Analogous Words III Flashcards
(100 cards)
sleek
slick
glossy
mean having a smooth bright surface or appearance.
sleek suggests a smoothness or brightness resulting from attentive grooming or physical conditioning: a sleek racehorse.
slick suggests extreme smoothness that results in a slippery surface: slipped and fell on the slick floor.
glossy suggests a highly reflective surface: photographs having a glossy finish.
easy facile simple light effortless smooth
mean not demanding effort or involving difficulty.
easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks: an easy college course.
facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness: facile answers to complex questions.
simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent: a simple problem in arithmetic.
light stresses freedom from what is burdensome: a light teaching load.
effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness: moving with effortless grace.
smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles: a smooth ride.
trick ruse stratagem maneuver artifice wile feint
mean an indirect means to gain an end.
trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end: the tricks of the trade.
ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression: the ruses of smugglers.
stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy: the stratagem-filled game.
maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty: last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy.
artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention: the clever artifices of the stage.
wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements: used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself.
feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one’s real intent: a feint toward the enemy’s left flank..
mercy charity clemency grace leniency
mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion.
mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it: threw himself on the mercy of the court.
charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others: show a little charity for the less fortunate.
clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing: the judge refused to show clemency.
grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions: by the grace of God.
leniency implies lack of severity in punishing: criticized the courts for excessive leniency.
different diverse divergent disparate various
mean unlike in kind or character.
different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness: different foods.
diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast: such diverse interests as dancing and football.
divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation: went on to pursue divergent careers.
disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility: disparate notions of freedom.
various stresses the number of sorts or kinds: tried various methods.
power authority jurisdiction control command sway dominion
mean the right to govern or rule or determine.
power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence: the power to mold public opinion.
authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits: granted the authority to manage her estate.
jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits: the bureau having jurisdiction over parks.
control stresses the power to direct and restrain: you are responsible for the students under your control.
command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience: the army officer in command.
sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence: the empire extended its sway over the region.
dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority: given dominion over all the animals.
power force energy strength might
mean the ability to exert effort.
power may imply latent or exerted physical, mental, or spiritual ability to act or be acted upon: the awesome power of flowing water.
force implies the actual effective exercise of power: used enough force to push the door open.
energy applies to power expended or capable of being transformed into work: a worker with boundless energy.
strength applies to the quality or property of a person or thing that makes possible the exertion of force or the withstanding of strain, pressure, or attack: use weight training to build your strength.
might implies great or overwhelming power or strength: the belief that might makes right.
estimate appraise evaluate value rate assess
mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.
estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out: estimated the crowd at two hundred.
appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment: having their house appraised.
evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary: evaluate a student’s work.
value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment: a watercolor valued by the donor at$500.
rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values: a highly rated restaurant.
assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action: officials are trying to assess the damage.
consider
study
contemplate
weigh
mean to think about in order to arrive at a judgment or decision.
consider may suggest giving thought to in order to reach a suitable conclusion, opinion, or decision: refused even to consider my proposal.
study implies sustained purposeful concentration and attention to details and minutiae: study the plan closely.
contemplate stresses focusing one’s thoughts on something but does not imply coming to a conclusion or decision: contemplate the consequences of refusing.
weigh implies attempting to reach the truth or arrive at a decision by balancing conflicting claims or evidence: weigh the pros and cons of the case.
delay retard slow slacken detain
mean to cause to be late or behind in movement or progress.
delay implies a holding back, usually by interference, from completion or arrival: bad weather delayed our arrival.
retard suggests reduction of speed without actual stopping: language barriers retarded their progress.
slow and slacken also imply a reduction of speed
slow often suggesting deliberate intention: medication slowed the patient’s heart rate.
slacken an easing up or relaxing of power or effort: on hot days runners slacken their pace.
detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time: unexpected business had detained her.
delay procrastinate lag loiter dawdle dally
mean to move or act slowly so as to fall behind.
delay usually implies a putting off (as a beginning or departure): we cannot delay any longer.
procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy: procrastinates about making decisions.
lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others: lagging behind in technology.
loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time: loitered at several store windows \ children dawdling on their way home from school.
dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary: stop dallying and get to work.
talkative
loquacious
garrulous
voluble
mean given to talk or talking.
talkative may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation: a talkative neighbor.
loquacious suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly: a loquacious spokesperson.
garrulous implies prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity: garrulous traveling companions.
voluble suggests a free, easy, and unending loquacity: a voluble raconteur.
wordy
verbose
prolix
diffuse
mean using more words than necessary to express thought.
wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity: a wordy speech.
verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision: the verbose position papers.
prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details: habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas.
diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style: diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories.
tendency trend drift tenor current
mean movement in a particular direction.
tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force: a general tendency toward inflation.
trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course: the long-term trend of the stock market is upward.
drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces: the drift of the population away from large cities / or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse: got the drift of her argument.
tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course: the tenor of the times.
current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course: an encounter that changed the current of my life.
serious grave solemn sedate staid sober earnest
mean not light or frivolous.
serious implies a concern for what really matters: a serious play about social injustice.
grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude: read the proclamation in a grave voice.
solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity: a sad and solemn occasion.
sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness: remained sedate amid the commotion.
staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint: a quiet and staid community.
sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity: a sober look at the state of our schools.
earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose: an earnest reformer.
explain expound explicate elucidate interpret
mean to make something clear or understandable.
explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known: explain the rules.
expound implies a careful often elaborate explanation: expounding a scientific theory.
explicate adds the idea of a developed or detailed analysis: explicate a poem.
elucidate stresses the throwing of light upon as by offering details or motives previously unclear or only implicit: elucidate an obscure passage.
interpret adds to explain the need for imagination or sympathy or special knowledge in dealing with something: interpreting a work of art.
assert declare affirm protest avow
mean to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection.
assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence: asserted that modern music is just noise.
declare stresses open or public statement: declared her support for the candidate.
affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith: affirmed the existence of an afterlife.
protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt: protested that he really had been misquoted.
avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared: avowed that all investors would be repaid in full
ominous
portentous
fateful
mean having a menacing or threatening aspect.
ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster: ominous rumblings from the volcano.
portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity: an eerie and portentous stillness.
fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance: the fateful conference that led to war.
free release liberate emancipate manumit
mean to set loose from restraint or constraint.
free implies a usually permanent removal from whatever binds, confines, entangles, or oppresses: freed the animals from their cages.
release suggests a setting loose from confinement, restraint, or a state of pressure or tension, often without implication of permanent liberation: released his anger on a punching bag.
liberate stresses particularly the resulting state of liberty: liberated their country from the tyrant.
emancipate implies the liberation of a person from subjection or domination: labor-saving devices emancipated us from household drudgery.
manumit implies emancipation from slavery: the document manumitted the slaves.
free
independent
sovereign
autonomous
mean not subject to the rule or control of another.
free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one’s own decisions: you’re free to do as you like.
independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies: the colony’s struggle to become independent.
sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing’s own domain or sphere: separate and sovereign armed services.
autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government: in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous.
command order bid enjoin direct instruct charge
mean to issue orders.
command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality.
command stresses official exercise of authority: a general commanding troops.
order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise: ordered his employees about like slaves.
bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants): she bade him be seated.
enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude: a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet.
direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality: directed her assistant to hold all calls / the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark.
charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility: charged by the President with a secret mission.
estrange
alienate
disaffect
mean to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty.
estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement: his estranged wife.
alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest: managed to alienate all his coworkers.
disaffect refers especially to those from whom loyalty is expected and stresses the effects (as rebellion or discontent) of alienation without actual separation: troops disaffected by hunger.
frustrate thwart foil baffle balk
mean to check or defeat another’s plan or block achievement of a goal.
frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent: frustrated attempts at government reform.
thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing: the army thwarted his attempt at a coup.
foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort: foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her.
baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling: baffled by the maze of rules and regulations.
balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances: officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime.
irritate exasperate nettle provoke rile peeve
mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.
irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage: constant nagging that irritated me greatly.
exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience: his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions.
nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging: your pompous attitude nettled several people.
provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action: remarks made solely to provoke her.
rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation: the new work schedules riled the employees.
peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation: a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie.
