
peace | peace: n. 1 serenity, tranquillity, calm, calmness, placidity or placidness, peace of mind, quiet, peacefulness, peaceableness, stillness: For a summer holiday, we enjoy the peace of the Lakes. 2 harmony, accord, harmoniousness, concord, amity, peacefulness, peacetime; cease-fire, armistice, truce: Since the Second World War, Europe has enjoyed more than 45 years of relative peace.
peaceable | peaceable: adj. 1 See peaceful, 1, below. 2 pacific, inoffensive, dovish, peace-loving, mild, non-violent, non-belligerent, unbelligerent, unwarlike, non-warring, non-combative, temperate, agreeable, compatible, congenial, genial, friendly, amiable, amicable, cordial, civil: Despite cultural differences, the two countries maintained peaceable relations.
peaceful | peaceful: adj. 1 peaceable, serene, placid, calm, quiet, quiescent, gentle, restful, tranquil, untroubled, undisturbed, unruffled: After our week-end guests left, the house was again peaceful. 2 See peaceable, 2, above.
peacemaker | peacemaker: n. conciliator, pacifier, reconciler, propitiator, placater, pacificator, mediator, arbitrator, intermediator, intermediary, diplomat, appeaser, interceder, go-between, referee, umpire, adjudicator; peacemonger: The ambassador was called upon to act as peacemaker between the warring nations.
peak | peak: n. 1 top, pinnacle, crest, ridge, tor, mountain top, summit, mountain, eminence, elevation, hill: We were just able to make out the snow-capped peaks in the distance. 2 top, tip, tiptop, apex, acme, culmination, apogee, zenith, high point, crown, extreme, utmost, uttermost, perfection, ne plus ultra, consummation, climax: Irene has brought the office to a peak of efficiency. 3 visor, brim, US bill, nib: The peak of the fisherman''s cap serves as an eyeshade. --v. 4 rise, crest, culminate, (reach a) climax, top (out): Prices peaked during the Christmas shopping season.
peaky | peaky: adj. peakish, pinched, unhealthy, sickly, ailing, ill, unwell, infirm, unwholesome, pale, pallid, wan, waxen, anaemic, pasty, sallow, whey-faced, ashen, washed out, drained, emaciated, wasted, gaunt, hollow-eyed, haggard, drawn, weak, feeble, US peaked: Paul has been looking a bit peaky of late.
peal | peal: n. 1 ringing, ring, carillon, chime, chiming, toll, tolling, clang, clangour, tintinnabulation, clamour, reverberation; knell; clap, crash, roar, rumble, thunder: The constant peal of the bells nearly drove him mad. The doleful peal rang out for yet another fisherman lost at sea. A resounding peal of thunder shook the house. --v. 2 ring, toll, chime, clang, tintinnabulate, reverberate, resonate, resound; knell; boom, crash, roar, roll, rumble, thunder: The cowbells pealed plaintively, reminding me of my youth in the Alps. Lightning flashed, and the echoing thunder pealed through the valley.
pearl | pearl: n. gem, treasure, prize, cream, flower, wonder, nonpareil: Wasn''t Cuba once called the Pearl of the Antilles?
pearly | pearly: adj. nacreous, pearl-like, perlaceous, lustrous, mother-of-pearl: The dress was trimmed with pink lace and little pearly buttons.
peasant | peasant: n. rustic, countryman, countrywoman, farmer, provincial, (farm) worker, (country) bumpkin, bucolic; peon, fellah, muzhik or mouzhik or mujik; Historical esne, serf, Archaic swain, hind, churl, Derogatory yokel, hill-billy, bog-trotter, oaf, lump, lout, boor, churl, clod, clodhopper; Colloq US and Canadian hick, galoot or galloot, Derogatory hayseed, rube, Derogatory and offensive US poor white (trash): Regimes came and went, but the life of the medieval peasant endured.
peccadillo | peccadillo: n. slip, error, lapse, mistake, infraction, violation, misdeed, shortcoming, misstep, blunder, faux pas, indiscretion, gaffe, botch, stumble, fault, petty sin, (minor) transgression, trespass, Colloq slip-up, goof: We have to forgive the occasional peccadillo.
peculiar | peculiar: adj. 1 odd, curious, strange, queer, bizarre, weird, unusual, abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, deviant or deviate, eccentric, uncommon, outlandish, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, offbeat, unorthodox, atypical, idiosyncratic, unconventional, out-of-the-way, quaint, unique, singular, one of a kind, sui generis, distinct, distinguished, special, particular, quirky, funny, freakish, Slang far-out, freaky, Brit rum: Don''t you agree that anyone who by choice goes barefoot in winter is a bit peculiar? She enjoys a peculiar immunity to colds. 2 Usually, peculiar to. typical of, characteristic of, characterized by, natural to, symptomatic of, appropriate to or for, distinctive of, restricted to, specific to, indicative of, denotative of, limited to, individual to, personal to, special to, unique to; seen or observed (only) in, local to, native to, indigenous to: Such behaviour is peculiar to those who have served long prison sentences. --n. 3 Typography arbitrary, sort: Characters with diacritical marks are called ''peculiars'' in the printing trades.
peculiarity | peculiarity: n. 1 idiosyncrasy, oddity, eccentricity, abnormality, irregularity, quirk, kink, crotchet, caprice: Keeping alligators was only one of Jess''s peculiarities. 2 feature, characteristic, property, quality, trait, attribute, earmark, hallmark, mark, particularity, singularity, Brit speciality, US specialty: One of the peculiarities of the books is their wide margins.
pedantic | pedantic: adj. 1 didactic, doctrinaire, donnish, pedagogic, pedantical, preachy, professorial, bookish, ostentatious, pretentious, sententious, pompous, vain, stuffy, stilted, stiff, dry: A pedantic approach to marketing may be all right in the classroom, but it doesn''t sell products. 2 perfectionist, scrupulous, overscrupulous, finicky or finical, fussy, punctilious, fastidious, meticulous, exact, chop-logic, hair-splitting, quibbling, Colloq nit-picking: His secretary left because of his pedantic criticisms of her work.
peddle | peddle: v. sell, hawk, market, vend, huckster, Colloq push, flog: He is a publishing tycoon today, but he started by peddling books door-to-door.
pedestal | pedestal: n. 1 foundation, base, platform, stand, substructure, mounting, pier, foot, mounting, support, Technical plinth, socle, dado: The statue crumbled away and only its pedestal remained. 2 put or place or set on a pedestal. glorify, exalt, worship, deify, revere, idolize, dignify, apotheosize, ennoble, elevate, raise: No woman is worth putting on a pedestal.
pedestrian | pedestrian: n. 1 walker, stroller, ambler, rambler, footslogger; itinerant, peripatetic: A special crossing has been installed for pedestrians. --adj. 2 boring, dull, banal, tiresome, commonplace, mundane, tedious, unimaginative, uninteresting, monotonous, run-of-the-mill, humdrum, stock, prosaic, insipid, dry, flat, jejune, colourless, dreary, pale, ordinary, hackneyed, trite, (as) dull as ditch-water or US also dishwater, vapid, stale, uninspired, uninspiring, spiritless, lifeless, dead: The dean delivered his customary pedestrian lecture to the new students. 3 walking, strolling, ambulatory, on foot, rambling, peripatetic: We were exhausted after taking a pedestrian tour of London.
pedigree | pedigree: n. (line of) descent, ancestry, genealogy, blood, bloodline, line, extraction, lineage, stock, heritage, family, derivation, birth, parentage, strain, roots: His pedigree is all right, but does he have brains as well as money?
pedlar | pedlar: n. hawker, (door-to-door) salesman or saleswoman or salesperson, vendor, huckster, seller, colporteur, US peddler, drummer, Archaic chapman, Colloq cheapjack: How can you expect the watch to work if you bought it from a street pedlar?
peek | peek: v. 1 peer, peep, glimpse, look, squint (at), squinny (at), Scots keek, Colloq take or have a gander (at), Brit take a dekko (at): A small boy peeked out from under the blanket. --n. 2 look, glimpse, peep, glance, Scots keek, Colloq gander, look-see: I''ve had a peek at what Father hid in the cupboard.
peel | peel: v. 1 Sometimes, peel off. skin, strip (off), pare, flay, flake off, descale, decorticate; shuck, hull, bark, scale; desquamate: Beulah, peel me a grape. 2 strip, undress, disrobe; do a striptease: In the last act, everyone peels to the bare skin. 3 peel off. take off or doff, strip off: I peeled off my coat and dived into the canal to save her. --n. 4 skin, rind, coating, peeling: Don''t you like candied orange peel?
peep | peep: v. 1 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup: The birds peeped excitedly when they saw the cat. --n. 2 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup, chirr or chirre or churr: The night was filled with the peep of the frogs at the pond. 3 sound, complaint, outcry, protest, protestation, grumble, murmur: The students didn''t let out a peep when ordered to remain after class.
peer� | peer�: n. 1 noble, nobleman or noblewoman, lord or lady, aristocrat; duke or duchess, marquess or marchioness, earl or countess, viscount or viscountess, baron or baroness: As a peer of the realm, she had certain rights. 2 equal, coequal, compeer, like, match, confr�re, associate, colleague: Under law, he is entitled to trial by a jury of his peers.
peer� | peer�: v. 1 peep, peek, squint (at), squinny (at), look, examine; spy: Scrooge peered closely at the accounts ledger. 2 appear, peep through or out, break through, show, become visible, emerge: Now and then, the moon peered through the clouds.
peerless | peerless: adj. without equal, unequalled, matchless, unmatched, unrivalled, unique, incomparable, beyond compare, unparalleled, nonpareil, inimitable, unexcelled, unsurpassed, superior, superb, excellent, supreme, superlative, finest, best, ne plus ultra, sovereign, consummate, pre-eminent, paramount: James''s mother was a peerless beauty and the toast of her generation.
peevish | peevish: adj. irritable, testy, touchy, fretful, ill-humoured, waspish, petulant, crabbed, churlish, querulous, short-tempered, ill-natured, tetchy, cross, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, fault-finding, captious, carping, cavilling, crusty, curmudgeonly, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy or grumpish, pettish, acrimonious, splenetic, Colloq bilious, US and Canadian and Irish cranky: He''s very peevish today, so don''t get on his wrong side.
peg | peg: v. 1 pin, dowel, rod, stick, bolt; thole or thole-pin; clothes-peg, hook: Pegs and glue are often used for fastening good furniture together. Hang your coat on the peg. 2 off the peg. ready-made, ready-to-wear, stock: As bespoke clothing is so dear, I buy mine off the peg. 3 take down a peg (or two). humble, diminish, lower, subdue, suppress, downgrade, dishonour, mortify, humiliate, put down, abase, debase, devalue or devaluate: He was acting a bit high and mighty, so she took him down a peg or two. --v. 4 fasten, secure, make fast, fix, attach, pin: They pegged the tent firmly to the ground. 5 fix, attach, pin, set (by), control by, limit by, restrict, confine, freeze, bind, regulate, govern: In indexing, the rate of inflation is often used for pegging wages. 6 toss, throw, shy, flip, sling, cast: I''ll bet a fiver you can''t peg that stone across the river. 7 peg away or US also along. work (away) (at), persevere (at), apply oneself (to), persist (in or at), go to or at (it), keep at (it), stick to or with or at (it), stay with or at (it), carry on (with or at), Colloq plug away (at), beaver away (at), hammer or bang or peck away (at): Trevor pegs away at his homework every evening.
pell-mell | pell-mell: adv. 1 helter-skelter, slapdash, rashly, feverishly, incautiously, confusedly, chaotically, wildly, impulsively, recklessly, slap-bang, impetuously, hastily, hurriedly, precipitately, spontaneously: The ice-cream vendor pedalled down the street with the children running pell-mell after him. --adj. 2 helter-skelter, slapdash, rash, feverish, incautious, confused, disordered, disorderly, disorganized, wild, mad, chaotic, tumultuous, panicky, impulsive, reckless, precipitate, impetuous, hasty, hurried: Quick action by the soldiers was responsible for the pell-mell rout of the attackers. --n. 3 confusion, disorder, chaos, tumult, pandemonium, turmoil, m�l�e or melee, furore or US furor, commotion, bedlam, brouhaha, hubbub, excitement: In the pell-mell that followed, several bystanders were injured.
pelt� | pelt�: v. 1 bombard, shower, bomb, pepper, strafe, batter, shell, assail, assault, attack, US pummel or pommel, belabour, pound, Old-fashioned lay about, Slang US clobber, wallop, paste, work over: The hooligans pelted the crowd with sticks and stones. 2 Often, pelt down. beat, dash, pound, hit; come down, teem, pour, Colloq rain cats and dogs, bucket down, US rain pitchforks: The rain came pelting down just as we were ready to go out. 3 pelt along or over. hurry, rush, run, dash, shoot, scoot, scurry: The constables pelted along after the escaping thief. --n. 4 stroke, blow, whack, hit, smack, slap, thwack, bang, thump, Colloq wallop, belt: Chris received a pelt on the head from a rock.
pelt� | pelt�: n. skin, hide, coat, fur, fleece: The trappers traded the fox pelts for supplies.
pen� | pen�: n. 1 writing instrument, fountain-pen, ball-point (pen), Brit trade mark Biro, Old-fashioned quill: Dearest, I have finally found time to put pen to paper. I prefer a pen with a fine point. --v. 2 write (down or up or out), jot down, (make a) note (of), draft, draw up, compose, put on paper, commit to paper, commit to writing, put in writing, scribble, scrawl, scratch, Formal indite: While he was in prison, he penned letters to many men of influence.
pen� | pen�: n. 1 coop, enclosure, hutch, (pig)sty, pound, fold, stall, confine, US and Canadian corral: We kept the geese in a pen by the barn. --v. 2 Often, pen up. enclose, confine, coop up, shut up, impound, round up, US and Canadian corral: It took three of us to pen the sheep. During the blockade, the ships remained penned up at Gibraltar.
penal | penal: adj. correctional, punitive, disciplinary: Crime and its punishment are covered in the penal code. He was sent to a penal colony for life.
penalize | penalize: v. punish, discipline, mulct, amerce, fine, handicap, impose or invoke a penalty against, impose a penalty on, Formal amerce; sentence: This judge penalizes speeders mercilessly.
penalty | penalty: n. punishment, discipline, penance, sentence; forfeit, fine, handicap, price, mulct, Formal amercement; imprisonment, incarceration: The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty allowable under law for the crimes.
penance | penance: n. 1 punishment, penalty, reparation, amends, atonement, self-punishment, self-mortification, regret, repentance, contrition, suffering, penitence: A year of public service was fair penance for the offence. 2 do penance. pay, suffer, make amends or reparation(s), atone, wear sackcloth and ashes or a hair-shirt: She has done penance enough for her crime.
penchant | penchant: n. inclination, bent, proclivity, leaning, bias, predisposition, predilection, partiality, proneness, propensity, tendency, affinity, liking, preference, fondness, taste: Agnes has a penchant for tennis and for men who play tennis.
pendant | pendant: n. ornament, tassel, lavaliere or lavali�re, medallion, locket, necklace, rivi�re, ear-drop, tear-drop, drop, Old-fashioned carcanet: I recognized the pendant she wore at her neck as my mother''s.
pending | pending: prep. 1 awaiting, waiting (for), depending on, till, until, ''til, till such time as; while, during: Pending the outcome of the trial, he was remanded in custody. --adj. 2 unsettled, undetermined, undecided, unconfirmed, unfinished, inconclusive, up in the air, hanging fire, in the balance, in abeyance; forthcoming, imminent, impending, in the offing, Colloq US in a holding pattern, on hold: The pending negotiations on the rent will determine whether we stay or move house. While the matter is pending, we can do nothing.
pendulous | pendulous: adj. 1 pendent, hanging, drooping, sagging, dangling, suspended, pensile: The weaver-bird''s pendulous nest is a marvel of engineering. 2 swinging, swaying, waving, undulating, undulatory, oscillating, oscillatory: I was hypnotized by the pendulous motion of the bell.
penetrate | penetrate: v. 1 enter, go or pass through or into, pierce, bore (into), lance, spear, go through or into, probe, stab, puncture, perforate, drill: The shell penetrated the tank''s heavy armour. 2 permeate, diffuse, suffuse, pervade, filter or seep through, percolate through: The soothing balm penetrated my aching body and I relaxed into a deep sleep. 3 reach, get to, get at, touch, affect, hit, strike: Her cruel words penetrated the darkest recesses of my soul. 4 sink in, be absorbed, be understood, register, come or get through, become clear, come across, be realized, Colloq soak in, seep in: It took a while for it to penetrate that she did not wish to see him again. 5 understand, sense, become aware or conscious of, see (through), gain insight (in)to, discern, uncover, discover, find (out), comprehend, grasp, work out, unravel, fathom, perceive, Colloq get, figure out, dig, Brit suss out: Will we ever penetrate all of nature''s secrets?
penetrating | penetrating: adj. 1 incisive, trenchant, keen, searching, deep, acute, sharp, perceptive, perspicuous, percipient, quick, discriminating, intelligent, sensitive, clever, smart, discerning: This is a penetrating analysis of the situation which clarifies many of the issues. 2 piercing, shrill, strident, ear-splitting, ear-shattering, pervasive; pungent, harsh, biting, mordant, strong, stinging: I was awakened by a penetrating scream. The penetrating odour of ammonia assailed my nostrils.
penetration | penetration: n. 1 piercing, perforation, puncturing, incision, puncture, penetrating; inroad, entry, entrance: Penetration of the skull required great effort on the part of the surgeon. Tentatively we attempted the penetration of the jungle. 2 insight, keenness, perception, percipience, intelligence, perspicacity, perspicuity, perspicaciousness, perceptiveness, acuteness, incisiveness, sensitivity, sentience, understanding, acuteness, discernment, discrimination, cleverness, shrewdness, wit, quick-wittedness: We all admired the penetration that was shown by the examiner in the questions she asked.
penitence | penitence: n. penance, contrition, regret, repentance, regretfulness, compunction, remorse, sorrow, sorrowfulness, ruefulness, grief, sadness, shame, self-reproach: Brendan''s penitence for his former misdeeds was shown by his selfless devotion to good causes.
penitent | penitent: adj. contrite, regretful, repentant, remorseful, sorrowful, sorry, rueful, grief-stricken, sad, shame-faced, self-reproachful, apologetic, conscience-stricken: He said that he was truly penitent for all the heinous crimes of his youth.
penmanship | penmanship: n. calligraphy, hand, fine Italian or Italic hand, handwriting, script, writing, longhand, chirography: One must admire the penmanship of the medieval scribes.
pennant | pennant: n. flag, banner, pennon, streamer, banderole, gonfalon, ensign, colours, standard, labarum, Chiefly nautical jack, Nautical and yachting burgee, Technical vexillum: We saw from her pennant that she was a Spanish frigate.
pension | pension: n. 1 benefit, allowance, annuity, subsistence, superannuation, allotment, old-age pension, US social security, Colloq golden handshake: She finds that her pension is not enough to live on. --v. 2 Usually, pension off. (cause to) retire, superannuate; dismiss; Colloq shelve, put out to pasture: The company cut back on staff by pensioning off everyone over 60.
pensioner | pensioner: n. retiree, veteran, senior citizen, Brit OAP (= ''old-age pensioner''), US golden-ager, Colloq Brit wrinkly: The housing units were specially designed for pensioners'' needs.
pensive | pensive: adj. thoughtful, meditative, musing, in a brown study, cogitative, contemplative, reflective, preoccupied, ruminative, wistful, day-dreaming, in a trance, in a reverie, brooding, sober, serious, grave: I found the professor in a pensive mood, staring out the window.
pent-up | pent-up: adj. restrained, constrained, repressed, stifled, bottled-up, corked-up, held in, checked, held back, curbed, inhibited, restricted: After weeks of frustration, he wanted to release his pent-up emotions in a scream. They went jogging to try to work off their pent-up energy.
penurious | penurious: adj. 1 stingy, mean, penny-pinching, miserly, tight, tight-fisted, close-fisted, cheese-paring, niggardly, cheap, ungenerous, parsimonious, skinflinty, thrifty, begrudging, grudging, Scrooge-like, Colloq near, Brit mingy, US chintzy: Even today, he is so penurious that he gives his children an allowance of only 50 pence a week. 2 poor, poverty-stricken, destitute, impoverished, penniless, indigent, needy, impecunious, necessitous, beggarly, bankrupt, Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, hard up: They lived in penurious circumstances.
people | people: n.pl. 1 persons, individuals, men and women, ladies and gentlemen, males and females, living souls; mortals; bodies: How many people can this aeroplane carry? 2 relations, relatives, kin, kinsmen, kinsfolk or US and Canadian kinfolk, family, kith and kin; ancestors, forebears: His people left Russia in 1917. 3 masses, (general) public, hoi polloi, consumers, multitude, populace, common people, common man, commoners, subjects, citizenry, plebeians, grass roots, proletariat, rank and file, the crowd, commonalty or commonality, mobile vulgus, bourgeoisie; man or woman in the street, Everyman, Everywoman, Mr or Mrs Average, Brit A. N. Other, Joe Bloggs, man or woman on the Clapham omnibus, US John Doe, Mary Doe, Richard Roe, John Q. Public; Colloq and often derogatory proles, the rabble, ragtag and bobtail, silent majority, common herd, Brit plebs, admass: Politicians unable to communicate with the people are seldom elected. --n.sing. 4 race, community, clan, tribe, folk, nation, population, society: On the subject of religion, they were a people divided. The anthropologists were studying the peoples south of the Sahara. --v. 5 populate, colonize, settle, occupy: The area was once peopled with Berber tribesmen.
pep | pep: n. 1 vigour, vim (and vigour), spirit, animation, vivacity, energy, verve, zest, fire, sprightliness, life, effervescence, sparkle, ebullience, dash, enthusiasm, brio, �lan, Colloq zip, zing: He certainly has a lot of pep for an octogenarian. --v. 2 pep up. stimulate, invigorate, animate, enliven, vitalize, vivify, energize, exhilarate, quicken, arouse, breathe (some) life into, inspire, activate, actuate, fire, cheer up, Colloq buck up, spark, work or fire up, US wind up: After those defeats, the team needed to be pepped up.
pepper | pepper: v. sprinkle, scatter, dot, speckle, fleck, spot, spray, bespeckle, speckle, spatter, stipple, mottle: The letter was peppered with ink-spots. Their speech was peppered with swear-words.
perceive | perceive: v. 1 see, make out, discern, catch sight of, glimpse, spot, espy, apprehend, take in, notice, note, discover, descry, observe, mark, remark, identify, distinguish, detect: I perceived his hesitation when a solo flight was suggested. She perceived a strange odour emanating from the cupboard. 2 appreciate, grasp, feel, sense, apprehend, understand, gather, comprehend, deduce, infer, figure out, ascertain, determine, conclude, decipher, Colloq dig, catch on: She perceived that he was going to renege on his promise to take her to the Riviera. 3 Often, perceive of. regard, view, look on, consider, contemplate, judge, deem, believe, think: Calthorpe perceives of himself as a great actor, but he is dreadful. This gesture is often perceived as threatening.
percentage | percentage: n. share, part, portion, proportion, interest, piece, Colloq cut: We are to get a percentage of the profits in return for our investment.
perceptible | perceptible: adj. discernible, detectable, observable, perceivable, noticeable, distinguishable, recognizable, apparent, evident, notable, obvious, patent, manifest, palpable, plain, clear, prominent, unmistakable or unmistakeable: There are perceptible differences between your playing and Heifetz''s.
perception | perception: n. 1 appreciation, grasp, apprehension, understanding, comprehension, knowledge, perspective, view: Mrs Hart''s perception of the situation is quite different from mine. 2 intuition, insight, instinct, feel, feeling, sense, impression, awareness, idea, notion, consciousness, realization: Norton hasn''t the slightest perception of what is going on behind his back at the office.
perceptive | perceptive: adj. astute, alert, attentive, quick, alive, quick-witted, intelligent, acute, sharp, sensitive, sensible, percipient, discerning, observant, perspicacious; on the qui vive; Colloq on the ball: No one was sufficiently perceptive to predict the full extent of the recession. She is perhaps the most perceptive journalist writing on French politics today.
perch | perch: n. 1 roost, rest, seat; spot, location, position, place, site, vantage point, perspective: From his perch at the top of the cliff, Martin had a clear view of the cave entrance. --v. 2 roost, rest, sit, nest; place, put, set, situate, locate, position, site: The owl was perched in the tree, waiting for the vole to appear from its burrow.
percolate | percolate: v. seep, steep, transfuse, leach, drip, drain, strain, filter, pervade, infuse, ooze, transude, filtrate, trickle, permeate, suffuse, penetrate: The earth is too hard for the rainwater to percolate to the roots below. It slowly percolated through to me that Clare had told the police where I was hiding.
perdition | perdition: n. damnation, hell, hell-fire, doom, ruin, condemnation, destruction, ruination, downfall: If what divines call lust be punished with perdition, who is pure?
peremptory | peremptory: adj. 1 commanding, imperative, compelling, obligatory, mandatory, irrefutable, incontrovertible, decretal: After the sound of marching came a peremptory knock at the door. 2 decisive, final, preclusive, arbitrary, categorical, unequivocal, dogmatic, unconditional, unreserved, flat, out-and-out, outright, unqualified, unmitigated: The juror was subject to peremptory dismissal because he was the defendant''s cousin. 3 imperious, authoritative, tyrannical, despotic, dictatorial, autocratic, emphatic, positive, firm, insistent, Colloq bossy: How dare you take such a peremptory tone when speaking to your father!
perennial | perennial: adj. 1 durable, lasting, continuing, enduring, constant, stable, lifelong, persistent, incessant, uninterrupted, continual, continuous, chronic: Once we expected our rivers to yield a perennial supply of fresh water. Bing Crosby has been a perennial favourite since the 1930s. 2 permanent, unfailing, never-failing, endless, unending, ceaseless, unceasing, imperishable, undying, perpetual, everlasting, timeless, eternal, immortal, Literary sempiternal: The artificial flowers at her grave symbolize Ingrid''s perennial youth.
perfect | perfect: adj. 1 complete, absolute, finished, (fully) realized, fulfilled, consummate, pure, entire, whole, perfected, best, ideal: Many have called the building a perfect example of the Palladian style. 2 sublime, ideal, superb, supreme, superlative, best, flawless, faultless, pre-eminent, excellent, exquisite, unexcelled, unrivalled, unequalled, unmatched, matchless, incomparable, nonpareil, peerless, inimitable: At her throat she wore the most perfect emerald I had ever seen. 3 blameless, righteous, holy, faultless, flawless, spotless, immaculate: Nobody''s perfect. 4 fitting, appropriate, (just) right, apt, suitable, correct, proper, made-to-order, best, Brit spot on: Arthur would be perfect for the role of Quasimodo. 5 precise, exact, accurate, correct, unerring, true, authentic, lifelike, right on, excellent, superlative, superb, reliable, Brit spot on: These copies are perfect replicas of the original. 6 utter, absolute, complete, mere, thorough, out-and-out, through-and-through; 24-carat, categorical, unqualified, unalloyed, unmitigated: We were perfect strangers at the time. Once again, he''s shown himself to be a perfect idiot. 7 expert, proficient, accomplished, experienced, practised, skilful, skilled, gifted, talented, adept, deft, adroit, polished, professional, masterly, masterful: The admirable Crichton was the perfect butler. --v. 8 complete, finish, realize, fulfil, consummate, accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, carry out or through, bring (to perfection): The design of the bicycle was not to be perfected for several years. 9 rectify, correct, emend, (put or set) right, improve, refine, polish, cultivate, better, ameliorate: Viniculture has been perfected in the Bordeaux region of France.
perfection | perfection: n. 1 purity, flawlessness, faultlessness, sublimity, superiority, excellence, pre-eminence, transcendence: Though we strive for perfection, we never can achieve it. 2 completion, completeness, achievement, fulfilment, realization, consummation, accomplishment, attainment: The building doesn''t reach perfection till the last roof-tile is in place. 3 ideal, paragon, model, archetype, pattern, mould, standard, idealization, essence, quintessence, acme, pinnacle, summit: Machiavelli probably achieved the perfection of political cunning.
perfectionist | perfectionist: n. 1 purist, pedant, precisian, precisionist, stickler, Colloq fusspot, US fuss-budget: The foreman is such a perfectionist that there''s no satisfying him. --adj. 2 meticulous, precise, punctilious, scrupulous, exacting, particular, demanding, fastidious, fussy; obsessive; Colloq picky, nit-picking: She takes a perfectionist attitude towards everything she does.
perfectly | perfectly: adv. 1 completely, purely, entirely, absolutely, utterly, totally, wholly, consummately, thoroughly, quite, definitely, positively, unambiguously, unequivocally, unmistakably or unmistakeably, explicitly, truly, very, extremely, extraordinarily, remarkably: Your instructions for finding the house were perfectly clear. 2 superbly, superlatively, flawlessly, faultlessly, impeccably, inimitably, incomparably, sublimely, exquisitely, marvellously, admirably, wonderfully: Sally plays that Chopin �tude perfectly. 3 exactly, precisely, flawlessly, faultlessly, accurately, literally, line for line, word for word, verbatim, letter for letter, to the letter, literatim: He knows the entire Koran perfectly. 4 very, full, quite, Dialect right, Brit jolly, Slang damned, bloody: You know perfectly well that I hate cauliflower.
perfidious | perfidious: adj. treacherous, deceitful, traitorous, treasonous, treasonable, disloyal, faithless, false, unfaithful, untrue, insidious, hypocritical, two-faced, Janus-faced, corrupt, dishonest: His perfidious brother betrayed him to his enemies.
perfidy | perfidy: n. perfidiousness, treachery, deceit, traitorousness, treason, disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, unfaithfulness, infidelity, insidiousness, hypocrisy, betrayal: The name of Judas is a byword for perfidy.
perforate | perforate: v. riddle, puncture, pierce, honeycomb, drill, bore, punch; enter, penetrate, pass into: A perforated metal screen let through a pattern of light. The bullet perforated his lung but he survived.
perform | perform: v. 1 execute, complete, bring off or about, accomplish, effect, carry out, discharge, dispatch, conduct, carry on, do, fulfil, Colloq pull off, knock off, polish off; put up or shut up: Postmen perform their duties despite hazards such as vicious dogs. 2 do, act, behave, operate, function, run, work, go, respond: How does your new car perform? 3 present, stage, produce, put on, mount, do; act, depict, take, play, appear as: The repertory group performs six shows weekly. He is performing the role of Scrooge.
performance | performance: n. 1 execution, completion, bringing off or about, accomplishment, effectuation, carrying out, discharge, dispatch, conduct, carrying-on, doing, fulfilment: The soldiers acquitted themselves nobly in the performance of their duties. 2 show, exhibition, exhibit, play, playing, engagement, act, appearance, Colloq gig: She does three performances nightly at the Blue Angel. 3 playing, acting, interpretation, presentation, portrayal: His performance in the courtroom scene was outstanding. 4 behaviour, conduct, deportment, demeanour: Her performance in the pub last night was outrageous. 5 scene, show, exhibition, display: The lad put on quite a performance till threatened with punishment by the headmaster.
performer | performer: n. actor or actress, artiste, Thespian, trouper, player: They received their training as performers in a repertory company.
perfume | perfume: n. 1 essence, extract, parfum, eau-de-Cologne, toilet water, scent, fragrance; aroma, odour, smell, bouquet, nose: What is that wonderful perfume you''re wearing? The perfume of the wine wafted over to me. --v. 2 scent: Orange blossoms perfumed the air.
perfunctory | perfunctory: adj. 1 routine, mechanical, automatic, robot-like, unthinking, businesslike, unspontaneous, formal, dismissive, inattentive, uninvolved, apathetic, indifferent, unconcerned, removed, distant, d�gag�, offhand, heedless, uninterested, hasty, hurried, superficial, cursory, fleeting, rushed: I don''t care for the perfunctory service in those fast-food restaurants. 2 careless, slipshod, slovenly, negligent, sketchy, spotty: The bill, made out in a perfunctory fashion, was incorrect.
perhaps | perhaps: adv. maybe, possibly, it is possible that, conceivably, as the case may be, it may be, Archaic or literary perchance, peradventure, Archaic or dialect mayhap: Perhaps she''ll be on the next train.
peril | peril: n. danger, threat, risk, jeopardy, exposure, vulnerability, susceptibility, uncertainty, insecurity: You enter there at your peril. It was a time of peril for us all. The child''s life was in peril.
perilous | perilous: adj. dangerous, risky, hazardous, vulnerable, susceptible, uncertain, insecure, unsafe, unsure: Why undertake such a perilous journey alone?
perimeter | perimeter: n. boundary, border, borderline, margin, periphery, limit(s), bounds, ambit, circumference, edge, verge, fringe(s), Archaic or literary bourn or bourne: The perimeter of the military base is patrolled by sentry dogs.
period | period: n. 1 interval, time, term, span, duration, spell, space, stretch; while; Colloq chiefly Brit patch: During the period of his absence, his children had grown up. I waited a short period, then phoned again. We went through a bad period last year. 2 era, days, epoch, aeon, age, years: During the Old English period, very little was written down. 3 full stop: Place periods at the ends of sentences.
periodic | periodic: adj. periodical, intermittent, regular, recurrent, repetitive, iterative, cyclic(al), repeated; episodic, sporadic, occasional: We called in the plumber because of the periodic hammering in the pipes. The next periodic return of Halley''s comet is expected in 2061-62.
periodical | periodical: n. magazine, journal, paper, publication, newsletter, organ, serial, weekly, fortnightly, semi-monthly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, yearbook, almanac, Rare hebdomadal or hebdomadary: Nicole''s story will soon be published in an important literary periodical.
peripheral | peripheral: adj. 1 incidental, unimportant, minor, secondary, inessential or unessential, non-essential, unnecessary, superficial, tangential, irrelevant, beside the point: Let''s ignore the peripheral issues for the time being and concentrate on the important ones. 2 circumferential, external, perimetric, outside, outer: The peripheral measurement of the figure is seven inches.
periphery | periphery: n. 1 perimeter, circumference, border, edge, rim, brim, ambit, boundary, bound, margin: Trees will be planted along the periphery of the car park. 2 surface, edge, superficies: Your analysis deals with the periphery, not the core, of the problem.
perish | perish: v. die, expire, lose (one''s) life, be killed, be lost, meet (one''s) death, be destroyed: Three gnus perished in the fire at the zoo.
perjury | perjury: n. lying, mendacity, mendaciousness, forswearing, prevarication, bearing false witness: The defendant was acquitted and the prosecution witnesses charged with perjury.
perk | perk: n. See perquisite, below.
perk up | perk up: v. cheer up, become jaunty, brighten, liven up, invigorate, smarten up, quicken, (re)vitalize, pep up, revive, inspirit, Colloq buck up: The old lady perks up when her grandchildren come to visit. To perk up the party, Peter suggested we should all play a game.
perky | perky: adj. lively, cheery, cheerful, jaunty, bouncy, bright, invigorated, vigorous, vitalized, peppy, spirited, sprightly, frisky, animated, vivacious, effervescent, bubbly, buoyant, gay, Colloq bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of pep: Sue''s been quite perky since she started going with Trevor.
permanence | permanence: n. permanency, stability, durability, fixedness, changelessness, lasting quality, longevity, endurance, persistence, dependability, reliability, survival: The new roofing material is being tested for permanence.
permanent | permanent: adj. 1 everlasting, eternal, unending, endless, perpetual, unceasing, constant, undying, imperishable, indestructible, stable, abiding, long-lasting, lasting, enduring, perennial, long-lived, durable: The satellite is in permanent orbit around the earth. 2 unchanging, invariable, changeless, fixed, unchangeable, immutable, unalterable, stable, persistent: This stain is permanent and will not come out in the wash. Bonham is a permanent member of the executive committee.
permanently | permanently: adv. forever, for good, once and for all, forevermore, always, eternally, everlastingly; perpetually, constantly, incessantly, non-stop, continuously, endlessly, ceaselessly, unendingly, interminably: Is the boy permanently disabled? According to one theory the universe will not continue to expand permanently.
permeate | permeate: v. imbue, diffuse, penetrate, pervade, infiltrate, enter, spread through(out), saturate, seep through(out), percolate through, soak through: He felt the warmth permeate every limb. Greed seemed to permeate every level of society.
permissible | permissible: adj. allowable, admissible, acceptable, allowed, permitted, tolerable, legal, licit, lawful, legitimate, authorized, proper, (all) right; pardonable, excusable, venial, Colloq OK or okay, kosher, legit: Some things that are permissible are not necessarily honourable.
permission | permission: n. consent, assent, leave, acquiescence, sufferance, tolerance, laxity, leniency or lenience, leave, licence, sanction, acceptance, authorization, approval, approbation, countenance, allowance, liberty, indulgence, sufferance; franchise, enfranchisement: Have you permission to watch television? She eats anything she likes with the doctor''s permission.
permissive | permissive: adj. assenting, consenting, indulgent, lenient, latitudinarian, acquiescent, lax, easygoing, liberal, tolerant, non-constraining, non-restrictive, libertarian: Allison grew up in the permissive society of the 1960s.
permit | permit: v. 1 Often, permit to. allow, agree (to), consent (to), give permission or leave (to), authorize, sanction, license, tolerate, countenance, suffer, brook, admit, grant, enable, empower, franchise, enfranchise; let: He permitted me to use his name as a reference. Do they permit smoking here? --n. 2 licence, authority, authorization, franchise, warrant; pass, passport, visa: Your parking permit expired last week. Shirley has a permit to visit Tibet.
perpendicular | perpendicular: adj. 1 erect, upright, vertical, plumb, straight (up and down): The plumb-line shows that the wall isn''t perpendicular. 2 Often, perpendicular to. at right angles (to), at 90 degrees (to): The two paths are perpendicular to one another.
perpetrate | perpetrate: v. commit, execute, perform, carry out or through, effect, effectuate, accomplish, do, be responsible for, practise, Colloq pull (off): Atrocities were perpetrated on both sides in the war.
perpetual | perpetual: adj. 1 eternal, infinite, everlasting, never-ending, unending, perennial, ageless, timeless, long-lived, permanent, unceasing, lasting, enduring, unvarying, unchanging, immutable, invariable, undeviating, Literary sempiternal: They declared their perpetual love for each other. 2 constant, uninterrupted, continuous, unfailing, incessant, persistent, unremitting, unending, non-stop, endless, recurrent, continual, repetitive: Why should we have to listen to the neighbours'' perpetual bickering?
perpetuate | perpetuate: v. continue, maintain, extend, keep (on or up), keep going, preserve, memorialize, immortalize, eternalize: Thoughtless jokes can perpetuate damaging stereotypes.
perpetuity | perpetuity: n. permanence, constancy, timelessness; eternity: The estate was bequeathed to the townspeople in perpetuity.
perplex | perplex: v. confuse, bewilder, puzzle, mystify, distract, baffle, befuddle, confound, muddle, disconcert, stump, nonplus, stymie, stupefy, stun, daze, dumbfound or dumfound, flabbergast, Colloq bamboozle, hornswoggle, Chiefly US and Canadian discombobulate, throw for a loop: The more I tried to understand bathymetric semiotics, the more perplexed I became. Anne-Marie''s reticence perplexed us all.
perplexing | perplexing: adj. confusing, bewildering, puzzling, mystifying, baffling, confounding, disconcerting, stupefying, flabbergasting, enigmatic, paradoxical, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, recondite, arcane, labyrinthine, complex, complicated, Byzantine, intricate, involved, convoluted, twisted, knotty, Gordian: The writing is filled with perplexing references to the author''s personal experiences, of which the reader is told nothing.
perplexity | perplexity: n. 1 confusion, bewilderment, bafflement, distress, doubt, difficulty: My perplexity grew as he related his version of the event. 2 intricacy, complexity, complicatedness, arcaneness, reconditeness, impenetrability, impenetrableness, involvement, unfathomability, obscurity, difficulty: The more deeply the enigma was probed, the greater its perplexity. 3 puzzle, enigma, mystery, dilemma, problem, paradox, catch-22, quandary, predicament, bind: Because of the interlocking directorships of the companies, we faced many perplexities in trying to sort out what had happened to the funds.
perquisite | perquisite: n. consideration, emolument, bonus, (fringe) benefit, extra, bonus, dividend, gratuity, tip, douceur, baksheesh, token (of appreciation), US lagniappe or lagnappe, Colloq perk: It was traditional to provide each director with a company car as a perquisite.
persecute | persecute: v. 1 oppress, suppress, subjugate, maltreat, ill-treat, abuse, outrage, molest, victimize, tyrannize, afflict, punish, martyr, torment, torture: For years black people had been persecuted. 2 bother, annoy, pester, plague, hector, bully, badger, harry, harass, irritate, worry, vex, trouble, worry, importune, hound: Her lawyers continually persecuted him for non-payment of alimony.
persecution | persecution: n. 1 oppression, suppression, subjugation, maltreatment, ill-treatment, abuse, outrage, molestation, victimization, tyranny, affliction, punishment, torment, torture: They suffered persecution because of their difference of religion. 2 bother, annoyance, hectoring, bullying, badgering, harrying, harassing, irritation, worry, vexation, trouble: The press is often guilty of the persecution of famous people.
perseverance | perseverance: n. persistence, steadfastness, determination, resolution, resolve, decisiveness, decision, firmness, purposefulness, pertinacity, staying power, stamina, sedulousness, assiduity, grit, pluck, tirelessness, indefatigableness, indefatigability, patience, endurance, diligence, devotion, tenacity, doggedness, stubbornness, inflexibility, obstinacy, obstinateness, obdurateness, Colloq guts, US stick-to-it-iveness: Perseverance is essential for success in the theatre.
persevere | persevere: v. Often, persevere in or with or at. persist, resolve, decide, endure, continue, carry on or through, keep at or on or up, be steadfast or staunch or constant, keep going, stand fast or firm, see through, be or remain determined or resolved or resolute or stalwart or purposeful or uncompromising, be tenacious or persistent or constant or pertinacious or assiduous or sedulous, be tireless or untiring or indefatigable, show determination or pluck or grit, be plucky, be patient or diligent or stubborn or inflexible or adamant or obstinate or obdurate, show or exhibit or demonstrate patience or diligence or stubbornness or inflexibility or obstinacy or obduracy, remain dogged, pursue doggedly, be intransigent or intractable, cling to, stick to, support, stop at nothing, sustain, Colloq stick with, stick (it) out: We must persevere if we are to win. I shall persevere in my loyalty.
persist | persist: v. 1 Often, persist in or at. persevere, be persistent, insist (on), stand firm or fast, be steadfast or staunch, strive, toil, labour, work (hard) (at): She persists in arguing her innocence. Only those who persist will succeed. 2 remain, continue, endure, carry on, keep up or on, last, linger, stay: The bad weather persisted through the weekend.
persistence | persistence: n. perseverance, resolve, determination, resolution, steadfastness, tenacity, constancy, assiduity, stamina, tirelessness, indefatigability, indefatigableness, tirelessness, pluck, grit, patience, diligence, pertinacity, doggedness, stubbornness, obstinacy, obduracy: By sheer persistence he got his own way.
persistent | persistent: adj. 1 persisting, persevering, tenacious, steadfast, firm, fast, fixed, staunch, resolute, resolved, determined, unfaltering, unswerving, undeviating, unflagging, tireless, untiring, indefatigable, dogged, unwavering, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, inflexible, rigid: He was persistent in his demands for justice. The inspector never gave up his persistent pursuit of criminals. 2 continuing, constant, continuous, continual, unending, interminable, unremitting, unrelenting, perpetual, incessant, unceasing, non-stop: The persistent rainy weather began to depress us. At last he gave in to her persistent complaints and bought a washing machine.
person | person: n. 1 individual, human (being), being, man or woman or child, (living) soul; mortal: Not a single person knew the answer to my question. 2 in person. physically, personally, bodily, actually, myself or yourself or himself or herself or ourselves or yourselves, or themselves, Colloq in the flesh: The correspondent visited the battlefield in person to see for himself the extent of the carnage. I know their records, but I have never seen them in person.
persona | persona: n. face, front, fa�ade, mask, guise, exterior, role, part, character, identity, self: Her office persona is quite different from the one she displays at home.
personage | personage: n. celebrity, luminary, VIP, name, notable, somebody, personality, star, superstar, magnate, mogul, Colloq big-shot, big wheel, hotshot, hot stuff, Brit big noise, Theatre US headliner: My cousin is fast becoming a personage in the financial world.
personal | personal: adj. 1 individual, physical, bodily, actual, live; in person, in the flesh: The star is scheduled to make a personal appearance on tonight''s chat show. 2 intimate, exclusive, private, special, particular: Would you do me a personal favour? I hear they are having personal problems. 3 intimate, close, dear, bosom, familiar, special: Wendy happens to be a personal friend of ours. 4 intimate, individual; disparaging, slighting, offensive, derogatory, critical, deprecating, belittling, adverse, unfriendly, insulting: He should confine his criticism to her acting and avoid personal remarks.
personality | personality: n. 1 character, nature, temperament, disposition, make-up, persona; identity, psyche: Miles has an extremely abrasive personality that has upset many people. 2 celebrity, luminary, star, superstar, name, headliner, somebody: Whom shall we get as a personality to attract the crowds?
personalized | personalized: adj. monogrammed, initialled, individualized; signed: They ordered personalized stationery with their new address on it.
personally | personally: adv. 1 in person, alone, by oneself, on one''s own, myself or yourself or himself or herself or ourselves or yourselves or themselves, Colloq in the flesh: She has not met them personally, but we have. They will see to the matter personally. 2 in one''s own view or opinion, for one''s part, for oneself, as far as one is concerned, from one''s own viewpoint, from where one stands, as one sees it or things, as for oneself: Personally, I wasn''t sure I would make it. 3 as an individual, as a person, privately, in private: I like him personally but would never have him as my dentist.
personify | personify: v. 1 embody, typify, exemplify, epitomize, be the embodiment of, manifest, represent, stand for, symbolize, Archaic impersonate, personate: In my view, he personifies everything that is evil. 2 humanize, personalize: In literature, personifying inanimate things in nature with human attributes is called the pathetic fallacy.
perspective | perspective: n. 1 (point of) view, viewpoint, standpoint, prospect, vantage point, position, angle, Colloq where one is coming from: I can see that my view would be illogical from his perspective. 2 attitude, position, angle, approach, sentiment, outlook, lookout: Management has a different perspective on what is good for the company.
perspiration | perspiration: n. sweat, dampness, wetness; sweating; Technical sudor; diaphoresis: I could feel the perspiration stand out on my forehead. They say that perspiration makes one cooler on a hot day.
persuade | persuade: v. 1 urge, induce, prevail upon, influence, exhort, importune, dispose, incline, prompt, sway, press: The officer persuaded him to surrender. 2 bring round, convince, win over, talk or argue into, convert: We persuaded her to open the door. He was persuaded to vote Labour.
persuasion | persuasion: n. 1 inducement, inducing, influence, influencing, exhortation, exhorting, persuading: At the bank''s persuasion, the company tightened up its cashflow management. She has extraordinary powers of persuasion at her command. 2 opinion, belief, creed, faith, set of beliefs, faith, religion, (religious) conviction; sect, denomination, faction, school (of thought), affiliation: Till he met Maggie, he had always been of the Baptist persuasion.
persuasive | persuasive: adj. convincing, telling, influential, effective, productive, impressive, efficacious, cogent, weighty, compelling, forceful, valid, winning, authoritative, dynamic: His most persuasive argument for our leaving was that if we stayed we''d be shot.
pert | pert: adj. 1 forward, brash, brazen, cheeky, insolent, impertinent, flippant, saucy, bold, presumptuous, impudent, disrespectful, audacious, rude, impolite, uncivil, ill-mannered, unmannerly, Archaic malapert, Colloq fresh, flip, out of line, brassy, big-mouthed, wise-guy, Slang Brit smart-arsed, US smart-ass(ed), wise-ass(ed): He''s a clever child, but I don''t like his pert manner. 2 lively, jaunty, ebullient, vivacious, enthusiastic, bouncy, sprightly, brisk, cheerful, jolly, bright, perky, animated, nimble: She is usually quite pert in the morning, becoming depressed as the day wears on.
pertain | pertain: v. Often, pertain to. concern, refer to, regard, have reference or relation (to), apply (to), relate (to), include, cover, affect, appertain (to), be appropriate (to), be fitting (for), befit, bear on, have bearing (on): The sign, ''Keep Off the Grass'', does not pertain to the people who mow the lawn, Morris.
pertinent | pertinent: adj. pertaining, appropriate, fitting, suitable, apt, relevant, germane, apropos, apposite: Try to keep your comments pertinent to the subject under discussion.
perturb | perturb: v. upset, disturb, fluster, ruffle, unsettle, disconcert, make uneasy, discomfit, vex, worry, agitate, shake up, alarm, disquiet, confuse, discompose, unnerve, addle, disorganize: He became quite perturbed when the police asked him to help with their inquiries.
perusal | perusal: n. reading, scrutiny, check, examination, study, inspection, scanning, review: I saw nothing blasphemous in my perusal of the text.
peruse | peruse: v. read, study, scan, scrutinize, examine, inspect, review, browse, run one''s eye over: As Gregory was perusing the ancient manuscript, a sudden draught blew out the candle.
pervasive | pervasive: adj. penetrating, pervading, omnipresent, general, inescapable, prevalent, universal, widespread, ubiquitous, permeating, permeative: A pervasive sense of doom in the castle made everyone feel uneasy.
perverse | perverse: adj. 1 wrong, wrong-headed, awry, contrary, wayward, incorrect, irregular, unfair, improper, contradictory: It was most perverse of you to change your mind after all the arrangements had been made. 2 cantankerous, testy, curmudgeonly, churlish, crusty, bad-tempered, petulant, captious, cross, cross-grained, peevish, waspish, snappish, bilious, splenetic, fractious, ill-tempered, quarrelsome, irascible, sullen, contentious, touchy, obstreperous, crabby, crabbed, irritable, surly, Colloq grouchy, Brit stroppy, US and Canadian cranky: With everything going wrong, Catherine feels particularly perverse today. 3 stubborn, self-willed, wrong-headed, intractable, wilful, obdurate, obstinate, pigheaded, adamant, inflexible, unbending, refractory, unyielding: I refuse to give in to a perverse child just because he has a tantrum.
perversion | perversion: n. 1 deviation, irregularity, misdirection, corruption, subversion, distortion, twisting, falsification, misrepresentation, diversion, sidetracking: The conduct of this trial has been a perversion of the course of true justice. 2 unnatural act, deviation, deviance or deviancy, abnormality, depravity, vice, aberration, debauchery, Colloq kinkiness, Brit kink: Every kind of perversion flourished in ancient Rome.
pervert | pervert: v. 1 deflect, divert, sidetrack, turn aside or away, subvert, misdirect, distort, twist, abuse, falsify, misapply, misconstrue, misrepresent, corrupt: By withholding evidence, you have perverted the course of justice. 2 seduce, lead astray, debauch, degrade, corrupt, demoralize, subvert: He was accused of perverting young girls. 3 deviant, degenerate, debauchee, US deviate, Colloq weirdo: I worry about your being out late, when there are so many perverts about.
perverted | perverted: adj. deviant, deviate, abnormal, amoral, unmoral, immoral, bad, depraved, unnatural, warped, twisted, profligate, dissolute, delinquent, degenerate, evil, wicked, malign, malicious, malefic, malevolent, evil-minded, sinful, iniquitous, base, foul, corrupt, unprincipled: Members of the Hell-Fire Club yielded themselves up to the most perverted, abandoned behaviour.
pessimistic | pessimistic: n. gloomy, negative, despairing, hopeless, inauspicious, depressed, despondent, dejected, melancholy, downhearted, heavy-hearted, defeatist, glum, sad, blue, unhappy, cheerless, joyless, cynical, bleak, forlorn: The bears in the Stock Exchange take a pessimistic view of share prices.
pest | pest: n. nuisance, annoyance, nag, irritant, bother, gadfly, bane, trial, heckler, vexation, curse, thorn in one''s flesh, Colloq pain (in the neck), Slang US (Yiddish) nudge or noodge or nudzh, nudnik, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: That man is such a pest, I wish he''d leave me alone.
pester | pester: v. annoy, nag, irritate, irk, bother, get at or to, badger, plague, vex, fret, hector, harass, harry, heckle, nettle, chafe, peeve, pique, provoke, exasperate, bedevil, get or grate on (someone''s) nerves, get under (someone''s) skin, get in (someone''s) hair, try (someone''s patience), torment, persecute, Brit chivvy, Colloq drive (someone) up the wall, needle, give (someone) the needle, hassle, ride, give (someone) a hard or bad time, bug: Please stop pestering me about going to the football game.
pestilence | pestilence: n. 1 plague, epidemic, pandemic, Black Death, Rare pest: The pestilence raged throughout all Europe, killing 50 million people. 2 scourge, blight, curse, cancer, canker, bane, affliction: How are we to overcome the pestilence of greed?
pet� | pet�: n. 1 darling, favourite, idol, apple of (one''s) eye, Colloq Brit blue-eyed boy, US fair-haired boy: You know that you were always Father''s pet. --adj. 2 tame, trained, domesticated: Doesn''t the landlord take a dim view of your keeping a pet alligator in the bath? 3 favourite, favoured, preferred, cherished, special, particular; indulged, prized, treasured, precious, dearest, adored, darling: Building the summer-house was Desmond''s pet project. Elizabeth''s pet pupil is Anne. --v. 4 caress, fondle, stroke, pat; cuddle, nuzzle, nestle, snuggle, Colloq neck, smooch or Australian and New Zealand also smoodge or smooge, Chiefly US and Canadian make out: Small children need to be petted a lot. Two teenagers were petting in the back seat of the car. 5 humour, pamper, favour, baby, coddle, cosset, mollycoddle, cocker, spoil, indulge, dote on: His mother pets him far too much.
pet� | pet�: n. (bad or ill) temper, pique, sulk, (bad) mood, fume, Colloq Brit paddy or paddywhack or paddywack: He''s in a terrible pet because they forgot to cancel the milk when they went on holiday.
peter out | peter out: v. diminish, evaporate, wane, come to nothing or naught or US also nought, die out, disappear, fail, fade (out or away), dwindle (into nothing), run out, give out, flag, melt away: The path petered out after a mile or so and they realized that they had lost their bearings.
petite | petite: adj. delicate, dainty, mignon(ne), diminutive, small, little, slight, tiny, small-boned, Colloq Brit dinky: It was incongruous to see the basketball player with a petite blonde.
petition | petition: n. 1 request, application, solicitation, suit, entreaty, supplication, plea, appeal: An anti-pollution petition, signed by thousands of people, was delivered to the Department of the Environment. --v. 2 request, ask, apply to, apply for, solicit, sue, call upon, entreat, supplicate, plead, appeal (to), appeal (for), beseech, implore, importune, Rare obsecrate: The shopkeepers petitioned the council for better police protection.
petrified | petrified: adj. 1 horrified, horror-stricken, terrified, terror-stricken, panic-stricken, frightened, afraid, paralysed, numbed, benumbed, frozen: The maiden stood petrified as the dragon, breathing fire, approached. 2 shocked, speechless, dumbfounded or dumfounded, dumbstruck, stunned, thunderstruck, astonished, astounded, confounded, stupefied, appalled, aghast, Colloq flabbergasted: The firemen rescued three petrified children who were huddled in a corner. 3 ossified, fossilized: These were not stones but the petrified remains of ancient trees.
petrify | petrify: v. 1 frighten, scare, horrify, terrify, paralyse, numb, benumb: I was petrified by the noise of the explosion. 2 shock, dumbfound or dumfound, stun, astonish, astound, amaze, confound, disconcert, stupefy, appal, Colloq flabbergast: The sight of so much destruction petrified even hardened reporters. 3 ossify, fossilize, turn to stone: Over thousands of years the desert conditions petrify the wood.
petty | petty: adj. 1 insignificant, trivial, paltry, minor, inferior, niggling, trifling, negligible, puny, inessential, non-essential, inconsequential, unimportant, slight, nugatory, of no account, US dinky, Colloq piddling, measly, no great shakes, no big deal, small-time, Brit twopenny-halfpenny or tuppenny-halfpenny, US and Canadian picayune: He has been convicted only of petty crimes. 2 miserly, mean, mingy, stingy, cheese-paring, grudging, small-minded, cheap, niggardly, parsimonious, tight, tight-fisted, close, close-fisted: It was very petty of you to refuse the beggar a few pence.
petulant | petulant: adj. peevish, pettish, impatient, ill-humoured, testy, waspish, irascible, choleric, cross, captious, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, splenetic, moody, sour, bilious, crabby, crabbed, irritable, huffish, huffy, perverse, snappish, crotchety, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, grouchy, grumpy: With a petulant gesture she hurled the rose away.
