "Please be open with me"
square, straight
characterized by honesty and fairness; "a square deal"; "wanted to do the square thing"
dishonest, dishonorable
deceptive or fraudulent; disposed to cheat or defraud or deceive
deceptive, misleading
tending to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently; "the deceptive calm in the eye of the storm"; "deliberately deceptive packaging"; "a misleading similarity"; "statistics can be presented in ways that are misleading"
beguiling
misleading by means of pleasant or alluring methods; "taken in by beguiling tales of overnight fortunes"
picaresque
involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction; "picaresque novels"; "waifs of the picaresque tradition"; "a picaresque hero"
rascally, roguish, scoundrelly, blackguardly
lacking principles or scruples; "the rascally rabble"; "the tyranny of a scoundrelly aristocracy"_ W.M. Thackaray; "the captain was set adrift by his roguish crew"
thieving(a), thievish
given to thievery
honorable, honourable
showing or characterized by honor and integrity; "an honorable man"; "led an honorable life"; "honorable service to his country"
august, revered, venerable
profoundly honored; "revered holy men"
noble, solid, upstanding, worthy
having high moral qualities; "a noble spirit"; "a solid citizen"; "an upstanding man"; "a worthy successor"
laureate
worthy of the greatest honor or distinction; "The nation's pediatrician laureate is preparing to lay down his black bag"- James Traub
time-honored, time-honoured
honored because of age or long usage; "time-honored institutions"
dishonorable, dishonourable
lacking honor or integrity; deserving dishonor; "dishonorable in thought and deed"; "a dishonorable discharge"
debasing, degrading
used of conduct; characterized by dishonor
black, disgraceful, ignominious, inglorious, opprobrious, shameful
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame; "Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands"- Rachel Carson; "an ignominious retreat"; "inglorious defeat"; "an opprobrious monument to human greed"; "a shameful display of cowardice"
shabby
mean and unworthy and despicable; "shabby treatment"
abject, resigned, unhopeful
showing utter resignation or hopelessness; "abject surrender"
unprincipled
having little or no integrity
yellow
cowardly or treacherous; "the little yellow stain of treason"-M.W.Straight; "too yellow to stand and fight"
black, bleak, dim
offering little or no hope; "the future looked black"; "prospects were bleak"; "Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult"- J.M.Synge; "took a dim view of things"
despairing, desperate
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope; "a despairing view of the world situation"; "the last despairing plea of the condemned criminal"; "a desperate cry for help"; "helpless and desperate--as if at the end of his tether"; "her desperate screams"
forlorn
marked by or showing hopelessness; "the last forlorn attempt"; "a forlorn cause"
despondent, heartsick
without or almost without hope; "despondent about his failure"; "too heartsick to fight back"
futureless
having no prospect or hope of a future
gloomy, grim
characterized by hopelessness; filled with gloom; "gloomy at the thought of what he had to face"; "gloomy predictions"; "a gloomy silence"; "took a grim view of the economy"
uninteresting
characteristic or suggestive of an institution especially in being uniform or dull or unimaginative; "institutional food"
noninstitutional
not institutional
bevel, beveled, cant
having the slant of a bevel; "a bevel edge"; "a cant buttress"
high-pitched
set at a sharp or high angle or slant; "a high-pitched roof"
low-pitched
set at a low angle or slant; "a low-pitched roof"
hospitable
favorable to life and growth; "soil sufficiently hospitable for forest growth"; "a hospitable environment"
kind
agreeable; "a dry climate kind to asthmatics"
inhospitable
unfavorable to life or growth; "the barren inhospitable dessert"; "inhospitable mountain areas"
bare, barren, bleak, desolate, stark
providing no shelter or sustenance; "bare rocky hills"; "barren lands"; "the bleak treeless regions of the high Andes"; "the desolate surface of the moon"; "a stark landscape"
desert, godforsaken, waste, wild
located in a dismal or remote area; desolate; "a desert island"; "a godforsaken wilderness crossroads"; "a wild stretch of land"; "waste places"
hostile, uncongenial, unfriendly
very unfavorable to life or growth; "a hostile climate"; "an uncongenial atmosphere"; "an uncongenial soil"; "the unfriendly environment at high altitudes"
hospitable
disposed to treat guests and strangers with cordiality and generosity; "a good-natured and hospitable man"; "a hospitable act"; "hospitable invitations"
welcoming
very cordial; "a welcoming smile"
inhospitable
not hospitable; "they are extremely inhospitable these days"; "her greeting was cold and inhospitable"
ill
indicating hostility or enmity; "you certainly did me an ill turn"; "ill feelings"; "ill will"
amicable
characterized by friendship and good will
unfriendly, inimical
not friendly; "an unfriendly act of aggression"; "an inimical critic"
hot
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning; "hot stove"; "hot water"; "a hot August day"; "a hot stuffy room"; "she's hot and tired"; "a hot forehead"
well-meaning, unthreatening
not unfriendly or threatening; "her well-meaning words were received in silence"; "the exasperation of a...well-meaning cow worried by dogs"
blistering, blistery
hot enough to raise (or as if to raise) blisters; "blistering sun"
baking, baking hot
as hot as if in an oven
burning(a)
intensely hot; "a burning fever"; "the burning sand"
fervent, fervid
extremely hot; "the fervent heat...merely communicated a genial warmth to their half-torpid systems"- Nathaniel Hawthorne; "set out...when the fervid heat subsides"- Frances Trollope
fiery, igneous
like or suggestive of fire; "the burning sand"; "a fiery desert wind"; "an igneous desert atmosphere"
sultry, stifling, sulfurous, sulphurous
characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; "the summer was sultry and oppressive"; "the stifling atmosphere"; "the sulfurous atmosphere preceding a thunderstorm"
sweltering, sweltry
excessively hot and humid or marked by sweating and faintness; "a sweltering room"; "sweltering athletes"
torrid, sultry
burning hot; extremely and unpleasantly hot; "the torrid noonday sun"; "sultry sands of the dessert"
tropical, tropic
of weather or climate; hot and humid as in the tropics; "tropical weather"
cold
used of physical coldness; having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration; "a cold climate"; "a cold room"; "dinner has gotten cold"; "cold fingers"; "if you are cold, turn up the heat"; "a cold beer"
arctic, freezing, frigid, gelid, glacial, icy, polar
extremely cold; "an arctic climate"; "let's get inside; I'm freezing"; "a frigid day"; "gelid waters of the North Atlantic"; "glacial winds"; "icy hands"; "polar weather"
bleak, cutting, raw
unpleasantly cold and damp; "bleak winds of the North Atlantic"
chilled, ice-cold, iced
made agreeably cold (especially by ice); "a glass of chilled lemonade"; "iced tea"; "an ice-cold coke"
crisp, frosty, nipping, nippy, snappy, parky
pleasantly cold and invigorating; "crisp clear nights and frosty mornings"; "a nipping wind"; "a nippy fall day"; "snappy weather"; (`parky' is a British term)
frore
(archaic) very cold; "whatever the evenings be--frosty and frore or warm and wet"
stone-cold
completely cold; "by the time he got back to his coffee it was stone-cold"
shivery
cold enough to cause shivers; "felt all shivery"; "shivery weather"
vernal, springlike
of or characteristic of or occurring in spring; "the vernal equinox"
summery
belonging to or characteristic of or occurring in summer; "summery weather"; "summery dresses"
autumnal
of or characteristic of or occurring in autumn; "the autumnal equinox"; "autumnal fruits"
wintry, wintery
characteristic of or occurring in winter; "suffered severe wintry weather"; "brown wintry grasses"
brumal, hibernal, hiemal
characteristic of or relating to winter; "bears in brumal sleep"
fiery, flaming
very intense; "a fiery temper"; "flaming passions"
hot
extended meanings; especially of psychological heat; marked by intensity or vehemence especially of passion or enthusiasm; "a hot temper"; "a hot topic"; "a hot new book"; "a hot love affair"; "a hot argument"
sensual, sultry
sexually exciting or gratifying; "sensual excesses"; "a sultry look"; "a sultry dance"
red-hot, sizzling
characterized by intense emotion or interest or excitement; "a red-hot speech"; "sizzling political issues"
white-hot
intensely zealous or fervid; "fierce white-hot loyalty"
torrid
emotionally charged and vigorously energetic; "a torrid dance"; "torrid jazz bands"; "hot trumpets and torrid rhythms"
frigid, frosty, frozen, glacial, icy, wintry
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain; "a frigid greeting"; "got a frosty reception"; "a frozen look on their faces"; "a glacial handshake"; "icy stare"; "wintry smile"
anthropomorphic, anthropomorphous, humanlike
suggesting human characteristics for animals or inanimate things
fallible, frail, imperfect, weak
having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; "I'm only human"; "frail humanity"
dehumanized, unhuman
divested of human qualities or attributes
inhuman
belonging to or resembling something nonhuman; "something dark and inhuman in form"; "a babel of inhuman noises"
divine, godlike
appropriate to or befitting a god; "the divine strength of Achilles"; "a man of godlike sagacity"; "man must play God for he has acquired certain godlike powers"-R.H.Roveref
mechanical
lacking thought or feeling
superhuman
above or beyond the human or demanding more than human power or endurance; "superhuman beings"; "superhuman strength"; "soldiers driven mad by superhuman misery"
herculean, powerful
displaying superhuman strength or power; "herculean exertions"
subhuman
less than human or not worthy of a human being; "treated natives as subhuman"; "a subhuman spectacle"; "the subhuman primates"
kind, merciful
characterized by mercy, and compassion; "compassionate toward disadvantaged people"; "kind to animals"; "a humane judge"
humane
marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering
compassionate
showing recognition of unusually distressful circumstances; "compassionate leave"; "considered for a compassionate discharge because of domestic difficulties"
barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage, vicious
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks"
human-centered, humanist, humanistic, humanitarian
marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare; "a humane physician"; "released the prisoner for humanitarian reasons"; "respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species"
inhumane
lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion; "humans are innately inhumane; this explains much of the misery and suffering in the world"; "biological weapons are considered too inhumane to be used"
beastly, bestial, brute(a), brutish
resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility; "beastly desires"; "a bestial nature"; "brute force"; "a dull and brutish man"; "bestial treatment of prisoners"
cannibalic
marked by barbarity suggestive of a cannibal; rapaciously savage
pitiless, unkind
deficient in humane and kindly feelings
bantering, facetious, tongue-in-cheek
cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice"
humorous, humourous
full of or characterized by humor; "humorous stories"; "humorous cartoons"; "in a humorous vein"
buffoonish, clownish, clowlike, zany
like a clown; "a buffoonish walk"; "a clownish face"; "a zany sense of humor"
amusing, comic, comical, funny, laughable, mirthful, risible
arousing or provoking laughter; "an amusing film with a steady stream of pranks and pratfalls"; "an amusing fellow"; "a comic hat"; "a comical look of surprise"; "funny stories that made everybody laugh"; "a very funny writer"; "it would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt so much"; "a mirthful experience"; "risible courtroom antics"
droll
comical in an odd or whimsical manner; "a droll little man with a quiet tongue-in-cheek kind of humor"
dry, ironic, ironical, wry
humorously sarcastic or mocking; "dry humor"; "an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely"; "an ironic novel"; "an ironical smile"; "with a wry Scottish wit"
Gilbertian
wildly comic and improbable as in Gilbert and Sullivan operas; "a Gilbertian world people with foundlings and changelings"- T.C.Worsley
farcical, ludicrous, ridiculous
broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; "the wild farcical exuberance of a clown"; "ludicrous green hair"
hilarious, screaming(a), uproarious
marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter; "hilarious broad comedy"; "a screaming farce"; "uproarious stories"
jesting, jocose, jocular, joking
characterized by jokes and good humor
killing, sidesplitting
(informal) very funny; "a killing joke"; "sidesplitting antics"
seriocomic, seriocomical
having a mixture of serious with the comic with comic predominating; "a seriocomic novel"
tragicomic, tragicomical
having pathetic as well as ludicrous characteristics; "her life...presented itself to me as a tragicomical adventure"- Joseph Conrad"
witty
combining clever conception and facetious expression; "his sermons were unpredictably witty and satirical as well as eloquent"
waggish
witty or joking; "Muskrat Castle as the house has been facetiously named by some waggish officer"- James Fenimore Cooper
humorless, unhumorous
lacking humor; "it was a humorless wink; a wink of warning"- Truman Capote
unfunny
not funny; especially failing to achieve the intended humor; "a very unfunny joke"
sobersided, solemn
completely lacking in humor or lightness of touch; "choreography that was sobersided and sententious"; "a play with a solemn social message"
flying, quick, fast
hurried and brief; "paid a flying visit"; "took a flying glance at the book"; "a quick inspection"; "a fast visit"
hurried
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste; "a hurried trip to the store"; "the hurried life of a city"; "a hurried job"
hasty, headlong
excessively quick; "made a hasty exit"; "a headlong rush to sell"
hasty, overhasty, precipitate, precipitant
done with very great haste and without due deliberation; "hasty marriage seldom proveth well"- Shakespeare; "hasty makeshifts take the place of planning"- Arthur Geddes; "rejected what was regarded as an overhasty plan for reconversion"; "wondered whether they had been rather precipitate in deposing the king"
unhurried
relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste; "people strolling about in an unhurried way"; "an unhurried walk"; "spoke in a calm and unhurried voice"
helter-skelter, pell-mell
with undue hurry and confusion; "a helter-skelter kind of existence with never a pause"; "a pell-mell dash for the train"
rush(a), rushed
done under pressure; "a rush job"
careful, deliberate, measured
with care and dignity; "walking at the same measured pace"; "with all deliberate speed"
easy, easygoing, leisurely
not hurried or forced; "an easy walk around the block"; "at a leisurely (or easygoing) pace"
elusive
difficult to describe; "a haunting elusive odor"
intangible
hard to pin down or identify; "an intangible feeling of impending disaster"
impaired
diminished in strength, quality, or utility; "impaired eyesight"
dicky, dickey
(British informal) faulty; "I've got this dicky heart"- John le Carre
broken
weakened and infirm; "broken health resulting from alcoholism"
unimpaired
not damaged or diminished in any respect; "his speech remained unimpaired"
intact
not impaired or diminished in any way; "emerged from the trial with his prestige intact"; "the blast left his hearint intact"
important, of import
of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"
alpha
first in order of importance; "the alpha male in the group of chimpanzees"; "the alpha star in a constellation is the brightest or main star"
all-important(a), all important(p), crucial, essential, of the essence(p)
of the greatest importance; "the all-important subject of disarmament"; "crucial information"; "in chess cool nerves are of the essence"
cardinal, central, fundamental, key, primal
serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"
big
(informal) "graduation was a big day in his life"
burning(a)
of immediate import; "burning issues of the day"
chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a)
most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"
distinguished, eminent, great
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation; "our distinguished professor"; "an eminent scholar"; "a great statesman"
consequential, eventful
having important issues or results; "the year's only really consequential legislation"; "an eventful decision"
Copernican
of radical or major importance; "a Copernican revolution in modern art"
grave, grievous, heavy, weighty
of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought; "grave responsibilities"; "faced a grave decision in a time of crisis"; "a grievous fault"; "heavy matters of state"; "the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference"
historic
important in history; "the historic first voyage to outer space"
measurable
of distinguished importance; "a measurable figure in literature"
most-valuable
(sports) designating the player judged to be the most important to the sport; "the most-valuable player award"
serious
of great consequence; "marriage is a serious matter"
strategic
highly important to or an integral part of a strategy or plan of action especially in war; "a strategic chess move"; "strategic withdrawal"; "strategic bombing missions"
useful, valuable, of value
of great importance or use or service; "useful information"; "valuable advice"
unimportant
not important; "a relatively unimportant feature of the system"; "the question seems unimportant"
inconsequent, inconsequential
lacking worth or importance; "his work seems trivial and inconsequential"; "the quite inconsequent fellow was managed like a puppet"
immaterial, indifferent
lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other; often followed by "to"; "whether you choose to do it or not is a matter that is quite immaterial (or indifferent)"; "what others think is altogether indifferent to him"
fiddling, footling, lilliputian, little, niggling, piddling, piffling, petty, picayune, trivial
(informal terms) small and of little importance; "a fiddling sum of money"; "a footling gesture"; "our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war"; "a little (or small) matter"; "a dispute over niggling details"; "limited to petty enterprises"; "piffling efforts"; "giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction"
lightweight
having no importance or influence; "a lightweight intellect"
nickel-and-dime, small-time
having no real backing; "a nickel-and-dime operation run out of a single rented room"; "a small-time actor"
potty
(British informal) trivial; "potty little details"
impressive
making a strong or vivid impression; "an impressive ceremony"
arresting, sensational, stunning
commanding attention; "an arresting drawing of people turning into animals"; "a sensational concert--one never to be forgotten"; "a stunning performance"
amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, awing
inspiring awe or admiration or wonder; "New York is an amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight"; "the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent"
astonishing, astounding, staggering, stupefying
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm; "such an enormous response was astonishing"; "an astounding achievement"; "the amount of money required was staggering"; "suffered a staggering defeat"; "the figure inside the boucle dress was stupefying"
baronial, imposing, noble, stately
impressive in appearance; "a baronial mansion"; "an imposing residence"; "a noble tree"; "severe-looking policemen sat astride noble horses"; "stately columns"
dazzling, fulgurant, fulgurous
dazzling; suggestive of the flashing of lightning; "the skater's dazzling virtuosic leaps"; "these great best canvases still look as astonishing and as invitingly new as they did...when...his fulgurant popularity was in full growth"- Janet Flanner; "adventures related...in a style both vivid and fulgurous"- Idwal Jones
dramatic, spectacular, striking
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect; "a dramatic sunset"; "a dramatic pause"; "a spectacular display of northern lights"; "it was a spectacular play"; "his striking good looks always created a sensation"
gallant, lofty, majestic, proud
having or displaying great dignity or nobility; "a gallant pageant"; "lofty ships"; "majestic cities"; "proud alpine peaks"
expansive, grand
impressive in scale; "an expansive lifestyle"; "in the grand manner"
formidable
extremely impressive in strength or excellence; "a formidable opponent"; "the challenge was formidable"; "had a formidable array of compositions to his credit"; "the formidable army of brains at the Prime Minister's disposal"
heroic, grand
impressive in size or scope; "heroic undertakings"
brilliant, glorious, magnificent, splendid
characterized by or attended with brilliance or grandeur; "the brilliant court life at Versailles"; "a glorious work of art"; "magnificent cathedrals"; "the splendid coronation ceremony"
grandiose
impressive because of unnecessary largeness or grandeur; used to show disapproval
palatial
suitable for or like a palace; "palatial furnishings"; "a palatial yacht"
important-looking
impressive in appearance
mind-boggling
intellectually or emotionally overwhelming; "a mind-boggling display"; "a mind-boggling puzzle"
signal
notably out of the ordinary; "the year saw one signal triumph for the Labour party"
thundering
extraordinarily big or impressive; "a thundering success"; "the thundering silence of what was left unsaid"
unimposing
lacking in impressiveness; "on the whole the results of this system are unimposing"
unimpressive
not capable of impressing
noticeable
capable or worthy of drawing attention; "noticeable shadows under her eyes"; "noticeable for its vivid historical background"; "a noticeable lack of friendliness"
marked, pronounced
strongly marked; easily noticeable; "walked with a marked limp"; "a pronounced flavor of cinnamon"
noted
worthy of notice or attention; "a noted increase in the crime rate"
unnoticeable
not noticeable; not drawing attention; "her clothes were simple and unnoticeable"- J.G.Cozzens
insignificant, undistinguished
not worthy of notice
improved
made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing; "new houses are springing up on an improved tract of land near the river"; "an improved breed"
unimproved
not made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially not made ready for use or marketing; "taxes on unimproved land are low"; "unimproved dirt roads"
accident-prone
having more than the average number of accidents
indulgent
showing or characterized by or given to indulgence; "indulgent grandparents"
dissipated, betting, card-playing, gambling, sporting
preoccupied with the pursuit of pleasure and especially games of chance; "led a dissipated life"; "a betting man"; "a card-playing son of a bitch"; "a gambling fool"; "sporting gents and their ladies"
decadent, effete
marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay; "a decadent life of excessive money and no sense of responsibility"; "a group of effete self-professed intellectuals"
gay
given to social pleasures often including dissipation; "led a gay Bohemian life"; "a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies"
epicurean, luxurious, sybaritic, voluptuary, voluptuous
furnishing gratification of the senses; "an epicurean banquet"; "enjoyed a luxurious suite with a crystal chandelier and thick oriental rugs"; "Lucullus spent the remainder of his days in voluptuous magnificence"; "a chinchilla robe of sybaritic lavishness"
hedonic, hedonistic, epicurean
devoted to pleasure; "a hedonic thrill"; "lives of unending hedonistic delight"; "epicurean pleasures"
intemperate
given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors
pampering(a)
overly indulgent; "pampering parents often have spoilt children"
austere, stern
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; "an austere expression"; "a stern face"
self-indulgent
indulgent of your own appetites and desires; "a self-indulgent...way of looking at life"- Havelock Ellis
nonindulgent
not indulgent
blue(a), puritan, puritanic, puritanical
morally rigorous and strict; "blue laws"; "the puritan work ethic"; "puritanic distaste for alcohol"; "she was anything but puritanical in her behavior"
severe, spartan, strict
unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing"
infectious
easily spread; "fear is exceedlingly infectious; children catch it from their elders"- Bertrand Russell
contagious
easily diffused or spread as from one person to another; "a contagious grin"
corrupting, contaminating
that infects or taints
noninfectious
not infectious
Stygian
hellish; "Hence loathed Melancholy.../In Stygian cave forlorn"- Milton
infernal
being of a lower world of the dead; "infernal regions"
chthonian, chthonic, lower, nether
of the underworld; "nether regions"
Hadean, Plutonian, Tartarean
of or relating to or characteristic of Hades or Tartarus
supernal
being or coming from on high; "interpret the plague as a visitation from heaven, a supernal punishment for the sins of men"
revealing, telling, telltale(a)
disclosing unintentionally; "a telling smile"; "a telltale panel of lights"; "a telltale patch of oil on the water marked where the boat went down"
newsy
full of news; "a newsy letter"
illuminating, enlightening
highly enlightening; making understandable or clarifying; "an illuminating lecture"; "illuminating pieces of information"
uninformative, uninstructive
not informative
newsless
not providing news or information
unilluminating, unenlightening
failing to enlighten or clarify; "an unilluminating report"
gnostic
possessing intellectual or esoteric knowledge of spiritual things
noncommital, undogmatic, undogmatical
characterized by tolerance; "although favoring European unity he was noncommital about the form it should take"
abreast of(p), au courant, au fait, up on(p)
being up to particular standard or level especially in being up to date in knowledge; "kept abreast of the latest developments"; "constant revision keeps the book au courant"; "always au fait on the latest events"; "up on the news"
informed
having much knowledge or education; "an informed public"; "informed opinion"; "the informed customer"
conversant(p), familiar(p)
(usually followed by `with') well informed about; "conversant with business trends"; "familiar with trends in education"
hep, hip, hip to(p)
(informal) informed about the latest trends
educated, enlightened
having or based on relevant experience; "an educated guess"; "an enlightened electorate"
ingenuous, artless
characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious; "an ingenuous admission of responsibility"
candid, open
openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness; "his candid eyes"; "an open and trusting nature"
undistorted
without alteration or misrepresentation; "his judgment was undistorted by emotion"
disingenuous, artful
not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse"
distorted, misrepresented, perverted, twisted
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented; "many of the facts seemed twisted out of any semblance to reality"; "a perverted translation of the poem"
underpopulated
having a lower population density than normal or desirable; "the richly endowed but underpopulated Ivory Coast"
populous, thickly settled
densely populated
uninhibited
not inhibited or restrained; "uninhibited exuberance"
smothered, stifled, strangled, suppressed
held in check with difficulty; "a smothered cough"; "a stifled yawn"; "a strangled scream"; "suppressed laughter"
abandoned
free from constraint; "an abandoned sadness born of grief"- Liam O'Flaherty
earthy
hearty and lusty; "an earthy enjoyment of life"
unrepressed
not repressed; "unrepressed hostilities"
unsuppressed
given vent to; "unsuppressed rage"; "unsuppressed feelings"
harmed
having had pain or loss or suffering inflicted
innocent, guiltless, clean-handed
free from evil or guilt; "an innocent child"; "the principle that one is innocent until proved guilty"
blameless, inculpable, irreproachable, unimpeachable
free of guilt; not subject to blame; "has lived a blameless life"; "of irreproachable character"; "an unimpeachable reputation"
inspiring
stimulating or exalting to the spirit
ennobling, exalting
tending to exalt; "an exalting eulogy"; "ennobling thoughts"
uninspiring
depressing to the spirit; "a villa of uninspiring design"
doctrinaire
stubbornly insistent on theory without regard for practicality or suitability
enlightening, informative, instructive
tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance; "an enlightening glimpse of government in action"
uninstructive, uninformative
not informative or enlightening
edifying, enlightening
enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement; "the paintings in the church served an edifying purpose even for those who could not read"
unedifying, unenlightening
not edifying
unenlightening, uninformative, uninstructive
not tending to inform or clarify; "an unenlightening comment"
integrated
formed into a whole or introduced into another entity; "a more closely integrated economic and political system"- Dwight D.Eisenhower; "an integrated Europe"
coordinated, interconnected, unified
operating as a unit; "a unified utility system"; "a coordinated program"
tight-knit, tightly knit
closely and firmly integrated; "a tight-knit organization"
plastic
used of the imagination; "material...transformed by the plastic power of the imagination" (Coleridge)
intellectual
appealing to or using the intellect; "satire is an intellectual weapon"; "intellectual workers engaged in creative literary or artistic or scientific labor"; "has tremendous intellectual sympathy for oppressed people"; "coldly intellectual"; "sort of the intellectual type"; "intellectual literature"
highbrow, highbrowed
(informal) highly cultured or educated; "highbrow events such as the ballet or opera"; "a highbrowed literary critic"
reflective
devoted to matters of the mind; "the reflective type"
rational
having its source in or being guided by the intellect (distinguished from experience or emotion); "a rational analysis"
good, serious
appealing to the mind; "good music"; "a serious book"
sophisticated
intellectually appealing; "a sophisticated drama"
anti-intellectual, philistine
smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values
nonintellectual
not intellectual
lowbrow, lowbrowed, uncultivated
characteristic of a person who is not cultivated or does not have intellectual tastes; "lowbrow tastes"
mindless
requiring little mental effort; "mindless tasks"
agile, nimble
mentally quick; "an agile mind"; "nimble wits"
intelligent
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree; "is there intelligent life in the universe?"; "an intelligent question"
alert
mentally responsive; "an alert mind"
brainy, brilliant, smart as a whip
having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence; "some men dislike brainy women"; "a brilliant mind"; "a brilliant solution to the problem"
apt, clever
mentally quick and resourceful; "an apt pupil"; "you are a clever man...you reason well and your wit is bold"-Bram Stoker
incisive, keen, sharp
very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation; "an incisive mind"; "a keen intelligence"; "of sharp and active intellect"
bright, smart
characterized by quickness and ease in learning; "some children are brighter in one subject than another"; "smart children talk earlier than the average"
quick, ready
apprehending and responding with speed and sensitivity; "a quick mind"; "a ready wit"
prehensile
having a keen intellect; "poets--those gifted strangely prehensile men"- A.T.Quiller-Couch
searching, trenchant
having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect; "searching insights"; "trenchant criticism"
scintillating
brilliantly clever; "scintillating wit"; "a play full of scintillating dialogue"
imbecile, imbecilic
having a mental age of three to seven years
unintelligent, stupid
without much intelligence; "a dull job with lazy and unintelligent co-workers"
brainless, headless
not using intelligence
feebleminded, half-witted, slow-witted
mentally deficient
moronic
having a mental age of between eight and twelve years
unintelligible
poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise; "unintelligible speech"
intelligible
well articulated or enunciated, and loud enough to be heard distinctly; "intelligible pronunciation"
slurred, thick
spoken as if with a thick tongue; "the thick speech of a drunkard"; "his words were slurred"
well-intentioned, well-meaning, well-meant
marked by good intentions though often producing unfortunate results; "a well-intentioned but clumsy waiter"; "a well-meaning but tactless fellow"; "the son's well-meaning efforts threw a singular chill upon the father's admirers"- S.W.Maughm; "blunt but well-meant criticism"
aggravating, exacerbating, exasperating
making worse
alleviative, alleviatory, lenitive, mitigative, mitigatory, palliative
moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
tempering
moderating by making more temperate
weakening
moderating by making pain or sorrow weaker
blase, bored
uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence; "his blase indifference"; "a petulent blase air"; "the bored gaze of the successful film star"
dismissive
showing indifference or disregard; "a dismissive shrug"
dulled, benumbed
having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure; "the mind of the audience is becoming dulled"; "the benumbed intellectual faculties can no longer respond"
intriguing
capable of arousing interest or curiosity; "our team came up with some most intriguing finds"
interesting
arousing or holding the attention
absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, gripping, riveting
capable of arousing and holding the attention; "a fascinating story"
newsworthy
sufficiently interesting to be reported in a newspaper
uninteresting
arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement; "a very uninteresting account of her trip"
unputdownable
(of a book etc) so well written and entertaining as to be difficult to put down; "Unless the story is at once as unputdownable to a taxi driver as to a university professor it is not good enough"- Brian Burland
boring, deadening, dull, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisome
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness; "a boring evening with uninteresting people"; "the deadening effect of some routine tasks"; "a dull play"; "his competent but dull performance"; "a ho-hum speaker who couldn't capture their attention"; "what an irksome task the writing of long letters is"- Edmund Burke; "tedious days on the train"; "the tiresome chirping of a cricket"- Mark Twain; "other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome"
insipid, jejune
lacking interest or significance; "an insipid personality"; "jejune novel"
narcotic, soporiferous, soporific
inducing mental lethargy; "a narcotic speech"
pedestrian, prosaic, prosy, earthbound
lacking wit or imagination; "a pedestrian movie plot"
ponderous
labored and dull; "a ponderous speech"
putdownable
(of a book) so poorly written and unentertaining as to be easily put down
intrinsic, intrinsical
belonging to a thing by its very nature; "form was treated as something intrinsic, as the very essence of the thing"- John Dewey
built-in, constitutional, inbuilt, inherent, integral
existing as an essential constituent or characteristic; "the Ptolemaic system with its built-in concept of periodicity"; "a constitutional inability to tell the truth"
accidental, adventitious
associated by chance and not an integral part; "poetry is something to which words are the accidental, not by any means the essential form"- Frederick W. Robertson; "they had to decide whether his misconduct was adventitious or the result of a flaw in his character"
inner, internal, intimate
innermost or essential; "the inner logic of Cubism"; "the internal contradictions of the theory"; "the intimate structure of matter"
extrinsic
not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside; "extrinsic evidence"; "an extrinsic feature of the new building"; "that style is something extrinsic to the subject"; "looking for extrinsic aid"
adscititious
added or derived from something outside; not inherent; "an adscititious habit rather than an inherent taste"
alien, foreign
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something; "an economic theory alien to the spirit of capitalism"; "the mysticism so foreign to the French mind and temper"; "jealousy is foreign to her nature"
extraneous
not essential; "the ballet struck me as extraneous and somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the play"
encroaching(a), invasive, trespassing(a)
gradually intrusive without right or permision; "we moved back from the encroaching tide"; "invasive tourists"; "trespassing hunters"
intrusive
tending to intrude (especially upon privacy); "she felt her presence there was intrusive"
interfering, meddlesome, meddling, officious, busy, busybodied
intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner; "an interfering old woman"; "bustling about self-importantly making an officious nuisance of himself"; "busy about other people's business"
unintrusive, not intrusive
not interfering or meddling
starting
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear; "with eyes starting from their sockets"
invigorating
imparting strength and vitality; "the invigorating mountain air"
bracing, brisk, energizing, fresh, refreshing, refreshful, tonic
imparting vitality and energy; "the bracing mountain air"
animating, enlivening
giving spirit and vivacity
corroborant
(used of a medicine; archaic) strengthening
renewing, restorative, reviving, revitalizing
tending to impart new life and vigor to; "the renewing warmth of the sunshine"
exhilarating, stimulating
making lively and cheerful; "the exhilarating effect of mountain air"
fortifying, strengthening
invigorating physically or mentally
life-giving, vital, vitalizing
giving or having the power to give life and spirit; "returning the life-giving humus to the land"- Louis Bromfield; "life-giving love and praise"; "the vital rays of the warming sun"
draining, exhausting, killing
having a debilitating effect; "a killing job in the hot sun"
debilitating
impairing the strength and vitality
debilitative, enervating, enfeebling, weakening
causing debilitation
inviting
attractive and tempting; "an inviting offer"
tantalizing, tempting
very pleasantly inviting; "a tantalizing aroma"; "a tempting repast"
unattractive, untempting
not appealing to the senses; "untempting food"
tantalizing
arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable or mockingly out of reach; "a tantalizing taste of success"
uninviting
neither attractive nor tempting
bittersweet
tinged with sadness; "a movie with a bittersweet ending"
depressing, depressive, gloomy, saddening
causing or suggestive of sorrow or gloom; "a gloomy outlook"; "gloomy news"
doleful, mournful
filled with or evoking sadness; "the child's doleful expression"; "stared with mournful eyes"; "mournful news"
tragic, tragical
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction; "a tragic face"; "a tragic plight"; "a tragic accident"
tragicomic, tragicomical
manifesting both tragic and comic aspects; "the tragicomic disparity...between's man's aspirations and his accomplishments"- B.R.Redman
wistful, yearning
full of longing or unfulfilled desire; "those wistful little ads that the lovelorn place in the classifieds"
joyful
full of or producing joy; "make a joyful noise"; "a joyful occasion"
beatific
experiencing or bestowing celestial joy; "beatific peace"
grievous, heartbreaking, heartrending
causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking"; "the heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter"
bitter
expressive of severe grief or regret; "shed bitter tears"
lamentable
an archaic word for mournful; "tell thou the lamentable tale of me, And send the hearers weeping to their beds"- Shakespeare
lugubrious
excessively mournful
gala(a), gay, festal, festive, merry
offering fun and gaiety; "a gala ball after the inauguration"; "a festive (or festal) occasion"; "gay and exciting night life"; "a merry evening"
funereal, sepulchral
suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial; "funereal gloom"; "hollow sepulchral tones"
lush, succulent
full of juice; "lush fruits"; "succulent roast beef"; "succulent plants with thick fleshy leaves"
sappy
abounding in sap; "sappy maple trees"; "sappy kindling wood"
conscionable
acceptable to your conscience
fitting, meet
being precisely fitting and right
retributive, retributory
given or inflicted in requital according to merits or deserts; "retributive justice"
merited
properly earned or deserved; "a merited success"
condign
fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of punishment; "condign censure"
deserved, due
proper and appropriate; fitting; "richly deserved punishment"; "due esteem"
earned
merited through behavior; "a well-earned rest"
unmerited
not merited or deserved; "received an unmerited honorary degree"
gratuitous
without cause; "a gratuitous insult"
undeserved, unearned
not deserved or earned; "has an undeserved reputation as a coward"
kind
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior; "kind to sick patients"; "a kind master"; "kind words showing understanding and sympathy"; "thanked her for her kind letter"
charitable, kindly, sympathetic
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding; "was charitable in his opinions of others"; "kindly criticism"; "a kindly act"; "sympathetic words"
benignant, gracious
characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects; "our benignant king"
benign
of disposition or manner; "the benign ruler of millions"; "benign intentions"
gentle
having or showing a kindly or tender nature; "the gentle touch of her hand"; "her gentle manner was comforting"; "a gentle sensitive nature"; "gentle blue eyes"
kindhearted
having or proceeding from an innately kind disposition; "a generous and kindhearted teacher"
cutting, edged, stinging
(of speech) harsh or hurtful in tone or character; "cutting remarks"; "edged satire"; "a stinging comment"
unkind
lacking kindness; "a thoughtless and unkind remark"; "the unkindest cut of all"
harsh
extremely unkind or cruel; "had harsh words"; "a harsh and unlovable old tyrant"
unkindly, unsympathetic
lacking in sympathy and kindness; "unkindly acts"
celebrated, famed, far-famed, famous, illustrious, notable, noted, renowned
widely known and esteemed; "a famous actor"; "a celebrated musician"; "a famed scientist"; "an illustrious judge"; "a notable historian"; "a renowned painter"
legendary
so celebrated as to having taken on the nature of a legend; "the legendary exploits of the arctic trailblazers"
proverbial
widely known and spoken of; "her proverbial lateness"; "the proverbial absentiminded professor"; "your proverbial dizzy blonde"
misunderstood
wrongly understood; "a misunderstood criticism"; "a misunderstood question"
ample, sizable, sizeable
fairly large; "a sizable fortune"; "an ample waistline"; "of ample proportions"
large, big
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent; "a large city"; "set out for the big city"; "a large sum"; "a big (or large) barn"; "a large family"; "big businesses"; "a big expenditure"; "a large number of newspapers"; "a big group of scientists"; "large areas of the world"
astronomic, astronomical, galactic
inconceivably large
biggish, largish
somewhat large
broad, spacious, wide
very large in expanse or scope; "a broad lawn"; "the wide plains"; "a spacious view"; "spacious skies"
deep
large in quantity or size; "deep cuts in the budget"
bulky
of large size for its weight
capacious
large in capacity; "she carried a capacious bag"
colossal, prodigious, stupendous
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; "colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple"; "has a colossal nerve"; "a prodigious storm"; "a stupendous field of grass"; "stupendous demand"
enormous, tremendous
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree; "an enormous boulder"; "enormous expenses"; "tremendous sweeping plains"; "a tremendous face in human experience; that...civilization should be dependent on technology"- Walter Lippman; "a plane took off with a tremendous noise"
cosmic
inconceivably extended in space or time
elephantine, gargantuan, giant, jumbo
of great mass; huge and bulky; "a jumbo jeg"
epic, heroic, larger-than-life
surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale; "an epic voyage"; "of heroic proportions"; "heroic sculpture"
extensive, extended
large in extent or range; "an extensive Roman settlement in northwest England"; "extended farm lands"
gigantic, mammoth
so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth; "a gigantic redwood"; "gigantic disappointment"; "a mammoth ship"; "a mammoth multinational corporation"
great
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind; "a great juicy steak"; "a great multitude"; "the great auk"; "a great old oak"; "a great ocean liner"; "a great delay"
hulking, hulky
of great size and bulk; "a hulking figure of a man"; "three hulking battleships"
huge, immense, vast
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope; "huge government spending"; "huge country estates"; "huge popular demand for higher education"; "a huge wave"; "the Los Angeles aqueduct winds like an immense snake along the base of the mountains"; "immense numbers of birds"; "at vast (or immense) expense"; "the vast reaches of outer space"; "the vast accumulation of knowledge...which we call civilization"- W.R.Inge
humongous, thumping, whopping, walloping
(used informally) very large; "a thumping loss"
large-scale
unusually large in scope; "a large-scale attack on AIDS is needed"
large-scale
constructed or drawn to a big scale; "large-scale maps"
macro
(combining form) very large in scale or scope or capability; "`macro' in the word `macroscopic' is a combining form"
man-sized
(informal) appropriate to the size of a man; "a man-sized piece of cake"
massive, monolithic, monumental
imposing in size or bulk or solidity; "massive oak doors"; "Moore's massive sculptures"; "the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture"; "a monumental scale"
massive
imposing in scale or scope or degree or power; "massive retaliatory power"; "a massive increase in oil prices"; "massive changes"
monstrous
abnormally large
mountainous
like a mountain in size and impressiveness; "mountainous waves"; "a mountainous dark man"
outsize, outsized, oversize, oversized
larger than normal for its kind
overlarge, too large
excessively large
plumping
very large; of exceptional size for its kind; "won by a plumping majority"
super
extremely large; "another super skyscraper"
rangy
allowing ample room for ranging
voluminous
large in volume or bulk; "a voluminous skirt"
titanic
of great force or power
whacking
(British informal) enormous; "a whacking phone bill"; "a whacking lie"
small, little
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent; "a little dining room"; "a small house"; "read the small print"; "a little (or small) group"
wide-ranging
including much; "the pianist's wide-ranging repertoire"
bantam, diminutive, lilliputian, midget, petite, tiny
very small; "diminutive in stature"; "a lilliputian chest of drawers"; "her petite figure"; "tiny feet"
bitty, bittie, teensy, teentsy, teeny, wee, weeny, weensy, teensy-weensy
used informally; very small; "a wee tot"
dwarf, dwarfish
atypically small; "dwarf tree"; "dwarf star"
dinky
(informal) small and insignificant; "we stayed in a dinky old hotel"
elfin, elflike
small and delicate; "she was an elfin creature--graceful and delicate"; "obsessed by things elfin and small"
fine
very small; "be sure to read the fine print"
infinitesimal, minute, microscopic
infinitely or immeasurably small; "two minute whiplike threads of protoplasm"; "reduced to a microscopic scale"
gnomish
used of small deformed creatures
half-size
half the usual or regular size
micro
extremely small in scale or scope or capability
miniature
being on a very small scale; "a miniature camera"
minuscule, miniscule
very small; "a minuscule kitchen"; "a minuscule amount of rain fell"
puny, runty, shrimpy
(used especially of persons) of inferior size
slender, slim
small in quantity; "slender wages"; "a slim chance of winning"; "a small surplus"
greater
greater in size or importance or degree; "for the greater good of the community"; "the greater Antilles"
smallish
rather small
small-scale
created or drawn on a small scale; "small-scale maps"; "a small-scale model"
undersize, undersized
smaller than normal for its kind
lesser
of less size or importance; "the lesser anteater"; "the lesser of two evils"
open, wide-open, lawless
lax in enforcing laws; "an open town"
snug
well and tightly constructed; "a snug house"; "a snug little sailboat"
like, similar
resembling or similar; having the same or some of the same characteristics; often used in combination; "suits of like design"; "a limited circle of like minds"; "members of the cat family have like dispositions"; "as like as two peas in a pod"; "doglike devotion"; "a dreamlike quality"
ish(ip), ly(ip), y(ip)
(suffix) resembling or characteristic of something specified; "the `ish' in `boyish enthusiasm' and the `ly' in `housewifely duties' and the `y' in `a long horsy face' are all suffixes with similar semantic import"
suchlike
of the same kind; "a locker that usually contained paper, ink, and suchlike equipment"
like-minded
of the same turn of mind
unlike, dissimilar, different
not like; marked by dissimilarity; "for twins they are very unlike"; "people are profoundly different"
unalike, dissimilar
not alike or similar; "as unalike as two people could be"
alike(p), similar, like
having the same or similar characteristics; "all politicians are alike"; "they looked utterly alike"; "friends are generaly alike in background and taste"
promising
showing possibility of achievement or excellence; "a promising young man"
limited
small in range or scope; "limited war"; "a limited success"; "a limited circle of friends"
constricted
inhibited; "when modern man feels socially constricted his first impulse is to move"
bottomless
having no apparent limits or bounds; "a bottomless supply of money"; "bottomless pockets"
minor, modest, small, small-scale
limited in size or scope; "a small business"; "a newspaper with a modest circulation"; "small-scale plans"
narrow
limited in size or scope; "the narrow sense of a word"
unlimited, limitless
having no limits in range or scope; "to start with a theory of unlimited freedom is to end up with unlimited despotism"- Philip Rahv; "the limitless reaches of outer space"
untrammeled, untrammelled
not confined or limited; "the gift of a fresh eye and an untrammeled curiosity"- Russell Lord; "the untrammeled rush that the snows had shown in the first spring sun"- Farley Mowat
oceanic
resembling the ocean in apparent limitlessness in extent or degree; "the oceanic violence of his rage"
analogical
expressing, composed of, or based on an analogy; "the analogical use of a metaphor"
metaphorical, metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another; "a metaphorical expression"; "metaphoric language"
poetic
characterized by romantic imagery; "Turner's vision of the rainbow...was poetic"
habitable, inhabitable
fit for habitation; "the habitable world"
livable, liveable
fit or suitable to live in or with; "livable conditions"
unlivable, unliveable
unfit or unsuitable to live in or with; "unlivable substandard housing"
uninhabitable
not fit for habitation
absurd, incongruous, unreasonable
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense; "the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant"- Walter Lippman
long
primarily spatial sense; of relatively great or greater than average spatial extension or extension as specified; "a long road"; "a long distance"; "contained many long words"; "ten miles long"
far
being of a considerable distance or length; "a far trek"
long-distance
covering long distances; "a long-distance runner"; "long-distance telephone"
long-range
suitable for or reaching long distances; "long-range nuclear capability"
short
primarily spatial sense; having little length or lacking in length; "short skirts"; "short hair"; "the board was a foot short"; "a short toss"
short-range
limited to short distances; "short-range planes"; "a short-range shot"
shortish
somewhat short
stubby
short and blunt; "stubby fingers"; "a stubby pencil"
snub
unusually short; "a snub nose"
telescoped, shortened
shortened by or as if by means of parts that slide one within another or are crushed one into another; "a miracle that anyone survived in the telescoped cars"; "years that seemed telescoped like time in a dream"
drawn-out, extended, lengthy, prolonged, protracted
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted; "a drawn-out argument"; "an extended discussion"; "a lengthy visit from her mother-in-law"; "a prolonged and bitter struggle"; "protracted negotiations"
long
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified; ; "a long life"; "a long boring speech"; "a long time"; "a long friendship"; "a long game"; "long ago"; "an hour long"
agelong
lasting through all time; "agelong struggle for freedom"
durable, lasting, long-lasting, long-lived
existing for a long time; "hopes for a durable peace"; "a long-lasting friendship"
endless, eternal, interminable
tiresomely long; seemingly without end; "endless debates"; "an endless conversation"; "the wait seemed eternal"; "eternal quarreling"; "an interminable sermon"
lifelong, womb-to-tomb
continuing through life; "a lifelong friend"; "from lifelong habit"i; "his lifelong study of Greek art"
longitudinal
over an extended time; "a longitudinal study of twins"
long-acting
active over a long period of time
longish
somewhat long
long-run, long-term, semipermanent
relating to or extending over a relatively long time; "the long-run significance of the elections"; "the long-term reconstruction of countries damaged by the war"; "a long-term investment"
long-range
involving an extended span of time; "long-range goals"
short
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration; "a short life"; "a short flight"; "a short holiday"; "a short story"; "only a few short months"
longstanding
having existed for a long time; "a longstanding friendship"; "the longstanding conflict"
perennial
lasting an indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal; "perennial happiness"
abbreviated, shortened, truncated
cut short in duration; "the abbreviated speech"; "a curtailed visit"; "her shortened life was clearly the result of smoking"; "an unsatisfactory truncated conversation"
brief, little
of short duration; "a brief stay in the country"; "in a little while"
fleeting, fugitive, momentaneous, momentary
lasting for a markedly brief time; "a fleeting glance"; "fugitive hours"; "rapid momentaneous association of things that meet and pass"; "a momentary glimpse"
short-run, short-term
relating to or extending over a limited period; "short-run planning"; "a short-term lease"; "short-term credit"
short and sweet(p)
dealt with very quickly; to the point; "the conference was short and sweet"; "make your statement short and sweet"
short-range
relating to the near future; "a short-range policy"
baggy, loose-fitting
not fitting closely; hanging loosely; "baggy trousers"; "a loose-fitting blouse is comfortable in hot weather"
loose
not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose"
flyaway
(of hair or clothing) worn loose; "her flyaway hair"; "a flyaway coat"
tight
closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "tight skirts"; "he hated tight starched collars"; "fingers closed in a tight fist"; "a tight feeling in his chest"
binding, constricting
hindering freedom of movement; "tight garments are uncomfortably binding"
choky
so tight as to tend to choke; "a choky collar"
clenched, clinched
closed or squeezed together tightly; "a clenched fist"; "his clenched (or clinched) teeth"
tight-fitting, tightly fitting
fitting snugly; "a tightly-fitting cover"; "tight-fitting clothes"
close, snug, close-fitting
fitting closely but comfortably; "a close fit"
skintight
so tight as to cling to the skin; "skintight jeans"
viselike
clamped as in a vise; "a viselike grip"
constricted
drawn together or squeezed physically or by extension psychologically; "a constricted blood vessel"; "a constricted view of life"
unconstricted
not constricted physically or by extension psychologically; "healthy unconstricted arteries"
pinched
as if squeezed uncomfortably tight; "her pinched toes in her pointed shoes were killing her"
open
without undue constriction as from e.g. tenseness or inhibition; "the clarity and resonance of an open tone"; "her natural and open response"
squandered, wasted
not used to good advantage; "squandered money cannot be replaced"; "a wasted effort"
lost
spiritually or physically doomed or destroyed; "lost souls"; "a lost generation"; "a lost ship"; "the lost platoon"
destroyed, ruined
destroyed physically or morally
rescued, reclaimed
delivered from danger
big
loud and firm; "a big voice"; "big bold piano sounds"
loud
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity; "a group of loud children"; "loud thunder"; "her voice was too loud"; "loud trombones"
blaring, blasting
unpleasantly loud and penetrating; "the blaring noise of trumpets"; "shut our ears against the blasting music from his car radio"
shattering
seemingly loud enough to break something; violently rattling or clattering; "shattering rain striking the windowpanes"; "the shattering tones of the enormous carillon"; "the shattering peal of artillery"
earthshaking
loud enough to shake the very earth
loud-mouthed
given to loud offensive talk
loud-voiced
having an unusually loud voice
gentle
quiet and soothing; "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne"
soft
of sound; relatively low in volume; "soft voices"; "soft music"; "
dull, muffled, muted, softened
being or made softer or less loud or clear; "the dull boom of distant breaking waves"; "muffled drums"; "the muffled noises of the street"; "muted trumpets"
little, small
(of a voice) faint; "a little voice"; "a still small voice"
low, low-toned
very low in volume; "a low murmur"; "the low-toned murmur of the surf"
murmurous, rustling, soughing, susurrous
characterized by soft sounds; "a murmurous brook"; "a soughing wind in the pines"; "a slow sad susurrous rustle like the wind fingering the pines"- R.P.Warren
soft-spoken
having a speaking manner that is not loud or harsh; "she was always soft-spoken"
soft-footed
sound of quiet gentle steps
full
(of sound) having marked depth and body; "full tones"; "a full voice"
booming, stentorian
used of the voice
plangent
loud and resounding; "plangent bells"
heavy, sonorous
full and loud and deep; "heavy sounds"; "a herald chosen for his sonorous voice"
rich
pleasantly full and mellow; "a rich tenor voice"
orotund, rotund, round
full and rich; "orotund tones"; "the rotund and reverberating phrase"
thin
(of sound) lacking resonance or volume; "a thin feeble cry"
sounding
having volume or depth; "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal"; "the sounding cataract haunted me like a passion"- Wordsworth
pale
not full or rich; "high, pale, pure and lovely song"
lovable
having characteristics that attract love or affection; "a mischievous but lovable child"
adorable, endearing, lovely
lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
hateful
evoking or deserving hatred; "no vice is universally as hateful as ingratitude"- Joseph Priestly
angelic, angelical, cherubic, seraphic, sweet
having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub; "an angelic smile"; "a cherubic face"; "looking so seraphic when he slept"; "a sweet disposition"
cuddlesome, cuddly
inviting cuddling or hugging; "a cuddlesome baby"; "a cuddly teddybear"
abominable, detestable, execrable, odious
unequivocally detestable; "abominable treatment of prisoners"; "detestable vices"; "execrable crimes"; "consequences odious to those you govern"- Edmund Burke
unlovable
incapable of inspiring love or affection; "she was in some mysterious way...unlovable"-Joseph Conrad
likable, likeable
easy to like; agreeable; "an attractive and likable young man"
dislikable
such as to provoke dislike
unlikable, unlikeable
difficult or impossible to like; "a disagreeable and unlikable old woman"
adored, idolized, worshipped(a)
regarded with deep or rapturous love (especially as if for a god); "adored grandchildren"; "an idolized wife"
blue-eyed(a), fair-haired(a), white-haired(a)
(informal) favorite; "the fair-haired boy of the literary set"
beloved, darling, dear
dearly loved
bereft, lovelorn, unbeloved
unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love
cherished, precious, treasured, wanted
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for; "a cherished friend"; "children are precious"; "a treasured heirloom"; "so good to feel wanted"
favored, favorite(a), favourite(a), pet, preferred
preferred above all others and treated with partiality; "the favored child"
unloved
not loved
alienated, estranged
caused to be unloved
jilted, rejected, spurned
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning; "jilted at the altar"
despised, detested, hated, scorned
treated with contempt
loveless
receiving no love; "a loveless childhood"
loving
feeling or showing love and affection; "loving parents"; "loving glances"
adoring, doting, fond
extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent; "adoring grandparents"; "deceiving her preoccupied and doting husband with a young captain"; "hopelessly spoiled by a fond mother"
affectionate, caring, fond, lovesome, tender, warm
having or displaying warmth or affection; "affectionate children"; "caring parents"; "a fond embrace"; "fond of his nephew"; "a tender glance"; "a warm embrace"
amatory, amorous, romantic
expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance; "her amatory affairs"; "amorous glances"; "a romantic adventure"; "a romantic moonlight ride"
affectioned
archaic
crazy, dotty, gaga, enamored, infatuated, in love, smitten, soft on(p), taken with(p)
marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness; "she was crazy about him"; "gaga over the rock group's new album"; "he was infatuated with her"
caressing, caressive
showing love; "caressive words"
idolatrous
blindly or excessively devoted or adoring
fatherly
showing the affection of a father
uxorious
foolishly fond of or submissive to your wife
loverlike, loverly
like or in the manner of a lover
overfond
excessively fond
tenderhearted
easily moved to love
unaffectionate, uncaring
lacking affection or warm feeling; "an uncaring person"
loveless
without love; "a loveless marriage"
unromantic
neither expressive of nor exciting sexual love or romance
lucky
having or bringing good fortune; "my lucky day"
hot
having or bringing unusually good luck; "hot at craps"; "the dice are hot tonight"
unlucky, luckless
having or bringing misfortune; "Friday the 13th is an unlucky date
hexed, jinxed
(usually used colloquially) causing or accompanied by misfortune
atomic, atomlike, minute
immeasurably small
minor
inferior in number or size or amount; "a minor share of the profits"; "Ursa Minor"
major
greater in scope or effect; "a major contribution"; "a major improvement"; "a major break with tradition"; "a major misunderstanding"
minor
lesser in scope or effect; "had minor differences"; "a minor disturbance"
great, outstanding
of major significance or importance; "a great work of art"; "Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th century"
major
of greater importance or stature or rank; "a major artist"; "a major role"; "major highways"
leading(p), prima(p), star(p), starring(p), stellar(a)
indicating the most important performer or role; "the leading man"; "prima ballerina"; "prima donna"; "a star figure skater"; "the starring role"; "a stellar role"; "a stellar performance"
major
of greater seriousness or danger; "a major earthquake"; "a major hurricane"; "a major illness"
minor
of lesser importance or stature or rank; "a minor poet"; "had a minor part in the play"; "a minor official"; "many of these hardy adventurers were minor noblemen"; "minor back roads"
insignificant, little, peanut, small
of little importance or influence or power; of minor status; "a minor, insignificant bureaucrat"; "the little man"; "peanut politicians"; "a crowd of small writers had vainly attempted to rival Addison"- Macaulay
secondary
not of major importance; "played a secondary role in world events"
minor
of lesser seriousness or danger; "suffered only minor injuries"; "some minor flooding"; "a minor tropical disturbance"
uncheckable
incapable of being checked or restrained
unmanageable
difficult to manage or control
indocile, uncontrollable, ungovernable, unruly
of persons; "the little boy's parents think he is spirited, but his teacher finds him unruly"
manly, manful, manlike
possessing qualities befitting a man
man-sized
calling for manly attributes; "a man-sized job"
unmanly, unmanful, unmanlike
not possessing qualities befitting a man
effeminate, emasculate, epicene, cissy, sissified, sissyish, sissy
having unsuitable feminine qualities
womanish
having characteristics associated with women and considered undesirable in men; "womanish tears"
timid
contemptibly timid
priapic
overly concerned with masculinity and male sexuality; "priapic episodes"; "priapic victories"
well-marked
clearly indicated; "a well-marked route"
scarred
deeply affected or marked by mental or physical pain or injury; "Could her scarred mind ever be free of fear?"; "a face scarred by anxiety"; "the fire left her arm badly scarred"
masculine
associated with men and not with women
male, manful, manlike, manly, virile
characteristic of a man; "a deep male voice"; "manly sports"
butch, macho
used of men; markedly masculine in appearance or manner
mannish
characteristic of a man as distinguished from a woman; "true mannish arrogance"
feminine
associated with women and not with men; "feminine intuition"
fair(a)
attractively feminine (especially in the phrase "the fair sex")
female, distaff
characteristic of or peculiar to a woman; "female sensitiveness"; "female suffrage"
powder-puff
used of competitive activities in which only women take part; "powder-puff baseball"; "a powder-puff football game"
maidenlike, maidenly
befitting or characteristic of a maiden; "a maidenly blush"
womanly, feminine
befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman; "womanly virtues of gentleness and compassion"
matronly
befitting or characteristic of a fully mature woman; "her matronly figure"
unfeminine
not suitable for a woman; "an unfeminine depth of voice"
unwomanly
not womanly; "the logical clearness of her arguments...condemned her as eccentric and unwomanly"
hoydenish, tomboyish
used of girls; wild and boisterous
mannish
resembling or imitative of or suggestive of a man rather than a woman; "a mannish stride"
coordinated, matching
intentionally matched; "curtains and walls were color coordinated"
matched
going well together; possessing harmonizing qualities
compatible, well-matched
(of a couple) existing together harmoniously
mismatched
either not matched or unsuitably matched
duplicate, matching, twin(a), twinned
being two identical
material
directly relevant to a matter especially a law case; "his support made a material difference"; "evidence material to the issue at hand"; "facts likely to influence the judgment are called material facts"; "a material witness"
ill-sorted, incompatible, mismated, unsuited
not easy to combine harmoniously
crucial, relevant
having crucial relevance; "crucial to the case"; "relevant testimony"
immaterial
of no importance or relevance especially to a law case; "an objection that is immaterial after the fact"
marriageable, nubile
of girls or women
prime
at the best stage; "our manhood's prime vigor"- Robert Browning
unformed
not yet fully formed; "unformed still in body and mind"
mature
characteristic of maturity; "mature for her age"
autumnal
characteristic of late maturity verging on decline; "a serene autumnal mood"
immature
characteristic of a lack of maturity; "immature behavior"
mellow, mellowed
having attained to kindliness or gentleness through age and experience; "mellow wisdom"; "the peace of mellow age"
ripe
at the highest point of development especially in judgment or knowledge; "a ripe mind"
babyish
characteristic of a baby; "babyish tears and petulance"
adolescent, jejune, juvenile, puerile
displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; "adolescent insecurity"; "jejune responses to our problems"; "their behavior was juvenile"; "puerile jokes"
childish, infantile
indicating a lack of maturity; "childish tantrums"; "infantile behavior"
callow, inexperienced, naive, unsophisticated
lacking experience of life; "a callow youth of seventeen"
overripe
too ripe
unaged
not subjected to an aging process; "vodka is an unaged liquor from Russia"
seasonable
in keeping with the season; "a hard but seasonable frost"; "seasonable clothes"
unseasonable
not in keeping with (and usually undesirable for) the season; "a sudden unseasonable blizzard"; "unseasonable bright blue weather in November"
maximal, maximum
the greatest or most complete or best possible; "maximal expansion"; "maximum pressure"
greatest, top
not to be surpassed; "his top effort"
highest, peak(a)
approaching or constituting a maximum; "maximal temperature"; "maximum speed"; "working at peak efficiency"
largest, outside
maximal in amount; "a maximal amount"; "an outside estimate"
supreme
greatest or maximal in degree; extreme; "supreme folly"
minimal, minimum
the least possible; "needed to enforce minimal standards"; "her grades were minimal"; "minimum wage"; "a minimal charge for the service"
borderline, marginal
of questionable or minimal quality; "borderline grades"; "marginal writing ability"
nominal, token(a), tokenish
insignificantly small; a matter of form only; "the fee was nominal"; "a token gesture of resistance"; (`tokenish' is informal as in "a tokenish gesture")
negligible
so small as to be meaningless; insignificant; "the effect was negligible"
stripped, stripped-down
having only essential or minimal features; "a stripped new car"; "a stripped-down budget"
off-peak
of a period of less than maximal use or demand or activity; "off-peak telepone rates"; "off-peak fares"
high
advanced into the most active period; "went to Europe in high season"
off-season
not in the most active period; "off-season hotel rates are lower"
meaningful
having a meaning or purpose; "a meaningful explanation"; "a meaningful discussion"; "a meaningful pause"
meaty, substantive
having substance and prompting thought; "a meaty discussion"
indicative, significative, suggestive
having a covert or special meaning
meaning(a), pregnant, significant
rich in significance or implication; "a meaning look"; "pregnant with meaning"
purposeful
having meaning through having an aim; "led a happy purposeful life"
meaningless
having no meaning or direction or purpose; "a meaningless endeavor"; "a meaningless life"; "a verbose but meaningless explanation"
empty, hollow, vacuous
devoid of significance or point; "empty promises"; "a hollow victory"; "vacuous comments"
nonsense(a), nonsensical
having no intelligible meaning; "nonsense syllables"; "a nonsensical jumble of words"
insignificant, unmeaning
signifying nothing; "insignificant sounds"; "his response...is picayune and unmeaning"- R.B. Pearsall
mindless
lacking the thinking capacity characteristic of a conscious being; "the shrieking of the mindless wind"
pointless, purposeless, senseless
lacking import; "a pointless remark"; "a life essentially purposeless"; "senseless violence"
abysmal
very great; limitless; "abysmal misery"; "abysmal stupidity"
illimitable, limitless, measureless, unmeasured
without limits in extent or size or quantity; "immeasurable vastness of our solar system"
mechanic
resembling the action of a machine; "from blank to blank a threadless way I pushed mechanic feet"- Emily Dickenson
ariose, songlike
having a melody (as distinguished from recitative)
melodious, melodic, musical
containing or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody; "the melodious song of a meadowlark"
dulcet, honeyed, mellifluous, mellisonant, sweet
pleasing to the ear; "the dulcet tones of the cello"
canorous, songful
richly melodious
cantabile, singing
(music) smooth and flowing
lyrical
suitable for or suggestive of singing
unmelodious, unmelodic, unmusical
lacking melody
tuneful, melodious
having a musical sound; especially a pleasing tune
tuneless, untuneful, unmelodious
not having a musical sound or pleasing tune
well-mined
well known and commonly used; "Shakespeare exploited many well-mined sources for his plays"
liquid
smooth and flowing in quality; entirely free of harshness; "the liquid song of a robin"
musical
characteristic of or resembling or accompanied by music; "a musical speaking voice"; "a musical comedy"
singable
suitable for singing; "singable melody is the essence of music"- Winthrop Sargeant
unmusical, nonmusical, dissonant
not musical in nature; "the unmusical cry of the bluejay"
musical
talented in or devoted to music; "comes from a very musical family"
philharmonic
devoted to or appreciative of music; "the most philharmonic ear is at times deeply affected by a simple air"
unmusical, nonmusical
lacking interest in or talent for music; "too unmusical to care for concerts"; "it is unfortunate that her children were all nonmusical"
merciful
showing or giving mercy; "sought merciful treatment for the captives"; "a merciful god"
compassionate
showing merciful compassion; "sparing the child's mother was a compassionate act"
merciless, unmerciful
having or showing no mercy; "the merciless enemy"; "a merciless critic"; "gave him a merciless beating"
mortal(a)
unrelenting and deadly; "mortal enemy"
cutthroat, fierce, bowelless
ruthless in competition; "cutthroat competition"; "bowelless readiness to take advantage"
pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, unpitying
without mercy or pity; "an act of ruthless ferocity"; "a monster of remorseless cruelty"
tigerish
resembling a tiger in fierceness and lack of mercy; "a tigerish fury"
mild
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme; "a mild winter storm"; "a mild fever"; "fortunately the pain was mild"; "a mild rebuke"; "mild criticism"
gentle
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe; "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him"
mild-mannered
behaving in or having a mild or gentle manner
intense
in an extreme degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety,"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense"
moderate, temperate
not extreme; "a moderate penalty"; "temperate in his response to criticism"
aggravated
made more severe or intense especially in law; "aggravated assault"
cold
so intense as to be almost uncontrollable; "cold fury gripped him"
bad, big
very intense; "a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm"
blood-and-guts
(informal) "real blood-and-guts self-criticism"
concentrated
(intensely focused) "her concentrated passion held them at bay"
consuming, overwhelming
very intense; "politics is his consuming passion"; "overwhelming joy"
crash(a)
highly concentrated or intense; "a crash course"
exquisite, keen
intense or sharp; "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite pleasure"
deep
extreme; "in deep trouble"; "deep happiness"
extreme, utmost(a), uttermost(a)
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity; "extreme cold"; "extreme caution"; "extreme pleasure"; "utmost contempt"; "to the utmost degree"; "in the uttermost distress"
fierce, tearing, vehement, violent
marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; fervid; "fierce loyalty"; "in a tearing rage"; "vehement dislike"; "violent passions"
pressure-cooker(a)
very intense and demanding; stressful; "subjecting children to a pressure-cooker situation in the school"
intensive
characterized by a high degree or intensity; often used as a combining form; "the questioning was intensive"; "intensive care"; "research-intensive"; "a labor-intensive industry"
main(a)
of force; of the greatest possible intensity; "by main strength"
profound
of the greatest intensity; complete; "a profound silence"; "a state of profound shock"
raging
very severe; "a raging thirst"; "a raging toothache"
screaming(a)
so extremely intense as to evoke screams; "in screaming agony"; "a screaming rage"
terrific
very great or intense; "a terrific noise"; "a terrific thunderstorm storm"; "fought a terrific battle"
severe, terrible, wicked
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality; "severe pain"; "a severe case of flu"; "a terrible cough"; "under wicked fire from the enemy's guns"; "a wicked cough"
strong
not faint or feeble; "a strong odor of burning rubber"
thick, deep
(of darkness) very intense; "thick night"; "thick darkness"; "a face in deep shadow"; "deep night"
violent, wild
(of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud; "a violent clash of colors"; "her dress was a violent red"; "a violent noise"; "wild colors"; "wild shouts"
soldierly, soldierlike, warriorlike, martial
(of persons) befitting a warrior; "a military bearing"
warlike, martial
suggesting war or military life
alleviated, eased, relieved
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
quenched, satisfied, slaked
allayed; "his thirst quenched he was able to continue"
arrant(a), complete(a), consummate(a), double-dyed(a), everlasting(a), gross(a), perfect(a), pure(a), sodding(a), stark(a), staring(a), thoroughgoing(a), utter(a)
without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers; "an arrant fool"; "a complete coward"; "a consummate fool"; "a double-dyed villain"; "gross negligence"; "a perfect idiot"; "pure folly"; "what a sodding mess"; "stark staring mad"; "a thoroughgoing villain"; "utter nonsense"
bally(a), blinking(a), bloody(a), crashing(a), flaming(a), fucking(a)
(used of persons) informal intensifiers; "what a bally (or blinking) nuisance"; "a bloody fool"; "a crashing bore"; "you flaming idiot"
bodacious
(regional informal) incorrigible; "a bodacious gossip"
moderated, qualified
having elements or qualities mixed in proper or suitable proportions; especially made less severe; "justice moderated with mercy"
tempered
adjusted or attuned by adding a counterbalancing element; "criticism tempered with kindly sympathy"
untempered
not tempered; "individualism untempered by social responsibilities"
rangy
adapted to wandering or roaming
stiff
not moving or operating freely; "a stiff hinge"
metallike
resembling metal
tinny
thin and metallic in sound; lacking resonance; "an unpleasant tinny voice"
moderate
being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme; "moderate prices"; "a moderate income"; "a moderate fine"; "moderate demands"; "a moderate estimate"; "a moderate eater"; "moderate success"; "a kitchen of moderate size"; "the X-ray showed moderate enlargement of the heart"
average, intermediate, medium
around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures; "an orange of average size"; "intermediate capacity"; "a plane with intermediate range"; "medium bombers"
cautious, conservative
avoiding excess; "a conservative estimate"
fair, fairish, reasonable
not excessive or extreme; "a fairish income"; "reasonable prices"
middle-of-the-road
not extreme, especially in political views
indifferent
neither too great nor too little; "a couple of indifferent hills to climb"
limited
not excessive
modest, small
not large but sufficient in size or amount; "a modest salary"; "modest inflation"; "helped in my own small way"
immoderate
not within reasonable limits; "immoderate laughter"; "immoderate spending"
a bit much(p), de trop, too much(p)
being excessive or unreasonable; "the clothes she wears are a bit much"; "in retrospect the elaborate preparations seemed de trop"; "this is entirely too much!"
abnormal
much greater than the normal; "abnormal profits"; "abnormal ambition"
any(a)
(in negative statements) either every little or very great but unspecified; "can't stand any noise"; "could not endure chemotherapy for any length of time"
all-fired
(informal) extreme; used as an intensifier; "why is he in such an all-fired hurry?"
exaggerated, overdone, overstated
represented as greater than is true or reasonable; "an exaggerated opinion of oneself"
excessive, inordinate, undue, unreasonable
beyond normal limits; "excessive charges"; "a book of inordinate length"; "his dress stops just short of undue elegance"; "unreasonable demands"
exorbitant, extortionate, outrageous, steep, unconscionable, usurious
greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; "exorbitant rent"; "extortionate prices"; "spends an outrageous amount on entertainment"; "usorious interest rate"; "unconscionable spending"
extraordinary
far more than usual or expected; "an extraordinary desire for approval"
extreme
far beyond a norm in quantity or amount or degree; to an utmost degree; "an extreme example"; "extreme temperatures"; "extreme danger"
extreme
beyond a norm in views or actions; "an extreme conservative"; "an extreme liberal"; "extreme views on integration"; "extreme opinions"
extremist, radical, ultra
(used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; "extremist political views"; "radical opinions on education"; "an ultra conservative"
far
beyond a norm in opinion or actions; "the far right"
stark
complete or extreme; "stark poverty"; "a stark contrast"
over
(prefix) excessive; "over-abusive"; "overabusive"
latest, last, newest, up-to-date
in accord with the most modern ideas or styles; "wears only the latest styles"; "the last thing in swimwear"; "always knows the newest dances"; "everything's up-to-date in Kansas City"; "up-to-date technology"
contemporary
characteristic of the present; "contemporary (or modern) trends in design"
modernistic
noticeably (sometimes outrageously) modern; "shiny tables in modernistic design"
modernized
brought up to date; "modernized methods of lumbering"
neo
(used as a combining form) recent or new; "`neo' is a combining form in words like `neocolonialism'"
recent
near to or not long before the present; "recent times"; "of recent origin"
ultramodern
extremely modern; "Dadism and ultramodern art"
state-of-the-art
highest level of development at a particular time (especially the present); "state-of-the-art technology"
fogyish, moss-grown, mossy, stick-in-the-mud(a), stodgy
(used pejoratively) old-fashioned; "moss-grown ideas about family life"
old-fashioned, outmoded
belonging to or characteristic of times past; "old-fashioned wire-rimmed glasses"; "outmoded techniques"
medieval, mediaeval, gothic
as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened; "a medieval attitude toward dating"
old-world
characteristic of former times especially in Europe; "an old-world cottage"
old-time, quaint
attractively old-fashioned; "houses with quaint thatched roofs"; "a vaulted roof supporting quaint chimney pots"
unmodernized
not brought up to date
decent
(informal) decently clothed; "are you decent?"
modest
marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself; "a modest apartment"; "too modest to wear his medals"
important
having or suggesting a consciousness of high position; "recited the decree with an important air"; "took long important strides in the direction of his office"
retiring, unassuming
not arrogant or presuming; "unassuming to a fault, skeptical about the value of his work"; "a shy retiring girl"
immodest
having or showing an exaggerated opinion of your importance, ability, etc; "brash immodest boasting"
overweening, uppity
presumptuously arrogant; "had a witty but overweening manner"; "no idea how overweening he would be"- S.V.Benet; "getting a little uppity and needed to be slapped down"- NY Times
modulated
changed or adjusted to be suitable
softened
toned down
unmodulated
not modulated; not toned down; "he lectured in an unmodulated voice edged with hysteria"
clean, clean-living
morally pure; "led a clean life"
moralistic
narrowly and conventionally moral
debauched, degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, profligate, riotous, fast
unrestrained by convention or morality; "Congreve draws a debauched aristocratic society"; "deplorably dissipated and degraded"; "riotous living"; "fast women"
disgraceful, scandalous, shameful, shocking
giving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation; "scandalous behavior"; "the wicked rascally shameful conduct of the bankrupt"- Thackeray; "the most shocking book of its time"
scrofulous
morally contaminated; "denounce the scrofulous wealth of the times"- J.D.Hart
adulterous, extramarital, extracurricular
characterized by adultery; "an adulterous relationship"; "extramarital affairs"; "the extracurricular activities of a philandering husband"
high-principled
having high principles
many
(quantifier used with count nouns; often preceded by `as' or `too' or `so' or `that') amounting to a large but indefinite number; "many temptations"; "the temptations are many"; "a good many"; "a great many"; "many directions"; "take as many apples as you like"; "too many clouds to see"; "never saw so many people"
galore(ip)
in great numbers; "daffodils galore"
many a(a), many an(a), many another(a)
each of a large indefinite number; "many a man"; "many another day will come"
numerous
amounting to a large indefinite number; "numerous times"; "the family was numerous"
some(a)
relatively many but unspecified in number; "they were here for some weeks"; "we did not meet again for some years"
few
(quantifier used with count nouns; often preceded by `a') a small number; "a few weeks ago"; "a few more wagons than usual"; "an invalid's pleasures are few and far between"; "few roses were still blooming"; "few women have led troops in battle"
umpteen, umteen
innumerable but many
a few(a), a couple of(a)
more than one but indefinitely small in number; "a few roses"; "a couple of roses"
hardly a(a)
very few; "hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous date and year"
much(a)
(quantifier used with mass nouns) great in quantity or degree or extent; "not much rain"; "much affection"; "much grain is in storage"
overmuch
very great in quantity; overabundant; "showed overmuch affection"
some(a)
relatively much but unspecified in amount or extent; "we talked for some time"; "he was still some distance away"
such(a), so much
of so extreme a degree or extent; "such weeping"; "so much weeping"; "such a help"; "such grief"; "never dreamed of such beauty"
little(a)
(quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with "a) at least some; "little rain fell in May"; "gave it little thought"; "little hope remained"; "little time is left"; "we still have little money"; "a little hope remained"; "a little time isleft"
untold
of an incalculable amount; "untold suffering"
slight
almost no or (with "a) at least some; very little; "there's slight chance that it will work"; "there's a slight chance it will work"
small(a)
(archaic) slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope; "a series of death struggles with small time in between"
slightest
(usually follows `the') most meager; "didn't have the slightest chance"
many more(a)
much greater in number; "there were many more people than chairs"
deific
characterized by divine or godlike nature
moving
arousing or capable of arousing deep emotion; "she laid her case of destitution before him in a very moving letter"- N. Hawthorne
haunting
having a deeply disquieting or disturbing effect; "from two handsome and talented young men to two haunting horrors of disintegration"-Charles Lee
affecting, poignant, touching
arousing affect; "the homecoming of the released hostages was an affecting scene"; "poignant grief cannot endure forever"; "his gratitude was simple and touching"
heartwarming
causing gladness and pleasure; "Is there a sight more heartwarming than a family reunion?"
stirring, soul-stirring
exciting strong but not unpleasant emotions; "a stirring speech"
unmoving
not arousing emotions
unaffecting
not arousing affect
worldwide
spanning or extending throughout the entire world; "worldwide distribution"; "a worldwide epidemic"
global, planetary, world(a), worldwide
involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope; "global war"; "global monetary policy"; "neither national nor continental but planetary"; "a world crisis"; "of worldwide significance"
born(a), innate(a)
being so through innate qualities; "a natural leader"; "a born musician"; "an innate talent"
natural
in accordance with or determined by nature or natural laws; "a natural death"; "natural phenomena"; "a natural gift for sport"
connatural, inborn, inbred, native
existing at birth; "man's connatural sense of the good"
earthy
not far removed from or suggestive of nature; "the earthy taste of warm milk fresh from the cow"; "earthy smells of new-mown grass"
elemental, primitive
being or resembling a force of nature; "elemental violence"; "primitive passions"
intuitive, visceral, glandular
derived from or prompted by a natural tendency; "an intuitive perception"; "visceral revulsion"; "a glandular aversion to materialistic values"
unnatural
not in accordance with or determined by nature; contrary to nature; "an unnatural death"; "the child's unnatural interest in death"
uncanny, unco
beyond what is natural; "his uncanny sense of direction"; (`unco' is chiefly Scottish)
eerie, eery, spooky
suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious; "an eerie feeling of deja vu"
cardboard, unlifelike
without substance; "cardboard caricatures of historical figures"
celluloid, synthetic
artificial as if portrayed in a film; "a novel with flat celluloid characters"
conventionalized, stylized, stylised
using artistic forms and conventions to create effects; not natural or spontaneous; "a stylized mode of theater production"
ersatz, imitation, substitute(p)
artificial and inferior; "ersatz coffee"; "coffee substitute"
dummy
having the appearance of being real but lacking capacity to function; "a dummy corporation"
factitious
not produced by natural forces; "brokers created a factitious demand for stocks"
fake, false, faux, imitation, simulated
not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article; "it isn't fake anything; it's real synthetic fur"; "faux pearls"; "false teeth"; "decorated with imitation palm leaves"; "a purse of simulated aligator hide"
near
closely resembling the genuine article; "near beer"; "a dress of near satin"
painted
lacking substance or vitality as if produced by painting; "in public he wore a painted smile"
natural
existing in or in conformity with nature or the observable world; "natural laws"; "natural phenomena"; "our natural environment"; "natural cliffs"
supernatural
not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws; not physical or material; "supernatural forces and occurrences and beings"
apparitional, ghostlike, ghostly, phantasmal, spectral, spiritual
like or being a phantom; "a ghostly face at the window"; "a phantasmal presence in the room"; "spectral emanations"; "spiritual tappings at a seance"
eldritch, weird, uncanny, unearthly
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; "an eldritch screech"; "the three weird sisters"; "stumps...had uncanny shapes as of monstrous creatures"- John Galsworthy; "an unearthly light"; "he could hear the unearthly scream of some curlew piercing the din"- Henry Kingsley
marvelous, miraculous
being or having the character of a miracle
elfin, fey
suggestive of an elf in strangeness and otherworldliness; "thunderbolts quivered with elfin flares of heat lightning"; "the fey quality was there, the ability to see the moon at midday"- John Mason Brown
charming, magic, magical, sorcerous, witching(a), wizard(a), wizardly
possessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate to supernatural powers; "charming incantations"; "magic signs that protect against adverse influence"; "a magical spell"; "'tis now the very witching time of night"- Shakespeare; "wizard wands"; "wizardly powers"
necromantic
given to or produced by or used in the art of conjuring up the dead; "a necromantic sorcerer"; "necromantic delusions"; "necromantic powders and other weird objects"
metaphysical
without material form or substance; "metaphysical forces"
nonnatural, otherworldly, preternatural, transcendental
existing outside of or not in accordance with nature; "find transcendental motives for sublunary action"-Aldous Huxley
talismanic
possessing or believed to possess magic power especially protective power; "a talismanic amulet"
transmundane
existing or extending beyond the physical world; "whatever of transmundane...insight...we may carry"- William James
witchlike
being or having the character of witchcraft
ultimate
furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme; "the ultimate achievement"; "the ultimate question"; "man's ultimate destiny"; "the ultimate insult"; "one's ultimate goal in life"
crowning(a)
representing a level of the highest possible achievement or attainment; "the crowning accomplishment of his career"
eventual(a)
expected to follow in the indefinite future from causes already operating; "hope of eventual (or ultimate) rescue"; "if this trend continues it is not reasonable to expect the eventual collapse of the stock market"
final, last, net
conclusive in a process or progression; "the final answer"; "a last resort"; "the net result"
highest
highest and most significant; "his highest achievement"
supreme
final or last in your life or progress; "the supreme sacrifice"; "the supreme judgment"
proximate
closest in degree or order (space or time) especially in a chain of causes and effects; "news of his proximate arrival"; "interest in proximate rather than ultimate goals"
immediate
immediately before or after as in a chain of cause and effect; "the immediate result"; "the immediate cause of the trouble"
excess, extra, redundant, spare, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, surplus
more than is needed, desired, or required; "trying to lose excess weight"; "found some extra change lying on the dresser"; "yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant"; "skills made redundant by technological advance"; "sleeping in the spare room"; "supernumerary ornamentation"; "it was supererogatory of her to gloat"; "delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words"; "extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts"; "surplus cheese distributed to the needy"
together
(informal) mentally and emotionally stable; "she's really together"
good
agreeable or pleasing; "we all had a good time"; "good manners"
nice
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance; "what a nice fellow you are and we all thought you so nasty"- George Meredith; "nice manners"; "a nice dress"; "a nice face"; "a nice day"; "had a nice time at the party"; "the corn and tomatoes are nice today"
pleasant
pleasant in manner or behavior; "I didn`t enjoy it and probably wasn't a pleasant person to be around"
nasty, awful
offensive or even (of persons) malicious; "in a nasty mood"; "a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my funeral?"- Ezra Pound
dirty, filthy, lousy
vile; despicable; "a dirty (or lousy) trick"; "a filthy traitor"
noble
having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character; "a noble spirit"; "noble deeds"
grotty
(British slang) very unpleasant or offensive ; "a grotty little play"
hateful, mean, spiteful
characterized by malice; "a hateful thing to do"; "in a mean mood"; "told spiteful stories about the fat lady"
unpleasant
very unpleasant or annoying
dignifying, ennobling
investing with dignity or honor; "the dignifying effect of his presence"; "the ennobling influence of cultural surroundings"
exalted, high-flown, high-minded, lofty, rarefied, rarified, idealistic, noble-minded
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; "an exalted ideal"; "argue in terms of high-flown ideals"- Oliver Franks; "a noble and lofty concept"
base, mean, meanspirited
having or showing a meanspirited lack of honor or morality; "that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble"- Edmund Burke; "taking a mean advantage"; "chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"- Shakespeare; "something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics"
greathearted, magnanimous
noble and generous in spirit; "a greathearted general"; "a magnanimous conqueror"
ignoble
completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose; "something cowardly and ignoble in his attitude"; "I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part"- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
dishonorable, dishonourable
morally unacceptable; "the dishonorable conduct of trusted men"
contemptible, despicable
worthy only of being despised and rejected; "a contemptible lack of courage"; "A little, wretched, despicable creature, a worm, a mere nothing...that has risen up in contempt against the majesty of Heaven and earth"- Jonathan Edwards
currish
base and cowardly
lowborn
of humble birth or origins; "a topsy-turvy society of lowborn rich and blue-blooded poor"
base, baseborn, humble, lowly
of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"
common, plebeian, vulgar, unwashed
of or associated with the great masses of people; "the common people in those days suffered greatly"; "behavior that branded him as common"; "his square plebeian nose"; "a vulgar and objectionable person"; "the unwashed masses"
normal
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal; "serve wine at normal room temperature"; "normal diplomatic relations"; "normal working hours"; "normal word order"; "normal curiosity"; "the normal course of events"
natural
(biology) functioning or occurring in a natural way; lacking abnormalities or deficiencies; "a natural fear of nuclear war"; "natural immunity"; "a grandparent's natural affection for a grandchild"
regular
not deviating from what is normal; "her regular bedtime"
typical
conforming to a type; "the typical (or normal) American"; "typical teenage behavior"
abnormal
not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm; "abnormal powers of concentration"; "abnormal amounts of rain"; "abnormal circumstances"; "an abnormal interest in food"
anomalous
deviating from the general or common order or type; "advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe"
aberrant, deviant
markedly different from an accepted norm; "aberrent behavior"; deviant ideas"
atypical, irregular
deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange; "these days large families are atypical"; "highly irregular behavior"
freakish
characteristic of a freak; "a freakish extra toe"
defective
markedly subnormal in structure or function or intelligence or behavior; "defective speech"
kinky, perverted
(used of sexual behavior) "kinky sex"; "perverted practices"
rebel
used by northerners of Confederate soldiers; "the rebel yell"
corrupting, degrading
harmful to the mind or morals; "corrupt judges and their corrupting influence"; "the vicious and degrading cult of violence"
baneful, deadly, pernicious, pestilent
exceedingly harmful
inoffensive, uncontroversial
not offensive; "an inoffensive level"
insipid
lacking significance or impact; "an insipid novel"
obtrusive, noticeable
undesirably noticeable; "the obtrusive behavior of a spoiled child"; "equally obtrusive was the graffiti"
conspicuous
noticeable in an unpleasant way
unobtrusive, unnoticeable
not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable; "a quiet, unobtrusive life of self-denial"
prejudiced
emanating from a person's emotions and prejudices
personal
particular to a given individual
obvious
easily perceived or understood; "obvious errors"
apparent, evident, manifest, patent, plain
clearly apparent or obvious to the mind or senses; "the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields"; "evident hostility"; "manifest disapproval"; "patent advantages"; "made his meaning plain"; "it is plain that he is no reactionary"; "in plain view"
axiomatic, self-evident, taken for granted(p)
evident without proof or argument; "an axiomatic truth"; "we hold these truths to be self-evident"
transparent
easily understood or seen through (because of a lack of subtlety); "a transparent explanation"; "a transparent lie"
frank
clearly manifest; evident; "frank enjoyment"
self-explanatory
needing no explanation
unobvious
not immediately apparent; "in mathematical science connections are exhibited which...are extremely unobvious"- A.N.Whitehead
writ large
made more obvious or prominent; "the effect of...his irregular life could be seen writ large on his gaunt features"
unapparent
not readily apparent; "the answer was at first unapparent"
choked, clogged
stopped up; clogged up; "clogged pipes"; "clogged up freeways"; "streets choked with traffic"
clear, free, open
affording free passage or view; "a clear view"; "a clear path to victory"; "a free lane"
filled
(of time) taken up; "well-filled hours"
spare, free
not taken up by scheduled activities; "a free hour between classes"; "spare time on my hands"
ghoulish, morbid
suggesting the horror of death and decay; "morbid details"
offensive
unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses; "offensive odors"
abhorrent, detestable, obscene, repugnant, repulsive
offensive to the mind; "an abhorrent deed"; "the obscene massacre at Wounded Knee"; "morally repugnant customs"; "repulsive behavior"; "the most repulsive character in recent novels"
charnel, ghastly, sepulchral
gruesomely indicative of death or the dead; "a charnel smell came from the chest filled with dead men's bones"; "ghastly shrieks"; "the sepulchral darkness of the catacombs"
disgusting, disgustful, distasteful, foul, loathly, loathsome, repellent, repellant, revolting, wicked, yucky
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; "a disgusting smell"; "distasteful language"; "a loathsome disease"; "the idea of eating meat is repellent to me"; "revolting food"; "a wicked stench"
hideous, horrid, horrific, outrageous
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror; "subjected to outrageous cruelty"; "a hideous pattern of injustice"; "horrific conditions in the mining industry"
objectionable, obnoxious, unpleasant
causing disapproval or protest; "a vulgar and objectionable person"
rank
very offensive in smell or taste; "a rank cigar"
scrimy
dirty and disgusting; "worry about the gossip and secretiveness and other scrimy sides"- Al Hine
verminous
of the nature of vermin; very offensive or repulsive
inoffensive
giving no offense; "a quiet inoffensive man"; "a refreshing inoffensive stimulant"
savory, savoury, inoffensive
morally respectable or inoffensive; "a past that was scarcely savory"
innocuous, unobjectionable
not causing disapproval; "it was an innocuous remark"; "confined himself to innocuous generalities"; "unobjectionable behavior"
offensive
causing anger or annoyance; "offensive remarks"
unsavory, unsavoury, offensive
morally offensive; "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal"
odoriferous
morally offensive; "odoriferous legislation"
abusive, insulting, opprobrious, scornful, scurrilous
expressing offensive reproach
inoffensive, unoffending
not causing anger or annoyance; "inoffensive behavior"
offenseless, offenceless
incapable of offending or attacking
formal
characteristic of or befitting a person in authority; "formal duties"; "an official banquet"
drumhead, summary
performed speedily and without formality; "a summary execution"; "summary justice"
confirmed
having been established or made firm or received the rite of confirmation; "confirmed reservations"; "received confirmed reports of casualties"; "a confirmed Catholic"
unconfirmed
not finally established or settled; "an unconfirmed letter of credit"; "unconfirmed rumors"
established
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established; "the established social order"; "distrust of established authority"; "a team established as a member of a major league"; "enjoyed his prestige as an established writer"; "an established precedent"; "the established Church"
accepted
widely or permanently accepted; "an accepted precedent"
deep-rooted, deep-seated, implanted, ingrained, planted
(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held; "deep-rooted prejudice"; "deep-seated differences of opinion"; "implanted convictions"; "ingrained habits of a lifetime"; "a deeply planted need"
entrenched
established firmly and securely; "the entrenched power of the nobility"
grooved, well-grooved
established as if settled into a groove or rut
habitual
made a norm or custom or habit; "his habitual practice was to eat an early supper"; "her habitual neatness"
recognized
provided with a secure reputation; "a recognized authority"
set up
well established and ready to function; "things I can do now that I'm set up"
unestablished
not established; "a reputation as yet unestablished"
unrecognized
not having a secure reputation; "short stories by unrecognized writiers"
age-old, ancient, antique
belonging to or lasting from times very long ago; "age-old customs"; "Western civilization is ancient"; "the antique fear that days would dwindle away to complete darkness"
old
of long duration; not new; "old tradition"; "old house"; "old wine"; "old country"; "old friendships"; "old money"
antediluvian, antiquated, archaic
so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period; "a ramshackle antediluvian tenement"; "antediluvian ideas"; "archaic laws"
antique
made in or typical of earlier times and valued for its age; "the an "beautiful antique French furniture"
auld
a Scottish word; "auld lang syne"
cold, stale
no longer new; uninteresting; "cold (or stale) news"
immemorial(ip)
long past; beyond the limits of memory or tradition or recorded history; "time immemorial"
hoary, rusty
ancient; "hoary jokes"
longtime(a)
of long duration; "a longtime friend"
long-ago
belonging to time long gone; "those long-ago dresses that swished along the floor"
sunset
of a declining industry or technology; "sunset industries"
new
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered; "a new law"; "new cars"; "a new comet"; "a new friend"; "a new year"; "the New World"
brand-new, bran-new, spic-and-span, spick-and-span
conspicuously new; "shiny brand-new shoes"; "a spick-and-span novelty"
hot, red-hot
newest or most recent; "news hot off the press"; "red-hot information"
fresh
(of a cycle) beginning or occurring again; "a fresh start"; "fresh ideas"
novel, refreshing
pleasantly novel or different; "common sense of a most refreshing sort"
newborn, newly arisen, new-sprung(a)
having just or recently arisen or come into existence; "new nations"; "with newborn fears"
newfound
newly discovered; "his newfound aggressiveness"; "Hudson pointed his ship down the coast of the newfound sea"
recent
being new in a time not long past; "recent graduates"; "a recent addition to the house"; "recent buds on the apple trees"
parvenu, parvenue
of or characteristic of a parvenu
revolutionary, radical
markedly new or introducing radical change; "a revolutionary discovery"; "radical political views"
sunrise(a)
of an industry or technology; new and developing; "high-technology sunrise industries"
rising
newly come into prominence; "a rising young politician"
old
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age; especially not young; "an old man's eagle mind"- William Butler Yeats; "his mother is very old"; "a ripe old age"; "how old are you?"; often used as a combining form to indicate an age as specified as in "a week-old infant"
aged, elderly, older, senior
advanced in years; (`aged' is pronounced as two syllables); "aged members of the society"; "elderly residents could remember the construction of the first skyscraper"; "senior citizen"
ancient
very old; "an ancient mariner"
anile
of or like a feeble old woman
oldish
somewhat elderly
overage, overaged, superannuated
too old to be useful; "He left the house...for the support of twelve superannuated wool carders"- Anthony Trollope
venerable
impressive by reason of age; "a venerable sage with white hair and beard"
young, immature
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth; "young people"
formative
susceptible to alteration by development and experience; "formative years"
early
very young; "at an early age"
tender, vulnerable
susceptible to physical or emotional injury; "at a tender age"
youthful, vernal
suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
youngish
somewhat young
open
affording free passage or access; "open drains"; "the road is open to traffic"; "open ranks"
engulfed, enveloped, swallowed
completely enclosed or swallowed up; "a house engulfed in flames"; "the fog-enveloped cliffs"; "a view swallowed by night"
fogbound
so enveloped in fog that it is not safe to move about; "a fogbound fleet"; "the fogbound city"
enwrapped
enclosed or enveloped in something immaterial; "she sat enwrapped in sullen defiance"; "a sleeping town enwrapped in silence"
opportune
suitable or at a time that is suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose; "an opportune place to make camp"; "an opportune arrival"
good, right, ripe
most suitable or right for a particular purpose; "a good time to plant tomatoes"; "the right time to act"; "the time is ripe for great sociological changes"
timely, seasonable, well-timed(a), well timed(p)
done or happening at the appropriate or proper time; "a timely warning"; "with timely treatment the patient has a good chance of recovery"; "a seasonable time for discussion"; "the book's publication was well timed"
ill-timed(a), ill timed(p), unseasonable, untimely, wrong
badly timed; "an ill-timed intervention"; "you think my intrusion unseasonable"; "an untimely remark"; "it was the wrong moment for a joke"
inopportune
not opportune; "arrived at a most inopportune hour"; "an inopportune visit"
inconvenient
not conveniently timed; "an early departure is inconvenient for us"
optimistic
expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds; "in an optimistic mood"; "optimistic plans"; "took an optimistic view"
rose-colored, rosy
reflecting optimism; "a rosy future"; "looked at the world through rose-colored glasses"
cheerful, pollyannaish, upbeat
pleasantly (even unrealistically) optimistic
starry-eyed
unrealistically or naively optimistic; "a starry-eyed reformer"; "starry-eyed idealism"
pessimistic
expecting the worst in this worst of all possible worlds
sanguine
confidently optimistic and cheerful
demoralized, discouraged, disheartened
made less hopeful or enthusiastic; "desperate demoralized people looking for work"; "felt discouraged by the magnitude of the problem"; "the disheartened instructor tried vainly to arouse their interest"
orderly
devoid of violence or disruption; "an orderly crowd confronted the president"
disorderly
undisciplined and unruly; "disorderly youths"; "disorderly conduct"
law-abiding, peaceful
(of groups) not violent or disorderly; "the right of peaceful assembly"
boisterous, rambunctious, robustious, rumbustious, unruly
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; "a boisterous crowd"; "a social gathering that became rambunctious and out of hand"; "a robustious group of teenagers"; "beneath the rumbustious surface of his paintings is sympathy for the vulnerability of ordinary human beings"; "an unruly class"
raucous, rowdy
disturbing the public peace; loud and rough; "a raucous party"; "rowdy teenagers"
mob, mobbish, moblike
characteristic of a mob; disorderly or lawless; "mob rule"; "fanned mounting tension into mobbish terrorizing"; "moblike mentality"
rough-and-tumble
characterized by disorderly action and disregard for rules; "a rough-and-tumble fight"; "rough-and-tumble politics"
consecutive, sequent, sequential, serial, successive
in regular succession without gaps; "serial concerts"
ordered
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule; "an ordered sequence"
organized
methodical and efficient in arrangement or function; "how well organized she is"; "his life was almost too organized"
disordered, unordered
not arranged in order
well-conducted
characterized by good organization and control; "a well-conducted meeting"
methodical
characterized by method and orderliness; "a methodical scholar"
ordered, orderly, regulated
marked by system or regularity or discipline; "a quiet ordered house"; "an orderly universe"; "a well regulated life"
disorganized
lacking order or methodical arrangement or function; "a disorganized enterprise"; "a thousand pages of muddy and disorganized prose"; "she was too disorganized to be an agreeable roommate"
chaotic, helter-skelter
lacking a visible order or organization
broken, confused, disordered, upset
thrown into a state of disarray or confusion; "troops fleeing in broken ranks"; "a confused mass of papers on the desk"; "the small disordered room"; "with everything so upset"
fucked-up, snafu
snarled or stalled in complete confusion; "situation normal--all fucked-up"
unmethodical
not efficient or methodical; "the project failed through unmethodical planning"
scrambled
thrown together in a disorderly fashion; "a scrambled plan of action"
unstuck, undone
thrown into a state of disorganization or incoherence; "price programs became unstuck because little grain was available"
unorganized
not having or belonging to a structured whole; "unorganized territories lack a formal government"
uncoordinated
lacking proper coordination; "uncoordinated scheduling often resulted in conflicting games"
unformed
not formed or organized; "an as yet unformed government"
structured
having definite and highly organized structure; "a structured environment"
unregulated
without regulation or discipline; "an unregulated environment"
unstructured
lacking definite structure or organization; "an unstructured situation with no one in authority"; "a neighborhood gang with a relatively unstructured system"; "children in an unstructured environment often feel insecure"; "unstructured inkblots"
ambiguous
(psychology) having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns; "an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference"; "ambiguous inkblots"
ordinary
not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree; "ordinary everyday objects"; "ordinary decency"; "an ordinary day"; "an ordinary wine"
average, fair, mediocre, middling
of no exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best"
banal, commonplace, trivial
obvious and dull; "trivial conversation"; "commonplace prose"
commonplace
completely ordinary and unremarkable; "air travel has now become commonplace"; "commonplace everyday activities"
characterless, nondescript
lacking distinct or individual characteristics; dull and uninteresting; "women dressed in nondescript clothes"; "a nondescript novel"
common, simple
to be expected; standard; "common decency"; "simple courtesy"
everyday, mundane, quotidian, routine, unremarkable, workaday
found in the ordinary course of events; "a placid everyday scene"; "it was a routine day"; "there's nothing quite like a real...train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute"- Anita Diamant
indifferent, passable, so-so(p), tolerable
neither good nor bad; "an indifferent performance"; "a gifted painter but an indifferent actor"; "her work at the office is passable"; "a so-so golfer"; "feeling only so-so"; "prepared a tolerable dinner"; "a tolerable working knowledge of French"
run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mine, unexceptional
not special in any way; "run-of-the-mill boxing"; "your run-of-the-mine college graduate"; "a unexceptional an incident as can be found in a lawyer's career"
extraordinary
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable; "extraordinary authority"; "an extraordinary achievement"; "her extraordinary beauty"; "enjoyed extraordinary popularity"; "an extraordinary capacity for work"; "an extraordinary session of the legislature"
bonzer
(Australian) remarkable or wonderful
exceeding, exceptional, olympian, prodigious, surpassing
far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; "a night of exceeding darkness"; "an exceptional memory"; "olympian efforts to save the city from bankruptcy"; "the young Mozart's prodigious talents"
fantastic, howling(a), marvelous, rattling(a), terrific, tremendous, wonderful, wondrous
extraordinarily good; used especially as intensifiers; "a fantastic trip to the Orient"; "the film was fantastic!"; "a howling success"; "a marvelous collection of rare books"; "had a rattling conversation about politics"; "a tremendous achievement"
fantastic, phenomenal
exceedingly or unbelievably great; "the bomb did fantastic damage"; "Samson is supposed to have had fantastic strength"; "phenomenal feats of memory"
preternatural
surpassing the ordinary or normal; "Beyond his preternatural affability there is some acid and some steel"- George Will
frightful
(informal) extreme in degree; "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money"
great
remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect; "a great crisis"; "had a great stake in the outcome"
one(a)
used informally as an intensifier; "that is one fine dog"
pyrotechnic
suggestive of fireworks; "pyrotechnic keyboard virtuosity"; "a pyrotechnic wit"
rare, uncommon
marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind; "what is so rare as a day in June"-J.R.Lowell; "a rare skill"; "an uncommon sense of humor"; "she was kind to an uncommon degree"
remarkable, singular
unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young"
special
for a special service or occasion; "a special correspondent"; "a special adviser to the committee"; "had to get special permission for the event"
some
(informal; slang) remarkable; "that was some party"; "she is some skier"
wonderworking
performing or able to perform wonders or miracles
integrated, structured
resembling a living organism in organization or development; "society as an integrated whole"
holistic
emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole
disarranged
having the arrangement disturbed; not in order; "her disarranged hair"
disarrayed
in disarray; "disarrayed bedclothes"
adjusted, familiarized
having achieved a comfortable relationship with your environment
out of place(p)
not in a proper arrangement; "not a hair was out of place"
familiarizing
serving to make familiar
disorienting
causing loss of physical or intellectual bearings; "making so many turns to the right and then the left was completely disorienting"; "a sharp blow to the head can be disorienting"
confusing
causing confusion or disorientation; "a confusing jumble of road signs"; "being hospitalized can be confusing and distressing for a small child"
estranging
making one feel out of place or alienated; "the landscape was estranging"
stunning
causing or capable of causing bewilderment or shock or insensibility; "laid the poor fellow senseless with one stunning blow"; "a stunning detonation with volumes of black smoke"
original
being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; "a truly original approach"; "with original music"; "an original mind"
stupefying
making physically stupid or dull or insensible; "a stupefying blow to the head"; "the stupefying effects of hemp"
avant-garde, daring
radically new or original; "an avant-garde theater piece"
fresh, new, novel
of a kind not seen before; "the computer produced a completely novel proof of a well-known theorem"
germinal, originative, seminal
containing seeds of later development; "seminal ideas of one discipline can influence the growth of another"
innovative, innovational
being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before; "stylistically innovative works"; "innovative members of the artistic community"; "a mind so innovational, so original"
newfangled, new
of a new (often outrageous) kind or fashion
underivative
not derivative or imitative; "a natural underivative poet"
unoriginal
not original; not being or productive of something fresh and unusual; "the manuscript contained unoriginal emendations"; "his life had been unoriginal, conforming completely to the given pattern"- Gwethalyn Graham
banal, commonplace, hackneyed, shopworn, stock(a), threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse; "bromidic sermons"; "his remarks were trite and commonplace"; "hackneyed phrases"; "a stock answer"; "repeating threadbare jokes"; "parroting some timeworn axiom"; "the trite metaphor `hard as nails'"
bromidic, corny, platitudinal, platitudinous
dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality; "bromidic sermons"
cliched, ready-made
repeated regularly without thought or originality; "ready-made phrases"
slavish
blindly imitative; "a slavish copy of the original"
old, stale, moth-eaten
lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new; "moth-eaten theories about race"
iconoclastic
characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions
outdoorsy
characteristic of or suitable to outdoor life; "a rugged outdoorsy life"
inside
relating to or being within or near the inner side or limit; "he reached into his inside jacket pocket"; "inside out"; "an inside pitch is between home plate and the batter"
bristling with(p)
covered thickly with objects thrusting upward as with bristles; "roofs bristling with antennas"; "housetops bristlng with chimneys"; "a riverbank bristling with factories"
canopied
covered with or as with a canopy; "a canopied bed"; "streets canopied by stately trees"
cloaked, clothed, draped, mantled, wrapped
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak; "leaf-clothed trees"; "fog-cloaked meadows"; "a beam draped with cobwebs"; "cloud-wrapped peaks"
drenched, drenched in
abundantly covered or supplied with; often used in combination; "drenched in moonlight"; "moon-drenched meadows"
dabbled, spattered, splashed, splashy, splattered
covered patchily; often used in combination; "waves dabbled with moonlight"; "a blood-spattered room"; "gardens splashed with color"; "kitchen walls splattered with grease"
strewn
(used with `with' or in combination) covered by or as if by something scattered over or on; "the forest floor strewn with boulders"; "the petal-strewn aisle"
bowery
like a bower; leafy and shady; "a bowery lane"
overt, open
open and observable; not secret or hidden; "an overt lie"; "overt hostility"; "overt intelligence gathering"
bald, barefaced
with no effort to conceal; "a barefaced lie"
undisguised
plain to see; "undisguised curiosity"
naked, raw
devoid of elaboration or diminution or concealment; bare and pure; "naked ambition"; "raw fury"; "you may kill someone someday with your raw power"
obvious, visible
obvious to the eye; "a visible change of expression"
covert
secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; "covert actions by the CIA"; "covert funding for the rebels"
backstair, backstairs, furtive
secret and sly or sordid; "backstairs gossip"; "his low backstairs cunning"- A.L.Guerard; "backstairs intimacies"; "furtive behavior"
collusive, conniving
acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end
sub-rosa, under-the-table
designed and carried out secretly or confidentially; "a sub-rosa report"; "has their under-the-table backing"
subterranean, ulterior
lying beneath what is revealed or avowed, especially being deliberately concealed; "subterranean motives for murder"; "looked too closely for an ulterior purpose in all knowledge"- Bertrand Russell
biting, bitter
causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold; "bitter cold"; "a biting wind"
racking, wrenching
causing great physical or mental suffering; "a wrenching pain"
painless
not causing physical or psychological pain; "painless dentistry"
pain-free, unpainful
not accompanied by pain sensations; "pain-free surgery"
unpalatable
not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind; "an unpalatable meal"; "unpalatable truths"; "unpalatable behavior"
palatable
acceptable to the taste or mind; "palatable food"; "a palatable solution to the problem"
obvious, perceptible
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "a perceptible sense of expectation in the court"; "an obvious (or palpable) lie"
distasteful, unsavory, unsavoury
not pleasing in odor or taste
elusive, subtle
be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind; "his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change"; "a subtle difference"; "that elusive thing the soul"
biased, colored, one-sided, slanted
favoring one person or side over another; "a biased account of the trial"; "a decision that was partial to the defendant"
partial, unfair
showing favoritism
impartial, fair
showing lack of favoritism; "the cold neutrality of an impartial judge"
indifferent, unbiased, unbiassed
characterized by a lack of partiality; "a properly indifferent jury"; "an unbiased account of her family problems"
fanatic, fanatical, overzealous, rabid
marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea; "rabid isolationist"
demon-ridden
as if possessed by demons
unimpassioned
free from emotional appeal; marked by reasonableness; "answered with an unimpassioned defense"; "the unimpassioned intellect"
emerging, rising
coming to maturity; "the rising generation"
in store(p)
in readiness; awaiting; "gave us a hint of the excitement that was in store for us"
prospective(a)
anticipated for the near future; "the prospective students"; "his prospective bride"
fostered
provided with parental care and nurture especially by a surrogate or surrogates
fatherly, fatherlike
like or befitting a father or fatherhood; kind and protective
paternal
characteristic of a father
maternal
characteristic of a mother; "warm maternal affection for her guest"- Dorothy Sayers
paternalistic
benevolent but sometimes intrusive
motherlike
suggestive of or acting like a mother
maternalistic
showing maternal instincts
motherly
befitting a mother; warm and nurturing
wifely, wifelike, uxorial
of or befitting or characteristic of a wife
husbandly
of or befitting or characteristic of a husband
patient
enduring trying circumstances with even temper or characterized by such endurance; "a patient smile"; "was patient with the children"; "an exact and patient scientist"; "please be patient"
forbearing, longanimous
showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity; slow to retaliate or express resentment; "seemly and forbearing...yet strong enough to resist aggression"; "was longanimous in the face of suffering"
diligent, persevering
quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness; "a diligent (or patient) worker"; "with persevering (or patient) industry she revived the failing business"
enduring, long-suffering
patiently enduring continual wrongs or trouble; "an enduring disposition"; "a long-suffering and uncomplaining wife"
impatient
restless or short of temper under delay or opposition; "impatient with the slower students"; "impatient of criticism"
tolerant, patient of
showing the capacity for endurance; "injustice can make us tolerant and forgiving"; "a man patient of distractions"
unhurried
capable of accepting delay with equanimity; "was unhurried with the small children"
restive
impatient especially under restriction or delay; "the government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive"
intolerant of(p), impatient of(p)
unable to bear irritation
short, unforbearing
unwilling to endure; "she was short with the slower students"
loose
not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails"
unpatriotic, disloyal
showing lack of love for your country
patriotic, loyal
inspired by love for your country
chauvinistic, flag-waving(a), jingoistic, nationalistic, superpatriotic
fanatically patriotic
un-American
considered contrary to the best interests of the United States
peaceful
not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war; "a peaceful nation"; "peaceful times"; "a far from peaceful Christmas"; "peaceful sleep"
at peace(p)
free from strife; "a world at peace"
halcyon
idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquillity; "a halcyon atmosphere"
pacific
promoting peace; "the result of this pacific policy was that no troops were called up"
irenic
conducive to peace; "irenic without being namby-pamby"; "an irenic attitude toward former antagonists"
pacific, peaceable
disposed to peace or of a peaceful nature; "the pacific temper seeks to settle disputes on grounds of justice rather than by force"; "a quiet and peaceable person"; "in a peaceable and orderly manner"
unpeaceful
not peaceful; "unpeaceful times"; "an unpeaceful marriage"
peaceable, peace-loving
inclined or disposed to peace; "they met in a peaceable spirit"; "peace-loving citizens"
stormy
characterized by violent emotions or behavior; "a stormy argument"; "a stormy marriage"
unpacific, warlike
inclined to make war
unpeaceable
not disposed to peace
insightful
exhibiting insight or clear and deep perception; "an insightful parent"; "the chapter is insightful and suggestive of new perspectives"-R.C.Angell
perceptive
having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment; "a perceptive eye"; "a perceptive observation"
acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"
apprehensive, discerning
quick to understand; "a kind and apprehensive friend"- Nathaniel Hawthorne
apperceptive
able to relate new percepts to past experience
observant, observing
quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception
quick-sighted, sharp-sighted, sharp-eyed
keenly perceptive or alert; "quick-sighted into the faults of the time"- Leonard Bacon
subtle
able to make fine distinctions; "a subtle mind"
understanding
characterized by understanding based on comprehension and discernment and empathy; "an understanding friend"
subliminal
below the threshold of conscious perception
perfect
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish; "a perfect circle"; "a perfect reproduction"; "perfect happiness"; "perfect manners"; "a perfect specimen"; "a perfect day"
clean
without difficulties or problems; "a clean test flight"
clear
free from flaw or blemish or impurity; "a clear perfect diamond"
cold
marked by errorless familiarity; "had her lines cold before rehearsals started"
complete, consummate
perfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities; "a complete gentleman"; "consummate happiness"; "a consummate performance"
down, down pat(p), mastered
understood perfectly; "had his algebra problems down"
errorless
free from error; "an errorless baseball game"
faultless, immaculate, impeccable
without fault or error; "faultless logic"; "speaks impeccable French"; "timing and technique were immaculate"; "an immaculate record"
flawless, unflawed
without a flaw; "a flawless gemstone"
ideal
conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
idyllic
excellent and delightful in all respects; "an idyllic spot for a picnic"
idealized
exalted to an ideal perfection or excellence
perfectible
capable of becoming or being made perfect
mint(a)
as if new; "in mint condition"
imperfect
not perfect; defective or inadequate; "had only an imperfect understanding of his responsibilities"; "imperfect mortals"; "drainage here is imperfect"
pluperfect
more than perfect; "he spoke with pluperfect precision"
uncorrupted, undefiled
(of language) not having its purity or excellence debased; "uncorrupted English"; "learn to speak pure English undefiled"- Van Wyck Brooks
broken
imperfectly spoken or written; "broken English"
blemished, flawed
having a blemish or flaw; "a flawed diamond"
corrupt, corrupted
containing errors or alterations; "a corrupt text"; "spoke a corrupted version of the language"
defective, faulty
having a defect; "I returned the appliance because it was defective"
permanent, lasting
continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place; "permanent secretary to the president"; "permanent address"; "literature of permanent value"
durable, indestructible, perdurable, undistroyable
very long lasting; "less durable rocks were gradually worn away to form valleys"; "the perdurable granite of the ancient Appalachian spine of the continent"
ephemeral, passing, short-lived, transient, transitory, fugacious
enduring a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient beauty"; "love is transitory but at is eternal"; "fugacious blossoms"
impermanent, temporary
not permanent; not lasting; "politics is an impermanent factor of life"- James Thurber; "impermanent palm cottages"; "a temperary arrangement"; "temporary housing"
episodic
limited in duration to a single episode; "an account concerned primarily with episodic events such as the succession of rulers"
evanescent
tending to vanish like vapor; "evanescent beauty"
fly-by-night
of an impermanent nature; "the symphony is no fly-by-night venture"
improvised, jury-rigged, makeshift
done or made using whatever is available; "crossed the river on improvised bridges"; "the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear"; "the rock served as a makeshift hammer"
interim
serving during an intermediate interval of time; "an interim agreement"
temporal
not eternal; "temporal matters of but fleeting moment"- F.D.Roosevelt
sufferable, tolerable
capable of being tolerated; "sufferable difficulties"
unmentionable
unsuitable or forbidden as a topic of conversation; "unmentionable words"
permissive
granting or inclined or able to grant permission; not strict in discipline; "direct primary legislation is largely permissive rather than prescriptive"; "permissive parents"
indulgent, lax, lenient, soft
tolerant or lenient; "indulgent parents risk spoiling their children"; "procedures are lax and discipline is weak"; "too soft on the children"
unpermissive
not inclined to grant permission; severe in discipline
authoritarian, dictatorial
likened to a dictator in severity
nonindulgent, strict
not indulgent; "strict parents"
permissive
not preventive
admitting of(p), allowing of(p), permitting of(p)
leaving room for
prohibitive, prohibitory
tending to discourage (especially of prices); "the price was prohibitive"
at a loss(p), nonplused, nonplussed, puzzled
filled with bewilderment; "at a loss to understand those remarks"; "puzzled that she left without saying goodbye"
perplexed
full or difficulty or confusion or bewilderment; "perplexed language"; "perplexed state of the world"
metagrobolized, metagrabolized, mystified
totally perplexed and mixed up; "all this duncical nonsense has my brains metagrobolized"- Wall Street Journal
baffled, befuddled, bemused, bewildered, confounded, confused, lost, mazed, mixed-up, at sea
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment; "obviously bemused by his questions"; "bewildered and confused"; "a cloudy and confounded philosopher"; "just a mixed-up kid"; "she felt lost on the first day of school"
questioning, quizzical
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know); "he had a quizzical expression"
stuck
(informal) baffled; "this problem has me completely stuck"
unperplexed
experiencing no difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
unbaffled, unconfused
not perplexed by conflicting situations or statements
personal
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality; "a personal favor"; "for your personal use"; "personal papers"; "I have something personal to tell you"; "a personal God"; "he has his personal bank account and she has hers"
individualized, personalized
made for or directed or adjusted to a particular individual; "personalized luggage"; "personalized advice"
intimate
indicating knowledge of personal details that only a close confidant could have; "an intimate biography"; "intimate details of their relationship"
personalized
pointedly referring to or concerning a person's individual personality or intimate affairs especially offensively; "unnecessarily personalized remarks"
private
concerning things deeply private and personal; "private correspondence"; "private family matters"
nonpersonal
lacking personality; "nonpersonal forces"
impersonal
not relating to or responsive to individual persons; "an impersonal corporation"; "an impersonal remark"
persuasive
tending or intended or having the power to induce action or belief; "persuasive eloquence"; "a most persuasive speaker"
coaxing, ingratiatory
pleasingly persuasive or intended to persuade; "a coaxing and obsequious voice"; "her manner is quiet and ingratiatory and a little too agreeable"
glib, glib-tongued, smooth-tongued
artfully persuasive in speech; "a glib tongue"; "a smooth-tongued hypocrite"
compelling
tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument; "new and compelling evidence"
dense, thick
hard to pass through because of dense growth; "dense vegetation"; "thick woods"
leaky
permitting liquids to penetrate; "a tarpaulin too leaky to be of much use"
receptive
open to arguments, ideas, or change; "receptive to reason and the logic of facts"
animal(a), carnal, fleshly, sensual
of the appetites and passions of the body; "animal instincts"; "carnal knowledge"; "fleshly desire"; "a sensual delight in eating"; "music is the only sensual pleasure without vice"
personal
intimately concerning a person's body or physical being; "personal hygiene"
moral
psychological rather than physical or tangible in effect; "a moral victory"; "moral support"
pious
having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity; "pious readings"
holier-than-thou, pietistic, pietistical, pharisaic, pharisaical, sanctimonious, self-righteous
excessively or hypocritically pious; "a sickening sanctimonious smile"
godly, reverent, worshipful
showing great reverence for god; "a godly man"; "leading a godly life"
impious
lacking piety or reverence for a god
godless, irreverent
not revering god
churchlike, churchly
resembling or suggesting or appropriate to a church; "churchlike silence"; "the pure fragrance of churchly incense"
devout, god-fearing, pious
devoutly religious; "a god-fearing and law-abiding people" H.L.Mencken
heathen, heathenish, pagan
not acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam
irreligious
hostile or indifferent to religion
impious, ungodly
lacking piety and reverence for a god
implacable
impossible to placate; "an implacable enemy"
placable
easily calmed or pacified
appeasable, conciliable
can be pacified or satisfied
mitigable
can be alleviated
grim, inexorable, relentless, stern, unappeasable, unforgiving, unrelenting
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty;"grim determination"; "grim necessity"; "Russia's final hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable certainty"; "relentless persecution"; "the stern demands of parenthood
unmitigable
incapable of being mitigated; "stern and unmitigable accusations"
figured
of e.g. fabric design; "my dress is richly figured"- Amy Lowell
patched, spotted
having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture); "a field patched with ice and snow"; "a black-and-white spotted cow"
dry
having no adornment or coloration; "dry facts"; "rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner"
plain
not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"
austere, severe, stark
severely simple; "a stark interior"
bare(a), mere(a), simple(a)
apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; "the bare facts"; "shocked by the mere idea"; "the simple passage of time was enough"; "the simple truth"
chaste
pure and simple in design or style; "a chaste border of conventionalized flowers"
featureless
lacking distinguishing characteristics or features; "the featureless landscape of the steppe"
inelaborate, unelaborate
not elaborate; lacking rich or complex detail
homely, simple
unpretentious; "homely truths"; "letters to his son full of homely advice"; "simple (or homely) fare"
literal, pure and simple
of the clearest kind; usually used for emphasis; "it's the literal truth"; "a matter of investment, pure and simple"
simple
not elaborate in style; unornamented; "her black dress--simple to austerity"
tailored, trim
severely simple in line or design; "a neat tailored suit"; "tailored curtains"
aureate, florid, flamboyant, showy
elaborately or excessively ornamented; "flamboyant handwriting"; "the senator's florid speech"
fancy
not plain; decorative or ornamented; "fancy handwriting"; "fancy clothes"
busy, fussy
overcrowded or cluttered with detail; "a busy painting"; "a fussy design"
dressy
(informal) in fancy clothing
elaborate, intricate, luxuriant
marked by complexity and richness of detail; "an elaborate lace pattern"; "intricate needlework"
fanciful
having a curiously intricate quality; "a fanciful pattern with intertwined vines and flowers"
deep-laid
secretly and carefully planned; "deep-laid plans"
contrived
showing effects of planning or manipulation; "a novel with a contrived ending"
candid
informal or natural; especially caught off guard or unprepared; "a candid photograph"; "a candid interview"
arguable
capable of being supported by argument
plausible
apparently reasonable and valid
implausible
having a quality that provokes disbelief; "gave the teacher an implausible excuse"
glib, pat, slick
having only superficial plausibility; "glib promises"; "a slick commercial"
pleasant
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings; "a pleasant person to be around"; "we had a pleasant evening together"; "a pleasant scene"; "pleasant sensations"
idyllic, pastoral
suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple and serene; "his idyllic life in Tahiti"; "the pastoral legends of America's Golden Age"
beautiful, fine
(of weather) highly enjoyable; very pleasant; "a beautiful evening"
dulcet
extremely pleasant in a gentle way; "the most dulcet swimming on the most beautiful and remote beaches"
enjoyable, gratifying, pleasurable
affording satisfaction or pleasure; "the company was enjoyable"; "found her praise gratifying"; "full of happiness and pleasurable excitement"; "good printing makes a book more pleasurable to read"
grateful
affording comfort or pleasure; "the grateful warmth of the fire"
unpleasant
not pleasant; "an unpleasant personality"; "unpleasant repercussions"; "unpleasant odors"
acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, venomous, virulent, vitriolic
harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"
beastly, hellish
very unpleasant; "hellish (or beastly) weather"
harsh, rough
unpleasantly stern; "wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus"; "the nomad life is rough and hazardous"
dour, forbidding, grim
harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; "a dour, self-sacrificing life"; "a forbidding scowl"; "a grim man loving duty more than humanity"; "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"- J.M.Barrie
dreadful
very unpleasant
embarrassing, mortifying
causing to feel shame or chagrin or vexation; "the embarrassing moment when she found her petticoat down around her ankles"; "it was mortifying to know he had heard every word"
harsh
disagreeable to the senses; "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"
afflictive, painful, sore
causing misery or pain or distress; "it was a sore trial to him"; "the painful process of growing up"
hot
very unpleasant or even dangerous; "make it hot for him"; "in the hot seat"; "in hot water"
rebarbative, repellent, repellant
serving or tending to repel; "he became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful"; "I find his obsequiousness repellent"
sharp, sharp-worded, tart
harsh; "sharp criticism"; "a sharp-worded exchange"; "a tart remark"
ungrateful
disagreeable; "I will not perform the ungrateful task of comparing cases of failure"- Abraham Lincoln
unhappy
causing discomfort; "the unhappy truth"
unlovely
used of circumstances; "an unlovely ride to work on a crowded train"
pleasing
giving pleasure and satisfaction; "a pleasing piece of news"; "pleasing in manner and appearance"
admirable
inspiring admiration or approval; "among her many admirable qualities are generosity and graciousness"
agreeable, pleasureful
highly pleasing; "pleasureful relaxation"; "an agreeable prospect"
charming
pleasing or delighting; "endowed with charming manners"; "a charming little cottage"; "a charming personality"
delightful, delicious
greatly pleasing or entertaining; "a delightful surprise"; "the comedy was delightful"; "a delicious joke"
disarming
capable of allaying suspicion or hostility and inspiring confidence; "a disarming smile"
easy
affording pleasure; "easy good looks"
fabulous, fab
extremely pleasing; "a fabulous vacation"
gratifying, sweet
pleasing to the mind or feeling; "sweet revenge"
good
capable of pleasing; "good looks"
ingratiating
capable of winning favor; "with open arms and an ingratiating smile"
sweet
pleasing to the senses; "the sweet song of the lark"; "the sweet face of a child"
displeasing
causing displeasure or lacking pleasing qualities
disconcerting, upsetting
causing an emotional disturbance; "his disconcerting habit of greeting friends ferociously and strangers charmingly"- Herb Caen; "an upsetting experience"
exasperating, infuriating, maddening, vexing
extremely annoying or displeasing; "his cavelier curtness of manner was exasperating"; "I've had an exasperating day"; "her infuriating indifference"; "the ceaseless tumult of the jukebox was maddening"
off-putting
causing annoyance or repugnance; "an off-putting remark"
unentertaining
not entertaining; "a quite unentertaining letter"
entertaining
agreeably diverting or amusing; "an entertaining puppet show"; "films should be entertaining"
amusing, amusive, diverting, fun(a)
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining; "an amusing speaker"; "a diverting story"; "a fun thing to do"
unamusing
not amusing; "his jokes were labored and unamusing"
finished
(of skills or the products of skills) brought to or having the greatest excellence; perfected; "a dazzling and finished piece of writing"; "a finished violinist"
raw
untempered and unrefined; "raw talent"; "raw beauty"
rough
not perfected; "a rough draft"; "a few rough sketches"
politic
marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness; "it is neither polite nor politic to get into other people's quarrels"; "a politic decision"; "a politic manager"; "a politic old scoundrel"; "a shrewd and politic reply"
expedient
appropriate to a purpose; practical; "in the circumstances it was expedient to express loyalty"
sagacious
skillful in statecraft or management; "an astute and sagacious statesman"
impolitic
not politic; "an impolitic approach to a sensitive issue"
tactless, undiplomatic
showing skill in handling difficult situations
inexpedient, unwise
not appropriate to the purpose
ponderable
capable of being weighed or considered; "something ponderable from the outer world--something of which we can say that its weight is so and so"- James Jeans
popular
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public; "a popular tourist attraction"; "a popular girl"; "cabbage patch dolls are no longer popular"
assessable
capable of being considered carefully; "the assessable qualities of art"
imponderable
difficult or impossible to evaluate with precision; "such imponderable human factors as aesthetic sensibility"
best-selling(p)
selling in great numbers; "a best-selling novel"
unpopular
regarded with disfavor or lacking general approval; "unpopular ideas"; "an unpopular war"
fashionable, popular with(p)
patronized by
favorite, favourite
appealing to the general public; "a favorite tourist attraction"
hot
(informal) very popular or successful; "one of the hot young talents"; "cabbage patch dolls were hot last season"
touristed, touristy
visited by throngs of tourists; "of the three American Virgin islands St. Thomas is the most touristed"; "tourists descend in busloads...so the whole place is rather touristy"
less-traveled
not visited by many travelers; "the tourist's desire to visit less-traveled countries"
positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.; "a positive attitude"; "the reviews were all positive"; "a positive benefit"; "a positive demand"
constructive
emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good; "constructive criticism"
affirmative, optimistic
expecting the best; "an affirmative outlook"
enthusiastic
very positive; "an enthusiastic response"
negative
characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features; "a negative outlook on life"; "a colorless negative personality"; "a negative evaluation"; "a negative reaction to an advertising campaign"
perverse
marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict; "took perverse satisfaction in foiling her plans"
antagonistic, counter
indicating opposition or resistance
neutral
of no distinctive quality or characteristics or type
out(p)
not worth considering as a possibility; "a picnic is out because of the weather"
hopeless
certain to fail; "the situation is hopeless"
impracticable, infeasible, unfeasible, unworkable
not capable of being carried out or put into practice; "refloating the sunken ship proved impracticable because of its fragility"; "a suggested reform that was unfeasible in the prevailing circumstances"
potent, strong
having a strong physiological or chemical effect; "a potent toxin"; "potent liquor"; "a potent cup of tea"
impotent
lacking power or ability; "Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent"- Freeman J.Dyson; "felt impotent rage"
ineffective, ineffectual, unable
lacking in power or forcefulness; "an ineffectual ruler"; "like an unable phoenix in hot ashes"
powerful
having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"
weak
lacking physical strength or vigor
almighty, all-powerful, omnipotent
having unlimited power
potent, strong
having or wielding force or authority; "providing the ground soldier with increasingly potent weapons"
mighty
having or showing great strength or force or intensity; "struck a mighty blow"; "the mighty logger Paul Bunyan"; "the pen is mightier than the sword"- Bulwer-Lytton
muscular
having or suggesting great physical power or force; "the muscular and passionate Fifth Symphony"
feeble, nerveless
lacking strength; "a weak, nerveless fool, devoid of energy and promptitude"- Nathaniel Hawthorne
puissant
(archaic) powerful
powerless, weak
lacking power
helpless, incapacitated
lacking in or deprived of strength or power; "lying ill and helpless"; "helpless with laughter"
influential
having or exercising influence or power; "an influential newspaper"; "influential leadership for peace"
cogent, potent, powerful
having the power to influence or convince; "a cogent analysis of the problem"; "potent arguments"
authoritative, important
having authority or ascendancy or influence; "an important official"; "the captain's authoritative manner"
prestigious
exerting influence by reason of high status or prestige; "a prestigious professor at a prestigious university"
uninfluential
not influential
practical
concerned with actual use or practice; "he is a very practical person"; "the idea had no practical application"; "a practical knowledge of Japanese"; "woodworking is a practical art"
applied
put into practice or put to use; "applied physics"
applicable, applicative, applicatory
readily applicable or practical
matter-of-fact, pragmatic, pragmatical
concerned with practical matters; "a matter-of-fact (or pragmatic) approach to the problem"; "a matter-of-fact account of the trip"
useful
capable of being turned to use or account; "useful applications of calculus"
unimaginative
dealing only with concrete facts
working
adequate for practical use; especially sufficient in strength or numbers to accomplish something; "the party has a working majority in the House"; "a working knowledge of Spanish"
armchair(a)
remote from actual involvement; "armchair warriors in the Pentagon"; "an armchair anthropologist"
impractical
not practical; not workable or not given to practical matters; "refloating the ship proved impractical because of the expense"; "he is intelligent but too impractical for commercial work"
crazy, half-baked, screwball, softheaded
(informal) foolish; totally unsound; "an impractical solution"; "a crazy scheme"; "half-baked ideas"; "a screwball proposal without a prayer of working"
quixotic, romantic, wild-eyed
not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic; "as quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood"; "a romantic disregard for money"; "a wild-eyed dream of a world state"
precise
sharply exact or accurate or delimited; "a precise mind"; "specified a precise amount"; "arrived at the precise moment"
unfunctional
not related to or fitted for everyday needs or activities
fine
minutely precise especially in differences in meaning; "a fine distinction"
dead
unerringly accurate; "a dead shot"; "took dead aim"
finespun, hairsplitting
developed in excessively fine detail; "finespun distinctions"
meticulous, punctilious
marked by precise accordance with details; "was worryingly meticulous about trivial details"; "punctilious in his attention to rules of etiquette"
microscopic
extremely precise with great attention to details; "examined it with microscopic care"
nice, skillful
done with delicacy and skill; "a nice bit of craft"; "a job requiring nice measurements with a micrometer"; "a nice shot"
pinpoint(a)
meticulously precise; "pinpoint accuracy"
on the nose, on the button
being precisely to a prescribed or specified criterion; "his guess was on the nose"; "the prediction for snow was right on the button"
very(a)
precisely as stated; "the very center of town"
imprecise
not precise; "imprecise astronomical observations"; "the terms he used were imprecise and emotional"
general
somewhat indefinite; "bearing a general resemblance to the original"; "a general description of the merchandise"
precocious
characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude); "a precocious child"; "a precocious achievement"
inaccurate, inexact
not precisely accurate; "an inexact quotation"
gifted, talented
showing a natural aptitude for something
advanced
farther along in physical or mental development; "the child's skeletal age was classified as `advanced'"; "children in the advanced classes in elementary school read far above grade average"
backward, feebleminded
retarded in intellectual development
delayed
not as far along as normal in development
dim-witted, half-witted, simple, simple-minded
lacking mental capacity and devoid of subtlety
inevitable
invariably occurring or appearing; "the inevitable changes of the seasons"
foreseeable
being such as may reasonable be anticipated; "foreseeable costs were well within the budget"
capricious, freakish
changeable; "a capricious summer breeze"; "freakish weather"
episodic, occasional
occurring or appearing at usually irregular intervals; "episodic in his affections"; "occasional headaches"
prepared
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand; "a prepared statement"; "be prepared for emergencies"
embattled
prepared for battle; "an embattled city"
braced
positioned so as to be ready for confrontation or danger; "he stood to attention with his shoulders braced"
equipped, fitted out(p)
prepared with proper equipment; "equipped for service in the Arctic"
preconditioned
having already been put into a suitable condition; "a surface preconditioned to receive paint"; "customers preconditioned to buy a product"
ready
brought into readiness; "dinner is ready"
unprepared
without preparation; not prepared for; "unprepared remarks"; "the shock was unprepared"; "our treaty makers approached their immensely difficult problems unprepared"- R.E.Danielson
up(p)
(usually followed by `on' or `for') in readiness; "he was up on his homework"; "had to be up for the game"
ostentatious, pretentious
intended to attract notice and impress others; "an ostentatious sable coat"
showy, splashy
marked by conspicuous display; "a cheap showy rhinestone bracelet"; "a splashy half-page ad"
conspicuous, flaunty
inclined to flaunt; "conspicuous consumption"
unostentatious, unpretentious
not ostentatious; "his unostentatious office"; "unostentatious elegance"
pretentious
making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction; "a pretentious country house"; "a pretentious fraud"; "a pretentious scholarly edition"
quiet, restrained
not showy or obtrusive; "clothes in quiet good taste"
artsy-craftsy, arty-crafty
pretentiously artistic; cloyingly charming
arty
showily imitative of art or artists
high-flown, high-flying, high-sounding, inflated
(informal) pretentious; "high-flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school"; "a high-flying dissertation on the means to attain social revolution"
grandiloquent, overblown, pompous, pontifical, portentous
puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech"; "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"- Newsweek
grandiose, hifalutin, highfalutin, highfaluting, hoity-toity, la-di-da
affectedly genteel
nouveau-riche, parvenu, parvenue, upstart(a)
characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
jumped-up
(British informal) upstart
unpretentious
lacking pretension or affectation; "an unpretentious country church"; "her quiet unpretentious demeanor"
sententious
abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing; "too often the significant episode deteriorates into sententious conversation"- Kathleen Barnes
sesquipedalian
given to the overuse of long words; "sesquipecalian orators"; "this sesquipedalian way of saying one has no money"
honest
without pretensions; "worked at an honest trade"; "good honest food"
modest, plain, simple
free from pomp or affectation; "comfortable but modest cottages"; "a plain blue suit"; "a simple rectangular brick building"; "a simple man with simple tastes"
unpompous
not pompous
primary
of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondhand; "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"
particular, special
first and most important; "his special interest is music"; "she gets special (or particular) satisfaction from her volunteer work"
secondary
of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams"
auxiliary, subsidiary, supplemental, supplementary
functioning in a subsidiary or supporting capacity; "the main library and its auxiliary branches"
collateral
accompaniment to something else; "collateral target damage from a bombing run"
standby
ready for emergency use; "a standby generator"; "a standby crew"
vicarious
experienced at secondhand; "read about mountain climbing and felt vicarious excitement"
basic
pertaining to or constituting a base or basis; "a basic fact"; "the basic ingredients"; "basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities"
basal, base
serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats"
elementary, primary
of or being the essential or basic part; "an elementary need for love and nurturing"
radical, root
arising from or going to the root; "a radical flaw in the plan"
fundamental, rudimentary, underlying
being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incompatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles"
grassroots
fundamental; "the grassroots factor in making the decision"
incidental, incident
(sometimes followed by `to') minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence; "incidental expenses"; "the road will bring other incidental advantages"; "extra duties incidental to the job"; "labor problems incidental to a rapid expansion"; "confusion incident to a quick change"
peripheral
not of central importance; "energy is far from a peripheral issue in the economy"
parenthetic, parenthetical
qualifying or explaining; placed or as if placed in parentheses; "parenthetical remarks"
secondary
depending on or incidental to what is original or primary; "a secondary infection"
side(a), by(a), bye(a)
minor or subordinate; `by' is often used in combination; "a side interest"; "a by (or bye) effect"; "only a by comment"; "by-election"; "bye-election"; "a by-product"; "by-play"
clannish, cliquish, clubby, snobbish, snobby
befitting or characteristic of those who inclined to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior
private
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy; "a private place"; "private discussions"; "private lessons"; "a private club"; "a private secretary"; "private property"; "the former President is now a private citizen"; "public figures struggle to maintain a private life"
backstage
concealed from the public
cloistered, reclusive, secluded, sequestered
providing privacy or seclusion; "the cloistered academic world of books"; "sat close together in the sequestered pergola"; "sitting under the reclusive calm of a shade tree"; 'a secluded romantic spot"
close
confined to specific persons; "a close secret"
confidential
entrusted with private information and the confidence of another; "a confidential secretary"
insular
suggestive of the isolated life of an island; "an exceedingly insular man; so deeply private as to seem inaccessible to the scrutiny of a novelist"- Leonard Michaels
nonpublic
not invested with or related to prominent position or status etc.
offstage
withheld from public view or attention; "offstage political meetings"
privy, secluded, secret
hidden from general view or use; "a privy place to rest and think"; "a secluded romantic spot"; "a secret garden"
public
not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole; "the public good"; "public libraries"; "public funds"; "public parks"; "a public scandal"; "public gardens"; "performers and members of royal families are public figures"
in the public eye(p)
of great interest to the public; "a person in the public eye"
open
open to or in view of all; "an open protest"; "an open letter to the editor"
exclusive
excluding much or all; especially all but a particular group or minority; "exclusive clubs"; "an exclusive restaurants and shops"
inside, inner, privileged
confined to an exclusive or group; "privy to inner knowledge"; "inside information"; privileged information"
inner
exclusive to a center; especially a center of influence; "inner regions of the organization"; "inner circles of government"
comprehensive
broad in scope; "a comprehensive survey of world affairs"
selective
characterized by very careful or fastidious selection; "the school was very selective in its admissions"
inclusive
including much or everything; and especially including stated limits; "an inclusive art form"; "an inclusive fee"; "his concept of history is modern and inclusive"; "from Monday to Friday inclusive"
privileged
blessed with privileges; "the privileged few"
advantaged, favored
blessed with advantages; "she is more advantaged than her cousin"; "born into the favored classes"
underprivileged
lacking the rights and advantages of other members of society
deprived, disadvantaged
marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences; "a childhood that was unhappy and deprived, the family living off charity"; "boys from a deprived environment, wherein the family life revealed a pattern of neglect, moral degradation, and disregard for law"
underclass(a)
belonging to the lowest and least privileged social stratum; "underclass mothers and children"
productive
producing or capable of producing (especially abundantly); "productive farmland"; "his productive years"; "a productive collaboration"
fecund, fertile, prolific
intellectually productive; "a prolific writer"; "a fecund imagination"
fruitful, profitable
productive of profit; "a profitable enterprise"; "a fruitful meeting"
rich
very productive; "rich seams of coal"
unproductive
not producing or capable of producing; "elimination of high-cost or unproductive industries"
bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain
unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"
dry
unproductive especially of the expected results; "a dry run"; "a mind dry of new ideas"
nonproductive
not directly productive; "nonproductive labor"
consumptive
tending to consume or use often wastefully; "water suitable for beneficial consumptive uses"; "duties consumptive of time and energy"; "consumptive fires"
exploitative, exploitatory, exploitive
tending to exploit or make use of
expert
having or showing great skill or knowledge or special training as expected of a professional; "an expert opinion"
professional
characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession; "professional conduct"; "professional ethics"; "a thoroughly professional performance"
unprofessional
not characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession; "described in unprofessional language so that high school students could understand it"; "was censured for unprofessional conduct"; "unprofessional repairs"
bankable
guaranteed to bring a profit; "without bankable stars the film script aroused no interest"
amateurish, amateur, inexpert, unskilled
lacking professional skill or expertise; "a very amateurish job"; "inexpert but conscientious efforts"; "an unskilled painting"
fat, juicy
(informal) lucrative; "a juicy contract"; "a nice fat job"
lucrative, moneymaking, remunerative
producing a good profit; "a remunerative business"
lean
not profitable or prosperous; "a lean year"
marginal
producing at a rate that barely covers production costs; "marginal industries"; "marginal land"
thoughtful
having intellectual depth; "a deeply thoughtful essay"
profound
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depths; from the depths of your being; "the differences are profound"; "a profound insight"; "a profound book"; "a profound mind"; "profound contempt"; "profound regret"
deep
marked by depth of thinking; "deep thoughts"; "a deep allegory"
intimate
showing profound and detailed knowledge and understanding as from long study; "an intimate knowledge of criminal law"
superficial
being or affecting or concerned with a surface; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually; "superficial similarities"; "a superficial mind"; "his thinking was superficial and fuzzy"; "superficial knowledge"; "the superficial report didn't give the true picture"; "only superficial differences"
apparent(a), ostensible, seeming(a)
appearing as such but not necessarily so; "for all his apparent wealth he had no money to pay the rent"; "the committee investigated some apparent discrepancies"; "the ostensible truth of their theories"; "his seeming honesty"
dilettante, dilettantish, dilettanteish
showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; "his dilettantish efforts at painting"
facile
arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth; "too facile a solution for so complex a problem"
looking, sounding
appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms; "left their clothes dirty looking"; "a most disagreeable looking character"; "angry-looking"; "liquid-looking"; "severe-looking policemen on noble horses"; "fine-sounding phrases"; "taken in by high-sounding talk"
glib
marked by lack of intellectual depth; "glib generalizations"; "a glib response to a complex question"
shallow
lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious; "shallow people"; "his arguments seemed shallow and tedious"
advanced, forward-looking, innovative, modern
ahead of the times; "the advanced teaching methods"; "had advanced views on the subject"; "a forward-looking corporation"; "is British industry innovative enough?"
progressive
favoring or promoting progress; "progressive schools"
returning, reverting
tending to return to an earlier state
regressive
opposing progress
atavistic, throwback(a)
characteristic of an atavist
declining, deteriorating, failing, regressing, retrograde, retrogressive
going from better to worse
proper
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness; "proper medical treatment"; "proper manners"
becoming, comely, comme il faut, decent, decorous, seemly
according with custom or propriety; "her becoming modesty"; "comely behavior"; "it is not comme_il_faut for a gentleman to be constantly asking for money"; "a decent burial"; "seemly behavior"
fitting
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion; "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field...It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this"
priggish, prim, prissy, prudish, puritanical, square-toed, straitlaced, straightlaced, tight-laced, victorian
exaggeratedly proper; "my straitlaced Aunt Anna doesn't approve of my miniskirts"
improper
not suitable or right or appropriate; "slightly improper to dine alone with a married man"; "improper medication"
wrong
not in accord with established usage or procedure; "the wrong medicine"; "the wrong way to shuck clams"
out-of-the-way
improper or even offensive; "out-of-the-way remarks"; "did you notice anything out-of-the-way?"
divinatory, mantic, sibylline, sibyllic, vatic, vatical
resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy; "the high priest's divinatory pronouncement"; "mantic powers"; "a kind of sibylline book with ready and infallible answers to questions"
fateful, foreboding(a), portentous
of ominous significance
precursory, premonitory
warning of future misfortune
sheltered
protected from danger or bad weather; "a sheltered harbor"
snug
offering safety; well protected or concealed; "a snug harbor"; "a snug hideout"
unprotected
lacking protection or defense
covering, shielding
actively protective; "provided covering fire for the platoon that was moving up"
cautionary, preventive, prophylactic
tending to ward off; "the swastika...a very ancient prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples"- Victor Schultze
overprotective
overly protective; "overprotective parents"
protecting(a)
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort; "the protecting blanket of snow"; "a protecting alibi"
neglectful, neglectful of(p)
leaving vulnerable; "neglectful of her own financial security"
safety-related
providing or ensuring safety
arrogant, chesty, self-important
having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance out of overbearing pride; "an arrogant official"; "arrogant claims"; "chesty as a peacock"
big, swelled, vainglorious
feeling self-importance; "too big for his britches"; "had a swelled head"; "he was swelled with pride"
bigheaded, persnickety, snooty, snot-nosed, snotty, stuck-up, too big for one's breeches, uppish
used colloquially of one who is overly conceited or arrogant; "a snotty little scion of a degenerate family"-Laurent Le Sage; "they're snobs--stuck-up and uppity and persnickety"
boastful, braggart(a), bragging(a), braggy, big, cock-a-hoop, crowing, self-aggrandizing
exhibiting self-importance; "big talk"
disdainful, haughty, lordly, prideful, sniffy, supercilious, swaggering
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy; "some economists are disdainful of their colleagues in other social disciplines"; "haughty aristocrats"; "his lordly manners were offensive"; "walked with a prideful swagger"; "very sniffy about breaches of etiquette"; "his mother eyed my clothes with a supercilious air"; "shaggy supercilious camels"; "a more swaggering mood than usual"- W.L.Shirer
dignified, self-respecting, self-respectful
having or showing self-esteem
conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self-conceited, swollen, swollen-headed, vain
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"; "vain about her clothes"
glorious, illustrious, redoubtable, respected
having or worthy of pride; "redoubtable scholar of the Renaissance"; "born of a redoubtable family"
gratifying
occasioning pride; "a gratifying (or proud) achievement"
overproud
excessively proud
shabby-genteel
trying to maintain dignity and self respect despite shabbiness
meek, mild, modest
humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness; "meek and self-effacing"
humble
marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful; "a humble apology"; "essentially humble...and self-effacing, he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions"- B.K.Malinowski
broken, crushed, humbled, humiliated, low
subdued or brought low in condition or status; "brought low"; "a broken man"; "his broken spirit"
careful, thrifty
mindful of the future in spending money; "careful with money"
provident
providing carefully for the future; "wild squirrels are provident"; "a provident father plans for his children's education"
farseeing, farsighted, foresighted, foresightful, long, longsighted
planning prudently for the future; "large goals that required farsighted policies"; "took a long view of the geopolitical issues"
improvident
not provident; not providing for the future
forehanded
having provided for the future
forethoughtful
thoughtful of the future; "careful forethoughtful planning"
short, shortsighted, unforesightful
lacking foresight or scope; "a short view of the problem"; "shortsighted policies"; "shortsighted critics derided the plan"
prodigal
marked by rash extravagance; "led a prodigal life"
provocative
serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; "a provocative remark"; "a provocative smile"; "provocative Irish tunes which...compel the hearers to dance"- Anthony Trollope
thriftless
careless of the future
unforethoughtful
lacking forethought
agitative, agitating, provoking
causing or tending to cause anger or resentment; "a provoking delay at the airport"
charged
capable of producing violent emotion or arousing controversy; "the highly charged issue of abortion"
challenging, intriguing
disturbingly provocative; "an intriguing smile"
prudent
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment; "a prudent manager"; "prudent rulers"; "prudent hesitation"; "more prudent to hide than to fight"
incendiary, incitive, inflammatory, instigative, rabble-rousing, seditious
arousing to action or rebellion
rousing
rousing to activity or heightened action as by spurring or goading; "tossed a rousing political comment into the conversation"
unprovocative, unprovoking
not provocative
disarming
capable of allaying hostility
noninflammatory
not inflammatory
judicious, sensible, wise
marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters; "judicious use of one's money"; "a sensible manager"; "a wise decision"
circumspect, discreet
heedful of potential consequences; "circumspect actions"; "physicians are now more circumspect about recommending its use"; "a discreet investor"
provident
careful in regard to your own interests; "the prudent use and development of resources"; "wild squirrels are provident"
prudential
arising from or characterized by prudence especially in business matters; "he abstained partly for prudential reasons"
blind
without preparation or forethought or knowledge; "a blind attempt"; "a blind purchase"
imprudent
not prudent or wise; "very imprudent of her mother to encourage her in such silly romantic ideas"; "would be imprudent for a noneconomist to talk about the details of economic policy"- A.M.Schlesinger
ill-advised
lacking or showing a lack of careful deliberation; unwise; "ill-advised efforts"; "ill-advised laws"
rash
imprudently incurring risk; "do something rash that he will forever repent"- George Meredith
ill-considered, ill-judged, improvident, shortsighted
not given careful consideration; "ill-considered actions often result in disaster"; "an ill-judged attempt"
injudicious
lacking or showing lack of judgment or discretion; unwise; "an injudicious measure"; "the result of an injudicious decision"
benighted, nighted
overtaken by night or darkness; "benighted (or nighted) travelers hurrying toward home"
dilatory, laggard
inclined to waste time and lag behind
last-minute
just before a deadline; at the last minute; "last-minute arrangements"
cur(a), mixed, mongrel(a), scrub(a), underbred
of inferior or mixed breed; "a cur dog"; "an underbred dog"
pure
used of persons or behaviors; having no faults; sinless; "I felt pure and sweet as a new baby"- Sylvia Plath; "pure as the driven snow"
white
free from moral blemish or impurity; unsullied; "in shining white armor"
immaculate, undefiled
free from stain or blemish
impure
used of persons or behaviors; not morally pure; "impure thoughts"
defiled, maculate
morally blemished; stained or impure
pure
free of extraneous elements of any kind; "pure air and water"; "pure gold"; "pure primary colors"; "the violin's pure and lovely song"; "pure tones"
clean, fresh
free from impurities; "clean water"; "fresh air"
clean, clear, light, unclouded
(of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims; "efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings"; "clear laughter like a waterfall"; "clear reds and blues"; "a light lilting voice like a silver bell"
plain, sheer, unmingled, unmixed
not mixed with extraneous elements; "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing"
pristine
completely free from dirt or contamination; "pristine mountain snow"
purified, refined, sublimate
made pure
unadulterated
not mixed with impurities; "unadulterated maple syrup"; "the unadulterated truth"; "here is genius unadulterated"- Amy Loveman
uncontaminated, unpolluted
free from admixture with noxious elements; clean; "unpolluted streams"; "a contaminated lake"
virginal
untouched or undefiled; "nor is there anything more virginal than the shimmer of young foliage"- L.P.Smith
impure
combined with extraneous elements
adulterate, adulterated, debased
mixed with impurities
contaminated, polluted
rendered unwholesome by contaminants and pollution; "had to boil the contaminated water"; "polluted lakes and streams"
dirty, dingy, muddied, muddy
(of color) discolored by impurities; not bright and clear; "dirty" is often used in combination; "a dirty (or dingy) white"; "the muddied gray of the sea"; "muddy colors"; "dirty-green walls"; "dirty-blonde hair"
contaminated
corrupted by contact or association; "contaminated evidence"
unpurified
not made pure
uncontaminated
not corrupted by contact or association; "there is no culture uncontaminated by contact with the outside world"
businesslike, earnest
not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal
desultory
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another; "desultory thoughts"; "the desultory conversation characteristic of cocktail parties"
quack(a)
medically unqualified; "a quack doctor"
fine
trained to the highest degree of physical excellence; "a fine racehorse"
qualified
limited or restricted; not absolute; "gave only qualified approval"
undisciplined
not subjected to discipline; "undisciplined talent"
hedged, weasel-worded
evasively worded in order to avoid an unqualified statement
conditional
qualified by reservations
unqualified
not limited or restricted; "an unqualified denial"
limited, modified
mediocre
clean, clear
free of restrictions or qualifications; "a clean bill of health"; "a clear winner"
categoric, categorical, flat, unconditional
not modified or restricted by reservations; "a categorical denial"; "a flat refusal"
cool, unqualiied
(informal; of a number or sum) without exaggeration or qualification; "a cool million bucks"
outright, straight-out, unlimited
without reservation or exception
alleged(a), so-called, supposed
doubtful or suspect; "these so-called experts are no help"
questionable
subject to question; "questionable motives"; "a questionable reputation"; "a fire of questionable origin"
debatable, problematic, problematical
open to doubt or debate; "If you ever get married, which seems to be extremely problematic"
apocryphal
of questionable authenticity
equivocal
open to question; "aliens of equivocal loyalty"; "his conscience reproached him with the equivocal character of the union into which he had forced his son"-Anna Jameson
doubtful, dubious, dubitable, in question(p)
open to doubt or suspicion; "the candidate's doubtful past"; "he has a dubious record indeed"; "what one found uncertain the other found dubious or downright false"; "it was more than dubitable whether the friend was as influential as she thought"- Karen Horney
fishy, funny, queer, shady, suspect, suspicious
(informal) not as expected; "there was something fishy about the accident"; "up to some funny business"; "some definitely queer goings-on"; "a shady deal"; "her motives were suspect"; "suspicious behavior"
impugnable
subject to being discredited
unquestionable
impossible to question; "unquestionable authority"
for sure
not open to doubt; "she wanted to go; that was for sure"
acknowledged
generally accepted
beyond doubt(p), indubitable
too obvious to be doubted
mathematical
beyond question; "a mathematical certainty"
unchallengeable
not open to challenge; "unchallengeable facts"; "a position of unchallengeable supremacy"
unchallenged, undisputed, undoubted, unquestioned
accepted without question; "undoubted evidence"
unimpeachable
beyond doubt or reproach; "an unimpeachable source"
quiet
free of noise or uproar; or making little if any sound; "a quiet audience at the concert"; "the room was dark and quiet"
catlike
quiet and stealthy
dreamy
quiet and relaxing; "dreamy music"
stilly
(poetic) still or calm; "in the stilly night"
noisy
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds; "a noisy cafeteria"; "a small noisy dog"
blatant, clamant, clamorous, clamourous, strident, vociferous
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry; "blatant radios"; "a clamorous uproar"; "strident demands"; "a vociferous mob"
rackety, rip-roaring, uproarious
uncontrollably noisy
quiet
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity; "a quiet life"; "a quiet throng of onlookers"; "quiet peace-loving people"; "the factions remained quiet for almost 10 years"
quiescent
marked by a state of tranquil repose; "the quiescent melancholy of the town"
slumberous, slumbrous
quiet and tranquil; "a slumberous June morning"
relaxing, restful, reposeful
affording or marked by rest or repose; "the time spent was pleasant and relaxing"; "a restful night"; "a cool and reposeful glen"
untroubled
free from turmoil or worries; "untroubled times"
unquiet
characterized by unrest or disorder; "unquiet days of riots"; "following the assassination of Martin Luter King ours was an unquiet nation"; "spent an unquiet night tossing and turning"
fidgety, fretful, itchy, restless
unable to relax or be still; "a constant fretful stamping of hooves"; "itchy for excitement"; "a restless child"
disruptive, riotous, troubled, tumultuous, turbulent
characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination; "effects of the struggle will be violent and disruptive"; "riotous times"; "these troubled areas"; "the tumultuous years of his administration"; "a turbulent and unruly childhood"
squally, squalling
characterized by short periods of noisy commotion; "a home life that has been extraordinarily squally"
random
lacking any definite plan or order or purpose; governed by or depending on chance; "a random choice"; "bombs fell at random"; "random movements"
uneasy, restless
marked by a lack of quiet; not conducive to rest; "spent a restless night"; "fell into an uneasy sleep"
haphazard, hit-or-miss
dependent upon or characterized by chance; "a haphazard plan of action"; "his judgment is rather hit-or-miss"
orderly, systematic
not haphazard; "a series of orderly actions at regular hours"
nonrandom
not random
reasonable, sane
marked by sound judgment; "sane nuclear policy"
coherent, logical, lucid
capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner; "a lucid thinker"; "she was more coherent than she had been just after the accident"
incoherent
unable to think or express your thoughts in a clear or orderly manner; "incoherent with grief"
jaundiced, yellow
(archaic) showing or experiencing a state of disordered feeling or distorted judgment as through bitterness or melancholy; "all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye"-Alexander Pope
at the ready(p)
ready for immediate use; "soldiers with guns at the ready"; "students with pens and notebooks at the ready"
ready
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress; "get ready"; "she is ready to resign"; "the bridge is ready to collapse"; "I am ready to work"; "ready for action"; "ready for use"; "the soup will be ready in a minute"; "ready to learn to read"
prompt
quick in apprehending or reacting; "a prompt (or ready) response"; "a ready smile"
fit(p), primed(p), set(p)
(usually followed by `to' or `for') on the point of or strongly disposed; "she was fit to scream"; "primed for a fight"; "we are set to go at any time"
in order
in a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement; "everything is in order for their arrival"
ripe(p)
fully prepared or eager; "the colonists were ripe for revolution"
unready
not prepared or in a state of readiness; slow to understand or respond; "she cursed her unready tongue"
waiting, ready and waiting(p)
being and remaining ready and available for use; "waiting cars and limousines lined the curb"; "found her mother waiting for them"; "an impressive array of food ready and waiting for the guests"; "military forces ready and waiting"
flat-footed
unprepared and unable to react quickly; "the new product caught their competitors flat-footed"
napping, off-guard(a), off guard(p), off one's guard(p), off his guard, off her guard, off your guard
not prepared or vigilant; "the blow caught him napping"; "caught in an off-guard moment"; "found him off his guard"
unprepared
not put in a state of preparedness; "the machinery was unprepared for the extra load"
unripe
not fully prepared
eye-deceiving, trompe-l'oeil(a)
creating the illusion of seeing reality; "the visual deception of trompe-l'oeil art"
fabled, legendary
celebrated in fable or legend; "the fabled Paul Bunyan and his blue ox"; "legendary exploits of Jesse James"
true(a)
rightly so called; "true courage"; "a spirit which true men have always admired"; "a true friend"
real(a)
no less than what is stated; worthy of the name; "the real reason"; "real war"; "a real friend"; "a real woman"; "meat and potatoes--I call that a real meal"; "it's time he had a real job"; "it's no penny-ante job--he's making real money"
proper(a)
having all the qualities typical of the thing specified; "wanted a proper dinner; not just a snack"; "he finally has a proper job"
dreamlike, surreal
resembling a dream; "night invested the lake with a dreamlike quality"; "as irrational and surreal as a dream"
realistic
aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are; "a realistic description"; "a realistic view of the possibilities"; "a realistic appraisal of our chances"; "the actors tried to create a realistic portrayal of the Africans"
graphic, lifelike, pictorial, vivid
evoking lifelike images within the mind; "pictorial poetry and prose"; "graphic accounts of battle"; "a lifelike portrait"; "a vivid description"
down-to-earth, earthy
sensible and practical; "has a straightforward down-to-earth approach to a problem"; "her earthy common sense"
hardheaded, hard-nosed, practical, pragmatic
guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory; "a hardheaded appraisal of our position"; "a hard-nosed labor leader"; "completely practical in his approach to business"; "not ideology but pragmatic politics"
real
founded on practical matters; "a recent graduate experiencing the real world for the first time"
living
true to life; lifelike; "the living image of her mother"
unrealistic
not realistic; "unrealistic expectations"; "prices at unrealistic high levels"
chimerical
produced by a wildly fanciful imagination; "his Utopia is not a chimerical commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists"- Douglas Bush
phantasmagoric, phantasmagorical, surreal, surrealistic
characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions; "a great concourse of phantasmagoric shadows"- J.C.Powys; "the incongruous imagery in surreal art and literature"
kafkaesque
characterized by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger; "the kafkaesque terror of the endless interrogations"
reasonable, sensible
showing reason or sound judgment; "a sensible choice"; "a sensible person"
unreasonable
absurd and inappropriate; "the unreasonable nimbus of romance with which she had encircled that man"- Thomas Hardy
commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical
exhibiting native good judgment; "arrive home at a reasonable hour"; "commonsense scholarship on the foibles of a genius"; "unlearned and commonsensical countryfolk were capable of solving problems that beset the more sophisticated"
healthy, intelligent, levelheaded, sound
exercising or showing good judgment; "healthy scepticism"; "a healthy fear of rattlesnakes"; "the healthy attitude of French laws"; "healthy relations between labor and management"; "an intelligent solution"; "a sound approach to the problem";"sound advice"; "no reasonable explanation for his decision"
unreasonable
not reasonable; not showing good judgment
mindless, reasonless, senseless
not marked by the use of reason; "mindless violence"; "reasonless hostility"; "a senseless act"
avenging, retributive, retributory, vindicatory
of or relating to or having the nature of retribution; "retributive justice demands an eye for an eye"
retaliative, retaliatory
of or relating to retaliation; "a retaliatory attack"
civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polite
marked by refinement in taste and manners; "cultivated speech"; "cultured Bostonians"; "cultured tastes"; "a genteel old lady"; "polite society"
refined
used of persons and their behavior; cultivated and genteel; "she was delicate and refined and unused to hardship"; "refined people with refined taste"
debonair, debonaire, debonnaire, suave
having a sophisticated charm; "a debonair gentleman"
couth
used facetiously
dainty, mincing, niminy-piminy, prim, twee
affectedly dainty or refined
agrestic
(of behavior) rustic and uncouth; "the agrestic behavior of a country boy"
finespun, delicate
developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense"
gentlemanlike, gentlemanly
befitting a man of good breeding; "gentlemanly behavior"
ladylike
befitting a woman of good breeding; "ladylike manners"
overrefined, superfine
excessively delicate or refined
well-bred, well-mannered
of good upbringing
unrefined
used of persons and their behavior; not refined; uncouth; "how can a refined girl be drawn to such an unrefined man?"
artless, uncultivated, uncultured
(of persons) lacking art or knowledge
crass
(of persons) so unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility
boorish, loutish, neanderthal, oafish, swinish
ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance; "was boorish and insensitive"; "the loutish manners of a bully"; "her stupid oafish husband"; "aristocratic contempt for the swinish multitude"
coarse, common, uncouth, vulgar
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste; "he had coarse manners but a first-rate mind"; "behavior that branded him as common"; "an untutored and uncouth human being"; "an uncouth soldier--a real tough guy"; "appealing to the vulgar taste for violence"; "the vulgar display of the newly rich"
ill-bred, bounderish, lowbred, rude, underbred, yokelish
(of persons) lacking in refinement or grace
low
unrefined in character; "low comedy"
unladylike
lacking the behavior or manner or style considered proper for a lady
robust
rough and crude; "a robust tale"
rough
(of persons or behavior) lacking refinement or finesse; "she was a diamond in the rough"; "rough manners"
rough-spoken
rude or uncouth in speech
ungentlemanly, ungentlemanlike
not befitting a gentleman
unoiled
in need of oil treatment; "dusty unoiled roads"; "a dull unoiled table"
unregenerate, unregenerated
not regenerate or reformed; "unregenerate human nature"; "unregenerate conservatism"
regenerate
reformed spiritually or morally; "a regenerate sinner"; "regenerate by redemption from error or decay"
born-again, converted, reborn
spiritually reborn or converted; "a born-again Christian"; "a converted sinner"
reformed
caused to abandon an evil manner of living and follow a good one; "a reformed drunkard"
cussed, obdurate, obstinate, unrepentant
stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
impenitent
impervious to moral persuasion
unconverted, unpersuaded
not converted
regular
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle; "his regular calls on his customers"; "regular meals"; "regular duties"
routine
occurring at fixed times or predictable intervals; "made her routine trip to the store"
regularized
made regular
standard, stock
regularly and widely used or sold; "a standard size"; "a stock item"
timed
regularly spaced in time; "closely timed intervals"
uniform
evenly spaced; "at regular (or uniform) intervals"
well-ordered
ordered well; "well-ordered work habits"
irregular
contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice; "irregular hiring practices"
casual, occasional
employed in a specified capacity from time to time; "casual employment"; "a casual correspondence with a former teacher"; "an occasional worker"
grab(a)
taken or to be taken at random; "grab samples"
randomized
set up or distributed in a deliberately random way
substandard
used of merchandise
unrepeatable, unquotable
not able or fit to be repeated or quoted; "what he said was funny but unquotable"
repeatable, quotable
able or fit to be repeated or quoted; "what he said was not repeatable in polite company"; "he comes up with so many quotable phrases"
unprintable
unfit for print because morally or legally objectionable or offensive to good taste; "an unprintable epithet"; "unprintable pictures"
printable
fit for publication because free of material that is morally or legally objectionable; "printable language"
bound up
closely or inseparably connected or associated with; "his career is bound up with the fortunes of the enterprise"
connate, cognate
related in nature; "connate qualities"
relevant
having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue; "the scientist corresponds with colleagues in order to learn about matters relevant to her own research"
misrelated
mistakenly related
at issue(a), in dispute(p), in hand(p), in question(p), under consideration(p)
now in consideration or under discussion; "regarding the matter in hand"
applicable
capable of being applied; having relevance; "gave applicable examples to support her argument
germane(p), related
having close kinship and appropriateness; "he asks questions that are germane and central to the issue"
inapplicable, unsuitable
not capable of being applied; "rules inapplicable to day students"
pertinent, to the point(p)
having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand; "a list of articles pertinent to the duscussion"; "remarks that were to the point"
irrelevant
having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue; "an irrelevant comment"; "irrelevant allegations"
digressive, tangential
of superficial relevance if any; "a digressive allusion to the day of the week"; "a tangential remark
extraneous, immaterial, impertinent
not pertinent to the matter under consideration; "an issue extraneous to the debate"; "the price was immaterial"; "mentioned several impertinent facts before finally coming to the point"
mindful, aware
bearing in mind; attentive to; "ever mindful of her health"; "mindful of his responsibilities"; "mindful of these criticisms, I shall attempt to justify my action"
careful, heedful
cautiously attentive; "careful of her feelings"; "heedful of his father's advice"
evocative, redolent, redolent of(p), remindful, reminiscent, reminiscent of(p)
serving to bring to mind; "cannot forbear to close on this redolent literary note"- Wilder Hobson; "a campaign redolent of machine politics"
unmindful, forgetful, mindless
not mindful or attentive; "while thus unmindful of his steps he stumbled"- G.B.Shaw
naturalistic, realistic
representing what is real; not abstract or ideal; "realistic portraiture"; "a realistic novel"; "in naturalistic colors"; "the school of naturalistic writers"
objective
emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings or interpretation; "objective art"
reputable
having a good reputation; "a reputable business"; "a reputable scientist"; "a reputable wine"
estimable, good, honorable, respectable
deserving of esteem and respect; "all respectable companies give guarantees"; "ruined the family's good name"
esteemed, honored, prestigious
having an illustrious reputation; respected; "our esteemed leader"; "a prestigious author"
respected, well-thought-of
receiving deferential regard; "a respected family"
discreditable
tending to bring discredit or disrepute; blameworthy; "his marks were not at all discreditable"
disreputable
lacking respectability in character or behavior or appearance
discredited, damaged
being unjustly brought into disrepute; "a discredited politician"; "her damaged reputation"
ill-famed, infamous, notorious
having an exceedingly bad reputation; "a notorious gangster"; "the tenderloin district was notorious for vice"
louche, shady
of questionable taste or morality; "a louche nightclub"; "a louche painting"
seamy, seedy, sleazy, sordid, squalid
morally degraded; "a seedy district"; "the seamy side of life"; "sleazy characters hanging around casinos"; "sleazy storefronts with...dirt on the walls"- Seattle Weekly; "the sordid details of his orgies stank under his very nostrils"- James Joyce; "the squalid atmosphere of intrigue and betrayal"
receptive
ready or willing to receive favorably; "receptive to the proposals"
unrespectable
not worthy of respect
unrespected
accorded no respect
acceptive, acceptant
accepting willingly; "acceptive of every new idea"; "an acceptant type of mind"
hospitable, open to(p)
(`hospitable' is usually followed by `to') having an open mind; "hospitable to new ideas"; "open to suggestions"
admissive
characterized by or allowing admission; "an Elizabethan tragedy admissive of comic scenes"
closed, unsympathetic
not having an open mind; "a closed mind unreceptive to new ideas"
unreceptive
not receptive
reconcilable
capable of being reconciled; "her way of thinking is reconcilable with mine"
resolvable
capable of being settled or resolved; "all disputed points are potentially resolvable"; "a resolvable quarrel"
harmonizable
capable of being made harmonious or consistent
irreconcilable, unreconcilable
impossible to reconcile; "irreconcilable differences"
hostile
impossible to bring into friendly accord; "hostile factions"
inconsistent
not capable of being made consistent or harmonious; "inconsistent accounts"
rarefied, rarified
reserved for an eleite group
overpowering, overwhelming
so strong as to be irresistible; "an overpowering need for solitude"; "the temptation to despair may become overwhelming"; "an overwhelming majority"
bent, bent on(p), dead set(p), intent on(p), out to(p)
fixed in your purpose; "bent on going to the theater"; "dead set against intervening"; "out_to win every event"
resolute
firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination; "stood resolute against the enemy"; "faced with a resolute opposition"; "a resolute and unshakeable faith"
determined
characterized by great determination; "a struggle against a determined enemy"
foursquare
characterized by firm and unwavering conviction; "a foursquare refusal to yield"
desperate, do-or-die(a)
desperately determined; "do-or-die revolutionaries"; "a do-or-die conflict"
firm, steadfast, steady, unbendable, unfaltering, unshakable, unwavering
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable; "firm convictions"; "a firm mouth"; "steadfast resolve"; "a man of unbendable perseverence"; "unwavering loyalty"
hell-bent
recklessly determined; "hell-bent on winning"
resolved, single-minded
determined; "she was firmly resolved to be a doctor"; "single-minded in his determination to stop smoking"
spartan
resolute in the face of pain or danger or adversity; "spartan courage"
stalwart, stout
dependable; "the stalwart citizens at Lexington"; "a stalwart supporter of the UN"; "stout hearts"
undaunted, undismayed, unshaken
unshaken in purpose; "wholly undismayed by the commercial failure of the three movies he had made"
irresolute
uncertain how to act or proceed; "the committee was timid and mediocre and irresolute"
undeterred, undiscouraged
not deterred; "pursued his own path...undeterred by lack of popular appreciation and understanding"- Osbert Sitwell
discouraged
lacking in resolution; "the accident left others discouraged about going there"
infirm
lacking firmness of will or character or purpose; "infirm of purpose; give me the daggers" - Shakespeare
respectable
worthy of respect; "a respectable woman"
unstable
disposed to psychological variability; "his rather unstable religious convictions"
vacillant, vacillating, wavering
uncertain in purpose or action
weak-kneed
lacking will power or resolution; "the role of the dissenter is not for the weak-kneed"
decent, nice
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous; "from a decent family"; "a nice girl"
fair
more than adequate in quality; "fair work"
presentable
fit to be seen; "presentable clothes"
worthy
meriting respect or esteem; "the worthy gentleman"
respectful
full of or exhibiting respect; "respectful behavior"; "a respectful glance"
unrespectable
unworthy of respect
honorific
conferring or showing honor or respect; "honorific social status commonly attaches to membership in a recognized profession"
deferent, deferential, regardful
showing deference
disrespectful
exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous; "remarks disrespectful of the law"; "disrespectful in the presence of his parents"; "disrespectful toward his teacher"
annihilating, devastating, withering
making light of; "afire with annihilating invective"; "a devastating portrait of human folly"; "to compliments inflated I've a withering reply"- W.S.Gilbert
derisive, gibelike, jeering, mocking, taunting
abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule; "derisive laughter"; "a jeering crowd"; "her mocking smile"; "taunting shouts of `coward' and `sissy'"
contemptuous, disdainful, insulting, scornful
expressing extreme contempt
contumelious
arrogantly insolent
impious, undutiful
lacking due respect or dutifulness; "impious toward one's parents"; "an undutiful son"
impudent, insolent, snotty-nosed, flip
marked by casual disrespect; "a flip answer to serious question"; "the student was kept in for impudent behavior"
undeferential
not showing courteous respect
judicious
characterized by good judgment or sound thinking; "judicious journalism"
irresponsible
showing lack of care for consequences; "behaved like an irresponsible idiot"; "hasty and irresponsible action"
trustworthy
taking responsibility for one`s conduct and obligations; "trustworthy public servants"
flighty, head-in-the-clouds, scatterbrained
absent-mindedly irresponsible; "he said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor"
carefree, devil-may-care, freewheeling, happy-go-lucky, harum-scarum, slaphappy
cheerfully irresponsible; "carefree with his money"; "freewheeling urban youths"; "had a harum-scarum youth"
do-nothing(a)
characterized by inability or unwillingness to work toward a goal or assume responsibility; "a do-nothing government"
feckless
not fit to assume responsibility
trigger-happy
irresponsible in the use of firearms
idle, loose
lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue"
unaccountable
free from control or responsibility
unreliable
lacking a sense of responsibility
restored
brought back to original condition; "a restored painting"; "felt a restored faith in human beings"
contained
controlled; "striking with contained ferocity at my head"- R.L.Stevenson
low-key, low-keyed, subdued
restrained in style or quality; "a little masterpiece of low-keyed eloquence"
unexpansive
not given to high spirits or effusiveness; "an unexpansive man"
unrestrained
not subject to restraint; "unrestrained laughter"
excessive, extravagant, exuberant, overweening
unrestrained in especially feelings; "extravagant praise"; "exuberant compliments"; "overweening ambition"; "overweening greed"
freewheeling
free of restraints or rules; "freewheeling foolishness"; "the versatility of his poetic freewheeling style"
unbridled, unchecked, uncurbed, ungoverned
not restrained or controlled; "unbridled rage"; "an unchecked temper"; "ungoverned rage"
circumscribed, limited
subject to limits or subjected to limits
unbuttoned, unlaced
not under constraint in action or expression; "this unbuttoned and disrespectful age"- Curtis Bok; "unlaced behavior in the neighborhood pub"
restricted
subject to restriction or subjected to restriction; "of restricted importance"
open-ended
without fixed limits or restrictions; "an open-ended discussion"
restrictive
serving to restrict; "teenagers eager to escape restrictive home environments"
confining, constraining, constrictive, limiting, restricting
restricting the scope or freedom of action
inhibiting, inhibitory, repressive, repressing
restrictive of action; "a repressive regime"; "an overly strict and inhibiting discipline"
suppressive
tending to suppress; "the government used suppressive measures to control the protest"
unrestrictive
not tending to restrict
emancipating, emancipative, freeing, liberating
tending to set free
bulk(a)
large in quantity or volume; "a bulk buy"; "bulk mailing"
retentive
tending to retain; "a retentive memory"; "soils retentive of moisture"
long, tenacious
(of memory) having greater than average range; "a long memory especially for insults"; "a tenacious memory"
acquisitive, recollective
tending to acquire and retain ideas or information; "an acquisitive mind"
short
(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range; "a short memory"
unretentive, forgetful
not retentive
mirrored
like or characteristic of a mirrored image
echoic, echolike
like or characteristic of an echo
irreverent
showing lack of due respect or veneration; "irreverent scholars mocking sacred things"; "noisy irreverent tourists"
blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious
grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; "blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath"; "profane utterances against the Church"; "it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on"
redux(ip)
brought back; "the Victorian era redux"; "`Rabbit Redux' by John Updike"
revived
restored to consciousness or life or vigor; "felt revived hope"
renewed
restored to a new condition; "felt renewed strength"
resurgent
rising again as to new life and vigor; "resurgent nationalism"
aroused
aroused to action; "the aroused opposition"
revitalized
restored to new life and vigor; "a revitalized economy"; "a revitalized inner-city neighborhood"
unrevived, unrenewed
not revived
awakened
aroused or activated; "an awakened interest in ballet"
unawakened
not aroused or activated; "unawakened emotions"
overawed
overcome by a feeling of awe
unrewarding
not rewarding; not providing personal satisfaction
rewarding
providing personal satisfaction; "a rewarding career as a paramedic"
appreciated, gratifying, pleasing, satisfying
giving pleasure or satisfaction
rewardable
appropriate for receiving a reward
rewardful
offering or productive of reward; "rewardful pursuits"
profitless, unprofitable
without profit or reward; "let us have no part in profitless quarrels"- D.D.Eisenhower; "How weary, flat, stale, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world"- Shakespeare
thankless, unappreciated, ungratifying
not likely to be rewarded; "grading papers is a thankless task"
rhetorical
concerned with effect or style of writing and speaking; "a rhetorical question is one asked solely to produce an effect (especially to make an assertion) rather than to elicit a reply"
oratorical
characteristic of an orator or oratory; "oratorical prose"; "harangued his men in an oratorical way"- Robert Graves
bombastic, declamatory, large, orotund, tumid, turgid
ostentatiously lofty in style; "a man given to large talk"; "tumid political prose"
flowery, ornate
marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details; "a flowery speech"; "ornate rhetoric taught out of the rule of Plato"-John Milton
embellished, empurpled, over-embellished, purple
excessively elaborate or showily expressed; "a writer of empurpled literature"; "many purple passages"; "speech embellished with classical quotations"; "an over-embellished story of the fish that got away"
grandiloquent, magniloquent, tall
lofty in style; "he engages in so much tall talk, one never really realizes what he is saying"
poetic, poetical
characteristic of or befitting poetry; "poetic diction"
literal, plain, unembellished
lacking stylistic embellishment; "a literal description"; "wrote good but plain prose"; "a plain unadorned account of the coronation"; "a forthright unembellished style"
stylistic
of or relating to style (especially in the use of language); "stylistic devices"
unrhetorical
not rhetorical
plainspoken
using simple and direct language; "a plainspoken country doctor"
matter-of-fact, prosaic
not fanciful or imaginative; "local guides describe the history of various places in matter-of-fact tones"; "a prosaic and unimaginative essay"
beating, pulsating, pulsing
expanding and contracting rhythmically as to the beating of the heart; "felt the pulsating artery"; "oh my beating heart"
danceable
suitable for dancing
measured, metrical, metric
(prosody) the rhythmic arrangement of syllables
lilting, swinging, swingy, tripping
characterized by a buoyant rhythm; "an easy lilting stride"; "the flute broke into a light lilting air"; "a swinging pace"; "a graceful swingy walk"; "a tripping singing measure"
periodic
recurring at regular intervals
throbbing
pounding or beating strongly or violently; "a throbbing pain"; "the throbbing engine of the boat"
unrhythmical, unrhythmic
not rhythmic; irregular in beat or accent
rich
possessing material wealth; "her father is extremely rich"; "many fond hopes are pinned on rich uncles"
arrhythmic, arrhythmical
without regard for rhythm
nonrhythmic
deliberately not rhythmic
affluent, flush, loaded, moneyed, wealthy
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value; "an affluent banker"; "a speculator flush with cash"; "not merely rich but loaded"; "moneyed aristocrats"; "wealthy corporations"
comfortable, easy, prosperous, well-fixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-situated, well-to-do
in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich; "they were comfortable or even wealthy by some standards"; "easy living"; "a prosperous family"; "his family is well-situated financially"; "well-to-do members of the community"
poor
having little money or few possessions; "deplored the gap between rich and poor countries"; "the proverbial poor artist living in a garret"
broke, bust, skint, stone-broke, stony-broke
lacking funds; "`skint' is a British slang term"
destitute, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needy, poverty-stricken
poor enough to need help from others
unprovided for(p)
without income or means; "left his family unprovided for"
hard up, impecunious, in straitened circumstances(p), penniless, penurious, pinched
not having enough money to pay for necessities
moneyless
having no money; "virtually moneyless rural regions"
rich
having an abundant supply of desirable qualities or substances (especially natural resources); "blessed with a land rich in minerals"; "rich in ideas"; "rich with cultural interest"
poor
badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances; "a poor land"; "the area was poor in timber and coal"; "food poor in nutritive value"
resourceless
lacking or deficient in natural resources
rich
suggestive of or characterized by great expense; "a rich display"
deluxe, gilded, luxurious, opulent, princely, sumptuous
rich and superior in quality; "a princely sum"; "gilded dining rooms"
beggarly, mean
marked by poverty befitting a beggar; "a beggarly existence in the slums"; "a mean hut"
lavish, lucullan, lush, plush, plushy
characterized by extravagance and profusion; "a lavish buffet"; "a lucullan feast"
poor
characterized by or indicating lack of money; "the country had a poor economy"
moneyed, monied
based on or arising from the possession of money or wealth; "moneyed interests"
slummy, slum(a)
(of housing or residential areas) indicative of poverty; "a slummy part of town"; "slum conditions"
moneyless
not based on the possession of money; "a moneyless economy"
rich
(metallurgy; chemistry) high in mineral content; "a rich vein of copper"
lean
lacking in mineral content or combustible material; "lean ore"; "lean fuel"
mis
(prefix) bad or erroneous or lack of; "the prefix `mis' means bad in `misdeeds', erroneous in `misunderstand', and lacking in `mistrust'"
misguided, mistaken
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment; "well-meaning but misguided teachers"; "a mistaken belief"; "mistaken identity"
beefy, burly, husky, strapping, buirdly
muscular and heavily built; "a beefy wrestler"; "had a tall burly frame"; "clothing sizes for husky boys"; "a strapping boy of eighteen"; (`buirdly' is a Scottish term; "a buirdly lad of twelve")
robust
physically strong
big-boned
having a bone structure that is massive in contrast with the surrounding flesh
cast-iron, iron
extremely robust; "an iron constitution"
big-chested, chesty
marked by a large or well-developed chest; "he was big-chested, big-shouldered and heavy-armed"
big-shouldered, broad-shouldered, square-shouldered
having broad shoulders; "big-shouldered and heavy-armed"
hardy, stalwart, stout, sturdy
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships; "hardy explorers of northern Canada"; "proud of her tall stalwart son"; "stout seamen"; "sturdy young athletes"
heavy-armed
having massive arms; "he was big-chested, big-shouldered and heavy-armed"
vigorous
strong and active physically or mentally; "a vigorous old man who spent half of his day on horseback"- W.H.Hudson
square-built
broad and solidly built
frail
physically weak; "an invalid's frail body"
decrepit, feeble, infirm, sapless, weak, weakly
lacking physical strength or vitality; "a feeble old woman"; "her body looked sapless"
agrestic, rustic
characteristic of the fields or country; "agrestic simplicity"; "rustic stone walls"
arcadian, bucolic, pastoral, rustic
used of idealized country life; "a country life of arcadian contentment"; "a pleasant bucolic scene"; "charming in its pastoral setting"; "rustic tranquility"
countrified, countryfied, rustic
characteristic of rural life; "countrified clothes"; "rustic awkwardness"
country-style, country(a)
typical of the country; "country-style sausage"; "country music"
country(a), country-bred
rough and uncouth; "a country boy"
cracker-barrel, folksy, homespun
characteristic of country life; "cracker-barrel philosophy"; "folksy humor"; "the air of homespun country boys"
hick
(informal) rural and uncouth; "hick ideas"
citified, cityfied, city-bred, city-born
being or having the customs or manners or dress of a city person
inspirational
imparting a divine influence on the mind and soul
revered, reverenced, reverend, sublime, venerated
worthy of adoration or reverence
profanatory
profaning or tending to desecrate
safe
free from risk or danger; "a safe trip"; "you will be safe here"; "a safe place"; "a safe bet"
off the hook(p)
freed from danger or blame or obligation; "I let him off the hook with a mild reprimand"
fail-safe
eliminating danger by compensating automatically for a failure or malfunction; "a fail-safe device in a nuclear weapon to deactivate it automatically in the event of accident"
harmless, innocuous
unlikely to harm or disturb anyone; "harmless old man"
out of danger(p), secure
remote from any source of danger; "the children are out of danger here"
risk-free, riskless, unhazardous
thought to be devoid of risk
chancy, chanceful, dicey, dodgy
of uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk; "an extremely dicey future on a brave new world of liquid nitrogen, tar, and smog"- New Yorker
dangerous, unsafe
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm; "a dangerous criminal"; "a dangerous bridge"; "unemployment reached dangerous proportions"
breakneck
used of speed; "a breakneck pace"
desperate
(of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency or despair; "a desperate criminal"; "taken hostage of desperate men"
hazardous, risky, venturesome, venturous
involving risk or danger; "skydiving is a hazardous sport"; "extremely risky going out in the tide and fog"; "a venturesome journey in wintertime"; "a venturous enterprise"
harmful
able or likely to do harm
self-destructive, suicidal
dangerous to yourself or your interests; "suicidal impulses"; "a suicidal corporate takeover strategy"
insidious
intended to entrap
on the hook(p)
caught in a difficult or dangerous situation; "there I was back on the hook"
parlous, perilous, precarious, touch-and-go
fraught with danger; "dangerous waters"; "a parlous journey on stormy seas"; "a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat"; "the precarious life of an undersea diver"; "dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery"
treacherous, unreliable
dangerously unstable and unpredictable; "treacherous winding roads"; "an unreliable trestle"
in demand(p), marketable
in demand by especially employers; "marketable skills"
assorted, various
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity; "assorted sizes"; "his disguises are many and various"; "various experiments have failed to disprove the theory"; "cited various reasons for his behavior"
antithetic, antithetical
sharply contrasted in character or purpose; "practices entirely antithetical to her professed beliefs"; "hope is antithetic to despair"
contrasting, contrastive
strikingly different; tending to contrast; "contrasting (or contrastive) colors"
diametric, diametrical, opposite, polar
characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed; "in diametric contradiction to his claims"; "diametrical (or opposite) points of view"; "opposite meanings"; "extreme and indefensible polar positions"
disparate
fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind; "such disparate attractions as grand opera and game fishing"; "disparate ideas"
diverse, various
distinctly dissimilar or unlike; "diverse parts of the country"; "celebrities as diverse as Bob Hope and Bob Dylan"; "animals as various as the jaguar and the cavy and the sloth"
divers(a), diverse
many and different; "tourist offices of divers nationalities"; "a person of diverse talents"
opposite
altogether different in nature or quality or significance; "the medicine's effect was opposite to that intended"; "it is said that opposite characters make a union happiest"- Charles Reade
several(p)
distinct and individual; "three several times"
opposite
the other one of a complementary pair; "the opposite sex"; "the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colors"
similar
marked by correspondence or resemblance; "similar food at similar prices"; "problems similar to mine"; "they wore similar coats"
analogous, correspondent
similar or correspondent in some respects though otherwise dissimilar; "brains and computers are often considered analogous; "surimi is marketed as analogous to crabmeat"
akin(p), kindred, related
similar or related in quality or character; "a feeling akin to terror"; "kindred souls"; "the amateur is closely related to the collector"
confusable
so similar as to be easily confused; "potentially confusable senses of words"
connatural
similar in nature; "and mix with our connatural dust"- John Milton
corresponding
similar especially in position or purpose; "a number of corresponding diagonal points"
dissimilar
not similar; "a group of very dissimilar people"; "a pump not dissimilar to those once found on every farm"; "their understanding of the world is not so dissimilar from our own"; "took different (or dissimilar) approaches to the problem"
quasi(a)
having some resemblance; "a quasi success"; "a quasi contract"
semi
(prefix) having some of the characteristics of; "`semi' is a prefix meaning similar in the word `semiofficial'"
amuck, amok, berserk, demoniac, demoniacal, possessed(p)
in a murderous frenzy as if possessed by a demon; "the soldier was completely amuck"; "berserk with grief"; "a berserk worker smashing windows"
in his right mind(p), in her right mind(p), in their right minds(p)
behaving responsibly
lucid
having a clear mind; "a lucid moment in his madness"
balmy, barmy, bats, batty, bonkers, buggy, cracked, crackers, daft, dotty, fruity, haywire, kooky, kookie, loco, loony, loopy, nuts, nutty, wacky
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
brainsick, crazy, demented, distracted, disturbed, mad, sick, unbalanced, unhinged
affected with madness or insanity; "a man who had gone mad"
crackbrained, idiotic
insanely irresponsible; "an idiotic idea"
crazed, deranged, half-crazed
driven insane
fey, touched(p)
slightly insane
maniacal, maniac(p)
wildly disordered; "a maniacal frenzy"
lunatic, moonstruck
(informal) some insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon
raving, raving mad, wild
talking or behaving irrationally; "a raving lunatic"
screw-loose, screwy
(informal) not behaving normally
jaded
dulled by surfeit; "the amoral, jaded, bored upper classes"
gorged, sated, surfeited
fed beyond capacity or desire
sarcastic
expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
black, grim, mordant
harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit"
barbed, biting, nipping, pungent
capable of wounding; "a barbed compliment"; "a biting aphorism"; "pungent satire"
sardonic, wry
disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking; "his rebellion is the bitter, sardonic laughter of all great satirists"- Frank Schoenberner; "a wry pleasure to be...reminded of all that one is missing"- Irwin Edman
satirical, satiric
exposing human folly to ridicule; "a persistent campaign of mockery by the satirical fortnightly magazine"
satisfactory
giving satisfaction; "satisfactory living conditions"; "his grades were satisfactory"
saturnine
bitter or scornful; "the face was saturnine and swarthy, and the sensual lips...twisted with disdain"- Oscar Wilde
unsarcastic
not sarcastic
adequate, passable, fair to middling
about average; acceptable; "more than adequate as a secretary"
all right(p), all-right(a), fine, ok, o.k., okay
(informal) being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition; "an all-right movie"; "the passengers were shaken up but are all right"; "is everything all right?"; "everything's fine"; "things are okay"; "dinner and the movies had been fine"; "nother minute I'd have been fine"
alright
nonstandard usage
comforting, cheering, satisfying
providing freedom from worry
copacetic, copasetic, copesetic, copesettic
completely satisfactory; "his smile said that everything was copacetic"; "You had to be a good judge of what a man was like, and the English was copacetic"- John O'Hara
right
in or into a satisfactory condition; "things are right again now"; "put things right"
disappointing, dissatisfactory, unsatisfying
not up to expectations; "a disappointing performance from one who had seemed so promising"
unsatisfactory
not giving satisfaction; "shops should take back unsatisfactory goods"; "her performance proved to be unsatisfactory"; "life is becoming increasingly unsatifactory"; "our discussion was very unsatisfactory"
unacceptable
not adequate to give satisfaction: "the coach told his players that defeat was unacceptable"
off
below a satisfactory level; "an off year for tennis"; "his performance was off"
academic, donnish, pedantic
marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
erudite, learned
having or showing profound knowledge; "a learned jurist"; "an erudite professor"
unlearned
not well learned
pseudoscientific
based on theories and methods erroneously regarded as scientific
scrupulous
having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled; "less scrupulous producers sent bundles that were deceptive in appearance"
religious
extremely scrupulous and conscientious; "religious in observing the rules of health"
conscientious
guided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right and wrong; "a conscientious decision to speak out about injustice"
unscrupulous
without scruples or principles; "unscrupulous politicos who would be happy to sell...their country in order to gain power"
conscienceless, unconscionable
lacking a conscience; "a conscienceless villain"; "brash, unprincipled, and conscienceless"; "an unconscionable liar"
unconscientious
not conscientious; not guided by a sense of right and wrong
sealed, certain
established irrevocably; "his fate is sealed"
unsealed, uncertain
not established or confirmed; "his doom is as yet unsealed"
dark
secret; "keep it dark"; "the dark mysteries of Africa and the fabled wonders of the East"
hidden, obscure
difficult to find; "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat"
in full view
easily visible; "she turned her back on her rival in full view of everyone"
masking
hiding from view; "speeding down the other lane beyond the masking truck"- T.H.White"; "a masking piece is a flat or curtain that hides part of the stage from the audience"
enveloping(a), shrouding(a)
concealing by enclosing or wrapping as if in something that is not solid; "the enveloping darkness"; "hills concealed by shrouding mists"
revealing
showing or making known; "her dress was scanty and revealing"
disclosing
allowing to be seen; making visible; "the screen fell with a disclosing crash"
denominational, partisan
adhering or confined to a particular sect or denomination or party; "denominational prejudice"
sectarian
belonging to or characteristic of a sect; "a sectarian mind"; "the negations of sectarian ideology"- Sidney Hook; "sectarian squabbles in psychology"
narrow-minded
rigidly adhering to a particular sect or its doctrines
nonsectarian, unsectarian
not restricted to one sect or school or party; "religious training in a nonsectarian atmosphere"; "nonsectarian colleges"; "a wide and unsectarian interest in religion"- Bertrand Russell
overanxious
anxious or nervous to an excessive degree
secure
free from danger or risk; "secure from harm"; "his fortune was secure"; "made a secure place for himself in his field"
assured
characterized by certainty or security; "a tiny but assured income"; "we can never have completely assured lives"
established, firm
securely established; "an established reputation"; "holds a firm position as the country's leading poet"
safe
in safekeeping; "your secret is safe with me"
fail-safe
guaranteed not to fail; "a fail-safe recipe for cheese souffle"
in safe custody(p)
secure in formally authorized hands
safe-deposit, safety-deposit
safe for the storage of valuables; "kept the deed in his safe-deposit box at the bank"
insecure, unsafe
lacking in security or safety; "his fortune was increasingly insecure"; "an insecure future"
sure
physically secure or dependable; "a sure footing"; "was on sure ground"
precarious, shaky
not secure; beset with difficulties; "a shaky marriage"
embattled
beset with attackers or controversy or conflict; "embattled troops"; "an embattled governor"
uncertain, unsure
not safe from danger or mishap; "faced an uncertain future"; "an unsure existence"
secure
not likely to fail or give way; "the lock was secure"; "a secure foundation"; "a secure hold on her wrist"
steady
securely in position; not shaky; "held the ladder steady"
tight
securely or solidly fixed in place; rigid; "the bolts are tight"
insecure
not firm or firmly fixed; likely to fail or give way; "the hinge is insecure"
loose
not fixed firmly or tightly; "the bolts became loose over time"; "a loose chair leg"; "loose bricks"
precarious
dangerously insecure; "a precarious footing on the ladder"
uncertain
not firm or secure; "balancing three boxes in an uncertain pile"
seductive
tending to entice into a desired action or state
alluring, beguiling, enticing, tempting
highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire; "an alluring prospect"; "her alluring smile"; "the voice was low and beguiling"; "difficult to say no to an enticing advertisement"; "a tempting invitation"
selfish
concerned chiefly or only with yourself; "Selfish men were...trying to make capital for themselves out of the sacred cause of civil rights"- Maria Weston Chapman
corrupting
seducing into corrupt practices
insidious
beguiling but harmful; "insidious pleasures"
teasing
arousing sexual desire without intending to satisfy it; "her lazy teasing smile"
unseductive
not seductive
uninviting, untempting
not tempting
egotistic, egotistical, narcissistic, self-loving
characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance
stingy, ungenerous
selfishly unwilling to share with others
self-serving, self-seeking
interested only in yourself
public-spirited
showing unselfish interest in the public welfare; "a public-spirited citizen"
unselfish
not selfish
sharing
unselfishly willing to share with others; "a warm and sharing friend"
self-denying, self-giving, self-sacrificing
willing to deprive yourself
self-forgetful
showing lack of self-interest
precedential
having precedence (especially because of longer service); "precedential treatment for senior members of the firm"
sensational
causing intense interest, curiosity, or emotion
screaming(a)
resembling a scream in effect; "screaming headlines"; "screaming colors and designs"
lurid, shocking
glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism; "lurid details of the accident"
scandalmongering, sensationalistic, yellow(a)
typical of tabloids; "sensational journalistic reportage of the scandal"; "yellow journalism"
unsensational
not of such character as to arouse intense interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction
sensitive
responsive to physical stimuli; "a mimosa's leaves are sensitive to touch"; "a sensitive voltmeter"; "sensitive skin"; "sensitive to light"
delicate
of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"
erogenous
sensitive to sexual stimulation
highly sensitive
readily affected by various agents; "a highly sensitive explosive is easily exploded by a shock"; "a sensitive colloid is readily coagulated"
alive(p)
(followed by `to' or `of') aware of; "is alive to the moods of others"
sensitive
having acute mental or emotional sensibility; "sensitive to the local community and its needs"
dead(p), numb(p)
(followed by `to') not showing human feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive; "passersby were dead to our plea for help"; "numb to the cries for mercy"
huffy, thin-skinned, touchy
quick to take offense
oversensitive
unduly sensitive or thin-skinned
responsive
susceptible to the feelings or attitudes of others; "keeping government in America responsive to the will of the people"
insensitive
deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive; "insensitive to the needs of the patients"
callous, thick-skinned, indurate
emotionally hardened; "a callous indifference to suffering"; "cold-blooded and indurate to public opinion"
dull
blunted in responsiveness or sensibility; "a dull gaze"; "so exhausted she was dull to what went on about her"- Willa Cather
insensible(p), unaffected(p)
(followed by `to' or `by') unaware of or indifferent to; "insensible to the suffering around him"
unresponsive
not responsive; "a government unresponsive to their demands"
soulless
lacking sensitivity or the capacity for deep feeling
sanitary, healthful
free from filth and pathogens; "sanitary conditions for preparing food"; "a sanitary washroom"
hygienic, hygienical
tending to promote or preserve health; "hygienic habits like using disposable tissues"; "hygienic surroundings with plenty of fresh air"
unhygienic
so unclean as to be a likely cause of disease; "pathetic dogs kept in small unhygienic cages"
unsanitary, insanitary, unhealthful
not sanitary or healthful; "unsanitary open sewers"; "grim and unsanitary conditions"
contaminated, dirty, infected
contaminated with infecting organisms; "dirty wounds"; "obliged to go into infected rooms"- Jane Austen
septic
containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms; "a septic sore throat"; "a septic environment"; "septic sewage"
extraneous, foreign
not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source; "water free of extraneous matter"; "foreign particles in milk"
germy
full of germs or pathological microorganisms; "the water in New York harbor is oily and dirty and germy"
adulterating, adulterant
making impure or corrupt by adding extraneous materials; "the adulterating effect of extraneous materials"
antiseptic
freeing from error or corruption; "the antiseptic effect of sturdy criticism
serious
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities; "a serious student of history"; "a serious attempt to learn to ski"; "gave me a serious look"; "a serious young man"; "are you serious or joking?"; "Don't be so serious!"
real
not to be taken lightly; "statistics demonstrate that poverty and unemployment are very real problems"; "to the man sleeping regularly in doorways homelessness is real"
grave, sedate, sober, solemn
dignified and somber in manner or character; "a grave God-fearing man"; "a quiet sedate nature"; "sober as a judge"; "the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence"
overserious
excessively serious
sensible, thoughtful
acting with or showing thought and good sense; "a sensible young man"
frivolous
not serious in content or attitude or behavior; "a frivolous novel"; "a frivolous remark"; "a frivolous young woman"
sobering
tending to make sober or more serious; "the news had a sobering effect"
flighty, flyaway
irresponsibly frivolous; "flighty young girls"
airheaded, dizzy, empty-headed, featherbrained, giddy, light-headed, silly
lacking seriousness; given to frivolity; "a dizzy blonde"; "light-headed teenagers"; "silly giggles"
idle, light
silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter"
flippant, light-minded
showing inappropriate levity
light
intended primarily as entertainment; not serious or profound; "light verse"; "a light comedy"
trivial
concerned with trivialities; "a trivial young woman"; "a trivial mind"
playful
full of fun and high spirits; "playful children just let loose from school"
coltish, frolicsome, frolicky, rollicking, sportive
given to merry frolicking; "frolicsome students celebrated their graduation with parties and practical jokes"
impish, implike, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, puckish
naughtily or annoyingly playful; "teasing and worrying with impish laughter"
devilish, rascally, roguish
playful in an appealingly bold way; "a roguish grin"
elfin, elfish, elvish
usually goodnaturedly mischievous; "perpetrated a practical joke with elfin delight"; "elvish tricks"
mocking, teasing, quizzical
playfully vexing (especially by ridicule); "his face wore a somewhat quizzical almost impertinent air"- Lawrence Durrell
kittenish, frisky
playful like a lively kitten
unplayful, serious, sober
completely lacking in playfulness
elect, elite
selected as the best; "an elect circle of artists"; "elite colleges"
hand-picked
carefully selected; "a hand-picked jury"
random
taken haphazardly; "a random choice"
durable, long-wearing
serviceable for a long time; "durable denim jeans"
in condition
in good or usable condition; "put the old car back in condition"
out of condition
not in good condition
unsettled
not settled or established; "an unsettled lifestyle"
erratic, planetary, wandering
having no fixed course; "an erratic comet"; "his life followed a wandering course"; "a planetary vagabond"
aimless, drifting, floating, vagabond, vagrant
continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another; "a drifting double-dealer"; "the floating population"; "vagrant hippies of the sixties"
rootless, vagabond
wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community; "led a vagabond life"; "a rootless wanderer"
settled
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt; "with details of the wedding settled she could now sleep at night"
firm
not subject to revision or change; "a firm contract"; "a firm offer"
accomplished, effected, established
settled securely and unconditionally; "that smoking causes health problems is an accomplished fact"
unsettled
still in doubt; "an unsettled issue"; "an unsettled state of mind"
open, undecided, undetermined, unresolved
not brought to a conclusion; subject to further thought; "an open question"; "our position on this bill is still undecided"; "our lawsuit is still undetermined"
doubtful, tentative
unsettled in mind or opinion; "drew a few tentative conclusions"
sexy
marked by or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest; "feeling sexy"; "sexy clothes"; "sexy poses"; "a sexy book"; "sexy jokes"
autoerotic
sexually self-satisfying as by masturbation
erotic, titillating
giving sexual pleasure; sexually arousing
coquettish, flirtatious
like a coquette
blue, gamy, gamey, juicy, naughty, racy, risque, spicy
suggestive of sexual impropriety; "a blue movie"; "blue jokes"; "he skips asterisks and gives you the gamy details"; "a juicy scandal"; "a naughty wink"; "naughty words"; "racy anecdotes"; "a risque story"; "spicy gossip"
hot
sexually excited or exciting; "was hot for her"; "hot pants"
lecherous
given to excessive indulgence in sexual activity; "a lecherous gleam in his eye"; "a lecherous good-for-nothing"
juicy, luscious, red-hot, voluptuous
having strong sexual appeal; "juicy barmaids"; "a red-hot mama"; "a voluptuous woman"
lascivious, lewd, libidinous, lustful
driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires; "libidinous orgies"
oversexed, highly-sexed
having excessive sexual desire or appeal
leering
(of a glance) sidelong and slyly lascivious; "leering drugstore cowboys"
lubricious, lustful, prurient, salacious
characterized by lust; "eluding the lubricious embraces of her employer"; "her sensuous grace roused his lustful nature"; "prurient literature"; "prurient thoughts"; "a salacious rooster of a little man"
orgiastic
used of frenzied sexual activity
provocative
exciting sexual desire; "her gestures and postures became more wanton and provocative"
sexed
characterized by sexuality; "highly sexed"
unsexy
not sexually aroused or arousing
sexless
sexually unattractive
aphrodisiac, aphrodisiacal, sexy
exciting sexual desire
anaphrodisiac
tending to diminish sexual desire
shapely
having a well-proportioned and pleasing shape; "a slim waist and shapely legs"
bosomy, buxom, curvaceous, curvy, full-bosomed, sonsie, sonsy, voluptuous
(of a woman's body) having pleasing curves; "Hollywood seems full of curvaceous blondes"; "a curvy young woman in a tight dress"
built(p), stacked(p), well-stacked
(slang) well or attractively formed with respect to physique
clean-limbed
having well-proportioned limbs
modeled, sculptural, sculptured, sculpturesque
resembling sculpture; "her finely modeled features"; "rendered with...vivid sculptural effect"; "the sculpturesque beauty of the athletes' bodies"
Junoesque, statuesque
suggestive of a statue
well-proportioned
of pleasing proportions
well-turned
of a pleasing shape; "a well-turned ankle"
unshapely
not shapely; not well-proportioned and pleasing in shape; "a stout unshapely woman"
chunky, lumpy
like or containing small stick lumps; "the dumplings were chunky pieces of uncooked dough"
deformed, distorted, ill-shapen, malformed, misshapen
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly; "deformed thalidomide babies"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "an ill-shapen vase"; "a limp caused by a malformed foot"; "misshapen old fingers"
ill-proportioned
lacking pleasing proportions
shapeless
lacking symmetry or attractive form; "a shapeless hat on his head"
perfected
(of plans, ideas, etc.) perfectly formed; "a graceful but not yet fully perfected literary style"
unformed
not having form or shape; "unformed clay"
amorphous, formless, shapeless
having no definite form or distinct shape; "amorphous clouds of insects"; "an aggregate of formless particles"; "a shapeless mass of protoplasm"
unshaped, unshapen
incompletely or imperfectly shaped; "unshaped dough"; "unshaped timbers"
argus-eyed, hawk-eyed, keen-sighted, lynx-eyed, quick-sighted, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted
having very keen vision; "quick-sighted as a cat"
clear-sighted
having sharp clear vision
dazzled
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light; "she shut her dazzled eyes against the sun's brilliance"
big, momentous
of very great significance "deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision"; "a momentous event"
significant, important
important in effect or meaning; "a significant change in tax laws"; "a significant change in the Constitution"; "a significant contribution"; "significant details"; "statistically significant"
epochal, epoch-making
highly significant or important especially bringing about or marking the beginning of a new development or era; "epochal decisions made by Roosevelt and Churchill"; "an epoch-making discovery"
earthshaking, world-shaking, world-shattering
sufficiently significant to affect the whole world; "earthshaking proposals"; "the contest was no world-shaking affair"; "the conversation...could hardly be called world-shattering"
fundamental, profound
far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; "the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes"
large
fairly large or important in effect; influential; "played a large role in the negotiations"
monumental
of outstanding significance; "Einstein's monumental contributions to physics"
noteworthy, remarkable
worthy of notice; "a noteworthy fact is that her students rarely complain"; "a remarkable achievement"
colorless, hole-and-corner, hole-in-corner
relating to the peripheral and unimportant aspects of life; "a hole-and-corner life in some obscure community"- H.G.Wells
operative, key
effective; producing a desired effect; "the operative word"
portentous, prodigious
of momentous or ominous significance; "such a portentous...monster raised all my curiosity"- Herman Melville; "a prodigious vision"
insignificant, unimportant
not important or noteworthy
light
having little importance; "losing his job was no light matter"
inappreciable
too small to make a significant difference; "inappreciable fluctuations in temperature"
superficial, trivial
of little substance or significance; "a few superficial editorial changes"; "only trivial objections"
significant
(statistics) too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicating a systematic relation; "the interaction effect is significant at the .01 level"; "no significant difference was found"
simple
not complex or complicated or involved; "a simple problem"; "simple mechanisms"; "a simple design"
elemental, ultimate
being the ultimate or elemental constituents of anything; "the elemental stuff of...out of which the many forms of life have been molded"- Jack London; "the ultimate ingredients of matter"
oversimplified, simplistic
unrealistically simple
simplified
reduced in complexity; "a useful if somewhat simplified classification system"
complex
complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; "a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody"; "a complex mass of diverse laws and customs"
uncomplicated, unsophisticated
lacking complexity; "small and uncomplicated cars for those really interested in motoring"; "an unsophisticated machine"
Byzantine, convoluted, intricate, involved, knotty, labyrinthine, tangled, tortuous
highly involved or intricate; "the Byzantine tax structure"; "convoluted legal language"; "convoluted reasoning"; "an intricate labyrinth of refined phraseology"; "the plot was too involved"; "a knotty problem"; "got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering"; "Oh, what a tangled web we weave"- Sir Walter Scott; "tortuous legal procedures"; "tortuous negotiations lasting for months"
complicated
difficult to analyze or understand; "a complicated problem"; "complicated Middle East politics"
gordian
extremely intricate; usually in phrase "gordian knot"
interlacing, interlinking, interlocking, interwoven
linked or locked closely together as by dovetailing
labyrinthine, labyrinthian, mazy
resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity; "a labyrinthine network of tortuous footpaths"
multiplex
having many parts or aspects; "the multiplex problem of drug abuse"
thickening
becoming more intricate or complex; "a thickening plot"
bona fide
undertaken in good faith; "a bona fide offer"
cordial, fervent
sincerely or intensely felt; "a cordial regard for his visitor's comfort"; "a cordial abhorrence of waste"; "a fervent hope"
dear, devout, earnest, heartfelt
earnest; "one's dearest wish"; "devout wishes for their success"; "heartfelt condolences"
bootlicking, fawning, obsequious, sycophantic, toadyish
attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
heart-whole, wholehearted, whole-souled
with unconditional and enthusiastic devotion; "heart-whole friendship"; "gave wholehearted support to her candidacy"; "wholehearted commitment"; "demonstrated his whole-souled allegiance"
insincere
lacking sincerity; "a charming but thoroughly insincere woman"; "their praise was extravagant and insincere"
buttery, fulsome, oily, oleaginous, smarmy, unctuous
unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; "buttery praise"; "gave him a fulsome introduction"; "an oily sycophantic press agent"; "oleaginous hypocrisy"; "smarmy self-importance"; "the unctuous Uriah Heep"
gilded, meretricious, specious
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing; "the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility"; "meretricious praise"; "a meretricious argument"
zillion, a zillion
very large indeterminate number; "a zillion people were there"
umpteenth, umteenth, umptieth
(informal) last in an indefinitely numerous series
single(a)
existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual; "upon the hill stood a single tower"; "had but a single thought which was to escape"; "a single survivor"; "a single serving"; "a single lens"; "a single thickness"
lone(a), lonesome(a), only(a), sole(a), solitary(a)
being the only one; single and isolated from others; "the lone doctor in the entire county"; "a lonesome pine"; "an only child"; "the sole heir"; "the sole example"; "a solitary instance of cowardice"; "a solitary speck in the sky"
one(a)
being the single appropriate individual of a kind; only; "the one horse that could win this race"; "the one person I could marry"
sui generis
constituting a class of its own; unique; "a history book sui generis"; "sui generis works like Mary Chestnut's Civil War diary"
manifold, multiplex
many and varied; having many features or forms; "manifold reasons"; "our manifold failings"; "manifold intelligence"; "the multiplex opportunities in high technology"
multi
(prefix) consisting of more than one; "`multi' is a prefix in words like `multimillionaire' and `multistory house'"
triune
being three in one; used especially of the Christian Trinity; "a triune God"
skilled
having or showing or requiring special skill; "only the most skilled gymnasts make an Olympic team"; "a skilled surgeon has many years of training and experience"; "a skilled reconstruction of her damaged elbow"; "a skilled trade"
accomplished, complete
highly skilled; "an accomplished pianist"; "a complete musician"
adept, expert, good, practiced, proficient, skillful, skilful
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude; "adept in handicrafts"; "an adept juggler"; "an expert job"; "a good mechanic"; "a practiced marksman"; "a proficient engineer"; "a lesser-known but no less skillful composer"; "the effect was achieved by skillful retouching"
arch(a)
expert in skulduggery; "an arch criminal"
ball-hawking
(baseball or basketball or football) used of a player skilled in stealing the ball or robbing a batter of a hit; "a ball-hawking center fielder"
hot
(informal) performed or performing with unusually great skill and daring and energy; "a hot drummer"; "he's hot tonight"
consummate, masterful, masterly, virtuoso(a)
having or revealing supreme mastery or skill; "a consummate artist"; "consummate skill"; "a masterful speaker"; "masterful technique"; "a masterly performance of the sonata"; "a virtuoso performance"
cool
(informal) marked by great skill or facility; "cool maneuvers on the parallel bars"
delicate
marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon's delicate touch"
fine
superior in skill or ability or accomplishment; "a fine violinist"; "a fine athlete"; "a fine mind"; "the scupture showed the fine hand of a master"; "a fine performance"
master(a)
highly skilled or proficient" "a master plumber"; "a master thief"
mean
(slang) excellent; "famous for a mean backhand"
sure-handed
proficient and confident in performance; "promising playwrights...sure-handed enough to turn out top-drawer scripts"
unskilled
not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency; "unskilled in the art of rhetoric"; "an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber"; "unskilled labor"; "workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities"; "unskilled workmanship"
versatile
competent in many areas and able to turn with ease from one thing to another; "a versatile writer"
botchy, butcherly, unskillful
poorly done; "a botchy piece of work"; "it was an unskillful attempt"
artless
showing lack of art; "an artless translation"
bungling, clumsy, fumbling, incompetent
showing lack of skill or aptitude; "a bungling workman"; "did a clumsy job"; "his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf"
bungled, botched
spoiled through incompetence or clumsiness; "a bungled job"
crude, rough
not carefully or expertly made; "managed to make a crude splint"; "a crude cabin of logs with bark still on them"; "rough carpentry"
hopeless
of a person unable to do something skillfully; "I'm hopeless at mathematics"
humble, menial, lowly
used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)
lubberly
clumsy and unskilled; "a big stupid lubberly fellow"
out of practice(p), rusty
impaired in skill by neglect
verbal
relating to or having facility in the use of words; "a good poet is a verbal artist"; "a merely verbal writer who sacrifices content to sound"; "verbal aptitude"
fast
(of surfaces) conducive to rapid speeds; "a fast road"; "grass courts are faster than clay"
velvet, velvety
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
bumpy, jarring, jolting, jolty
characterized by rough motion; "a bumpy ride"
alone(p)
isolated from others; "could be alone in a crowded room"; "was alone with her thoughts"; "I want to be alone"
isolated, marooned, stranded
cut off or left behind; "an isolated pawn"; "several stranded fish in a tide pool"; "travelers marooned by the blizzard"
sociable
inclined to or conducive to companionship with others; "a sociable occasion"; "enjoyed a sociable chat"; "a sociable conversation"; "Americans are sociable and gregarious"
clubbable, clubable
(informal) inclined to club together; "a clubbable man"
clubbish, clubby
effusively sociable; "a clubbish set"; "we got rather clubby"
convivial, good-time
occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company; "a convivial atmosphere at the reunion"; "a woman of convivial nature"; "he was a real good-time Charlie"
companionable
suggestive of companionship; "a companionable pet"
insolvable, unsoluble, unsolvable, unresolvable
not easily solved; "an apparantly insolvable problem"; "public finance...had long presented problems unsolvable or at least unsolved"- C.L.Jones
sophisticated
having or appealing to those having worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir faire; "sophisticated young socialites"; "a sophisticated audience"; "a sophisticated lifestyle"; "a sophisticated book"
blase, worldly
very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world; "the blase traveler refers to the ocean he has crossed as `the pond'"; "the benefits of his worldly wisdom"
intelligent, well-informed
possessing sound knowledge; "well-informed readers"
polished, refined, svelte, urbane
showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience; "his polished manner"; "maintained an urbane tone in his letters"
naive, naif
marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience; "a teenager's naive ignorance of life"; "the naive assumption that things can only get better"; "this naive simple creature with wide friendly eyes so eager to believe appearances"
worldly-wise
experienced in and wise to the ways of the world
credulous
showing a lack of judgment or experience; "so credulous he believes everything he reads"
childlike, dewey-eyed, simple
exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity; "childlike trust"
fleeceable, green, gullible
easily deceived or tricked; "at that early age she had been gullible and in love"
ignorant, inexperienced
lacking basic knowledge; "how can someone that age be so ignorant?"; "inexperienced and new to the real world"
innocent, ingenuous
lacking in sophistication or worldliness; "a child's innocent stare"; "his ingenuous explanation that he would not have burned the church if he had not thought the bishop was in it"
unsophisticated, unworldly
not wise in the ways of the world; "either too unsophisticated or too honest to promise more than he could deliver"; "this helplessly unworldly woman"- Kate O'Brien
simple-minded
lacking subtlety and insight; "a simple-minded argument"
dependable, good, safe, secure
financially sound; "a good investment"; "a secure investment"
sound
financially secure and safe; "sound investments"; "a sound economy"
stable
firm and dependable; subject to little fluctuation; "the economy is stable"
healthy
financially secure and functioning well; "a healthy economy"
unsound
not sound financially; "unsound banking practices"
bad, insecure, risky, high-risk, speculative
not financially safe or secure; "a bad investment"; "high risk investments"; "anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky"; "speculative business enterprises"
long
involving substantial risk; "long odds"
wildcat
outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices; "wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks"; "wildcat stock speculation"; "a wildcat airline"; "wildcat life insurance schemes"
solid, strong, substantial
of good quality and condition; solidly built; "a solid foundation"; "several substantial timber buildings"
sound
in good condition; free from defect or damage or decay; "a sound timber"; "the wall is sound"; "a sound foundation"
unsound
not in good condition; damaged or decayed; "an unsound foundation"
spirited
displaying animation, vigor, or liveliness
dashing, gallant
lively and spirited; "a dashing hero"
boisterous, knockabout
full of rough and exuberant animal spirits; "boisterous practical jokes"; "knockabout comedy"
feisty, plucky, spunky
showing courage; "the champion is faced with a feisty challenger"
ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited
joyously unrestrained
lively, racy
full of zest or vigor; "a racy literary style"
hoyden(a), hoydenish, tomboyish
used of boisterous girls
impertinent, irreverent, pert, saucy
characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality; "a certain irreverent gaiety and ease of manner"
sprightly
full of spirit and vitality; "a sprightly young girl"; "a sprightly dance"
mettlesome
having a proud and unbroken spirit
resilient
recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
snappy, whipping
smart and fashionable; "snappy conversation"; "some sharp and whipping lines"
vibrant, vivacious
vigorous and active; "a vibrant group that challenged the system"; "a charming and vivacious hostess"; "a vivacious folk dance"
spiritless
lacking ardor or vigor or energy; "a spiritless reply to criticism"
zestful, yeasty, zesty
marked by spirited enjoyment
bloodless
without vigor or zest or energy; "an insipit and bloodless young man"
heartless
(archaic) devoid of courage or enthusiasm
thin
lacking spirit or sincere effort; "a thin smile"
spontaneous, self-generated
happening or arising without apparent external cause; "spontaneous laughter"; "spontaneous combustion"; "a spontaneous abortion"
impulsive, unprompted
proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus; "an impulsive gesture of affection"
instinctive
unthinking; as if prompted by instinct; "an instinctive mistrust of bureaucrats"; "offering to help was as instinctive as breathing"
unbeatable
hard to defeat; "an unbeatable ball team"
firm, steady, unfluctuating
not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall; "stocks are still firm"
stable
resistant to change of position or condition; "a stable ladder"; "a stable peace"; "a stable relationship"; "stable prices"
lasting
lasting a long time without change; "a lasting relationship"
unstable
lacking stability or fixity or firmness; "unstable political conditions"; "the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"; "an unstable world economy"
disturbed, unsettled
lacking order or stability; "these unsettled times"
explosive, volatile
liable to lead to sudden change or violence; "an explosive issue"; "a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation"
rickety, shaky, wobbly, wonky
inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; "a rickety table"; "a wobbly chair with shaky legs"; "the ladder felt a little wobbly"; "the bridge still stands though one of the arches is wonky"
rocky
liable to rock; "on high rocky heels"
top-heavy
unstable by being overloaded at the top
tottering
(of structures or institutions) having lost stability; failing or on the point of collapse; "a tottering empire"
abrupt, disconnected
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions; "abrupt prose"
standard
established or widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence; "a standard reference work"
accepted
generally accepted or used; "accepted methods of harmony and melody"; "three accepted types of pump"
classic
adhering to established standards and principles; "a classic proof"
authoritative, classical, definitive
of recognized authority or excellence; "the definitive work on Greece"; "classical methods of navigation"
basic, canonic, canonical
reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality; "a basic story line"; "a canonical syllable pattern"
casebook, textbook
according to or characteristic of a casebook or textbook; typical; "a casebook schizophrenic"; "a textbook example"
nonstandard
not standard; not accepted as a model of excellence; "a nonstandard text"
deficient, inferior, substandard
falling short of some prescribed norm; "substandard housing"
stock
routine; "a stock answer"
full, replete(p)
(informal) having consumed enough food or drink; "a full stomach"
well-fed, well-nourished
properly nourished
overfed
too well nourished
dependable, rock-steady, steady-going
consistent in performance or behavior; "dependable in one's habits"; "a steady-going family man"
steady
not subject to change or variation especially in behavior; "a steady beat"; "a steady job"; "a steady breeze"; "a steady increase"; "a good steady ballplayer"
even, regular
occurring at fixed intervals; "a regular beat"; "the even rhythm of his breathing"
level, unwavering
not showing abrupt variations; "spoke in a level voice"; "she gave him a level look"- Louis Auchincloss
firm
(of especially a person's physical features) not shaking or trembling; "his voice was firm and confident"; "a firm step"
fastened, fixed
intent and directed steadily; "had her gaze fastened on the stranger"; "a fixed expresson"
sure
certain not to fail; "a sure hand on the throttle"
steadied
made steady or constant; "the noise became a steadied roaring"
unsteady
subject to change or variation especially in behavior; "her unsteady walk"; "his hand was unsteady as he poured the wine"; "an unsteady voice"
surefooted, footsure
not liable to stumble or fall; "on surefooted donkeys"
faltering
unsteady in speech or action
fluctuating
having unpredictable ups and downs; "fluctuating prices"
tottering, tottery
unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age; "a tottering skeleton of a horse"; "a tottery old man"
stimulating
rousing or quickening activity or the senses; "a stimulating discussion"
piquant, salty
engagingly stimulating or provocative; "a piquant wit"; "salty language"
challenging, thought-provoking
stimulating interest or thought; "a challenging hypothesis"; "a thought-provoking book"
exciting, provocative
stimulating discussion or exciting controversy; "a provocative novel"
thrilling
causing quivering or shivering as by cold or fear or electric shock; "a thrilling wind blew off the frozen lake"
rousing, stirring
capable of arousing enthusiasm or excitement; "a rousing sermon"; "stirring events such as wars and rescues"
bland, flat
lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting; "a bland little drama"; "a flat joke"
unstimulating, unexciting
not stimulating
dry, juiceless
lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless; "a dry book"; "a dry lecture filled with trivial details"; "dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to...life"- John Mason Brown
vapid
lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest; "a vapid conversation"; "a vapid smile"; "a bunch of vapid schoolgirls"
excitant, excitative, excitatory
(of drugs e.g.) able to excite or stimulate
irritating, irritative
(used of physical stimuli) serving to stimulate or excite; "an irritative agent"
stimulant, stimulating
that stimulates; "stimulant phenomena"
contorted, writhed, writhen
twisted (especially as in pain or struggle); "his mad contorted smile"; "writhed lips"; "my writhen features"- Walter scott
malposed
characterized by malposition; "crooked malposed teeth"
aboveboard, straightforward
without concealment or deception; honest; "their business was open and aboveboard"; "straightforward in all his business affairs"
straight
honest and morally upright; "I just want a straight answer to the question"; "straight dealing"
crooked, corrupt
not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive
guileless, transparent
free of deceit
straightarrow(a)
conventionally moral and upright
dishonest, unscrupulous
lacking honesty and oblivious to what is honorable
sneaky, underhand, underhanded
marked by deception; "achieved success in business only by underhand methods"
strong
having strength or power greater than average or expected; "a strong radio signal"; "strong medicine"; "a strong man"
beefed-up
made greater or stronger; "beefed-up sales efforts"
beardown(a)
with full strength; "his beardown performance in the exhibition game"
brawny, hefty, muscular, powerful
possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful; "a hefty athlete"; "a muscular boxer"; "powerful arms"
bullnecked
having a thick short powerful neck
bullocky
resembling a bullock in strength and power; "thick bullocky shoulders"
hard, knockout, severe
very strong or vigorous; "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow"
ironlike
exhibiting strength or hardness like that of iron; "ironlike determination"; "ironlike nerves"; "ironlike discipline of the Marines"
knock-down(a), powerful
strong enough to knock down or overwhelm; "a knock-down blow"
noticeable
readily noticed; "a noticeable resemblance"
robust
strong enough to withstand intellectual challenge; "the experiment yielded robust results"; "a robust faith"
stiff
powerful; "a stiff current"; "a stiff breeze"; "a stiff drink"
vehement
characterized by great force or energy; "vehement deluges of rain"; "vehement clapping"; "a vehement defense"
virile
characterized by energy and vigor; "a virile and ever stronger free society"; "a new and virile leadership"
anemic, anaemic
lacking vigor or energy; "an anemic attempt to hit the baseball"
well-knit, well-set
strongly and firmly constructed; "a well-knit argument"; "a well-knit theatrical production"; "well-knit athletes"; "a sailor short but well-set"- Alexander Hamilton
weak
having little physical or spiritual strength; "a weak radio signal"; "a weak link"
adynamic, asthenic, debilitated, enervated
lacking strength or vigor
flimsy, fragile
lacking solidity or strength; "a flimsy table"; "flimsy construction"; "a fragile link with the past"
faint, feeble
lacking strength or vigor; "damning with faint praise"; "faint resistance"; "feeble efforts"; "a feeble voice"
feeble, lame
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness; "a feeble excuse"; "a lame argument"
flaccid, lax, limp, slack
lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "flaccid muscles"; "took his lax hand in hers"; "gave a limp handshake"; "a limp gesture as if waving away all desire to know" G.K.Chesterton; "a slack grip"
flimsy, slight, tenuous, thin
having little substance or significance; "a flimsy excuse"; "slight evidence"; "a tenuous argument"; "a thin plot"
jerry-built, shoddy
of inferior workmanship and materials; "mean little jerry-built houses"
puny
inferior in strength or significance; "a puny physique"; "puny excuses"
namby-pamby, spineless, wishy-washy
weak in willpower
bloody-minded, cantankerous
(British) stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate; "unions...have never been as bloody-minded about demarcation as the shipbuilders"- Spectator
washy
lacking strength or vigor; "a washy handshake"; "washy prose"
stubborn
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
determined
devoting full strength and concentrated attention to; "made continued and determined efforts to find and destroy enemy headquarters"
bolshy, stroppy
(British slang) obstreperous
bullheaded, bullet-headed, pigheaded
obstinate and stupid
bulldog, dogged, dour, pertinacious, tenacious, unyielding
stubbornly unyielding; "dogged persistence"; "dour determination"; "the most vocal and pertinacious of all the critics"; "a mind not gifted to discover truth but tenacious to hold it"- T.S.Eliot; "men tenacious of opinion"
contrarious, cross-grained
difficult to deal with
hardheaded, mulish
unreasonably rigid in the face of argument or entreaty or attack
docile
willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed; "the docile masses of an enslaved nation"
stiff-necked
haughtily stubborn; "a stiff-necked old Boston Brahmin"
strong-minded, strong-willed
having a determined will
meek, tame
very docile; "tame obedience"; "meek as a mouse"- Langston Hughes
sheeplike, sheepish
like or suggestive of a sheep in docility or stupidity or meekness or timidity
yielding
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control; "a timid yielding person"
subservient
compliant and obedient to authority; "editors and journalists who express opinions in print that are opposed to the interests of the rich are dismissed and replaced by subservient ones"-G. B. Shaw
submissive
willing to submit without resistance to authority; deferent
insubordinate
not submissive to authority; "a history of insubordinate behavior"; "insubordinate boys"
disobedient, unruly
unwilling to submit to authority; "unruly teenagers"
contumacious
wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient; "a contumaceous witness is subject to punishment"
mutinous
disposed to or in a state of mutiny; "the men became mutinous and insubordinate"
booming, flourishing, palmy, prospering, prosperous, roaring, thriving
very lively and profitable; "flourishing businesses"; "a palmy time for stockbrokers"; "a prosperous new business"; "doing a roaring trade"; "a thriving tourist center"; "did a thriving business in orchids"
rebellious
resisting control or authority; "temperamentally rebellious"; "a rebellious crew"
successful
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome; "a successful architect"; "a successful business venture"
eminent
having achieved eminence; "an eminent physician"
made
successful or assured of success; "now I am a made man forever"- Christopher Marlowe
self-made
having achieved success or recognition by your own efforts; "a self-made millionaire"
productive
yielding positive results
unsuccessful
not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome
winning
bringing success; "the winning run"
attempted
tried unsuccessfully; "attempted murder"
down-and-out
lacking resources (or any prospect of resources)
defeated, disappointed, discomfited, foiled, frustrated, thwarted
disappointingly unsuccessful; "disappointed expectations and thwarted ambitions"; "their foiled attempt to capture Calais"; "many frustrated poets end as pipe-smoking teachers"; "his best efforts were thwarted"
done for(p), ruined, sunk, undone, washed-up
doomed to extinction
self-defeating
acting to defeat its own purpose; "it is self-defeating...to ignore the progress of events"
unfulfilled, unrealized
of persons; marked by failure to realize full potentialities; "unfulfilled and uneasy men"; "unrealized dreams and ambitions"
sufficient
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant; "sufficient food"
adequate, decent, enough
enough to meet a purpose; "an adequate income"; "the food was adequate"; "a decent wage"; "enough food"; "food enough"
insufficient, deficient
of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement; "insufficient funds"
spare
just sufficient; "the library had a spare but efficient look"
comfortable
sufficient to provide comfort; "a comfortable salary"
depleted, low
no longer sufficient; "supplies are low"; "our funds are depleted"
inadequate, poor, short
not sufficient to meet a need; "an inadequate income"; "a poor salary"; "money is short"; "on short rations"; "food is in short supply"; "short on experience"
lean, skimpy
containing little excess; "a lean budget"; "a skimpy allowance"
light, scant(p), short
less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so; "a light pound"; "a scant cup of sugar"; "regularly gives short weight"
scarce
not enough; hard to find; "meat was scarce during the war"
too little
not enough
superior
of or characteristic of high rank or importance; "a superior officer"
arch, condescending, patronizing, patronising
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
majestic, olympian
majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters; "his majestic presence"; "olympian detachment"; "olympian beauty and serene composure"
eminent, high
standing above others in quality or position; "people in high places"; "the high priest"; "eminent members of the community"
greatest, leading(a), preeminent
greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist"
high-level, high-ranking, upper-level
at an elevated level in rank or importance; "a high-level official"; "a high-level corporate briefing"; "upper-level management"
master(a)
controlling; "master race"; "master plan"
humble, low, lowly, modest, small
low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"
superordinate
of higher rank or status or value
upper
superior in rank or accomplishment; "the upper half of the class"
inferior
of or characteristic of low rank or importance
indifferent
fairly poor to not very good; "has an indifferent singing voice"; "has indifferent qualifications for the job"
less, lower
(usually preceded by `no)' lower in esteem; "no less a person than the king himself"
low-level
at a low level in rank or importance; "a low-level job"; "low-level discussions"
outclassed
decisively surpassed by something else so as to appear to be of a lower class
ace, A-one, crack, first-rate, super, tiptop, topnotch, tops(p)
(informal) of the highest quality; "an ace reporter"; "a crack shot"; "a first-rate golfer"; "a super party"; "played top-notch tennis"; "an athlete in tiptop condition"; "she is absolutely tops"
superior
of high or superior quality or performance; "superior wisdom derived from experience"; "superior math students"
brilliant, superb
of surpassing excellence; "a brilliant performance"; "a superb actor"
banner
unusually good; outstanding; "a banner year for the company"
blue-ribbon(a), select
selected or chosen for special qualifications; "the blue-ribbon event of the season"
boss, brag
(informal) exceptionally good; "a boss hand at carpentry"; "his brag cornfield"
champion
clearly superior or having the attributes of a winner; "a champion at teaching"
choice, fine, prime(a), prize, quality, select
of superior grade; "choice wines"; "fine wines" "prime beef"; "prize carnations"; "quality paper"; "select peaches"
excellent, first-class
of the highest quality; "made an excellent speech"; "the school has excellent teachers"; "a first-class mind"
outstanding
distinguished from others in excellence; "did outstanding work in human relations"; "an outstanding war record"
fine, good
superior to the average; "in fine spirits"; "a fine student"; "a fine summer day"; "made good grades"; "morale was good"; "had good weather for the parade"
gilt-edged
of the highest quality or value; "gilt-edged securities"; "gilt-edged credentials"
greatest, sterling(a), superlative
highest in quality
premium
having or reflecting superior quality or value; "premium gasoline at a premium price"
shining
marked by exceptional merit; "had shining virtues and few faults"; "a shining example"
pukka, pucka
(India) absolutely first class and genuine; "pukka sahib"; "pukka quarters with a swarm of servants"
supreme
highest in excellence or achievement; "supreme among musicians"; "a supreme endeavor"; "supreme courage"
transcendent, surpassing
exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence
top-flight, top-hole, topping
(British) excellent; best possible
well-made
skillfully constructed
inferior
of low or inferior quality
bad
below average in quality or performance; "a bad chess player"; "a bad recital"
coarse, common
of low or inferior quality or value; "of what coarse metal ye are molded"- Shakespeare; "produced...the common cloths used by the poorer population"
bum, cheap, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, sleazy, tinny
(informal) of very poor quality
cardboard, flimsy
resembling cardboard especially in flimsiness; "apartments with cardboard walls"
cheapjack, shoddy, tawdry
cheap and shoddy; "cheapjack moviemaking...that feeds on the low taste of the mob"- Judith Crist
coarsened
made coarse or crude by lack of skill
commercial
of the kind or quality used in commerce; average or inferior; "commercial grade of beef"; "commercial oxalic acid"
mediocre, poor, second-rate
moderate to inferior in quality; "they improved the quality from mediocre to above average"; "he would make a poor spy"
deplorable, execrable, miserable, woeful, wretched
of very poor quality or condition; "deplorable housing conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of the accused"; "woeful errors of judgment"
less
(usually preceded by `no') lower in quality; "no less than perfect"
low-grade
of inferior quality
ropey, ropy
(British informal) very poor in quality; "ropey food"; "a ropey performance"
scrawny, scrubby, stunted
inferior in size or quality; "scrawny cattle"; "scrubby cut-over pine"; "old stunted thorn trees"
second-class
of inferior status or quality; "a second-class citizen"; "second-class accommodations"
third-rate
of lesser quality than second-rate
fostered, nourished
encouraged or promoted in growth or development; "dreams of liberty nourished by the blood of patriots cannot easily be given up"
assisted, aided
having help; often used as a combining form
unnourished
not promoted for fostered
unaided
being without physical aid; "he could not rise unaided from a sitting position"
unassisted
lacking help
supportive
furnishing support or assistance; "a supportive family network"; "his family was supportive of his attempts to be a writer"
accessory, adjunct, ancillary, adjuvant, appurtenant, auxiliary, subsidiary
relating to something that is added but is not essential; "an ancillary pump"; "an adjuvant discipline to forms of mysticism"; "The mind and emotions are auxilliary to each other"
encouraging, supporting
furnishing support and encouragement; "the anxious child needs supporting and accepting treatment from the teacher"
unsupportive
not furnishing support or assistance
confounding, contradictory
that confounds or contradicts or confuses
surprising
causing surprise or wonder or amazement; "the report shows a surprising lack of hard factual data"; "leaped up with surprising agility"; "she earned a surprising amount of money"
amazing, astonishing
surprising greatly; "she does an amazine amount of work"; "the dog was capable of astonishing tricks"
startling
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm; "Sydney's startling new Opera House"; "startling news"; "startling earthquake shocks"
unexpected
causing surprise or amazement by not being expected; "the curtains opened to reveal a completely unexpected scene"
stunning
causing great astonishment and consternation; "the strike came as a stunning protest against management"; "a stunning defeat"
susceptible
(often followed by `of' or `to') yielding readily to or capable of; "susceptible to colds"; "susceptible of proof"
unsurprising
not causing surprise
expected
looked forward to as probable
unstartling
not startling
capable, open to(p), subject to(p)
(`capable' is usually followed by `of' or `to') possibly accepting or permitting; "a passage capable of misinterpretation"; "open to interpretation"; "an issue open to question"; "the time is fixed by the director and players and therefore subject to much variation"
fictile, pliable
susceptible to being led or directed; "fictile masses of people ripe for propaganda"
convincible, persuadable, persuasible, suasible
being susceptible to persuasion
liable(p), nonimmune, nonresistant, unresistant
(often followed by `to') likely to be affected with; "liable to diabetes"
suggestible
susceptible or responsive to suggestion; "suggestible young minds"
predisposed
made susceptible; "because of conditions in the mine, miners are predisposed to lung disease"
responsive
readily reacting to suggestions and influences; "a responsive student"
vulnerable
susceptible to criticism or persuasion or temptation; "vulnerable to bribery"; "an argument vulnerable to refutation"
temptable
susceptible to temptation
unsusceptible, insusceptible
not susceptible to
unpersuadable, unsuasible
not susceptible to persuasion
impressionable
easily impressed or influenced; "an impressionable youngster"; "an impressionable age"
plastic, pliant
capable of being influenced or formed; "the plastic minds of children"; "a pliant nature"
susceptible
easily impressed emotionally
unimpressionable
not sensitive or susceptible to impression; "an unimpressionable mind"
amenable
responsible to a higher authority; "amenable to a small-scale form of enquiry"; "amenable data"; "is it to be contended that the heads of departments are not amenable to the laws?"- John Marshall
responsive, tractable
susceptible to suggestion; "a personality responsive to your desires"
subject to(p), testable
capable of being or liable to be subjected to judgment or test; "elasticity of fluids is not subject to simple measurement at present"
unamenable
not amenable; "unamenable to persuasion"
unresponsive
not susceptible to suggestion
immune
secure against; "immune from taxation as long as he resided in Bermuda"; "immune from criminal prosecution"
privileged
not subject to usual rules or penalties; "a privileged statement"
emergency
made necessary by sudden occurrence demanding immediate remedy; "the plane made an emergency landing"; "an emergency session to consider aid for the earthquake victims"
forced, unexpected
made necessary by an unexpected situation or emergency; "a forced landing"
ill-proportioned, lopsided, one-sided
out of proportion in shape
sympathetic
expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward; "sympathetic to the students' cause"; "a sympathetic observer"; "a sympathetic gesture"
commiserative
feeling or expressing sympathy; "made commiserative clicking sounds with his tongue"- Kenneth Roberts
empathic, empathetic
showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states; "a sensitive and empathetic school counselor"
sympathetic, appealing, likeable, likable
(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings; "the sympathetic characters in the play"
kind
expressing sympathy
unsympathetic
not sympathetic or disposed toward; "unsympathetic officialdom"; "people unsympathetic to the revolution"; "his dignity made him seem aloof and unsympathetic"
unsympathizing
not showing or expressing sympathy; "an uncharitable and unsympathizing attitude"
unsympathetic, unappealing, unlikeable, unlikable
(of characters in literature or drama) tending to evoke antipathetic feelings; "all the characters were peculiarly unsympathetic"
anachronic, anachronous, anachronistic
chronologically misplaced; "English public schools are anachronistic"
systematic
characterized by order and planning; "the investigation was very systematic"; "a systematic administrator"
in order(p), so(p)
marked by system; in good order; "everything is in order"; "his books are always just so"; "things must be exactly so"
systematized
reduced to a system; "systematized knowledge"
unsystematized
not done according to a system; "works in an unsystematized manner"; "unsystematized and fragmentary records"
unsystematic
lacking systematic arrangement or method or organization; "unsystematic and fragmentary records"; "he works in an unsystematic manner"
blathering, blithering, jabbering, gabbling, babbling
talking idly or incoherently; "blithering (or blathering) idiot"; "jabbering children"; "gabbling housewives"; "a babbling hospital inmate"
prattling
talking foolishly; "prattling children"
chatty, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talky
full of trivial conversation; "kept from her housework by gabby neighbors"
tactful
having or showing a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others; "she was tactful enough not to shatter his illusion"; "a tactful remark eased her embarrassment"
discerning, discreet
unobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic; "a discerning editor"; "a discreet silence"
tactless, untactful
lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others; "in the circumstances it was tactless to ask her age"
tall
great in vertical dimension; high in stature; "tall people"; "tall buildings"; "tall trees"; "tall ships"
gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy
tall and thin and having long slender limbs; "a gangling teenager"; "a lanky kid transformed almost overnight into a handsome young man"
leggy, tall-growing
(of plants) having tall spindly stems
leggy, long-legged, long-shanked
having long legs
long
of relatively great height; "a race of long gaunt men"- Sherwood Anderson; "looked out the long French windows"
stately, statuesque
of size and dignity suggestive of a statue
short
low in stature; not tall; "his was short and stocky"; "short in stature"; "a short smokestack"
tallish
somewhat tall
chunky, dumpy, low-set, squat, squatty, stumpy
short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature; "some people seem born to be square and chunky"; "a dumpy little dumpling of a woman"; "dachshunds are long lowset dogs with drooping ears"; "a little church with a squat tower"; "a squatty red smokestack"; "a stumpy ungainly figure"
half-length
representing only the upper half of the body; "a half-length portrait"
pint-size, pint-sized, runty, sawed-off
slang; well below average height
squab, squabby
short and fat
docile, gentle
easily handled or managed; "a gentle old horse, docile and obedient"
feral, savage
wild and menacing; "a ferocious dog"
chaotic, disorderly
completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing
tame
very restrained or quiet; "a tame Christmas party"; "she was one of the tamest and most abject creatures imaginable with no will or power to act but as directed"
subdued
quieted and brought under control; "children were subdued and silent"
wild
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control; "wild ideas"; "wild talk"; "wild originality"; "wild parties"
delirious, excited, frantic, mad, unrestrained
marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion; "a crowd of delirious baseball fans"; "something frantic in their gaiety"; "a mad whirl of pleasure"
frenzied, manic
affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason; "a frenzied attack"; "a frenzied mob"; "the prosecutor's frenzied denunciation of the accused"- H.W.Carter; "outbursts of drunken violence and manic activity and creativity"
tasteful, in good taste(p)
having or showing or conforming to good taste
barbaric
unrestrained and crudely rich; "barbaric use of color or ornament"
aesthetic, esthetic, artistic, pleasing
aesthetically pleasing; "an artistic flower arrangement"
understated, unostentatious, unpretentious
exhibiting restrained good taste; "the room is pleasant and understated"
tasteless, in poor taste(p)
lacking aesthetic or social taste
indelicate
in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent; "an indelicate remark"
brassy, cheap, flash, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy
tastelessly showy; "a flash car"; "a flashy ring"; "garish colors"; "a gaudy costume"; "loud sport shirts"; "a meretricious yet stylish book"; "tawdry ornaments"
camp, campy
providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities; "they played up the silliness of their roles for camp effect"; "campy Hollywood musicals of the 1940's"
ostentatious, pretentious, kitsch
of a display that is tawdry or vulgar
choice
appealing to refined taste; "choice wine"
delectable, delicious, luscious, pleasant-tasting, scrumptious, toothsome, yummy
extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
dainty, tasty
especially pleasing to the taste; "a dainty dish to set before a kind"; "a tasty morsel"
full-bodied, rich, robust
marked by richness and fullness of flavor; "a rich ruby port"; "full-bodied wines"; "a robust claret"; "the robust flavor of fresh-brewed coffee"
piquant, savory, savoury, spicy, zesty
having an agreeably pungent taste
bland, flat, flavorless, flavourless, insipid, savorless, vapid
lacking taste or flavor or tang; "a bland diet"; "insipid hospital food"; "flavorless supermarket tomatoes"; "vapid beer"; "vapid tea"
temperate
not extreme in behavior; "temperate in his habits"; "a temperate response to an insult"; "temperate in his eating and drinking"
abstemious, light(a)
marked by temperance in indulgence; "abstemious meals"; "a light eater"; "a light smoker"; "ate a light supper"
moderate, restrained
marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes; "moderate in his demands"; "restrained in his response"
intemperate
excessive in behavior; "intemperate rage"
big(a), heavy(a)
prodigious; "big spender"; "big eater"; "heavy investor"
uncontrolled, unrestrained, untempered
extravagant or extreme; "the inhumanity of his untempered principles"- M.S.Dworkin
hard(a), heavy
of a drinker or drinking; indulging intemperately; "does a lot of hard drinking"; "a heavy drinker"
intemperate
(of weather or climate) not mild; subject to extremes; "an intemperate climate"; "intemperate zones"
temperate
(of weather or climate) free from extremes; mild; or characteristic of such weather or climate; "a temperate region"; "the temperate zones"; "temperate plants"
equable
not varying; "an equable climate"
overstrung
too tightly strung; "an overstrung archery bow"
loose-jointed
loosely articulated or constructed; "a loose-jointed paragraph"
cliff-hanging, suspenseful, suspensive
of a situation; characterized by or causing suspense
electric
(of a situation) exceptionally tense; "an atmosphere electric with suspicion"
degage
free and relaxed in manner; "rather degage after the nervousness he had shown at dinner"- Edmund Wilson
easygoing, laid-back, mellow
unhurried and relaxed; "an easygoing pace"; "a mellow conversation"
unstrained
not placed under psychological stress; "the campaign would not leave party loyalties unstrained"
thick
not thin; of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions; "a thick board"; "a thick sandwich"; "spread a thick layer of butter"; "thick coating of dust"; "thick warm blankets"; or of a specific thickness; "an inch thick"
deep
relatively thick from top to bottom; "deep carpets"; "deep snow"
four-ply
having a thickness made up of four layers or strands; "four-ply yarns"
fat
having a relatively large diameter; "a fat rope"
heavy
made of fabric having considerable thickness; "a heavy coat"
thin
of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section; "thin wire"; "a thin chiffon blouse"; "a thin book"; "a thin layer of paint"
flimsy, light
very thin and insubstantial; "thin paper"; "flimsy voile"; "light summer dresses"
hyperfine
(physics) extremely fine or thin, as in a spectral line split into two or more components; "hyperfine structure"
slender
having little width in proportion to the length or height; "a slender pole"
thick
relatively dense in consistency; "thick cream"; "thick soup"; "thick smoke"; "thick fog"
dense, heavy, impenetrable
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter; "dense smoke"; "heavy fog"; "impenetrable gloom"
creamy, cream(a), soupy
thick like cream
gelatinous, gelatinlike, jellylike
thick like gelatin
heavy
having or suggesting a viscous consistency; "heavy cream"
thin
relatively thin in consistency or low in density; not viscous; "air is thin at high altitudes"; "a thin soup"; "skimmed milk is much thinner than whole milk"; "thin oil"
tenuous
having thin consistency; "a tenuous fluid"
rare, rarefied, rarified
having low density; "rare gasses"; "lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air"
thoughtful
exhibiting or characterized by careful thought; "a thoughtful paper"
considered, reasoned, well thought out(p)
resulting from careful thought; "the paper was well thought out"
thoughtless
showing lack of careful thought; "the debate turned into thoughtless bickering"
deliberate
marked by careful consideration or reflection; "a deliberate decision"
unreflective, unthinking, unthoughtful
not exhibiting or characterized by careful thought
inconsiderate, unconsidered
without proper consideration or reflection; "slovenly inconsiderate reasoning"; "unconsidered words"; "prejudice is the holding of unconsidered opinions"
economical, frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting
avoiding waste; "an economical meal"; "an economical shopper"; "a frugal farmer"; "a frugal lunch"; "a sparing father and a spending son"; "sparing in their use of heat and light"; "stinting in bestowing gifts"; "thrifty because they remember the great Depression"; (`scotch' is used only informally)
thrifty
careful and diligent in the use of resources
saving
characterized by thriftiness; "wealthy by inheritance but saving by constitution"- Ellen Glasgow
penny-wise
thrifty in small matters only
extravagant, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift
recklessly wasteful; "prodigal in their expenditures"
wasteful
tending to squander and waste
tidy
marked by good order and cleanliness in appearance or habits; "a tidy person"; "a tidy house"; "a tidy mind"
pound-foolish
unwise in dealing with large sums
uneconomical, uneconomic
wasteful of resources
clean-cut, trig, trim
(of persons) neat and smart in appearance; "a clean-cut and well-bred young man"; "the trig corporal in his jaunty cap"
neat
clean or orderly; "her neat dress"; "a neat room"
orderly
marked by or adhering to method or system; "a clean orderly man"; "an orderly mind"; "an orderly desk"
neat
showing care in execution; "neat homework"; "neat handwriting"
shipshape, trim, well-kept
of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder; "even the barn was shipshape"; "a trim little sailboat"
ruly
neat and tidy; "a small ruly beard"
slicked up
having been made especially tidy; "slicked up for visitors"
straight
neatly arranged; not disorderly; "the room is straight now"
uncluttered, unlittered
having nothing extraneous; "an uncluttered room"; "the unlittered shoulders of the road"
untidy
not neat and tidy; "careless and untidy in her personal habits"; "an untidy living room"; "untidy and casual about money"
cluttered, littered
filled or scattered with a disorderly accumulation of objects or rubbish; "the storm left the driveway littered with sticks and debris"; "his library was a cluttered room with piles of books on every chair"
blowsy, blowzy, slatternly, sluttish
used especially of women
disheveled, dishevelled, frowzled, rumpled, tousled
in disarray; extremely disorderly; "her clothing was disheveled"; "powder-smeared and frowzled"; "a rumpled unmade bed"; "a bed with tousled sheets"; "his brown hair was tousled, thick, and curly"- Al Spiers
disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, topsy-turvy
in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes"
messy, mussy
dirty and disorderly; "a mussy fussy bedroom"; "a child's messy eating habits"
frowsy, frowzy, slovenly
negligent of neatness especially in dress and person; habitually dirty and unkempt; "filled the door with her frowzy bulk"; "frowzy white hair"; "slovenly appearance"
slouchy
lacking stiffness in form or posture; "a slouchy sweater"
scraggly
lacking neatness or order; "the old man's scraggly beard"; "a scraggly little path to the door"
sloppy
lacking neatness or order; "a sloppy room"; "sloppy habits"
sprawling, straggling, straggly
spreading out carelessly (as if wandering) in different directions; "sprawling handwriting"; "straggling branches"; "straggly hair"
unkempt
not properly maintained; "an unkempt garden"; "native vistas and unkempt rambling paths"
groomed
neat and smart in appearance; well cared for; "the manager was a beautifully groomed young man"; "his horse was always groomed"
kempt, tidy, trim
(used of hair) neat and tidy; "a nicely kempt beard"
brushed
(of hair or clothing) groomed with a brush; "with shining hair neatly brushed"; "the freshly brushed clothes hung in the closet"
ungroomed
not neat and smart in appearance; "he was wrinkled and ungroomed, with a two-day beard"; "ungroomed hair"
sleek
well-groomed and neatly tailored; especially too well-groomed; "sleek figures in expensive clothes"
bushy, shaggy
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed; "bushy locks"; "a shaggy beard"
unkempt
not neat or cared for; slovenly; "his unkempt appearance"
unkempt
not neatly combed; wild unkempt hair"
tolerable
able to be tolerated or endured; "the climate is at least tolerable"
bearable, endurable, sufferable, supportable
capable of being borne though unpleasant; "sufferable punishment"
intolerable
impossible to tolerate or endure; "an intolerable degree of sentimentality"
bitter
very difficult to accept or bear; "the bitter truth"; "a bitter sorrow"
unbearable, unendurable
impossible to bear; "unbearable pain"; "unendurable agony"
impossible, insufferable, unacceptable, unsufferable
used of persons or their behavior; "impossible behavior"; "insufferable insolence"
unsupportable
not able to be supported or defended
tolerant
showing respect for the rights or opinions or practices of others
easygoing
inclined to be excessively tolerant
unbigoted
not opinionated
intolerant
unwilling to tolerate difference of opinion
rigid, strict
incapable of compromise or flexibility
bigoted
blindly and obstinately attached to some creed or opinion and intolerant toward others; "a bigoted person"; "an outrageously bigoted point of view"
coriaceous, leathered, leatherlike, leathery
resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable
tough
tough to cut or chew
cartilaginous, gristly, rubbery
difficult to chew
chewy
requiring much chewing
fibrous, sinewy, stringy, unchewable
full of sinews; especially impossible to chew
hempen, fibrous
having or resembling fibers especially fibers used in making cordage such as those of jute
crisp, crispy
tender and brittle; "crisp potato chips"
tender
easy to cut or chew; "tender beef"
chewable, cuttable
easy to cut or chew
flaky, flakey
made of or easily forming flakes
enured, inured, hardened
made tough by habitual exposure; "hardened fishermen"; "a peasant, dark, lean-faced, wind-inured"- Robert Lynd; "our successors...may be graver, more inured and equable men"- V.S.Pritchett
weather-beaten
tanned and coarsened from being outdoors; "a weather-beaten face"
delicate, soft
easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin"
tough
not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character"
hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious
tough and callous by virtue of experience
tough-minded, unsentimental
facing facts or difficulties realistically and with determination
tender
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality; "a tender heart"; "a tender smile"; "tender loving care"; "tender memories"; "a tender mother"
caring, protective
showing a care; "a caring mother"
sentimental
given to or marked by sentiment or sentimentality
tractable
easily managed (controlled or taught or molded); "tractable young minds"; "gold is tractable"; "the natives...being...of an intelligent tractable disposition"- Samuel Butler
docile, teachable
ready and willing to be taught; "docile pupils eager for instruction"; "teachable youngsters"
manageable
easily dealt with; "manageable problems"
ductile, malleable
easily influenced
balking, balky
stopping short and refusing to go on; "a balking "; "a balky mule"; "a balky customer"
intractable
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold; "an intractable disposition"; "intractable pain"; "the most intractable issue of our era"; "intractable metal"
recalcitrant, refractory
marked by stubborn resistance to and defiant of authority or guidance; "a recalcitrant teenager"; "everything revolves around a refractory individual genius"
uncontrollable, unmanageable
difficult to solve or alleviate; "uncontrollable pain"
unmalleable
difficult or impossible to shape or work
heavily traveled
subject to much traffic or travel; "the region's most heavily traveled highways"
troubled
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need; "troubled areas"; "fell into a troubled sleep"; "a troubled expression"; "troubled teenagers"
annoyed, harassed, harried, pestered, vexed
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances; "harassed working mothers"; "a harried expression"; "her poor pestered father had to endure her constant interruptions"; "the vexed parents of an unruly teenager"
buffeted, storm-tossed, tempest-tossed, tempest-tost, tempest-swept
pounded or hit repeatedly by storms or adversities
clouded
made troubled or apprehensive or distressed in appearance; "his face was clouded with unhappiness"
distressed, hard-pressed, hard put, in a bad way(p), in trouble(p)
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty; "the troubled car industry"; "distressed companies need loans and technical advice"; "financially hard-pressed Mexican hotels are lowering their prices"; "we were hard put to meet the mortgage paymentng"; "it was apparent that the magazine was in trouble"; "found themselves in a bad way financially"
fraught
marked by distress; "a fraught mother-daughter relationship"
hag-ridden, hagridden, tormented
tormented or harassed by nightmares or unreasonable fears; "hagridden...by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon earth"- C.S.Lewis
infested, overrun, plagued
(often followed by `with' or used in combination) troubled by or encroached upon in large numbers; "waters infested with sharks"; "shark-infested waters"; "the locust-overrun countryside"; "drug-plagued streets"
in trouble(p)
having a serious nonfinancial problem; "in trouble with the police"
suffering
troubled by pain or loss; "suffering refugees"
struggling
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity; "a financially struggling theater"; "struggling artists"
troublous
full of trouble; "these are troublous times"
untroubled
not beset by troubles or disturbance or distress; "seemed untroubled by doubts of any kind"; "untroubled sleep"; "a kind untroubled face"
carefree, unworried
free of trouble and worry and care; "the carefree joys of childhood"; "carefree millionaires, untroubled financially"
trouble-free
without problems or difficulties; "NASA reported a trouble-free launch"
undisturbed, unmolested
not interfered with or disturbed; "food supplies were allowed through unmolested"; "he could pursue his studies undisturbed"
cynical, misanthropic, misanthropical
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
misogynic
(used of men) having deep-seated distrust of women
trustworthy, trusty
worthy of trust or belief; "a trustworthy report"; "an experienced and trustworthy traveling companion"
oversuspicious
unduly suspicious
dependable, honest, reliable, true(p)
worthy of being depended on; "a dependable worker"; "an honest working stiff"; "a reliable source of information"; "he was true to his word"; "I would be true for there are those who trust me"
sure, trusted
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence; "a sure (or trusted) friend"
untrustworthy, untrusty
not worthy of trust or belief; "an untrustworthy person"
slippery, tricky
not to be trusted; "how extraordinarily slippery a liar the camera is"- James Agee
fly-by-night, shady
of businesses and businessmen; "a fly-by-night operation"
undependable, unreliable
not to be trusted
regular(a), veritable(a)
often used as intensifiers; "a regular morass of details"; "a regular nincompoop"; "he's a veritable swine"
typical
exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category; "a typical American girl"; "a typical suburban community"; "the typical car owner drives 10,000 miles a year"; "a painting typical of the Impressionist school"; "a typical romantic poem"; "a typical case of arteritis"
emblematic, exemplary, typic
being or serving as an illustration of a type; "the free discussion that is emblematic of democracy"; "an action exemplary of his conduct";
representative
serving to represent or typify; "representative moviegoers"; "a representative modern play"
unrepresentative
not exemplifying a class; "I soon tumbled to the fact that my weekends were atypical"; "behavior quite unrepresentative (or atypical) of the profession"
atypical, untypical
deviating from or not conforming to type; "atypical behavior..not the accepted type of response that we expect from children"- G.E.Gardner
Janus-faced
having or concerned with polarities or contrasts; "a Janus-faced view of history"; "a Janus-faced policy"
cohesive
cohering or tending to cohere; well integrated; "a cohesive organization"
conjunct
bound in close association; "conjunct influences"; "conjunct ideas"
one(a), unitary
having the indivisible character of a unit; "a unitary action"; "spoke with one voice"
torn
disrupted by the pull of contrary forces; "torn between love and hate"; "torn by conflicting loyalties"; "torn by religious dissensions"
rising
preceding the climax especially of a dramatic or narrative plot; "the rising action"
falling
coming after the climax especially of a dramatic or narrative plot; "the falling action"
building(a), heightening(a)
rising progressively; "the building suspense"; "the heightening drama"
anticlimactic
manifesting or attended by a disappointing or ineffective conclusion; "everything after the discovery of the murderer was anticlimactic"
upscale
relating to people with good incomes; "an upscale neighborhood"
upmarket
designed for high-income consumers; "he turned up in well-cut clothes...and upmarket felt hats"- New Yorker
downscale
intended for people with low incomes; "mass-produced downscale versions of high-priced fashions"
downmarket
designed for low-income consumers
misused
used incorrectly or carelessly or for an improper purpose; "misused words are often laughable but one weeps for misused talents"
abused
used improperly or excessively especially drugs; "an abused substance"
exploited, ill-used, put-upon, used, victimized
of persons; taken advantage of; "after going out of his way to help his friend get the job he felt not appreciated but used"
useful, utile
being of use or service; "the girl felt motherly and useful"; "a useful job"; "a useful member of society"
helpful
of service or assistance; "a child who is helpful around the house can save the mother many steps"
serviceable
having a beneficial use; "a serviceable kitchen gadget"
utilitarian
having utility often to the exclusion of values; "plain utilitarian kitchenware"
useless
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully; "a kitchen full of useless gadgets"; "she is useless in an emergency"
futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailing
producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt"
utopian
being the best possible; characterized by ideal perfection; "the dim utopian future"; "utopian idealists"; "recognized the utopian nature of his hopes"
inutile, unprofitable
not worth using
airy, impractical, visionary
not practical or realizable; speculative; "airy theories about socioeconomic improvement"; "visionary schemes for getting rich"
ideal, idealistic
represented in the abstract rather than as they really are
dystopian
as bad as can be; characterized by human misery; "AIDS is one of the dystopian harbingers of the global villages"- Susan Sontag
false
erroneous and usually accidental; "a false start"; "a false alarm"
specious, spurious
plausible but false; "specious reasoning"; "the spurious inferences from obsolescent notions of causality"- Ethel Albert
sophistic, sophistical
plausible but misleading
valuable
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange; "another human being equally valuable in the sight of God"; "a valuable diamond"
invaluable, priceless
having incalculable monetary worth
precious
of high worth or cost; "diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are precious stones"
rich
of great worth or quality; "a rich collection of antiques"
valued
held in great esteem for admirable qualities especially of an intrinsic nature; "a valued friend"
chaffy
of no value; "an empty chaffy book by a foolish chaffy fellow"
worthless
lacking in excellence or value; "a worthless idler"
good-for-nothing, good-for-naught, meritless, no-account, no-count, no-good, sorry
without merit; "a sorry horse"; "a sorry excuse"; "a lazy no-count, good-for-nothing goldbrick"; "the car was a no-good piece of junk"
negligible, paltry, trifling
not worth considering; "he considered the prize too paltry for the lives it must cost"; "piffling efforts"; "a trifling matter"
rubbishy, trashy
cheap and inferior; of no value; "rubbishy newspapers that form almost the sole reading of the majority"; "trashy merchandise"
nugatory
of no real value
otiose, pointless, superfluous, wasted
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being; "otiose lines in a play"; "advice is wasted words"
tinsel, trumpery
gaudy and showy but valueless; "trumpery ornaments"
variable
liable to or capable of change; "rainfall in the tropics is notoriously variable"; "variable winds"; "variable expenses"
valueless
of no value
changeable, uncertain, unsettled
subject to change; "a changeable climate"; "the weather is uncertain"; "unsettled weather with rain and hail and sunshine coming one right after the other"
protean
taking on different forms; "eyes...of that baffling protean gray which is never twice the same"
versatile
changeable or inconstant; "versatile moods"
shifting
continuously varying; "taffeta with shifting colors"
varied
characterized by variety; "immigrants' varied ethnic and religious traditions"; "his work is interesting and varied"
varying, variable
marked by diversity or difference; "the varying angles of roof slope"; "nature is infinitely variable"
many-sided, multifaceted, multifarious
having many aspects; "a many-sided subject"; "a multifaceted undertaking"; "multifarious interests"; "the multifarious noise of a great city"
variform
varying in form or shape
versatile, various
having great diversity or variety; "his various achievements are impressive"; "his vast and versatile erudition"
unvaried, unvarying
lacking variety
iterative, reiterative, repetitious, repetitive
marked by tedious repetition
veiled
having or as if having a veil or concealing cover; "a veiled dancer"; "a veiled hat"; "veiled threats"; "veiled insults" ; "the night-veiled landscape"
disguised
deliberately concealed as if with a veil; "disguised threats"
aired, airy
open to or abounding in fresh air; "airy rooms"
airless, close, stuffy, unaired
lacking fresh air; "a dusty airless attic"; "the dreadfully close atmosphere"; "hot and stuffy and the air was blue with smoke"
fuggy
(British informal) poorly ventilated
violent
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity; "a violent attack"; "a violent person"; "violent feelings"; "a violent rage"; "felt a violent dislike"
ferocious, fierce, furious, savage
marked by extreme and violent energy; "a ferocious beating"; "fierce fighting"; "a furious battle"
convulsive
resembling a convulsion in being sudden and violent; "a convulsive rage"; "convulsive laughter"
hot, raging
characterized by violent and forceful activity or movement; very intense; "the fighting became hot and heavy"; "a hot engagement"; "a raging battle"; "the river became a raging torrent"
ruffianly, tough
violent and lawless; "the more ruffianly element"; "tough street gangs"
knockdown-dragout, knock-down-and-drag-out
(informal) extremely violent; "a knock-down-and-drag-out fight"
lurid
horrible in fierceness or savagery; "lurid crimes"; "a lurid life"
rampageous
displaying raging violence; often destructive; "the hot rampageous horses of my will"- W.H.Auden
wicked
morally bad in principle or practice
passive, peaceful
peacefully resistant in response to injustice; "passive resistance"
virtuous
morally excellent
depraved, evil, vicious
having the nature of vice
iniquitous, sinful, ungodly
characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin; "iniquitous deeds"; "he said it was sinful to wear lipstick"; "ungodly acts"
nefarious, villainous
extremely wicked; "nefarious schemes"; "a villainous plot"; "a villainous band of thieves"
irreclaimable, irredeemable, unredeemable, unreformable
insusceptible of reform; "vicious irreclaimable boys"; "irredeemable sinners"
apparent
readily apparent to the eye; "angry for no apparent reason"; "had no visible means of support"
in sight, in view
at or within a reasonable distance for seeing; "not a policeman in sight"; "kept the monkey in view"
blind, undetectable
not easily seen or noticed; "blind stitching"
vulnerable
susceptible to attack; "a vulnerable bridge"
compromising
vulnerable to danger especially of discredit or suspicion; "she found herself in a compromising situation"
defenseless, defenceless
lacking protection or support; "a defenseless child"
insecure, unsafe
not safe from attack
unguarded, unprotected
lacking protection or a guard; "an unguarded gate"; "his unguarded queen was open to attack"
airtight
having no weak points; "an airtight defense"; "an airtight argument"
entrenched
dug in
tight
set so close together as to be invulnerable to penetration; "in tight formation"; "a tight blockade"
warm
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat; "a warm body"; "a warm room"; "a warm climate"; "a warm coat"
lukewarm, tepid
moderately warm; "he hates lukewarm coffee"; "tepid bath water"
cool
neither warm or very cold; giving relief from heat; "a cool autumn day"; "a cool room"; "cool summer dresses"; "cool drinks"; "a cool breeze"
chill, chilly
uncomfortably cool; "a chill wind"; "chilly weather"
cordial, hearty
showing warm and heartfelt friendliness; "gave us a cordial reception"; "a hearty welcome"
warm
psychologically warm; friendly and responsive; "a warm greeting"; "a warm personality"; "warm support"
chilly, unfriendly
lacking warmth of feeling; "a chilly greeting"; "an unfriendly manner"
cool
psychologically cool; unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike; "relations were cool and polite"; "a cool reception"; "cool to the idea of higher taxes"
unresponsive
aloof or indifferent; "was unresponsive to her passionate advances"
warmhearted
marked by warmth of feeling like kindness and sympathy and generosity; "gave a warmhearted welcome to the stranger"
coldhearted
lacking in sympathy or feeling
brittle
lacking warmth and generosity of spirit; "a brittle and calculating woman"
maximizing
making as great as possible
profit-maximizing
making the profit as great as possible; "the profit-maximizing price
unbecoming
considered inappropriate for or unattractive on a particular person; "an unbecoming style"
weedy
abounding with or resembling weeds; "a weedy path"; "weedy plants that take over a garden"
welcome
giving pleasure or satisfaction or received with pleasure or freely granted; "a welcome relief"; "a welcome guest"; "made the children feel welcome"; "you are welcome to join us"
funny
experiencing odd bodily sensations; "told the doctor about the funny sensations in her chest"
clammy, dank
unpleasantly cool and humid; "a clammy handshake"; "clammy weather"; "a dank cellar"; "dank rain forests"
wholesome
conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being; "wholesome attitude"; "wholesome appearance"; "wholesome food"
healthy, salubrious, good for you(p)
promoting health; healthful; "a healthy diet"; "clean healthy air"; "plenty of healthy sleep"; "healthy and normal outlets for youthful energy"; "the salubrious mountain air and water"- C.B.Davis; "carrots are good for you"
hearty, satisfying, solid, substantial
providing abundant nourishment; "a hearty meal"; "good solid food"; "ate a substantial breakfast"
salubrious
favorable to health of mind or body; "not the most salubrious campsite"; "one of the less salubrious suburbs"
unwholesome
detrimental to physical or moral well-being; "unwholesome food"; "unwholesome habits like smoking"
insalubrious, unhealthful, unhealthy
detrimental to health
morbid
suggesting an unhealthy mental state; "morbid interest in death"; "morbid curiosity"
beamy
broad in the beam; "a beamy cargo ship"
nauseating, nauseous, noisome, loathsome, offensive, sickening, vile
causing or able to cause nausea; "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"
wide, broad
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other; "wide roads"; "a wide necktie"; "wide margins"; "three feet wide"; "a river two miles broad"; "broad shoulders"; "a broad river"
bird's-eye, panoramic
as from an altitude or distance; "a bird's-eye survey"; "a panoramic view"
heavy, thick
wide from side to side; "a heavy black mark"
covering, overhanging, overspreading
above or covering a wide area; "the covering darkness"; "shadow of the overhanging crag"; "the dark overspreading clouds"
deep
extending relatively far inward; "a deep border"
spreading, wide-spreading
spreading over a wide area; "under the spreading chestnut tree"; "the spreading circle of lamplight"; "wide-spreading branches"
stretching(a), wide-spreading
extending far; "beyond the misty gray of the rain he saw the stretching hutment"; "wide-spreading plains"
sweeping
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination; "a sweeping glance"; "a wide-sweeping view of the river"
constricting, constrictive, narrowing
(of circumstances) tending to constrict freedom
narrow
not wide; "a narrow bridge"; "a narrow line across the page"
slender, thin
very narrow; "a thin line across the page"
wide
great in degree; "won by a wide margin"
strait
(archaic) strict and severe; "strait is the gate"
comfortable
more than adequate; "the home team had a comfortable lead"
narrow
very limited in degree; "won by a narrow margin"; "a narrow escape"
bare(a), marginal
just barely adequate or within a lower limit; "a bare majority"; "a marginal victory"
unwieldy, unmanageable
difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape; "we set about towing the unwieldy structure into the shelter"; "almost dropped the unwieldy parcel"
wieldy, manageable
easy to handle or use or manage; "a large but wieldy book"
awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, ungainly
difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape; "an awkward bundle to carry"; "a load of bunglesome paraphernalia"; "clumsy wooden shoes"; "the cello, a rather ungainly instrument for a girl"
cumbersome, cumbrous
difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight; "a cumbersome piece of machinery"; "cumbrous protective clothing"
disposed(p), fain, inclined(p), prepared
having made preparations; "prepared to take risks"
perspicacious, sagacious, sapient
acutely insightful and wise; "much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument"; "observant and thoughtful, he was given to asking sagacious questions"; "a source of valuable insights and sapient advice to educators"
wise
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment; "a wise leader"; "a wise and perceptive comment"
all-knowing, omniscient
infinitely wise
owlish
resembling an owl; solemn and wise in appearance
sage
having wisdom that comes with age and experience
foolish
devoid of good sense or judgment; "foolish remarks"; "a foolish decision"
absurd, derisory, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous
so devoid of wisdom or good sense as to be laughable; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer"; "a contribution so small as to be derisory"; "it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion"; "a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history"; "her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous"
cockamamie, cockamamy, fool(a), goofy, sappy, silly, wacky, zany, unreasonable
(informal terms) "gave me a cockamamie reason for not going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly idea"; "some wacky plan for selling more books"
asinine, fatuous, inane, mindless, vacuous
complacently or inanely foolish
fond
absurd or silly because unlikely; "fond hopes of becoming President"; "fond fancies"
harebrained, insane, mad
very foolish; "harebrained ideas"; "took insane risks behind the wheel"; "a completely mad scheme to build a bridge between two mountains"
ill-conceived, misguided
poorly conceived or thought out; "an ill-conceived plan to take over the company"
unwise
showing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom; "an unwise investor is soon impoverished"
rattlebrained, rattlepated, scatterbrained, scatty
lacking sense or discretion; "his rattlebrained crackpot ideas"; "how rattlepated I am! I've forgotten what I came for"- Glenway Westcott
woodsy
characteristic or suggestive of woods; "a fresh woodsy fragrance"
woody
made of or containing or resembling wood; "woody plants"; "perennial herbs with woody stems"; "a woody taste"
economic
concerned with worldly necessities of life (especially money); "he wrote the book primarily for economic reasons"; "gave up the large house for economic reasons"; "in economic terms they are very privileged"
worldly
characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world; "worldly goods and advancement"
unworldly
not concerned with the temporal world or swayed by mundane considerations; "was unworldly and did not greatly miss worldly rewards"- Sheldon Cheney
material
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests; "material possessions"; "material wealth"; "material comforts"
materialistic, mercenary, worldly-minded
marked by materialism
mundane, terrestrial
concerned with the world or worldly matters; "mundane affairs"; "he developed an immense terrestrial practicality"
temporal
of the material world; "temporal possessions of the church"
anchoritic, eremitic, hermitic
characterized by ascetic solitude; "the eremitic element in the life of a religious colony"; "his hermitic existence"
spiritual, unearthly
concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul; "a spiritual approach to life"; "spiritual fulfillment"; "spiritual values"; "unearthly love"
unmercenary
not mercenary; not influenced by financial gains
philosophical, philosophic
characteristic of or imbued with the attitude of a philosopher or based on philosophy; "that breadth of outlook that distinguishes the philosophic mind"; "their differences were philosophical"
ideological, ideologic
concerned with or suggestive of ideas; "an ideological argument"; "ideological application of a theory"; "the drama's symbolism was very ideological"
worn
affected by wear; damaged by long use; "worn threads on the screw"; "a worn suit"; "the worn pockets on the jacket"
nonphilosophical, nonphilosophic
not philosophical
scruffy, seedy
shabby and untidy; "a surge of ragged scruffy children"; "he was soiled and seedy and fragrant with gin"- Mark Twain
worthy
having worth or merit or value; being honorable or admirable; "a worthy fellow"; "no student deemed worthy, and chosen for admission, would be kept out for lack of funds"- Nathan Pusey; "worthy of acclaim"; "orthy of consideration"; "a worthy cause"
applaudable, commendable, laudable, praiseworthy
worthy of high praise; "applaudable efforts to save the environment"; "a commendable sense of purpose"; "laudable motives of improving housing conditions"; "a significant and praiseworthy increase in computer intelligence"
creditable
worthy of often limited commendation; "the student's effort on the essay--though not outstanding--was creditable"
deserving(p), meriting(p), worth(p)
having sufficient worth; "an idea worth considering"; "a cause deserving or meriting support"; "the deserving poor" (often used ironically)
exemplary, model(a)
worthy of imitation; "exemplary behavior"; "model citizens"
honorable, honourable
used as a title of respect; "my honorable colleague"; "our worthy commanding officer"
meritorious, meritable
deserving reward or praise; "a lifetime of meritorious service"; "meritorious conduct"
honored, honoured
worthy of honor; "an honored name"; "our honored dead"
noteworthy, notable
worthy of notice; "a noteworthy advance in cancer research"
quotable
suitable for or worthy of quotation; "a quotable slogan"; "his remarks are not quotable in mixed company"
sacred
worthy of respect or dedication; "saw motherhood as woman's sacred calling"
worthwhile
sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time or interest; "a worthwhile book"
valuable, worthful
having worth or merit or value; "a valuable friend"; "a good and worthful man"
unworthy
lacking in value or merit; "dispel a student whose conduct is deemed unworthy"; "unworthy of forgiveness"
undeserving, undeserving of(p), unworthy of(p)
not deserving; "the undeserving poor"
unmerited
not merited; "unmerited treatment of a potentially fine subject"
unmeritorious
without merit; "protect...from unmeritorious criticism"
seduced, violated
treated dishonorably
adventuristic
of or pertaining to adventurism
anticlimactic, anticlimactical
of or relating to a sudden change from an impressive to a ludicrous style
antitypic, antitypical
of or relating to an antitype
apocalyptic
of or relating to an apocalypse
archaistic
imitative of an archaic style or manner; "archaistic writing"
asynergic
of or relating to the state of asynergy; lacking synergy
autotomic
of or relating to autotomy
baboonish
resembling a baboon
bacchantic
of or relating to or resembling a bacchanalian reveler
beneficiary
having or arising from a benefice; "a beneficiary baron"
benevolent
intending or showing kindness; "a benevolent society"
bromidic
given to uttering bromides
cacodemonic, cacodaemonic
of or relating to evil spirits
callithumpian
of or relating to a callithump
carpetbag
following the practices or characteristic of carpetbaggers; "carpetbag adventurers"; "a carpetbag government"
catapultic, catapultian
of or like a catapult; "a catapultic kind of action"
celestial, heavenly
relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven; "celestial beings"; "heavenly hosts"
chaffy, chafflike
abounding in or covered with or resembling or consisting of chaff
chimeric, chimerical, chimeral
being or relating to or like a chimera; "his Utopia is not as chimeric commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists"- Doublas Bush
childbearing
relating to or suitable for childbirth; "of childbearing age"
collegial
characterized by or having authority vested equally among colleagues; "collegial harmony"; "a tendency to turn from collegial to one-man management"- Merle Fainsod
concretistic
of or relating to concrete representations of abstractions; "a concretistic-seeming statement"
cosmic
of or from or pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos or universe; "cosmic laws"; "cosmic catastrophe"; "cosmic rays"
cryogenic
of or relating to very low temperatures
ergotropic
of or relating to ergotropism
granuliferous
producing or full of granules
heroic
relating to or characteristic of heroes of antiquity; "heroic legends"; "the heroic age"
local
of or belonging to or characteristic of a particular locality; "local customs"; "local slang"; "the local citizens"; "a local point of view"; "local outbreaks of flu"
local
having a definite spatial form and location; "a local heaven and hell"; "give to airy nothings a local habitation and a name"- Shakespeare
social
relating to or belonging to or characteristic of high society; "made fun of her being so social and high-toned"; "a social gossip colum"; "the society page"
symbolic
using symbolism; "symbolic art"
technical
of or relating to technique; "technical innovation in recent novels"; "technical details"
technical
of or relating to proficiency in a practical skill; "no amount of technical skill and craftsmanship can take the place of vital interest"- John Dewey
unitary
relating to or characterized by or aiming toward unity; "the unitary principles of nationalism"; "a unitary movement in politics"
vegetative, vegetive
of or relating to an activity that is passive and monotonous; "a dull vegetative lifestyle"
vulpine, vulpecular
resembling or characteristic of a fox; "vulpine cunning"
wolflike, wolfish
resembling or characteristic (or considered characteristic) of a wolf; "ran in wolflike packs"; "wolfish rapacity"
iconic
relating to or having the characteristics on an icon
biblical
in keeping with the nature of the Bible or its times or people; "biblical styles in writing"; "a beard of biblical proportions"; "biblical costumes"
infernal
characteristic of or resembling hell; "infernal heat and noise"
eudemonic, eudaemonic
producing happiness and well-being
particularistic
relating to particularism (exclusive interest in one group or class or sect etc.); "a particularistic-seeming statement"
mystic, mystical
relating to or resembling mysticism; "mystical intuition"; "mystical theories about the securities market"
mystic, mystical
relating to or characteristic of mysticism; "mystical religion"
millenarian, chiliastic
relating to or believing in the millennium of peace and happiness
Mercurial
relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; "more than Mercurial thievishness"
messianic
of or relating to a messiah promising deliverance; "messianic cult"
structural
relating to or having or characterized by structure; "structural engineer"; "structural errors"; "structural simplicity"
cultural
of or relating to the arts and manners that a group favors; "cultural events"; "a person of broad cultural interests"
macrocosmic
relating to or constituting a macrocosm
microcosmic
relating to or characteristic of a microcosm; "the microcosmic world of business"
sacramental
of or relating to or involving a sacrament
idolatrous
relating to or practicing idolatry; "idolatrous worship"
expiatory, expiative, propitiatory
having power to atone for or offered by way of expiation or propitiation; "expiatory (or propitiatory) sacrifice"
transitional
of or relating to or characterized by transition; "adolescence is a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood"
historic, historical
of what is important or famous in the past; "historic victories"
euphonic, euphonical
of or relating to or characterized by euphony
totemic
relating to totemism; "totemic object"
paradigmatic
of or relating to a typical example; "paradigmatic learning"
infernal
relating to or inhabiting hell; "his infernal majesty"; "infernal fires"; "infernal punishments"
functional
relating to or based on function especially as opposed to structure; "the problem now is not a constitutional one; it is a functional one"; "delegates elected on a functional rather than a geographical basis"
natural
relating to or concerning nature; "natural science"; "our natural environment"
humanitarian
of or relating to or characteristic of humanitarianism; "humanitarian aid"
contextual
relating to or determined by or in context; "contextual information"
dogmatic
relating to or involving dogma; "dogmatic writings"
philanthropic
of or relating to or characterized by philanthropy; "a philanthropic society"
providential
relating to or characteristic of providence; "assumption that nature operates only according to a providential plan"- M.R.Cohen
triumphal
relating to or celebrating a triumph; "a triumphal procession"; "a triumphal arch"
psychic, psychical
pertaining to forces or mental processes outside the possibilities defined by natural or scientific laws; "psychic reader"; "psychical research"
Utopian
pertaining to or resembling Utopia; "a Utopian novel"
propagandist, propagandistic
of or relating to or characterized by propaganda
saponaceous, soapy
having the qualities of soap (and liable to slip away)
Draconian
of or relating to Draco or his harsh code of laws; "Draconian measures"
antiquarian
of or relating to antiques or antiquities
anecdotal
having the character of an anecdote; "anecdotal evidence"
bardic
being a bard or relating to a bard's poetry; "bardic poetry"
casuistic, casuistical
of or relating to or practicing casuistry; "overly subtle casuistic reasoning"
demagogic, demagogical
characteristic of or resembling a demagogue; "demagogic speeches"
elocutionary
of or relating to elocution; "elocutionary recitals"
empiric
(archaic) relying on medical quackery; "empiric treatment"
fatalist, fatalistic
believing in or inclined to fatalism; "a fatalist person"
fatalist, fatalistic
relating to or implying fatalism; "fatalistic thinking"
imperialistic, imperialist
of or relating to imperialism; "imperialistic wars"
piratical
characteristic of pirates; "piratical attackers"
porcine
relating to or suggesting swine; "comparison between human and porcine pleasures"
purgatorial
of or resembling purgatory; "purgatorial fires"
purgatorial, purging, purifying
serving to purge or rid of sin; "purgatorial rites"
redemptive, redemptional, redepmtory
of or relating to or resulting in redemption; "a redemptive theory about life"- E.K.Brown
satyric, satyrical
of or relating to or having the characteristics of a satyr; "this satyric old man pursues young girls"
vital
relating to the chief data about lives; "vital records"; "vital statistics"
voyeuristic, voyeuristical
of or relating to voyeurs or voyeurism; "his voyeuristic pleasures"
anthropocentric
human-centered; "our anthropocentric view of the world"
ethnocentric
centered on a specific ethnic group, usually one's own
universalistic
of or relating to the whole
streaming
exuding a bodily fluid in profuse amounts: "his streaming face"; "her streaming eyes"
punishing
resulting in punishment; "the king imposed a punishing tax"
ranging
wandering freely: "at night in bed...his slowly ranging thoughts...encountered her"
permeated
occurring throughout; "her poems are permeated with sorrow"
barely, hardly, just, scarcely, scarce
by a small margin; "they could barely hear the speaker"; "we hardly knew them"; "just missed being hit"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats
hardly, scarcely
almost not; "he hardly ever goes fishing"; "he was hardly more than sixteen years old"; "they scarcely ever used the emergency generator"
annoyingly
in an annoying manner or to an annoying degree
basically, fundamentally, essentially, in essence, au fond
at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature; "He is basically dishonest"; "the argument was essentially a technical one"; "for all his bluster he is in essence a shy person"
enviably
in an enviable manner; "she was enviably fluent in French"
blessedly
in a blessed manner
boiling
(informal) extremely; "boiling mad"
pointedly
in such a manner as to make something clearly evident; "he pointedly ignored the question"
kindly
in a kind manner or out of kindness; "He spoke kindly to the boy"; "she kindly overlooked the mistake"
unkindly
in an unkind manner or with unkindness; "The teacher treats the children unkindly"
merely, simply, just, only, but
and nothing more; "I was merely asking"; "it is simply a matter of time"; "just a scratch"; "he was only a child"; "hopes that last but a moment"
simply
absolutely; altogether; really; "we are simply broke"
plainly, simply
in a simple manner; without extravagance or embellishment; "she was dressed plainly"; "they lived very simply"
anciently
in ancient times; long ago; "a concern with what may have happened anciently"
unabashedly
in an unabashed manner; "unabashedly, he asked for more"
alarmingly
in an alarming manner; "It grew alarmingly fast"
automatically
in a reflex manner; "he answered automatically"
vastly, immensely
to an exceedingly great extent or degree; "He had vastly overestimated his resources"; "was immensely more important to the project as a scientist than as an administrator"
largely, mostly, for the most part
in large part; mainly or chiefly; "These accounts are largely inactive"
grossly
in a gross manner
significantly
in a significant manner; "our budget will be significantly affected by these new cuts"
appreciably
to a noticeable degree; "they weather was appreciably colder"
insignificantly
not to a significant degree or amount; "Our budget will only be insignificantly affected by these new cuts"
smartly, modishly, sprucely
in a stylish manner; "He was smartly dressed"
approximately, about, close to, just about, some, roughly, more or less, around, or so
(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct; "lasted approximately an hour"; "in just about a minute"; "he's about 30 years old"; "I've had about all I can stand"; "we meet about once a month"; "some forty people came"; "weighs around a hundred pounds"; "roughly $3,000"; "holds 3 gallons, more or less"; "20 or so people were at the party"
absolutely
totally and definitely; without question; "we are absolutely opposed to the idea"; "he forced himself to lie absolutely still"; "iron is absolutely necessary"
absolutely, perfectly, utterly, dead
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers; "an absolutely magnificent painting"; "a perfectly idiotic idea"; "you're perfectly right"; "utterly miserable"; "you can be dead sure of my innocence"; "was dead tired"; "dead right"
clean, plumb, plum
(slang) completely; used as intensifiers; "clean forgot the appointment"; "I'm plumb (or plum) tuckered out"
plumb, plum
(informal) exactly; "fell plumb in the middle of the puddle"
amiss
in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner; "if you think him guilty you judge amiss"; "he spoke amiss"; "no one took it amiss when she spoke frankly"
perfectly
in a perfect or faultless way; "She performed perfectly on the balance beam"; "spoke English perfectly"; "solved the problem perfectly"
pat
completely or perfectly; "he has the lesson pat"; "had the system down pat"
imperfectly, amiss
in an imperfect or faulty way; "The lobe was imperfectly developed"; "Miss Bennet would not play at all amiss if she practiced more"- Jane Austen
flat
wholly or completely; "He is flat broke"
fully, to the full, full
to the the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; "fully grown"; "he didn't fully understand"; "knew full well"; (`full' is used as a combining form as in `full-grown' or `full-fledged')
only
as recently as; "I spoke to him only an hour ago"
only
with nevertheless the final result; "He arrived only to find his wife dead"; "We won only to lose again in the next round"
only
in the final outcome; "These news will only make you more upset"
ill
with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely or hardly; "we can ill afford to buy a new car just now"
well, good
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard; "the children behaved well"; "a task well done"; "the party went well"; "he slept well"; "a well-argued thesis"; "a well-planned party"; (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well' as in "the baby can walk pretty good")
ill, badly, poorly
(`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well; "he was ill prepared"; "it ill befits a man to betray old friends"; "the car runs badly"; "he performed badly on the exam"; "the team played poorly"; "ill-fitting clothes"; "an ill-conceived plan"
well
without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor; "took the joke well"; "took the tragic news well"
well
favorably; with approval; "their neighbors spoke well of them"; "he thought well of the book"
badly
with unusual distress or resentment or regret or emotional display; "they took their defeat badly"; "took her father's death badly"; "conducted himself very badly at the time of the earthquake"
well, easily
indicating high probability; in all likelihood; "I might well do it"; "a mistake that could easily have ended in disaster"; "you may well need your umbrella"; "he could equally well be trying to deceive us"
well
thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form; "The problem is well understood"; "she was well informed"; "shake well before using"; "in order to avoid food poisoning be sure the meat is well cooked"; "well-done beef", "well-satisfied customers"; "well-educated"
well, comfortably
in financial comfort; "They live well"; "she has been able to live comfortably since her husband died"
ill, badly
unfavorably or with disapproval; "tried not to speak ill of the dead"; "thought badly of him for his lack of concern"
well
to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree; "the project was well underway"; "the fetus has well developed organs"; "his father was well pleased with his grades"
badly, disadvantageously
in a disadvantageous way; to someone's disadvantage; "the venture turned out badly for the investors"; "angry that the case was settled disadvantageously for them"
well, advantageously
in a manner affording benefit or advantage; "she married well"; "The children were settled advantageously in Seattle"
well, considerably, substantially
to a great extent or degree; "I'm afraid the film was well over budget"; "painting the room white made it seem considerably (or substantially) larger"; "the house has fallen considerably in value"; "the price went up substantially"
badly
without skill or in a displeasing manner; "she writes badly"; "I think he paints very badly"
well
with skill or in a pleasing manner; "she dances well"; "he writes well"
well
with prudence or propriety; "You would do well to say nothing more"; "could not well refuse"
okay, O.K., all right, alright
(informal) in a satisfactory or adequate manner; "she'll do okay on her own"; "held up all right under pressure"; (`alright' is a nonstandard variant of `all right')
well, intimately
with great or especially intimate knowledge; "we knew them well
well
(used for emphasis or as an intensifier) "a book well worth reading"; "was well aware of the difficulties ahead"; "suspected only too well what might be going on"
satisfactorily
in a satisfactory manner
unsatisfactorily
in an unsatisfactory manner; "He performed unsatisfactorily as a manager"
badly, severely, gravely, seriously
to a severe or serious degree; "fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated"; "badly injured"; "a severely impaired heart"; "is gravely ill"; "was seriously ill"
prosperously
in the manner of prosperous people
badly, bad
very much; strongly; "I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it"; "the cables had sagged badly"; "they were badly in need of help"; "he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it"
badly, bad
with great intensity; "the injury hurt badly"; "the buildings were badly shaken"; (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly' as in "it hurts bad" or "we need water bad")
worse
(comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful or desirable manner; "he did worse on the second exam"
worst
to the highest degree of inferiority or badness; "She suffered worst of all"; "schools were the worst hit by government spending cuts"; "the worst dressed person present"
even
used as an intensive especially to indicate something unexpected; "even an idiot knows that"; "declined even to consider the idea"; "I don't have even a dollar!"
even, yet, still
to a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons; "looked sick and felt even worse"; "an even (or still) more interesting problem"; "still another problem must be solved"; "a yet sadder tale"
even
in spite of; notwithstanding; "even when he is sick, he works"; "even with his head start she caught up with him"
even
to the full extent; "loyal even unto death"
rather, kind of, kinda, sort of
to some (great or small) extent; "it was rather cold"; "the party was rather nice"; "the knife is rather dull"; "I rather regret that I cannot attend"; "He's rather good at playing the cello"; "he is kind of shy"
e'en
even
pretty, jolly
intensifier, as in "pretty big"; "pretty bad"; (`jolly' is used informally in Britain as in "jolly decent of him")
quite
to the greatest extent; completely; "you're quite right"; "she was quite alone"; "was quite mistaken"; "quite the opposite"; "not quite finished"; "did not quite make it"
quite, rather
to a degree (not used with a negative); "quite tasty"; "quite soon"; "quite ill"; "quite rich"
quite, quite a, quite an
of an unusually noticeable or exceptional or remarkable kind (not used with a negative); "her victory was quite something"; "she's quite a girl"; "quite a film"; "quite a walk"; "we've had quite an afternoon"
quite
actually or truly or to an extreme; "was quite a sudden change"; "it's quite the thing to do"; "quite the rage"; "Quite so!"
constantly
without variation or change; "constantly kind and gracious"
occasionally, on occasion, once in a while, now and then, now and again, at times, from time to time
now and then or here and there; "he was arrogant and occasionally callous"; "open areas are only occasionally interrupted by clumps of trees"; "they visit New York on occasion"; "now and again she would take her favorite book from the shelf and read to us"; "as we drove along, the beautiful scenery now and then attracted his attention"
pretty much
to some degree; "we were pretty much lost when we met the forest ranger"
much, practically
(degree adverb used before a noun phrase) for all practical purposes but not completely; "much the same thing happened every time"
that much
to a certain degree; "we will be that much ahead of them"
paradoxically
in a paradoxical manner; "paradoxically, ice ages seem to occur when the sun gets hotter"
conventionally
in a conventional manner; "he usually behaves rather conventionally"
unconventionally
in an unconventional manner; "she always behaves rather unconventionally"
either
after a negative statement used as an intensive meaning something like `likewise' or `also'; "he isn't stupid, but he isn't exactly a genius either"; "I don't know either"; "if you don't order dessert I won't either"
bloody, damn, all-fired
(intensifier) "you are bloody right"; "Why are you so all-fired aggressive?"
anyhow, anyway, in any case, at any rate, in any event
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement; "Anyhow, he is dead now"; "I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet"; "I don't know what happened to it; anyway, it's gone"; "anyway, there is another factor to consider"; "I don't know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle"; "in any event, the government faced a serious protest"; "but at any rate he got a knighthood for it"
only
except that; "It was the same story; only this time she came out better"
so far, yet
used after a superlative; "this is the best so far"; "the largest drug bust yet"
however
by contrast; on the other hand; "the first part was easy; the second, however, took hours"
still
with reference to action or condition; without change, interruption, or cessation; "it's still warm outside"; "will you still love me when we're old and grey?"
futilely
in a futile and unproductive manner
very, really, real, rattling
intensifiers; "she was very gifted"; "he played very well"; "a really enjoyable evening"; (`real' is sometimes used informally for `really' as in "I'm real sorry about it"; `rattling' is informal as in "a rattling good yarn")
good and
(informal) completely or thoroughly; "when I'm good and ready"
mighty, powerful, right
(Southern regional intensive) very; "the baby is mighty cute"; "he's mighty tired"; "it is powerful humid"; "that boy is powerful big now"; "they have a right nice place"
fucking
intensifier, very colloquial; "what took you so fucking long?"
much
very; "he was much annoyed"
hereafter
in a future life or state; "hope to win salvation hereafter"
instantaneously, outright, instantly, in a flash
without any delay; "he was killed outright"
mightily
to a great degree; "rejoiced mightily at the news"
mildly
to a moderate degree; "he was mildly interested"
a bit, a little, a trifle
to a small degree; somewhat; "it's a bit warm"; "felt a little better"; "a trifle smaller"
shortly, not long
for a short time; "he was at the airport shortly before she was expected to arrive"
shortly, not far
at a short distance; "the hem fell shortly below her knees"
soonest, earliest
with the least delay; "the soonest I can arrive is 3 P.M."
frequently, often, oftentimes, oft, ofttimes
many times at short intervals; "we often met over a cup of coffee"
sportively
in a merry sportive manner
stormily, turbulently, passionately
in a stormy or violent manner
curiously, oddly, peculiarly
in a manner differing from the usual or expected; "had a curiously husky voice"; "he's behaving rather peculiarly"
anon
at another time; "ever and anon"
rarely, seldom
not often; "we rarely met"
curiously enough, funnily enough, interestingly enough, oddly enough, strangely enough
curious (or funny or interesting or odd or strange) though it may seem; "curiously enough, he didn't recognize his old friend"; "interestingly enough, America is now dependent on Africa for a large part of its oil"; "funnily enough, the ones I thought so ugly were the ones that sold out first"; "oddly enough, he hasn't mentioned it"
strangely
in a strange way; "he was strangely silent"
reasonably, moderately, within reason, somewhat, fairly, middling, passably
to a moderately sufficient extent or degree; "the shoes are priced reasonably"; "he is fairly clever with computers"; "they lived comfortably within reason"
movingly
in a moving manner; "she sang movingly"
unreasonably, immoderately
to a degree that exceeds the bounds or reason or moderation; "his prices are unreasonably high"
slightly, somewhat
to a small degree or extent; "his arguments were somewhat self-contradictory"; "the children argued because one slice of cake was slightly larger than the other"
extensively
in a widespread way; "oxidation ponds are extensively used for sewage treatment in the Midwest"
extensively
to a great extent
intrinsically, per se, as such, in and of itself
with respect to its inherent nature; "this statement is interesting per se"
decidedly, unquestionably, emphatically, definitely, by all odds
without question and beyond doubt; "it was decidedly too expensive"; "by all odds they should win"
indeed
(used as an interjection to express surprise or skepticism or irony etc.) "Wants to marry the butler? Indeed!"
naturally, of course, course
as might be expected; "naturally, the lawyer sent us a huge bill"
clearly
without doubt or question; "they were clearly lost"; "history has clearly shown the folly of that policy"
unnaturally
not as might be expected; "The early Church not unnaturally adopted the position that failure to see the messianic character of his work was really caused by the people's own blindness"
obviously, evidently, manifestly, patently, apparently, plainly, plain
unmistakably; "the answer is obviously wrong"; "she was in bed and evidently in great pain"; "he was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list"; "it is all patently nonsense"; "she has apparently been living here for some time"; "I thought he owned the property, but apparently not"; "You are plainly wrong"; (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly' as in "he is plain stubborn")
apparently, seemingly, ostensibly, on the face of it
from appearances alone; "irrigation often produces bumper crops from apparently desert land"; "the child is seemingly healthy but the doctor is concerned"; "had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it"-Thomas Hardy; "on the face of it the problem seems minor"
unexpectedly, out of the blue
in a way that was not expected; "her brother showed up at the wedding out of the blue"
specifically
in distinction from others; "a program specifically for teenagers"; "he is interested specifically in poisonous snakes"
nonspecifically
without specificity; "nonspecifically staining substances"
generally, in general, in the main
without distinction of one from others; "he is interested in snakes in general"
fortunately, fortuitously, luckily, as luck would have it
by good fortune; "fortunately the weather was good"
happily
in an unexpectedly lucky way; "happily he was not injured"
sadly, unhappily
in an unfortunate way; "sadly he died before he could see his grandchild"
unfortunately, unluckily, regrettably, alas
by bad luck; "unfortunately it rained all day"; "alas, I cannot stay"
lest
that (after verbs explicitly expressing fear etc.); "he worried lest he should be late"
lest
for fear that; "she tiptoed lest her mother should hear her"
extremely
to an extreme degree; "extremely cold"; "extremely unpleasant"
madly, insanely, deadly, deucedly, devilishly
(used as intensives) extremely; "she was madly in love"; "deadly dull"; "deadly earnest"; "deucedly clever"; "insanely jealous"
beyond measure
in excess or without limit; "amazed beyond measure"
inordinately, extraordinarily
extremely; "she was inordinately smart"; "it will be an extraordinarily painful step to negotiate"
by far, far and away
by a considerable margin; "she was by far the smartest student"; "it was far and away the best meal he had ever eaten"
head and shoulders above
outstandingly superior to; "in intelligence he was head and shoulders above the others in his class"
excessively, overly, too
to an excessive degree; "too big"
finally, eventually, at length
after a long period of time or an especially long delay; "at length they arrived"
now
used to preface a command or reproof or request; "now hear this!"; "now pay attention"
now
(prefatory or transitional) "Now the next problem is..."
aggressively, sharply
in an aggressive manner; "she was being sharply questioned"
now now
interjection of rebuke
steadily
at a steady rate or pace; "his interest eroded steadily"
firm, firmly, steadfastly, unwaveringly
with resolute determination; "we firmly believed it"; "you must stand firm"
squarely, foursquare, straightforwardly
with firmness and conviction; without compromise; "he stood foursquare for religious liberty and toleration"- C.G.Bowers; "dealt straightforwardly with all issues"
squarely, square
with honesty and fairness; "dealt squarely with his customers"; "always treated me square"
squarely, square
firmly and solidly; "hit the ball squarely"; "the bat met the ball squarely"; "planted his great bulk square before his enemy"
squarely, forthrightly, forthright
directly and without evasion; not roundabout; "to face a problem squarely"; "the responsibility lies squarely with them"; "spoke forthright (or forthrightly) and to the point"
squarely, square
in a straight direct way; "looked him squarely in the eye"; "ran square into me"
bitterly, with bitterness
in a resentful manner; "she complained bitterly"
variously, diversely, multifariously
in diverse ways; "the alternatives that are variously represented by the participants"; "the speakers treated the subject most diversely"
indefatigably, tirelessly, inexhaustibly
with indefatigable energy; "she watched the show indefatigably"
bitterly
indicating something hard to accept; "he was bitterly disappointed"
very well, fine, alright, all right, OK
sentence-initial expression of agreement
all right, alright, without doubt
reinforces an assertion, as in "It's expensive all right"
swiftly, fleetly
in a swift manner; "she moved swiftly"
practically
almost; "he was practically the only guest at the party"
openly
in an open way; "he openly flaunted his affection for his sister"
presumably, presumptively
by reasonable assumption; "presumably, he missed the train"
for the moment, for the time being
temporarily; "we'll stop for the time being"
easily
without question; "easily the best book she's written"
hand to mouth
with barely enough money for immediate needs; "they lived form hand to mouth"
terribly, atrociously, awfully, abominably, abysmally, rottenly
in a terrible manner; "she sings terribly"
terribly, awfully, awful, frightfully
(informal) used as intensifiers, as in "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry"
acceptably, tolerably, so-so
in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner; "she plays tennis tolerably"
unacceptably, intolerably
to an unacceptable degree; "The percentage of lead in our drinking water is unacceptably high"
admiringly
with admiration; "he looked at his wife admiringly"
abusively
in an abusive manner; "he behaved abusively toward his children"
adoringly
with adoration; "he looked at his wife adoringly"
adroitly, with adroitness
in an adroit manner; "he handled the situation adroitly"
maladroitly
in a maladroit manner; "he dealt with the situation maladroitly"
greatly
to a great extent or degree; "he improved greatly"; "greatly reduced"
dreadfully, awfully, horribly
of a dreadful kind; "there was a dreadfully bloody accident on the road this morning"
at all, in the least, the least bit
in the slightest degree or in any respect; "Are you at all interested? No, not at all"; "was not in the least unfriendly"
drastically
in a drastic manner
thoroughly, exhaustively
in an exhaustive manner; "we searched the files thoroughly"
by all means
(informal) definitely or certainly; "Visit us by all means"
by no means, not by a long sight, not by a blame sight
(informal) definitely not; "the prize is by no means certain"; "and that isn't all, not by a long sight"
thoroughly, soundly, good
in a complete and thorough manner; "he was soundly defeated"; (`good' is used informally for `thoroughly' as in "we beat him good")
through, through and through
throughout the entire extent; "got soaked through in the rain"; "I'm frozen through"; "a letter shot through with the writer's personality"; "knew him through and through"; "boards rotten through and through"
soundly, sound
deeply or completely; "slept soundly through the storm"; "is sound asleep"
right, flop
(informal) exactly; "he fell flop on his face"
indirectly
not in a forthright manner; "he answered very indirectly"
directly, flat, straight
in a forthright manner; candidly or frankly; "he didn't answer directly"; "told me straight out"; "came out flat for less work and more pay"
secondhand
by indirect means; "I heard about it only secondhand or thirdhand--maybe even fourthhand"
individualistically
in an individualistic manner
at ease, at rest
in a relaxed position, of soldiers; "the soldiers were standing at ease"
a lot, a good deal, a great deal, much, very much
to a very great degree or extent; "we enjoyed ourselves very much"; "she was very much interested"; "this would help a great deal"
much
to a great degree or extent; "she's much better now"
better
comparative of `well'; in a better or more excellent manner or more advantageously or attractively or to a greater degree etc.; "She had never sung better"; "a deed better left undone"; "better suited to the job"
much, a great deal, often
frequently or in great quantities; "I don't drink much"; "I don't travel much"
effectively, in effect
in actuality or reality or fact; "she is effectively his wife"; "in effect, they had no choice"
for all practical purposes, to all intents and purposes, for all intents and purposes
in every practical sense; "to all intents and purposes the case is closed"; "the rest are for all practical purposes useless"
abruptly, suddenly, short, dead
quickly and without warning; "he stopped suddenly"
suddenly, all of a sudden, of a sudden
happening unexpectedly; "suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her side"
presto
suddenly; "Presto! begone! 'tis here again"- Swift
accordingly
in accordance with; "she acted accordingly"
alternatively, as an alternative, instead, or else
in place of, or as an alternative to; "Felix became a herpetologist instead"; "alternatively we could buy a used car"
lengthily, at length
in a lengthy or prolix manner; "the argument went on lengthily"; "she talked at length about the problem"
last but not least, last not least
in addition to all the foregoing; "last not least he plays the saxophone"
lastingly
in an enduring or permanent manner
accusingly
in an accusing manner; "he looked at her accusingly"
affectingly, poignantly, touchingly
in a poignant or touching manner; "she spoke poignantly"
along
to a more advanced state; "the work is moving along"; "well along in their research"; "hurrying their education along"; "getting along in years"
on
in a state required for something to function or be effective; "turn the lights on"; "get a load on" is slang for "drink enough to become intoxicated"
on
indicates continuity or persistence or concentration; "his spirit lives on"; "shall I read on?"
loudly, loud, aloud
with relatively high volume; "the band played loudly"; "she spoke loudly and angrily"; "he spoke loud enough for those at the back of the room to hear him"; "cried aloud for help"
softly, quietly
with low volume; "speak softly but carry a big stick"; "she spoke quietly to the child"; "the radio was playing softly"
faintly
to a faint degree or weakly perceived; "between him and the dim light a form was outlined faintly"; "stars shining faintly through the overcast"; "could hear his distant shouts only faintly"; "the rumors weren't even faintly true"
randomly, indiscriminately, haphazardly, willy-nilly, arbitrarily, at random, every which way
in a random manner; "the houses were randomly scattered"; "bullets were fired into the crowd at random"
round, around
from beginning to end; throughout; "It rains all year round on Skye"; "frigid weather the year around"
about, around
all around or on all sides; "dirty clothes lying around (or about)"; "let's look about for help"; "There were trees growing all around"; "she looked around her"
around
by a circular or circuitous route; "He came all the way around the base"; "the road goes around the pond"
about, around
to or among many different places or in no particular direction; "wandering about with no place to go"; "people were rushing about"; "news gets around (or about)"; "traveled around in Asia"; "he needs advice from someone who's been around"; "she sleeps around"
urgently, desperately
with great urgency; "health care reform is needed urgently"; "the soil desperately needed potash"
here and there
in or to various places; first this place and then that; "he worked here and there but never for long in one town"; "we drove here and there in the darkness"
scantily, barely
in a sparse or scanty way; "a barely furnished room"
about, just about, almost, most, all but, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; (`near' is used informally for `nearly' as in "I was near exhausted by the run"; `most' is used informally for `almost' as in "most everybody agrees")
chiefly, principally, primarily, mainly, in the main
for the most part; "he is mainly interested in butterflies"
back
in repayment or retaliation; "we paid back everything we had borrowed"; "he hit me and I hit him back"; "I was kept in after school for talking back to the teacher"
backward, backwards
in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal; "it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'"; "the child put her jersey on backward"
brazenly
in a brazen manner; "he spoke brazenly"
brilliantly
in an extremely intelligent way; "he solved the problem brilliantly"
dearly, dear
at a great cost; "he paid dearly for the food"; "this cost him dear"
dearly, affectionately, dear
with affection; "she loved him dearly"; "he treats her affectionately"
dearly, in a heartfelt way
in a sincere and heartfelt manner; "I would dearly love to know"
covertly
in a covert manner; "he did it covertly"
decorative
in a decorative manner
overtly
in an overt manner; "he did it overtly"
microscopically
in a microscopic manner; with extreme precision and attention to detail; "every manuscript was edited microscopically"
undoubtedly, doubtless, beyond question, without doubt, beyond any doubt
with certainty; "it's undoubtedly very beautiful"
actively
in an active manner; "he participated actively in the war"
contemptuously, disdainfully, scornfully, contumeliously, showing contempt
without respect; in a disdainful manner; "she spoke of him contemptuously"
passively
in a passive manner; "he listened passively"
contemptibly
in a contemptible manner
comically, funny
in a comical manner; "she acted comically"
deceptively, deceivingly, misleadingly
in a misleading way; "the exam looked deceptively easy"
dazzlingly
in a manner or to a degree that dazzles the beholder
depressingly
in a depressing manner or to a depressing degree
disruptively
in a disruptive manner
tolerably, well enough, to a tolerable degree, to an adequate degree
in a tolerable manner; "she did it well enough"
particularly, peculiarly, especially, specially
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common; "he was particularly fussy about spelling"; "a particularly gruesome attack"; "under peculiarly tragic circumstances"; "an especially (or specially) cautious approach to the danger"
extra
unusually or exceptionally; "an extra fast car"
elaborately, intricately, in an elaborate way
with elaboration; "it was elaborately spelled out"
exasperatingly
in an exasperating manner
quickly, rapidly, speedily, chop-chop, apace
with rapid movements; "he works quickly"
flat out
at top speed; "ran flat out to catch the bus"
fast
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form); "how fast can he get here?"; "ran as fast as he could"; "needs medical help fast"; "fast-running rivers"; "fast-breaking news"; "fast-opening (or fast-closing) shutters"
fast, tight
firmly or tightly; "held fast to the rope"; "her foot was stuck fast"; "held tight"
permissively
in a permissive manner
flatly, categorically, unconditionally
in an unqualified manner; "he flatly denied the charges"
flush
squarely or solidly; "hit him flush in the face"
permanently, for good
for a long time without essential change; "he is permanently disabled"
in perpetuity
for an indefinitely long time; "bequeathed to the nation in perpetuity"
temporarily
for a limited time only; not permanently; "he will work here temporarily"; "he was brought out of retirement temporarily"; "a power failure temporarily darkened the town"
ad interim
for an intervening time; temporarily; "elected to serve ad interim"
ad lib, ad libitum, spontaneously, impromptu
without advance preparation; "he spoke ad lib"
provisionally
temporarily and conditionally; "they have agreed provisionally"; "was appointed provisionally"
forever, forever and a day
(informal) for a very long or seemingly endless time; "she took forever to write the paper"; "we had to wait forever and a day"
continually
seemingly without interruption; "complained continually that there wasn't enough money"
highly
in a high position or level or rank; "details known by only a few highly placed persons"
highly
at a high rate or wage; "highly paid workers"
highly
favorably or with much respect; "He spoke highly of her"; "does not think highly of his writing"
highly, extremely
to a high degree or extent; "highly successful play"; "highly informative"; "a highly educated woman"; "an extremely interesting book"
magnetically
as if by magnetism; "he was magnetically attracted to her"
linearly
in a linear fashion; "it grew linearly"
marginally
in a marginal manner; "marginally interesting"
geometrically
in a geometric fashion; "it grew geometrically"
perilously, hazardously, dangerously
in a dangerous manner; "he came dangerously close to falling off the ledge"
dingdong
(informal) heartily or earnestly; "They fell to work dingdong"
vitally
to a vital degree; "this is vitally important
energetically
in an energetic manner
strenuously
in a strenuous manner; strongly or vigorously; "he objected strenuously to the stand his party was taking"
intently
with strained or eager attention; "listened intently"; "stood watching intently"
mightily
powerfully or vigorously; "he strove mightily to achieve a better position in life"
hard
to the full extent possible; all the way; "hard alee"; "the ship went hard astern"; "swung the wheel hard left"
hard
with effort or force or vigor; "the team played hard"; "worked hard all day"; "pressed hard on the lever"; "hit the ball hard"; "slammed the door hard"
hard, firmly
with firmness; "held hard to the railing"
hard
slowly and with difficulty; "prejudices die hard"
hard, severely
causing great damage or hardship; "industries hit hard by the depression"; "she was severely affected by the bank's failure"
hard
earnestly or intently; "thought hard about it"; "stared hard at the accused"
hard
with pain or distress or bitterness; "he took the rejection very hard"
momentarily, momently
for an instant or moment; "we paused momentarily before proceeding"; "a cardinal perched momently on the dogwood branch"
tightly
securely fixed or fastened; "the window was tightly sealed"
briefly
for a short time; "she visited him briefly"; "was briefly associated with IBM"
conclusively, once and for all
in a conclusive way; "we settled the problem conclusively"
inconclusively
not conclusively; "the meeting ended inconclusively"
deplorably, lamentably, sadly, woefully
in an unfortunate or deplorable manner; "he was sadly neglected"; "it was woefully inadequate"
focally
in a focal manner; "the submucosa was focally infiltrated"
amusingly, divertingly
in an entertaining and amusing manner; "Hollywood has grown too sophisticated to turn out anything really amusingly bad these days"
downright
(intensifier) thoroughgoing; "he is outright dishonest"
outright
without reservation or concealment; "she asked him outright for a divorce"
home
at or to or in the direction of one's home or family; "He stays home on weekends"; "after the game the children brought friends home for supper"; "I'll be home tomorrow"; "came riding home in style"; "I hope you will come home for Christmas"; "I'll take her home"; "don't forget to write home"
home
to the fullest extent; to the heart; "drove the nail home"; "drove his point home"; "his comments hit home"
little
not much; "he talked little about his family"
early, betimes
in good time; "he awoke betimes that morning"
for that matter
as far as that is concerned; "for that matter I don't care either"
early on, early
during an early stage; "early on in her career"
afar
(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far; "we traveled afar"; "we could see the ship afar off"; "the Magi came from afar"
far
remote in time; "if we could see far into the future"; "all that happened far in the past"
far
at or to or from a great distance in space; "he traveled far"; "strayed far from home"; "sat far away from each other"
way, right smart
(informal) to a great degree or by a great distance; very much; "way over budget"; "way off base"; "right smart" is regional (US S and Midland) as in "the other side of the hill is right smart steeper than the side we are on"
far
to a considerable degree; very much; "a far far better thing that I do"; "felt far worse than yesterday"; "eyes far too close together"
far
at or to a certain point or degree; "I can only go so far before I have to give up"; "how far can we get with this kind of argument?"
far
to an advanced stage or point; "a young man who will go very far"
far and wide, far and near
over great areas or distances; everywhere; "he traveled far and wide"; "the news spread far and wide"; "people came from far and near"; "searched for the child far and near"
finely, fine, delicately, exquisitely
in a delicate manner; "finely shaped features"; "her fine drawn body"
finely
in an elegant manner; "finely costumed actors"
throughout
from first to last
at first sight, at first glance
immediately; "it was love at first sight"
at first blush, when first seen
as a first impression; "at first blush the offer seemed attractive"
forth
out into view; "came forth from the crowd"; "put my ideas forth"
and so forth, and so on, etcetera, etc.
continuing in the same way
at heart, at bottom, deep down, inside, in spite of appearance
in reality; "she is very kind at heart"
at large, in a broad way
in a general fashion; "he talked at large about his plans"
at least, leastways, leastwise, at any rate
if nothing else; "at least he survived"; "they felt--at any rate Jim felt--relieved though still wary"; "the influence of economists--or at any rate of economics--is far-reaching"; (`leastwise' is informal; `leastways' is colloquial)
right
immediately; "she called right after dinner"
at leisure, leisurely
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience; "read the manual at your leisure"; "he traveled leisurely"
promptly, pronto, without delay
in a punctual manner; "he did his homework promptly"
promptly, right away
at once (usually modifies an undesirable occurrence); "he promptly forgot the address"
promptly, quickly, quick
with little or no delay; "the rescue squad arrived promptly"; "come here, quick!"
at best, at the best
under the best of conditions; "at best we'll lose only the money"
at worst, at the worst
under the worst of conditions; "at worst we'll go to jail"
frantically
in an uncontrolled manner; "they searched frantically for their child"
demoniacally, frenetically
in a very agitated manner; as if possessed by an evil spirit
furtively, on the sly
in a furtive manner; "the soldiers were furtively crawling through the night"
recently, late, lately, of late, latterly
in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"
dominantly
in a dominant fashion; "religion functions dominantly in many societies"
erratically, unpredictably
in an erratic unpredictable manner; "economic changes are proceeding erratically"
girlishly
like a girl; "she was girlishly shy"
gradually, bit by bit, step by step
in a gradual manner; "the snake moved gradually toward its victim"
grimly
in a grim implacable manner; "he was grimly satisfied"
peacefully
in a peaceful manner; "the hen settled herself on the nest most peacefully"
humbly, meekly
in a humble manner; "he humbly lowered his head"
meekly
in a submissive or spiritless manner; "meekly bowed to his wishes"
virtually
in essence or effect but not in fact; "the strike virtually paralyzed the city"; "I'm virtually broke"
literally, virtually
(intensifier before a figurative expression) without exaggeration; "our eyes were literally pinned to TV during the Gulf war"
least of all
especially not; "nobody, least of all Joe, agreed with me"
most
(intensifier) very; "a most welcome relief"
recently, newly, freshly, fresh, new
very recently; "they are newly married"; "newly raised objections"; "a newly arranged hairdo"; "grass new washed by the rain"; "a freshly cleaned floor"; "we are fresh out of tomatoes"
internationally
throughout the world; "She is internationally known"
afresh, anew
again but in a new or different way; "start afresh"; "wanted to write the story anew"; "starting life anew in a fresh place"
organically
as an important constituent; "the drapery served organically to cover the Madonna"
invariably
in an invariable manner; "invariably, he would forget his keys"
organically
in an organic manner; "this food is grown organically"
mechanically
in a machine-like manner; without feeling; "he smiled mechanically"
unfailingly
without fail
painfully, distressingly
unpleasantly; "his ignorance was painfully obvious"
preferably, sooner, rather
more readily or willingly; "clean it well, preferably with warm water"; "I'd rather be in Philadelphia"; "I'd sooner die than give up"
self-consciously
in a self-conscious manner; "he asked self-consciously"
symbolically
in a symbolic manner; "symbolically accepted goals"
outrageously, atrociously
to an extravagant or immoderate degree; "atrociously expensive"
outrageously
in a very offensive manner; "he behaved outrageously"
regardless, irrespective, disregardless, irregardless, no matter, disregarding
in spite of everything; without regard to drawbacks; "he carried on regardless of the difficulties"
though
(postpositive) however; "it might be unpleasant, though"
although, though, tho'
despite the fact that; "even though she knew the answer, she did not respond"
as far as possible, as much as possible
to a feasible extent; "she helped him as much as possible"
successfully, with success
in a successful manner; "she performed the surgery successfully"
on the other hand, then again, but then
(contrastive) from another point of view; "on the other hand, she is too ambitious for her own good"; "then again, she might not go"
on the one hand, on one hand
from one point of view; "on the one hand, she is a gifted chemist"
unsystematically
in an unsystematic manner; "his books were lined up unsystematically on the shelf"
systematically, consistently
in a systematic or consistent manner; "they systematically excluded women"
astronomically
enormously; "the bill was astronomically high"
aloof
in an aloof manner; "the local gentry and professional classes had held aloof for the school had accepted their sons readily enough"
idyllically
in an idyllic manner
nominally
in name only; "nominally he is the boss"
professorially
in a professorial manner; "she behaved very professorially"
realistically
in a realistic manner; "the figure was realistically painted"
royally, like kings, like royalty
in a royal manner; "they were royally treated"
scenically
with respect to stage scenery; "scenically stunning"
sacrilegiously
in a sacrilegious manner
typically
in a typical manner; "Tom was typically hostile"
atypically, untypically
in a manner that is not typical; "she was atypically quiet"
vocally
in a vocal manner; "she defended herself vocally"
globally
throughout the world; "this is globally significant"
magically, as if by magic
in a magical manner; "it disappeared magically"
infernally, hellishly
(intensive) extremely; "infernally clever"; "hellishly dangerous"
catastrophically
with unfortunate consequences; "catastrophically complex"
cerebrally
in an intellectual manner; "cerebrally active"
mystically
in a mystical manner; "chant mystically"
materially
to a significant degree; "it aided him materially in winning the argument"
materially
with respect to material aspects; "psychologically similar but materially different"
secondarily
of secondary import; "secondarily affected"
similarly, likewise
in like or similar manner; "He was similarly affected"; "some people have littlepower to do good, and have likewise little strength to resist evil"- Samuel Johnson
primarily, in the first place
of primary import; "this is primarily a question of economics"; "it was in the first place a local matter"
dramatically
in a dramatic manner; "he confessed dramatically"
undramatically
in an undramatic manner
notably
to a notable extent; "notably in the social sciences, the professors teach too much"
intensively
in an intensive manner; "he studied the snake intensively"
appropriately, suitably, fittingly, befittingly, fitly
in an appropriate manner; "he was appropriately dressed"
inappropriately, unsuitably, not suitably
in an inappropriate manner; "he was inappropriately dressed"
chronically, inveterately
in a habitual and long-standing manner; "smoking chronically"
episodically
in an episodic manner
fabulously, fantastically
in a fabulous manner; "she was a fabulously gifted player"
feverishly
in a feverish manner; "she worked feverishly"
glaringly
in a glaring manner; "it was glaringly obvious"
inconceivably
to an inconceivable degree; "inconceivably small"
insistently
in an insistent manner
tangentially
in passing; "touched on it tangentially"
superficially
in a superficial manner; "he was supercifically interested"
awhile, for a while
for a short time; "sit down and stay awhile"; "they settled awhile in Virginia before moving West"; "the baby was quiet for a while"
wickedly, evilly
in a wicked evil manner; "act wickedly"; "grin evilly"
surely, certainly, sure, for sure, for certain, sure enough, sure as shooting
definitely or positively; "the results are surely encouraging"; "she certainly is a hard worker"; "it's going to be a good day for sure"; "they are coming, for certain"; "they thought he had been killed sure enough"; "he'll win sure as shooting"; (`sure' is used informally for `surely' as in "they sure smell good"; "sure he'll come")
surprisingly
in a surprising manner; "he was surprisingly friendly"
hesitantly, hesitatingly
with hesitation; in a hesitant manner; "he finally accepted hesitantly"
sufficiently
to a sufficient degree; "she was sufficiently fluent in Mandarin"
adequately
in an adequate manner
enough, plenty
as much as necessary; "Have I eaten enough?"; (`plenty' is nonstandard) "I've had plenty, thanks"
insufficiently
to an insufficient degree; "he was insufficiently prepared"
unhesitatingly
without hesitation; "she said yes unhesitatingly"
so
(intensifier) to a very great extent or degree; "the idea is so obvious"; "never been so happy"; "I love you so"; "my head aches so!"
hand and foot
in all ways possible; "they served him hand and foot"
handily, hands down
with no difficulty; "she beat him handily"
hand over fist
at a tremendous rate; "made money hand over fist"
easily, easy
with ease; "she was easily excited"; "was easily confused"; "he won easily"; "this china breaks very easily"; (`easy' is used informally for `easily' as in "success came too easy")
easy, soft
(informal) in a relaxed manner; or without hardship; "just wanted to take it easy" (`soft' is nonstandard)
in hand
under control; "the riots were in hand"
out of hand, beyond control
out of control; "the riots got out of hand"
in a way, in some respects
from some points of view; "she was right in a way"
actually, in reality
used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly; "you may actually be doing the right thing by walking out"; "she actually spoke Latin"; "they thought they made the rules but in reality they were only puppets"; "people who seem stand-offish are in reality often simply nervous"
actually
as a sentence modifier to add slight emphasis; "actually, we all help clear up after a meal"; "actually, I haven't seen the film"; "I'm not all that surprised actually"; "she hasn't proved to be too satisfactory, actually"
above all, most importantly, most especially
above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent"
after a fashion
to some extent; not very well; "he speaks French after a fashion"
after all
emphasizes something to be considered; "after all, she is your boss, so invite her"; "he is, after all, our president"
after all
in spite of expectations; "came to the party after all"; "it didn't rain after all"
all in all, on the whole, altogether, tout ensemble
with everything considered (and neglecting details); "altogether, I'm sorry it happened"; "all in all, it's not so bad"
against the clock, against time
as fast as possible; before a deadline; "it was a race against the clock"
ahead of the game
in an advantageous position; "she's ahead of the game"
all of a sudden, all at once
without warning; "all at once, he started shouting"
all the way, the whole way
to the goal; "she climbed the mountain all the way"
and then some
and considerably more in addition; "it cost me a week's salary and then some"
as we say, so to speak
in a manner of speaking; "the feeling is, as we say, quite dead"
as it were, so to speak
as if it were really so; "she lives here, as it were"
carefully
taking care or paying attention; "they watched carefully"
unmindfully
in a careless and thoughtless manner
mindfully, heedfully, advertently
in a careful deliberate manner
excitedly, with excitement
in an excited manner; "she shook his hand excitedly"
vociferously
in a vociferous manner; "he complained vociferously"
safely
with safety; in a safe manner; "we are safely out of there"
originally
in an original manner
by a long shot
by a great deal; "he is the best by a long shot"; "his labors haven't ended there--not by a long shot"
by and large, generally, more often than not, mostly
usually; as a rule; "by and large it doesn't rain much here"
by fits and starts, with many interruptions
intermittently; "he worked on his book by fits and starts"
by inches, little by little, by small degrees
by a short distance; "they moved it by inches"
by the way, by the bye, incidentally
introducing a different topic; "by the way, I won't go to the party"
come hell or high water, no matter what happens, whatever may come
in spite of all obstacles; "we'll go to Tibet come hell or high water"
day in and day out, all the time
without respite; "he plays chess day in and day out"
en masse, en bloc, as a group
all together; "the students turned out en masse"
deadpan
without betraying any feeling; "she told the joke deadpan"
every so often, every now and then
occasionally; "every so often she visits her father"
completely
so as to be complete; with everything necessary; "he had filled out the form completely"; "the apartment was completely furnished"
incompletely
not to a full degree or extent; "words incompletely understood"; "a form filled out incompletely"
first and last, above all
taking everything together; "she was first and last a scientist"
first and foremost, most importantly
of greatest importance; "first and foremost, we must feed the refugees"
precisely, exactly, just
indicating exactness or preciseness; "he was doing precisely (or exactly) what she had told him to do"; "it was just as he said--the jewel was gone"; "it has just enough salt"
for dear life
as though your life was at stake; "he was running for dear life"
for a song, for a bargain price, at a low price
for a relatively small amount of money; "we bought the house for a song"
for keeps
for the winner to keep all; "they played for keeps"
for love or money, for anything, for any price, for all the world
under any circumstances; "she wouldn't give up her pets for love or money"
for one
as a particular one of several possibilities; "I for one feel very grateful"; "her mother for one was worried"
from scratch
from the beginning; "he baked the torte from scratch"
from way back, since a long time ago
since long ago; "she knows him from way back"
closely, intimately, nearly
in a close manner; "the two phenomena are intimately connected"; "the person most nearly concerned"
relatively, comparatively
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else; "the situation is relatively calm now"
readily
without much difficulty; "these snakes can be identified readily"
markedly
in a clearly noticeable manner; "sales of luxury cars dropped markedly"
palpably
so as to be palpable; "she was palpably nervous"
slowly, slow, easy, tardily
without speed; "he spoke slowly"; "go easy here--the road is slippery"; "glaciers move tardily"; (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly' as in "please go slow; I want to see the sights")
crudely
in a crude or unrefined manner; "he was crudely bold"
publicly, publically, in public
in a manner accessible to or observable by the public; openly; "she admitted publicly to being a communist"
secretly
not openly; inwardly; "they were secretly delighted at his embarrassment"; "hoped secretly she would change her mind"
privately, in private
kept private or confined to those intimately concerned; "it was discussed privately between the two men"; "privately, she thought differently"; "some member of his own party hoped privately for his defeat"; "he was questioned in private"
publicly
by the public or the people generally; "publicly provided medical care"; "publicly financed schools"
helter-skelter, every wich way
haphazardly; "the books were piled up helter-skelter"
head over heels, heels over head, topsy-turvy, topsy-turvily, in great confusion
in disorderly haste; "we ran head over heels toward the shelter"
harum-scarum, pell-mell
in a wild or reckless manner; "dashing harum-scarum all over the place"; "running pell-mell up the stairs"
fecklessly
in a feckless manner; irresponsibly and incompetently
heart and soul, body and soul
with complete faith; "she was with him heart and soul"
carelessly, heedlessly
without care or concern; "carelessly raised the children's hopes without thinking of their possible disappointment"
hook line and sinker, without questioning
in every detail; "he believed her story hook, line, and sinker"
in a big way, with much to-do
with much ceremony; "they celebrated her birthday in a big way"
in circles, in a circle
without making progress; "the candidates talked in circles"
in a sense, in a way
in some respects; "in a sense, language is like math"
in a pig's eye, not very likely
(colloquial) very unlikely
seriously, earnestly, in earnest
in a serious manner; "talking earnestly with his son"; "she started studying snakes in earnest"; "a play dealing seriously with the question of divorce"
in due course, in due season, in good time, in due time, when the time comes
at the appropriate time; "we'll get to this question in due course"
in full swing, in full action
proceeding with full vigor; "the party was in full swing"
in kind, in a similar way
with something of the same kind; "she pays him back in kind"
in name, in name only
by title or repute though not in fact; "he's a doctor in name only"
in no time, very fast
in a relatively short time; "she finished the assignment in no time"
long
for an extended time or at a distant time; "a promotion long overdue"; "something long hoped for"; "his name has long been forgotten"; "talked all night long"; "how long will you be gone?"; "arrived long before he was expected"; "it is long after your bedtime"
in passing, en passant
incidentally; in the course of doing something else; "he made this remark in passing"
long
for an extended distance
in practice
in practical applications; "will this work in practice?"
in short order
without delay; "John got ready in short order"
in the long run, in the end
after a very lengthy period of time; "she will succeed in the long run"
inside out
thoroughly; from every perspective; "she knows this town inside out"
in the air, in everyone's thoughts
on everybody's mind; "Christmas was in the air"
in the nick of time, just in time
at the last possible moment; "she was saved in the nick of time"
in time, soon enough
without being tardy; "we made it to the party in time"
unsuccessfully
without success; "she tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to buy a new car"
just so, with great care
in a careful manner; "you must treat this plant just so"
like hell, like mad, like crazy, like sin, like thunder, like the devil
(informal) with great speed or effort or intensity; "drove like crazy"; "worked like hell to get the job done"; "ran like sin for the storm cellar"; "work like thunder"; "fought like the devil"
lickety split, lickety cut, at full speed, with a rush
without delay; "she tackled the job lickety-split"
off and on, on and off
not regularly; "they phone each other off and on"
like hell
used ironically to indicate the opposite of what is stated; "says he'll help me? Like hell he will!"
no end, without stopping
on and on for a long time; "the child cried no end"
off the cuff
without preparation; "the presidential candidate made a remark off the cuff"
contrarily, to the contrary, contrariwise, on the contrary
contrary to expectations; "he didn't stay home; on the contrary, he went out with his friends"
on the fly
on the run or in a hurry; "she wrote those letters on the fly"
on the spot
in a difficult situation; "that question really put him on the spot"
out of thin air, out of nothing, from nowhere
without warning; "your cousin arrived out of thin air"
excessively, to a fault, too much
to an excessive degree; "John is neat to a fault"
to advantage
in a flattering way; "the dress brought out her figure to advantage"
to a T, to the letter, just right, to perfection
in every detail; "the new house suited them to a T"
tooth and nail
with force and ferocity; "she fought tooth and nail"
to that effect
with that general meaning; "she said something to that effect"
to the hilt, to the limit
in full; "you are in this to the hilt"
bravely, courageously
in a courageous manner; "bravely he went into the burning house"
profoundly, deeply
to a great depth psychologically; "They felt the loss deeply"
impatiently, with impatience
in an impatient manner; "he answered her impatiently"
patiently, with patience
in a patient manner; "he patiently played with the child"
haughtily
in a haughty manner; "he peered haughtily down his nose"
methodically
in a methodical manner; "she worked methodically"
unsteadily, falteringly, uncertainly
in an unsteady manner; "he walked unsteadily toward the exit"; "The wounded soldier was swinging unsteadily on his legs"
steadily, steady
in a steady manner; "he could still walk steadily"
wildly
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree; "the storyline is wildly unrealistic"
wildly
with violent and uncontrollable passion; "attacked wildly, slashing and stabbing over and over"
wild
in a wild or undomesticated manner; "growing wild"; "roaming wild"
wildly
in an uncontrolled or unrestrained manner; "He gesticulated wildly"
uniquely, unambiguously
so as to be unique; "he could determine uniquely the properties of the compound"
bleakly
without hope; "he wondered bleakly"
stupidly, without thinking
in a stupid manner; "he had stupidly bought a one way ticket"
creatively
in a creative manner; "she solved the problem creatively"
heavily, to a great extent
to a considerable degree; "he relied heavily on others' data"
heavily, intemperately, hard
indulging excessively; "he drank heavily"
lightly
indulging with temperance; "we eat lightly in the morning"
over and over, again and again, over and over again, time and again, time and time again
repeatedly; "the unknown word turned up over and over again in the text"
repeatedly
several time; "it must be washed repeatedly"
adamantly
inflexibly; unshakably; "adamantly opposed to the marriage"
strongly
with strength or in a strong manner; "argues very strongly for his proposal"; "he was strongly opposed to the government"
weakly
in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree; "weakly agreed to a compromise"; "wheezed weakly"; "he was weakly attracted to her"
day by day, daily
gradually and progressively; "his health weakened day by day"
day in day out, day after day
for an indefinite number of successive days
week after week
for an indefinite number of successive weeks
radically
in a radical manner; "she took a radically different approach"
exceptionally
to an exceptional degree; "it worked exceptionally well"
scrupulously, conscientiously, religiously
with extreme conscientiousness; "he came religiously every morning at 8 o'clock"
amply, fully
sufficiently; more than adequately; "the evidence amply (or fully) confirms our suspicions"; "they were fully (or amply) fed"
strictly, purely
restricted to something; "we talked strictly business"
tentatively
in a tentative manner; "we agreed tentatively on a dinner date"
loosely, slackly
in a relaxed manner; not rigid; "his hands lay loosely"
gracelessly
in a graceless manner; "she moves rather gracelessly"
fussily
in a fussy manner; "he spoke to her fussily"
gracefully
in a graceful manner; "she swooped gracefully"
neatly, showing neatness
with neatness; "she put the slippers under the bed neatly"
lightly
to a slight degree; "her speech is only lightly accented"
lightly, softly, gently
with little weight or force; "she kissed him lightly on the forehead"
independently
on your own; without outside help; "the children worked on the project independently"
apart, aside
not taken into account or excluded from consideration; "these problems apart, the country is doing well"; "all joking aside, I think you're crazy"
gently
in a gradual manner; "a gently sloping terrain"
vigorously, smartly
with vigor; in a vigorous manner; "he defended his ideas vigorously"
distinctly, clearly
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment; "it's distinctly possible"; "I could clearly see myself in his situation"
excellently
in an excellent manner; "the job had been done excellently"
positively
(intensifier) extremely; "it was positively monumental"
magnificently, splendidly
in a splendid manner; "he did splendidly in the exam"
healthily
in a levelheaded manner; "the answers were healthily individual"
hilariously, uproariously
in a hilarious manner; "hilariously funny"
wonderfully, wondrous, wondrously, superbly, toppingly, marvellously, terrifically, marvelously
(used as an intensifier) extremely well; "her voice is superbly disciplined"; "the colors changed wondrously slowly"
considerately, with consideration
in a considerate manner; "they considerately withdrew"
inconsiderately, without consideration
in an inconsiderate manner; "inconsiderately, he asked to be invited for dinner"
gratifyingly, satisfyingly
in a gratifying manner; "the performance was at a gratifyingly high level"
impeccably
flawlessly; "the film was impeccably authentic"
gravely, soberly, staidly
in a grave and sober manner; "he walked soberly toward the altar"
blandly
in a bland manner; "his blandly incompetent attempts"
unhelpfully
in an unhelpful manner; "he stood by unhelpfully while the house burned down"
helpfully
in a helpful manner; "the subtitles are helpfully conveyed"
preferentially
in a preferential manner; "he was treated preferentially"
uncritically
in an uncritical manner; "he accepted her decisions uncritically"
critically
in a critical manner; "this must be examined critically"
boldly, with boldness
in a bold manner; "we must tackle these tasks boldly"
emotionally, showing emotion
in an emotional manner; "at the funeral he spoke emotionally"
unemotionally, without emotion
in an unemotional manner; "the defendant stared unemotionally at the victim's family"
stiffly, stiff
in a stiff manner; "his hands lay stiffly"
irritably
in an irritable manner; "she had become irritably exact"
informally, without formality
without formality; "he visited us informally"
formally, with formality
in a formal manner; "he was dressed rather formally"
nicely
in a nice way; "a nicely painted house"
cozily, cosily
in a cozy manner; "nestled cozily by the fire"
cleverly, smartly
in a clever manner; "they were cleverly arranged"; "a smartly managed business"
correspondingly
in a corresponding manner; "the temperature decreases correspondingly"
studiously
in a studious manner; "she examined the data studiously"
lavishly, richly, extravagantly
in a rich and lavish manner; "lavishly decorated"
best
it would be sensible; "you'd best stay at home"
best of all
especially fortunate; "best of all, we don't have any homework!"
best
in a most excellent way or manner; "he played best after a couple of martinis"
theatrically
in a theatrical manner; "theatrically dressed"
dramatically
with respect to dramatic value; "the play was dramatically interesting, but the direction was bad"
enthusiastically
with enthusiasm; in an enthusiastic manner; "they discussed the question enthusiastically"
much as, very much like
in a similar way
popularly
among the people; "this topic was popularly discussed"
unenthusiastically
without enthusiasm; showing no enthusiasm; "the children opened the presents unenthusiastically"
intellectually
in an intellectual manner; "intellectually gifted children"; "intellectually influenced"
proudly, with pride
in a proud manner; "he walked proudly into town"
hyperbolically, exaggeratedly
in an exaggerated manner
agilely, nimbly
in a nimble or agile manner; with quickness and lightness and ease; "nimbly scaling an iron gate"- Charles Dickens; "leaped agilely from roof to roof"
solemnly
in a grave and sedate manner; "the judge sat there solemnly"
divinely
by divine means; "the divinely appointed means of rescue from temporal existence"
clumsily
in a clumsy manner; "he snatched the bills clumsily"
diffusely
in a diffuse manner; "the arteries were diffusely narrowed"
coarsely
in coarse pieces; "the surfaces were coarsely granular"
irregularly
in an irregular manner; "the stomach mucosa was irregularly blackened"
finely
in tiny pieces; "the surfaces were finely granular"
intensely
in an intense manner; "he worked intensely"
reflexly
in a reflex manner; "such effects can be induced reflexly"
spontaneously
in a spontaneous manner; "this shift occurs spontaneously"
sympathetically, empathetically, with sympathy, with empathy
in a sympathetic manner; "she listened to him sympathetically"
unsympathetically, without sympathy
in an unsympathetic manner; "the judge listened to the accused unsympathetically"
unconvincingly
in an unconvincing manner; "he argued unconvincingly"
convincingly
in a convincing manner; "he argued convincingly"
mercifully
in a manner that may be cruel but avoids suffering; "we more mercifully had our bouncing betties go off at the head"
weirdly
in a weird manner; "she was dressed weirdly"
mercifully, with mercy, showing mercy
in a compassionate manner; "he dealt with the thief mercifully"
stealthily
in a stealthy manner; "stealthily they advanced upstream"
snugly
fitting closely; "the vest fit snugly"
snugly
warmly and comfortably sheltered; "sittly snugly by the fireside while the storm raged"
snugly
safely protected; "concealed snugly in his hideout"
strikingly
in a striking manner; "this was strikingly demonstrated"; "the evidence was strikingly absent"
meticulously
in a meticulous manner; "the set was meticulously authentic"
graciously, gracefully
in a gracious or graceful manner; "he did not have a chance to grow up graciously"
rigidly, stiffly, bolt
in a rigid manner; "the body was rigidly erect"; "ge sat bolt upright"
ungraciously, ungracefully, gracelessly, woodenly, without graciousness
without grace; rigidly; "they moved woodenly"
awkwardly
in an awkward manner; "he bent awkwardly"
triumphantly
in a triumphant manner; "she shouted triumphantly"
regularly, on a regular basis
in a regular manner; "letters arrived regularly from his children"
irregularly, on an irregular basis
in an irregular manner; "her letters arrived irregularly"
ideally
in an ideal manner; "ideally, this will remove all problems"
childishly
in a child-like manner; "he acted very childishly"
tantalizingly, invitingly
in a tantalizing manner; "she smiled at him tantalizingly"
improperly
in an improper way; "he checked whether the wound had healed improperly"
attentively, with attention, paying attention
in an attentive manner; "he listened attentively"
enormously, tremendously, hugely, staggeringly
extremely; "he was enormously popular"
effortlessly
without effort or apparent effort; "she danced gracefully and effortlessly"; "swallows gliding effortlessly through the air"
liberally, munificently, generously
in a generous manner; "he gave liberally to several charities"
liberally
freely in a nonliteral manner; "he embellished his stories liberally"
inconveniently
in an inconvenient manner; "he arrived at an inconveniently late hour"
in detail
thoroughly (including all important particulars); "he studied the snake in detail"
handily, conveniently
in a convenient manner; "the switch was conveniently located"
exceedingly, passing, extremely
to an extreme degree or extent; "his eyesight was exceedingly defective"
concretely
in concrete terms; "concretely, this meant that he was broke"
abstractly
in abstract terms
rebelliously, contumaciously, defiantly
in a rebellious manner; "he rejected her words rebelliously"
stubbornly, pig-headedly, obdurately, mulishly, obstinately, cussedly
in a stubborn unregenerate manner; "she remained stubbornly in the same position"
raucously
with a raucous sound; "his voice rang raucously"
victoriously
in a victorious manner; "Virginia had defended her land victoriously"
hopelessly
(informal) in a hopeless manner; "the papers were hopelessly jumbled"; "he is hopelessly romantic"
viciously, brutally, savagely
in a vicious manner; "he was viciously attacked"
maliciously
with malice; in a malicious manner; "she answered maliciously"
spitefully, with spite
in a spiteful manner; "he answered his accusers spitefully"
savagely
wildly; like an animal; "she cried out savagely"
intelligently, showing intelligence
in an intelligent manner; "she acted intelligently in this difficult situation"
wisely, sagely, with wisdom, showing wisdom
in a wise manner; "she acted wisely when she invited her parents"
foolishly, unwisely
without good sense or judgment; "He acted foolishly when he agreed to come"
fatuously, inanely
vacuously or complacently and unconsciously foolish
unintelligently, showing lack of intelligence
in an unintelligent manner; "he acted rather unintelligently in this crisis"
aristocratically
in an aristocratic manner; "they behaved aristocratically"
diplomatically, with diplomacy
in a diplomatic manner; "he answered very diplomatically"
undiplomatically, without diplomacy
in an undiplomatic manner; "she declined the invitation undiplomatically"
stoutly
in a resolute manner; "he was stoutly replying to his critics"
indefinitely
to an indefinite extent; for an indefinite time; "this could go on indefinitely"
right
precisely, exactly; "stand right here!"
right
completely; "she felt right at home"; "he fell right into the trap"
charitably
in a charitable manner; "she treated him charitably"
sluggishly
in a sluggish manner; "the smoke rose sluggishly"
astray
away from the right path or direction; "he was led astray"
unhurriedly
without haste; "she proceeded unhurriedly"
hurriedly, hastily, in haste
in a hurried or hasty manner; "the way they buried him so hurriedly was disgraceful"; "hastily, he scanned the headlines"; "sold in haste and at a sacrifice"
hotfoot
without delay; speedily; "sent ambassadors hotfoot to the Turks"- Francis Hackett; "drove hotfoot for Boston"
restlessly
in a restless manner; "he cracked his knuckles restlessly"
ornately
in an ornate manner; "the cradle was ornately carved"
busily
in a busy manner; "they were busily engaged in buying souvenirs"
prominently, conspicuously
in a prominent way; "the new car was prominently displayed in the driveway"
helplessly, impotently, unable to help
in a helpless manner; "the crowd watched him helplessly"
imaginatively
with imagination; "the room was decorated very imaginatively"
unimaginatively
without imagination; "the stage sets were designed rather unimaginatively"
bewilderingly, confusingly
in a bewildering and confusing manner; "her situation was bewilderingly unclear"
heartily
with gusto and without reservation; "the boy threw himself heartily into his work"
passionately
with passion; "she kissed him passionately"
spectacularly, stunningly
in a spectacular manner; "the area was spectacularly scenic"
soulfully
in a soulful manner; "he looked at her soulfully"
smoothly
with no problems or difficulties; "put the plans into effect quickly and smoothly"
satirically
in a satirical manner; "she spoke satirically"
freely
in a free manner; "the painting featured freely brushed strokes"
humiliatingly, demeaningly
in a humiliating manner; "the painting was reproduced humiliatingly small"
protectively, giving protection, offering protection
in a protective manner; "he bent protectively over the woman"
dimly, indistinctly
in a dim indistinct manner; "we perceived the change only dimly"
sharply, crisply
in a well delineated manner; "the new style of Minoan pottery was sharply defined"
determinedly, unfalteringly, unshakably, with determination
in a determined manner; "he clung to the past determinedly"
incidentally, accidentally, by chance
in an incidental manner; "these magnificent achievements were only incidentally influenced by Oriental models"
ever, ever so
(intensifier for adjectives) very; "she was ever so friendly"
sporadically, periodically
in a sporadic manner; "he only works sporadically"
haltingly, not fluently
in a halting manner; "he spoke haltingly"
impressively, imposingly
in an impressive manner; "the students progressed impressively fast"
amazingly, surprisingly, astonishingly
in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise; "amazingly, he finished medical school in three years"
unimpressively
in an unimpressive manner; "she scored unimpressively low in the first round of the competition"
productively, fruitfully, profitably
in a productive way; "they worked together productively for two years"
expertly, like an expert, with expertise
in an expert manner; "he repaired the TV set expertly"
unproductively, fruitlessly, unprofitably
in an unproductive manner
amateurishly, like an amateur
in an amateurish manner; "he performed the piece amateurishly"
interestingly
in an interesting manner; "when he ceases to be just interestingly neurotic and...gets locked up"- Time
abundantly, copiously, profusely, extravagantly
in an abundant manner; "they were abundantly supplied with food"; "he thanked her profusely"
realistically
in a realistic manner; "let's look at the situation realistically"
uninterestingly
in an uninteresting manner
boringly, tediously, tiresomely
in a tedious manner; "boringly slow work"; "he plodded tediously forward"
moderately, with moderation
in a moderate manner; "he drinks moderately"
immoderately, without moderation
in an immoderate manner; "he eats immoderately"
unrealistically
in an unrealistic manner; "his expectaions were unrealistically high"
stepwise, step by step
proceeding in steps; "the voltage was increased stepwise"
stolidly
in a stolid manner; "he said `no' stolidly"
supremely
to the maximum degree; "he was supremely confident"
thoughtlessly
showing thoughtlessness; "he treated his parents thoughtlessly"
testily, irritably, petulantly, pettishly
in a petulant manner; "he said testily; `Go away!'"
thoughtfully
showing thoughtfulness; "he had thoughtfully brought with him some food"
auspiciously, propitiously
in an auspicious manner; "he started his new job auspiciously on his birthday"
thoughtfully
in a thoughtful manner; "he stared thoughtfully out the window"
thoughtlessly, unthinkingly, unthinking
in a thoughtless manner; "he stared thoughtlessly at the picture"
inauspiciously, unpropitiously
in an inauspicious manner; "he started his new job inauspiciously on Friday the 13th"
relentlessly, unrelentingly
in a relentless manner; "he worked relentlessly"
head-on
in direct opposition; directly; "we must meet the problem head-on"
impolitely, discourteously, rudely, showing bad manners
in an impolite manner; "he treated her impolitely"
politely, courteously, with courtesy, in a well mannered way, with politeness
in a polite manner; "the policeman answered politely, `Now look here, lady...'"
admirably, laudably, praiseworthily, commendable
in an admirable manner; "the children's responses were admirably normal"
unpleasantly
in an unpleasant manner; "he had been unpleasantly surprised"
pleasantly, agreeably, enjoyably
in an enjoyable manner; "we spent a pleasantly lazy afternoon"
pleasantly, cheerily, sunnily
in a cheerful manner; "`I'll do the dishes,' he said pleasantly"
heartily, cordially, warmly
in a hearty manner; "`Yes,' the children chorused heartily"; "We welcomed her warmly"
ambiguously, equivocally
in an ambiguous manner; "this letter is worded ambiguously"
affably, amiably, genially
in an affable manner; "`Come and visit me,' he said amiably"
unambiguously, unequivocally, without ambiguity
in an unambiguous manner; "she stated her intentions unequivocally,"
ceremoniously, ceremonially
in a ceremonious manner; "my mother advised her children ceremoniouslly"
rakishly, raffishly, carelessly
in a rakish manner; "she wore her hat rakishly at an angle"
narrowly
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions; "he interprets the law narrowly"
rollickingly, boisterously
in a carefree manner; "she was rollickingly happy"
broadly, loosely, broadly speaking, generally
without regard to specific details or exceptions; "he interprets the law broadly"
broadly
in a wide fashion; "he smiled broadly"
behind
in or into an inferior position; "fell behind in his studies"; "their business was lagging behind in the competition for customers"
faithfully, dependably, reliably
in a faithful manner; "it always came on, faithfully, like the radio"
unfaithfully, undependably, unreliably
in an unfaithful undependable unreliable manner
furiously
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner; "winds were blowing furiously"
securely, firmly
in a secure manner; in a manner free from danger; "she held the child securely"
wryly
in a wry manner; "`I see,' he commented wryly"
rigorously, strictly
in a rigorous manner; "he had been trained rigorously by the monks"
boastfully, vauntingly, big, large
in a boastful manner; "he talked big all evening"
big
extremely well; "his performance went over big"
big
in a major way; "the play failed big at the box office"
big
on a grand scale; "think big"
small
on a small scale; "think small"
abnormally
in an abnormal manner; "they were behaving abnormally"; "his blood pressure was abnormally low"
sedulously
in a sedulous manner; "this illusion has been sedulously fostered"
tenuously
in a tenuous manner; "his works tenuously survive in the minds of a few scholars"
anachronistically
in an anachronistic manner; "let's look at this phenomenon anachronistically"
perennially
in a perennial manner; repeatedly; "We want to know what is perennually new about the world"
ineptly, fecklessly
with ineptitude; in an incompetent manner; "he performed his functions ineptly"
ineptly
in an infelicitous manner; "this function is ineptly left to a small voice"
deliciously, pleasurably
in a very pleasurable manner; "they were walking along the beach slowly and deliciously"
noisily
with much noise or loud and unpleasant sound; "he blew his nose noisily"
fondly, lovingly
with fondness; with love; "she spoke to her children fondly"
quietly
with little or no sound; "the class was listening quietly and intently"; "she was crying quietly"
quietly, quiet
with little or no activity or especially agitation; "her hands rested quietly in her lap"; "the rock star was quietly led out the back door"; (`quiet' is a nonstandard variant for `quietly' as in "sit here as quiet as you can")
outwardly
in outward appearance; "outwardly, she appeared composed"
unquietly
with agitation or turbulence
unqualifiedly
without qualification or limitation
outwardly, externally
with respect to the outside; "outwardly, the figure is smooth"
inwardly, inside
with respect to private feelings; "inwardly, she was raging"
favorably, favourably
showing approval; "he reviewed the play favorably"
unfavorably, unfavourably
showing disapproval; in a disparaging way; "he reviewed the play unfavorably"
flawlessly, cleanly
in an adroit manner; "he bounced it cleanly off the wall"
solidly
with strength and soundness; "a solidly built house"
foursquare
in a square position; "the building stood foursquare"
laconically, dryly
in a dry laconic manner; "I know that," he said dryly
obligingly, accommodatingly
in accommodation; "obligingly, he lowered his voice"
gloomily
with gloom; "such a change is gloomily foreseen by many"
cruelly
under cruel circumstances; "a cruelly bitter winter"
cruelly
in a cruel manner; "he treated his students cruelly"
vaguely, mistily
in a vague way; "he looked vaguely familiar"; "he explained it somewhat mistily"
pompously
in a pompous manner; "he pompously described his achievements"
doggedly, tenaciously
with obstinate determination; "he pursued her doggedly"
efficiently, expeditiously, with efficiency
in an efficient manner; "he functions efficiently"
inefficiently
in an inefficient manner; "he dealt inefficiently with the crisis"
in stride, without becoming upset, in good spirits
without losing equilibrium; "she took all his criticism in stride"
dully
without liveliness; "she nodded her head dully"
fascinatingly
in a fascinating manner; "her face became fascinatingly distorted"
charmingly
in a charming manner
winsomely, engagingly
in an engaging manner; "she played the role engagingly"
tragically
in a tragic manner; with tragic consequences; "the adventure ended tragically"; "tragically, she contracted AIDS"
ominously
in an ominous manner; "the sun darkened ominously"
restively
in a restive manner; "he sat down again, restively"
pityingly, compassionately, with compassion, with pity
in a compassionate manner; "the nurse looked at him pityingly"
glibly, slickly
with superficial plausibility; "he talked glibly"
callously, unfeelingly
in a callous way; "he callously exploited their feelings"
justifiably, with reason
with good reason; "he is justifiably bitter"
unjustifiably, inexcusably
without any excuse; "he is unjustifiably harsh on her"
modestly, with modesty
in a modest manner; "the dissertation was entitled, modestly, `Remarks about a play by Shakespeare'"
immodestly, without modesty
in an immodest manner; "the book was entitled, immodestly, `All about Wisdom'"
overwhelmingly, overpoweringly, irresistibly
incapable of being resisted; "the candy looked overwhelmingly desirable to the dieting man"
in the last analysis, in the final analysis, ultimately
after everything has been considered; "in the final analysis, we are quite well off"
anarchically
in a lawless rebellious manner
suspiciously
with suspicion; "she regarded the food suspiciously"
sternly, severely
with sternness; in a severe manner; "`No,' she said sternly"; "peered severely over her glasses"
authoritatively, with authority, magisterially
in an authoritative manner; "she spoke authoritatively"
irresolutely
lacking determination or decisiveness
resolutely
showing firm determination or purpose; "she resolutely refused to look at him or speak to him"; "he entered the building resolutely"
beautifully, attractively
in a beautiful manner; "her face was beautifully made up"
speculatively, with speculation
in a speculative manner; "he looked at her speculatively"
dourly, sullenly, glumly
in a sullen manner; "he sat in his chair dourly"
unattractively
in an unattractive manner; "she was unattractively dressed last night"
belligerently, hostilely, with hostility
in a belligerent hostile manner; "he pushed her against the wall belligerently"
casually, nonchalantly
in an unconcerned manner; "glanced casually at the headlines"
overnight
happening in a short time or with great speed; "these solutions cannot be found overnight!"
willy-nilly
without having a choice
believably
in a believable manner; "he acted believably sincere"
unbelievably
in an unbelievable manner; "he was unbelievably angry"
underfoot
in the way and hindering progress; "a house with children and pets and toys always underfoot"
ferociously, fiercely
in a physically fierce manner; "silence broken by dogs barking ferociously"; "they fought fiercely"
vividly
in a vivid manner; "he described his adventures vividly"
artfully
in an artful manner; "her foot pointed artfully toward tapering toes"
just, simply
(intensifier) absolutely; "I just can't take it anymore"; "he was just grand as Romeo"; "it's simply beautiful!"
lustily
in a healthy manner; "the young plants grew lustily"
on paper, in theory
as described in contrast to as practiced; "on paper, this looks like a good idea"
classically
n the manner of Greek and Roman culture; "this exercise develops a classically shaped body"
dramatically, spectactularly
in an very impressive manner; "your performance will improve dramatically"
indecently
in an indecent manner; "she was rather indecently dressed"
obscurely
in an obscure manner; "this work is obscurely written"
decently
in a decent manner; "they don't know how to dress decently"
characteristically
in characteristic manner; "he arrived characteristically late"
horrifyingly
in a horrifying manner; "he laughed horrifyingly"
perversely
deliberately deviant; "his perversely erotic notions"
uncharacteristically
in uncharacteristic manner; "he was uncharacteristically cool"
dialectically
in a dialectic manner; "his religiousness is dialectically related to his sinfulness"
perversely, contrarily, contrariwise
in a contrary disobedient manner
peculiarly, particularly
uniquely or characteristically; "these peculiarly cinematic elements"; "a peculiarly French phenomenon"; "everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him"- John Knowles
artistically
in an artistic manner; "it was artistically decorated"
particularly, in particular
specifically or especially distinguished from others; "loves Bach, particularly his partitas"; "recommended one book in particular"; "trace major population movements for the Pueblo groups in particular"
at arm's length
at some distance; "keep someone at arm's length"
uniformly
in a uniform manner; "a uniformly bright surface"
all too, only too
to a high degree; "she is all too ready to accept the job"
enduringly
in an enduring manner; "Roman culture was enduringly fertilized"
ad nauseam
to a sickening extent; "he played the song ad nauseam"
ad hoc
for one specific case; "they were appointed ad hoc"
en famille, informally
in a causal way; at home; "we'll have dinner en famille"
blatantly
in a blatant manner; "they blatantly violated the laws"
chock, chock-a-block
as completely as possible; "it was chock-a-block full"
cloyingly
in an overly sweet manner
higgledy-piggledy, topsy-turvy
in a disordered manner; "they were piled up higgledy-piggledy"
mutatis mutandis
with the necessary changes having been carried out
give or take
plus or minus a small amount; "it is a mile away, give or take a few hundred yards"
par excellence
to a degree of excellence; "he is the honest politician par excellence"
pro tem, pro tempore
for the time being; temporarily; "accepting pro tem that hypothesis consistent with the facts"- J.W.Krutch
off-hand, ex tempore
without preparation; "I don't know the figures off-hand"
post-haste
as fast as possible; with all possible haste; "send it to me post-haste"
perfunctorily, as a formality, pro forma
in a set manner without serious attention; "they answered my letter pro forma"; "he kissed her cheek perfunctorily"
prima facie
at first sight
proportionately, pro rata
in proportion
adversely
in an adverse manner; "she was adversely affected by the new regulations"
wholesale, in large quantities
on a large scale without careful discrimination; "I buy food wholesale"
aesthetically, esthetically
in a tasteful way; "this building is aesthetically very pleasing"
appealingly
in an appealing manner; "the table was set appealingly"
agonizingly, excruciatingly, torturously
in a very painful manner; "the progress was agonizingly slow"
appallingly
to an appalling extent; "the prisoners were appallingly thin"
unappealingly
in an unappealing manner; "the kitchen was unappealingly dirty"
ambitiously, determinedly, with ambition
in an ambitious and energetic manner; "she pursued her goals ambitiously"
amicably
in an amicable manner; "they separated amicably"
unambitiously
in an unambitious manner; "he does his job, but he works unambitiously"
afield
off the subject; beyond the point at issue; "such digressions can lead us too far afield"
offhand, offhanded, offhandedly
without previous thought or preparation; "couldn't give the figures offhand"; "we decided offhand to go to Canada"; "she had made these remarks offhandedly"
animatedly
in an animated manner; "they talked animatedly"
offhand, offhanded, offhandedly
in a casually inconsiderate manner; "replied offhand, his mind a million miles away"; "she threw him over offhandedly without even a Dear-John letter"
abstrusely
in a manner difficult to understand; "the professor's abstrusely reasoned theories were wasted on his students"
abjectly, resignedly
in a hopeless resigned manner; "she shrugged her shoulders abjectly"
abortively
in an unfruitful manner
abstemiously, temperately
in a sparing manner; without overindulgence; "he ate and drank abstemiously"; "indulged temperately in cocktails"
adorably, endearingly
in an adorable manner; "the toddler behaved adorably"
antagonistically
in an antagonistic manner; "he behaves antagonistically toward his colleagues"
apathetically
in an apathetic manner; "she behaves apathetically these days"
assertively
in an assertive manner; "`I will take care of my own life,' she said assertively"
ardently
in an ardent manner; "the spirit of God knew very well that there was a deeper question to be settled before there could be the intervention in power that was so ardently desired"
arrogantly
in an arrogant manner; "in the old days she had been harsh and stiff ; afraid of her husband and yet arrogantly proud that she had a husband strong and fierce enough to make her afraid"
ascetically
in an ascetic manner; "she lived ascetically in a small house all by herself"
unassertively
in an unassertive manner; "unassertively, she always follows her husband's suggestions"
avidly
in an avid manner; "whatever the flavor or color of your local paper, do remember that these are read avidly for local information"
audaciously
in an audacious manner; "an idea so daring and yet so audaciously tempting that a shiver of excitement quivered through him"
adrift
off course; "there was a search for beauty that had somehow gone adrift"
angelically
like an angel; "the child was sleeping angelically"
amorously, with love
in an amorous manner; "he looked at her amorously"
inarticulately
in an inarticulate manner; "he talked inarticulately about the accident that had just taken his wife's life"
articulately, eloquently
in an articulate manner; "he argued articulately for his plan"
beastly
in a beastly manner; "she behaved beastly toward her mother-in-law"
authentically, genuinely
genuinely; with authority; "it is authentically British"
bombastically, grandiosely
in a grandiose manner; "the building was bombastically spacious"
boyishly, boylike
like a boy; "he smiled boyishly at his fiancee"
turgidly, bombastically
in a turgid manner; "he lectured bombastically about his theories"
anomalously
in an anomalous manner; "this man behaves anomalously"
altruistically, selflessly
in an altruistic manner; "he acted selflessly when he helped the old lady in distress"
awry, amiss
away from the correct or expected course; "something has gone awry in our plans"; "something went badly amiss in the preparations"
assiduously
with care and persistence; "she worked assiduously on the senior thesis"
astutely, shrewdly, sagaciously, sapiently
in a shrewd manner; "he invested his fortune astutely"
perseveringly
with perseverance
persistently
with persistence
across, over
in such a manner as to be understood and accepted; "she cannot get her ideas across"
amain, with full force
with all your strength; "he pulled the ropes amain"
amain
at full speed; with great haste; "the children ran down the hill amain"
amok, amuck, murderously
in a murderous frenzy; "rioters running amuck and throwing sticks and bottles and stones"
amok, amuck
wildly; without self-control; "when the restaurant caught fire the patrons ran amuck blocking the exit
antithetically
with antithesis; in an antithetical manner
seasonably, timely, well-timed, apropos
at an opportune time; "your letter arrived apropos"
seasonably
in accordance with the season; "it was seasonably cold"
unseasonably
not in accordance with the season; "it was unseasonably cold"
apropos, incidentally
by the way; "apropos, can you lend me some money for the weekend?"
artlessly, ingenuously
in an ingenuous manner; "she answered the judge's questions artlessly"
archly, in an arch manner
with playful slyness or roguishness
arduously
in an arduous manner; "they worked arduously"
artlessly, crudely, inexpertly
in a crude and unskilled manner; "an inexpertly constructed lean-to"
austerely
in an austere fashion; "the church was austerely simple"
avariciously, covetously, greedily
in a greedy manner
bang, slap, slapdash, smack, bolt
(informal) directly; "he ran bang into the pole"; "ran slap into her"
baldly
in a bald manner; "this book is, to put it baldly, an uneven work."
balefully
in a baleful manner; "she looked at him balefully"
banefully, perniciously
in a noxiously baneful way; "this banefully poisoned climate"
banteringly, tongue-in-cheek
in a bantering fashion; "he spoke to her banteringly"
barbarously
in a barbarous manner; "they were barbarously murdered"
becomingly
in a becoming manner; "she was becomingly dressed"
bawdily
in a bawdy manner
benignly, benignantly
in a benign manner; "this drug is benignly soporific"
beneficially
in a beneficial manner; "this medicine will act beneficially on you"
bewitchingly, captivatingly, enchantingly, enthrallingly
in a bewitching manner; "she was bewitchingly beautiful"
blankly, without expression
in a blank manner; "she stared at him blankly"
blasphemously
in a blasphemous manner; "the sailors were cursing blasphemously"
boorishly
like a boor, "he behaved boorishly at the party"
bluffly, bluntly, brusquely, flat out, roundly
in a blunt direct manner; "he spoke bluntly"; "he stated his opinion flat-out"; "he was criticized roundly"
bountifully, bounteously, plentifully, plenteously
in a bountiful manner
briskly
in a brisk manner; "she walked briskly in the cold air"; "`after lunch,' she said briskly"
breezily
in a breezy manner; "he swings beezily into the title song"
bumptiously
in a bumptious manner; "he behaved rather bumptiously and offended the hostess"
bestially, brutishly, in a beastly manner
in an inhumane manner; "she treated her husband bestially"
cagily, cageyly, circumspectly
in a cagey manner; "`I don't know yet,' he answered cagily"
capriciously, freakishly
unpredictably; "the weather has been freakishly varible"
cantankerously
in a bad mood; "he answered her cantankerously"
capriciously
in a capricious manner; "there were Turk's head lilies and patches of iris , islands of brilliant blue set capriciously in the green sea"
captiously
in a captious, carping manner; "he was captiously pedantic"
caressingly
in a gentle or caressing manner; "His voice was caressingly sweet"
cautiously, carefully
with caution or prudence; "she ventured cautiously downstairs"
caustically, vitriolically
in a caustic vitriolic manner; "he addressed her caustically"
disdainfully, cavalierly
in a proud and domineering manner; "he treated his staff cavalierly"
charily
with great caution; warily
incautiously, carelessly
without caution or prudence; "one unfortunately sees historic features carelessly lost when estates fall into unsympathetic hands"
endlessly, ceaselessly, incessantly, unceasingly, unendingly, continuously
with unflagging resolve; "dance inspires him ceaselessly to strive higher and higher toward the shining pinnacle of perfection that is the goal of every artiste"
chaotically
in a manner suggestive of chaos; "the room was chaotically disorganized"
chaotically
in a wild and confused manner; "the drugged man was talking chaotically"
gallantly, chivalrously
in a gallant manner; "he gallantly offered to take her home"
cheaply, inexpensively
with little expenditure of money; "I bought this car very cheaply"
cheekily, nervily, brashly
in a brash cheeky manner; "brashly, she asked for a rebate"
churlishly, surlily
in a churlish manner; "the store owner treated his customers churlishly"
cleanly
without distortion; "she played the piano accompaniment cleanly"
coherently
in a coherent manner; "she could not talk coherently after the accident"
coaxingly, cajolingly
in a cajoling manner; "`Come here,' she said coaxingly"
incoherently
in an incoherent manner; "he talked incoherently when he drank too much"
collectedly, composed.y
in a self-collected or self-possessed manner; "he announced the death of his father collectedly"
combatively, scrappily
in a bellicose contentious manner; "`Don't trespass onto my property,' the neighbor shouted combatively"
comfortingly, consolingly
in a comforting or consoling manner; "one part of a strange world should be given a comfortingly familiar form"
compactly
taking up no more space than necessary; "liquid food compactly stored in a pressurized tank"
compatibly
with compatibility
incompatibly
without compatibility
complacently
in a self-satisfied manner; "he complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher"
comprehensively
in an all-inclusive manner
noncomprehensively
in a limited way
brotherly
(archaic as adverb) in a brotherly manner
conceitedly, self-conceitedly, with conceit
in a conceited manner; "he always acts so conceitedly!"
concernedly, with concern
in a manner showing concern; "`Are you all right,' he asked concernedly"
concisely, briefly, shortly, in brief, in short
in a concise manner; in a few words; "the history is summed up concisely in this book"; "she replied briefly"; "briefly, we have a problem"; "to put it shortly"
in a nutshell
summed up briefly; "gave the facts in a nutshell"; "just tell me the story in a nutshell"; "explained the situation in a nutshell"
succinctly, compactly
with concise and precise brevity; to the point; "Please state your case as succinctly as possible"; "he wrote compactly but clearly"
cursorily, quickly
without taking pains; "he looked cursorily through the magazine"
cynically, with cynicism
in a cynical manner; "Larsen's frost-blackened lips curved cynically"
criminally, reprehensively
in a shameful manner; "the garden was criminally neglected"
coyly
in a coy manner; "she pouted and looked at him coyly"
condescendingly, patronizingly
with condescension; "he treats his secretary condescendingly"
conditionally, not absolutely
subject to a condition; "he accepted the offer conditionally"
conservatively, cautiously, guardedly
in a conservative manner; "we estimated the number of demonstrators conservatively at 200,000."
unconditionally
not subject to a condition; "he accepted the offer unconditionally"
crucially
to a crucial degree; "crucially important"; "crucially, he must meet us at the airport"
crossly, grouchily, grumpily
in an ill-natured manner; "she looked at her husband crossly"
craftily, cunningly, foxily, knavishly, slyly, trickily, artfully
in an artful manner; "he craftily arranged to be there when the decision was announced"; "had ever circumstances conspired so cunningly?"
confusedly
in a confused manner; "Queen Augusta wrote him an hysterical letter in which she confusedly sympathised with him"
constructively
in a constructive manner; "it is my task to look critically and constructively at the flaws and the failures"
consequentially
having consequence
inconsequentially, inconsequently
lacking consequence; "`You're so beautifully dressed,' she said and added quite inconsequentially, `Can you stay the night?'"
contrastingly
in a contrasting manner; "contrastingly, both the rooms leading off it gave an immediate impression of being disgraced"
coolly, nervelessly, nonchalantly
in a composed and unconcerned manner; "without more ado Barker borrowed a knife from his brigade Major and honed it on a carborundum stone as coolly as a butcher"
incredibly, improbably, implausibly, unbelievably
not easy to believe; "behind you the coastal hills plunge to the incredibly blue sea backed by the Turkish mountains"
credibly, believably, plausibly, probably
easy to believe on the basis of available evidence; "he talked plausibly before the committee"; "he will probably win the election"
cryptically, enigmatically, mysteriously
in a cryptic manner; "we will meet again," he said cryptically
curtly, short, shortly
in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner; "he told me curtly to get on with it"; "he talked short with everyone"; "he said shortly that he didn't like it"
cunningly, cutely
in an attractive manner; "how cunningly the olive-green dress with its underskirt of rose-brocade fitted her perfect figure"
damned, damnably, cursedly
in a damnable manner; "kindly Arthur--so damnably , politely , endlessly persistent!"
dauntingly
to a degree or in a manner that daunts; "dauntingly difficult"
decisively
in an indisputable degree; "the Fisher act of 1918 decisively raised their status and pay"
decisively
with finality; conclusively; "the voted settled the argument decisively"
indecisively
without finality; inconclusively; "the battle ended indecisively; neither side had clearly won but neither side admitted defeat"
decisively, resolutely
with firmness; "`I will come along,' she said decisively"
deftly
in a deft manner; "Lois deftly removed her scarf"
indecisively
lacking firmness or resoluteness; "`I don't know,' he said indecisively"
delightfully
in a delightful manner; "the farm house, though in itself a small one, is delightfully situated"
densely, thickly
in a concentrated manner; "old houses are often so densely packed that perhaps three or four have to be demolished for every new one built"; "a thickly populated area"
demurely
in a demure manner; "the army girl, tall and demurely pretty, threw a quick side-glance at her"
tightly
in a tight or constricted manner" "a tightly packed pub"
compactly
in a compact manner or state; "The children were packed compactly into the car"
possibly, perchance, perhaps, maybe, peradventure
by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may peradventure be thought that there never was such a time"
absurdly
in an absurd manner or to an absurd degree; "an absurdly rich young woman"
derisively, scoffingly, derisorily, mockingly
in a disrespectful and mocking manner; "`Sorry,' she repeated derisively"
undeservedly
in an unmerited manner; "the team chalked up another victory, the last one quite undeservedly, in my opinion"
deservedly
as deserved; "he chalked up two goals which deservedly gave Bolton their second victory of the season"
devilishly, devilish
in a playfully devilish manner; "the socialists are further handicapped if they believe that capitalists are not only wicked but also devilishly clever"
congenially
in a congenial manner; "`Let's all have a drink together,' he said congenially"
controversially, polemically
involving controversy; "criticism too polemically stated"
contagiously, infectiously
in a contagious manner; "she was contagiously bubbly"
convivially
in a convivial manner; "`Let's go and have a drink,' she said convivially"
uncontroversially
not involving any controversy
coquettishly, flirtatiously
in a flirtatious manner; "she smiled coquettishly"
crushingly
in a crushing manner; "the team was crushingly defeated"
currishly, ignobly
mean-spiritedly; "he behaved ignobly"
daintily
in a refined manner; "she nibbled daintily at her cake"
daintily
in a delicate manner; "the invitation cards were written up daintily in white and gold"
daringly
in an adventurous manner; "daringly, he set out on a camping trip in East Africa"
daringly
in an original manner; "daringly he took the first step"
dashingly
in a highly fashionable manner; "he was dashingly handsome"
decorously
in a proper and decorous manner; "he pretended to be pleased and applauded decorously"
indecorously, unbecomingly
without decorousness
deeply, deep
to a great depth; "dived deeply"; "dug deep"
deep, late
to an advanced time; "deep into the night"; "talked late into the evening"
deep
to far into space; "penetrated deep into enemy territory"; "went deep into the woods";
late
at an advanced age or stage; "she married late"; "undertook the project late in her career"
defensively
in an apologetic and self-defensive manner; "`I felt it better you should know,' said Sir Cedric defensively"
defenseless, defencelessly
without defense; "the child was standing in the middle of the crossfire, defenselessly"
defensively
in a defensive manner; "the general conviction that our side is in the right and acting defensively over what Russians call the German question and Americans the Berlin crisis"
offensively
in an aggressive manner; "`In this crisis, we must act offensively,' the President said"; "the admiral intends to act offensively in the Mediterranean"
inoffensively
in a not unpleasantly offensive manner; "that wretched beast, the elephant, breathing inoffensively not a pace behind me"
offensively, objectionably, obnoxiously
in an obnoxious manner; "he said so in one of his more offensively intellectually arrogant sentences"
offensively
in an unpleasantly offensive manner; "he smelled offensively unwashed"
distinctly
in a distinct and distinguishable manner; "the subtleties of this distinctly British occasion"
distinctly
to a distinct degree; "urbanization in Spain is distinctly correlated with a fall in reproductive rate"
distractedly
in a distracted manner; "`Come in,' he said distractedly"
deferentially
in a respectfully deferential manner; "he listened deferentially"
deferentially, submissively
in a servile manner; "he always acts so deferentially around his superviser"
delusively
in a deceptive and unrealistic manner; "the village looked delusively near"
diabolically, devilishly, fiendishly
as a devil; in an evil manner; "his writing could be diabolically satiric"
deviously
in a devious manner; "he got the promotion by behaving deviously"
diffidently
in a diffident manner; "`Oh, well,' he shrugged diffidently, `I like the work.'"
despicably
in a despicable manner; "he acted despicably"
despitefully, spitefully
in a maliciously spiteful manner; "pray for them that despitefully use us"
detestably, repulsively, abominably, odiously
in an offensive and hateful manner; "I don't know anyone who could have behaved so abominably"
devotedly
with devotion; "He served his master devotedly"
devoutly, piously
in a devout and pious manner; "she was devoutly Catholic"
dexterously, dextrously, deftly
with dexterity; in a dexterous manner; "dextrously he untied the knots"
diametrically
as from opposite ends of a diameter; "when two honest witnesses give accounts of the same event that differ diametrically, how can anyone prove that the evidence you gave was deliberately false?"; "three of these brushes were approximately 120 feet apart and the fourth diametrically opposite to one of the three"
dictatorially, autocratically, magisterially
in an overbearingly domineering manner; as a dictator; "this manager acts dictatorially toward his colleagues"
diligently
with diligence; in a diligent manner; "we may diligently observe the Lord's supper on the first day of the week, diligently preach the gospel, or minister to the saint"
direfully
in a direful manner; "seeing himself trapped, he cried out direfully"
dirtily, filthily
in a filthy unclean manner; "a dirtily dressed camel driver"
dirtily
in a sordid manner; "as dirtily drunk as usual"
disagreeably
in a disagreeable manner; "`I took no harm from the journey, thank you,' she said disagreeably"
disappointingly
in a disappointing manner; "the discoverer of argon, Sir William Ramsay, looked disappointingly ordinary"
disastrously
in a disastrous manner; "the real value of the trust capita