
adapt | adapt: v. 1 suit, fit, make suitable, qualify: The structure of the outer ear is adapted to collect and concentrate the vibrations. 2 alter, modify, change, remodel, tailor, reshape, shape, fashion; adjust, accommodate, accustom, acclimatize or acclimate, habituate: He adapted the play from an old French comedy. The whale adapts itself to great changes in pressure when it dives thousands of feet.
adaptable | adaptable: adj. flexible, pliable, pliant, compliant, accommodative, tractable, malleable, ductile, versatile; alterable, changeable: Men, in general, are not as adaptable as women.
adaptation | adaptation: n. 1 fitting, suiting, modifying, adjusting, conversion: In 1831 electricity was ripe for adaptation to practical purposes. 2 modification, change, adjustment, accommodation, reworking, customization, alteration: She was responsible for the adaptation of her short story to a television play.
add | add: v. 1 join, unite, combine, annex: 5 + 3 denotes that 3 is to be added to 5. 2 total, sum, sum up, combine, count up, reckon, Brit tot (up), US tote (up): The computer can add all those figures in a few seconds. 3 continue, go on: ''And I won''t take no for an answer'', she added. 4 add to. increase, enlarge, amplify, augment, supplement: His articles have added greatly to his reputation as a financial analyst.
addict | addict: n. 1 (habitual) user, Slang junkie, dope-fiend, doper, head, pot-head, acid-head, pill popper, tripper, Chiefly US hophead: His contributions helped set up the halfway houses for addicts. 2 devotee, aficionado, fan, admirer, follower, adherent, supporter, enthusiast, Colloq buff, hound, fiend, groupie, Slang freak, bug, nut, teeny-bopper: She became a rock ''n'' roll addict in the ''60s.
addition | addition: n. 1 adding, joining, putting together, uniting, combining: The addition of this paragraph is uncalled for. 2 totalling, adding up, summing-up, summation, counting up, reckoning, totting up: You have made an error in addition. 3 addendum, appendix, appendage, supplement, increment, augmentation, extension: This addition contributes nothing to the manuscript. 4 extension, ell, Brit annexe, US annex, wing: We used our lottery winnings to pay for an addition to the house. --prep. 5 in addition to. as well as, besides, beyond, over and above: In addition to books, the shop sold greetings cards. ---adv.phr. 6 in addition. moreover, furthermore, additionally, besides, withal, to boot, in or into the bargain, too, also, as well: We were compelled to exercise every morning and in addition we went for a ten-mile run each Saturday.
address | address: n. 1 speech, talk, discourse, oration, lecture; sermon: The Prime Minister''s address to the nation was broadcast last night. 2 location, whereabouts: She couldn''t write to me because she didn''t have my address. --v. 3 speak or talk to; deliver or give a speech to; lecture: After the coup, the general addressed the crowd in the square. 4 greet, hail, accost, approach: She was addressing strangers in the street to ask their views on women''s rights. 5 address oneself to. devote or direct or apply oneself to: After the holidays, I again addressed myself to studying for examinations.
adept | adept: adj. 1 versed, proficient, skilled, well-skilled, expert, accomplished, skilful or US skillful, adroit, dexterous or dextrous, able, masterful, masterly, polished: She is an adept pianist, and her husband is adept at carpentry. --n. 2 expert, master, specialist, authority , Colloq dab hand, old hand: He is an adept at anything that one does with one''s hands.
adequate | adequate: adj. 1 sufficient, enough, ample; satisfactory, fitting, equal, suitable: Is there language adequate to describe my feelings? 2 passable, fair, fair to middling, middling, average, tolerable, (barely) acceptable, (barely) satisfactory, all right, competent, not (at all) bad, so so , Colloq OK or okay, up to snuff, not that or too bad, no great shakes: The music was good, the band only adequate. 3 equal, suitable, suited, fitted, up, proper, qualified, competent, good enough: Johnson was unsure that he was adequate to the task at hand.
adjoining | adjoining: adj. neighbouring, contiguous (to), adjacent (to), abutting, bordering, next (to): We have bought the adjoining house. The land adjoining the supermarket is for sale.
adjust | adjust: v. 1 set right, arrange, settle, harmonize, reconcile, resolve, set or put to rights; arbitrate, mediate; redress, rectify, correct, patch up: Four were named on each side to adjust their differences. 2 change, alter, modify, regulate, set: After he adjusted the pendulum, the clock kept good time. 3 adapt (to), accommodate (oneself) (to), accustom (oneself) (to); get used (to), acclimatize or acclimate (to), reconcile (oneself) (to): If she travels a distance east or west, it takes her a few days to adjust to the local time. Army life was very different, but I was able to adjust quickly. 4 put in order, arrange, rearrange, close or fasten or zip or button (up): She adjusted the children''s coats and did up their shoes.
adjustment | adjustment: n. 1 adjusting, altering, alteration, setting, regulating, regulation, setting or putting right or aright or to rights, correcting, correction, calibrating, calibration; tuning: The adjustment of the clocks is my responsibility. 2 arrangement, balance, coordination, order, alignment, harmony, harmonization: The inspector requires everything to be in perfect adjustment.
administer | administer: v. 1 administrate, manage, control, run, direct, conduct, superintend, supervise, oversee: The president said that she had administered the department well during her year as its head. 2 execute, carry on, carry out; apply, implement, prosecute: It is the responsibility of the police to administer the law, not to make it. 3 dispense, supply, furnish, give (out), provide (with), mete out, distribute, deliver, deal, hand out: Doctors sometimes administer drugs that have side effects.
administration | administration: n. 1 management, direction, conduct, supervision, oversight, superintendence, regulation, charge: Lord Hampden was given administration of her affairs till she came of age. 2 authority, management, US government: The current administration is in favour of a better health programme. 3 dispensation, administering, supplying, furnishing, provision, delivery, distribution, application: The judge is charged with the administration of justice.
admirable | admirable: adj. wonderful, awe-inspiring, excellent, estimable, splendid, marvellous, superior, first-rate, first-class, of the first water, great, fine, Colloq top-drawer, ripsnorting, A-1, Brit smashing, magic: His performance in Harper''s new play is admirable.
admiration | admiration: n. wonder, awe; delight, pleasure; esteem, regard, appreciation, respect: She is lost in admiration of her mother''s latest painting. Randolph was presented with a gold medal as a token of his colleagues'' admiration.
admire | admire: v. 1 wonder or marvel (at), delight in: Typically, he most admires people who are wealthy. 2 esteem, regard or respect highly, look up to, revere, idolize, venerate, worship: The queen is one of the most admired people in the country.
admirer | admirer: n. 1 devotee, aficionado, fan, supporter, enthusiast, adherent, follower Slang groupie: Rock stars always seem to be accompanied by a retinue of admirers. 2 beau, suitor; lover, sweetheart, darling: Scarlett was always surrounded by many admirers.
admission | admission: n. 1 access, admittance, entr�e, entry: The special card gives me admission to the rare book room of the library. 2 reception, acceptance, appointment, institution, induction, installation, investiture: The committee has at last approved the admission of women into the society. 3 acknowledging, acknowledgement or acknowledgment, allowing, allowance, admitting, admittance, conceding, concession: The court refuses to consider the admission of testimony taken under duress. 4 acknowledgement, confession, concession, profession, declaration, disclosure, affirmation, concession, divulgence or divulgement, revelation: The police were able to extract an admission of guilt from the suspect. 5 ticket, (entry or entrance) fee, tariff: Admission is free for senior citizens.
admit | admit: v. 1 let in, allow to enter, take or allow in; accept, receive: I opened the window to admit some air. The harbour is too small to admit even one more ship. 2 allow, permit, grant, brook, tolerate: The governor will admit no delay in the execution of the sentence, and the prisoner will be hanged at dawn. 3 accept, concede, acquiesce, allow, grant, accept, recognize, take cognizance of: Descartes'' principle admitted nothing but what his own consciousness obliged him to admit. 4 confess, own, concede, divulge, reveal, acknowledge, declare: She readily admitted to having incited the riot.
admittance | admittance: n. leave or permission to enter, entry, entering, entrance, access, entr�e: Admittance to the club is restricted to members.
adolescent | adolescent: n. 1 teenager, youth, juvenile, minor, stripling, youngster, US teen, Colloq kid; Slang teeny-bopper: A group of adolescents volunteered to work at the home for the elderly. --adj. 2 teenaged, young, youthful, maturing, pubescent; immature, puerile, juvenile: Adolescent growth is often dramatic, a gain of two inches in height being not unusual.
adopt | adopt: v. 1 take (in), accept, take or accept as one''s own: Carol and her husband have adopted two children. 2 take, take up or on or over, embrace, espouse; arrogate, appropriate: All Hugh''s ideas are adopted from others - he''s never had one of his own.
adorable | adorable: adj. lovable, beloved, loved, darling, sweet, dear; delightful, appealing, attractive, charming, captivating, fetching: To look at him now, it is hard to imagine what an adorable child he once was.
adore | adore: v. 1 esteem, honour, respect, admire; idolize, dote on: An entire generation adored the Beatles. 2 worship, venerate, reverence, revere, exalt; hallow: O! Come let us adore him - Christ, the Lord! 3 love, be in love with, cherish, fancy, revere, adulate, Colloq have a crush on, carry the or a torch for: Katie just adores the captain of the football team at school.
adult | adult: adj. 1 mature, grown (up), full-grown, matured, of age: Now that you are adult, you come into a large inheritance. --n. 2 grown-up: Tiger cubs are cute, but the adults are very dangerous.
adulterate | adulterate: v. falsify, corrupt, alloy, debase, water (down), weaken, dilute, bastardize, contaminate, pollute, taint, Colloq doctor; Slang US cut: Adulterated rape seed oil was found to have caused the deaths of more than 600 people.
advance | advance: v. 1 move or put or push or go forward; approach: Man has advanced the frontier of physical science. The battalion advanced towards the fort with guns blazing. 2 further, promote, forward, help, aid, abet, assist, benefit, improve; contribute to: The terrorists'' dynamiting of the school has done nothing to advance their cause. 3 go or move forward, move (onward), go on, proceed, get ahead: As people advance in life, they acquire what is better than admiration - judgement. 4 hasten, accelerate, speed: We have advanced the date of our departure from December to October. 5 move up, promote: In less than a year, Mrs Leland has been advanced from supervisor to manager of the production department. 6 prepay, lend: Could you advance me some money till pay-day? --n. 7 progress, development, progress, forward movement; improvement, betterment; headway: Who has done more for the advance of knowledge? 8 rise, increase, appreciation: Any advance in prices at this time would reduce our sales. 9 prepayment, deposit; loan: I cannot understand why George is always asking for an advance on his allowance. 10 in advance. a beforehand, ahead (of time), before: You will have to make reservations well in advance. b before, in front (of), ahead (of), beyond: The colonel rode in advance of the cavalry.
advantage | advantage: n. 1 superiority, upper hand, dominance, edge, head start; sway; Colloq US and New Zealand drop: After a year, the advantage was with the Royalists. His height gives him an advantage at basketball. 2 gain, profit, benefit, interest; asset, betterment, improvement, advancement; use, usefulness, utility, help, service: I have information that will be of advantage to her. 3 to advantage. better, (more) favourably, advantageously: The dress sets off her figure to advantage.
advantageous | advantageous: adj. profitable, worthwhile, gainful, opportune, beneficial, favourable, useful, valuable: The minister signed an advantageous treaty of commerce with Russia.
adventure | adventure: n. 1 exploit, escapade, danger, peril; affair, undertaking, feat, deed; experience, incident, event, occurrence, happening, episode: We shared many wartime adventures. 2 speculation, hazard, chance, risk, venture, enterprise: I lost a fortune in some of his financial adventures. --v. 3 venture, hazard, risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize, threaten: Would you adventure your pension money in such a scheme? 4 dare, wager, bet, gamble, stake, try one''s luck, Brit punt: She adventured a whole week''s salary on the pools.
adventurer | adventurer: n. 1 adventuress, soldier of fortune, swashbuckler, hero, heroine, daredevil; mercenary: Errol Flynn often played the role of the adventurer. 2 adventuress, cheat, swindler, charlatan, trickster, rogue, scoundrel, knave; cad, bounder, philanderer, fortune-hunter, opportunist: That adventuress is just after Nelson''s money.
adventurous | adventurous: adj. daring, rash, brash, reckless, devil-may-care, bold, foolhardy, hazardous, risky, daredevil, venturesome, adventuresome, temerarious, audacious, bold, intrepid, brave, courageous: She was adventurous enough to sail round the world single-handed.
adversary | adversary: n. 1 foe, enemy, opponent, antagonist, competitor, rival: Before beginning to fight, each adversary sized up the other. --adj. 2 opposed, hostile, antagonistic, competitive: Why does she always take the adversary position in every argument?
advertisement | advertisement: n. 1 notice, handbill, blurb, broadside, bill, circular, brochure, poster, placard, classified, commercial, spot (announcement), US car-card, Colloq ad, plug, Brit advert: The company has placed advertisements in all major media. 2 advertising, promotion; publicity; propaganda, ballyhoo, hoop-la, Colloq hype, beating the drum, US puffery: Advertisement on TV may be very effective, but it is very expensive.
advice | advice: n. 1 counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion, opinion, view; warning, admonition, Technical par�nesis: His solicitor''s advice is to say nothing. 2 information, news, intelligence, notice, notification; communication: Advice has reached the police that a shipment of arms will leave Dover tonight.
advisable | advisable: adj. recommendable, expedient, prudent, practical, sensible, sound, seemly, judicious, wise, intelligent, smart, proper, politic: It would be advisable for you to keep out of sight for a few days.
advise | advise: v. 1 counsel, guide, recommend, suggest, commend; caution, admonish, warn; urge, encourage: I advised him to be careful driving at night in that area. 2 tell, announce (to), inform, apprise, register, make known (to), intimate (to), notify: We advised her of our disapproval. The police have advised the defendants of their rights.
adviser | adviser: n. counsellor, mentor, guide, cicerone, counsel, consultant, confidant(e): The chairman always consults his advisers before making a decision.
advisory | advisory: adj. 1 consultive, consultative, counselling, hortatory, monitory, admonitory, Technical par�netic(al): Our firm has been engaged in an advisory capacity on the privatization of the utility companies. --n. 2 bulletin, notice, warning, admonition, prediction: The Weather Office has issued a storm advisory for the weekend.
advocate | advocate: v. 1 support, champion, back, endorse, uphold, recommend, stand behind, second, favour, speak or plead or argue for or in favour of: Don''t you advocate the policies of the Party? --n. 2 supporter, champion, backer, upholder, second, exponent, proponent, patron, defender, apologist: She is an enthusiastic advocate of free speech. 3 lawyer, counsel; intercessor; Brit barrister, solicitor, US attorney, counselor-at-law: The advocate for the opposition is not in court.
