
anachronism | anachronism: n. misdate, misdating, misapplication; antedate, antedating, prochronism; postdate, postdating, parachronism: The poster showing Cleopatra smoking a cigarette is an anachronism - a prochronism, to be specific.
analyse | analyse: v. 1 take apart or to pieces, separate, dissect, break down, anatomize: If we analyse these statistics for England and Wales, we find no pattern. The scientists are analysing the internal constitution of a glacier. 2 examine, investigate, study, scrutinize, interpret; assess, evaluate, critique, criticize, review; estimate, assay, test: We must first explicitly define and analyse the nature of the sample we found.
analysis | analysis: n. 1 examination, investigation, study, scrutiny, enquiry or inquiry, dissection, assay, breakdown, division: The analysis has shown the presence of arsenic in her soup. 2 interpretation, opinion, judgement, criticism, critique; review: She disagrees with our analysis of the poem.
ancestor | ancestor: n. forebear, forefather; forerunner, precursor, antecedent, Formal progenitor, primogenitor: His ancestors were transported to Australia in a prison ship, and he''s proud of it. The eohippus, only a foot high, was the ancestor of the horse.
anchor | anchor: n. 1 mooring: The ship rode at anchor in the harbour. 2 stability, security, mainstay, support, stabilizer, holdfast, sheet anchor: Marie is an anchor to windward for George, who tends to be a bit irresponsible. --v. 3 attach, affix, secure, moor, fix, fasten; pin, rivet, glue: You must anchor the foundation before adding the walls. She remained anchored to the spot, refusing to move.
ancient | ancient: adj. 1 old, bygone, past, former, earlier, Literary olden: In ancient times there were very few books. 2 old, antique, antediluvian, primitive, prehistoric, primeval, primordial, Noachian, Literary Ogygian: In those ancient days man had only just come down from the trees. 3 old, old-fashioned, archaic, time-worn, aged, ageing, obsolescent, antiquated, elderly, venerable, grey, hoary, superannuated, obsolete, fossil, fossilized: We were accosted by an ancient crone at the mouth of the cave.
anger | anger: n. 1 rage, wrath, ire, fury, pique, spleen, choler; antagonism, irritation, vexation, indignation, displeasure, annoyance, irritability, resentment, outrage: Her anger got the better of her, so she simply punched him. --v. 2 enrage, infuriate, madden, pique, incense, raise one''s hackles, make one''s blood boil, rile, gall; annoy, irritate, vex, nettle, displease, exasperate, provoke: Father was so angered by the insult that he refused to pay.
angle� | angle�: n. 1 slant, oblique, corner, edge, intersection; bend, cusp, point, apex, projection: The two walls meet at an angle. 2 slant, point of view, aspect, viewpoint, standpoint, approach, position, side, perspective: The managing editor told me he''s looking for a new angle on the kidnapping story.
angle� | angle�: v. angle for. fish for; look for, seek, be after, try for, hunt for: On holiday we went angling for perch. Fran is angling for compliments on her new dress.
angry | angry: adj. 1 enraged, furious, irate, resentful, ireful, wrathful, piqued, incensed, infuriated, fuming; irritated, irritable, annoyed, vexed, irascible, provoked, indignant, exasperated, splenetic, Literary wroth, Colloq livid, hot under the collar, on the warpath, (all) steamed up, up in arms, mad, Slang browned off, Brit cheesed off: Father was angry with me for letting the cat out. 2 inflamed, irritated, sore, smarting: He has an angry lesion where the fetters rubbed against his ankles.
anguish | anguish: n. 1 suffering, pain, agony, torment, torture, misery: She endured the anguish of toothache rather than go to the dentist. 2 suffering, grief, distress, woe, anxiety: He underwent terrible anguish in the waiting-room till the surgeon arrived. --v. 3 disturb, upset, distress, afflict, trouble; torment, torture: The anguished cries of prisoners could be heard.
animal | animal: n. 1 creature, being, mammal, organism: Scientists are unlikely to employ the popular division of all things into animal, vegetable, or mineral. 2 beast, brute, savage, monster: Think of the poor girl married to that animal! --adj. 3 zoological, zooid, animalistic: The sponge is a member of the animal kingdom. 4 physical, fleshly, sensual, gross, coarse, unrefined, uncultured, uncultivated, rude, carnal, crude, bestial, beastlike, subhuman: His animal appetites occasionally got the better of him.
animate | animate: v. 1 activate, enliven, invigorate, stimulate, inspirit, excite, stir, vitalize, spark, vivify, revitalize, breathe life into, innervate: A little enthusiasm would have animated their dull relationship. 2 inspire, inspirit, stimulate, actuate, move, motivate, incite, rouse, arouse, excite, fire (up), encourage, energize, vitalize, spur (on or onwards): He spent the few minutes before the battle in animating his soldiers. --adj. 3 lively, spirited, vivacious, animated, quick: A courser more animate of eye, Of form more faultless never had been seen. 4 alive, moving, breathing, Archaic quick: Although they move, plants are not considered to be animate.
animated | animated: adj. 1 lively, quick, spirited, active, vivacious, energetic, vigorous, excited, ebullient, enthusiastic, dynamic, vibrant, ardent, enlivened, passionate, impassioned, fervent: In the corner, Terence was engaged in an animated conversation with Mary. 2 mechanical, automated, lifelike, moving: Each Christmas, the shop has an animated window display.
animation | animation: n. 1 spirit, spiritedness, vitality, dash, �lan, zest, fervour, verve, liveliness, fire, ardour, ardency, exhilaration, intensity, energy, pep, dynamism, enthusiasm, excitement, vigour, vivacity: Johnson was in high spirits, talking with great animation. 2 enlivenment, liveliness, energizing, invigoration, enlivening, innervation: The scout leader was credited with the animation of the youths in his care.
animosity | animosity: n. hostility, antagonism, antipathy, ill will, malevolence, enmity, hatred, animus, loathing, detestation, contempt; bad blood, malice, bitterness, acrimony, resentment, rancour: The animosity he felt for his brother soon disappeared.
announce | announce: v. 1 proclaim, make public, make known, set or put forth, put out, publish, advertise, publicize, promulgate, broadcast, herald; circulate; tell, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, propound: The appointment of a new prime minister has been announced. 2 intimate, suggest, hint at, signal: The sight of a top hat announced Gordon''s presence in the club. 3 declare, tell, state, aver, assert, asseverate; notify; confirm: The president announced that he was resigning because of the scandal. 4 foretell, betoken, augur, portend, presage, harbinger, herald, signal; precede: The sighting of the first crocus announces spring.
announcement | announcement: n. 1 declaration, pronouncement, proclamation, statement: Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to make an announcement. 2 notification, notice, word: We received an announcement of the wedding but no invitation. 3 commercial, advertisement, advert, ad, spot: The window was filled with announcements of houses for sale. 4 report, bulletin, communiqu�, disclosure: An announcement has just been received from the fire-fighters at the scene.
announcer | announcer: n. presenter, master of ceremonies, master of the revels, MC, emcee, reporter, anchorman, anchorwoman, anchor; newsreader, newscaster, sportscaster, weatherman, weathergirl: The announcer didn''t get my name right.
annoy | annoy: v. 1 irritate, bother, irk, vex, nettle, get on (someone''s) nerves, exasperate, provoke, incense, rile, madden, Colloq get at: The anonymous telephone calls were beginning to annoy us. 2 pester, harass, harry, badger, nag, plague, molest, bedevil, Colloq bug, needle, hassle, Slang get up someone''s nose: Stop annoying me with your persistent requests for money.
annoyance | annoyance: n. 1 irritation, bother, vexation, exasperation, pique, aggravation, Colloq botheration: Must I put up with the annoyance of that constant bickering? 2 nuisance, pest, irritant, bore, Colloq pain, pain in the neck or arse or US ass: He''s such an annoyance, I wish he''d leave.
answer | answer: n. 1 reply, response; rejoinder, retort, riposte, Colloq comeback: The boy''s answer is unprintable. 2 Law defence, counter-statement, plea, explanation; Technical declaration, plea, replication, rejoinder, surrejoinder, rebutter or rebuttal, surrebutter or surrebuttal: Her answer to the charge was ''Not Guilty''. 3 solution, explanation: Ten points were taken off because I had the wrong answer to question three. --v. 4 reply, respond; retort, rejoin, riposte: When I ask you a question, I expect you to answer. 5 satisfy, fulfil, suffice for, meet, suit, serve, fit, fill, conform to, correlate with: The bequest answered my needs for the moment. 6 answer back. talk back (to): How dare you answer your father back! 7 answer for. a be accountable or responsible or answerable for, be to blame for; take or undertake responsibility for; sponsor, support, guarantee: I answer alone to Allah for my motives. So shall my righteousness answer for me. b make amends for, atone for, suffer the consequences of: Caesar was ambitious and he answered for it with his life. c take or accept the blame for: Andy shouldn''t have to answer for his brother''s shortcomings.
antagonism | antagonism: n. 1 opposition, animosity, enmity, rancour, hostility, antipathy: It is difficult to understand your antagonism towards classical music. 2 conflict, rivalry, discord, dissension, friction, strife; contention: Giving jobs only to personal friends has engendered antagonism.
antagonist | antagonist: n. adversary, opponent, enemy, foe; contender, competitor, competition, opposition: The antagonists prepared to fight.
anticipate | anticipate: v. 1 forestall, intercept, preclude, obviate, prevent; nullify: She anticipated her opponent''s manoeuvre by moving the queen''s bishop one square. 2 foretell, forecast, predict, prophesy, foretaste, foresee: He anticipated that flying would be a future mode of locomotion. 3 expect, look forward to, prepare for; count or reckon on: We eagerly anticipated the arrival of Uncle Robert.
anticipation | anticipation: n. 1 expectation, expectancy; hope: In anticipation of the arrival of Father Christmas, we hung up our stockings. 2 foreknowledge, precognition; intuition, presentiment, feeling; foreboding, apprehension: His anticipation of the solar eclipse by a week established him as the foremost scientist of his day.
antidote | antidote: n. antitoxin, antiserum, antivenin; counteractant, counterirritant; cure, remedy, specific; medication, medicine, drug, medicament, Technical alexipharmic: The old prospector says that the best antidote against snakebite is whisky.
antiquated | antiquated: adj. old, old-fashioned, outmoded, pass�, out of date, dated, archaic, obsolescent, antique, obsolete, quaint, ancient, antediluvian, medieval or mediaeval, primitive; extinct; Colloq old hat: Antiquated laws list penalties for practising witchcraft.
antique | antique: adj. 1 old, old-fashioned; antiquated, outmoded, pass�, out of date, obsolete: She wore the antique clothing she had found in the trunk. --n. 2 collectable or collectible, collector''s item, bibelot, objet d''art, objet de vertu, object or article of virtu, heirloom, curio, rarity: His hobby is collecting antiques.
anxiety | anxiety: n. 1 solicitude, concern, uneasiness, disquiet, nervousness, worry, dread, angst, apprehension, foreboding: Philip began to feel genuine anxiety over Tanya''s safety. 2 appetite, hunger, thirst, desire, eagerness, longing, ache, concern: It is every person''s anxiety to obtain for himself the inestimable pearl of genuine knowledge.
anxious | anxious: adj. 1 troubled, uneasy, disquieted, uncertain, apprehensive; solicitous, concerned, worried, distressed, disturbed, nervous, tense, fretful, on edge, restless, edgy, perturbed, upset; wary, cautious, careful, watchful: She has been terribly anxious about the diagnosis. We were anxious for her safety. 2 desirous, eager, keen, enthusiastic, ardent, agog, avid, yearning, longing, aching, impatient: I was anxious to visit the Pitti Palace once again.
