P

Pacific. Appeasing, reconciling, tranquil, mild, calm, peaceful, conciliatory.

Ant. Harsh, irritating, exasperating, quarrelsome, turbulent, tumultuous, warlike.

Pacification. Conciliation, compromise, reconcilement, adjustment, reconciliation.

Ant. Warfare, fighting, hostilities, war.

Pact. Agreement, league, compact, covenant, bargain, stipulation, alliance, bond.

Ant. Understanding, promise, parole, honor.

Pæan. Jubilation.

Ant. Dirge.

Pagan, a. Gentile, heathen, idolater.

Ant. Christian, believer.

Paganism. Heathenism, polytheism, pantheism.

Ant. Christianity, Christendom.

Pageant. Spectacle, exhibition, display, show, ceremony, procession, parade.

Ant. Illusion, mockery, fantasmagoria, dream.

Pageantry. Pomp, parade, display, show, spectacle, splendor, magnificence.

Pain, n. Agony, ache, distress, suffering, torture, anguish, torment, pang, throe, paroxysm, twinge, woe, grief.

Ant. Ease, peace, rapture, enjoyment, relief, solace, comfort, delight.

Pain, v. Hurt, grieve, afflict, disquiet, trouble, distress, agonize, torment, torture.

Ant. Please, delight, rejoice, charm, refresh.

Painful. Disquieting, troublesome, afflictive, distressing, laborious, grievous, toilsome, arduous, difficult.

Ant. Pleasant, pleasurable, acceptable, agreeable, grateful, desirable, delectable, delicious.

Painstaking. Careful, diligent, attentive, faithful, laborious.

Ant. Neglectful, heedless, unmindful, disregardful, improvident, thoughtless, careless.

Paint. Color, picture, depict, delineate, sketch, draw, portray.

Ant. Misrepresent, caricature, daub.

Pair. Two, couple, span, brace, yoke.

Ant. One, several, many.

Pale. Pallid, white, wan, colorless, dim, sallow.

Ant. Ruddy, high-colored, conspicuous, brilliant.

Palliate. Cover, conceal, extenuate, hide, veil, screen, cloak, gloss over, apologize for, mitigate.

Ant. Alleviate; aggravate, heighten, increase, intensify.

Palm. Laurels, bays, prize, trophy, crown.

Ant. Shame, blot, stigma, brand.

Palpable. Perceptible, obvious, plain, gross, material, corporeal, manifest, evident, patent, distinct.

Ant. Immaterial, intangible, ethereal, impalpable, indistinct, dubious, imperceptible.

Paltry. Contemptible, worthless, mean, vile, pitiful, trifling.

Ant. Valuable, estimable, admirable, worthy, grand, excellent, magnificent.

Panegyric. Eulogy, encomium, praise, laudation, commendation.

Ant. Satire, sarcasm, tirade, stricture, invective, philippic.

Pang. Agony, anguish, distress, paroxysm, throe.

Ant. Pleasure, delight, refreshment, enjoyment, gratification.

Parable. Fable, allegory, apologue, similitude.

Ant. History, fact, narrative.

Parade, n. Ostentation, display, show, pomp, pageant, spectacle, procession.

Ant. Modesty, humility, retirement, simplicity, plainness, seclusion, suppression.

Paradise. Bliss, heaven, Eden, ecstasy, Elysium.

Ant. Purgatory, hell, torture, misery, torment.

Paradox. Contradiction, ambiguity, absurdity, enigma, mystery.

Ant. Axiom, postulate, precept, truism, proposition.

Parallel. Correspondent, correlative, analogous, concurrent, equidistant.

Ant. Different, opposed, divergent, irrelative, incongruous.

Paralyze. Deaden, benumb, unnerve, destroy, impair, enfeeble, prostrate, debilitate.

Ant. Nerve, strengthen, restore, invigorate.

Paramount. Supreme, preëminent, chief, superior, principal.

Ant. Minor, inferior, secondary, subordinate.

Parasite. Flatterer, sycophant, courtier.

Ant. Calumniator, traducer, detractor.

Pardon, n. Absolution, mercy, forgiveness, forbearance, remission, acquittal, indulgence.

Ant. Penalty, punishment, vengeance, retribution, retaliation.

Pardon, v. Condone, forgive, absolve, excuse, overlook, remit, pass over or by, acquit.

Ant. Convict, castigate, condemn, chastise, correct, punish, doom, sentence, scourge, visit upon, recompense, chasten.

Pardonable. Excusable, forgivable, venial.

Ant. Inexcusable, unpardonable.

Parentage. Descent, extraction, lineage, birth, stock, pedigree.

Parsimonious. Avaricious, frugal, sparing, close, stingy, penurious, niggardly, illiberal.

Ant. Liberal, profuse, unsparing, extravagant.

Part, n. Fraction, fragment, section, atom, segment, element, piece, portion, instalment, constituent, component, ingredient, member, particle, share, subdivision.

Ant. Whole, mass, bulk, entirety, quantity, totality.

Partake. Share, participate.

Ant. Yield, forfeit, forego, relinquish.

Partial. Biased, restricted, specific, limited, imperfect, incomplete, unfair, unjust, warped, interested, inequitable.

Ant. Unrestricted, universal, general, equitable, just, unbiased, impartial.

Particle. Atom, corpuscle, iota, grain, jot, mite, molecule, element, whit, tittle, scrap, shred, scintilla.

Ant. Mass, quantity, sum, entirety, sum total, whole, aggregate, total.

Particular, n. Detail, point, feature.

Ant. Whole, subject, case.

Particular, a. Sole, single, individual, respective, appropriate, personal, singular, important, peculiar, especial, specific, precise, critical, circumstantial.

Ant. Universal, general, comprehensive, indiscriminate, abstract, inaccurate, inexact, undiscriminating.

Parting. Separation, leave-taking, farewell, dividing, division, disruption, detachment.

Ant. Union, attachment.

Partisan. Adherent, follower, supporter, disciple.

Ant. Opponent, antagonist, adversary.

Partition. Division, distribution, separation, allotment, apportionment; compartment, interspace, barrier.

Ant. Combination, inclusion, comprehension, collection, union.

Partly. In part, somewhat, partially, not wholly.

Ant. Altogether, entirely, completely, to the full extent.

Partner. Associate, colleague, coadjutor, confederate, participator, partaker, comrade, mate, companion.

Ant. Rival, competitor, opponent, adversary, alien.

Partnership. Company, firm, union, connection, society, interest, house, association, participation.

Ant. Independence, disconnection, disjunction, disunion, dissociation.

Pass. Go, move, proceed, disappear, vanish, depart, take place, occur, elapse, spend, live, experience; transcend, exceed; send, transmit, deliver; utter, promise, pledge; finish.

Ant. Hold up; abide, wait, halt, continue, endure.

Passable. Navigable, current, acceptable, tolerable, admissible, moderate, traversable, mediocre.

Ant. Impassable, impenetrable, inadmissible, impervious; excellent.

Passage. Transit, conveyance, journey, way, road, path, hall, course, progress, process, vestibule, corridor.

Passible. Susceptible, sensitive, sensible, impressible.

Ant. Impassible, insusceptible, unsensitive.

Passion. Feeling, emotion, susceptibility, sentiment, ardor, excitement, desire, anger, warmth, vehemence.

Ant. Indifference, apathy, coldness, coolness, frigidity.

Passive. Quiescent, unopposing, enduring, submissive, patient, unresisting, inert, inactive, relaxed, negative.

Ant. Resistant, positive, impatient, vehement, active, alert.

Past. Gone by, elapsed, ended, spent, departed, late, accomplished.

Ant. Present; future.

Pastime. Entertainment, recreation, sport, play, amusement, diversion.

Ant. Business, work, task, labor, occupation, study.

Patent. Open, expanded, evident, apparent, manifest, public.

Ant. Ambiguous, questionable, dubious.

Paternal. Fatherly, tender, careful, hereditary.

Ant. Careless, rough, harsh; acquired, conferred, won.

Path. Footway, track, pathway, route, course, road; method.

Pathetic. Affecting, emotional, moving, pitiful, tender, touching, melting, plaintive.

Ant. Ludicrous, ridiculous, farcical, unaffecting.

Pathless. Untrodden, impenetrable, trackless.

Ant. Trodden, frequented.

Patience. Composure, calmness, leniency, fortitude, sufferance, submission, endurance, forbearance, resignation, long-suffering.

Ant. Anger, impatience, ire, passion, fury, frenzy, rage, temper, vexation, petulance, wrath, fretfulness, peevishness.

Patient. Resigned, passive, enduring, unrepining, calm, forbearing, long-suffering.

Ant. Impatient, insubmissive, malcontent, vehement, resistant.

Patrician. Noble, aristocratic, high-born, well-born.

Ant. Plebeian, churlish, ordinary, peasant.

Patrimony. Heritage, inheritance, estate.

Pattern. Archetype, exemplar, specimen, sample, design, mold.

Ant. Caricature, misrepresentation, monstrosity, perversion.

Paucity. Scantiness, deficiency, fewness, lack, want, rarity.

Ant. Fulness, number, frequency, abundance, quantity.

Pause, n. Stop, cessation, interruption, suspension, hesitation, suspense, doubt.

Ant. Continuance, continuity, perseverance, progress, progression, advancement.

Pause, v. Stop, cease, intermit, wait, stay, tarry, demur, hesitate.

Ant. Continue, proceed, persist, persevere, advance.

Pay, n. Earnings, stipend, salary, wages, allowance, retainer, remuneration, payment, compensation, hire, fee, requital, honorarium.

Pay, v. Recompense, requite, satisfy, compensate, discharge, remunerate, fulfil, expend, liquidate, disburse.

Ant. Deprive, defraud, retain, exact, hoard, invest.

Payment. Pay, compensation, satisfaction, content, salary, reward, wages, recompense, requital, return.

Peace. Quiet, calm, repose, tranquillity, stillness, silence, harmony, amity, concord, reconciliation, order, pacification.

Ant. Noise, disturbance, disorder, war, strife, discord, variance, tumult, agitation, hostility.

Peaceable. Peaceful, pacific, undisturbed, tranquil, quiet, mild, serene, still.

Ant. Warlike, quarrelsome, hostile, savage, fierce, violent, restless.

Peasant. Countryman, rustic, swain, laborer, villager.

Ant. Citizen, townsman.

Peculiar. Special, especial, individual, particular, appropriate, unusual, singular, strange, rare.

Ant. General, universal, ordinary, public, common.

Peculiarity. Individuality, singularity, idiosyncrasy, distinctiveness, specialty, characteristic, particularity.

Ant. Universality, generality, uniformity, homogeneity, community.

Pedigree. Lineage, descent, ancestry, genealogy, birth, parentage.

Ant. Ancestor, founder, origin; plebeianism; extinction.

Peer. Equal, match, mate, comrade, associate; nobleman.

Ant. Superior; subordinate.

Peerless. Unmatched, matchless, unequaled, unique, superlative, paramount.

Ant. Ordinary, mediocre, commonplace.

Peevish. Querulous, cross, testy, ill-tempered, captious, discontented, petulant, irritable, ill-natured, irascible.

Ant. Good-natured, easy, genial, mild, complaisant, gentle.

Penal. Punitive, retributive, corrective.

Ant. Preventive, reparatory; honorary, remunerary.

Penalty. Retribution, forfeiture, fine, punishment, amercement, mulct.

Ant. Reward, wages, guerdon, prize, honorarium, remuneration, compensation.

Pendent. Pendulous, overhanging, hanging, suspended, depending.

Ant. Supported, sustaining, propped.

Penetrate. Enter, pierce, comprehend, discern, understand, perforate, permeate, fathom.

Ant. Glance off, be tangent to, find impermeable; misunderstand, mistake; float.

Penetration. Discernment, sagacity, acuteness, discrimination, sharpness, observation, insight.

Ant. Obtuseness, shortsightedness; stupidity, shallowness, dulness.

Penitence. Repentance, contrition, remorse, sorrow, regret, compunction.

Ant. Self-approval, gratulation; obduracy, hardheartedness.

Penitent, Penitential. Repentant, contrite, doing penance.

Ant. Impenitent, obdurate, hardhearted.

Pensive. Thoughtful, sad, wistful, meditative, dreamy, sober; serious, mournful, melancholy, solemn, reflective.

Ant. Joyous, glad, happy, gay, care-free, thoughtless, unreflecting.

Penurious. Covetous, parsimonious, stingy, avaricious, niggardly, sordid.

Ant. Liberal, bountiful, generous, prodigal.

Penury. Want, privation, indigence, poverty, destitution, beggary, need.

Ant. Wealth, abundance, affluence, luxury, competence.

People. Nation, race, population, state, tribe, community, commonwealth.

Perceivable, Perceptible. Discernible, distinguishable, cognizable, observable.

Ant. Imperceptible, indistinguishable, insensible, inappreciable.

Perceive. Comprehend, apprehend, conceive, understand.

Ant. Ignore, lose, miss, fail of, overlook, misconceive, misapprehend.

Perception. Discernment, apprehension, recognition, understanding, comprehension, feeling, sensation, sense.

Ant. Conception, concept, imagination, idea, notion; misunderstanding.

Percolate. Filter, strain, exude, drain, ooze.

Ant. Flow, rush, stream, run, disgorge.

Percussion. Shock, clash, collision, concussion, encounter.

Ant. Recoil, rebound, reverberation.

Perdition. Loss, ruin, destruction, overthrow, wreck, demolition.

Ant. Restoration, recovery, rescue, salvation.

Peremptory. Decisive, positive, absolute, final, authoritative, arbitrary, express, dogmatical, determined, resolute.

Ant. Hortatory, mild, entreative, expostulatory, suggestive.

Perennial. Perpetual, unceasing, never failing, enduring, continual, constant, permanent, uninterrupted.

Ant. Occasional, intermittent, periodic, uncertain; perishing, ephemeral, transient, fleeting.

Perfect. Finished, complete, entire, faultless, consummate, accurate, ideal, finished, absolute, completed, correct, immaculate, sinless, blameless, holy, undefiled, stainless, spotless, unblemished.

Ant. Imperfect, bad, deficient, blemished, faulty, corrupt, poor, inferior, incomplete, perverted, worthless, spoiled, insufficient, meager, defective, short, scant, marred, defaced, corrupted, deformed, fallible, ruined.

Perfection. Excellence, completeness, faultlessness, maturity, wholeness, consummation, perfectness.

Ant. Defect, imperfection, incompleteness, blemish.

Perfectly. Thoroughly, exquisitely, completely, faultlessly, entirely, fully, wholly, exactly, accurately.

Ant. Imperfectly, faultily, partially, inaccurately.

Perfidious. False, treacherous, faithless, disloyal, dishonest, untrustworthy.

Ant. True, loyal, stanch, upright, faithful, honest, trustworthy.

Perform. Complete, accomplish, execute, do, discharge, fulfil; represent, act, play, enact, consummate, achieve.

Ant. Spoil, injure, harm, ruin, mar; fail of, misconduct.

Performance. Completion, consummation, execution, accomplishment, achievement, work, production, act, action, deed, exploit, feat.

Ant. Failure, defeat, omission, abortion, undoing, nonperformance.

Perfume. Odor, redolence, balminess, fragrance, smell, aroma, scent.

Ant. Stench, stink, fume.

Perfunctory. Mechanical, careless, listless, indifferent.

Ant. Animated, spirited, assiduous, careful, ardent, zealous, interested.

Perhaps. By chance, peradventure, perchance, maybe, haply, possibly.

Ant. Certainly, inevitably.

Peril. Hazard, risk, jeopardy, danger, venture, insecurity, liability.

Ant. Safety, assurance, certainty, security.

Period. Time, cycle, age, epoch, limit, end, conclusion; era, duration, date, term, continuance, termination, conclusion, bound.

Ant. Eternity, infinity, perpetuity, endlessness, everlasting.

Periodical. Recurring, regular, stated, recurrent, systematic, calculable, serial.

Ant. Indeterminate, eccentric, fitful, spasmodic, irregular.

Permanent. Enduring, abiding, changeless, constant, durable, steadfast, unchangeable, immutable, invariable, fixed, unchanging, stable, lasting, persistent, perpetual.

Ant. Transient, brief, fleeting, evanescent, passing, transitory, momentary, temporary, ephemeral.

Permission. Authority, allowance, consent, liberty, leave, license, permit, authorization.

Ant. Hindrance, opposition, objection, denial, prevention, prohibition, refusal, resistance.

Pernicious. Mischievous, baneful, destructive, noisome, deleterious, harmful, hurtful, poisonous, noxious, pestilential, unhealthful, unwholesome, detrimental, deadly, evil, foul, injurious, insalubrious, pestiferous, perverting, ruinous.

Ant. Helpful, invigorating, salutary, advantageous, good, favorable, life-giving, rejuvenating, useful, serviceable, beneficent, wholesome, beneficial, healthful.

Perpetual. Continual, endless, unceasing, unfailing, incessant, constant, eternal, everlasting, perennial, permanent, enduring.

Ant. Periodic, transient, recurrent, temporary, occasional, casual, momentary.

Perplex. Entangle, involve, complicate, embarrass, puzzle, bewilder, confuse, distract, annoy, confound, trouble, worry, disturb, pester, bother, mystify.

Ant. Enlighten, clear, explicate, simplify, elucidate, illumine, unfold, explain, manifest, calm, quiet, control, please, instruct, solve, illustrate, make intelligible, account for.

Perplexity. Confusion, bewilderment, disturbance, distraction, doubt, embarrassment, astonishment, amazement.

Ant. Composure, calmness; discernment, insight.

Perseverance. Persistency, tenacity, steadfastness, steadiness, constancy, pertinacity, indefatigableness, resolution.

Ant. Fitfulness, caprice, instability, variableness, irregularity; indecision, vacillation, wavering, irresoluteness.

Perspicacity. Acuteness, keenness, discernment, penetration, perspicaciousness, insight, sagacity, astuteness, distinctness, explicitness.

Ant. Dulness, stupefaction, obtuseness, hebetude, stolidity, inobservance, insensibility.

Perspicuity. Plainness, lucidity, clearness, explicitness, intelligibility, transparency, perspicuousness.

Ant. Obscurity, turbidness, unintelligibility, incomprehensibility, indefiniteness, doubtfulness, mysticism, confusion.

Persuade. Dispose, allure, entice, urge, move, influence, prevail upon, coax, bring over, incline, convince, lead, induce, incite, win over, impel.

Ant. Deter, discourage, restrain, hinder, repel, dissuade, hold back.

Pertinent. Apposite, relevant, suitable, appropriate, proper, fit, adapted.

Ant. Unrelated, unsuitable, impertinent, incongruous, alien, unconnected, discordant, inharmonious.

Pertness. Impertinence, boldness, forwardness, sauciness, flippancy, impudence, briskness, liveliness, smartness, sprightliness.

Ant. Diffidence, humility, modesty, shyness, bashfulness, demureness.

Perverse. Obstinate, contrary, fractious, froward, intractable, petulant, wilful, wayward, ungovernable, stubborn, factious, untoward.

Ant. Compliant, genial, accommodating, governable, kind, obliging, complaisant, amenable.

Petition, n. Prayer, supplication, entreaty; solicitation, application, suit, appeal, address.

Ant. Protest, claim, expostulation, demand, injunction, dictation, exaction, dissension, dissent.

Philanthropy. Love, good will, charity, benevolence, humanity, public-spiritedness.

Ant. Misanthropy, ill will, selfishness.

Philosopher. Student, theorist, speculator, teacher, master, savant, schoolman, doctor; adept.

Ant. Learner, pupil, beginner; ignoramus, dunce.

Philosophical. Rational, wise, temperate, calm, cool, reasonable, sound, collected, composed, sedate, tranquil, Platonic.

Ant. Popular, crude, loose, inaccurate, illogical, irrational, unsound, unscientific, thoughtless, hotheaded, impulsive.

Physical. Material, natural, corporal, sensible, visible, tangible, bodily, corporeal.

Ant. Mental, spiritual, immaterial, unsubstantial, hyperphysical, intangible, moral, unreal, intellectual, invisible.

Picturesque. Graphic, vivid, artistic, beautiful, scenic, pictorial, graceful, comely, seemly.

Ant. Unseemly, ugly, inartistic, ungraceful, tame, flat, insipid.

Piety. Sanctity, godliness, holiness, religion, reverence, devotion, grace.

Ant. Impiety, sacrilege, sinfulness, ungodliness, hypocrisy, formalism, sanctimoniousness.

Piquant. Tart, sharp, pungent, stimulating, biting, racy, stinging, cutting, severe.

Ant. Flat, tame, dull, insipid.

Pique. Resentment, umbrage, irritation, displeasure, grudge, offense.

Ant. Delight, gratification, pleasure, satisfaction, contentment, approval, complacency.

Piteous. Sorrowful, mournful, affecting, doleful, lamentable, woful, rueful, sad, pitiable, pitiful.

Ant. Joyous, glad, merry, happy, cheerful, comfortable, desirable, pleasant, agreeable, delectable.

Pitiful. Lamentable, mournful, base, contemptible, piteous, pathetic, pitiable, touching, sorrowful, woful, wretched, despicable, moving, paltry.

Ant. Exalted, glorious, helpful, great, grand, sublime, superior, beneficent, commanding, august, dignified, noble, lofty, mighty, superb.

Pity. Sympathy, mercy, tenderness, condolence, compassion, commiseration.

Ant. Cruelty, severity, mercilessness, sternness, hardness, rigor, inhumanity, brutality, barbarity, harshness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, hardheartedness, ferocity, truculence.

Placid. Pleased, contented, unruffled, undisturbed, peaceful, serene, tranquil, quiet, gentle, collected, calm, composed, passionless.

Ant. Discontent, disturbed, distressed, anxious, distracted, perplexed, distrait; vehement, wild, passionate, impulsive, agitated, ruffled, excited, impassioned.

Plain. Artless, undisguised, sincere, frank, honest, ingenuous, candid, unembellished, simple, downright, blunt, distinct, apparent, manifest, open, clear, evident, visible, obvious, unmistakable, conspicuous, level, flat, smooth; easy, natural, homely, ugly; simple, frugal.

Ant. Unnatural, pretended, affected, assumed, feigned, artificial, insincere, vain, pretentious, conceited; ornate, ornamented, decorated, embellished; involved, obscure, hidden, invisible, inconspicuous, uneven, undulating, rugged, broken, ambiguous, abrupt, obstructed, uncertain, enigmatical, abstruse; beautiful, sophisticated, artful.

Plant, v. Seed, set, sow, seed down, set out.

Ant. Eradicate, uproot, extirpate, weed out, root up.

Plausible. Specious, seeming, pretending, fair-spoken, passable, pretentious, ostensible, apparent; colorable, feasible.

Ant. Genuine, transparent, true, sterling, veritable, unmistakable, authentic, sincere, unaffected.

Plead. Advocate, ask, beg, urge, argue, solicit, entreat, implore, press.

Ant. Grant, bestow, answer.

Pleasant. Kindly, obliging, attractive, pleasing, pleasurable, agreeable, kind, good-natured.

Ant. Disagreeable, gloomy, glum, harsh, hateful, repulsive, unpleasant, repellent, offensive, unkind, forbidding, dreary, arrogant, austere, grim, ill-natured, ill-humored, repelling.

Pleasure. Satisfaction, comfort, solace, joy, gladness, delight, will, choice, purpose, command, kindness, enjoyment, gratification, happiness, self-indulgence, voluptuousness.

Ant. Suffering, affliction, pain, sorrow, sadness, distress, misery, compulsion, force, coercion; mourning, depression, dejection, melancholy, misfortune, poverty, want.

Plenitude. Fulness, abundance, completeness, plenty, repletion, plethora; luxury, affluence, exuberance, wealth, richness, profusion, amplitude, enough, supply, sufficiency.

Ant. Want, need, scarcity, scantiness, dearth, insufficiency, restriction, poverty, partiality, stint, reserve, narrowness, penury, impecuniosity.

Plentiful. Bountiful, generous, large, abundant, adequate, copious, enough, full, profuse, rich, sufficient, complete, exuberant, plenteous, replete, teeming, affluent, ample, lavish, liberal, luxuriant, overflowing, abounding.

Ant. Deficient, drained, impoverished, scanty, insufficient, small, sparing, stingy, straitened, poor, scant, exhausted, inadequate, mean, miserly, narrow, niggardly, scarce, short, scrimped.

Plot. Intrigue, conspiracy, cabal, contrivance, scheme, stratagem, project, combination, machination; story.

Ant. Blunder, botch; misarrangement, miscontrivance.

Poet. Bard, author of poems, singer, rimester, rimer, versifier.

Poetical. Metrical, rhythmical, lyric, rimed, versified; imaginative, fictitious, creative.

Ant. Prosaic, unpoetical, unrimed, unversified, unrhythmic; commonplace, matter-of-fact, unimaginative, realistic; mathematical, historical.

Poetry. Meter, rime, numbers, poesy, song, verse, poem, metrical composition.

Ant. Prose, prosaic speech, prosaic writing.

Poignant. Pricking, piercing, sharp, pungent; pointed, keen, satirical.

Ant. Blunt, dull, obtuse, insipid, pointless, vapid, inexpressive.

Poisonous. Venomous, baneful, corrupting, noxious, pestilential, malignant, virulent, pestiferous, deleterious, mephitic.

Ant. Salubrious, wholesome, healthful, beneficial, sanative, genial, remedial, hygienic.

Polite. Courteous, civil, courtly, obliging, gracious, polished, accomplished, complaisant, cultivated, cultured, elegant, genteel, urbane, well-behaved, well-mannered, well-bred.

Ant. Awkward, clownish, unmannerly, uncouth, boorish, blunt, impertinent, brusk, bluff, impolite, insolent, coarse, ill-bred, ill-behaved, rude, rustic, impudent, ill-mannered, untutored, uncivil, untaught, discourteous, unpolished, insulting.

Politeness. Courtesy, civility, gentility, refinement, courtliness, elegance, urbanity, good breeding, decorum, complaisance, affability.

Ant. Rudeness, arrogance, incivility, churlishness, ungraciousness, insolence, sauciness, impertinence, effrontery, presumption.

Poor. Needy, indigent, destitute; lean, emaciated; feeble, dejected; shabby, mean; unfavorable, uncomfortable; barren; sterile; inadequate, insignificant, insufficient; meek.

Ant. Rich, wealthy, affluent, opulent; splendid, costly, valuable, estimable; fruitful, abundant, luxuriant, productive, prolific; copious, abounding, ample, well-supplied, comfortable, favorable; adequate, sufficient; important, significant, arrogant, self-assertive.

Popular. Cheap, common, ordinary, inferior; familiar, plain, easy, comprehensible; favorite, liked, approved, accepted, accredited; current, prevalent, general, prevailing; pertaining to the people, vulgar, plebeian; mediocre.

Ant. Unpopular, exclusive, aristocratic, snobbish; special, excellent, unique, superior, eminent; selfish, narrow, illiberal, uncharitable; sole, only, scientific, restricted, esoteric; odious, detested.

Position. Situation, station, assertion, place, posture, locality, site; attitude; state, condition, circumstances; principle, doctrine, proposition, dictum, affirmation, thesis; rank.

Positive. Real, actual, absolute, explicit, definite, confident, certain, dogmatic; defined, precise, clear; veritable, substantial, true; indisputable, incontrovertible; indubitable; decisive, unconditional, imperative, unequivocal, settled, assured, express.

Ant. Negative, denying, indirect, disavowing, disclaiming, privative; relative; unreal, fictitious, imaginative, contingent, dependent, implied, conditional, dubious, unsubstantial, indefinite, equivocal.

Possession. Control, ownership, tenure, retention, management, occupation; (pl.) property, estate, wealth, dominion.

Ant. Dispossession, resignation, surrender, abandoning, renouncing.

Potent. Powerful, mighty, puissant, strong, able, efficient, efficacious, forcible, cogent, influential, effective, active, energetic.

Ant. Impotent, powerless, weak, feeble, infirm; inefficient, incapable, incompetent, incapacitated.

Potential. Possible, implicit, undeveloped, virtual, immanent, inherent, intrinsic.

Ant. Actual, explicit, real, objective, developed, express, determinate, positive, clear, definite.

Poverty. Distress, beggary, indigence, destitution, pauperism, penury, privation, want, need, mendicancy.

Ant. Wealth, riches, affluence, luxury, comfort.

Power. Ability, competency, capacity, faculty, aptitude, dexterity, efficiency, might, talent, energy, skill, strength, readiness, capability, cleverness, expertness, efficacy, force, qualification, cogency, susceptibility.

Ant. Feebleness, weakness, helplessness, impotence, incompetence, inability, inaptitude, dulness, awkwardness, imbecility, incapacity, inefficiency, unskilfulness, maladroitness, stupidity.

Practice, n. Usage, habit, custom; performance, application, system; manner, method, mode, experience.

Ant. Theory, speculation, assumption, ideal, conjecture, abstraction.

Practice, v. Do, perform, exercise, carry out, execute; teach, train; habituate, try; apply, use; pursue.

Ant. Abandon, misuse, disuse, neglect, disregard, slight, omit, pass over.

Praise, n. Applause, approval, cheering, compliment, acclaim, adulation, acclamation, approbation, cheers, plaudit, eulogy, encomium, flattery, laudation, panegyric, sycophancy.

Ant. Abuse, blame, censure, contempt, reproach, ignominy, slander, scorn, obloquy, animadversion, condemnation, denunciation, disapprobation, disparagement, vituperation, reproof, disapproval, repudiation, hissing, vilification.

Praise, v. Laud, eulogize, celebrate, magnify, glorify; honor, commend; applaud, extol, compliment.

Ant. Decry, blame, censure, reprove, disparage, depreciate, discredit, traduce, condemn.

Pray. Ask, beg, beseech, entreat, implore, invoke, petition, supplicate, request, importune, bid, plead, call upon, conjure.

Precarious. Doubtful, dubious, hazardous, perilous, risky, insecure, uncertain, unsettled, unsteady, unstable, unassured.

Ant. Firm, settled, stable, sure, certain, real, undoubted, unquestionable, actual, assured, immutable, incontestable, undeniable, infallible, strong, steady.

Precaution. Foresight, prudence, forethought, providence, wariness, care.

Ant. Thoughtlessness, improvidence, carelessness, imprudence.

Precedent, n. Example, antecedent, case, instance, pattern, authority, warrant.

Precept. Commandment, law, injunction, mandate, rule, direction, principle, maxim; doctrine, dogma; order; instruction.

Ant. Hint, suggestion, allusion, insinuation, prompting, impulse, instigation.

Precise. Accurate, exact, correct, definite, scrupulous, punctilious, particular, nice, formal; explicit, terse.

Ant. Inaccurate, inexact, incorrect, heedless, careless, incautious, implicit, ambiguous, circumlocutory, loose, vague, informal, unceremonious.

Predatory. Plundering, pillaging, ravaging, rapacious, marauding.

Ant. Protecting, guarding, watching, keeping, sheltering, shielding, saving.

Predestination. Fate, necessity, foreknowledge, foreordination.

Ant. Choice, freedom, free will, independence, uncertainty, accident, chance, free agency.

Prediction. Prophecy, prognostication, foreboding, divination, augury, soothsaying, vaticination, foretelling, presage.

Ant. Reminiscence, recollection, report; history, narration, account.

Preface. Introduction, proem, preamble, prologue, exordium, prelude.

Ant. Sequel, postscript, appendix, peroration, epilogue, conclusion.

Prefer. Choose, elect, select, desire, pick out, fancy, single out, fix upon; elevate, advance, promote; offer, proffer, present, address.

Ant. Reject, discard, decline, refuse, repudiate; degrade, depress; postpone, defer, withhold.

Prejudice. Bias, partiality, unfairness, preconception, prepossession, presumption.

Ant. Certainty, evidence, proof, conviction, conclusion, demonstration, reason, reasoning.

Preliminary. Prior, introductory, preparatory, prefatory, proemial, previous, precedent, antecedent.

Ant. Subsequent, following, consequent, appended, succeeding.

Premium. Reward, remuneration, recompense, prize, bonus, bounty, guerdon, meed, bribe, douceur, enhancement, gratuity.

Ant. Penalty, fine, mulct, amercement, forfeiture, depredation, decline, fall, loss.

Preposterous. Irrational, foolish, monstrous, absurd, perverted, extravagant, ridiculous, exorbitant.

Ant. Reasonable, moderate, right, just, due, fair, judicious, mediocre, commonplace.

Presence. Person, personality, individuality, port, mien, appearance, nearness, immediacy; vicinity, neighborhood.

Ant. Absence, distance, remoteness, separation; society, world; temperament, character.

Preservation. Security, safety, maintenance, conservation, integrity, protection, care, guardianship, watch and ward, soundness.

Ant. Exposure, abandonment, impairment, peril, damage, injury.

Presumption. Assumption, arrogance, effrontery, audacity, assurance; presupposition, hypothesis, guess, conjecture, belief, opinion, judgment, understanding, concession, condition.

Ant. Modesty, deference, diffidence, bashfulness, hesitation; proof, deduction, demonstration, verification, certainty, fact.

Pretend. Claim, represent, allege, simulate, feign, profess; counterfeit.

Ant. Verify, substantiate, refute, detect, expose, unmask, test.

Pretense. Disguise, excuse, affectation, mask, show, pretension, semblance, wile, trick, subterfuge, simulation, ruse, assumption, pretext, seeming, dissimulation, air, cloak, color.

Ant. Candor, sincerity, ingenuousness, frankness, honesty, truth, openness, reality, simplicity, guilelessness, fact, actuality.

Prevalence. Success, superiority, predominance, preponderance; influence, force, power, strength, efficacy; universality, extension, acceptation, custom, operation.

Ant. Decay, desuetude, disappearance, evanescence, subordination, collapse, destruction, abolition, subsidence, subjection, diminution.

Previous. Antecedent, before, earlier, precedent, preliminary, introductory, prior, preceding, front, forward, former, foregoing, anterior.

Ant. After, concluding, following, consequent, later, posterior, latter, succeeding, subsequent, hindmost, hinder, hind.

Price. Expense, outlay, worth, expenditure, value, charge, cost.

Pride. Arrogance, insolence, reserve, haughtiness, self-esteem, presumption, superciliousness, vanity, ostentation, conceit, self-respect, self-exaltation, disdain, vainglory, self-conceit, self-complacency.

Ant. Humility, lowliness, modesty, self-distrust, meekness, self-abasement.

Primary. First, fundamental, primitive, original, preparatory; chief, principal, pristine; elementary, leading.

Ant. Secondary, posterior, subsequent, later, following; unimportant, subordinate, inferior; supplemental, auxiliary.

Prime, n. Perfection, culmination, apex, zenith; dawn, opening, youth, spring, beginning; cream, flower.

Ant. Wane, winter, evening; decadence, decay.

Primeval. Immemorial, original, old, primal, patriarchal, native, primitive, pristine, uncreated, ancient, aboriginal, autochthonic, indigenous, prime, primary, primordial.

Ant. Foreign, fresh, late, modern, new, novel, recent, exotic, adventitious.

Principal. Highest, most important, chief, main; leading, foremost, preëminent, capital, essential; primary, first.

Ant. Subordinate, inferior, secondary, auxiliary, supplemental, minor, dependent, subservient, ancillary.

Principle. Source, cause, origin; faculty, endowment; postulate, truth, maxim, axiom; rule, law; element; doctrine, dogma, opinion; ground, motive, reason; integrity, rectitude, uprightness, probity, virtue, worth, honor.

Ant. Result, sequence, development, issue; application, action, operation, exercise, manifestation, exhibition; iniquity, immorality.

Prize. Trophy, honor, reward, premium, guerdon, palm, laurels; capture; gain, advantage; spoil, plunder, booty.

Ant. Loss, failure, fine, forfeiture; brand, stigma, infamy.

Probation. Examination, trial, ordeal, test, assay, proof, experiment.

Ant. License, irresponsibility, non-probation.

Proclaim. Publish, announce, declare, promulgate, herald, advertise, enunciate, utter, blaze abroad, report, make known.

Ant. Silence, repress, suppress, conceal, secrete; retract, recall.

Prodigal, a. Extravagant, profuse, lavish, bountiful, wasteful, squandering.

Ant. Economical, thrifty, saving, frugal; close, miserly, niggardly.

Profession. Avowal, declaration, claim; occupation, vocation, employment; law, theology, or medicine; assertion, acknowledgment; representation, pretense, protestation.

Ant. Denial, concealment, suppression; retraction, recantation, disavowal; leisure, fad, hobby, avocation; trade, business.

Proficient. Expert, adept, skilful, skilled, competent, conversant, qualified, practiced, accomplished, finished, trained.

Ant. Unskilled, inexpert, awkward, ignorant, backward, inconversant, incompetent, untrained, unpracticed, inept.

Profit. Gain, advantage, benefit, emolument, improvement, proceeds, utility, usefulness, returns, value, receipts, avail, expediency, good, service.

Ant. Damage, destruction, harm, hurt, loss, injury, waste, ruin, detriment, disadvantage.

Profitable. Lucrative, beneficial, useful, advantageous, productive, desirable, gainful, remunerative.

Ant. Useless, vain, fruitless, unproductive, unremunerative, unprofitable, undesirable, disadvantageous, detrimental, unbeneficial.

Profound. Deep, descending; thorough; fathomless, abysmal; mysterious, abstruse, occult, obscure, recondite; complete; penetrating, intimate, intense, philosophical.

Ant. Superficial, shallow, commonplace, external, slight, apparent, obvious, incomplete; surface.

Progress. Advance, advancement, attainment, increase, improvement, proficiency, progression, growth, development.

Ant. Delay, check, retrogression, stay, stop, stoppage, falling off, relapse, decline, falling back.

Prohibit. Forbid, hinder, inhibit, interdict, preclude, prevent, debar, disallow.

Ant. Allow, empower, let, license, order, require, sanction, authorize, command, direct, enjoin, permit, warrant, suffer, tolerate, put up with, give permission, give consent, consent to.

Prolific. Fertile, fruitful, productive, generating, teeming, active.

Ant. Barren, sterile, unproductive, unfruitful, effete.

Prolix. Long, diffuse, tiresome, prolonged, protracted; wordy, verbose, prosaic, rambling, discursive; tedious, wearisome.

Ant. Condensed, terse, concise, brief, laconic, curt, epigrammatic.

Prominent. Projecting, manifest, protuberant, conspicuous; eminent, distinguished, famous, celebrated, important, main, principal, leading, characteristic.

Ant. Receding, hollowed, concave, indented, engraved; insignificant, secondary, unimportant, minor, indistinguishable, indistinct, subordinate, inconspicuous, trivial, immaterial, unessential.

Promote. Encourage, forward, foster, push, advance, aid, assist, foment, excite, further, help, raise, urge forward, urge on, elevate, exalt.

Ant. Abase, allay; hinder, prevent, foil, frustrate.

Prompt. Ready, quick, agile, alert, brisk, nimble, expeditious; willing, hasty, inclined, disposed, responsive, unhesitating.

Ant. Dilatory, slow, tardy, lingering, loitering, inactive, sluggish, unready, unresponsive, procrastinating, behindhand, backward.

Pronounce. Deliver, speak, utter, articulate, enunciate; declare, affirm; propound, assert, express.

Ant. Mispronounce, gabble, mumble; silence, suppress; deny, retract.

Propagate. Increase, diffuse, disseminate, promote; spread, extend, generate, promulgate, circulate.

Ant. Strangle, stifle, extinguish, suppress, repress, check, hush up; contract, diminish, reduce; contradict, deny.

Proper. Own, individual, peculiar, particular; right, fit, decent; personal, constitutional, special, specific; suitable, appropriate, seemly, legitimate; decent, respectable.

Ant. Common, universal, general; unfitting, inappropriate, unsuitable, unseemly, indecent, wrong, improper, unbecoming, unbefitting.

Propitiation. Expiation, satisfaction, atonement, reconciliation.

Ant. Reprobation, retribution, vengeance, wrath, alienation, estrangement, curse, penalty, punishment, offense, condemnation, chastisement.

Propitious. Auspicious, kind, benign, gracious, friendly, benignant, clement, kindly, favorable, merciful.

Ant. Adverse, antagonistic, hostile, repellent, unfriendly, unpropitious, unfavorable, ill-disposed, forbidding, inauspicious.

Proportion. Ratio, symmetry, relation, harmony, share, lot; equality, similarity; adjustment, distribution; arrangement, adaptation.

Ant. Disproportion, disparity, disorder, incongruity, discrepancy, absurdity, contrariety.

Proposal. Bid, offer, overture, proposition.

Ant. Acceptance, denial, refusal, rejection, repulse, disapproval.

Proposition. Proposal, statement, offer, declaration; overture, suggestion, proffer, tender; position, thesis, dictum, assertion, affirmation, doctrine.

Ant. Withdrawal, recantation, abjuration, disavowal, revocation.

Prosperity. Thrift, weal, welfare, happiness, well-being, success, good fortune.

Ant. Woe, misfortune, ill luck, failure, adversity, calamity, reverses, affliction, distress, disaster, misery.

Protest, v. Assert, aver, attest, testify; affirm, declare; asseverate, avow, profess; expostulate, remonstrate, repudiate, deprecate, denounce.

Ant. Retract, withdraw, abjure, revoke; coincide, sanction, agree, endorse, subscribe, acquiesce.

Protract. Defer, continue, delay, extend, elongate, lengthen, procrastinate, postpone, prolong, draw out.

Ant. Abbreviate, contract, conclude, hasten, hurry, reduce, shorten, abridge, curtail, limit.

Proud. Arrogant, haughty, presumptuous, lordly; worthy, admirable, grand, splendid, magnificent, ostentatious; lofty, supercilious, imperious, boastful, elated, imposing, vainglorious.

Ant. Humble, unassuming, unobtrusive, meek, lowly, mild, submissive, unpretending, deferential, affable, unpresuming, mean.

Proverb. Axiom, byword, dictum, adage, aphorism, maxim, motto, precept, truism, saying, saw, apothegm.

Provide. Prepare, supply, afford, contribute, furnish; engage, bargain, agree; stipulate; procure.

Ant. Neglect, withhold, refuse, mismanage, appropriate, overlook; divert, alienate, misuse; fail, disappoint.

Provocation. Vexation, incitement, stimulus, incentive; affront, insult, offense, indignity.

Ant. Pacification, mitigation, assuagement; deference, compliment, homage, honor, respect.

Prowess. Heroism, valor, gallantry, bravery, courage, intrepidity.

Ant. Fear, effeminacy, timidity, cowardice, cowardliness, pusillanimity.

Prudence. Discretion, frugality, forethought, judgment, judiciousness, providence, care, caution, foresight, wisdom, consideration, carefulness, circumspection.

Ant. Folly, heedlessness, prodigality, recklessness, indiscretion, wastefulness, improvidence, imprudence, thoughtlessness, rashness.

Prudent. Cautious, considerate, judicious, provident; circumspect, sagacious, wise, discreet; frugal, economical, thrifty.

Ant. Reckless, inconsiderate, improvident, wasteful, extravagant, lavish, prodigal; indiscreet, unwise; foolish, rash, imprudent, audacious.

Public. Common, general, popular, social, open; notorious.

Ant. Private, individual, secret, domestic, secluded, close, personal.

Punctilious. Exact, particular, precise, careful, nice, scrupulous, conscientious; punctual, ceremonious.

Ant. Careless, slovenly, unscrupulous; informal, unceremonious.

Puny. Small, feeble, inferior, petty; weak, diminutive, undeveloped, dwarfed, stunted, undersized, tiny.

Ant. Large, great, robust, developed, fine, vigorous; colossal, gigantic.

Pupil. Learner, disciple, student, novice, ward, tyro.

Ant. Teacher, master, proficient, scholar, adept; guardian.

Purchase, v. Buy, obtain, procure, secure, acquire, bargain for, barter for, get.

Ant. Exchange, sell, barter, dispose of, put to sale.

Pure. Innocent, unsullied, spotless, unspotted, stainless, true, guiltless, incorrupt, clean, genuine, chaste, guileless, classic, classical, holy, immaculate, virtuous, real, sheer, mere, simple, unmixed, unpolluted, unadulterated, unmingled, undefiled, unblemished, uncorrupted, unstained, untainted, untarnished, upright, perfect.

Ant. Impure, indecent, polluted, foul, tainted, unchaste, immodest, lewd, obscene, indelicate, defiled, dirty, filthy, gross, mixed, stained, sullied, unclean, tarnished, adulterated.

Purpose, n. Design, end, intention, aim, scope, meaning, object, plan, intention, purport, effect, project.

Ant. Lot, chance, accident, haphazard, casualty, fate.

Put. Deposit, place, set, lay; cause, produce, propose, state; attach, attribute, assign; assume, suppose; entice, constrain.

Ant. Remove, raise, withdraw, displace, transpose, transfer, change.

Putrid. Decayed, decomposed, rotten, stinking, putrefied, foul, offensive.

Ant. Clean, sweet, wholesome, fragrant, pure, healthful, fresh.