
near | near: adv. 1 close (by or at hand), not far (off or away), nearby, nigh, in or into the vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy) reach: Draw near and listen to my tale. 2 close to, next to: Don''t go near the edge! 3 nearly, almost, just about, wellnigh, close to being; not quite, virtually: She was damn near killed in the car crash. --adj. 4 close, imminent, immediate, impending, looming, coming, approaching, forthcoming; in the offing, at hand: We hope to settle the pollution problem in the near future. The time is near for me to go. 5 nearby, close, adjacent, next-door, close-by, adjoining, abutting, neighbouring, contiguous: My nearest neighbours live a mile away. 6 stingy, mean, niggardly, miserly, parsimonious, penurious, cheap, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, selfish, close, tight-fisted, close-fisted: He is so near he begrudged me even a cup of tea. 7 close, intimate, connected, related, attached: In case of emergency, list the name and address of a near relative. 8 close, narrow, hairbreadth: Although I escaped, it was a near thing. --prep. 9 close to, in the vicinity or neighbourhood of, next to, adjacent to, within reach of, within a mile of; a stone''s throw from, not far (away) from: She wouldn''t allow the doctor to come near her. I live near the railway. --v. 10 approach, draw near or nigh, come close or closer, verge on, approximate on, lean towards: As summer nears, I think of going on holiday. The ship neared port. His estimate is beginning to near mine.
nearby | nearby: adv. 1 close by, close at hand, not far-off or -away, in the vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy) reach, about, around: Hyenas loitered nearby waiting for the lions to leave the kill. --adj. 2 close, within reach, handy, accessible, at or to hand, adjacent: Nearby villagers helped put out the fire. We always kept a gun nearby because of pirates.
nearly | nearly: adv. 1 almost, not quite, about, approximately, all but, just about, virtually, wellnigh, practically, as good as, more or less; around, approaching, nearing, barely, hardly, scarcely, close to: We were nearly there but couldn''t make it. She was nearly ninety when her first book was published. 2 closely, identically, exactly, precisely: Her opinions agree most nearly with his. His painting most nearly resembles Picasso''s.
near-sighted | near-sighted: adj. 1 myopic, short-sighted: Being near-sighted, I must wear spectacles for driving. 2 Chiefly US short-sighted, narrow-minded, blinkered, narrow, close-minded, illiberal, unthinking, heedless, insular, partial, one-sided, parochial, unsophisticated, unimaginative, biased, unobjective, opinionated, dogmatic, prejudiced, intolerant, bigoted: They maintain a near-sighted attitude towards associating with anyone outside their immediate clique.
neat | neat: adj. 1 tidy, orderly, clean, uncluttered, trim, spruce, natty, fastidious, spick and span, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), organized, well-organized, well-ordered, systematic, Brit dialect trig, Colloq neat as a pin, Brit dinky: His room was always neat - very odd for a teenager. 2 straight, unadulterated, unmixed, undiluted, uncut, unblended, pure; on the rocks: He drinks his whisky neat. 3 unembellished, unadorned, unornamented, simple, elegant, graceful, smart, uncomplicated, regular, precise, copperplate; calligraphic: An invitation in her neat handwriting awaited my return from abroad. 4 deft, adroit, clever, efficient, ingenious, expert, practised, skilful, dexterous: He contrived a neat plan to avoid paying taxes. 5 fine, wonderful, marvellous, great, splendid, excellent, exceptional, capital, grand, first-class, Colloq cool, smashing, keen, nifty, top-notch, A1 or A-1 or A-one, Brit top-hole, Chiefly US A-OK or A-okay, Slang swell, far-out, boss, Brit topping, US and Canadian spiffy: She found a really neat way to get boys to ask her out. Gordon has a neat new car.
neaten | neaten: v. Often, neaten up. tidy (up), straighten (up or out), clean (up), spruce up, (put in) order, Brit dialect trig: If you don''t neaten up your room, Mandy, you may not borrow the car.
nebulous | nebulous: adj. vague, hazy, clouded, unclear, obscure, indistinct, fuzzy, muddy, ill-defined, shapeless, amorphous, blurred, indeterminate, murky, opaque, turbid, dim, foggy, faint, pale: He has only the most nebulous idea of what the lecture was about.
necessarily | necessarily: adv. inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, axiomatically, inexorably, ineluctably, irresistibly, incontrovertibly, automatically, naturally, (as a matter) of course, as a result, certainly, surely, to be sure, like it or not, willy-nilly, perforce, of necessity, by definition: If you accept his premise, then you must, necessarily, accept his conclusion. You don''t necessarily need to be rich to be happy.
necessary | necessary: adj. 1 indispensable, essential, required, needed, compulsory, requisite, vital, demanded, imperative, obligatory, needful, of the essence, important, of the utmost importance, top-priority, high-priority, urgent, exigent, compelling, life-and-death or life-or-death: A good diet is necessary for good health. It is necessary that you come at once. Take the necessary steps to get the job done. 2 inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, ineluctable: In the circumstances, we find it necessary to ask for your resignation. 3 sure, certain, predetermined, predestined, fated, inexorable; resulting, resultant: The necessary outcome of the affair was that the child was returned to her natural parents. --n. 4 See necessity, 1, below.
necessity | necessity: n. 1 requirement, essential, necessary, requisite, need, prerequisite, basic, fundamental, sine qua non, desideratum, constraint: I was marooned for a year with only the bare necessities of life. We regard honesty as a necessity in a bank manager. 2 indispensability, unavoidability, needfulness, inexorability: The necessity for exercise is often met by private health clubs. 3 poverty, want, indigence, need, destitution, penury, straits, difficulty, difficulties, pauperism, neediness: The extreme necessity of the unemployed demands that the government act quickly. 4 urgency, emergency, crisis, misfortune, exigency, pinch, extreme, matter of life and death: She has made a virtue of necessity. Electric power is no longer a matter of choice but of necessity.
need | need: v. 1 require, demand, want, be in want of, call for, have need of or for; lack, miss, have occasion for: This room needs a coat of paint. Although she may want more money, she doesn''t need it. Do you need anything to make you more comfortable? --n. 2 necessity, requirement; call, demand, constraint: There''s no need to shout - I can hear you. There is a need to keep this matter confidential. This facility will meet our electricity needs for decades. 3 essential, necessary, requisite, prerequisite, necessity, basic, fundamental, sine qua non, necessary, desideratum: I am perfectly capable of taking care of my family''s needs. 4 distress, difficulty, trouble, (dire or desperate) straits, stress, emergency, exigency, extremity, neediness, needfulness; poverty, penury, impecuniousness, destitution, privation, deprivation, indigence, beggary: She was very supportive in his hour of need. The need of the people in that district is heart-rending. 5 want, lack, dearth, shortage, paucity, scarcity, insufficiency, desideratum: The need for medical supplies was most sharply felt in areas that were already ravaged by famine.
needless | needless: adj. 1 unnecessary, non-essential, unessential, unneeded, unwanted, useless, uncalled-for, gratuitous, superfluous, redundant, excess, excessive, tautological, dispensable, expendable, supererogatory, de trop, pleonastic: He went to a lot of needless trouble to change the tyre. It is needless to raise further questions. 2 needless to say. naturally, (as a matter) of course, obviously, it goes without saying: Needless to say, he will have to resign when this comes to light.
needy | needy: adj. poor, indigent, poverty-stricken, destitute, impoverished, penniless, impecunious, necessitous, underprivileged, deprived, disadvantaged, below the poverty level, in dire straits, in or on the way to the poorhouse, in reduced circumstances, down-and-out, insolvent, Colloq on one''s uppers, dead or flat or stony-broke, hard up, strapped, pinched, on the breadline, up against it, Brit on the dole, US dead broke, on welfare, on relief: It is not enough to look after needy families only at Christmas time.
negative | negative: adj. 1 contradictory, anti, contrary, dissenting, dissentious, disputing, disputatious, argumentative, adversarial, adversative, antagonistic, antipathetic, adverse, US adversary: He has adopted a very negative attitude towards his job. Few negative voices were heard on the issue. 2 pessimistic, unenthusiastic, cool, cold, uninterested, unresponsive: The reaction to our offer has been largely negative. 3 nullifying, annulling, neutralizing, voiding, cancelling: The laws are mainly negative, listing only things one must not do. 4 negating, refusing, denying, gainsaying, opposing: The judge came to a negative decision regarding bail. 5 in the negative. negatively, ''No'': Asked if she wanted to go, she replied in the negative.
neglect | neglect: v. 1 disregard, ignore, slight, pay no attention to, be inattentive to, overlook, pass by, spurn, rebuff, scorn, disdain, contemn, Colloq cold-shoulder: Scholars neglected his work for years. 2 fail (in), omit; disregard, let slide or pass, be remiss (about or in or regarding), abandon, lose sight of, forget, shirk: Have I neglected telling you how much I love you? Sybil has neglected her obligations. --n. 3 disregard, disrespect, inattention, indifference, slighting, unconcern, oversight, heedlessness, neglectfulness, carelessness, inadvertence: We lost business to our competitor through simple neglect. 4 negligence, laxity, laxness, slackness, neglectfulness, passivity, passiveness, inactivity, inaction, dereliction, default, failure, failing, remissness: She has been accused of neglect in looking after her children properly.
negligence | negligence: n. inattention, inattentiveness, indifference, carelessness, unconcern, dereliction, failure, failing, heedlessness, laxity, laxness, disregard, oversight, omission, inadvertence, neglect, remissness, forgetfulness, oscitancy or oscitance: The car crash was attributed to the lorry driver''s negligence.
negligible | negligible: adj. insignificant, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial, inconsequential, piddling, inappreciable, small, slight, paltry, nugatory, worthless, petty, niggling, not worth mentioning or talking about: The differences between the two plans are negligible.
negotiate | negotiate: v. 1 deal, bargain, dicker, haggle, chaffer, palter; discuss, debate, mediate, consult, parley, speak, talk, transact, come to terms: A conglomerate is negotiating to buy our company. The company asked me to negotiate on our behalf. 2 arrange (for), organize, orchestrate, conduct, handle, manoeuvre, manage, engineer, work out, settle, get, obtain, bring off or about, carry off, accomplish, do, execute, effect, complete, conclude, Colloq pull off: Will you be able to negotiate a loan for the car? 3 manoeuvre, clear, get through or past or round or over, pass, cross, Colloq make (it (through or past or round or over)): Will you be able to negotiate the barbed-wire fence?
negotiation | negotiation: n. 1 discussion, mediation, arbitration, bargaining, parley, parleying, talk, coming to terms: The disarmament negotiations have dragged on for years. 2 deal, bargain, transaction, agreement, arrangement, understanding, determination, decision, settlement; contract, pact, compact, covenant, concordat, treaty: All parties seem pleased with the final negotiation.
negotiator | negotiator: n. arbitrator, arbiter, mediator, moderator, diplomat, ambassador, go-between, middleman, intercessor, interceder, intervener, agent, broker: An independent negotiator was invited to the bargaining table with the union and management representatives.
neighbourhood | neighbourhood: n. 1 locality, area, region, vicinity, vicinage, environs, quarter, district, precinct(s), purlieus, locale; surroundings, confines: Houses in the neighbourhood of the blast were levelled. 2 in the neighbourhood of. approximately, about, around, nearly, practically, close to, almost, more or less, Colloq in the ballpark of, in the region of, Brit getting on for, not far off, US within an eyelash of, Slang as near as dammit to: The playground will cost in the neighbourhood of �5,000.
neighbouring | neighbouring: adj. nearby, near, around, adjacent (to), surrounding, adjoining, contiguous (to), touching, bordering (on), next (to), nearest: Owners of properties neighbouring the nuclear power plant worry about radiation. The neighbouring villages will participate in the f�te at Long Norton.
neighbourly | neighbourly: adj. friendly, cordial, warm, amiable, agreeable, affable, companionable, well-disposed, kindly, kind, well-wishing, genial, sociable, social, harmonious, considerate, thoughtful, helpful, gracious, courteous, civil: It was quite neighbourly of the Constables to look after our cat.
neologism | neologism: n. neoterism, coinage, neology, nonce-word; blend, portmanteau word: Lexicographers must decide the neologisms to be added to their dictionaries.
nerve | nerve: n. 1 courage, coolness, boldness, bravery, intrepidity, determination, valour, daring, fearlessness, dauntlessness, pluck, mettle, spirit, fortitude, will, tenacity, steadfastness, staunchness, firmness, doughtiness, resoluteness, Colloq guts, grit, gumption, spunk, US sand, Brit bottle, US moxie , Taboo slang balls: It took a lot of nerve to go back into that burning building. 2 effrontery, brazenness, gall, impertinence, brass, impudence, insolence, audacity, brashness, presumption, presumptuousness, temerity, Colloq cheek, sauce, chutzpah, Slang crust: You have a lot of nerve, talking to your mother that way! 3 get on someone''s nerves. annoy, irritate, upset: That loud rock music gets on my nerves. 4 nerves. tension, nervousness, hysteria, anxiety, fretfulness, stress, worry, apprehension, fright, Colloq the jitters, Slang the willies, the heebie-jeebies, US the whim-whams: I had a bad case of nerves before learning the doctor''s diagnosis.
nerve-racking | nerve-racking: adj. nerve-wracking, harrowing, agonizing, distressing, trying, vexing, vexatious, troublesome, worrisome, irksome, irritating: Waiting for the names of the survivors was the most nerve-racking experience of my life.
nervous | nervous: adj. 1 highly-strung, excitable, sensitive, tense, agitated, wrought up, worked up, upset, flustered, ruffled, disturbed, perturbed, distressed, worried, anxious, troubled, concerned, disquieted, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety, fretful, uneasy, apprehensive, frightened, fearful, shaky, scared, skittish, US on a tightrope, Colloq jumpy, jittery, flappable, in a stew, in a dither, in a sweat, in a tizzy, in a flap, uptight, Brit nervy, US on pins and needles, Slang strung out: Thomas is nervous because he has to give a speech. 2 difficult, tense, critical: There were a few nervous moments before we knew if the rope would hold.
nest | nest: n. 1 roost, perch, eyrie or US also aerie, den, lair: The birds, which mate for life, return to the same nest each year. 2 snuggery, retreat, refuge, haunt, hideaway, hide-out; resort: We have a little nest in the country which we escape to at weekends.
nestle | nestle: v. cuddle (up), snuggle (up), huddle, curl up, nuzzle (up): They nestled close together to keep warm.
net� | net�: n. 1 network, netting, mesh, mesh-work, web, webbing, openwork, lattice, lattice-work, trellis, trellis-work, lace-work, reticulum, reticle, rete, plexus, grid, grid-work, grille, grate, grating, fretwork; sieve, screen, strainer, sifter: They watched the fishermen mending their nets. --v. 2 catch, capture, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, bag: As I bring the fish close to the boat, you net it with this.
net� | net�: n. 1 nett, (net) profit, gain, earnings, return(s), Colloq US take: The net for the first quarter was 15 per cent higher than last year''s. --adj. 2 clear, after deductions, after taxes, take-home, final, bottom-line: The tax increase was greater than my salary increase, so my net income was lower this year. 3 final, end, closing, concluding, conclusive, effective, ultimate: The net result of the advertising campaign was a sales increase of 18 per cent. --v. 4 make, realize, clear, take home, bring in, earn, pocket, take in, get: How much did you net last year - after taxes, that is.
network | network: n. 1 See net�, 1, above. 2 system, arrangement, structure, organization, complex, grid, criss-cross, web, plexus; maze, labyrinth, jungle, tangle: She has developed a worldwide network of contacts for her business. Before transistors, the back of a radio was a network of multicoloured wires.
neurotic | neurotic: adj. psychoneurotic, unstable, disturbed, confused, irrational, disordered, maladjusted, distraught, overwrought, anxious, nervous, obsessive, deviant, abnormal: Many people are neurotic about something.
neuter | neuter: adj. 1 asexual, sexless, epicene: Worker bees are neuter, neither male nor female. --v. 2 desex or desexualize, doctor; castrate, emasculate, geld, capon or caponize, eunuchize; spay, ovariectomize, oophorectomize; Colloq fix, cut, US alter: We had our cat neutered after her first litter.
neutral | neutral: adj. 1 non-belligerent, non-combatant, unaligned, non-aligned, unaffiliated, uninvolved, unallied, non-allied, non-partisan, impartial, disinterested, indifferent, dispassionate, unbiased, uncommitted, noncommittal, aloof, withdrawn, detached, remote, removed: Switzerland has remained neutral during both world wars. 2 dull, drab, colourless, achromatic, toneless, indeterminate, washed out, pale, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, indeterminate, vague, drab, beige, ecru: A neutral wallpaper colour won''t clash with the paintings.
neutralize | neutralize: v. void, annul, cancel (out), nullify, invalidate, negate, delete, undo, make or render ineffective, counterbalance, counteract, offset, equalize, even, square, compensate for, make up for: The forces on both sides of the sail, being equal, neutralize each other.
never | never: adv. 1 at no time, not ever, not at any time, on no occasion, under no circumstances or condition(s), on no account, not at all, Colloq not in a million years, not till hell freezes over: You are never to use such language again! 2 in no way, not in any way, not in the least, not in any degree, not under any condition, not: Never fear, for I am near.
nevertheless | nevertheless: adv. still, notwithstanding, yet, in spite of that, despite that, nonetheless, regardless, be that as it may, for all that, even so, but, however, just or all the same, everything considered, at any rate, anyway, in any case, in any event, at all events, Literary withal: He said he dislikes sweets; nevertheless, he ate a whole bar of chocolate.
new | new: adj. 1 novel, original, unique, unusual, different, fresh, creative, imaginative, brand-new: Ruth has a new idea for the sales campaign. 2 latest, late, modern, contemporary, modish, stylish, fashionable, chic, recent, advanced, up to date, brand-new, late-model, Colloq trendy, Slang mod, hip: MacGregor buys a new car every year: it has to be equipped with the newest gadgets. 3 fresh, further, additional, supplemental, supplementary: Has the new issue of Verbatim come out yet? 4 unfamiliar, unknown, strange, different; unique, unheard of: I hear there''s a new girl in your office. I want to introduce my new friend, Dan Hammond. Every year they discover a new virus. 5 revitalized, reborn, renewed, rejuvenated, changed, altered, redone, restored, redesigned, remodelled: I saw before me a new Marie. They published a new version of the Bible. 6 inexperienced, green, fresh, callow, unfledged, budding, immature, unripe, untrained: Let us look over the new recruits, Sergeant. 7 late, young, recent: We found newer fossils at higher levels. 8 uncharted, unexplored, untrodden, unknown, experimental: Astronomers are breaking new ground in the analysis of pulsars.
newcomer | newcomer: n. 1 alien, immigrant, foreigner, outlander, stranger, settler, colonist, outsider: The newcomers quickly established themselves and became self-sufficient. 2 beginner, amateur, novice, proselyte, neophyte, tiro or tyro, initiate, trainee, learner, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US freshman, Colloq greenhorn: Though experienced in book publishing, he was a newcomer to magazine publishing.
news | news: n. 1 tidings, word, information, advice, intelligence; rumour, talk, gossip, hearsay, dirt, scandal, expos�, Colloq info, low-down, scoop, US scuttlebutt, Slang dope: What''s the latest news about the situation in the Middle East? 2 dispatch or despatch, report, account, story, communication, bulletin, communiqu�, announcement, information, message, word, statement, (press) release, (news)flash: The news from our correspondent contains no mention of finding a cache of arms. 3 newscast, news broadcast or telecast, news programme; newsflash: Please be quiet so that I can listen to the news. 4 (good) copy, front-page news, (hot) item: The royal family is always news.
