Analogus Words Flashcards
adorn decorate ornament embellish beautify deck garnish
mean to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential.
adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself: a diamond necklace adorned her neck.
decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design: decorate a birthday cake.
ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original: a white house ornamented with green shutters.
embellish often stressing the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament: embellish a page with floral borders.
beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness: will beautify the grounds with flower beds.
deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness: a house all decked out for Christmas.
garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food: an entrée garnished with parsley.
afflict try torment torture rack
mean to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear.
afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress: ills that afflict the elderly.
try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control: children often try their parents’ patience.
torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance: a horse tormented by flies.
torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering: tortured by a sense of guilt.
rack stresses straining or wrenching: a body racked by pain.
abjure renounce forswear recant retract
mean to withdraw one’s word or professed belief.
abjure implies a firm rejecting or abandoning often made under oath: abjured the errors of his former faith.
renounce may carry the meaning of disclaim or disown: renounced abstract art and turned to portrait painting.
forswear may add an implication of perjury or betrayal: I cannot forswear my principles.
recant stresses the withdrawing or denying of something professed or taught: if they recant they will be spared.
retract applies to the withdrawing of a promise, an offer, or an accusation: the newspaper had to retract the story.
apology apologia excuse plea pretext alibi
mean matter offered in explanation or defense. apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances: said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could.
apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position: his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy.
excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure: used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting.
plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy: her usual plea that she was nearsighted.
pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation: used any pretext to get out of work.
alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation: his alibi failed to stand scrutiny.
apparent
illusory
seeming
ostensible
mean not actually being what appearance indicates.
apparent suggests appearance to unaided senses that may or may not be borne out by more rigorous examination or greater knowledge .
illusory implies a false impression based on deceptive resemblance or faulty observation, or influenced by emotions that prevent a clear view .
seeming implies a character in the thing observed that gives it the appearance, sometimes through intent, of something else .
ostensible suggests a discrepancy between an openly declared or naturally implied aim or reason and the true one .
appreciate value prize treasure cherish
mean to hold in high estimation.
appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing’s excellence .
value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth .
prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses .
treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious <a>.
cherish implies a special love and care for something .</a>
ascribe attribute assign impute credit
mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.
ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship: forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters.
attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign: attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate.
assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation: assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period.
impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame: tried to impute sinister motives to my actions.
credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation: credited his teammates for his success.
ask question interrogate query inquire
mean to address a person in order to gain information.
ask implies no more than the putting of a question .
question usually suggests the asking of series of questions .
interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning .
query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation .
inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions .
ask
request
solicit
mean to seek to obtain by making one’s wants known.
ask implies no more than the statement of the desire .
request implies greater formality and courtesy .
solicit suggests a calling attention to one’s wants or desires by public announcement or advertisement <a>.</a>
attraction
affinity
sympathy
mean the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together.
attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it: felt an attraction to danger.
affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn: an affinity for mathematics.
sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence: two minds in sympathy.
average
mean
median
norm
mean something that represents a middle point.
average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures: scored an average of 85 on tests.
mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes: a high of 70°and a low of 50°give a mean of 60°.
median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below: average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars.
norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade: scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic.
bear suffer endure abide tolerate stand
Mean to put up with something trying or painful.
bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking: forced to bear a tragic loss.
suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing: suffering many insults.
endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties: endured years of rejection.
abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest: cannot abide their rudeness.
tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful: refused to tolerate such treatment.
stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching: unable to stand teasing.
background setting environment milieu mise-en-scène
mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs.
background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development: the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots.
setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms: a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting.
environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one’s physical, mental, or moral development: the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents.
milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons: an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation.
mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect: a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène.
boast
brag
vaunt
crow
mean to express pride in oneself or one’s accomplishments.
boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration “boasts of every trivial success” but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride “the town boasts one of the best museums in the area”.
brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself “bragging of their exploits”.
vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag “vaunted his country’s military might”.
crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging .
cautious
circumspect
wary
chary
mean prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk.
cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger: a cautious driver.
circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding: circumspect in his business dealings.
wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it: keeps a wary eye on the competition.
chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely: chary of signing papers without having read them first.
continual continuous constant incessant perpetual perennial
mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence.
continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence .
continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension .
constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence .
incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity .
perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration <a>.
perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal </a><a>.</a>
decrease lessen diminish reduce abate dwindle
mean to grow or make less.
decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity: slowly decreased the amount of pressure.
lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number: has been unable to lessen her debt.
diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total: his visual acuity has diminished.
reduce implies a bringing down or lowering: you must reduce your caloric intake.
abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount: the storm abated.
dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller: their provisions dwindled slowly.
concise terse succinct laconic summary pithy compendious
mean very brief in statement or expression.
concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative: a concise description.
terse implies pointed conciseness: a terse reply.
succinct implies the greatest possible compression: a succinct letter of resignation.
laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious: an aloof and laconic stranger.
summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation: a summary listing of the year’s main events.
pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance: a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners.
compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment: a compendious dictionary.
correct accurate exact precise nice right
mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth.
correct usually implies freedom from fault or error: correct answers. / socially correct dress.
accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care: an accurate description.
exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth: exact measurements.
precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation: precise calibration.
nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination: makes nice distinctions.
right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault: the right thing to do.
correct rectify emend remedy redress amend reform revise
mean to make right what is wrong.
correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects: correct your spelling.
rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed: rectify a misguided policy.
emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript: emend a text.
remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil: set out to remedy the evils of the world.
redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance: redress past social injustices.
amend reform revise imply an improving by making corrective changes,
amend usually suggesting slight changes: amend a law,
reform implying drastic change: plans to reform the court system,
and revise suggesting a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes: revise the schedule.
discompose disquiet disturb perturb agitate upset fluster
mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.
discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress: discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife.
disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind: the disquieting news of factories closing.
disturb implies interference with one’s mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption: the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me.
perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions: perturbed by her husband’s strange behavior.
agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement: in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work.
upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief: the family’s constant bickering upsets the youngest child.
fluster suggests bewildered agitation: his declaration of love completely flustered her.
desire wish want crave covet
mean to have a longing for.
desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim .
wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable .
want specifically suggests a felt need or lack .
crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need .
covet implies strong envious desire .
demand
claim
require
exact
mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary.
demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands: demanded payment of the debt.
claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one’s own or one’s right: claimed the right to manage his own affairs.
require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation: the patient requires constant attention.
exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands: exacts absolute loyalty.
dismay
appall
horrify
daunt
mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.
dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something: dismayed at the size of the job.
appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks: I am appalled by your behavior.
horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion: was horrified by such wanton cruelty.
daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage: a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber.
embarrass discomfit abash disconcert rattle
mean to distress by confusing or confounding.
embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action: embarrassed to admit that she liked the movie.
discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion: hecklers discomfited the speaker.
abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority: abashed by her swift and cutting retort.
disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy: disconcerted by finding so many in attendance.
rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment: rattled by all the television cameras.
disinclined hesitant reluctant loath averse
mean lacking the will or desire to do something indicated.
disinclined implies lack of taste for or inclination: disinclined to move again / disinclined for reading.
hesitant implies a holding back especially through fear or uncertainty: hesitant about asking for a date.
reluctant implies a holding back through unwillingness: a reluctant witness.
loath implies hesitancy because of conflict with one’s opinions, predilections, or liking: seems loath to trust anyone.
averse implies a holding back from or avoiding because of distaste or repugnance: averse to hard work / not averse to an occasional drink.
despise
contemn
scorn
disdain
mean to regard as unworthy of one’s notice or consideration.
despise may suggest an emotional response ranging from strong dislike to loathing .
contemn implies a vehement condemnation of a person or thing as low, vile, feeble, or ignominious .
scorn implies a ready or indignant contempt .
disdain implies an arrogant or supercilious aversion to what is regarded as unworthy .
fictitious fabulous legendary mythical apocryphal
mean having the nature of something imagined or invented.
fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception .
fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence <a>.
legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition .
mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination .
apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate </a><a>.</a>
explicit
definite
express
specific
mean perfectly clear in meaning.
explicit implies such verbal plainness and distinctness that there is no need for inference and no room for difficulty in understanding .
definite stresses precise, clear statement or arrangement that leaves no doubt or indecision .
express implies both explicitness and direct and positive utterance .
specific applies to what is precisely and fully treated in detail or particular .
gift faculty aptitude bent talent genius knack
mean a special ability for doing something.
gift often implies special favor by God or nature .
faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function <a>.
aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it </a><a>.
bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability </a><a>.
talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed .
genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability .
knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance .</a>
excuse
condone
pardon
forgive
mean to exact neither punishment nor redress. excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these: excuse an interruption. / excused them for interrupting.
Often the term implies extenuating circumstances: injustice excuses strong responses.
condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it: a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics.
pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense: pardon a criminal.
forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings: could not forgive their rudeness.
implement tool instrument appliance utensil
mean a relatively simple device for performing work.
implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task .
tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement <a>.
appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment .
utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity .</a>
express vent utter voice broach air
mean to make known what one thinks or feels.
express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces .
vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words <a>.
utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech .
voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words .
broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion .
air implies an exposing or parading of one’s views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention .</a>
follow
succeed
ensue
supervene
mean to come after something or someone.
follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence: speeches followed the dinner
succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank: she succeeded her father as head of the business.
ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development: after the talk a general discussion ensued.
supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable: unable to continue because of supervening circumstances.
