D
Dainty. Exquisite, choice, rare, refined; savory, palatable, delicious, toothsome, tasty, epicurean; fastidious, luxurious.
Ant. Common, dirty, vulgar, coarse, defiled, nasty, foul, filthy.
Damage. Hurt, injury, detriment, loss, mischief, impairment.
Ant. Benefit, compensation, advantage, blessing, reparation.
Danger. Peril, risk, hazard, venture, insecurity, liability, jeopardy.
Ant. Safety, security, precaution, defense.
Daring. Adventurous, fearless, risky, brave, courageous, dauntless, intrepid, valorous.
Ant. Cautious, timid, wary, fearful.
Dark. Black, swarthy, opaque, obscure, shadowy, lurid, sunless, murky, cloudy, overcast, ebon, pitchy, secret; mysterious, enigmatical, unintelligible, occult, abstruse; gloomy, disheartening, cheerless, dismal; ignorant, rude, untaught, benighted; wicked, foul, horrible, damnable, vile, atrocious, infernal; joyless, mournful, sad, sorrowful.
Ant. White, fair, light, radiant, bright, clear, buoyant, plain, brilliant, glaring, crystalline, transparent, dazzling, luminous, illumed; happy, joyful, festive.
Darling. Sweetheart, love, pet, favorite, idol, dear.
Dash. Strike, hurl, cast, throw, drive, send, speed, dart; alloy, adulterate; suffuse, overspread, color; disappoint, ruin, frustrate; surprise, abash.
Ant. Raise, erect, reinstate; creep, crawl; fulfil, realize, effect.
Dastard. Coward, craven, recreant.
Ant. Hero, champion; daredevil.
Data. Facts, basis, grounds, postulates, premises, given conditions.
Ant. Conjectures, assumptions, inferences, deductions.
Date. Time, era, epoch, period, age.
Ant. Non-duration; eternity.
Daub. Smear, plaster, sully, begrime, soil, deface, defile.
Ant. Embellish, decorate; cleanse, whiten.
Daunt. Terrify, alarm, intimidate, appal, frighten off, tame.
Ant. Rally, inspirit, encourage.
Dauntless. Valiant, fearless, intrepid, bold, indomitable, unconquerable, valorous, chivalrous, heroic, brave, daring.
Ant. Cowardly, timid, cautious, fearful, afraid, faint-hearted, shrinking.
Dawn. Appear, begin, open; break, grow light, rise.
Ant. Wane, set, sink, close.
Dazzle. Daze, blind; astonish, surprise, overpower, bewilder, confuse.
Ant. Enlighten, illumine, illuminate; make clear, instruct.
Dead. Lifeless, breathless, inanimate, deceased, defunct, departed; dull, cold, frigid, inert, indifferent; tasteless, insipid, flat; insensible, heavy, unconscious, spiritless, still, torpid.
Ant. Quick, live, living, animate, alive, stirring, vivacious.
Deadly. Mortal, fatal, destructive, noxious, murderous, malignant, pernicious, baneful, venomous.
Ant. Vital, wholesome, life-giving.
Deaf. Hard of hearing; dull, insensible, heedless; inexorable, averse, disinclined; inaudible.
Ant. Acute, listening, attentive, willing, susceptible.
Deal. Bargain, chaffer, trade, traffic, do business; distribute, allot, divide, share, mete out.
Ant. Close, stop, fail; collect, gather, glean, muster.
Dear. Costly, high-priced, expensive, precious; beloved, valued.
Ant. Cheap, common, inexpensive; hated, abhorred.
Dearth. Lack, want, scarcity, poverty.
Ant. Plenty, abundance, luxury.
Death. Decease, dying, dissolution, departure, exit, expiration.
Ant. Life, birth, rise, vitality, growth, activity.
Debar. Exclude, bar out, stop, prevent, prohibit, restrain, hinder.
Ant. Admit, enclose, embrace; allow, indulge, permit, entitle.
Debase. Degrade, deprave, corrupt, alloy, deteriorate, lower, impair.
Ant. Raise, enhance, exalt, honor, purify, improve, ameliorate.
Debate, n. Discussion, dispute, controversy, contention, altercation, contest.
Ant. Compliance, surrender, withdrawal of opposition.
Debatable. Dubious, doubtful, uncertain, disputable, problematical.
Ant. Sure, certain, incontestable, self-evident.
Debauch. Seduce, corrupt, vitiate, defile.
Ant. Purify, elevate.
Debility. Infirmity, weakness, languor, exhaustion, feebleness.
Ant. Vigor, strength, nerve, energy, tone, vitality.
Debt. Liability, obligation, default, claim, score.
Ant. Liquidation, assets, accommodation, credit.
Debtor. Borrower, mortgagor.
Ant. Creditor, lender, mortgagee.
Decay, v. Corrupt, putrefy, decompose, rot, spoil, molder, wither, perish.
Ant. Flourish, luxuriate, expand, vegetate, grow, increase.
Deceit. Fraud, deception, cheating, artifice, imposition, guile.
Ant. Honesty, openness, fair dealing, frankness, truth, verity.
Deceive. Cheat, dupe, delude, beguile, fool, trick, impose upon, disappoint, mislead, circumvent, entrap.
Ant. Enlighten, guide, disabuse, deliver.
Deception. Craft, cunning, lying, fraud, hypocrisy, trickery, delusion, duplicity, deceitfulness, falsehood, prevarication.
Ant. Candor, honesty, sincerity, truth, veracity, guilelessness, frankness, simplicity.
Decide. Determine, settle, conclude, close, terminate, end, resolve.
Ant. Waver, hesitate, vacillate, fluctuate, be irresolute.
Decipher. Reveal, explain, unravel, unfold.
Ant. Puzzle, mystify.
Decision. Determination, sentence, conclusion, judgment; firmness, resolution.
Ant. Vacillation, vagueness, uncertainty.
Decisive. Conclusive, positive, final, definitive, indisputable.
Ant. Vague, hypothetical, indeterminate, dubious, problematical.
Deck. Adorn, dress, ornament.
Ant. Strip, despoil; deform, deface.
Declaim. Recite, speak, debate, harangue.
Ant. Study, compose, elaborate.
Declamation. Harangue, effusion, debate, oratory, elocution.
Ant. Hesitation, stammering.
Declaration. Assertion, affirmation, avowal; publication, proclamation, official announcement.
Ant. Denial; concealment; recantation, disavowal, retraction.
Declare. Announce, publish, advertise, reveal, proclaim.
Ant. Suppress, withhold, conceal.
Decline. Fall, decay, decadence, degeneration; refusal, rejection, repudiation.
Ant. Rise, advancement, improvement; acceptance.
Declivity. Fall, slope, descent.
Ant. Ascent, rise.
Decoction. Concoction, mixture, mess.
Ant. Rawness. crudity.
Decompose. Analyze, dissolve, resolve; decay, putrefy, become corrupt.
Ant. Compound, mix, organize, compose.
Decorate. Adorn, embellish, improve.
Ant. Spoil, mar, denude, deface.
Decorum. Dignity, order, propriety, seemliness.
Ant. Disorder, disturbance, unseemliness.
Decrease. Lessen, diminish, subside, want, dwindle, curtail, retrench, reduce, lower.
Ant. Increase, grow, augment, expand.
Decree. Decision, determination, law, edict, mandate, manifesto.
Ant. Suggestion, request, hint.
Decrepit. Weak, infirm, tottering, aged.
Ant. Strong, youthful.
Decry. Disparage, detract, depreciate, denounce, abase, traduce.
Ant. Extol, praise, eulogize, laud.
Dedicate. Devote, hallow, sanctify, consecrate; address, inscribe; assign, apply, set apart.
Ant. Desecrate, misuse, alienate.
Deduce. Infer, draw, derive, conclude.
Ant. Induce, state, conjecture, guess, anticipate, foresee.
Deed. Performance, act, action, exploit; reality, fact, truth; document, instrument.
Ant. Omission, failure, invalidation, reversal, recall; undoing.
Deep. Profound; difficult, mysterious, hard, intricate; penetrating, sagacious, astute, intelligent, discerning, shrewd; heartfelt, intense, thorough.
Ant. Shallow; superficial, artless, undesigning; indifferent.
Default. Neglect, failure, omission; want, destitution, lack; lapse, forfeit, delinquency, absence.
Ant. Satisfaction; appearance, plea; maintenance, supply; presence.
Defeat. Overthrow, frustration, discomfiture.
Ant. Success, triumph, victory.
Defect. Fault, flaw, imperfection; omission, want, shortcoming.
Ant. Emendation, perfection; supply, sufficiency.
Defense. Apology, justification, vindication; shelter, shield, protection, guard, resistance, rampart, fortress, safeguard, bulwark.
Ant. Surrender, betrayal, exposure, hazard; challenge.
Defer. Delay, postpone, procrastinate, adjourn, put off; yield to, respect.
Ant. Hasten, hurry, expedite, quicken, overdrive; slight, disregard.
Deference. Respect, consideration, esteem, veneration, homage.
Ant. Disrespect, contumely, impudence, defiance, disobedience.
Defile. Contaminate, spoil, pollute, vitiate, infect, taint, befoul.
Ant. Purify, cleanse, disinfect, wash, hallow, sanctify.
Definition. Description, exposition, comment, explanation, interpretation, rendering, translation.
Ant. Misstatement.
Deformity. Ugliness, malformation, distortion, disfigurement, abnormity, hideousness.
Ant. Grace, beauty, regularity, symmetry.
Defrayment. Payment, settlement, liquidation, discharge.
Ant. Failure, insolvency, repudiation, embezzlement, nonpayment.
Defy. Challenge, dare, provoke, scorn, brave.
Ant. Dread, cower, shrink, shun.
Degeneracy. Degradation, deterioration, growing worse, decay, decline; inferiority, meanness.
Ant. Improvement, advancement.
Degree. Grade, rank, step, station, stage, quality, standing; measure, interval, space.
Ant. Mass, magnitude, size, numbers.
Dejected. Disheartened, discouraged, depressed, downcast, despondent, gloomy, melancholy, low-spirited.
Ant. Cheerful, elated, gay, blithe, inspirited, joyous, jovial, merry.
Delay. Postponement, procrastination; hindrance, impediment.
Ant. Hurry, despatch, quickening, urgency; assistance, furtherance.
Delegate, n. Substitute, proxy, representative, legate, deputy.
Delegate, v. Depute, commission, appoint, empower, constitute, ordain.
Ant. Relegate, recall, supersede, remove.
Deleterious. Destructive, noxious, deadly, poisonous; hurtful, harmful, injurious, pernicious, unwholesome.
Ant. Wholesome, healthy, beneficial, sanitary, salubrious, nutritious.
Deliberate, v. Meditate, ponder, debate, confer, consider, reflect, consult, weigh, cogitate.
Ant. Shelve, dismiss, discard, put aside; hazard, chance, risk.
Deliberate, a. Cautious, careful, wary; well-advised, purposed, studied; slow, leisurely; intentional, earnest, unbiased.
Ant. Facetious, playful; irresolute, hesitant, faltering, vacillating; impulsive, rash, hasty; prejudiced.
Delicacy. Dainty, morsel, tidbit, relish; refinement, luxury, nicety, elegance; frailty, weakness; fastidiousness, scrupulousness; purity, sensibility.
Ant. Necessaries, commons, fare; coarseness, roughness, rudeness; vigor, strength; grossness.
Delicious. Dainty, savory, delightful, luscious, exquisite.
Ant. Nauseous, repulsive, bitter, loathsome, unpalatable, acrid.
Delight. Joy, gladness, charm, rapture, transport, satisfaction, pleasure, ecstasy, happiness, enjoyment, bliss.
Ant. Pain, suffering, sorrow, misery, discomfort, dejection, melancholy, discontent, trouble, distress, depression.
Delightful. Agreeable, congenial, grateful, pleasant, refreshing, welcome, satisfying, delicious, acceptable, pleasurable.
Ant. Miserable, depressing, disappointing, horrible, melancholy, painful, woful, wretched, mournful, saddening.
Delineate. Describe, figure, represent, sketch, draw, portray, depict, paint.
Ant. Caricature, misrepresent, exaggerate.
Delinquent. Offender, culprit, criminal, miscreant, malefactor.
Ant. Worthy, model, paragon, pattern, beau ideal.
Deliver. Free, liberate, release; save, rescue; give, hand over, transfer; yield, grant, resign, surrender; pronounce, declare, speak; discharge, deal.
Ant. Confine, capture; suppress, retain; withdraw, betray; appropriate.
Deluge. Inundation, flood, overflow, rush, cataclysm.
Ant. Drought, dearth, aridity; mist, moisture; subsidence, ebb, abatement.
Delusion. Error, fallacy, illusion, hallucination, trick, snare, fraud, deception, imposture.
Ant. Fact, certainty, verity, actuality, truth, reality.
Demand. Require, ask, call for, insist, exact, challenge.
Ant. Request, petition, supplicate; disclaim, forego, waive.
Demarcation. Outline, sketch, limit, boundary, division, enclosure, separation, distinction.
Ant. Openness, space, expanse, extent.
Demean. Behave, comport, act, conduct one’s self.
Ant. Misbehave.
Demerit. Fault, delinquency, misdeed, failure.
Ant. Credit, merit, worth, excellence, desert.
Democratic. Popular, representative, republican, radical.
Ant. Imperial, aristocratic, regal, oligarchical, autocratic, despotic, tyrannical, constitutional, conservative.
Demolish. Overthrow, destroy, overturn, raze, ruin.
Ant. Restore, repair; build, construct, make.
Demonstration. Exhibition, exemplification; manifestation, illustration; evidence, proof, certainty, conclusion, consequence, induction, inference, deduction.
Ant. Concealment, secrecy; theory, supposition.
Demoralize. Corrupt, deprave, vitiate, undermine, subvert.
Ant. Stimulate, impel, promote, incite, reassure, animate, uplift.
Demure. Sedate, staid, modest, prudish, discreet.
Ant. Lively, vivacious, facetious, wanton, wild.
Denial. Refusal; contradiction, negation, disavowal.
Ant. Affirmation, avowal, admission, concession.
Denizen. Citizen, subject, inhabitant, dweller, sojourner.
Ant. Foreigner, alien, traveler, stranger, transient.
Denomination. Name, designation, description, appellation, class, sect, school.
Ant. Misnomer.
Denounce. Brand, defame, stigmatize, decry; accuse; menace, threaten; proscribe, vituperate.
Ant. Eulogize, applaud, uphold, vindicate.
Dense. Thick, slow, compact, solid, close, thickset.
Ant. Sparse, thin, scattered; quick, intelligent, clever, alert, ready.
Denunciation. Censure, arraignment; threat, menace; exposure.
Ant. Vindication, defense, apology, plea, excuse.
Deny. Refuse, withhold; contradict, gainsay; renounce, abjure, disown.
Ant. Affirm, grant, accept, concede; indulge, yield, admit.
Depart. Leave, go, start, sally, retire, disappear, vanish, bid farewell; die, decease.
Ant. Arrive, alight; stay, remain, cling.
Department. Division, section, portion; function, office, duty, station; province, branch, line.
Ant. Organization, whole, body.
Dependent. Hanging, resting, contingent, conditioned, relying, subject, relative.
Ant. Independent, free, absolute, irrespective.
Depict. Portray, draw, paint, delineate.
Ant. Caricature, parody.
Deplorable. Lamentable, pitiable, sad, mournful, disastrous, calamitous, grievous, distressing, melancholy.
Ant. Acceptable, felicitous, happy, welcome, glad, joyous, beneficent, pleasing.
Deportment. Conduct, carriage, behavior, demeanor, character.
Ant. Misbehavior, misconduct.
Depose. Dethrone, debase, degrade, dismiss, oust, displace.
Ant. Enthrone, install, initiate, elevate, exalt, invest with power.
Deprecate. Regret, disapprove, lament; intercede, expostulate.
Ant. Rejoice in, approve; invoke, imprecate, curse.
Depreciate. Disparage, decry, undervalue, detract, underestimate.
Ant. Appreciate, value, esteem.
Depredation. Robbery, pillage, plunder, spoliation, theft, invasion, trespass, havoc, encroachment.
Ant. Restitution, compensation, restoration, amends, reparation.
Depression. Lowering, degradation, abasement, perversion, depreciation, dejection, discouragement; hollow, valley, decline.
Ant. Elevation, raising, exaltation, promotion, amelioration, preferment, prominence, eminence.
Deprive. Bereave, rob, divest, strip, despoil, dispossess, depose; prevent, hinder.
Ant. Endow, enrich, invest, compensate, present, indemnify.
Deputy. Lieutenant, agent, representative, envoy, legate, substitute, vicegerent, proxy, delegate.
Ant. Master, principal, governor, chief, sovereign, ruler.
Derangement. Disorder, confusion, disarrangement; disturbance, discomposure; madness, lunacy, insanity, mania, delirium, alienation, aberration.
Ant. Order, arrangement, regulation; calmness; sanity, poise, rationality.
Derision. Scorn, contempt, ridicule, mockery, contumely, scoffing.
Ant. Admiration, respect, reverence, regard, esteem, veneration.
Derivation. Source, origin, genesis, fountain, descent, root, etymology.
Ant. Result, issue, termination, effect, application, use.
Derogate. Detract, depreciate, disparage, compromise, lessen.
Ant. Esteem, value, overestimate, enhance, extol.
Descendant. Offspring, posterity, progeny, stock, family, lineage, scion, branch, issue.
Ant. Ancestry, progenitor, origin, root, source, founder, parent.
Describe. Trace, draw, portray, mark out, represent, depict, recount, narrate, illustrate, define, explain, characterize.
Ant. Caricature, misrepresent, distort; mystify, perplex, confuse.
Descry. Perceive, discern, recognize, discover, espy, see, behold, detect, find out.
Ant. Overlook, miss, neglect.
Desecrate. Profane, pollute, pervert, abuse, secularize, prostitute.
Ant. Hallow, sanctify, respect, esteem, dedicate, devote.
Desert. Solitude, wild, wilderness, waste.
Ant. Oasis, pasture, meadow.
Deserter. Renegade, turncoat, recanter, backslider, abjurer, traitor, apostate.
Ant. Adherent, devotee, supporter, bigot, disciple, ally.
Deserve. Merit, earn, win, be entitled to.
Ant. Forfeit, lose, miss, fail of.
Desideratum. Very desirable thing, requisite, want, essential.
Ant. Superfluity, surplus, perquisite.
Design, n. Intention, purpose, aim, end, scheme, proposal, project, object, plan, device, purport, meaning, drift, scope, mark; delineation, sketch, artifice, drawing, draft; invention, contrivance; cunning, guile.
Ant. Execution, performance, structure, construction, issue, result; candor, openness, sincerity; chance, accident.
Design, v. Intend, plan, prepare, project, contrive, scheme, purpose, mean, propose; draw, delineate, sketch; contemplate, outline, plot.
Ant. Risk, guess, conjecture, chance; misconceive, misinterpret, misrepresent.
Designate. Specify, particularize; describe, define, denominate, name, call, style, christen, dub; appoint, allot.
Ant. Misname, miscall; generalize; misrepresent.
Desirable. Eligible, expedient, advantageous, beneficial, advisable, valuable, profitable, enviable, proper, judicious.
Ant. Inexpedient, disadvantageous, harmful, inadvisable, evil.
Desire. Appetite, inclination, longing, proclivity, craving, impulse, hankering, coveting, propensity, wish; aspiration, will.
Ant. Loathing, disgust, aversion, hate, repugnance, horror.
Desolate, a. Bereaved, comfortless, forlorn, cheerless, lonely, solitary; uninhabited, forsaken, unfrequented, waste, dreary, wild.
Ant. Peopled, colonized, developed, cultivated; populous, crowded, frequented.
Despair. Desperation, discouragement, hopelessness, despondency.
Ant. Courage, hope, expectation, anticipation, assurance, confidence, elation, cheer, trust, hopefulness, encouragement.
Despatch, v. Expedite, speed, accelerate, quicken, hasten; kill, slay.
Ant. Delay, retard, impede, obstruct; preserve, save, spare.
Desperate. Wild, reckless, despondent, hopeless, wretched, forlorn, lost; heroic, extreme, defiant; precipitate, headlong, frantic.
Ant. Cautious, timid, shy; hopeful, promising, propitious.
Despise. Contemn, scorn, slight, disdain, spurn.
Ant. Respect, esteem, venerate, regard, revere.
Despoil. Strip, denude, ravage; rob, plunder, pillage, devastate.
Ant. Adorn, enrich, rehabilitate.
Despotic. Tyrannical, absolute, imperious, autocratic, arrogant.
Ant. Conciliatory, humane, merciful; constitutional, democratic, representative.
Destination. Aim, end, object, purpose, design; goal, harbor.
Ant. Action, movement; initiation, project, effort.
Destiny. Fate, lot, doom, star, fortune, necessity, end, predestination.
Ant. Choice, will, freedom, volition, free will.
Destructive. Ruinous, injurious, pernicious, deleterious, baneful, detrimental, hurtful, noxious.
Ant. Constructive, restorative, beneficial, wholesome, preservative.
Desuetude. Disuse, non-observance, obsolescence.
Ant. Use, custom, practice, exercise, operation.
Desultory. Rambling, irregular, capricious, wandering, roving, discursive, cursory, erratic, spasmodic, unsystematic.
Ant. Methodical, continuous, periodical, diligent, exact, untiring, persevering, earnest, serious, settled, consecutive.
Detail. Account, narrative, recital; detachment; individual, particular, item, specialty, element, point, component.
Ant. Totality, whole, generality, aggregation, mass, bulk.
Detention. Hindrance, retaining, restraint, stopping.
Ant. Relinquishment, abandonment, letting go, release, liberation.
Deter. Hinder, discourage, prevent, restrain, withhold, terrify, scare, dishearten, dissuade.
Ant. Incite, provoke, allure, tempt, seduce, prompt, persuade.
Deteriorate. Impair, degrade, debase; decline, degenerate.
Ant. Ameliorate, promote, advance, rectify.
Determine. Settle, adjust, decide; ascertain, verify; influence, lead, incline; resolve.
Ant. Vacillate, waver, unsettle, doubt.
Detest. Abominate, abhor, execrate, loathe, shrink from.
Ant. Like, approve, appreciate, praise, love.
Dethrone. Depose, uncrown, drive out of power, cause to abdicate.
Ant. Crown, enthrone, exalt.
Detract. Depreciate, disparage, lessen, derogate, calumniate, slander, defame, decry, vilify.
Ant. Enhance, augment, increase, flatter, compliment.
Detriment. Loss, damage, injury, harm, evil, prejudice, disadvantage, impairment, inconvenience.
Ant. Enhancement, remedy, augmentation, improvement, repair, reinstatement.
Develop. Evolve, unfold, educe, disclose, unravel, exhibit, expand, enlarge; open, grow, mature.
Ant. Envelop, wrap, conceal, contract, compress; stunt, dwarf, hinder, prevent.
Deviate. Digress, wander, deflect, veer, diverge; depart, err, stray, swerve; differ, vary.
Ant. Cohere, coincide; accompany, continue, remain; advance; converge; agree, assimilate.
Device. Contrivance, invention, design, project, plan, scheme, expedient, resource; wile, artifice, stratagem, evasion, fraud; emblem, symbol, type.
Ant. Fortune, luck, hazard, hit; openness, frankness, candor.
Devious. Erratic, wandering, deviating, crooked, circuitous, misleading, treacherous, roundabout.
Ant. Direct, plain, straightforward, frequented.
Devise. Plan, design, contrive, imagine, scheme, project, concoct; bequeath, leave.
Ant. Mismanage, miscontrive; inherit.
Devoid. Void, wanting, empty, destitute, vacant, unprovided for.
Ant. Full, supplied, provided, replete, furnished, abundant, plentiful, sufficient.
Devolve. Transfer, consign, convey, demise, devise, deliver; impose, place, attach, commission, charge, depute; fall, pass, be transferred.
Ant. Deprive, withhold, recall, cancel, alienate, skip, pass, miss.
Devotion. Dedication, consecration, piety, religion, sanctity, holiness, worship, adoration; attachment, affection, love; ardor, earnestness, zeal, eagerness, self-sacrifice.
Ant. Impiety, profanity, sacrilege, irreverence; aversion, alienation, antipathy, indifference, apathy.
Devour. Consume, gorge, eat ravenously, swallow; destroy, annihilate, waste, swallow up, expend.
Ant. Disgorge, vomit; save, conserve.
Dexterity. Aptitude, skill, expertness, readiness, adroitness.
Ant. Ineptitude, inability, weakness, awkwardness, clumsiness.
Diadem. Crown, chaplet, fillet, wreath, tiara, circlet.
Diagnosis. Investigation, determination, analysis.
Ant. Misjudgment, error.
Diagnostic. Symptom, feature, sign, cue, indication, mark, index.
Ant. Development, consummation, crisis, head, formation.
Dialect. Language, phraseology, tongue, speech, provincialism, idiom, accent.
Dialogue. Conversation between two people, colloquy, discourse, tête-à-tête.
Ant. Monologue, soliloquy, apostrophe, oration.
Dictate. Direct, ordain, command, prescribe, order, bid, require, decree; utter; prompt, suggest, enjoin, instruct.
Ant. Follow, repeat, obey, answer; accept.
Dictation. Injunction, precept, command, rule, maxim, direction, utterance.
Ant. Consultation, conference, council; advice, recommendation.
Dictatorial. Imperious, imperative, domineering, arbitrary, absolute, unlimited, authoritative, unrestricted, overbearing.
Ant. Condescending, supplicatory, affable, suppliant, unassuming, persuasive.
Diction. Expression, language, phrase, phraseology, style, verbiage, vocabulary, wording.
Ant. Provincialism, barbarism, solecism.
Dictionary. Lexicon, word-book, glossary, vocabulary.
Didactic. Instructive, perceptive, moral, directive, educative.
Ant. Unsound, misleading, erroneous, uninstructive, pernicious.
Die. Expire, decease, depart; wither, perish, decay, decline, fade; cease, vanish, disappear; sink, faint, fall; subside.
Ant. Live, recover, be born; survive, exist; originate, develop, grow, strengthen, flourish, luxuriate, vegetate.
Diet. Food, victuals, nourishment, aliment, nutriment, provision, viands, rations, fare, subsistence; assembly, parliament, congress.
Ant. Starvation, fasting, abstinence, fast; gluttony, omnivorousness.
Difference. Contrast, diversity, variation, variety, discrepancy, disagreement, disparity, distinction, divergence, unlikeness.
Ant. Agreement, uniformity, unity, consonance, identity, likeness, resemblance, harmony, sameness, similarity.
Differentiate. Discriminate, individualize, distinguish, particularize, specify, segregate, identify.
Ant. Generalize, classify, confuse, amalgamate.
Difficult. Arduous, exhausting, severe, onerous, trying, toilsome, hard, laborious; intricate, involved, obscure, enigmatical; unmanageable, reserved, opposed, unamenable.
Ant. Easy, facile, trifling, slight, trivial, pleasant, light; simple, plain, clear, manifest; approachable, amenable, pliant.
Diffident. Modest, doubtful, reluctant, hesitating; bashful, timid, shy, self-distrustful.
Ant. Bold, aggressive, forward, arrogant, self-conceited.
Diffuse, a. Prolix, loose, copious, rambling, verbose, longwinded, diluted.
Ant. Epigrammatic, laconic, terse, condensed.
Digest. Methodize, systematize, arrange, classify, codify; study, ponder, consider, contemplate, meditate, con; master, assimilate.
Ant. Confound, complicate, disorder, derange, disturb; reject, refuse.
Dignified. Stately, noble, grand, majestic, self-respecting, imposing, decorous, august, lofty, exalted, pompous.
Ant. Stunted, low, mean, unimposing, depressed, ordinary, self-accusing.
Dignify. Advance, promote, exalt, ennoble, prefer; grace, honor, adorn; elevate, aggrandize.
Ant. Humiliate, debase, degrade.
Digress. Deviate, ramble, wander; differ.
Ant. Proceed, advance; harmonize, agree.
Dilapidation. Ruin, decay, disintegration, downfall, demolition.
Ant. Construction, reparation; soundness, solidity; fabrication, building.
Dilate. Stretch wide, expand, enlarge, widen, distend.
Ant. Compress, compact, restrict, narrow, condense, concentrate.
Dilatory. Slow, loitering, tardy, procrastinating, dawdling, lagging, lingering, sluggish.
Ant. Prompt, vigilant, alert, eager, earnest.
Diligence. Industry, assiduity, activity, perseverance, application, attention, care, heed.
Ant. Neglect, carelessness, idleness, inertness, inattention, desultoriness.
Dim. Obscure, dark, covered, hidden, dusky, indistinct, uncertain.
Ant. Bright, clear, manifest, light.
Dimension. Measurement, bulk, mass, extent; (pl.) size, capacity, amplitude, massiveness, greatness.
Ant. Segment, section, portion, part.
Diminish. Lessen, reduce, decrease, abate, subside, shorten, dwarf, retrench.
Ant. Augment, amplify, increase, magnify, expand.
Din. Racket, clamor, noise, uproar.
Ant. Crash, explosion; silence.
Dingy. Dirty, dull, soiled, tarnished, dim, obscure, somber.
Ant. Bright, burnished, radiant, glittering, gleaming, luminous.
Dip. Immerse, plunge, inundate, soak, steep, drown, submerge.
Ant. Dry, drain, parch; air, ventilate, evaporate, vaporize.
Diplomacy. Negotiation, indirection, tact, artful management, contrivance, circumvention; embassage, ministry, ambassadorship.
Ant. Dismissal, congé, recall; candor, naïveté, ingenuousness; mismanagement, maladministration; self-defeat.
Diplomatic. Prudent, wise, tactful, astute, politic, sagacious, judicious, discreet.
Ant. Blundering, tactless, injudicious.
Direct, a. Unswerving, straight, rectilinear, undeviating.
Ant. Meandering, crooked, roundabout, circuitous.
Direction. Course, tendency, aim, bearing; oversight, management, control, superintendence, conduct; order, command; address, superscription.
Ant. Deviation, aberration; miscontrol.
Directly. Straightly, immediately, forthwith, soon, speedily, instantly, promptly, presently, quickly, straightway, at once.
Ant. Secondarily, by-and-by; remotely, obliquely, circuitously.
Dirge. Requiem, elegy, lament, wake, threnody, coronach.
Ant. Anthem, Te Deum, jubilate, pæan, jubilee, halleluiah.
Dirt. Filth, uncleanness, dung, foulness, meanness, filthiness, defilement.
Ant. Cleanness, purity, ablution; innocence, spotlessness.
Dis-. The prefix dis- has usually a negative, sometimes an intensive, force. Therefore, for words beginning with it look under the antonyms of the root words. When its force is intensive, however, they will be found under the synonyms of the root words. Only a few of derived significance are here given.
Disability. Unfitness, inability, incompetence, incapacity, disqualification.
Ant. Merit, fitness, recommendation, qualification, capability.
Disabuse. Undeceive, set right, correct, enlighten, inform, rectify.
Ant. Deceive, delude, hoodwink.
Disappoint. Frustrate, foil, defeat, baffle, disconcert, mortify, vex, betray, tantalize.
Ant. Fulfil, realize, satisfy, gratify, encourage, verify, support.
Disaster. Misfortune, mishap, reverse, calamity, catastrophe.
Ant. Blessing, benefit, good fortune, profit, gain, boon.
Disburse. Spend, expend, consume, waste, use, lay out, pay.
Ant. Save, economize, hoard, husband.
Discern. Observe, discriminate, distinguish, perceive, see, descry, behold, espy, discover, penetrate, differentiate.
Ant. Overlook, neglect, miss.
Discernible. Discoverable, perceptible, visible, apparent, conspicuous, palpable, plain, manifest, evident.
Ant. Obscure, minute, invisible, microscopic, impalpable.
Discernment. Sagacity, perception, discrimination, brightness, astuteness, insight, intelligence, perspicacity, penetration, acuteness, judgment, ingenuity.
Ant. Blindness, inattention, dulness, density.
Discharge, v. Unburden, unload; expel, eject; shoot, fire; release, exonerate, acquit, liberate, free; dismiss, discard, cashier; remove, destroy; perform, execute, observe.
Ant. Confine, charge, load, burden, contain; detain, check, delay, stop; preserve; ignore.
Disciple. Follower, student, believer, pupil, learner, scholar, supporter, adherent, votary.
Ant. Master, teacher, professor, leader, rabbi.
Discipline. Training, teaching, drill, exercise; control, regulation, subjection, government; punishment, correction, coercion, chastisement.
Ant. Laxity, latitude, negligence; reward, encouragement; disorganization, mutiny, rebellion, confusion, disorder.
Discomfit. Defeat, overpower, conquer; foil, disconcert.
Ant. Encourage, rally, aid, assist.
Disconcert. Frustrate, balk, defeat, thwart, baffle; discompose, embarrass, disturb, upset, perplex, abash, confuse, bewilder.
Ant. Assist, countenance, encourage, compose, calm, appease, pacify, tranquilize.
Disconsolate. Inconsolable, sorrowful, heart-broken, comfortless, melancholy, desolate, forlorn, sad.
Ant. Joyous, cheerful, glad, merry, jovial, happy, blithe.
Discordance. Disagreement, discord, dissonance, conflict, opposition.
Ant. Accordance, harmony, concord.
Discover. Find, detect, discern, ferret out, invent, expose, ascertain, descry, disclose, betray, indicate, manifest.
Ant. Hide, conceal, cover, secrete, bury, suppress, withhold.
Discreet. Discerning, wise, sagacious, prudent, cautious, judicious, considerate, circumspect.
Ant. Foolish, heedless, reckless, silly, imprudent, undiscerning, unrestrained.
Discrepancy. Dissonance, discord, discordance, difference, variation, disagreement.
Ant. Agreement, harmony, correspondence.
Discrimination. Acuteness, penetration, sagacity, discernment, shrewdness, insight.
Ant. Dulness, shortsightedness.
Discursive. Reasoning, argumentative; roving, wandering, rambling, desultory, inconsequent.
Ant. Orderly, coherent, continuous; condensed, succinct, concise; strategic.
Discuss. Debate, argue, reason, agitate, deliberate upon, consider.
Ant. Confound, obscure; assert, dogmatize.
Disdain, n. Contempt, scorn, disregard, haughtiness, arrogance.
Ant. Reverence, respect, esteem, considerateness, humility.
Disease. Infirmity, ailment, distemper, complaint, illness, sickness, malady, indisposition, unsoundness, affection.
Ant. Health, strength, robustness, soundness, sturdiness, vigor; convalescence; sanity, salubrity.
Disgust, n. Distaste, loathing, dislike, repugnance, aversion, abhorrence.
Ant. Partiality, desire, liking, relish, fondness.
Dismal. Dark, gloomy, cheerless, dull, dreary, melancholy, lonesome, somber, sad, doleful, funereal; horrible, terrible, frightful.
Ant. Cheerful, bright, inviting, cordial, gay, propitious, promising.
Dismay. Affright, terrify, appal, alarm, intimidate, daunt.
Ant. Rally, inspirit, assure, encourage, hearten.
Dismember. Disintegrate, mutilate, separate, rend asunder, sever.
Ant. Integrate, incorporate; constitute, construct.
Dismiss. Banish, discard, discharge, remove.
Ant. Recall, welcome.
Disparage. Depreciate, decry, undervalue, underrate; defame, reproach.
Ant. Appreciate, overestimate, extol, praise, exaggerate.
Dispel. Drive away, disperse, dissipate, banish, scatter.
Ant. Collect, summon, accumulate.
Dispensation. Apportionment, allotment, distribution; administration; exemption; system, scheme, plan, régime.
Ant. Retention, restriction, reservation, injunction, prohibition; enforcement.
Disperse. Dispel, scatter, separate; diffuse, spread, disseminate.
Ant. Gather, collect, concentrate; recall, summon.
Display. Expand, unfold, extend, uncover, open, spread; exhibit, show, parade.
Ant. Conceal, hide, wrap, dissemble, suppress.
Disposition. Arrangement, location, placing, grouping; management, control, regulation, direction; tendency, inclination, propensity; temper, character, nature, humor; willingness; distribution.
Ant. Confusion, inversion, disorder; mismanagement, laxity; antipathy, repulsion; obstinacy; mood; agglomeration, collection.
Disputant. Litigant, debater, arguer, controversialist, competitor, claimant.
Ant. Advocate, auxiliary, partner.
Dispute, v. Quarrel, wrangle; debate, argue, discuss, agitate, ventilate; impugn, deny, contradict, oppose, contest.
Ant. Allow, concede, grant, forego, relinquish.
Disquisition. Treatise, dissertation, discourse, essay, discussion.
Ant. Effusion, tirade, diatribe, rhodomontade.
Dissect. Anatomize, scrutinize, analyze, explore, investigate, examine, sift.
Ant. Integrate, organize, compound, grasp; comprehend, discern, diagnose.
Dissemble. Conceal, disguise, cloak, hide, restrain, smother.
Ant. Reveal, confess, manifest, expose, vaunt, profess.
Dissent. Differ, disagree, decline.
Ant. Assent, consent, agree.
Dissertation. Disquisition, discussion, treatise.
Dissipate. Scatter, vanish, disperse, disappear, waste, squander.
Ant. Hoard, save, gather, conserve.
Dissociate. Separate, sever, disjoin, divide, part, sunder, disconnect.
Ant. Associate, join, affiliate.
Dissolute. Abandoned, corrupt, loose, profligate, reprobate, dissipated.
Ant. Upright, honest, conscientious, self-controlled.
Distance. Remoteness, space, interval; absence, separation; reserve, coldness, stiffness.
Ant. Proximity, contiguity, nearness, presence, neighborhood, contact.
Distend. Dilate, extend, spread, stretch.
Ant. Contract, narrow, constrict, condense.
Distil. Drop, extract, separate; percolate, emanate, drip.
Ant. Condense, retain; suck; hold.
Distinct. Separate, definite, different, clear, plain, unmistakable.
Ant. Blurred, dim, indefinite, confused, conjoined, obscure.
Distinguish. Discern, perceive, tell, discriminate; differentiate; characterize, mark; separate, divide; signalize, make famous or celebrated.
Ant. Confound, miss, confuse.
Distinguished. Illustrious, famous, celebrated, noted, eminent, marked, conspicuous, supreme, extraordinary, consummate.
Ant. Obscure, inconspicuous, hidden; infamous, notorious.
Distortion. Deformity, twist, perversion, falsification, misrepresentation, sophistry, corruption.
Ant. Regularity, shapeliness, symmetry; right, truth, verification, rectification.
Distract. Divert, perplex, confuse, disconcert, bewilder, confound, derange, craze.
Ant. Unite, fix, compose, concentrate, collect.
Distraction. Confusion, perplexity, abstraction, disturbance, perturbation, agitation; inattention; absence, frenzy, madness; alienation, aberration; delirium, mania, derangement, lunacy.
Ant. Attention, composure, self-possession, tranquillity.
Distress, n. Affliction, calamity, adversity, misery, perplexity, misfortune; agony, suffering, anguish; privation, destitution, poverty, indigence.
Ant. Consolation, relief, assuagement, alleviation; boon, blessing, pleasure.
Distribute. Dispense, scatter, allot, apportion, grant, appoint.
Ant. Restrict, retain, collect, gather, hold, reserve, keep.
District. Region, tract, territory, province, circuit, quarter.
Disturb. Agitate, shake, stir, disorder, confuse, derange; molest, annoy, plague, trouble, vex, worry; interrupt, hinder.
Ant. Soothe, quiet, assist, compose, pacify; arrange, order.
Diversion. Detour, deviation, divergence; recreation, amusement, enjoyment, pastime.
Ant. Directness, business, procedure, continuity, task, labor.
Diversify. Vary, change, alter, modify; variegate, streak, spot.
Ant. Settle, fix, stereotype, arrest.
Diversity. Difference, dissimilitude, variation, unlikeness, divergence, dissonance, heterogeneousness, multiformity.
Ant. Identity, similarity, uniformity, consonance, homogeneousness, coincidence.
Divest. Dismantle, strip, unclothe, undress, unrobe, deprive.
Ant. Clothe, invest, shroud, indue, encumber.
Divide. Sever, part, separate, disunite, sunder; alienate, estrange; distribute, allot, apportion, assign, share, dispense.
Ant. Unite, commingle, collocate, congregate, convene.
Divination. Magic, foretelling, augury, prophecy, presage, prediction.
Ant. Investigation, study; information; analysis.
Divorce, v. Separate, part, sunder, alienate, disunite.
Ant. Marry, wed, betroth, consort.
Do. Accomplish, achieve, bring to pass, complete, effect, realize, discharge, perpetuate, perform, commit, consummate, actualize; execute, finish, fulfil; work out, transact.
Ant. Neglect, ruin, spoil, defeat, destroy, mar, miscarry, fail, frustrate, baffle, omit, come short.
Docile. Manageable, amenable, compliant, gentle, tame, submissive, yielding, tractable, pliable, obedient.
Ant. Obstinate, firm, inflexible, stubborn, self-willed, wilful, determined, dogged, resolute, opinionated.
Doctrine. Tenet, dogma, opinion, belief, precept, principle, teaching, creed.
Ant. Duty, practice, action, conduct, operation, application.
Dogmatic. Arrogant, authoritative, imperious, domineering, positive, self-opinionated, doctrinal, magisterial, dictatorial.
Ant. Practical, active, modest, diffident, vacillating, considerate.
Domestic. Private, family, familiar, homelike.
Ant. Public, foreign, alien, strange.
Domicile. Home, abode, house, residence, mansion, dwelling.
Ant. World, wilderness; estrangement, migration, travel, exile.
Dominance, Domination. Superiority, lordship, mastery, sway, supremacy, command, ascendancy, government.
Ant. Servility, subjection, inferiority, weakness, minority, subordination.
Domineer. Lord, tyrannize, dictate, bully, swagger.
Ant. Submit, yield, bow, defer, patronize, succumb; resist, contend.
Dominion. Government, domination, supremacy, sway, dominance, control, authority, domain, territory, sovereignty.
Ant. Submission, subjugation, servitude.
Doom, n. Condemnation, fate, sentence, judgment, destiny, verdict.
Ant. Liberation, respite, escape, acquittal, discharge.
Dormant. Sleeping, latent, inert, quiescent.
Ant. Active, operative, vigilant, awake, alert.
Doubt, n. Distrust, skepticism, disbelief, suspicion, suspense, hesitation, incredulity, irresolution, misgiving, unbelief, perplexity, uncertainty.
Ant. Conviction, certainty, assurance; belief, confidence; determination, resolution, resolve.
Downwards. Below, beneath, down.
Ant. Upwards, above, aloft.
Drag. Draw, pull, haul, bring.
Ant. Carry, push, propel, raise.
Drain. Empty, exhaust, draw, strain, dry.
Ant. Fill, supply, replenish, moisten, drench.
Draw. Haul, lead, pull, drag, lure, entice, attract, incline, induce.
Ant. Repel, repulse, rebuff, alienate, estrange, reject.
Dread, n. Fear, terror, awe, apprehension, horror, alarm.
Ant. Confidence, courage; familiarity.
Dream. Reverie, fancy, vision, delusion, conceit, hallucination, romance, trance, vagary.
Ant. Fact, reality, realization, verity, certainty, substance.
Dreary. Dismal, gloomy, dark, lonesome, solitary, cheerless.
Ant. Cheerful, bright, promising, inviting.
Dress. Clothing, garments, apparel, garb, array, uniform, attire, costume, raiment, habiliments, vesture, robes, habit, vestments.
Ant. Nakedness, disarray, nudity, bareness, deshabille, exposure, undress.
Drift, n. Direction, bearing, course; aim, purpose, intention, scope, tendency, design; rush, impulse, current; heap, mass.
Ant. Aimlessness, vagueness, aberrancy, indefiniteness.
Drink. Swallow, imbibe, quaff, drain, absorb, suck in.
Ant. Pour, exude, disgorge, water, moisten.
Drive. Impel, propel, compel, push, thrust, urge; repulse, repel, resist; ride.
Ant. Draw, attract, invite, summon.
Droll. Whimsical, comical, ludicrous, funny, ridiculous, odd, queer, facetious.
Ant. Sober, solemn, tragic, funereal.
Droop. Languish, sink, decline, flag, pine, wither, fade, wilt.
Ant. Prosper, revive, rally, flourish, raise, luxuriate.
Drown. Sink, immerse, swamp, overwhelm, overflow, inundate, deluge, flood, overcome, overpower.
Ant. Dry, drain, air, ventilate, expose.
Dry. Arid, parched; thirsty, craving drink; barren, meager, dull, dreary, tedious, plain; severe, sarcastic, sharp, keen.
Ant. Moist, fresh, juicy; lively, entertaining; fulsome, florid.
Due. Proper, fitting, suitable, appropriate, becoming; owing, obligatory.
Ant. Improper, unsuitable, independent; unfair, extravagant, deficient.
Dull. Heavy, stupid, unintelligent, apathetic, insensible, callous, dead; inert, lifeless, inactive, slow, torpid; blunt, obtuse; gloomy, sad, dismal; dim, obscure; wearisome, dreary, tedious.
Ant. Bright, light, sparkling, brilliant, quick, interesting, lively, keen, witty, cheery, inviting, entertaining.
Dumb. Speechless, mute, silent, still, inarticulate.
Ant. Talkative, chatty, loquacious.
Duplicate. Copy, counterpart, facsimile, imitation, likeness, replica, reproduction, double, transcript.
Ant. Original, pattern, prototype, archetype, model.
Duplicity. Deceit, deception, circumvention, guile, artifice, hypocrisy, fraud, dishonesty.
Ant. Candor, straightforwardness, frankness, sincerity, honesty.
Duration. Continuance, term, period, protraction, prolongation (in time).
Ant. Brevity, momentariness; infinity, eternity.
Duty. Office, responsibility, obligation, function, business, accountability, right, righteousness.
Ant. Immunity, freedom, license, exemption, dispensation.
Dwell. Live, reside, rest, stop, stay, abide, lodge, sojourn.
Ant. Visit, migrate, hasten, flit, roam, depart, travel.