
rabble | rabble: n. 1 mob, crowd, horde, throng, swarm, gang: We narrowly escaped the wrath of the rabble fighting the police in the square. 2 the rabble. Derogatory masses, proletariat, hoi polloi, commoners, peasantry, ragtag and bobtail, vermin, outcasts, riff-raff, scum, dregs (of society), lower classes, canaille, commonalty, Colloq trash, the great unwashed: He always refers to blue-collar workers as ''the rabble''.
rabble-rouser | rabble-rouser: n. agitator, demagogue, instigator, inciter, firebrand, incendiary, radical, troublemaker, agent provocateur, revolutionary, insurrectionist, Colloq hell-raiser: The crowd was whipped into a frenzy by a rabble-rouser who was not identified.
rabid | rabid: adj. 1 unreasonable, unreasoning, extreme, fanatical; raging, furious, violent, crazed, frenzied, maniacal, wild, mad, infuriated, frenetic, berserk: Please don''t mention politics to Nigel - he gets rabid on the subject. 2 hydrophobic, mad: Animals from abroad are kept in quarantine to make sure they are not rabid.
race� | race�: n. 1 foot-race, horse-race, marathon, rally or rallye; competition, contest, rivalry, contention: How many will be running in Saturday''s race? Several countries had joined the race to complete a workable anti-gravity device. 2 sluice, flume, chute, watercourse, course, channel, bed, mill-race, raceway, spillway; track: The water in the race enabled us to wash the sand in order to extract the gold. The ball-bearings don''t fall out because they are retained in the race. 3 the races. horse-races, dog-races, the dogs, the track, the turf, Brit racecourse, race meeting, US racetrack: We''re off to the races at Newmarket. --v. 4 speed, hurry, hasten, dash, sprint, fly, rush, scramble, step lively, Colloq tear, rip, zip, step on the gas, step on it, hop to it, get a move on, Brit hare, US get a wiggle on: You''re going to have to race to catch the last bus. 5 compete (with): I''ll race you to the gate and back.
race� | race�: n. 1 stock, line, lineage, type, tribe, nation, people, folk, clan, family: The citizens constitute a mix of all imaginable races. 2 blood, descent, breed, kin, family, stock, line, lineage: You say you are liberal, but how would you feel about your daughter''s marrying someone of a different race?
racial | racial: adj. ethnic, genetic, genealogical, ethnological, folk; tribal; national: Bigots emphasize racial differences rather than racial similarities.
rack | rack: n. 1 framework, frame, trestle, holder, support; stand, scaffold, scaffolding, structure, hat-rack, hatstand, coat-rack, Technical stretcher, tenter, US hat-tree: The fish are hung out on long racks in the sun to dry. Please take your luggage off the seat and put it on the overhead rack. 2 suffering, torment, torture, agony, anguish, pain, misery, distress, affliction, scourge, adversity: Only those who have experienced it can know the severe rack of gout. --v. 3 distress, torment, torture, agonize, oppress, pain, persecute, anguish, beleaguer, plague, harass, harrow, hurt: Gruber was racked by the feeling that he had been responsible for the road accident. Quentin has been racked by the pain of arthritis for ten years. 4 beat, strain, wrench, tear at, lash (at), batter, shake, damage: Winds of hurricane force racked villages along the coast last night.
racket | racket: n. 1 noise, din, uproar, disturbance, clamour, hubbub, row, rumpus, hullabaloo, fuss, ado, commotion, to-do, hue and cry, outcry, brouhaha, tumult, babel, pandemonium, Elizabethan theatre alarums and excursions, Colloq ballyhoo: How can you sleep through the racket from your neighbour''s all-night parties? 2 (organized) crime, criminal or illegal activity or enterprise, trickery, trick, dodge, scheme, swindle, stratagem, artifice, game, ruse, Slang caper, scam, gyp: Their racket is selling ''protection'' to shop-owners. 3 business, line, profession, occupation, trade, vocation, calling, job, employment, livelihood: I''m in commodities; what''s your racket?
racketeer | racketeer: n. mobster, gangster, Mafioso: The Chicago racketeers of the 1930s seem tame compared with today''s terrorists.
raconteur | raconteur: n. storyteller, anecdotalist or anecdotist, narrator, relater or relator, Colloq spinner of yarns: The after-dinner speaker was a marvellous raconteur with a wealth of stories about the theatre.
racy | racy: adj. 1 fresh, lively, animated, spirited, sprightly, buoyant, vivacious, energetic, vigorous, dynamic, zestful, stimulating, mettlesome or mettled, Colloq full of vim and vigour, peppy, full of pep, full of beans: Tabloid journalists are told that their writing must be racy - straightforward reporting is out of fashion. 2 risqu�, ribald, bawdy, naughty, lusty, earthy, gross, off colour, salty, suggestive, sexual, immodest, indelicate, indecent, blue, smutty, lewd, salacious, vulgar, dirty, filthy, pornographic, obscene, sex-oriented, adult, rude, crude, coarse, Colloq raunchy, sexy, spicy, hot: By mistake my name got on the mailing list of some company selling racy videos. 3 spicy, piquant, tasty, flavourful, pungent, strong, savoury, sharp, zesty, tangy, tart, hot: That curry you served last night had quite a racy flavour.
radiance | radiance: n. 1 radiancy, splendour, brightness, brilliance, resplendence, luminosity, luminousness, dazzle, sparkle, coruscation, scintillation, twinkle, effulgence, refulgence, incandescence, glow, phosphorescence, gleam, lustre, shimmer, shine: As Aladdin rubbed the ring, it began to glow with an inner radiance and then - suddenly - a genie appeared. 2 warmth, gladness, joy, pleasure, happiness, cheeriness, delight: It was good to see again the radiance of the family at Christmas dinner.
radiant | radiant: adj. 1 shining, bright, beaming, burning, ablaze, blazing, brilliant, luminous, resplendent, splendid, splendorous, lustrous, gleaming, glowing, phosphorescent, shimmering, shiny, glossy, glistening, incandescent, alight, effulgent, refulgent, sparkling, dazzling, glittering, coruscating, scintillating, twinkling; aglow: In her hair she wore a diamond tiara, a radiant crown whose glory was diminished only by her beauty. The room was radiant with sunshine. 2 happy, overjoyed, ecstatic, rapturous, delighted, joyful, blithe, blithesome, blissful, beatific, glad, gleeful, joyous, gay, bubbling, bubbly, jubilant, elated, rhapsodic, exultant, exhilarated, in seventh heaven, in heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: Carrie was absolutely radiant when she learned she was pregnant.
radiate | radiate: v. 1 shine, beam, burn, blaze, gleam, glow, shimmer, glisten, sparkle, dazzle, glitter, coruscate, scintillate, twinkle: The jewel seemed to radiate with an inner light. 2 emanate, disseminate, disperse, spread, diffuse, shed, send out, emit, give off or out, Rare irradiate: He radiated goodwill the way a fire radiates heat and light.
radiation | radiation: n. emission, emanation, diffusion, dispersal, shedding: Because the night was cloudless, unhindered radiation of the earth''s heat rapidly cooled the air.
radical | radical: adj. 1 basic, fundamental, elementary, inherent, constitutional, elemental, essential, cardinal, principal, primary, deep, deep-seated, profound, underlying, organic, natural, rudimentary: There is a radical error in your approach to the problem. There are radical differences in the ways we regard the English language. 2 thorough, thoroughgoing, complete, entire, total, exhaustive, sweeping, (all-)inclusive, comprehensive, all-embracing, out-and-out, drastic, severe, extreme, extremist, revolutionary: We have made radical changes in the way we live. Every political party that is not in power promises radical reform. 3 extremist, revolutionary, fanatic(al), militant, anarchist(ic), immoderate: A staunch conservative, Vincent regarded as radical anyone who disagreed with him. --n. 4 extremist, revolutionary, fanatic, zealot, immoderate, anarchist, militant: The radicals favour reform, the conservatives the status quo - but there is nothing new in that. 5 communist, leftist, left-winger, red, Bolshevik, Bolshevist, pink, Slang US pinko: Carlo, recently arrested as a spy, had been a radical since his days at university.
radio | radio: n. 1 receiver, portable (radio), Old-fashioned crystal set, Brit and US old-fashioned wireless, Colloq transistor, Slang ghetto-blaster, Brit tranny or trannie, US boom box: He listens to BBC World Service on his short-wave radio. --v. 2 transmit, broadcast, air, disseminate, announce, present: Weather reports are radioed continuously to ships at sea and aircraft.
raffle | raffle: n. lottery, draw, sweepstake or US sweepstakes, sweep or US sweeps: The church is holding a raffle for a new car next week.
rag� | rag�: n. 1 tatter, piece, shred, scrap, fragment, bit, Dialect clout: Take a clean rag and dust the bookshelves when you get the chance. 2 newspaper, periodical, magazine, publication, journal: You can''t believe anything you read in that rag. 3 rags. Facetious clothes, clothing, attire, dress, garments, Old-fashioned duds: I bought some new rags at the post-Christmas sales. 4 rag trade. garment-industry, clothing business, fashion industry: Peggy has been a model in the rag trade for years. 5 chew the rag. a converse, talk, gossip, chat: We bought a bottle of wine and just sat about chewing the rag all evening. b Brit argue, wrangle: They are constantly chewing the rag over trivial nonsense.
rag� | rag�: v. tease, taunt, belittle, twit, ridicule, mock, make fun of, pull (someone''s) leg, Brit rally, Colloq kid: The boys at school were always ragging him about his lisp.
ragamuffin | ragamuffin: n. (street) urchin, (street) Arab, waif, mudlark, gamin, little lost lamb, babe in the wood, stray, guttersnipe, scarecrow: We took in a poor little ragamuffin who was shaking from the cold.
rage | rage: n. 1 anger, fury, wrath, ire, high dudgeon, exasperation, vehemence, passion: Imagine her rage when Simon phoned to say that he couldn''t make it home for dinner! 2 fury, passion, frenzy, hysterics, tantrum, fit, temper, Brit paddy or paddywhack or paddywack, Colloq Brit wax: He flies into a rage if Grace is as little as five minutes late for an appointment. 3 fashion, craze, vogue, the (latest or newest) thing, last word, dernier cri, mode, Colloq fad: Miniskirts were all the rage in the 1960s. --v. 4 rant, rave, storm, go mad or crazy or bonkers or wild or out of one''s mind, go berserk, run amok or amuck, behave or act or be like one possessed, fret, be beside oneself (with anger or fury), lose one''s temper, go berserk, have a tantrum, fulminate, explode; fume, foam at the mouth, stew, smoulder, boil, seethe, simmer, Colloq have kittens, lose one''s cool, fly off the handle, go off the deep end, Slang get into or work oneself up into a lather or stew or sweat, get all worked up, blow one''s top, blow a gasket, blow up, flip one''s top or lid, hit the ceiling or roof, freak out, be fit to be tied, be ready for a strait-jacket, Brit throw a wobbly, US and Canadian blow one''s stack, flip one''s wig, blow a fuse, have a haemorrhage, go ape, do a slow burn, have a conniption fit: Father raged for hours when he found that Donald had borrowed the car without permission.
ragged | ragged: adj. 1 rough, shaggy, shabby, seedy, tattered, unkempt, scraggy, torn, rent, ripped, frayed, worn (out), threadbare, patched, patchy, ravelled, Chiefly Brit tatty, Brit down at heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq US frazzled, beat-up: On weekends, Charles put on his most ragged clothes to work in the garden. 2 rough, uneven, irregular, nicked, jagged; serrated, sawtooth(ed), zigzag, notched, toothed, denticulate(d), ridged: Every morning on his way to work, his first sight of the factory was the ragged edge of its roof. 3 worn out, tired, exhausted, on one''s last legs, the worse for wear, dead tired, overtired, fatigued, weary, fagged out, spent, Colloq all in, dog-tired, Slang dead (on one''s feet), (dead) beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian pooped (out): The emergency crew was run ragged by thirty hours on duty without rest. 4 bad, rough, patchy, imperfect, shabby, messy, disordered, disorderly, run-down, battered, broken-down, neglected, deteriorated, dilapidated, Colloq beat-up: From its ragged condition, it''s clear that the building isn''t properly maintained. 5 rough, harsh, discordant, grating, rasping, hoarse, scratchy, croaking: His voice, once a beautiful lyric tenor, was ragged after years of alcoholism. 6 uneven, bad, poor, shabby, patchy: The guests gave a ragged rendition of ''Happy Birthday'' as their host entered the room.
ragman | ragman: n. rag-dealer, rag-picker, scrap dealer, Brit rag-and-bone man, knacker, US junk dealer, junkman: When the ragman comes round, give him those old curtains.
raid | raid: n. 1 (surprise) attack, incursion, invasion, onset, onslaught, blitz, sortie, sally, expedition, Slang (police) bust: The partisans made a raid on the arsenal last night and got away with guns and ammunition. --v. 2 attack, invade, assault, storm, set upon, descend upon, swoop down on or upon, pounce upon, Military forage; sack, plunder, pillage, loot, ransack, rifle, strip, maraud, depredate, Slang bust: The commandos raided the enemy stronghold and destroyed it.
rail� | rail�: n. 1 bar, rod, handrail, foot-rail , towel-rail; railing, banisters, balustrade, baluster, fence: Don''t lean on the rail or it will break. 2 by or via rail. by train, by railway or US also railroad: We travelled by rail from Paris to Geneva.
rail� | rail�: v. Usually, rail at or against. vituperate, vociferate, fulminate, be or become abusive, revile, attack, berate, scold, upbraid, criticize, censure, decry, condemn, denounce: She continues to rage and rail against those who would deny equal rights to women.
raillery | raillery: n. banter, badinage, persiflage, repartee, frivolity, joking, jesting, chaffing, teasing, ridicule, Colloq kidding: You shouldn''t get upset over what was nothing more than some good-natured raillery.
railroad n. 1 see railway, below. | railroad n. 1 See railway, below.: --v. 2 force, compel, expedite, coerce, intimidate, push (through), Brit pressurize, US pressure, bully, hector, tyrannize, dragoon, browbeat, bullyrag, Colloq bulldoze, squeeze, lean on: Clayton was railroaded into appointing Pinbury to head the committee to investigate corruption.
railway | railway: n. train, rail, rolling-stock, Archaic iron horse, US railroad: Railway service could be improved on some suburban lines. Diamond Jim Brady, the American millionaire, made his money from the railway.
rain | rain: n. 1 precipitation, drizzle, sprinkle, downpour, shower, thunder-shower, cloudburst, rainstorm, squall, deluge, US sunshower: After the rain the sun came out. 2 rainfall, precipitation: The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. 3 flood, torrent, shower, volley, stream, outpouring: Arriving home, she could barely shield herself from the rain of children''s kisses. --v. 4 come down, pour, teem, sprinkle, drizzle, spit, Brit dialect mizzle, Colloq come down in buckets, rain cats and dogs: The weatherman said it would rain today, so take an umbrella. 5 trickle, pour, run, fall: Tears rained down her sallow cheeks. 6 descend, shower: Blows rained on him from the tiny fists of the furious child. 7 bestow, lavish, shower: He rained kisses on her upturned face.
raise | raise: v. 1 lift (up), elevate; hoist, pull up, haul up, run up, Literary upraise: She raised the glass to her lips. We raised the mainsail and sailed out of the harbour. 2 erect, put up, construct, build, produce, create, put together, assemble, frame: With the help of some neighbours, the barn was raised in less than a day. 3 farm, grow, cultivate, plant, bring up, nurture, harvest, propagate: During that year''s mild winter, we were able to raise three crops. 4 bring up, nurture, rear; mother, father, parent: His grandmother raised ten children, six girls and four boys. 5 assemble, gather, bring or gather or get together, muster, mobilize, round up, rally, collect, convene, recruit, Colloq pull together: Do you think you could raise an army quickly enough to defend us against attack? 6 increase, boost, advance, put up, jack up, run up, inflate, escalate: Why are consumer petrol prices always raised at the vaguest hint of an increase in oil prices? 7 cultivate, foster, nurture, heighten, stimulate, buoy, lift, uplift, boost, arouse, quicken, encourage, develop: The news about the new company raised our hopes of finding jobs. 8 open, introduce, initiate, broach, bring up, bring or put forward, present, suggest, mention, moot: It is regrettable that you saw fit to raise such a delicate issue. 9 remove, relieve, lift, abandon, eliminate, discontinue, (bring to an) end, terminate: Restrictions on travel to south-east Asia were about to be raised. 10 cause, provoke, evoke, occasion, put or set in motion, institute, prompt, engender, stir up, instigate, inspire, give rise to, bring about, arouse, originate: Objections to the relaxation of safety regulations were raised by relatives of the victims of the earlier disaster. 11 utter, express, bring up, put forward, shout, call: Was it you who raised the alarm at the first sign of smoke? 12 assemble, obtain, get, collect, amass, solicit: We raised twice as much for charity as last year. 13 invigorate, animate, vitalize, vivify, buoy, lift, uplift, cheer (up), exhilarate, elate: Our spirits were raised considerably by the news from head office.
rake� | rake�: v. 1 Often, rake up. scrape together, gather (together or up), collect, draw together: You really must rake up the leaves from the lawn and burn them. 2 scrape, comb, scratch, grate, graze: Don''t you just hate the sound of a fingernail being raked across a blackboard? 3 rake in. collect, gather (up or in), pull in, make: Pamela is raking in the royalties from her latest thriller. 4 rake it in. coin money, make money (hand-over-fist), Brit coin it in: The new record shop in the mall is really raking it in. 5 rake out. sift (out), screen, remove, clear, eliminate: Please rake out the cinders from the grate. 6 rake over or through. search, probe, ransack, scour, comb, rummage through, pick through or over, go through or over (with a fine-tooth(ed) comb), rifle (through): The police raked through her entire flat but found nothing incriminating. 7 rake up. a See 1, above. b revive, resuscitate, resurrect, raise, bring up, recall: Must you persist in raking up those bad memories? 8 rake up or together. gather, scrape up or together, collect, drag together, pick up, dig up, dredge up, find, unearth: Were you able to rake up the others for a game of poker tonight?
rake� | rake�: n. libertine, womanizer, lecher, rou�, playboy, ladies'' man, Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, debauchee, voluptuary, profligate, prodigal; scoundrel, rascal, cad, Archaic rakehell, masher; Colloq lady-killer, Colloq old-fashioned wolf, Brit bounder: Lady Anne was led stray by some young rake, a friend of the Prince Regent''s.
rake-off | rake-off: n. kickback, commission; discount, mark-down, rebate, Colloq cut, piece: Does Mac get a rake-off for every buyer he sends to the shop?
rakish | rakish: adj. dashing, jaunty, dapper, spruce, debonair, raffish, smart, breezy, flashy, chic, fashionable, elegant; dandy, foppish: Adjusting his trilby to a rakish angle, Peter strode along the boulevard.
rally | rally: n. 1 gathering, (mass) meeting, meet, convocation, convention, assemblage, assembly, muster: There is to be a political rally tonight in the town square. Are you taking your Daimler to the vintage car rally? 2 recovery, improvement, revival, turn for the better, recuperation, renewal: His doctors said that the rally might be only temporary. --v. 3 Often, rally round. bring or call or get together, round up, assemble, convene, group, congregate, organize, come together, troop; marshal, mobilize, summon, gather, muster: All Sally''s friends rallied round her when her father died. He rallied every last ounce of strength in the dash for the finishing line. 4 revive, rouse, recover, improve, get better, take a turn for the better, recuperate, perk up, pick up, Colloq snap out of it, make a comeback: According to the nurse, he rallied during the night and asked for something to eat.
ram | ram: v. 1 jam, force, drive, cram, crowd, pack, compress, stuff, squeeze, thrust, tamp, pound, hammer: We rammed as much filler as we could into the crevices. 2 butt, bump, strike, hit, collide with, dash, crash, slam: Their car rammed into mine in the garage.
ramble | ramble: v. 1 amble, wander (off), stroll, saunter, walk, perambulate, go (off or away), travel, drift, range, rove, go or move about, hike, trek, Colloq mosey: Don''t ramble too far as dinner will be ready soon. We used to ramble over those hills, but the area is now an industrial site. 2 meander, wander, digress, maunder: Fiona tends to ramble off the main topic of conversation. 3 Sometimes, ramble on. babble, chatter, gibber, rave, go on (and on), rattle on, Colloq Brit witter on, rabbit on or away: If you didn''t stop him, Hugh would ramble on for ever about his grandchildren. --n. 4 stroll, amble, saunter, walk, promenade, constitutional, walkabout, tour, tramp, hike, trek: We went on a short ramble through the park.
rambling | rambling: adj. 1 discursive, roundabout, circuitous, tortuous, incoherent, diffuse, unsettled, disconnected, disjointed, disorganized, unorganized, illogical, maundering, aimless, confused, muddled, jumbled, scrambled, unintelligible, inarticulate, periphrastic, circumlocutory, circumlocutional, circumlocutionary, ambagious, wordy, verbose, prolix, endless, interminable: We couldn''t make heads or tails of the professor''s rambling lecture. 2 unplanned, straggling, irregular, sprawling, spread out, spreading, straggly: The Wilsons live in that big old rambling Victorian house down the road. 3 roving, wandering, travelling, peripatetic, itinerant, wayfaring, migratory, nomadic: For five years he led a rambling life as a folk-singing banjo player.
ramification | ramification: n. 1 consequence, result, effect, upshot, implication, subtlety; complication, difficulty: Have you considered the ramifications of your decision to retire? 2 branch, extension, outgrowth, subdivision, offshoot: Courier services may be considered a ramification of services that were once performed by the post office.
ramp | ramp: n. slope, grade, gradient, incline; rise, ascent, acclivity; descent, dip, declivity: There is a special ramp in the theatre for wheelchair access.
rampage | rampage: n. 1 excitement, agitation, recklessness, riot, tumult, uproar, frenzy, fury, rage, furore or US furor, turmoil: His latest rampage was prompted by their serving him a cup of cold coffee. 2 Brit on the rampage, US on a rampage. berserk, mad, crazy, amok or amuck, wild, out of control: Pete regularly drank too much whisky and then went on the rampage. --v. 3 storm, rage, rant, rave, go berserk, run amok or amuck: He rampaged like a man possessed when he got his second parking ticket of the day.
rampant | rampant: adj. 1 unchecked, uninhibited, unrestrained, wild, uncontrolled, out of control, out of hand, frenzied, unbridled, uncontrollable, violent: He was a victim of rampant jealousy. Jennie could hardly be described as a rampant feminist. 2 profuse, unbounded, abounding, flourishing, rife, widespread, everywhere, epidemic, pandemic, prevalent, unrestrained, unchecked, running wild, uninhibited, indiscriminate, wild, uncontrolled; in control, holding sway, in full sway, dominant, predominant; exuberant, rank, luxuriant: Before Masterson became sheriff, vice and crime were rampant in the town.
rampart | rampart: n. defence, bastion, guard, fortification, security, stronghold, bulwark, barricade, wall; earthwork, breastwork, parados, gabion: The old town is surrounded by seven rows of ramparts leading up to the cathedral at the summit. They regard religion as an impenetrable rampart against immorality.
ramshackle | ramshackle: adj. dilapidated, tumbledown, crumbling, broken-down, rickety, unsteady, jerry-built, decrepit, flimsy, shaky, unstable, tottering, unsubstantial or insubstantial, ruined, in disrepair, beyond repair, run-down, neglected, derelict: He lives in a ramshackle hut on the outskirts of town.
rancid | rancid: adj. stinking or reeking (to high heaven), foul-smelling, ill-smelling, evil-smelling, noisome, mephitic, miasmic or miasmal or miasmatic(al), smelly, rank, malodorous, fusty; nasty, disagreeable, odious, fetid or foetid, rotten, decayed, spoilt or spoiled, turned, bad, awful, sour, tainted, high, gamy, ripe, putrid, corrupt, stale: To rid your fridge of that rancid smell, wash it out with a solution of baking soda.
rancorous | rancorous: adj. hateful, spiteful, resentful, hostile, malign, malignant, bitter, malevolent, malicious, venomous, vindictive, vengeful, splenetic, acrimonious: Olivia felt rancorous towards her brother-in-law when he refused to lend her money.
rancour | rancour: n. hatred, hate, antipathy, spite, resentment, resentfulness, antagonism, hostility, malignity, bitterness, malevolence, malice, venomousness, venom, vindictiveness, vengefulness, spleen, acrimony, animus, animosity, enmity, bad feeling, bad blood: Owing to the rancour between them, the brothers had not exchanged a word in forty years.
random | random: adj. 1 haphazard, chance, fortuitous, serendipitous, aleatory, arbitrary, casual, stray, occasional, indefinite, indiscriminate, non-specific, unspecific, unspecified, unordered, unorganized, undirected, unpremeditated, unplanned, accidental, uncalculated, unsystematic, adventitious, incidental, hit-or-miss: He used a computer program to generate random numbers. A random selection of slips was drawn from the drum and Madelaine''s name was on one of them. 2 at random. randomly, haphazardly, fortuitously, by chance, serendipitously, arbitrarily, casually, occasionally, (every) now and then, (every) once in a while, irregularly, indefinitely, erratically, indiscriminately, unsystematically, adventitiously, incidentally, unpremeditatedly: They picked names from a hat at random. They drove up and down the road, firing at random.
randy | randy: adj. aroused, lustful, lecherous, Brit on heat or US in heat, Brit in oestrus or US in estrus, Slang hot, horny, in rut, rutting, at stud: Seeing Betty always made Len feel terribly randy.
range | range: n. 1 scope, sweep, reach, limit, extent, span, area, radius, distance, compass, latitude, stretch, sphere, orbit: The gun has a range of about 200 yards. This radio transmitter is effective only within a thirty-mile range. The minister is trying to broaden the range of his influence. 2 assortment, series, collection, lot, spread, selection, choice, number, variety, kind, sort, scale, gamut, register: The courses offered cater to a wide range of interests. 3 rank, row, tier, line, file, series, string, chain: From my window I could see the range of hills stretching away into the distance. 4 kitchen range, (cooking-) stove, Chiefly Brit cooker, Brit trade mark Aga, US cook-stove: In every French farmhouse there was always a pot of soup on the range. --v. 5 line up, rank, order, align, order, array: The teacher ranged the children according to their height. 6 vary, fluctuate, spread, run the gamut, extend, stretch, run, go: The students range in age from eight to eighty. 7 organize, categorize, catalogue, arrange, classify, sort, class, group, rank, bracket, pigeon-hole, file, index, break down, grade, distribute: The books are ranged according to their subject-matter. 8 cover, traverse, roam, rove, travel over or across, go or pass over, drift, migrate, wander, move, extend: The wildebeest ranges far and wide over vast tracts of grazing land in Africa.
rank� | rank�: n. 1 status, standing, position, place, level, stratum, class, caste, circumstances, echelon, grade: It is virtually impossible to determine rank simply by looking at a person. 2 weight, authority, power, superiority, seniority, ascendancy, priority, influence, eminence: Caldwell uses the privilege of rank to cover up some of his more questionable transactions. 3 nobility, title, high birth, aristocracy, dignity, prestige, (blue) blood; peerage: Gentlemen of rank should behave with honour, my boy. 4 line, row, column, queue, series, formation; sequence: We gazed on the serried ranks of warriors, golden shields glistening in the sun. 5 ranks. soldiers, workers, staff, employees: Smithers rose from the ranks to become chief executive officer. --v. 6 grade, rate, classify, class, categorize; dispose, organize, order, sort, assort, arrange, array, align, range, graduate: He was ranked among the best in the school. The applicants are ranked according to their test scores. 7 rate, count, stand, have standing or value or prestige, be important or distinguished: To Janet, character ranks far above wealth. Phil is so mean that Scrooge would rank high on a list of charitable men in comparison with him.
rank� | rank�: adj. 1 lush, luxuriant, abundant, flourishing, profuse, prolific, dense, superabundant, exuberant, fertile, productive, fructuous: The expedition could hardly make its way through the rank undergrowth of th jungle. 2 corrupt, foul, low, base, gross; downright, utter, sheer, absolute, complete, out-and-out, blatant, flagrant, unalloyed, unmitigated, undiluted: I cannot understand the rank treachery of the man after all that we have done for him. I ventured my opinion, even though a rank outsider. 3 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross, foul, corrupt, indecent, shocking, immodest, indecorous, shameless, risqu�, lurid, off colour, outrageous, blue, nasty, vulgar, vile, dirty, filthy, smutty, scatological, pornographic, obscene: Those bigots always resort to the rank vocabulary of malice and hate. In a secret cupboard was a collection of the rankest literature. 4 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross, foul, foul-smelling, smelly, rancid, noisome, stinking, reeky, reeking, mephitic, miasmic or miasmal or miasmatic(al), fetid or foetid, noxious, rotten, putrid, musty, stale, disagreeable, strong, pungent: The rank stench from the open sewers pervades the air in those pockets of poverty.
rank and file | rank and file: n. (general) membership, members, majority: The union''s rank and file must now vote on whether to accept management''s pay offer.
rankle | rankle: v. gall, fester, irk, vex, plague, chafe, grate, nettle, torment, pain, hurt, provoke, anger, exasperate, get (to), upset: Although she had forgiven him, the insult still rankled.
ransack | ransack: v. 1 search, examine, go through or over (with a fine-tooth(ed) comb), comb, rake or rummage through, scour, explore, scrutinize, turn inside out: I ransacked the second-hand bookshops for a copy but had no success. 2 rob, plunder, pillage, sack, despoil, loot, strip; burgle, US and Canadian burglarize: The thieves who ransacked the shop apparently missed the most valuable jewel.
ransom | ransom: n. 1 redemption, rescue, deliverance; release, liberation: The envoy was held to ransom by a fanatical band of zealots. 2 payment, payout, pay-off, price: The police refuse to reveal the amount of the ransom given to the kidnappers. --v. 3 redeem, rescue, release, deliver: The boy was ransomed for �10,000.
rant | rant: v. 1 declaim, hold forth, expound, expatiate, orate, perorate, pontificate, trumpet, preach, harangue, lecture, deliver (oneself of) a tirade or diatribe or speech, speak: The minister ranted pompously about his accomplishments. 2 vociferate, bluster, rave, rant and rave, bellow, rage: The master kept ranting on about his newspaper having been creased. --n. 3 tirade, philippic, bluster, flatulence, rhetoric, bombast, pomposity, turgidity, gasconade, rodomontade, theatrics, histrionics, act: As he carried on his rant, the theatre gradually emptied till he was alone.
rap | rap: v. 1 knock, strike, tap, hit: The policeman rapped smartly at the door with his truncheon. 2 criticize, rebuke, scold, reprimand, rap over the knuckles, Colloq knock, Brit tick off: We were severely rapped for dropping litter on the pavement. 3 converse, talk, chat, gossip, Colloq gab, Slang chew the fat or the rag: That guy was so fascinating - we could rap with him for hours. --n. 4 knock, tap, hit, blow, crack, stroke, cuff, whack, thwack, punch, Colloq belt, clout, Slang sock, slug, biff: The punishment for failing to complete the assignment was a severe rap on the knuckles. 5 conversation, discussion, chat, confabulation, talk, dialogue, discourse, colloquy, Colloq confab, Slang chiefly US and Canadian bull session, rap session: We used to get together for a nice long rap now and then. 6 responsibility, blame; punishment, sentence; charge, accusation, indictment: Why should he have to take the rap for something you did? The witness failed to show up, so Baxter beat the rap.
rapacious | rapacious: adj. greedy, covetous, grasping, avaricious, mercenary, usurious, acquisitive, predatory, predacious, ravenous, ravening, voracious, insatiable, insatiate, wolfish, wolflike, lupine, vulturine, raptorial: That rapacious swindler took everything they had in the world.
rapacity | rapacity: n. greed, greediness, cupidity, covetousness, avarice, acquisitiveness, predaciousness, ravenousness, voracity, voraciousness, insatiability, insatiableness, rapaciousness: The rapacity of the invading hordes of Mongols knew no bounds.
rape | rape: n. 1 ravishment, defloration, deflowering, violation, sexual assault, defilement: The police are investigating reports of rape by a masked man. 2 rapine, despoliation, spoliation, despoilment, pillage, depredation, ravagement, ravaging, plunder, plundering, sack, sacking, looting, ransacking: He travelled in disguise to document the rape of the war-torn areas. 3 abduction, carrying-off, kidnapping, seizure, capture, snatching: History debates whether the ancient Romans were truly responsible for the rape of the Sabine women. --v. 4 violate, ravish, assault sexually, deflower, defile, force to submit to sexual intercourse, have one''s way with, take advantage of: The defendant raped three women before he was caught. 5 despoil, spoliate, pillage, depredate, ravage, plunder, sack, loot: Throughout history the city has been raped by marauding tribes.
rapid | rapid: adj. quick, fast, swift, speedy, high-speed, brisk, expeditious, prompt, express, fleet, lightning(-fast), alacritous; hurried, hasty, precipitate, impetuous, immediate, instantaneous, instant, sudden: The company we use offers rapid delivery service. What do you suppose occasioned Flannery''s rapid departure?
rapidity | rapidity: n. quickness, swiftness, speed, speediness, briskness, expeditiousness, promptness, promptitude, alacrity, celerity, immediateness, dispatch or despatch, instantaneousness: The rapidity with which they responded to our request is truly commendable.
rapidly | rapidly: adv. 1 quickly, fast, swiftly, speedily, briskly, expeditiously, like a shot, at the speed of light, double-quick, at full speed, like one possessed, at a gallop, tantivy, Colloq like blazes, like (greased) lightning, US lickety-split, Slang like a bat out of hell, like mad: He cycled down the High Street as rapidly as he could go. 2 promptly, instantly, instantaneously, instanter, without delay, at once, straight away, right away, in a moment, in a trice, like a shot, in a wink, in (less than) no time, double-quick, in a flash, at the speed of light, before you (can) turn around, Colloq in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb''s tail), like (greased) lightning, before you can say ''Jack Robinson'', US and Canadian (right) off the bat, lickety-split, Slang like a bat out of hell: When I mentioned that you were coming, she left rapidly.
rapport | rapport: n. empathy, relationship, sympathy, harmony, affinity, accord, bond, relationship, (mutual) understanding, camaraderie: The minute we met we established a rapport.
rapprochement | rapprochement: n. reconciliation, understanding, settlement: The party needs to bring about a rapprochement between the radicals and the reactionaries.
rapt | rapt: adj. 1 entranced, fascinated, spellbound, mesmerized, hypnotized, engrossed, enthralled, bewitched, absorbed, transported, captivated, delighted: She gave her last performance of ''Giselle'' before a rapt audience. 2 enraptured, rapturous, delighted, elated, happy, ecstatic, blissful, overjoyed, joyous, joyful, beatific: You should have seen the rapt expression on the child''s face when Santa Claus appeared.
rapture | rapture: n. ecstasy, delight, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, pleasure, exaltation, elation, thrill, enchantment, euphoria, beatitude, transport, enchantment: Nothing could compare with the rapture he felt at seeing his daughter win the Nobel prize.
rapturous | rapturous: adj. ecstatic, delighted, joyful, joyous, elated, thrilled, enchanted, euphoric, in seventh heaven, overjoyed, rhapsodic, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: He was rapturous over qualifying for the Olympics.
rare� | rare�: adj. 1 uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual, exceptional, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, atypical; scarce, unparalleled, choice, recherch�, phenomenal, infrequent, few and far between, sparse, scanty, limited, seldom encountered or met with or seen; unique, singular, one of a kind; Chiefly Brit thin on the ground: It was rare to see Liz in such good humour. Specimens in such perfect condition are rare. A copy of the first edition in this condition is rare. 2 fine, good, admirable, excellent, choice, select, special, first-rate, first-class, exquisite, superior, superlative, peerless, unequalled, matchless, incomparable, in a class by itself or herself or himself or themselves, sui generis, outstanding; collectible or collectable: O, rare Ben Jonson! On exhibit was a black pearl of rare beauty and remarkable size. Consideration for others seems a rare quality these days.
rare� | rare�: adj. underdone, undercooked, bleu(e), saignant(e): Do you want your steak rare, medium, or well-done?
rarefied | rarefied: adj. 1 thin, lean, attenuated, diluted, sparse, scant, scanty: As we climbed higher, the rarefied atmosphere made breathing more difficult. 2 exalted, lofty, elevated, high, sublime, noble, high: I feel out of place in the rarefied atmosphere of academia. 3 cliquish, clannish, exclusive, private, select, esoteric: Clarence copes well in the rarefied atmosphere of Whitehall''s corridors of power.
rarely | rarely: adv. seldom, infrequently, on rare occasions, hardly (ever), scarcely (ever), almost never, Colloq once in a blue moon: He rarely attends formal dinners at his club.
rarity | rarity: n. 1 curiosity, oddity, curio, collector''s item, find, treasure, conversation piece, Brit one-off, Colloq Brit oner: Among the rarities in his collection is a stuffed dodo. 2 unusualness, uncommonness, rareness, uniqueness, scarcity: The rarity of the first edition makes this book all the more valuable.
rascal | rascal: n. imp, devil, scamp, mischief-maker; rapscallion, rogue, scoundrel, cad, villain, blackguard, knave, good-for-nothing, ne''er-do-well, wastrel, scapegrace, dastard, wretch, Colloq scallywag or scalawag, Brit rotter, blighter, bounder: That little rascal has eaten all the cherry tarts. They''ve caught the rascals who were vandalizing parked cars.
rash� | rash�: adj. impetuous, impulsive, unthinking, thoughtless, foolhardy, unconsidered, ill-considered, ill-advised, injudicious, imprudent, indiscreet, precipitate, hasty, careless, heedless, reckless, headlong, wild, madcap, hare-brained, hotheaded, adventurous, quixotic, venturesome, audacious, bold, dashing, brash, devil-may-care: It was rash of him to try to sail round the world single-handed, but he did it.
rash� | rash�: n. 1 eruption, eczema, redness, efflorescence, dermatitis: One of the symptoms of measles is a skin rash. 2 number(s), quantity, lot(s), multitude, profusion, outbreak, series, succession, spate, wave, flood, deluge, plague, epidemic: There''s been a rash of burglaries in the neighbourhood.
rasp | rasp: n. 1 grating, scrape, scraping, scratch, scratching, grinding, stridulation: One could hear the rasp of the file as they tried to cut through the door. 2 file, grater: The coarser rasp is for use on wood. --v. 3 scrape, abrade, grate, file: First, rasp the horseradish, then combine the gratings with a little vinegar. 4 irritate, jar (upon), grate upon or against, rub (someone) (up) the wrong way, nettle, irk, annoy, vex, wear on, get, Literary gride: She has a rasping metallic voice that gets on my nerves. 5 croak, squawk, screech: The sergeant rasped out another command and the company marched forward.
rate� | rate�: n. 1 measure, pace, gait, speed, velocity, Colloq clip: We moved along at a pretty fast rate. Rates of production must increase. 2 charge, price, fee, tariff, figure, amount; toll: The rate for a hotel room has increased enormously in the past few years. 3 percentage, scale, proportion: What is the current rate of interest on government savings bonds? 4 Usually, -rate. rank, grade, place, standing, status, position, class, classification, kind, sort, type, rating, status, worth, value, valuation, evaluation: After a few years, he had improved from a second-rate typist to a first-rate secretary. 5 at any rate. in any case, in any event, anyway, at all events, anyhow, under any circumstances, regardless, notwithstanding: At any rate, with their last child out of university, they have no more worries about paying education costs. --v. 6 rank, grade, class, classify, evaluate, estimate, calculate, compute, count, reckon, judge, gauge, assess, appraise, measure: How do you rate your chances of beating the champion? 7 merit, be entitled to, deserve, be worthy of, have a claim to: The play doesn''t rate all the attention it''s been getting in the press. 8 count, place, measure: She rates very high among her friends.
rate� | rate�: v. scold, berate, reprimand, rebuke, reproach, reprove, take to task, upbraid, censure, Colloq bawl out, dress down, US and Canadian chew out: I was rated severely for staying out after midnight.
rather | rather: adv. 1 quite, very, somewhat, fairly, moderately, to a certain extent or degree or measure, to some extent or degree or measure, more or less, pretty, slightly, Colloq sort of, kind of: I suppose she was rather good-looking, but at that age I didn''t pay much attention to girls. This coffee tastes rather strange. 2 preferably, sooner, instead, more readily or willingly: Given an option, I choose to live alone rather than marry. 3 would or Colloq US had rather. prefer, choose: Given a choice, I would rather live alone.
ratify | ratify: v. approve, sanction, endorse, support, corroborate, uphold, back (up), sustain, establish, validate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, guarantee, warrant, certify, affirm, ensure, clinch, settle: The pact was ratified by all members.
ratio | ratio: n. proportion, relationship, correlation, correspondence: What is the ratio of male to female students at Oxford University? In that area, the ratio of tenants to home-owners is about two to one.
ration | ration: n. 1 share, quota, allotment, portion, helping, part, provision, measure, dole, percentage, amount: Each person is permitted a weekly fixed ration of butter, sugar, coffee, meat, etc. We shall have to go on short rations till we are rescued. 2 rations. supplies, provisions, food, provender, victuals, viands, eatables, edibles, comestibles, Brit commons: It was not till the third week with our rations running low that we really began to worry. --v. 3 Often, ration out. allot, apportion, dole (out), give out, distribute, deal out, mete out, parcel out, measure out, hand out: As water was in short supply, we had to ration it. One cup was rationed out to each of us every morning. 4 budget, schedule, restrict, control, limit: Water had to be rationed to one cup a day for each of us.
rational | rational: adj. 1 well-balanced, sane, sound, normal, reasonable, reasoning, logical, ratiocinative, clear-headed, clear-eyed, sober; of sound mind, Colloq all there: Desmond is a rational human being who would be able to advise you about your problem. 2 discriminating, intelligent, thinking, enlightened, prudent, wise, knowledgeable, informed: We could not have elected a more rational representative for our cause than Robert Brown. 3 sensible, common-sense, commonsensical, practical, pragmatic, down-to-earth, everyday, acceptable, reasonable, logical: Philippa thinks she has a rational explanation for the strange light we saw in the sky last night.
rationale | rationale: n. reason, explanation, logical basis, grounds, logic, reasoning, philosophy, principle, theory: Do you understand the rationale of a policy for curbing inflation that sets interest rates at a level where business, initiative, and productivity are stifled?
rationalize | rationalize: v. 1 make plausible or believable or understandable or acceptable or reasonable, make allowance(s) or excuses for, vindicate, account for, justify, excuse, reason away, explain away: How can you rationalize taking my car without my permission? 2 think through, reason out; apply logic to, ratiocinate: He warps the statistics to rationalize his argument. The fundamentalists make no attempt to rationalize their literal interpretation of the Scripture.
rattle | rattle: v. 1 clatter: An acorn dropped from an overhanging tree and rattled down the tin roof. 2 shake, vibrate, jar, joggle, jiggle: The wind was strong enough to rattle the windows in their frames. 3 unnerve, disconcert, discomfit, disturb, perturb, shake, discountenance, upset, agitate, put off, Chiefly US and Canadian faze: They are only trying to rattle us by saying that we might lose our jobs if we strike. 4 jounce, bounce, bump, jolt, speed, hurtle: The stagecoach came rattling down the road, swaying wildly. 5 rattle off. recite, list, utter, reel off, run through, enumerate, call off: The announcer rattled off a long list of trains cancelled because of the storm. 6 rattle on. chatter, babble, jabber, gibber, prate, prattle, blabber, cackle, blather, ramble, Chiefly Brit witter, natter, Slang US run off at the mouth: The speaker kept rattling on and on about the delights of collecting beer cans. --n. 7 clatter, racket, noise; rale or r�le, crackle, crackling; death-rattle: I heard the rattle of the beans and knew you were about to grind the coffee. The doctor said he didn''t like the rattle in my chest. 8 clapper, sistrum, US noise-maker: Rattles have been used as musical instruments for thousands of years.
rattletrap | rattletrap: n. flivver, rattler, Colloq jalopy, tin Lizzie, US Model T: This old rattletrap won''t get us all the way to Hawkhurst.
ratty | ratty: adj. 1 irritable, cross, testy, touchy, annoyed, crabbed, irritated, angry, short-tempered, impatient, disagreeable: He''s always ratty in the mornings when he has a hangover. 2 dirty, greasy, straggly, unkempt, matted: His hair was all ratty and he hadn''t bathed in a month.
raucous | raucous: adj. harsh, rasping, rough, husky, hoarse, grating, scratching, scratchy, discordant, dissonant, jarring; strident, shrill, noisy, loud, ear-splitting, piercing: You could hear Ramsay''s raucous voice above the others. A raucous scream came from the parrot''s cage.
ravage | ravage: v. 1 lay waste, devastate, ruin, destroy, demolish, raze, wreck, wreak havoc (up)on, damage: The hurricane ravaged outlying areas but did little damage in the city. 2 pillage, plunder, despoil, ransack, sack, loot: The police tried to prevent hooligans from ravaging the shops in the town centre. --n. 3 Usually, ravages. destruction, damage, depredation(s), devastation, wrecking, ruin, demolition: All about us we saw the ravages of war.
rave | rave: v. 1 rant, rage, storm, fulminate, roar, thunder, howl, yell, caterwaul, yowl, bellow, shout, scream, fly off the handle, Colloq flip one''s top or lid, Slang raise hell: He kept raving on about his coffee mug having been pinched. 2 rave about. praise, laud, rhapsodize over, applaud, gush over: Bernard can''t stop raving about that new Thai restaurant. --n. 3 praise, acclaim, favour, enthusiastic reception, tribute, testimonial, encomium, bouquet, plaudits, accolade, admiration, US hosanna: The play got raves in all the newspapers when it opened. 4 rage, fashion, vogue, trend, thing, last word, dernier cri, craze, mania, Colloq fad: The rave that year was for stiletto heels. 5 party, f�te, soir�e, Colloq do, Slang bash, blow-out, Brit rave-up , US wingding, blast: Monica threw quite a rave to celebrate her new job.
ravenous | ravenous: adj. 1 hungry, famished, starving, starved: We were ravenous after the long hike. 2 voracious, gluttonous, greedy, insatiable, ravening, swinish, piggish, hoggish, edacious, wolfish: With my family''s ravenous appetites, there are rarely any leftovers.
ravine | ravine: n. gorge, canyon or ca�on, pass, cleft, defile, gully or gulley, valley, Brit dialect clough, Scots linn, US gap, gulch, arroyo: At the spring thaw, torrents filled the ravines.
raving | raving: adj. 1 mad, insane, berserk, raging, crazy, crazed, irrational, manic, maniacal, frantic, frenzied, delirious, hysterical; out of one''s mind or head: He stood there shouting and screaming, like a raving lunatic. 2 extraordinary, outstanding, unusual, rare, uncommon, phenomenal, great, striking, ravishing, Colloq stunning: Diana had been a raving beauty in her time. --n. 3 Often, ravings. rant, ranting, bombast, pomposity, grandiloquence, magniloquence, rodomontade, rhetoric, bluster, blustering, claptrap, balderdash, puffery, bunkum, flatulence, hyperbole, vapouring, fustian, Colloq hot air, bunk: Why must we be subjected to the ravings of this politician? 4 gabble, babble, babbling, gibberish, Colloq gab: This is nothing more than the raving of a maniac.
ravish | ravish: v. 1 enrapture, delight, captivate, enthral, fascinate, charm, entrance, spellbind, bewitch, transport: I was ravished at the prospect of seeing you again. 2 rape, violate, have one''s way with, deflower, defile: The soldiers attacked the village and ravished the women.
ravishing | ravishing: adj. dazzling, beautiful, gorgeous, striking, radiant, charming, alluring, attractive, entrancing, captivating, enthralling, bewitching, spellbinding, Colloq stunning: Daphne was even more ravishing than her sister Diana.
raw | raw: adj. 1 uncooked, unprepared, fresh: Many vegetables can be eaten raw. 2 unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, unfinished, natural, crude: The raw sugar is shipped to the plant where it is refined. The raw statistics revealed that many women had refused to respond to the questionnaire. 3 new, inexperienced, unseasoned, immature, green, untried, fresh, untrained, unskilled, untested: They sent us raw recruits who had never seen battle. 4 exposed, unprotected, uncovered, open; sore, tender, inflamed, painful, sensitive: When he mentioned her name, it was as if he had touched a raw nerve. 5 chill, chilly, chilling, cold, damp, frigid, freezing, biting, stinging, nippy, nipping, sharp, keen, piercing, penetrating: You should wrap up warmly if you''re going out in that raw wind. 6 brutal, frank, candid, blunt, direct, unvarnished, unmollified, unembellished, realistic, honest, plain, unreserved, unrestrained, uninhibited, bluff, straightforward: The producer felt that no domestic audience could stomach a raw depiction of the horrors of war. --n. 7 in the raw. naked, stark naked, undressed, unclothed, nude, in the nude, Brit starkers, Colloq in the buff, in the altogether, in one''s birthday suit: For punishment, they made us stand outside, in the freezing cold, in the raw.
raw-boned | raw-boned: adj. gaunt, lean, gangling, thin, skinny, spare, meagre, scrawny, underfed, bony, emaciated, half-starved, wasted, hollow-cheeked, cadaverous: They''ll take that raw-boned youngster into the army and put some meat on him.
ray | ray: n. 1 beam, shaft, bar, streak, pencil, gleam, flash: A single ray from the setting sun illuminated the head of the statue. 2 glimmer, trace, spark, scintilla, flicker: As he had not ben rejected outright, there was still a ray of hope that he might be accepted.
raze | raze: v. tear or pull or bring or knock or throw down, demolish, destroy, level, flatten, bulldoze: As usual, beautiful old buildings were razed to make way for a new shopping centre.
