Synonyms:
| account, | legend, | narrative, | recital, | relation, |
| anecdote, | myth, | novel, | record, | tale. |
| incident, | narration, |
A story is the telling of some series of connected incidents or events, whether real or fictitious, in prose or verse, orally or in writing; or the series of incidents or events thus related may be termed a story. In children's talk, a story is a common euphemism for a falsehood. Tale is nearly synonymous with story, but is somewhat archaic; it is used for an imaginative, legendary, or fictitious recital, especially if of ancient date; as, a fairy tale; also, for an idle or malicious report; as, do not tell tales; "where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth." Prov. xxvi, 20. An anecdote tells briefly some incident, assumed to be fact. If it passes close limits of brevity, it ceases to be an anecdote, and becomes a narrative or narration. A traditional or mythical story of ancient times is a legend. A history is often somewhat poetically[344] called a story; as, the story of the American civil war. Compare [ALLEGORY]; [FICTION]; [HISTORY].
Antonyms:
| annals, | biography, | chronicle, | history, | memoir. |
STUPIDITY.
Synonyms:
| apathy, | insensibility, | slowness, | stupefaction, |
| dulness, | obtuseness, | sluggishness, | stupor. |
Stupidity is sometimes loosely used for temporary dulness or partial stupor, but chiefly for innate and chronic dulness and sluggishness of mental action, obtuseness of apprehension, etc. Apathy may be temporary, and be dispelled by appeal to the feelings or by the presentation of an adequate motive, but stupidity is inveterate and commonly incurable. Compare [APATHY]; [IDIOCY]; [STUPOR].