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10 matching synonym questions
Etymology: [myrr (Scandinavian), "swamp"]
(a) (noun) deep mud, marsh; shame (figurative)
The heavy rains turned the country roads to mire, making them impassable.
(b) (verb) to cause to stick fast, as in mud; hence, to entangle; to soil, as with mud
By falling behind in his payments, Mr. Jones became hopelessly mired in debt.
Synonyms: (nouns) slush, bog, swamp, morass; (verbs) involve, sink, enmesh; soil
Etymology: [vindicta (Latin), "revenge"]
prompted by, or inclined to seek, revenge
Lincoln was by no means a vindictive man; on the contrary, he overlooked or forgot the worst injuries done by his political opponents.
Synonyms: vengeful, revengeful, implacable
Antonyms: forgiving, magnanimous
Etymology: [im (in, Latin), "not" + pecunia, "money"]
poor; habitually without money
Although he was impecunious, the beggar returned the wallet he found in the street to its rightful owner.
Synonyms: destitute, indigent, needy, impoverished
Antonyms: opulent, affluent, wealthy
Etymology: [iners, inertis (Latin), "unskillful," "idle"; from in, "not" + ars, artis, "skill," "art"]
inactive; indisposed to activity; lacking in power to move itself
Men of genius are often dull and inert in society; as the blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Synonyms: passive, torpid, lethargic, sluggish
Antonyms: kinetic, mobile, dynamic
Etymology: [ad (Latin), + clamare, "to cry out"]
to applaud; to approve loudly
Crowds of people lined the streets to acclaim the returning heroes.
Synonyms: hail, laud, salute, applaud
Antonyms: censure, reprehend, deride, scorn, disdain, disapprove
Etymology: [dis (Latin), "away" + gradi, "to step"]
to turn aside; to get off the main subject in talking or writing
In order to make our classes more interesting, Mr. Jones frequently digresses from the topic of the day by telling a humorous story.
Synonyms: deviate, swerve, veer, stray
Etymology: [ad + celerare (Latin), "to hasten;" from celer, "quick"]
to speed up
Studies have shown that nicotine accelerates hardening of the arteries.
Synonyms: expedite, hasten, dispatch, advance
Antonyms: retard, slacken, hinder, obstruct
Etymology: [aequus (Latin), "equal" + vocare, "to call"]
being capable of double or doubtful interpretation; hence, questionable or uncertain
The witness was cited for contempt by the judge because he persisted in giving equivocal answers in his testimony.
Synonyms: ambiguous, evasive, dubious, enigmatic
Antonyms: unequivocal, straightforward, clear, frank, unquestionable
NOTE: An ambiguous statement is one that leaves us in doubt as to the exact meaning intended by the speaker. An equivocal statement is one that is subject to two widely different, sometimes contradictory, interpretations. In ambiguous statements the obscurity is due to the speaker's ineptitude; in equivocal statements the obscurity arises from the speaker's intent to deceive.
The company sent John, who lacks proper scientific training, to explain the side effects of the new drug. Consequently, his testimony at the trial was ambiguous and unclear.
At trial, the president of the company offered a rather equivocal explanation of how all of their past records concerning the case had been lost.
Etymology: [expungere (Latin), "to strike out"; from ex, "out" + pungere, "to puncture"]
to strike out
The censor refused to allow the paper to be circulated unless certain passages were expunged.
Synonyms: blot out, erase, delete, obliterate
Etymology: [exonerare, exoneratus (Latin), "unload"; from ex, "from" + onus, oneris, "a load"]
to free from blame
The official was exonerated by his superiors from any suspicion of having shirked his duties.
Synonyms: absolve, exculpate, acquit, vindicate
Antonyms: inculpate, accuse, condemn, indict, arraign, impugn, convict