
stab | stab: v. 1 stick, puncture, prick, lance, jab, pierce, run through, impale, gore, transfix, knife, bayonet, skewer, spike, spit, spear, pin; plunge, poke, thrust: In the melee, George was stabbed in the arm. It is said that she stabbed a fork into his hand. 2 stab in the back. harm, betray, sell out, double-cross, give the Judas kiss, play false with: As soon as he had left, they stabbed him in the back by phoning the authorities. --n. 3 puncture, jab, thrust, (stab-)wound: The coroner''s office reported that the body had six stabs in the abdomen. 4 attempt, try, essay; guess, conjecture: Even if you are wrong, you lose nothing by making a stab at the right answer. 5 pang, twinge, pain, ache, hurt, stitch: Doctor, I get a terrible stab of pain in my side when I turn that way. 6 stab in the back. treachery, betrayal, double-cross, Judas kiss, kiss of death, duplicity: Informing on someone to the tax inspector is a really nasty stab in the back.
stability | stability: n. 1 steadiness, solidity, firmness, soundness, sturdiness, strength: These flimsy structures are not known for their stability. 2 steadfastness, constancy, dependability, reliability, tenacity, resolve, resoluteness, perseverance, determination, persistence, durability, lasting quality, solidity, permanence: The stability of the government was in doubt as the crisis continued.
stable | stable: adj. 1 steady, solid, firm, sound, sturdy, strong, durable, well-founded, fast, sure, established, deep-rooted, stout: The building is designed to remain stable even in a severe earthquake. 2 lasting, enduring, long-lasting, long-standing, secure, steadfast, steady, strong, unchanging, unchanged, unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable, unwavering, immutable, permanent: A stable relationship has existed between our countries for generations. The relationship you and I enjoy has remained stable all our lives. 3 sane, (well-)balanced, responsible, reasonable, sensible, competent, accountable: He seemed a nice, stable young man, and nobody would have guessed that he had a drugs habit.
stack | stack: n. 1 pile, heap, mound, mass, accumulation, hill, mountain, store, stock, bank, deposit, supply, stockpile, hoard, load, bundle, bale, Colloq US and Canadian stash: This stack of paper ought to be enough to last through the next printing. 2 haystack, cock, haycock, rick, rickle, hayrick, Brit clamp: The stacks were covered with a tarpaulin before it started to rain. 3 collection, aggregation, accumulation, agglomeration, amassment, mass, load, pack, amount, abundance, plenty, profusion, volume, array, sea, throng, multitude, swarm, host, number, quantity, pile-up: We have a huge stack of orders to process this morning. 4 smokestack, chimney, chimney-stack, funnel; Building soil stack: They built the stack very tall to carry the fumes away from the town below. 5 blow one''s stack. anger, become angry, become furious or infuriated, rage, rant, lose one''s temper, Slang blow or lose one''s cool, get hot under the collar, blow one''s top: The boss will blow his stack if we miss the deadline. --v. 6 Often, stack up. pile (up), heap, accumulate, amass, store, stock, stockpile, hoard, collect, aggregate, agglomerate, Colloq stash (away), squirrel away: Stack those boxes neatly in the corner. Has he stacked up enough points to qualify? 7 stack up. a make sense, add up, agree, jibe, be verifiable, Colloq check out: The ledgers don''t stack up with the cheque-book. The two sets of figures simply don''t stack up. b compare, measure up, hold a candle to, be on a par (with), be as good as: He could never stack up to Olivier.
stadium | stadium: n. arena, ground, amphitheatre, hippodrome, coliseum or colosseum, circus: The new football stadium can accommodate 60,000 spectators.
staff | staff: n. 1 stick, pole, standard, baton, rod, pikestaff, pike, stake, cane, stave, shaft, alpenstock, shillelagh, club, truncheon, mace, crook, crozier, sceptre, wand, caduceus: Carrying the ceremonial staff and dressed in full regalia, the officer impressively opened the royal court proceedings. 2 personnel, employees, help, workforce, crew, team, organization: Before we introduced computers, we had a staff of fifty doing nothing but filing.
stage | stage: n. 1 position, situation, grade, level, stratum, tier, echelon, step, station, place, point, spot, juncture, division, phase, lap; status, condition: We have to reach the third stage before going on to the fourth. 2 platform, dais, podium; rostrum: After the performance, the audience threw flowers onto the stage. 3 the stage. show business, the theatre, the boards, the footlights, Broadway, Chiefly Brit the West End; acting, Thespianism; Colloq showbiz: That first burst of applause decided her to make the stage her career. --v. 4 put on, produce, present, mount, exhibit: If we can''t get the theatre, why don''t we stage the show in Mr Kimble''s barn? 5 put on, contrive, organize, originate, devise, make up, concoct, fake, trump up, stage-manage, manipulate, manoeuvre: It seems that the enthusiastic reception given his wife had been staged solely for his benefit.
stagger | stagger: v. 1 totter, reel, lurch, teeter, sway, walk unsteadily or shakily, pitch, rock, wobble: When he staggered in, they thought he was drunk till they saw the knife in his back. I was already staggering under the burden of a heavy mortgage and three children and two elderly parents to care for. 2 surprise, amaze, astound, astonish, overwhelm, overcome, dumbfound or dumfound, shock, stupefy, stun, nonplus, floor, confound, bewilder, startle, jolt, shake (up), take one''s breath away, make one''s head swim, take (someone) aback, throw (someone) off balance, tax, burden, Colloq flabbergast, flummox, bowl over, Slang blow (someone''s) mind: The cost of cleaning up the oil spill will be staggering. He was staggered by her announcement. 3 alternate, space (out), vary, rearrange, zigzag, US change off: Working hours will be staggered during the holiday period. We could strengthen the structure by staggering the positions of the columns.
stagnant | stagnant: adj. motionless, standing, still, quiet, sluggish, unmoving, immobile, flat; stale, foul, putrid, putrescent, putrefied, polluted, dirty, contaminated, filthy: The malarial mosquitoes thrive in pools of stagnant water in the tropical swamps.
stagnate | stagnate: v. languish, idle, vegetate, deteriorate, degenerate, decline, go to seed or pot, decay, rust, moulder, decompose, spoil, rot: He felt he had stagnated in a backwater of civilization for far too long.
staid | staid: adj. sedate, rigid, stiff, prim, dignified, sober, calm, composed, quiet, restrained, solemn, serious, serious-minded, grave, sober-sided: One expects a judge to be rather staid in his behaviour.
stain | stain: n. 1 blot, mark, spot, discoloration, blotch, smutch, smirch, speck, Brit splodge or US also splotch: There''s a stain on your tie. 2 mark, blot (on the escutcheon), stigma, blemish, Brit blot on one''s copybook, Colloq US black eye: His cowardice in battle was a permanent stain on his reputation. 3 dye, colour, colouring, tint, tinge, pigment: An indigo stain was used to bring up certain features in microscopy. --v. 4 blot, mark, spot, discolour, blotch, speckle, dye, spatter, splatter, tinge, smudge, smutch, splash: The tablecloth was stained red from the spilt wine. 5 spoil, defile, ruin, smirch, besmirch, taint, tarnish, stigmatize, shame, disgrace, sully, contaminate, soil, corrupt: Her reign was stained with the blood of the thousands she had tortured and executed.
stake� | stake�: n. 1 stick, post, spike, picket, paling, pale, pole, pike, stave; palisade, pole, upright, pillar, column: They tied the goat to a stake and hid, waiting for the tiger to catch the scent. 2 pull up stakes. move (house), resettle, move on, migrate, emigrate, leave, depart: It was time to pull up stakes and find a new camp-site. --v. 3 tether, tie (up), secure, fasten, picket, lash, leash, hitch, chain: The ponies were staked out in the pasture. 4 Usually, stake out. (a fence (in or off), confine, pen, enclose, close in or off, hem in, shut in, impound, enclose, cage, wall in: We hired a man to stake out a large enough area to keep the horses. b mark off or out, define, delimit, outline, demarcate, delineate, circumscribe: The pioneers had already staked out the land they planned to cultivate.
stake� | stake�: n. 1 bet, wager, ante, risk, hazard: If you want to make the game interesting, you''ll have to raise the stakes. 2 investment, interest, share, involvement, concern: Myra has a considerable stake in the outcome of the shareholders'' meeting. 3 at stake. at hazard, hazarded, at risk, risked, on the table, in jeopardy, jeopardized, concerned, involved: Don''t take the matter lightly, as Tom''s reputation is at stake. --v. 4 risk, jeopardize, venture, put (money) on, chance, hazard, gamble, wager, bet: I had staked my last penny on that gold-mine.
stale | stale: adj. 1 old, past its prime, unfresh, dry, dried-out, hardened, limp, wilted, withered, flat, sour, turned, (gone) off, mouldy, musty, spoiled, rotten: All the food is stale because you failed to wrap it carefully. 2 old, banal, overused, antiquated, old-fashioned, threadbare, trite, clich�d, unoriginal, hackneyed, stereotyped, tired, weary, boring, tiresome, warmed-over, shop-worn, familiar, stock, well-known, Colloq hand-me-down, Brit reach-me-down: These comedians come up with the same old stale jokes year after year.
stalemate | stalemate: n. impasse, deadlock, stand-off, standstill, (dead or full) stop, tie; check, checkmate, mate; US Mexican stand-off: As both parties refused to back down, the situation was a stalemate.
stalk� | stalk�: v. follow, dog, haunt, shadow, trail, track (down), hunt (down), pursue, hound, chase, Colloq tail: The leopard stalked its prey in complete silence.
stalk� | stalk�: n. stem, trunk, cane, main axis, leaf-stalk, shaft, spike: The leaves cluster at the very top, leaving the entire stalk of the plant bare.
stall� | stall�: v. 1 stop, halt, die, quit, shut down, fail, cease operating, come to a standstill, Colloq conk out: My car stalled in the middle of rush-hour traffic - isn''t that typical? --n. 2 compartment, stand, booth, cubicle, alcove, section, space, area, slot, enclosure, quarters; counter, table: Several antiques dealers had hired stalls in the market. 3 shed, pen, cote, fold, coop, sty, corral, enclosure, cowshed, barn, stable: The animals belong in their stalls at night.
stall� | stall�: v. 1 delay, dawdle, dilly-dally, dally, loiter, linger, temporize, equivocate, hesitate, prevaricate, play for time, waste time, stonewall, be obstructive, put (someone or something) off; vacillate, dither, hedge, procrastinate; Brit haver, Colloq beat about the bush, drag one''s feet, give (someone) the run-around: He managed to stall for a while before handing over the money. --n. 2 stalling, delay, hedge, hedging, pretext, subterfuge, wile, trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, manoeuvre, move, stonewalling, obstructionism, playing for time, procrastination, procrastinating, Colloq beating about the bush, run-around, foot-dragging: Her claim that she was dressing was nothing but a stall to give her time to hide the pistol.
stalwart | stalwart: adj. 1 robust, stout, strong, mighty, powerful, rugged, staunch, hardy, sturdy, vigorous, lusty, indomitable, solid, able-bodied, brawny, sinewy, muscular, fit, healthy, hale, (hale and) hearty, Colloq husky, hefty, beefy: We shall need a dozen stalwart men to carry out the raid. 2 redoubtable, intrepid, undaunted, resolute, firm, determined, unbending, steadfast, tenacious, unswerving, unwavering, unfaltering, unflinching, uncompromising, unyielding, persevering, persistent, unflagging, relentless, tireless, untiring, indefatigable: Although they lost, their lawyers put up a stalwart defence. 3 brave, courageous, daring, intrepid, valiant, heroic, manly, manful, fearless, indomitable, stout-hearted, bold, audacious, game, red-blooded, plucky, mettlesome, lion-hearted, spirited: These stalwart knights met at dawn on the battlefield. --n. 4 supporter, upholder, sustainer, partisan, loyalist, (party) faithful, trouper, hero, heroine: And most of all I want to thank those stalwarts who have supported me throughout this victorious campaign.
stamina | stamina: n. ruggedness, vigour, vigorousness, (intestinal) fortitude, robustness, indefatigability, staying power, endurance, energy, power, might, mettle, (inner) strength, staunchness, stalwartness, courage, indomitability, Colloq grit, guts, starch, US stick-to-it-iveness, sand, Taboo slang balls: Even at the age of 70, she still had the stamina to run in the marathon.
stammer | stammer: v. 1 stutter, hesitate, hem and haw, stumble, falter, pause, Brit hum and haw: Is he stammering from embarrassment or because he has a speech defect? --n. 2 stutter: Many young people who have a stammer lose it when they get out of their teens.
stamp | stamp: v. 1 trample, bring down one''s foot; tread, step, tramp; Colloq stomp (on): He flew into a rage and stamped on the floor, like a petulant child. 2 impress, mark, imprint, print, record, document, register, log; engrave, emboss, inscribe; sign, initial: That last night in Rio is stamped forever in my memory. Their passports were stamped at the frontier. 3 brand, label, mark, tag, term, name, style, identify, categorize, classify, characterize, designate, denominate, show to be: The episode on Friday stamped him as someone not to be trifled with. 4 stamp out. eliminate, eradicate, abolish, get rid of, annihilate, exterminate, kill, snuff out, terminate, end, put an end to, destroy, put down, put out, extinguish, extirpate; quell, subdue, suppress, squelch, repress: Something must be done to stamp out the drug traffic. --n. 5 mark, sign, hallmark, earmarks, traits, features, characteristics: Her work bears the stamp of genius. 6 die, block, punch, seal, matrix, plate, die-stamp, stereotype, mould; signet(-ring): The stamps for the binding are not quite ready. 7 seal, (trade or service) mark, brand, logo, logotype, symbol, representation, colophon, imprint, emblem, insigne (singular of insignia), label, monogram, sign, crest, coat of arms, escutcheon, cartouche, signature, initials: As it bears his stamp, it must belong to him. 8 character, kind, sort, make, fashion, type, cast, mould, grade, style, cut, genre, class, level, kidney, feather, stripe, classification, species, genus, variety, description: Men of Randolph''s stamp are hard to find amongst gentlemen and scholars alike.
stampede | stampede: n. 1 rout, flight, scattering, panic, rush, dash: When the store opened its doors for its annual sale, we were nearly trampled in the stampede. --v. 2 panic, frighten, rush, scatter, rout: Millions of buffalo were killed by stampeding them off cliffs. 3 rush, run, race, charge, take to one''s heels, flee, take flight: At the cry of ''Fire!'', the audience stampeded for the exits.
stance | stance: n. carriage, bearing, deportment; position, posture, attitude, standpoint, stand, viewpoint, point of view: Legs apart and arms akimbo, she assumed a defiant stance at the door. Her stance was that she must protect the children at all costs.
stanch | stanch: v. staunch, stop, stem, halt, check, arrest, stay, end, cease; prevent: Apply pressure with a pad to stanch the flow of blood from the wound.
stand | stand: v. 1 rise, arise, get up, Brit be upstanding: We all stood when the master of ceremonies proposed a toast to McArthur. 2 Sometimes, stand up. a set, place (upright), position, put, move; up-end: Please stand the cabinet in the corner. b stay, remain (standing): Just for that you can go and stand in the corner! 3 endure, survive, tolerate, brook, countenance, face, confront, last through, abide, allow, accept, take, suffer, bear, withstand, undergo, experience, cope with, brave, stand or bear up under, stand for, withstand, stomach, weather, handle, Colloq put up with: I could not stand another year in the tropics. She can stand neither hypocrites nor vanilla ice-cream. 4 continue, remain, persist, be or remain in effect or in force, prevail, obtain, apply, exist: The law will stand as it is till it is rescinded or modified by the court. 5 stand by. a support, defend, back, stand or stick up for, stand behind, be or remain loyal or faithful to, uphold, take the side of, side with, sympathize with, US go to bat for: No matter what he did, she always stood by him. b wait (in the wings), stand or wait or stay or remain on the sidelines, be or stand ready or available or accessible, be or stand in readiness: Would you mind standing by in case we need your help? c stick to, adhere to, support, maintain, persist in, affirm, reaffirm, confirm, abide by: We shall stand by every word of the agreement. 6 stand down. resign, quit, step aside, withdraw: When it was revealed that she was taking steroids, she agreed to stand down from the team. 7 stand for. a symbolize, betoken, represent, signify, mean, be emblematic of, exemplify, epitomize, illustrate, typify, refer to, allude to: The initials in P. G. Wodehouse''s name stand for ''Pelham Grenville''. b support, advocate, favour, sponsor, promote, espouse (the cause of), subscribe to, back, champion, lend support or one''s name to, second: Norma has always stood for the principles of democratic freedom. c campaign for, be or present (oneself) as a candidate for, US stump for, run for: Who will stand for chairman this year? d See 3, above. 8 stand in. substitute (for), understudy (for), replace, relieve, double for, take the place of, US and Canadian pinch-hit (for), Colloq cover for: If you can''t get to the rehearsal, I''ll stand in for you. 9 stand out. a be prominent or conspicuous or noticeable, be notable or noteworthy: With her green spike hairdo and a safety pin through her cheek, Kylie really stands out in a crowd. His farewell speech stands out in my mind as one of his best. b protrude, project, stick out, jut out, bulge, obtrude, beetle, overhang, extend: The balcony stands out over the village square. 10 stand up. a stand, rise, arise, get to one''s feet, get up: The boys had been taught to stand up when a woman entered the room. b endure, last, wear (well), survive: Today''s products, with their built-in obsolescence, don''t stand up to long use. c jilt, break or fail to keep an appointment with: After waiting for two hours, he realized that he had been stood up. 11 stand up for. support, defend, take the side of, side with, champion, uphold, Colloq stick up for: I shall never forget how you stood up for me when they accused me of cheating. 12 stand up to. a confront, brave, challenge, encounter, dispute, question, resist, defy, withstand: He''s a coward when it comes to standing up to authority. b resist, defy, withstand, endure, outlast, last through, suffer: This material will stand up to years of abuse. --n. 13 position, attitude, stance, posture, policy, philosophy, point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, belief, opinion, sentiment, feeling, line: I disagree completely with the Chancellor''s stand on the economy. 14 defence, resistance, effort: This campaign will be our last stand in trying to retrieve some of the market we lost. 15 stop, stopover, halt, stay; performance, show: We do some one-night stands in the country before returning to Manchester. 16 counter, booth, stall, table; wagon or Brit waggon, barrow, cart: He sells fruit from a stand in the street. 17 rack, frame, bracket; hatstand, coat-rack: This stand is for displaying a china plate. I left my hat on the stand in your office. 18 staging, platform, dais, stage, staging, bandstand, summer-house: We like to go to the stand in the park to hear the band play. 19 copse, grove, wood, thicket, brake, wood, Brit spinney, coppice: Near the house was a small stand of beeches.
standard | standard: n. 1 criterion, measure, benchmark, model, pattern, archetype, touchstone, yardstick, gauge, guide, guideline, paradigm, paragon, exemplar, example, sample, type, ideal, beau id�al, rule, canon, law, requirement, precept, principle: The metric system has become the standard in many countries. People resent having imposed on them the standards of another culture. 2 mean, average, norm, par, level, rating: With many luxuries now necessities, the standard of living has improved enormously. The course was for students of intermediate standard. 3 flag, banner, ensign, emblem, pennant, burgee, insigne (singular of insignia), guidon, gonfalon or gonfanon, labarum: The black knight bore a curiously coloured standard into battle. 4 pole, post, stanchion, lamppost, column, pillar, support, pedestal, pier, footing, (upright) bar or rod or timber: The car went out of control and knocked down two lighting standards. --adj. 5 accepted, approved, definitive, defined, authoritative, official, required, regulative, regulatory, textbook: Must we follow standard procedure? The tests were conducted according to the standard methods. 6 recognized, prevailing, prevalent, usual, customary, habitual, orthodox, set, established, regular, familiar, ordinary, traditional, classic, stock, typical, normal, staple, conventional, universal: People in the south usually regard themselves as speakers of standard English.
standardize | standardize: v. regiment, systematize, codify, normalize, homogenize: We could save money if we standardized the dimensions of the books we publish.
stand-by | stand-by: n. 1 supporter, defender, backer, upholder, partisan, sympathizer, adherent, stalwart: His mother had always been his stand-by against the severity of his father. 2 substitute, surrogate, replacement, backup, understudy, second, US and Canadian alternate: They had a second ambulance as a stand-by in case the first broke down or needed servicing. 3 resource, support, replacement: I knew I could always count on you as a stand-by in case I had trouble.
stand-in | stand-in: n. double, substitute, stunt man or woman; surrogate, replacement, stand-by, backup, understudy, second, US and Canadian alternate: Any time they had to shoot a dangerous scene, my stand-in went through the motions.
standing | standing: adj. 1 established, set, standard, conventional, customary, usual, normal, regular, fixed, permanent, continued, continuing, regular: The club has standing rules concerning use of the card-room. 2 stagnant, motionless, unmoving, stationary, still, static: Insects bred in the standing pools of rainwater. 3 continuous, fixed, ongoing, perpetual, unbroken: Michael placed a standing order for six cases of Beaujolais Nouveau every November. 4 erect, upright, on one''s feet, vertical, unseated: Please remain standing till the signal is given to be seated. --n. 5 status, rank, station, position, place, grade, order, level, stratum: Considering her standing in the party, Mrs Miller ought to win the nomination easily. 6 eminence, prominence, repute, reputation: Foster is a surgeon of considerable standing. 7 Usually, long standing. (considerable) age or longevity or experience or seniority or duration: Ivan is an art expert of long standing.
standoffish | standoffish: adj. aloof, haughty, unsocial, reserved, cool, frosty, withdrawn, remote, removed, distant, detached, unapproachable, inaccessible, uncongenial, unfriendly, unsociable; Olympian, lordly, pompous, Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, snooty: Oliver is much too standoffish to deign to come to my party.
standpoint | standpoint: n. viewpoint, point of view, vantage point, perspective, position, angle, view: From the standpoint of mice, cats do not make good pets.
standstill | standstill: n. (dead or full) stop, halt: The car came to a standstill with the front wheels overhanging a cliff.
staple | staple: adj. 1 basic, elementary, essential, necessary, requisite, required, vital, indispensable, critical, fundamental, primary, principal, main, chief: These people cannot afford even staple commodities like flour and salt. 2 standard, usual, habitual, ordinary, customary, prevailing, normal, conventional, universal: The staple fare on television seems to consist of old and new sitcoms. --n. 3 Often, staples. necessities, essentials, basics, fundamentals: Supermarkets disperse low-cost staples such as bread, tea, and milk to force shoppers to pass luxury items. Marital and financial problems are the staples of soap operas.
star | star: n. 1 celestial or heavenly body; evening star, morning star, falling star, shooting star, comet; nova, supernova: It was a beautiful clear night and the sky was full of stars. 2 celebrity, personage, dignitary, VIP, name, somebody, luminary, leading light, leading man or woman or lady, lead, principal, diva, prima donna, hero, heroine, idol, superstar, Technical slang top banana, headliner, Colloq big shot, (big) draw, celeb, big name: Clancy knows many of the big stars personally. --adj. 3 principal, major, leading, important, celebrated, famous, famed, prominent, eminent, pre-eminent, distinguished, brilliant, illustrious, unequalled, peerless, matchless, incomparable, unrivalled, inimitable, unmatched, unparalleled, top, foremost: A new local rock band was the star attraction at the Hippodrome. --v. 4 feature or be featured; play or act or take the lead or the leading part or role: He began his career starring in spaghetti westerns.
stare | stare: v. 1 gaze, gape, goggle, gawk, watch, Colloq rubberneck, Slang Brit gawp: The people were powerless to do anything but stare as the molten lava engulfed the city. --n. 2 fixed or blank look; goggle, gaze: The teacher fixed her with a stare and she blushed with guilt.
stark | stark: adv. 1 completely, utterly, unqualifiedly, wholly, absolutely, entirely, totally, fully, altogether, plainly, obviously, clearly, certifiably: Is that an elephant on the beach, or am I going stark staring mad? The children were running around stark naked. --adj. 2 plain, simple, Spartan, severe, unembellished, unadorned, cold, bare, harsh, hard, grim, bald, blunt: The room looks less stark with curtains. Just give me the stark facts without all the elaboration. 3 harsh, severe, bleak, austere, barren, desolate, dreary, grey, depressing, ravaged, empty, vacant, Literary drear, Colloq US spooky: As day dawned, I looked out over the stark landscape of the nuclear winter. 4 sheer, complete, utter, absolute, perfect, pure, thorough, thoroughgoing, arrant, unmitigated, out-and-out, downright, outright, total, unconditional, unqualified, clear, plain, evident, obvious, patent, flagrant, gross, rank: They were shocked by the stark poverty they saw in the rural areas.
start | start: v. 1 Often, start off or up. begin, commence, get (something) going, get off the ground, originate, initiate, open, set in motion, activate, embark on; set in motion, turn or switch on, crank up, Colloq kick off: They started operations at once. I can''t start my car. 2 Often, start off or up or in. arise, come up, come to be or into being, emerge, crop up, develop, begin, commence, get under way, originate: How did this situation start? 3 Often, start off or up or in. go, leave, depart, get going, move (off or out or on), get under way, set off or out or forth, Colloq hit the road, get the show on the road: You start and I''ll follow shortly. 4 Often, start in. begin, commence, get or start the ball rolling, get things under way, be on one''s way, get going: When I went in I found that she had started without me. 5 jump, flinch, blench, quail, shy, recoil, wince, shrink, draw back: He started when he saw her suddenly behind him in the mirror. 6 cause to spring or leap or dart or jump or bound: Any abrupt movement will start the plovers from cover. 7 establish, found, begin, set up, initiate, institute, create, father, give birth to, beget: It was her ideas that started the current trend in mystery novels. 8 bulge, protrude, stick out; Colloq US bug out: Warping caused these boards to start from the floor. When he saw what was in his swimming-pool, his eyes started from their sockets. --n. 9 beginning, opening, move: This is not very good, but it''s a start. 10 beginning, commencement, opening, outset, onset, inception, start-up: The start of the race is set for ten o''clock. 11 beginning(s), inception, birth, initiation, onset, rise, genesis, creation, emergence, origin: The start of the blues can be traced to New Orleans. 12 opportunity, chance, beginning; help, assistance, aid, backing, financing, sponsorship, encouragement, Colloq break: Her father-in-law gave her the start she needed in business. 13 head start, advantage, edge, lead, Colloq (the) jump, US and New Zealand drop (on someone): Having the inside track gave her a start on the competition. If he has a ten-minute start, we''ll never catch him. 14 inauguration, opening, beginning, initiation, Colloq kick-off: When is the start of the salmon fishing season this year? 15 beginning(s), founding, foundation, establishment, inception, birth, origin: This company had its start in 1781.
startle | startle: v. frighten, surprise, scare, disturb, unsettle, upset, discompose, make (someone) jump, jolt, jar, dismay, perturb, stun, take (someone) aback, shock, astound, astonish, Colloq shake up, give (someone) a turn, US discombobulate: He jumped out from behind the door and startled me. She was startled when she was told that she had to leave at once.
startling | startling: adj. shocking, terrifying, frightening, astounding, astonishing, awesome, staggering, jarring, disturbing, unsettling, upsetting, amazing, surprising: Monica fainted when told the startling news.
starved | starved: adj. 1 starving, (extremely) hungry, famished, ravenous: Harry came in from the fields, declaring he was starved and ready to eat a horse. 2 starved or starving for. yearning for, dying for, hankering for, hungry or hungering for, pining for, longing for, burning for, craving, thirsting for or after, desirous of, aching for, Colloq hurting for: I was starved for a pint of cold lager. 3 starved of. deprived of, in need or want of, lacking, be reft of: The children seemed starved of affection.
state | state: n. 1 condition(s), circumstance(s), situation, state of affairs, status, shape, position: He was concerned about the state of the company''s finances. 2 structure, form, constitution, shape, phase, stage: One does not see iodine in its gaseous state outside the laboratory. 3 grandeur, pomp, style, splendour, magnificence, glory, brilliance: The prince was met at the airport and escorted in state to the palace. 4 nation, country, land, body politic: No longer a colony, it became an independent state in 1952. --adj. 5 governmental, government, national, federal: The State schools in the town had a good reputation. 6 ceremonial, formal, dignified, stately, solemn, official; royal, regal, imperial, majestic: We attended a state dinner at the White House. The Queen travelled in the state coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. --v. 7 aver, assert, asseverate, declare, affirm, express, report, articulate, voice, specify, delineate, claim, maintain, allege, submit, confirm; say, testify, hold, have: He has often stated his firm belief in democracy. He stated firmly that he was not in the house on the night of the murder.
stately | stately: adj. dignified, august, solemn, distinguished, impressive, striking, imposing, awesome, grand, lofty, elevated, noble, majestic, regal, royal, imperial: The stately procession wound through the streets of the capital.
statement | statement: n. assertion, allegation, declaration, expression, report, account, affirmation, asseveration, averral, announcement, annunciation, proclamation, utterance, communication, communiqu�, disclosure: Your statement is subject to interpretation. He made a long and detailed statement about the future of the project.
static | static: adj. 1 immovable, immobile, unmoving, motionless, stationary, fixed, stagnant, inert, still, unchanging, unchanged, changeless, unvarying, invariable, constant: The situation remained static for years. A living language is not static but dynamic. --n. 2 interference, noise, atmospherics; difficulty or difficulties, trouble, problem(s), Colloq flak: With all the static, I couldn''t understand what she was saying. You can expect some static about being late for your wedding.
station | station: n. 1 place, position, spot, post, site, location: The sentry is not to leave his station till relieved. 2 position, place, status, rank, caste, standing, class, level: As a doctor, he attained a station in life far above that of his father. 3 railway station, train station, passenger station, bus station, US and Canadian depot: Let''s meet in the waiting-room in the station. --v. 4 position, place, spot, post, site, locate, assign, appoint, garrison, install or instal, Colloq billet: He was stationed in three different places in four years.
stationery | stationery: n. writing-paper, letterhead(s), paper and envelopes, writing implements or supplies; office supplies or equipment: We consider stationery costs as part of overheads.
statue | statue: n. sculpture, figure, figurine, statuette, carving, casting, model, bronze, image, icon or ikon, effigy, representation; bust, atlas, caryatid, colossus, figurehead, Biblical graven image: A statue of Disraeli stands in the market square of Aylesbury.
statuesque | statuesque: adj. imposing, impressive, majestic, regal, stately, magnificent, noble, dignified, august, grand, well-proportioned, comely, handsome, queenly, Junoesque: Julie''s statuesque figure was well set off by the draped silk gown.
status | status: n. 1 eminence, prominence, pre-eminence, standing, stature, importance, significance, repute, reputation, rank, station: Few could approach Keith''s status as a pathologist. 2 See standing, 5, above.
staunch | staunch: adj. 1 steadfast, loyal, firm, unflinching, steady, unshrinking, unswerving, dependable, reliable, (tried and) true, devoted, true-blue, trusty, trusted, faithful, unfaltering, undeviating, unwavering: Charles has always been a staunch supporter of the party. 2 strong, solid, sturdy, sound, well-built, stout, substantial, well-constructed, well-made, tough, rugged, long-lasting; watertight, seaworthy: The ship''s staunch oaken hull has withstood much abuse over the years.
stay� | stay�: v. 1 remain, stop, continue, tarry, wait, stand, Colloq freeze: Stay where you are or I''ll shoot! 2 remain, stop, lodge, sojourn, abide, reside, dwell, live, visit: I heard that Sheila was back in town, staying at her aunt''s. 3 keep, remain, continue to be: I was having trouble staying awake. 4 stop, arrest, thwart, prevent, put an end to, halt, interrupt, block, check; curb, retard, slow, impede, foil, obstruct, hamper, hinder, discourage, deter; delay, postpone, put off, discontinue, defer, Technical prorogue: Only one man has the authority to stay the execution. What can be done to stay the advance of the killer bees? 5 linger, loiter, wait, tarry, stop, remain, Archaic bide: I like this part of the world and plan to stay here a while. --n. 6 stop, stoppage, arrest, set-back, check, halt, prevention, discontinuance, discontinuation, interruption, blockage, delay, postponement, deferment, deferral, reprieve: Have you been able to arrange a stay in carrying out the sentence? 7 stopover, sojourn, visit, stop: We really enjoyed our stay at Fred''s house in Fort Lauderdale.
stay� | stay�: n. 1 guy, line, rope, cable, chain, support, brace, reinforcement; Technical head-stay, (running) backstay, forestay, mainstay, mizen-stay: If one of those stays gives way, the entire structure may fall. --v. 2 support, strengthen, secure, reinforce, brace, buttress, gird, shore (up): The mast is stayed by two steel cables, fore and aft.
steadfast | steadfast: adj. resolute, determined, persevering, resolved, single-minded, steady, unflinching, unfaltering, unwavering, unswerving, indefatigable, dependable, immovable, stable, firm, fixed, constant, persistent, unflagging, tireless, enduring, dedicated, deep-rooted, faithful, true, loyal, staunch: For years Janet has been steadfast in supporting the cause. Stephen was a steadfast friend and will never be forgotten.
steady | steady: adj. 1 stable, firm, solid, substantial, sound, stout, strong: Is this chair steady enough to stand on? 2 even, regular, uniform, habitual, invariable, unvarying, unfluctuating, unwavering, undeviating, changeless, unchanging, continuous, constant; perpetual, non-stop, round-the-clock, persistent, uninterrupted, unbroken, unrelieved, unceasing, ceaseless, incessant, relentless, unremitting, never-ending, unending, endless: Steady trade winds could be relied on to carry vessels to the Caribbean. Inflation has remained steady for a year. How do the children manage to survive on a steady diet of junk food? The economists fear a steady rise in inflation. 3 unflinching, unblinking, fixed, constant, unfaltering, continuous, direct: The boy began to quail under the headmaster''s steady gaze. 4 calm, cool, balanced, equable, controlled: Steady nerves are needed to handle this new breed of fighter plane. 5 devoted, firm, staunch, faithful, loyal, long-standing, inveterate, consistent, confirmed, persistent: The Pendergasts have always been steady supporters of the museum. 6 staid, sedate, sober, dignified, poised, sophisticated, civilized, sensible, down-to-earth, settled, serious, level-headed, reliable, Colloq unflappable: WANTED: Steady person as housekeeper to eccentric editor. --adv. 7 firmly, solidly: His wife was holding the ladder steady while he mended the gutter. 8 go steady. keep company, date, socialize: Is Jane still going steady with Hubert? --n. 9 boyfriend, girlfriend, (regular) fellow or girl, sweetheart, Colloq guy, gal, woman, man: Yes, Hubert is still Jane''s steady. 10 regular, habitu�, customer, frequenter, familiar face: Gil has been a steady here ever since we opened. --v. 11 stabilize, hold fast; brace, secure, support, strengthen: Prices steadied after the first hour of trading. To steady the table, merely tighten the screws holding the legs.
steal | steal: v. 1 take (away), appropriate, filch, shoplift, pilfer, purloin, make or walk off or away with, get away with; embezzle, misappropriate, peculate; Colloq lift, pinch, hook, snitch, borrow, US boost, liberate, heist, hijack, Slang swipe, Brit nick, prig, US hoist: The thieves stole only the emeralds, leaving the diamonds. The bookkeeper stole the money by diverting it into his own account. 2 plagiarize, pirate, copy, imitate, appropriate, usurp, take: He claims that the story of the film was stolen from his short story. 3 sneak, creep, slip, tiptoe, prowl, lurk, skulk, Colloq pussyfoot: Silently, we stole into the garden at the rear of the house. --n. 4 bargain, (good) buy, Colloq give-away: At that price, the rug was a steal!
stealing | stealing: n. theft, robbery, robbing, larceny, pilferage, shoplifting, poaching, embezzlement, peculation, thievery, thieving, filching, burglary, plagiarism, plagiarizing, piracy, pirating: Stealing from the church poor-box must be one of the lowest things a person can do.
stealth | stealth: n. furtiveness, secrecy, clandestineness, surreptitiousness, sneakiness, slyness, underhandedness: What the thieves lacked in stealth they compensated for in knowledge of art.
stealthy | stealthy: adj. stealthful, furtive, secretive, secret, sly, clandestine, surreptitious, sneaky, sneaking, skulking, covert, undercover, underhand(ed), backstairs, hugger-mugger, closet: He was as stealthy as a cat in his movements. They were stealthy collectors of pornography.
steamy | steamy: adj. 1 humid, steaming, damp, moist, muggy, sticky, dank, sweaty, sweltering, sodden, sultry, boiling, wet: We were not prepared for the steamy jungle of equatorial Africa. 2 steamed (up), fogged (up), befogged, misty, misted, hazy, clouded, cloudy, beclouded, dim, blurred: Every time I take a hot shower, the bathroom mirror gets all steamy. 3 erotic, passionate, (sexually) exciting, arousing, hot, Colloq sexy, Slang horny: The film was notorious for its steamy scenes.
steel | steel: n. 1 sword, dagger, blade, knife, dirk, stiletto: He saw the flash of the cold steel in the moonlight. --v. 2 brace, nerve, stiffen, fortify, grit one''s teeth, bear up, bite the bullet, screw up one''s courage (to the sticking point); inure, insulate, protect: People must learn to steel themselves against criticism in this business.
steely | steely: adj. 1 greyish, grey: His steely blue eyes pierced deep into her soul. 2 iron, tough, indurate, adamant, adamantine, hard, strong, rugged, unyielding, flinty, sturdy: She was a woman of steely determination.
steep� | steep�: adj. 1 sheer, abrupt, precipitous, bluff, sharp, nearly vertical or perpendicular or upright: In those days, a car had to be in first gear to climb such a steep hill. 2 expensive, dear, high, overpriced, exorbitant, excessive, extravagant, extortionate, Colloq stiff: The house prices in the city centre were much too steep for all but the highest-paid executives.
steep� | steep�: v. 1 soak, submerge, souse, drench, immerse, saturate, douse, wet, ret; pickle, marinate: Before cooking, the meat has to be steeped in brine for at least six hours to tenderize it. 2 imbue, fill, saturate, immerse, inundate; bury: He learnt Japanese by steeping himself in the language for six months.
steer | steer: v. 1 guide, pilot, conduct, direct; manage, control, channel: Steer the boat closer to the pier. David has steered the company to greater profits than ever before. 2 steer clear of. avoid, dodge, keep away from, shun, circumvent, give (something or someone) a wide berth: You''d best steer clear of Melissa when she''s angry. --n. 3 Usually, bum steer. (bad or poor) tip or suggestion or hint; (bad or poor) guidance or advice or information: He avoids me because I once gave him a bum steer on a horse.
stellar | stellar: adj. 1 astral, star, sidereal: The sidereal year is based on stellar calculations. 2 chief, starring, principal, leading, main, headlining: For years Lee has been a stellar performer on the golf circuit.
stem� | stem�: n. 1 trunk, stalk, stock; Technical peduncle, pedicel, petiole, shoot: Three white blossoms are borne on each stem of the plant. 2 bows, prow, stem-post: The ship shook from stem to stern. --v. 3 come, arise, develop, derive, issue, flow, generate, originate, spring, emanate, sprout, grow, descend, result, proceed: The dispute stems from basic differences in the ways the parties regard property.
stem� | stem�: v. 1 check, stop, halt, stanch or staunch, arrest, stay, curb, control, quell, suppress; retard, slow, lessen, diminish, reduce, cut (back (on)): The government introduced legislation to stem immigration. I was able to stem the bleeding by applying the tourniquet. 2 stem the tide (of). resist, withstand, go or make headway or advance or make progress against, prevail over or against: They were unable to stem the tide of public opinion.
stench | stench: n. stink, reek, noisomeness, mephitis, fetor or foetor, foul odour, effluvium, Colloq Brit pong: A terrible stench emanated from the cupboard. For decades their government has wallowed in the stench of corruption.
stenographer | stenographer: n. secretary, amanuensis, stenotypist, tachygrapher, phonographer: The court stenographer read back part of the testimony.
stenography | stenography: n. shorthand, stenotypy, tachygraphy, speedwriting: Her qualification in stenography proved most useful.
step | step: n. 1 movement, move: The steps of the dance were very intricate. 2 footfall, footstep, tread: I think I hear father''s step on the stair. 3 footstep, footprint, trace, spoor, track, trace, mark, impression; imprint, vestige: In his master''s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted. 4 action, initiative, measure, activity, procedure, move, motion: What steps are needed to improve the situation? 5 stage, move, gradation, degree, progression: Can we not proceed from one to the other in easy steps? 6 pace, footstep, stride: My mother''s cottage is just a few steps away, at the bottom of the garden. 7 in step (with). in keeping (with), in harmony or agreement (with), harmonious (with), agreeable (with), according (with or to), concordant (with), attuned (to), in tune (with), consonant (with), consistent (with), appropriate (to), fitting (for); conventional, traditional, routine: Do you think that her ideas of discipline are in step with the times? I am not sure they are in step at all. 8 out of step (with). out of keeping (with), out of or not in harmony or agreement (with), not harmonious (with), not agreeable (with), not according (with or to), discordant (with), not concordant (with), not attuned (to), out of tune (with), not consonant (with), inconsistent (with), inappropriate (to), not fitting (for); offbeat, unconventional, eccentric, Slang kinky: You must admit that her views are out of step with the committee''s. 9 step by step. gradually, a step at a time, slowly, steadily: The way to unravel the problem is to analyse it step by step. 10 steps. a course, way, route, direction, path, movement, passage; journey, journeying, travels, travelling: After leaving the village, I directed my steps southward, towards the coast. b stairway, stairs, stair, staircase, stepladder, US and Canadian stoop: Claire walked down the steps to greet me. 11 take steps. proceed, move, begin or start or commence to act or to take action, do something: We must take steps to prevent this from happening again. 12 watch one''s step. tread carefully or cautiously, be cautious or careful, exercise care or caution, be wary or discreet, be on the qui vive, be or remain alert, be on one''s guard, have or keep one''s wits about one, take care or heed, Colloq pussyfoot about: You must really watch your step with Marnie to avoid upsetting her. --v. 13 move, walk, look; pace, stride: Step lively or you''ll miss your last chance to see the elephants. 14 step down. a resign, abdicate, quit, bow out, retire: Don''t you think it time you stepped down from the chairmanship? b decrease, diminish, reduce: Using this transformer, we can step down the voltage gradually. 15 step in. intervene, interfere, intercede, become involved: It seemed the right time for us to step in and take over the company. 16 step on it. hurry (up), make haste, hasten, speed up: He''d better step on it if he is going to catch his plane. 17 step out. a go outside or out of doors, leave: Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes while we settle this in private? b go out, socialize: Notice how quickly Genevieve has started stepping out again after her bereavement. c become disinvolved, withdraw, secede: Our firm stepped out of the negotiations when we saw who was bidding. 18 step up. a improve, progress: George has certainly stepped up in the world since I knew him at university. b increase, accelerate, raise, intensify, boost, escalate, up, speed up: They stepped up the pace until she could no longer keep up with them.
sterile | sterile: adj. 1 barren, fruitless, unfruitful, childless, unproductive, infertile, infecund: The first great disappointment of Napoleon''s life was that Josephine was sterile. 2 pure, aseptic, uninfected, unpolluted, uncontaminated, disinfected, sanitary, sterilized, germ-free, antiseptic: Make sure that you always use a sterile bandage for a wound. 3 barren, unproductive, stale, effete: Vanessa''s greatest fear was that her mind would become sterile and she would run out of ideas.
sterilize | sterilize: v. 1 purify, disinfect, cleanse, clean, fumigate, depurate, Technical autoclave: Sterilize the instruments before using them. 2 castrate (males), emasculate (males), geld (horses), spay (female animals), alter (animals), neuter (animals), caponize (male fowl), eunuchize (males), Technical ovariectomize (females), vasectomize (males), Colloq fix (animals), cut (male animals), Slang tie (someone''s) tubes: Steers - that is, sterilized bulls - yield tenderer meat.
sterling | sterling: adj. 1 genuine, authentic, real, true, pure: Is this candle-snuffer sterling silver? 2 excellent, superior, superb, superlative, first-class, exceptional, matchless, peerless, unequalled, nonpareil, incomparable, fine, very good, worthy, estimable, admirable: Commander Ian Johnston has acquitted himself as an officer of sterling character.
stern | stern: adj. 1 austere, severe, strict, stringent, demanding, critical, rigid, rigorous, flinty, steely, authoritarian, uncompromising, hard, tough, inflexible, firm, immovable, unmoved, unrelenting, unremitting, steadfast, resolute, determined, unyielding, adamant, adamantine, obdurate, hard-hearted, stony, stony-hearted, unsparing, unforgiving, unsympathetic, harsh: Discipline in the French Foreign Legion is said to be quite stern. 2 serious, frowning, grim, forbidding, grave, gloomy, dour, sombre, saturnine, lugubrious, gruff, taciturn, crabby, crabbed, crusty, churlish, sour: Beneath that terribly stern exterior he really is a pussy-cat.
stew | stew: n. 1 gallimaufry, goulash, salmagundi, hash, mess, olla podrida, olio, mixture, mishmash, Brit hotchpotch, US also hodgepodge: His book is a stew of many different opinions, none of them his own. 2 state of excitement or alarm or anxiety, dither, pother, bother, lather, sweat, Colloq tizzy, state: She really worked herself up into a stew over the boy Paula is engaged to. --v. 3 simmer, seethe, agonize, fret, dither, chafe, burn, smoulder, Colloq get steamed (up) (over or about), work (oneself) (up) into a sweat or lather or state (over): Paula''s father is all stewed up over her leaving school to get married.
stick� | stick�: v. 1 pierce, thrust, stab, transfix, pin, spike, impale, spear, spit, run through, poke, gore, jab, prick, puncture, punch, penetrate, drill, bore, riddle, perforate: He stuck the wild boar with his spear. 2 put, drop, place, deposit, Colloq shove, plonk, plunk, plop: Stick another ice cube in my drink, would you? 3 put, poke, push, thrust, prod, dig; insert: She stuck her head out of the window to get a better look. Stop sticking your finger in my ribs! 4 attach, fasten, affix, fix, nail, pin, tack; glue, cement, paste, gum, weld, solder, bind, tie, tape, wire; bond, melt, fuse, unite, join: What shall we used to stick the poster to the wall? How can I stick the pieces of the vase together again? 5 Often, stick together. cohere, adhere, stay or remain or cleave or cling together: I cannot make these parts stick together. 6 hold, last, endure, go through, be upheld, be or remain effective, remain attached: The prosecutor was unable to make a charge of murder stick. 7 linger, dwell, remain (fixed), continue, stay; be or become lodged or stopped or fixed or fast or immovable or stationary, be or become entangled or enmired or bogged down: Something sticks in my mind about your leaving next week. We were stuck in the Sunday traffic for hours. The wheel is stuck in the sand. 8 burden, weigh down, encumber, saddle with, charge, impose on, force on: We stuck Tony with the nasty job of changing the tyre. 9 baffle, puzzle, bewilder, perplex, confuse, stump, stop, nonplus: I was totally stuck for a solution. 10 stand, abide, tolerate, endure, bear: I can''t stick people watching me while I am painting. 11 stick around or about. wait, tarry, linger, stay, stand by, remain, Colloq hang around or about or on: Can you stick around for a few minutes after the meeting? 12 stick at. stop at, hesitate at, pause at, scruple at, be deterred or put off by, take exception to, shrink from or at, balk at: Barnes sticks at nothing to get his way. 13 stick by. support, be loyal or faithful to, stand by: Arnold will stick by you, come what may. 14 stick it (out). persevere, persist, stand fast, bear it, be resolute, soldier on, hold (one''s) ground, grin and bear it, see it through, weather it, Colloq US tough it out: It was a very hard job, but I stuck it out to the very end. 15 stick out or up. protrude, jut (out), extend, project, poke (out); bulge, obtrude, stand out, overhang, beetle: Stick out your tongue. What is sticking out of your ear? Balconies stick out from all sides of the building. 16 stick together. a unite, unify, join (forces), consolidate, merge, confederate, amalgamate, cooperate, work together: The family always sticks together at times of crisis. b See 5, above. 17 stick up. a rob, mug, Colloq hold up, US heist: They stuck up a bank courier this morning, in broad daylight! b put up, post, affix, display: We went round town sticking up posters for our candidate. 18 stick up for. rally to the support of, support, stand by or up for, defend, speak for or in behalf of, take up the cudgels for; put one''s money where one''s mouth is, have the courage of one''s convictions: A person must stick up for what he thinks is right. 19 stick with. persevere, persist, stay or remain or continue with, not change one''s mind about: Stick with me, kid, and you''ll wear diamonds. I''ll stick with the smoked eel as a starter.
stick� | stick�: n. 1 stake, twig, branch, baton, wand, staff, rod, cane, pole, pike, walking-stick: We put a stick in the ground to mark the place. 2 person, man, fellow, chap, Colloq guy, Brit geezer, bloke: Desmond isn''t such a bad old stick after all. 3 the sticks. the country, the provinces, the countryside, the backwoods, the bush, Brit the hinterland or US the hinterlands, Australian the outback, US the boondocks, the boonies: He hates the city and now lives somewhere in the sticks. 4 wrong end of the stick. misunderstanding, misreading, misconstruction, misinterpretation: When it comes to understanding a regulation, Ed always seems to get hold of the wrong end of the stick.
stick-in-the-mud | stick-in-the-mud: n. (old) fogy or fogey, conservative, anachronism, Colloq fuddy-duddy, fossil, square, back number: Her husband was a terrible stick-in-the-mud and would never try anything new.
sticky | sticky: adj. 1 gluey, gummy, viscous, tacky, glutinous, viscid, Colloq gooey: Children, please keep your sticky fingers off the car windows. 2 awkward, ticklish, tricky, sensitive, delicate, uncomfortable, discomfiting, discomforting, embarrassing, Slang hairy: Inviting Steve with his ex-wife might be a bit sticky, don''t you think? 3 humid, clammy, dank, damp, muggy, close, sultry, oppressive, sweltering: The weather was oppressive and sticky, and they kept the fan on constantly.
stiff | stiff: adj. 1 firm, rigid, inelastic, unbending, inflexible, hard, unbendable, tough, solid, solidified, stiffened, unyielding, brittle: The table napkins were so stiff with starch that I almost cracked one. 2 severe, harsh, punitive, hurtful, punishing, abusive, torturous, distressing, afflictive, painful, overwhelming, unbearable, tormenting, merciless, excruciating, cruel, drastic, US cruel and unusual: The government here has stiff penalties for drug traffickers. 3 strong, potent, powerful, overpowering, alcoholic: After that kind of an ordeal, you could use a stiff drink, I''m sure. 4 vigorous, energetic, staunch, dogged, tenacious, resolute, resolved, determined, stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, indomitable, relentless: They met with stiff opposition in trying to capture the fort. 5 strong, steady, powerful, fresh, brisk, spanking, gusty, forceful, howling: We had to reduce sail because of a stiff westerly wind. 6 excessive, exorbitant, high, steep, expensive, dear: They are asking a pretty stiff price these days for a bottle of good vintage port. 7 cool, haughty, rigid, wooden, stuffy, aloof, tense, intense, unrelaxed, forced, pompous, stilted, mannered, ceremonious, austere, formal, chilly, cold, unfriendly, standoffish, reserved, snobbish, Colloq snooty, Slang uptight: Vince is warm and friendly, but his wife is as stiff as a poker. 8 stilted, unrelaxed, wooden, forced, artificial, laboured, pedantic, turgid, formal, prim, Colloq stuffy: I have always found her writing to be rather stiff. 9 difficult, hard, steep, uphill, laborious, arduous, tiring, fatiguing, exhausting, harrowing, toilsome, rigorous, challenging, Colloq rough, tough: It is quite a stiff climb to the top of the pyramid of Cheops. That was a stiff homework assignment. 10 solid, semi-solid, firm, hard, thick, dense, compact: If you add a bit more water the next time, the jelly won''t get quite so stiff. --n. 11 corpse, body, cadaver: Barry had to go down to the morgue to identify some stiff they hauled out of the river. 12 skinflint, miser, Colloq cheapskate, Slang piker, US and Canadian tightwad: A stiff is a customer who fails to leave a tip.
stiffen | stiffen: v. 1 thicken, coagulate, clot, harden, jell, set, solidify, congeal, crystallize: Beat the egg-whites with a whisk until they stiffen. 2 brace, reinforce, tauten, rigidify, toughen, strengthen: The weak support was stiffened by means of a steel bar.
stifle | stifle: v. 1 suffocate, smother, choke, strangle, throttle, asphyxiate: The firemen were almost stifled by the smoke from the chemical fire. 2 choke back, keep or hold back, withhold, repress, suppress, hold in, restrain, prevent, curb, cover up, control: I stifled a yawn as John went on about his grandchildren. 3 destroy, crush, demolish, extinguish, stamp out, kill, quash, silence, stop, check: Under his tyrannical rule all artistic creativity was stifled for fifty years.
stigma | stigma: n. brand, (bad) mark, blot, smirch, stain, spot, taint, blemish, demerit, blot on the escutcheon, Brit blot in one''s copybook: Bankruptcy is no longer the social stigma that it used to be.
stigmatize | stigmatize: v. brand, mark, scar, blemish, besmirch, sully, disparage, depreciate, denounce, condemn, calumniate, defame, pillory, slander: His foul treachery stigmatized his entire family.
still | still: adj. 1 quiet, serene, placid, calm, tranquil, motionless, unmoving, peaceful, pacific, at rest, quiescent, even, flat, smooth, inert, stationary, undisturbed, unruffled: In the moonlight, the lake lay still and dark. 2 silent, quiet, noiseless, soundless; hushed, restful, Literary stilly: Be still or they''ll hear you! In the still night I heard the distant sound of an owl. --n. 3 stillness, hush, quiet, silence, tranquillity, noiselessness, peacefulness, calm: In the still of the evening came the call of the nightingale. --adv. 4 even now, to or till or until this or that time, (up) till or until now, yet: Henry came for dinner five years ago, and he''s here still. Do you still smoke? 5 even, in addition: Hugh weighed twenty stone when you last saw him, but he''s heavier still today. 6 notwithstanding, yet, even then: Are you still going to Sue''s party, despite what she said? 7 motionless(ly), quiet(ly), silent(ly), stock-still: Lie still while I put on this bandage. --conj. 8 however, but, notwithstanding, nevertheless, even so, in any event, in any case: She said she''d be here; still, you never know, she may come later. --v. 9 calm, allay, assuage, alleviate, relieve, silence, lull, quiet(en), pacify, soothe, mollify, appease, subdue, suppress: A few kind words and she had stilled my fears.
stilted | stilted: adj. awkward, ungraceful, graceless, clumsy, wooden, stiff, turgid, affected, artificial, unnatural, mannered, laboured; pretentious, formal, pompous, lofty, bombastic, grandiloquent, high-flown, inflated: Francis has a stilted way of expressing himself.
stimulant | stimulant: n. 1 stimulus, incentive, provocation, spur, prompt, goad, urge, prod, fillip, impetus, incitement, drive, impulse, push, pull, draw: She yielded readily to the stimulants of literature, science, and the fine arts. 2 energizer, antidepressant, tonic, restorative, Colloq bracer, pick-me-up, shot in the arm, Slang pep pill, upper, bennie, speed: He found he couldn''t get through the day without a stimulant.
stimulate | stimulate: v. 1 rouse, arouse, waken, awaken, wake up, excite, incite, inspire, encourage, spur, quicken, fire, fuel, nourish, activate, whip or stir up, goad, galvanize, jolt, inspirit: What can be done to stimulate students to study history? Their teacher eventually found a way to stimulate their interest. 2 increase, encourage, prompt, provoke, quicken: This drug stimulates the circulation of the blood.
stimulating | stimulating: adj. exciting, inspirational, inspiring, arousing, stirring, animating, exhilarating, provocative, thought-provoking: I cannot recall having spent a more stimulating evening in the theatre.
sting | sting: v. 1 prick, stab, pierce, stick; bite: Bees, wasps, scorpions, etc. sting you, but mosquitoes, spiders, and snakes bite. 2 hurt, wound, pain, injure, distress, nettle, cut to the quick: He was really stung by Maria''s callous remarks. 3 See stimulate, 1, above: We were stung into action by the minister''s inspiring speech. 4 cheat, overcharge, swindle, fleece, defraud, Slang rob, soak, rip off, take for a ride: You really were stung if you paid that much for such an old piano.
stinker | stinker: n. wretch, villain, scoundrel, cad, heel, beast, cur, viper, snake in the grass, skunk, swine, polecat, Rather old-fashioned blackguard, rogue, Archaic knave, varlet, dastard, (base) caitiff, Colloq stinkpot, louse, creep, rat, Brit nasty piece of work, sod, Old-fashioned rotter, bounder, blighter, Slang (rotten) bastard, son of a bitch, Brit toerag, bugger, US SOB, bum, stinkeroo or stinkaroo, Taboo slang shit, Brit arse-hole, US ass-hole: They were a lovely couple, but their son was a real stinker.
stinking | stinking: adj. 1 foul-smelling, smelly, fetid or foetid, mephitic, rank, noisome, malodorous, reeking, putrid, miasmal or miasmatic(al) or miasmic, rancid, gamy, Colloq Brit pongy, whiffy: They were kept in a stinking dungeon with little food for a month. 2 wretched, villainous, beastly, vile, contemptible, low, despicable, mean, nasty, disgusting, rotten, terrible, awful, Old-fashioned dastardly, Colloq lousy, Taboo slang shitty: Taking my clothes while I was swimming was a stinking thing to do. 3 drunken, drunk (as a lord or US also a skunk), intoxicated, inebriated, (be)sotted, under the influence, over the limit, high, maudlin, tipsy, woozy, Colloq pie-eyed, loaded, in one''s cups, under the weather, three sheets to the wind, Slang sozzled, soused (to the gills), potted, plastered, smashed, bombed, pissed, boozed, boozy, tanked, stoned, canned, US in the bag: The last time I saw Bob, he was so stinking I had to pour him onto his train.
stint | stint: n. 1 share, quota, allotment, bit, assignment, stretch, shift, term, time, job, chore, task, routine, turn, tour, duty, responsibility, obligation, charge: She had done her stint of washing-up and refused to do any more. 2 control, curb, limit, limitation, restriction, check, restraint, constraint, condition, qualification, reservation: The committee is free to exercise without stint its power to raise membership fees. --v. 3 control, curb, limit, restrict: Don''t stint yourself, lunch is on the firm. 4 skimp, scrimp, be stingy or cheap or penurious or parsimonious or sparing or frugal, hold back (on), withhold, economize, pinch (pennies), cut corners, Colloq Brit be mingy: They certainly didn''t stint on the food and drink at Andrea''s party.
stipend | stipend: n. pay, salary, payment, remuneration, remittance, recompense, compensation, reward, emolument, earnings, income; grant, subvention, scholarship, subsidy, allowance, allotment, (financial) support: His stipend barely covers his basic expenses.
stipulate | stipulate: v. specify, demand, require, covenant, set forth, agree (to), provide (for), guarantee, warrant, promise, insist (upon or on); call for: The agreement stipulates that the goods be received prior to payment. The compensation stipulated in the contract has been paid.
stipulation | stipulation: n. condition, demand, essential, given, requirement, requisite, prerequisite, specification, undertaking, obligation, covenant, clause, proviso, term, agreement, provision, guarantee, warranty, promise: This stipulation calls for payment on delivery in full and in sterling.
stir | stir: v. 1 Often, stir up. agitate, shake (up), mix (up), scramble, amalgamate, mingle, commingle, intermingle, merge, blend, fold (in), churn (up), beat, whip (up): Stir all the ingredients together. 2 move, rise, arise, get up, bestir (oneself), be up and about, Colloq get a move on, get moving, get a wiggle on, shake a leg, look or step lively, look alive, stir one''s stumps: It is about time you were up and stirring. 3 disturb, trouble, affect, upset, stimulate, activate: The play stirred the conscience of the king. Mention ''diet'' to Roberta and you''ll stir up a wasp''s nest. 4 Often, stir up. motivate, encourage, stimulate, energize, galvanize, electrify, animate, excite, inspire, provoke, move, rouse, arouse, get, prompt, urge, incite, spur, prod, induce, persuade, convince: What will it take to stir the council to take action? The usual rabble-rousers were there, stirring up the crowd. 5 Often, stir up. awaken, rouse, (cause to) recall or call to mind, revive, resuscitate: Those photographs stir up so many old memories! --n. 6 bustle, activity, movement, stirring, action, commotion, flurry, confusion, tumult, ado, to-do, fuss, disturbance, excitement, hubbub, Colloq Brit kerfuffle: There was a stir at the door, which was flung wide to allow Kitty to sweep in. The news of her marriage caused quite a stir. 7 prison, jail or Brit also gaol, jail-house, clink, penitentiary, lock-up, Military Brit glasshouse, US brig, Slang chiefly Brit quod, US big house, pen, slammer, can, calaboose: He claims he''s in stir for something he didn''t do.
stirring | stirring: adj. moving, telling, emotional, emotive, emotion-charged, rousing, stimulating, inspiring, gripping, evocative, exciting, thrilling, melodramatic, dramatic, heady, intoxicating, spirited, inspiriting, exhilarating, awe-inspiring: He was treated to the stirring experience of hearing fifty thousand people shouting his name in unison, again and again.
stock | stock: n. 1 supply, store, inventory, stockpile, reserve, reservoir, cache, hoard; wares, merchandise, goods, selection, assortment, range, variety, array: One can select something suitable from the stock at the local wine shop. 2 pedigree, bloodline, house, dynasty, (line of) descent, genealogy, extraction, roots, lineage, family, ancestry, parentage, breeding, heritage: Her mother was concerned that she should marry someone of good stock. 3 source, progenitor, creator, father, begetter, forefather, ancestor, precursor, forerunner, forebear; founder: He might well provide the stock for a new line of kings. 4 livestock, (domestic or farm) animals, cattle, beasts; horses, cows, oxen, sheep, goats: Don''t forget to water the stock before driving to the village. 5 share, ownership, investment, capital, funds; property, assets: He owned ten shares of stock in the corporation. The company''s stock is worth next to nothing today. 6 take stock. weigh (up), estimate, review, appraise, look at, Colloq size up: We must take stock of the situation and decide what to do. --adj. 7 routine, stereotyped, banal, clich�d, commonplace, usual, hackneyed, ordinary, stale, staple, run-of-the-mill, tired, old, everyday, customary, set, standard, traditional, trite, worn out, Colloq corny: Ask him how he is and you always get his stock reply, ''Fair to meddling''. 8 standard, ordinary, regular, routine, staple: The shop does not carry ''extra tall'' or ''extra short'', only stock sizes. --v. 9 carry, have, have or make available, handle, deal in, market, sell, supply, furnish, provide, offer, trade in, keep: The shop stocked a wide range of hardware. 10 Often, stock up (on). accumulate, amass, pile up, stockpile, hoard, store (up), cache, lay in, inventory: Everyone stocked up on food in case the village was blocked by snow.
stocky | stocky: adj. thickset, sturdy, chunky, dumpy, solid, stumpy, burly, beefy, heavy-set, squat, pyknic, mesomorphic: He is stocky and powerfully built.
stodgy | stodgy: adj. stuffy, dull, heavy, ponderous, elephantine, boring, tedious, humdrum, tiresome, turgid, uninteresting, unimaginative, dry-as-dust, jejune, vapid, dreary, flat, colourless, bland, Colloq ho-hum, blah, deadly: The speaker was boring and gave the stodgiest talk I have ever heard.
stoical | stoical: adj. stoic, impassive, resigned, apathetic, cool, unemotional, emotionless, frigid, imperturbable, calm, dispassionate, indifferent, phlegmatic, long-suffering, stolid, disciplined, self-possessed, (self-)controlled, Colloq unflappable: Bertram remained stoical as the judge read out the sentence of death.
stoicism | stoicism: n. indifference, self-possession, austerity, self-control, fortitude, calmness, calm, coolness, imperturbability, longanimity, forbearance, patience, fatalism, resignation, Colloq unflappability: The people accepted the news of one defeat after another with increasing stoicism.
stole | stole: n. tippet, scarf, boa, shawl: Mandy was too embarrassed to wear her mink stole to the charity ball.
stolid | stolid: adj. impassive, dull, doltish, obtuse, thick, dense, bovine, wooden, slow, lumpish, unemotional, clod-like, phlegmatic, lethargic, apathetic, indifferent, uninterested: He was a stolid character, very different from his dynamic younger brother.
stomach | stomach: n. 1 abdomen, belly, gut, pot-belly, pot, paunch, Colloq corporation, bay window, tummy, bread basket, spare tyre: His huge stomach hung over and concealed his belt. 2 tolerance; taste, appetite, desire, hunger, thirst, craving, need, inclination, relish, longing, yearning, hankering: I have no stomach for those TV sitcoms featuring precocious four-year-olds. --v. 3 abide, tolerate, endure, stand, bear, suffer, take, accept, swallow, resign or reconcile oneself to, put up with, countenance, brook, Brit stick: He walked out when he could no longer stomach her continual criticism.
stony | stony: adj. 1 stoney, rocky, pebbly, shingly, shingled: Some of the beaches along the Riviera are too stony to lie on directly. 2 stoney, hard, obdurate, adamant, adamantine, heartless, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, indifferent, unsympathetic, implacable, intractable, heartless, insensitive, insensible, unfeeling, unsentimental, merciless, pitiless, cold, cold-hearted, chilly, frigid, icy, tough, callous, steely, inflexible, unresponsive, Colloq hard-boiled: He listened to her pleadings in stony silence. 3 bankrupt, penniless, indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, Colloq broke, Chiefly Brit stoney, stony-broke or stoney-broke, skint: At the time, I was so stony I didn''t have two pennies to rub together.
stoop | stoop: v. 1 Sometimes, stoop down. bend (down), bow, duck (down), lean (down), hunch (down), hunker (down), crouch (down), scrunch down: She had to stoop down to talk to the child. 2 Often, stoop low. condescend, deign, lower or abase or degrade oneself, sink, humble oneself; be demeaned or diminished: She had to stoop pretty low to accept a job paying only half of what she had demanded. --n. 3 hunch, slouch, scrunch, crouch, stooping, slouching, Technical lordosis, curvature of the spine, torticollis, wryneck: The orthopaedist thought his stoop could be corrected by a back brace.
stop | stop: v. 1 discontinue, halt, terminate, cease, break off, end, put an end or a stop to, bring to a stop or a halt or an end or a close, give up, quit, leave off, finish, conclude, desist (from), refrain (from), abandon; draw to a close, be over, come to a stop or a halt or an end or a close; Colloq cut (out), lay off, Brit pack in: Stop shouting, I''m not deaf. The car stopped suddenly. Will the fighting ever stop? 2 bring to a stop or a halt or a standstill, check, cut off; arrest, suppress, restrain, thwart; block, bar, obstruct, dam, keep or hold back, prevent, hinder; slow, impede, stem, stanch or staunch: The main problem was how to stop drug trafficking. Can we stop the river from flooding? This tourniquet will stop the bleeding. 3 Often, stop up. obstruct, block (up), jam (up), plug (up), clog (up), choke (up), stuff (up), fill (up), close (up or off): The drain was all stopped up with paper. 4 peter out, be over, end: He gave me an injection and the pain finally stopped. 5 pause, break, take a break, interrupt, tarry; sojourn, rest, stay, put up, lodge, visit, stop off or in or over; pull over, pull up: I''d like to stop for a cup of coffee. I stopped at The Bell Inn on my way here. We stopped short at the sign. --n. 6 halt, end, cessation, termination, ban, prohibition; close, standstill, conclusion: The new law put a stop to door-to-door selling. We must bring that practice to a stop. 7 stay, sojourn, visit, break, rest, stopover, US layover: We thoroughly enjoyed our stop in Brighton. 8 stopping-place, station, terminal, stage, terminus, US and Canadian depot: There is a bus stop in the next street. 9 blockage, blocking, stopping (up), stoppage, closing up, obstruction, block: A stop in the water supply was soon cleared up.
stopgap | stopgap: n. 1 makeshift, improvisation, substitute: The wire served as a stopgap until they could get the proper part. --adj. 2 makeshift, temporary, improvised, impromptu, substitute, emergency, provisional, stand-by; jury-rigged: A broomstick served as a stopgap mast for the dinghy''s sail.
stopper | stopper: n. stopple, cork, plug, bung: I had problems getting the stopper out of the barrel.
store | store: v. 1 stock, collect, accumulate, put by, lay away, set aside, pile (up), aggregate, amass, cumulate; hoard; assemble: The corn is stored in huge silos. 2 keep, hold, stow (away), preserve, warehouse, stockpile: Apples should be stored in a cool, dry place. --n. 3 supply, inventory, collection, accumulation, stock, stockpile, reservoir, cache, fund: We keep a large store of dry foods for an emergency. Grandfather has an endless store of tales about the sea. 4 shop, department store, market, retailer, outlet, cooperative (store), Colloq co-op: You might get a good fridge at a department store. 5 set or lay store by. give credence to, believe (in), have faith or trust in, trust (in), bank or rely on, depend on or upon, count on, value: I shouldn''t set much store by what that old gossip tells you.
storehouse | storehouse: n. warehouse, depository or depositary, repository, storeroom, bank, store, (In Asia) godown; arsenal, magazine, armoury: The company maintains storehouses in a dozen countries to better supply their customers.
storey | storey: n. floor, level, tier, Chiefly US story: The new building is five storeys high.
storm | storm: n. 1 tempest, disturbance, turbulence; wind-storm, mistral, gale, whirlwind, hurricane, tornado, typhoon, cyclone, US and Canadian williwaw; shower, cloudburst, downpour, rainstorm, deluge, monsoon, thunder-shower, thunderstorm, electrical storm; dust-storm, sandstorm, simoom or simoon or samiel, harmattan, khamsin, sirocco; snowstorm, blizzard; hailstorm, ice-storm: People were evacuated from the area where it was thought the storm would strike. 2 outburst, outcry, explosion, eruption, outpouring, furore or US furor: The proposed taxes were met by a storm of protest. 3 disturbance, rumpus, stir, commotion, agitation, furore or US furor; turbulence, strife, turmoil, disorder: I am not sure the company could weather another serious financial storm. --v. 4 rage, rant, rave, bluster, fume, explode, thunder, roar, raise the roof, raise hell, raise Cain, Colloq fly off the handle, blow one''s top, US blow one''s stack: When she found out where Laura had gone, mother stormed round the house. 5 blow, rain, hail, snow, sleet, rage, bluster, squall, howl: It stormed for a week, and much property was destroyed. 6 attack, assault, assail, raid, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombard, barrage, fire upon or on, shell; besiege, lay siege to, siege: The enemy stormed the castle again and again without effect.
stormy | stormy: adj. 1 violent, tempestuous, blustery, turbulent, wild, howling, raging, roaring, foul, nasty, bad, not fit for man or beast, inclement: It was always stormy along the eastern coast of the island. 2 violent, tempestuous, turbulent, fierce, fiery, frantic, frenetic, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, frenzied, feverish, raving, wild: He and Kate enjoyed - if that is the right word - a stormy relationship for thirty years.
story | story: n. 1 narrative, tale, recounting, anecdote, yarn; account, recital, chronicle, record, history; legend, myth, fairy tale or story, romance, gest or geste, fable, fabliau; epic, saga, Edda; joke, Colloq gag; mystery, detective story, whodunit, thriller; horror story; allegory, parable; piece, article: In olden days, the historians were the story tellers. George really knows how to tell a story. Have any of your stories been published? 2 contention, testimony, assertion, version, statement, representation, allegation: That''s his story and he''s sticking to it. 3 fib, confabulation, (white or black) lie, alibi, excuse, untruth, falsehood; tall tale, fishing or fish story: He told us some story about having sailed round the world single-handed in a dinghy. Did you believe her story about being of royal blood? 4 article, item, report, dispatch, news, tidings, release, information, copy, feature; scoop, exclusive: A story about China appears on page two. 5 story-line, plot, scenario, (plot) outline, summary, book: The story needs some revision before the dialogue can be rewritten. 6 biography, curriculum vitae, life (story); facts, experiences, adventures, fortunes: His story is going to be made into a film.
stout | stout: adj. 1 fat, obese, tubby, overweight, thickset, heavy-set, big, burly, corpulent, fleshy, heavy, plump, portly: She squeezed onto the seat between the door and a rather stout man. 2 valiant, brave, undaunted, dauntless, hardy, courageous, gallant, plucky, valorous, staunch, resolute, doughty, bold, gallant: ''Stout fellow!'' exclaimed the colonel, the ultimate compliment he was ever heard to utter. 3 strong, tough, substantial, durable: Tie stout cord round the box before posting it. 4 brawny, sturdy, healthy, robust, strapping, stalwart, lusty, hulking, athletic, Colloq beefy, husky: Two stout bouncers flanked the entrance to the club.
stow | stow: v. pack, store, load, deposit, put (away), place; cram, stuff, wedge, bundle, jam; hide, secrete, conceal, cache, Colloq stash (away): We stowed our gear the moment we went aboard. They couldn''t stow another thing in the basement. Where did he stow the pistol when the police searched the place?
straggle | straggle: v. stray, ramble, loiter, rove, prowl, range, drift, wander, meander, (be) spread, Colloq mosey: Thousands of refugees straggled along the road away from the bombed village.
straight | straight: adj. 1 direct, unbending, undeviating, uncurved, regular, linear: The tracks are straight for as far as the eye can see. 2 erect, vertical, upright, upstanding, perpendicular; plumb: Stop slouching and stand up straight. He stood straight as a ramrod. 3 even, square, true, right, flat, smooth, horizontal, level: Are you sure that the billiard table is straight? 4 honest, frank, straightforward, direct, forthright, legitimate, (fair and) square, fair, equitable, just, above-board, upright, respectable, decent, trustworthy, honourable, dependable, reliable, Colloq upfront: Sternway seems to be perfectly straight in his business dealings. 5 unequivocal, unambiguous, straightforward, candid, plain, simple, explicit, blunt, unembellished, unelaborated, unqualified, outright, accurate: The straight facts are given in this article. The police cannot get a straight story out of him as to his whereabouts last night. 6 direct, point-blank, straightforward, straight from the shoulder, candid, outright, plain, frank, no-nonsense: Do you mind answering a straight question? 7 shipshape, orderly, neat, tidy, in order, arranged, organized, sorted out, spruce, straightened out: I wish Leonard would put his room straight before the guests arrive. 8 sober, staid, sedate, serious, unsmiling, unemotional, impassive, emotionless, taciturn, composed, mask-like: It was impossible to keep a straight face during the school play. 9 undiluted, neat, unmixed, pure, unadulterated, uncut, unmodified, unaltered, unalloyed: He likes his whisky straight. 10 even, square, settled, straightened out, agreed: The account will be straight when Dick makes the last payment. 11 heterosexual, normal, Slang hetero: Till Evelyn came out of the closet, I thought he was straight. --adv. 12 directly, right, undeviatingly, unswervingly; as the crow flies, in a beeline: I should have known she would go straight to the police. 13 (straight) ahead: Go straight for a mile and you''ll see it on the right. 14 Sometimes, straight out. directly, unequivocally, unambiguously, forthrightly, straightforwardly, point-blank, candidly, plainly, simply, in plain or simple English, explicitly, outright, honestly, accurately: Just give me the story straight, without beating about the bush. 15 Often, straight away or off. immediately, at once, without delay, instantly, summarily, directly, right (away or off), right off the bat, promptly, Colloq p.d.q. (= ''pretty damned quick''): She went back to work straight after having the baby. I told him straight off to leave town. 16 straight up. without ice: I like my gin straight up.
straighten | straighten: v. 1 Often, straighten out. uncurl, untangle, disentangle, unsnarl, unravel, unkink; clear (up), settle, resolve, sort out, set or put straight or right or to rights, correct, adjust, rectify: She decided to have her hair straightened. They are busy straightening out the matter of father''s will. 2 Often, straighten out. reform, rehabilitate, organize, reorganize: Perhaps psychotherapy will straighten him out. 3 Often, straighten out or up. tidy (up), arrange, rearrange, neaten, spruce up, put in order, clean (up): Would you help me straighten up the place before you leave?
strain� | strain�: v. 1 stretch, force, tax, overtax, burden, overburden, overwork, push; exceed, surpass: His story that a bushy-haired intruder had shot her strained the jury''s credulity. 2 push, pull, tug, heave, stretch, twist, wrench, struggle: As he strained at his bonds the rope cut more deeply into his wrists. 3 injure, hurt, harm, impair, damage, overwork, tax, pull, tear, twist, wrench: I strained my back lifting that box of books. 4 stretch, crane, twist; try (hard), struggle, strive, labour, toil, push, make an effort, exert oneself: She strained to catch a glimpse of the prince. They strained to hear every word. 5 filter, sift, drain, screen, sieve; winnow, draw off, separate; purify, seep, percolate: Strain the soup to remove the bones. Strain the dregs from the wine. The water is then strained through sand. --n. 6 sprain, injury, damage, harm, wrench: Strains often hurt more than broken bones. 7 anxiety, worry; effort, exertion, stress, tension, pressure, burden; tax, demand, obligation: The strain began to tell on all of us. Another rope was needed to relieve the strain on the first. This advertising budget will put a great strain on our resources. 8 Often, strains. air, melody, tune, song, sound, music: In the distance I made out the faint strains of skirling bagpipes. 9 tenor, tone, drift, inclination, tendency, quality, spirit, mood, humour, character, complexion, cast, impression, thread, vein, theme: I detected a mellowing strain in her letters.
strain� | strain�: n. 1 family, stock, ancestry, roots, extraction, derivation, (family) background, heritage, descent, parentage, lineage, pedigree, bloodline, race, line, descendants: This sample of sweet pea came from an entirely different strain. 2 trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, soup�on, streak, trait, mark, indication, vestige, evidence, sign: There was a definite strain of ruthlessness in her character.
strained | strained: adj. laboured, forced, artificial, stiff, tense, awkward, uneasy, uncomfortable, difficult, tension-ridden, self-conscious, unnatural, insincere, put-on: His already strained relations with his wife scarcely improved when he met Lisa.
strait | strait: adj. 1 narrow, tight, constricted, constricting, confining, confined, restricting, restricted, limited, limiting, rigorous, demanding, exacting; difficult, straitened: Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. --n. 2 Usually (except in gazetteers), straits. narrows, channel: We coasted through the Straits of Magellan with all sails flying. 3 dire or desperate or sore straits. bad or poor state or condition, trouble, predicament, plight, mess, dilemma, tight spot, hot water, US bind Colloq pickle, jam, scrape, pretty or fine kettle of fish, US box: We shall be in dire straits if father''s cheque doesn''t come soon.
straitened | straitened: adj. inadequate, insufficient, reduced, oppressed, distressed, needy, necessitous, poor, poverty-stricken, indigent, impoverished, destitute, penniless, insolvent, Colloq hard up, US strapped: As a writer, he was accustomed to living in straitened circumstances between sales of his stories.
strait-laced | strait-laced: adj. priggish, prim, conservative, old-fashioned, Victorian, old-maidish, proper, prudish, puritanical, moralistic, strict, narrow-minded, (over-)scrupulous, fussy, Colloq pernickety or US also persnickety, stuffy, goody-goody: Her aunt has the strait-laced notion that girls ought to be home by ten o''clock.
strange | strange: adj. 1 odd, peculiar, bizarre, weird, curious, uncommon, unusual, rare, singular, exceptional, eccentric, weird, funny, quaint, fantastic, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, out-of-the-way, queer, outlandish, unheard-of, grotesque, abnormal, remarkable, surprising, inexplicable, unaccountable, uncanny, Colloq offbeat, far-out, Slang kinky, Brit rum, US kooky: I had a strange dream last night. 2 unfamiliar, unknown, unaccustomed: The children were warned not to get into strange cars. She was overwhelmed by the strange culture of her husband''s country.
stranger | stranger: n. foreigner, outlander, alien, newcomer, visitor: The people in these parts don''t take kindly to strangers.
stratagem | stratagem: n. trick, artifice, device, dodge, subterfuge, lure, wile, ruse, plan, scheme, plot, intrigue, manoeuvre, ploy, tactic: What stratagem did they use to tempt you to attend this boring affair?
strategic | strategic: adj. tactical, key, crucial, principal, cardinal, critical, vital, key: That line of supply is of strategic importance. Sending in the landing force was a strategic manoeuvre.
strategy | strategy: n. plan, tactic(s), design, policy, procedure, scheme, blueprint, Colloq game or master plan, scenario: The enemy''s strategy calls for quick air strikes by low-flying bombers.
stratum | stratum: n. 1 layer, level, stratification, table, vein, seam; plane: These coal strata have been mined for hundreds of years. 2 level, caste, class, rank, station, standing, status, bracket, group, estate: She married someone from a higher stratum of society.
stray | stray: v. 1 wander, roam, rove, range, straggle, drift, meander: They found the ponies straying up the valley and across the moor. 2 deviate, diverge, wander, digress, ramble, divagate, get or go off the track or subject, go off on or at a tangent, get sidetracked: She let her mind stray from the matter in hand. --n. 3 straggler, vagrant, waif, US dogie: They have always taken in and cared for strays. --adj. 4 vagrant, lost, roving, roaming, wandering, homeless, derelict, abandoned: The problem with stray pets increases when people abandon them on returning home after the summer. 5 random, casual, chance, accidental, haphazard, singular, freak, accidental, unexpected: A stray bullet caught him in the leg. 6 isolated, separate(d), lone, odd, single: She brushed a stray hair from her face.
streak | streak: n. 1 stripe, striation, strip, stroke, bar, band, line, mark, smear, slash, dash, touch, daub, fleck, trace; vein, layer, seam, stratum: The male bird is marked with a streak of bright reddish-orange on its throat. A red streak marks the iron deposit. 2 flash, bolt: I saw the dark figure in the light from a streak of lightning. 3 spell, spate, period, stretch, run: They were celebrating their streak of good luck at the roulette table. --v. 4 stripe, striate, line, bar, mark, smear, daub, slash: Dawn was beginning to streak the sky when she left the party. 5 race, run, rush, dash, sprint, dart, hurtle, fly, scoot, speed, hasten, hurry, tear, whistle, zip, zoom, Colloq whiz or whizz: The gang streaked through the village on their motor cycles and were gone.
stream | stream: n. 1 brook, brooklet, streamlet, rivulet, tributary, river, freshet, run, watercourse, waterway, channel, Chiefly literary rill, runnel, Literary or N Brit dialect beck, burn, Archaic NE US except in placenames kill, US creek, branch: If the streams continue to swell, flooding can be expected in low-lying areas. 2 flow, current, outpouring, effluence or efflux, effusion, rush, spurt, surge, fountain, geyser, torrent, flood, deluge, cataract, cascade: A stream of bubbles showed where the diver was swimming. A stream of obscenities poured from his lips. 3 flow, rush, swarm, tide, flood, deluge, succession, series, row, line, string, chain, barrage, Brit queue: Simon has had a constant stream of visitors all morning. --v. 4 run, flow, course, glide, rush, slide, slip, surge; pour, issue, emanate, gush, flood, spout, well up or out or forth, squirt, spurt, shoot, jet; cascade: The rain streamed down the windows. 5 issue, emanate; rush, surge, pour, flood, file, proceed, march, walk, move: People streamed in and out of the building all day long.
streamer | streamer: n. pennant, banner, pennon, flag, bannerette or banneret, banderole or banderol or bannerol, gonfalon or gonfanon, jack, burgee: A long streamer fluttered from the mast.
streamlined | streamlined: adj. 1 aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, curved, curvilinear; smooth, flowing: Streamlined design began to appear in cars and boats in the 1930s. 2 modern, ultra-modern, modernistic, modernized, up to date, time-saving, labour-saving, compact, (well-)organized, efficient, automated: Mother always dreamt about having a streamlined kitchen. 3 well-run, smooth, efficient, automated, labour-saving, time-saving, profitable, productive, simplified: He designed a fully streamlined manufacturing process for us.
street | street: n. 1 thoroughfare, way, road, roadway, high road, avenue, concourse, boulevard, lane, drive, terrace, circle, row, passage, alley, byway: I don''t know the name of the street where she lives. 2 up (someone''s) Brit street or US alley. (someone''s) cup of tea, in (someone''s) bailiwick, suiting (someone) to a T: Crossword puzzles are very much up Eugene''s street.
strength | strength: n. 1 power, might, force, mightiness, robustness, toughness, stoutness, sturdiness, brawn, brawniness, muscle, sinew: Do you have the strength to lift that by yourself? 2 fortitude, backbone, stamina, tenacity, tenaciousness, will-power, perseverance, persistence, resoluteness, resolution, pertinacity, nerve, grit, pluck, determination, gameness, intrepidity, firmness, stability, Colloq guts, gutsiness, spunk, US intestinal fortitude, stick-to-it-iveness: Sally was a tower of strength when I needed her the most. 3 talent, ability, aptitude, gift, strong point, asset: One of his strengths is being able to sight-read music. 4 concentration, concentratedness, intensity, potency: Coffee of that strength would keep me awake all night. 5 vigour, force, energy, power, potency, intensity: The strength of the wind was great enough to pick up cars and toss them about. 6 durability, power, toughness, stability, reliability, resistance, solidity, stamina, ruggedness, endurance, soundness: The manufacturer claims that his product has the strength to resist wear for a hundred years. 7 persuasiveness, cogency, weight, force, convincingness, incisiveness, soundness: There is no disputing the strength of the argument against smoking.
strengthen | strengthen: v. 1 reinforce, renew, bolster, fortify, support, confirm, corroborate, substantiate, buttress, step up, boost: A thousand troops were sent to strengthen the garrison at Fort Old. 2 encourage, hearten, invigorate, fortify, rejuvenate, nourish, energize, vitalize, toughen, brace (up), steel, innervate, stiffen: Whatever she said seems to have strengthened his determination to succeed.
strenuous | strenuous: adj. 1 demanding, taxing, tough, arduous, laborious, toilsome, burdensome, tiring, exhausting, difficult, hard, uphill: Hauling in the fishing nets was strenuous work. 2 energetic, active, vigorous, enthusiastic, zealous, earnest, dynamic, intense, indefatigable, tireless, persistent, dogged, determined, tenacious, pertinacious, resolute, sincere, eager: He has made a strenuous effort to be more accommodating.
stress | stress: n. 1 emphasis, force, pressure, forcefulness, accent, accentuation, prominence, Technical ictus: Many people place the stress on the first syllable of ''controversy''. 2 emphasis, significance, importance, weight, force, insistence, urgency: She lays too much stress on looks. 3 (stress and) strain, burden, anxiety, worry, distress, pain, grief, suffering, anguish, pressure, tenseness, tension: She has four elderly people to care for, and the stress is beginning to show. --v. 4 emphasize, accent, accentuate, lay stress or emphasis on, underscore, underline, mark, note, make a point of, bring home, focus on, bring into prominence, spotlight, feature, highlight: The conference succeeded in stressing the importance of a good home life. 5 strain, put under strain or stress, upset, disturb, burden, worry, distress, Brit pressurize or US pressure: Duncan was terribly stressed after a few months in the new job.
stretch | stretch: v. 1 extend, reach; span, spread: Her memory stretches back to the first World War. His Texas ranch stretches as far as the eye can see. 2 distend, lengthen, elongate, widen, broaden, swell, draw or pull out, balloon, inflate, enlarge, expand, increase, dilate, blow up: Stretch the netting to cover the frame. 3 overtax, overextend; warp, strain, distort, bend, break: We like to stretch our employees in this company. He is stretching the rules by allowing undergraduates to take his course. --n. 4 elasticity, give, resilience, resiliency, stretchability, stretchiness: There isn''t much stretch left in this old rubber band. 5 extent, reach, span, spread, expanse, sweep, area, tract, US section: There is a stretch of desert just south of the coast. 6 time, stint, period, spell, term, tour (of duty), Colloq US and Canadian hitch: He signed up for a two-year stretch in the navy. He once did a six-month stretch in prison for assault.
strew | strew: v. scatter, bestrew, sprinkle, disperse, spread, toss, distribute; litter: Rubbish was strewn all over the floor.
stricken | stricken: adj. 1 Usually, stricken by. struck (down) (by), hit (by), laid low (by or with), affected (by or with), afflicted (with), racked (by or with): He was stricken by pneumonia but is recovering. 2 affected (by), smitten (by), overwhelmed (by or with), overcome (by or with), plagued (by or with), tormented (by); broken, crushed, demoralized, broken-hearted, grief-stricken: He was stricken by her beauty. During the plague year, commerce virtually ceased with the stricken city of London.
strict | strict: adj. 1 rigorous, narrow, close, undeviating, confining, constricting, constrictive, rigid, defined, precise, exact, exacting, stringent, meticulous, compulsive, punctilious, finicky or finical, scrupulous, attentive, conscientious, faithful, thorough, complete: The judge''s strict interpretation of the law left no room for leniency or sympathy. 2 severe, austere, authoritarian, autocratic, stern, firm, hard, tough, uncompromising, inflexible, cold-blooded, iron-fisted, tyrannical, harsh, ruthless, pitiless, unsympathetic: Miss Wells is remembered by all her students as a strict disciplinarian.
stricture | stricture: n. 1 interdiction, blockage, restriction, restraint, constraint, deterrent, impediment: The strictures imposed on credit have throttled trade. 2 criticism, censure: He deplored conservative strictures against anything new in the arts.
strident | strident: adj. shrill, raucous, harsh, loud, grating, stridulous, stridulant, scraping, scratching, scratchy, grinding, hoarse, rough, guttural, husky, gravelly, rasping, jarring, discordant, unharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical, cacophonous, croaking, creaking: Her strident voice could be heard all over the building.
strife | strife: n. 1 discord, disharmony, disagreement, difference, conflict, rivalry, competition, contention, dispute, dissension, struggle, squabbling, bickering, arguing, quarrelling: The nation is torn by the strife of perpetual labour disputes. 2 animosity, friction, hard feelings, bad feeling(s), bad blood, antagonism, ill will, hatred, enmity, hostility, unfriendliness: The strife between us will continue because our philosophies differ so radically.
strike | strike: v. 1 hit, deal a blow to, knock, smack, thump, thwack, crown, cuff, punch, smite; beat, hammer, belabour, batter, pummel or pommel, pelt, buffet, thrash; cudgel, bludgeon, club, whip, horsewhip, scourge, lash, cane, flog, birch, slap, Colloq wallop, slug, whack, clout, sock, conk, belt, bash, lambaste, bop: Small wonder he struck you after what you called his wife. 2 deliver, deal, aim, direct: He struck a blow for freedom. 3 hit, collide with, land on or in or against, smash or bump or bang or crash or dash into, go or run into, impact: Mrs Humphrey''s car went out of control and struck a tree. 4 remove, take away, take apart, dismantle, knock down; take or pull or haul down: Stage-hands struck the set. As the wind piped up we struck the mainsail. 5 Usually, strike off or from or out. obliterate, expunge, erase, eradicate, blot out, delete, scratch, eliminate, rub out, cross (out), cancel, wipe out, US x out: After the scandal, his name was struck off the register. Strike out any references that might be thought libellous. 6 light, ignite: He struck a match to see where he was going. 7 affect, impress, influence, afflict, Colloq hit: The death of her kitten struck Mandy to the heart. 8 make, reach, attain, conclude; agree or settle (on), ratify, confirm: We struck a bargain on the sale of the car. 9 occur or come to, dawn on or upon, Colloq hit, register (with): It suddenly struck me that you are leaving tomorrow. 10 impress, print, stamp, punch, mint, make: They have struck a new gold coin for collectors. 11 instil, implant, induce: Horror films struck fear into our hearts when we were children. 12 assume, adopt, put on, display, affect, take on, feign: He struck a supercilious pose of insouciant hauteur that annoyed her intensely. 13 Often, strike down. afflict, affect, attack, indispose, incapacitate, disable, cripple, invalid: Polio struck her down in the prime of life. 14 encounter, come or happen or hit upon, come across, chance upon, discover, stumble on, find: The news is that they''ve struck oil in the North Sea. 15 revolt, rebel, mutiny, walk out (of or off the job): The machinists struck at midnight, bringing the industry to a halt. 16 strike on or upon. dream up, devise, conjure up, improvise, work out, invent, contrive, come up with, hit on or upon, arrive at: The alchemist never did strike upon a way to turn lead into gold. 17 strike out. a fail, get nowhere, Colloq US miss the boat, flop, come a cropper, Slang US blow it, blow the gaff, come to nothing or naught or nought: Tim always strikes out when it comes to girls. b See 5, above. 18 strike up. (cause to) begin or start or commence: The band struck up. We struck up an acquaintance aboard ship. --n. 19 attack, assault: A dawn air strike is planned. 20 walk-out, sit-down (strike), job action, slow-down, go-slow, work-to-rule: They will call a strike if negotiations break down.
striking | striking: adj. remarkable, astounding, astonishing, amazing, wondrous, awe-inspiring, awesome, stunning, impressive, imposing, fabulous, out of the ordinary, unusual, rare, exceptional, marvellous, extraordinary, magnificent, superb, splendid, stupendous, Colloq great, smashing, Slang old-fashioned Brit ripping, ripsnorting, top-hole, topping: I met the most striking girl at the golf club.
string | string: n. 1 line, cord, thread, twine, fibre, rope, cable, ligament, strand, filament: To fly a kite one needs the right weight of string. 2 leash, lead, leader: Why does he let her drag him around on the end of a string? 3 line, row, series, sequence, succession, chain, procession, stream, train, file, Chiefly Brit queue: A string of coincidences led to their meeting again after twenty years. 4 necklace, chain, loop, strand, dog-collar, choker, chaplet, wreath, rivi�re, Archaic carcanet: In her hair was a string of pearls. 5 pull strings or wires. use or exert influence, Colloq throw one''s weight around: He had to pull strings to get his son a job on the paper. 6 pull the strings. be in control, control, run, operate, dominate, be in command, be in the driver''s seat, hold the reins, manipulate: She is the one who pulls the strings when it comes to new investments. 7 strings. conditions, stipulations, provisos, qualifications, requirements, prerequisites, terms, obligations, limitations, provisions, musts, Colloq catches: I might have known that there would be strings attached to their offer of a free holiday in Corfu. --v. 8 thread, join: The children were busy stringing beads to make necklaces. 9 Often, string together or up. loop, festoon, link, drape, suspend, sling, hang, array, concatenate, chain together: At holiday time, coloured lights are strung round the town square. 10 string along. a follow, go along (with), agree, concur, collaborate: I said I would string along with the plan for the time being. b keep waiting or dangling, keep on a string, keep on tenterhooks, Colloq play fast and loose with (someone): She''s just stringing you along till her boyfriend comes back. c fool, deceive, bluff, dupe, cheat, trick, hoax, Colloq take someone for a ride, put one or something over on (someone): They strung Harold along for months before they made off with his life savings. 11 string out. a stretch, reach, extend: The line of refugees strung out as far as one could see. b delay, postpone, drag out, protract, spin out: He strung out the repayment for as long as possible. 12 string up. hang, lynch: He knew that if the jury didn''t convict him the townspeople would string him up.
stringy | stringy: adj. fibrous, chewy, sinewy, gristly, ropy, leathery, tough: The beef was somewhat stringy and the potatoes were overcooked.
strip� | strip�: n. band, ribbon, fillet, belt, swath or swathe, stripe: She wore a strip of embroidered silk tied round her head. They began farming the strip of land near the lake.
strip� | strip�: v. 1 peel, skin, bare, uncover, denude, lay bare, decorticate, excoriate, flay: The woodwork will need stripping before you repaint it. 2 disrobe, undress, get undressed, unclothe, strip down to nothing or to the skin or to the buff or to (one''s) birthday suit, take off or peel off or divest (oneself) of or shed (one''s) clothes or clothing, get naked: The doctor told me to go behind the screen and strip. 3 (do a) striptease, US work the runway: Sugar Caine says she enjoys stripping for an appreciative audience. 4 remove, take away, confiscate, seize, expropriate, Slang rip off: He was accused of stripping the assets from the companies he purchased. 5 rob, pillage, despoil, plunder, ransack, loot, sack: Armies could be raised only by letting them strip the cities they conquered.
stripe | stripe: n. 1 band, bar, striation, strip, streak, line, stroke, slash, length: Each railway car has a bright orange stripe along each side. 2 style, kind, sort, class, type, complexion, character, nature, description, persuasion, kidney, feather: These new students are of a completely different stripe.
striped | striped: adj. streaked, lined, striated: Why not wear your striped dress to the party?
stripling | stripling: n. lad, boy, adolescent, juvenile, minor, schoolboy, youngster, teenager, youth, young fellow or man, fledgling, Dialect gossoon, young ''un, Archaic hobbledehoy: The police cadet was a callow youth, a mere stripling.
strive | strive: v. 1 endeavour, strain, struggle, make every effort, attempt, try (hard), do one''s best or utmost, exert oneself, work at, Colloq give (it) one''s all, go all out: Jim strove to keep his self-control. Jennie strives for perfection in all she does. 2 compete, contend, fight: One must often strive against unbelievable odds to achieve a goal.
stroke | stroke: n. 1 blow, rap, tap, thump, knock, smack, whack, swipe, slam, strike, Colloq wallop: One stroke of the hammer and the nail went in. 2 action, motion, go, move, movement, feat, achievement: She won the leading role and defeated her shyness at one stroke. 3 flourish, movement, gesture; mark, dash, Colloq splash: With a stroke of the pen the man''s fate was sealed. 4 beat, throb, pulse, pulsation, thump: His heart was beating at exactly 72 strokes a minute. 5 attack, seizure, fit, apoplexy, apoplectic fit, spasm, paralytic attack or fit; Technical embolism, thrombosis, cerebrovascular accident, aneurysm: Gerry has been incapacitated since he had a stroke. 6 pat, touch, caress: A few strokes of her fingers on my brow and the headache was gone. 7 achievement, accomplishment, feat, act, action, work; example; touch: Your idea of having a jazz concert to raise money is a stroke of genius. 8 bit, jot or tittle, scrap, iota, touch, stitch, hint, suggestion: You haven''t done a stroke of work all morning. 9 occurrence, happening, matter: It was just a stroke of luck that I came along when I did. --v. 10 caress, pet, pat, fondle; massage, rub, soothe: His heart beat faster when she stroked his hand lightly with her fingertips.
stroll | stroll: v. 1 amble, saunter, ramble, walk, wander, promenade, meander, stray, Colloq mosey: I think I''ll stroll over and buy a newspaper. --n. 2 amble, ramble, saunter, walk, wander, promenade, meander, constitutional: Father rarely missed his Sunday stroll in the park.
strong | strong: adj. 1 powerful, muscular, mighty, brawny, strapping, robust, sturdy, stalwart, burly, stout, sinewy, athletic, wiry, Colloq beefy, hefty, husky: He was so strong he carried both wounded men 500 yards to safety. 2 powerful, concentrated, intense, pungent, potent, sharp, piquant, acrid, heady, penetrating, aromatic, fragrant, hot, spicy: There was a strong odour of ammonia. The flavour is a little too strong for my taste. 3 smelly, odoriferous, noisome, stinking, foul, mephitic, miasmic, putrid, putrescent, rotten: There is a strong smell of rotting flesh. 4 concentrated, undiluted, potent, intensified: How can you drink such strong coffee and still sleep? 5 vigorous, active, dynamic, energetic, eager, unflagging, tireless, unfailing, diligent, indefatigable, staunch, true-blue, steadfast, dedicated, enthusiastic, ardent, fervent, fervid, vehement, rabid, zealous, resolute, determined, unwavering, unswerving, firm, uncompromising, regular, persistent, tenacious, sedulous, assiduous, hard-working: We could use other strong party supporters like Sandy. 6 competent, talented, skilled, qualified, knowledgeable, able, experienced, well-versed, trained, efficient, capable: We are looking for someone who is particularly strong in writing advertising copy. 7 influential, persuasive, convincing, compelling, trenchant, unmistakable or unmistakeable, telling, great, profound; effective, efficacious, effectual, powerful, formidable: His evidence had a strong effect on the jury. She was taking very strong medicine for her migraine. 8 well-supported, irrefutable, well-substantiated, cogent, forceful, substantial, convincing, conclusive: The police made out a very strong case against her for premeditated murder. 9 well-established, well-founded, redoubtable, substantial, powerful, formidable: The position inside the fortress was quite strong. 10 likely, definite, substantial, good, better than average, reasonable, sizeable: There is a strong possibility that she will be elected. Sales of cars were strong during the first quarter. 11 stable, sound, solvent, prosperous, flourishing, thriving, affluent: The economists think that the economy will remain strong. 12 solid, sturdy, substantial, tough, well-built, reinforced, heavy-duty, durable; hard-wearing: Is the cage strong enough to hold the beast? 13 drastic, extreme, Draconian, high-handed, severe, forceful, rigorous, harsh, stringent, aggressive, strenuous, stiff, tough, Colloq hard-nosed: We had to resort to strong measures. 14 numerous, large, considerable, great; numerically, in number, in strength: They arrived on the battlefield with a strong force of ten thousand men. Their army was ten thousand strong. 15 vivid, graphic, etched, engraved, imprinted, impressed; definite, clear-cut, clear, pronounced, distinct, striking, marked: The memory of her embrace was still strong in my mind. He bears a strong resemblance to his brother. 16 wilful, aggressive, combative, defensive, difficult, assertive, incisive, dogmatic, doctrinaire, opinionated, self-willed, hard-headed, strong-minded, recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, emphatic, Colloq pushy: One cannot deny that Caroline has a strong personality. 17 vigorous, forceful, powerful, heavy: Strong winds lashed the west coast last night. 18 rugged, craggy, rough, weather-beaten: She was attracted by Martin''s strong, suntanned good looks. 19 dazzling, glaring, bright, garish, brilliant, vivid, bold, blinding: The strong sunlight made her her blink. Shocking pink is too strong a colour for a small room. 20 urgent, strongly-worded, emphatic, assertive: A proposal to repeal the tax was met by strong protests. 21 unvarying, the same, steady, stable, firm, balanced: The market has remained strong all day. 22 emotional, deep-felt, deep-rooted, basic, intense, fervent, passionate, deep, earnest: Doris has very strong feelings on the subject of feminism. --adv. 23 overbearingly, overenthusiastically, offensively, aggressively, antagonistically, truculently: He always comes on a bit strong when he''s enthusiastic about something.
strong-arm | strong-arm: adj. threatening, menacing, bullying, high-pressure, thuggish, violent, brutal, brutish, aggressive, terrorizing, terrorist, intimidating, minacious: The gang use strong-arm tactics to force shopkeepers to buy protection.
stronghold | stronghold: n. fortress, bulwark, bastion, fastness, fortification, citadel: The eastern district was one of the last strongholds of the Labour Party.
strong-minded | strong-minded: adj. strong-willed, obstinate, firm, determined, uncompromising, resolute, resolved, independent: He found he was dealing with a very strong-minded young woman.
structure | structure: n. 1 form, shape, configuration, organization, arrangement, make-up, framework, order, design, formation, system, nature, character: The career structure of the company has served as a model for similar firms. 2 building, edifice, house, construction: Planning regulations allow only a certain kind of structure in the residential areas. --v. 3 construct, build, organize, design, form, shape, arrange, systematize: Their language seems to be structured in an unusual way.
struggle | struggle: v. 1 strive, strain, expend energy, exert oneself, labour, endeavour, try, attempt: He struggled to keep his head above water. 2 contend, fight, wrestle, battle: They struggled against the twin odds of poverty and sickness. 3 wriggle, wiggle, squirm, writhe, twist, worm: She finally struggled free of the ropes. --n. 4 effort, exertion, strain; toil, work, travail, labour, drudgery, striving, struggling: Earning even a humble living was a struggle in those days. Was the outcome worth the struggle? 5 contention, competition, contest, battle, fight, tussle, match, clash, encounter, strife: The struggle between good and evil continues.
strut | strut: v. swagger, parade, promenade, peacock, prance: She goes strutting about the office as if she were the boss.
stub | stub: n. 1 butt, end, stump, tail (end), remnant, Colloq Brit fag-end: He produced a stub of pencil from his pocket and began to make notes. 2 counterfoil; receipt: You will need your ticket stub for any claim.
stubborn | stubborn: adj. obstinate, unyielding, inflexible, intransigent, intractable, uncompromising, mulish, pigheaded, refractory, wayward, adamant, recalcitrant, bull-headed, persistent, tenacious, pertinacious, unrelenting, dogged, determined: He remains stubborn in his refusal to join the group.
student | student: n. 1 pupil, learner, scholar, undergraduate, schoolboy, schoolgirl, schoolchild, trainee, apprentice, disciple; Colloq Brit swot or swotter or swat, US grind: Only students of advanced standing are admitted to this class. 2 devotee, follower, admirer, observer, evaluator, commentator, critic: Nicole is a perceptive student of human nature.
studied | studied: adj. premeditated, deliberate, calculated, planned, intentional, wilful, well-thought-out, conscious, contrived, feigned, forced, laboured: He treated even the greatest crisis with a studied air of insouciance.
studious | studious: adj. 1 assiduous, sedulous, diligent, industrious, attentive, careful, painstaking, thorough, tireless: Miniaturists must pay studious attention to detail. 2 scholarly, bookish, academic: She refused to allow her athletic achievements to interfere with her studious pursuits.
study | study: v. 1 learn (about), read, con, memorize, burn the midnight oil, lucubrate, Colloq bone up (on), cram, Brit swot or swat, mug up: I want to study music. She has to study for an exam. 2 contemplate, consider, reflect on, think over or about, ruminate on, chew over, turn over, weigh, ponder, deliberate over or on or about, muse about or on, mull over, meditate on or about or over: I want to study the problem before deciding what to do. 3 look or go into or over, look at, scan, examine, analyse, inspect, investigate, scrutinize, survey, observe: The crime squad studied every square inch of the murder scene. Avoiding the issue as usual, Joyce silently studied her fingernails. --n. 4 analysis, review, examination, survey, inquiry or enquiry, investigation, scrutiny, research, exploration: Government funds are paying for a study of the ecosystem of the Norfolk Broads. 5 learning, lessons, bookwork, work, reading, contemplation, investigation, Colloq boning up, cramming, Brit swotting or swatting: The study of anthropology is what led him to his theory of linguistic universals. 6 library, reading or writing-room, sanctum (sanctorum), haunt, studio, retreat, den, workroom, office: Let''s go into the study and talk business.
stuff | stuff: n. 1 substance, material, matter, fabric, ingredients, essence, essentials, fundamentals, building blocks, makings: This is the stuff that dreams are made on. Is hydrogen the basic stuff of the universe? 2 equipment, goods, gear, trappings, kit, tackle, accessories, paraphernalia, accoutrements or US also accouterments, effects, belongings, possessions, things, bits and pieces, impedimenta, baggage, property, chattels, furniture, Brit lumber, Colloq junk, rubbish, crap, Brit clobber, Taboo slang shit: Graham left all his stuff with his mother when he went west. 3 spirit, attitude, grit, substance, makings, talent(s), abilities, capabilities, qualities, attributes: Is Simon the stuff of which commandos are made? 4 nonsense, trash, rubbish, stuff and nonsense, twaddle, humbug, bunkum, tommy-rot, balderdash, Colloq rot, garbage, bunk, tripe, poppycock, crap, malarkey, boloney or baloney, bosh, hogwash, swill, claptrap, piffle, hot air, flapdoodle, fiddle-faddle, codswallop, bull, US horse feathers, Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit: You don''t believe all that stuff you''ve been reading about me, do you? 5 creations, accomplishments, things, works, materials, matter: Without the attributions, I''d have trouble telling their stuff apart. --v. 6 jam, ram, cram, crowd, compress, pack, press, squeeze, squash, shove, thrust, force: You couldn''t stuff another handkerchief into that suitcase. 7 line, fill, pack: Stuff the chicken with the following mixture. 8 overeat, gorge, overindulge, gormandize, gluttonize, Colloq make a pig or a hog of oneself: They really stuffed themselves at the wedding reception. 9 stuff up. clog, plug, obstruct, choke, block (up), stop or US also pack up: Phone the plumber: the drain is stuffed up again. The cold had given her a headache and a stuffed-up nose.
stuffy | stuffy: adj. 1 close, airless, unventilated, oppressive, stifling, suffocating, stale, musty, fusty, mouldy, mildewy, muggy, fetid or foetid, frowzy or frouzy or frowsy, Brit frowsty: It was stuffy in the ancient tomb. 2 pompous, pedantic, self-important, self-centred, stodgy, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, old-fashioned, strait-laced, staid, conventional, prim (and proper), priggish, niminy-piminy, stilted, stiff, rigid, Colloq fuddy-duddy, uptight: What a bore to be trapped for an entire evening with those stuffy old codgers!
stumble | stumble: v. 1 falter, blunder, slip, trip, miss one''s footing, stagger, lurch, flounder: Minnie caught her heel in the grating and stumbled. 2 falter, pause, hesitate, trip, slip, blunder: He was very nervous and stumbled his way through his speech. 3 stumble on or upon. chance or come or happen on or upon, hit upon, come or run across, find, discover, encounter, Colloq bump into: I stumbled on a great new pub when I was out on Saturday.
stumbling-block | stumbling-block: n. impediment, obstacle, bar, block, obstruction, hurdle, hindrance, barrier, difficulty, snag: It was often labour unions that proved the stumbling-blocks to technological progress.
stump | stump: n. 1 stub, butt, end: The branches were lopped off, leaving only the stumps. --v. 2 mystify, confuse, perplex, bewilder, flummox, foil, puzzle, baffle, confound, dumbfound or dumfound, stop, stymie, nonplus, bring up short: I am completely stumped as to how the trick was done. 3 campaign, electioneer, canvass, US and Canadian barnstorm: The candidates are out stumping in the farm areas in Iowa. 4 stump up. pay up or out, contribute, donate, Colloq cough up, chip in, shell or fork out: Everyone at the office stumped up for Peter''s leaving present.
stun | stun: n. 1 daze, numb, benumb, knock out: I was stunned by an unexpected blow to the solar plexus. 2 astonish, daze, paralyse, stagger, stupefy, overcome, overwhelm, astound, jar, shock, jolt, strike dumb, amaze, confound, bewilder, take (someone''s) breath away, Colloq shake up, bowl over, discombobulate, flabbergast: The children were stunned to hear that their mother had been arrested.
stunning | stunning: adj. 1 stupefying, paralysing, staggering, benumbing, numbing; knockout: Another stunning punch to the head and McGinty went down. 2 beautiful, dazzling, brilliant, gorgeous, spectacular, ravishing, sensational, extraordinary, remarkable, marvellous, stupendous, fabulous, wonderful, superb, grand, divine, heavenly, sublime, lovely, exquisite, glorious, astonishing, astounding, amazing, striking, splendid, staggering, overpowering, mind-boggling, earth-shaking, magnificent: There stood the most stunning creature I had ever laid eyes on. The team won a stunning victory in the county tournament.
stunt� | stunt�: n. caper, act, deed, feat, tour de force, exploit, trick, US dido: The dangerous stunts are done by a stand-in for the star.
stunt� | stunt�: v. stop, limit, delimit, restrict, check, arrest, put an end to, end; impede, hamper, hinder, slow, retard: My parents always told me that smoking would stunt my growth.
stunted | stunted: adj. dwarfed, shrunken, undersized, small, tiny, diminutive, little, wee: We saw a bonsai - a stunted Japanese potted tree - that was hundreds of years old.
stupid | stupid: adj. 1 unintelligent, fatuous, obtuse, bovine, dull, dense, lumpish, doltish, simple, simple-minded, moronic, imbecilic, cretinous, Boeotian, subnormal, feeble-minded, weak-minded, stolid, dull-witted, dim, dim-witted, halfwitted, thick, thick-witted, thickheaded, slow-witted, witless, brainless, mindless, empty-headed, bird-brained, feather-brained, feather-headed, rattle-brained, rattle-headed, ox-like, boneheaded, addle-pated, addle-headed, addled, Chiefly Brit imbecile, Chiefly US dumb, jerky, thimble-witted, Colloq dopey, Brit dozy: He seemed really stupid in comparison with his precocious younger sister. 2 foolish, silly, frivolous, asinine, hare-brained, crazy, insane, mad, crack-brained, scatterbrained, absurd, inane, idiotic, ridiculous, risible, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, senseless, bootless, irresponsible, irrational, ill-advised, foolhardy, half-baked, Colloq cuckoo, cock-eyed, damn-fool, Chiefly Brit daft, barmy or balmy, US cockamamie or cockamamy: He came up with one stupid plan after another. 3 insipid, dull, tedious, boring, tiresome, humdrum, prosaic, monotonous, unimaginative, uninspired, uninteresting, vapid, vacuous, Colloq ho-hum: Most sitcoms feature stupid characters doing stupid things.
stupidity | stupidity: n. 1 fatuity, obtuseness, dullness, denseness, lumpishness, doltishness, simplicity, simple-mindedness, imbecility, cretinism, feeble-mindedness, weak-mindedness, stolidity, dull-wittedness, dimness, dim-wittedness, halfwittedness, thick-wittedness, slow-wittedness, thimble-wittedness, witlessness, brainlessness, mindlessness, empty-headedness, feather-headedness, rattle-headedness, boneheadedness: In public affairs stupidity is more dangerous than knavery. 2 foolishness, folly, asininity, craziness, insanity, madness, absurdity, absurdness, inanity, idiocy, ridiculousness, risibility, ludicrousness, nonsense, senselessness, bootlessness, irresponsibility, irrationality, foolhardiness: The stupidity of such a venture is obvious when you consider the enormous risk and the minuscule return.
stupor | stupor: n. insensibility, stupefaction, torpor, lethargy, listlessness, languor, laziness, lassitude, lifelessness, supineness, inertia; inertness, coma, trance, unconsciousness, numbness: His stupor might be caused by the medication he is taking for his cold.
sturdy | sturdy: adj. 1 strong, solid, stout, rugged, tough, well-built, substantial; strapping, muscular, powerful, brawny, burly, robust, well-muscled, athletic, hardy, Colloq husky, hefty: This ladder should be sturdy enough to hold you. James got that sturdy build from exercise. 2 stalwart, staunch, steadfast, resolute, firm, vigorous, determined, uncompromising, unyielding, unwavering, unswerving, unfaltering, enduring, indomitable: One must admire her sturdy independence in the face of all that criticism.
style | style: n. 1 type, kind, variety, category, genre, sort, manner, mode, make, design, fashion, look, period, pattern, configuration, line, cut, shape, form: That style of jacket looks really good on you. They are planning to build the house in the pointed Gothic style. 2 fashion, trend, vogue, mode, look, rage, craze, Colloq fad, (latest) thing: The current style is for shorter skirts. 3 luxury, high style, comfort, opulence, splendour, elegance: Now that he''s won all that money, they live in style on the Costa Smeralda. 4 chic, stylishness, taste, smartness, flair, dash, �lan, panache, cachet, tastefulness, fashionableness, elegance, refinement, polish, sophistication, sophisticatedness, cosmopolitanism, Colloq pizazz; ritziness: Irena has more style in her little finger than you have in your whole body. 5 quality, character, mode of expression, approach, treatment, vein, colouring, spirit, mood, form, technique; tenor, tone, wording, phraseology, phrasing, language, vocabulary, word choice, diction, sentence structure: The pointillist style of painting appeals to many. His style of writing is reminiscent of Stevenson''s. 6 in style. See stylish, below. --v. 7 characterize, designate, denominate, call, name, term, label, tag, brand: The use of the indicative for the subjunctive is no longer styled a solecism in British English. 8 fashion, design, arrange, set, do, cut, tailor, shape, form: Antoine styled my hair in a page-boy for the reception.
stylish | stylish: adj. chic, fashionable, smart, � la mode, modish, in style or fashion or vogue, elegant; chichi; Colloq in, with it, swanky, Chiefly Brit trendy, Slang swell, neat, classy, snazzy, US spiffy: Nicole always looks so stylish.
stymie | stymie: v. thwart, obstruct, block, frustrate, snooker, defeat, spike, ruin, foil, confound, stump, nonplus, hinder, impede, Colloq flummox: The government has stymied all efforts to have him extradited.
styptic | styptic: adj. astringent: The styptic effect of alum stops bleeding.
