
wad | wad: n. 1 pad, mass, lump, clod, ball, plug, chunk, hunk, block, pack: He had a wad of cotton wool in each ear. 2 roll, pocketful, heap, quantity, load, Colloq US bankroll: Over coffee James handed him a wad of notes.
waddle | waddle: v. toddle, shuffle, wobble or wabble, totter, paddle, pad, waggle, duck-walk, Brit dialect wamble: He waddled down the road, a shopping-bag on each arm.
wade | wade: v. 1 ford, cross, traverse, walk, make one''s way: The water is only knee-deep, and you can wade across. 2 paddle, play, splash: There is a shallow pool where the little children can wade. 3 wade in or into. a enter, get in (or into), join (in): When the fight began, Patrick waded in with arms flailing. b attack, approach, get or set to work, plunge or dive into: I have to wade into an enormous pile of mail that accumulated while I was away. 4 wade through. plough through, work (one''s) way through, hammer or pound away at, plod through, peg away at: You really have to wade through that entire book to write your report.
waffle | waffle: v. 1 Often, waffle on. carry on, jabber (on), prattle (on), prate, blather (on or away), Colloq run on, Brit witter (on), natter (on), rabbit on, Slang run off at the mouth: He kept waffling on about his new computer and, frankly, I wasn''t listening. 2 equivocate, hedge, quibble, shuffle, tergiversate, hem and haw, prevaricate, Brit beat about the bush, US beat around the bush, Colloq fudge: I wish he would stop waffling and say what he means. --n. 3 talk, palaver, verbiage, prattle, twaddle, blather, prolixity, wordiness, jabber, jibber-jabber, Colloq hot air: All I got was a lot of waffle when I asked for the best interest rate on a loan.
waft | waft: v. 1 drift, float, blow, whiff, be borne or carried or transported: The scent of jasmine wafted towards me on the warm breeze. --n. 2 breath, suggestion, puff, whiff, hint: A waft of cool, fresh air momentarily eased the stench of the dungeon.
wag� | wag�: v. 1 wave, waggle, oscillate, fluctuate, sway, undulate, flutter, flap, flip, flicker, shake, vibrate, quiver, nod, rock, dance, wobble, bob, bobble, waver, Rare vellicate: Misty''s tail wagged as I approached the house. --n. 2 wave, waggle, oscillation, fluctuation, sway, undulation, flutter, vellication, flap, flip, flicker, shake, vibration, quiver, nod, wobble, bobble, waver: The dying animal recognized me and gave a feeble wag of her tail.
wag� | wag�: n. comedian, wit, punster, pundit, joker, jester, comic, jokester, droll, merry andrew, clown, Colloq card: A wag said that tailors were like storks - known for their big bills.
wage | wage: n. 1 Often, wages. pay, compensation, emolument, remuneration, payment, fee, salary, stipend, recompense, reward, earnings; honorarium: The strikers wanted a ten per cent increase in their hourly wage. --v. 2 carry on, pursue, conduct, engage in, undertake, practise, prosecute, proceed with: History shows that wars are often waged over trifling differences.
wait | wait: v. 1 tarry, linger, hold on, stay, bide (one''s) time, mark time, stand by, Colloq cool (one''s) heels, stick around, sit tight, hang on, Brit hang about, US hang around: If you wait till I''ve finished this, I''ll join you for dinner. 2 be delayed or postponed or deferred or shelved or put off, US be tabled, Colloq be put on ice or on the back burner: The quarterly sales figures can wait - we haven''t yet completed those for this month. 3 wait on or upon. serve, attend (to), minister (to): Rose made such a fuss that the restaurant staff refused to wait on her. --n. 4 delay, pause, stay, hold-up, interval, halt, stop, stoppage, break, hiatus, lacuna, gap, respite, rest (period), intermission, discontinuation, recess: There was an extra long wait between trains because of track repairs further up the line.
waiter | waiter: n. waitress, head waiter, ma�tre d''h�tel, host, hostess, sommelier (des vins), wine steward, stewardess; cup-bearer, Ganymede, Hebe: Marie asked the waiter to bring her a clean plate.
waive | waive: v. 1 give up, relinquish, renounce, resign, forsake, forgo, cede, sign away, surrender, abandon, yield, dispense with: I waived my right to the inheritance in favour of my daughters. 2 set or put aside, except, ignore, disregard, overlook, abandon, defer, postpone: We are happy to waive the rules in your case, madam.
waiver | waiver: n. renunciation, relinquishment, forgoing, ceding, cession, resignation, surrender, abandonment, setting or putting aside, deferral, remission, postponement: Her waiver of all rights to the inheritance was duly recorded.
wake� | wake�: v. 1 Often, wake up. awaken, awake, rouse, waken, bring around; stir, bestir (oneself), get up, come to, get going: Wake me when it is over. She didn''t wake up till noon. 2 awake, waken, awaken, animate, stimulate, enliven, galvanize, fire, quicken, inspirit, inspire, activate, liven up, vivify, kindle, vitalize, stir, arouse, get (someone) going, bring to life: When I feel this tired, it takes a lot to wake me up. Seeing Margo woke a spark in me I thought had long since died. --n. 3 vigil, watch, death-watch, funeral: If you have ever been to an Irish wake, you will know what I mean.
wake� | wake�: n. 1 track, trail, aftermath, path, backwash, wash, bow wave; trace, spoor, scent: The wake from the passing boats damages the docks. No matter where he went, they followed in his wake. 2 in the wake of. following (on or upon), after, subsequent to; as a result or consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to, by virtue of: In the wake of the law''s enactment, scores of abortions were performed.
wakeful | wakeful: adj. 1 awake, sleepless, waking, unsleeping, restless, restive, insomniac: The children were wakeful the entire night in anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus. 2 watchful, (on the) alert, on the qui vive, sharp, attentive, vigilant, wary, cautious, observant, heedful, on the lookout: We remained wakeful, alert to any footstep.
walk | walk: v. 1 advance, proceed, move, go, wend, go or make (one''s) way by foot, tread, step, perambulate, stalk, stride, tramp, stroll, amble, ramble, ambulate, shamble, pad, shuffle, saunter, trudge, trek, plod, slog, hike, parade, promenade, strut, swagger, prance, march, goose-step, pace, trip, sidle, tiptoe, sashay, flounce, stagger, lurch, limp, waddle, stamp, mince, slink, steal, prowl, skulk, sneak, creep, Colloq go by or ride by shanks''s or shanks'' mare or pony, hoof it, foot it, traipse, pussyfoot, Slang US boogie: Guthrie certainly has a peculiar way of walking. 2 take, convoy, accompany, escort, go with; conduct, lead; empty: Let me walk you to the station. I have to walk the dog twice a day. 3 patrol, trace out, stalk, cover, haunt, prowl, wander, roam, rove or range about in or on, frequent: Her mother could not understand why Maizie walked the streets nightly. 4 walk out. a leave, depart, desert; walk out on: She just walked out and no one has seen her since. b strike, go (out) on strike, protest, take industrial action, Brit down tools: Negotiations reached an impasse, so the employees walked out. --n. 5 path, lane, pathway, pavement, footpath, promenade, esplanade, boardwalk, Brit footway, US sidewalk: We strolled along the pleasant walks that lead through the park. 6 gait, step, carriage, bearing, stride: He had great fun imitating Groucho Marx''s slinky walk. 7 constitutional, stroll, amble; slog, tramp, hike: Lettie likes to take a walk in the park after dinner. We had a five-day walk through the jungle before reaching civilization.
wall | wall: n. 1 screen, partition, divider, enclosure, separator, bulkhead, barrier, obstruction, obstacle, impediment, block, fence: Marcie built round herself a wall of resentment which no one could penetrate. 2 barricade, fortification, protection, bulwark, breastwork, embankment, rampart, palisade, stockade: It was questionable whether the walls would withstand the cannon-balls. 3 drive up the wall. drive crazy or insane or mad, madden, exasperate, derange, try, irritate, infuriate, enrage: The constant caterwauling from the next flat is driving me up the wall. 4 go to the wall. fail, collapse, be ruined, face ruin, go bankrupt, lose everything, Colloq go broke, go under, fold (up), Slang go bust: Unicold went to the wall because of increased costs and decreased sales. --v. 5 Often, wall up or off. enclose, partition (off), close (off), brick up, immure: A bricklayer was hired to wall up the openings where the windows had been.
wallet | wallet: n. purse, pocketbook, Brit notecase, US billfold: An anonymous good Samaritan found my wallet and sent it to me intact, with all the money in it.
wallow | wallow: v. 1 roll or loll about or around, welter, writhe, tumble, splash or plash: He enjoys watching the pigs wallowing in the mud. 2 Usually, wallow in. luxuriate in, bask in, revel in, glory in, indulge (oneself) in, give (oneself) up to, succumb to, take to, appreciate, fancy, enjoy, like, love, savour, Slang get a kick or a bang or a boot from or out of: Now that Gabriel is a big rock star, he simply wallows in all the attention he is getting. 3 stumble, stagger, lurch, flounder, teeter, totter, falter, pitch: Without its engines, the ship was lifted skyward by a wave one moment only to wallow in a trough the next.
wan | wan: adj. 1 white, sickly, pale, pallid, livid, pasty, ashen, bloodless, waxen, whey-faced, sallow, colourless, deathly, ghostly, ghastly, cadaverous: I almost wept at seeing the child''s wan face against the pillow. 2 weary, weak, hollow, feeble, frail, ineffectual, sorry, pitiful: She offered no more than a wan smile in response to questions about her family.
wand | wand: n. baton, stick, staff, stick: The magician pointed with his wand and a bottle of gin appeared.
wander | wander: v. 1 walk, go, roam, rove, range, stray, ramble, stroll, saunter, meander, drift, cruise, prowl, Colloq mosey: We wandered about the village square, chatting and window-shopping. 2 wind, meander, zigzag, turn this way and that: A trout stream wanders past our house. 3 digress, go off, become absent-minded, go wool-gathering, lose concentration or focus: My mind wandered as the speaker droned on. 4 deviate, digress, turn, divagate, stray, drift, depart, go off at a tangent, lose (one''s) train of thought, lapse: The speaker tended to wander occasionally.
wane | wane: v. 1 decrease, diminish, grow less, lessen, decline, die out, abate, ebb, subside, fade (away), dim, taper off, peter out, wind down, weaken: The waning moon cast its pale light on the dying knight. As his strength waned he could no longer lift his sword. 2 draw to a close, end, terminate: The day waned into a gloomy evening. --n. 3 decrease, diminution, lessening, decline, abatement, ebb, subsidence, fading, tapering off, petering out, winding down, weakening, deterioration, degeneration: The 1970s saw the wane in popularity of large, gas-guzzling cars. 4 on the wane. on the decrease or decline or ebb, diminishing, decreasing, declining, abating, subsiding, fading, tapering off, petering out, winding down, weakening, deteriorating, degenerating: The economy is recovering, and inflation is on the wane. Since that latest illness, my energy has been on the wane.
wangle | wangle: v. scheme, plot, work out, contrive, manoeuvre, engineer, manage, manipulate, machinate, Colloq fix, fiddle, work, pull off, finagle, swing: I hear that you were able to wangle an audience with the pope.
want | want: v. 1 desire, crave, wish (for), long for, pine for, hope (for), fancy, covet, hanker after, lust after, hunger for or after, thirst for or after, yearn for, Colloq have a yen for: I want you near me. Ignore his crying - he just wants some ice-cream. Maybe he''s crying because he wants to go. 2 need, lack, miss, require, call for, demand, be deficient in, be or stand in want or in need of, necessitate; be or fall short of: This engine wants proper maintenance. The bottle wants only a few more drops to fill it. --n. 3 need, lack, shortage, deficiency, dearth, scarcity, scarceness, insufficiency, scantiness, inadequacy, paucity: For want of good writers, the literary quarterly diminished in size and finally disappeared. 4 appetite, hunger, thirst, craving, desire, fancy, wish, longing, yearning, hankering, demand, necessity, requirement, requisite, prerequisite, Colloq yen: She gave up trying to satisfy his wants. 5 poverty, need, indigence, homelessness, destitution, privation, pauperism, penury, neediness, impecuniousness: The civilized nations are trying to solve the problems of want, which seem to increase daily.
wanting | wanting: adj. 1 deficient, inadequate, not up to par or expectations, insufficient, leaving much to be desired, unsatisfactory, unsatisfying, disappointing, second-rate, inferior, poor, shabby, shoddy, flawed, faulty, imperfect, incomplete, unfinished, defective, patchy, impaired, damaged, broken, unsound: These robots were tested at the factory and were found wanting. 2 absent, missing, lacking, short (of), US and Canadian shy (of): What good is a banjo wanting its strings?
wanton | wanton: adj. 1 immoral, dissolute, profligate, dissipated, depraved, loose, promiscuous, lustful, licentious, lecherous, wild, libidinous, lewd, lascivious, unchaste: She is a wanton hussy who is no better than she ought to be. 2 abandoned, unrestrained, undisciplined, ungoverned, ungovernable, unmanageable, outrageous, immoderate, intemperate, untempered: It is not the boy''s fault, it is the wanton company he keeps. 3 reckless, rash, uncaring, lavish, extravagant, wilful, heedless, irresponsible, careless: This situation arises from the parents'' wanton disregard for their children''s moral training. 4 wicked, evil, malevolent, malicious, merciless, inhumane, vicious, cruel, violent, unjustified, unprovoked, uncalled-for, purposeless, motiveless, unjustifiable, arbitrary, gratuitous: We were subject to wanton attacks by the hill people. --n. 5 vamp, strumpet, whore, harlot, loose woman, prostitute, voluptuary, slut, trollop, Jezebel, Colloq tart, Slang hooker, working girl, call-girl: Who invited that wanton, with her tight-fitting, shamelessly low-cut dress?
war | war: n. 1 warfare, combat, conflict, fighting, clash, hostilities, battle, struggle, engagement, encounter, strife, contention: The war, in which several millions died, lasted six years. 2 at war. fighting, battling, in combat, in conflict; in disagreement, in dispute, in contention, struggling, antagonistic, at daggers drawn: They are at war because an ambassador refused to retract some silly insult. --v. 3 do battle or fight or struggle or (engage in) combat with or against, make or wage war with or against, take up arms or strive or campaign or tilt against, cross swords or contend or joust with: We must continue to war against the forces of evil.
ward | ward: n. 1 district, division, precinct, section, zone, quarter: Perkin was running for re-election as councillor of the Eastgate ward. 2 minor, dependant: The child was made a ward of the court. --v. 3 ward off. fend off, repel, avert, avoid, block, thwart, keep away or off or at bay or at arm''s length, check, repulse, chase away or off, forestall: This brandy should help ward off the night chill.
wardrobe | wardrobe: n. 1 (collection or stock of) clothing or clothes or attire or apparel: At the time, my entire wardrobe consisted of a pair of jeans, a shirt, and a dinner suit. 2 clothes-press, closet, clothes-cupboard: In her wardrobe they found more than three thousand pairs of shoes.
warehouse | warehouse: n. storehouse, store, storeroom, depository, stockroom, depot, go-down: The books are kept in a warehouse and shipped to customers as needed.
wares | wares: n.pl. merchandise, goods, commodities, manufactures, produce, stock-(in-trade), supplies, lines: A blind man peddled his wares on this corner for twenty years.
warlike | warlike: adj. combative, belligerent, bellicose, aggressive, pugnacious, hostile, bloodthirsty; hawkish, militaristic, jingoistic, warmongering: Violation of the border was a warlike act that must be punished. There are warlike factions in every government.
warm | warm: adj. 1 heated, tepid, lukewarm, cosy, comfortable, not uncomfortable, balmy: We chose a beautiful warm day for our picnic. 2 passionate, impassioned, excited, animated, fervent, fervid, spirited, lively, ardent, zealous, keen, eager, emotional, heated, intense, irritated, annoyed, vexed, angry, irate, furious, testy, short-tempered, touchy, quick-tempered, irascible, irritable, stormy, turbulent, vigorous, violent, Colloq worked up, hot under the collar, steamed up: Charles occasionally became a bit warm on the subject of architecture. The debate grew warm as we joined in. 3 amiable, friendly, cordial, affable, pleasant, genial, cheerful, kindly, hospitable, hearty; affectionate, tender, mellow, loving, amorous: After a warm greeting from our host, we went in to meet the other guests. Her generous gifts to charity revealed that she really has a warm heart. 4 ardent, enthusiastic, earnest, eager, sincere: Our ideas for the new campaign met with warm approval from the client. 5 uncomfortable, awkward, unpleasant, strained, tense: The people in this town tend to make things a bit warm for strangers. 6 Often, getting warm. close or near to making a discovery, about to make a discovery: From her look as I approached the cabinet, I knew I was getting warm. --v. 7 heat (up), warm up or over: I warmed myself by the fire. 8 Often, warm to. become less antagonistic or hostile to or toward(s), become enthusiastic or supportive of, become excited or animated about or over, be attracted to or toward(s), like, feel affection for: Martin never did warm to my idea of using the village notice-board for his message. 9 stir, move, please, delight, make (one or someone) feel good: It warmed me to know that she had at last found someone to love.
warm-blooded | warm-blooded: adj. 1 Technical homoeothermic or homoeothermal or homoiothermic or homoiothermal or homeothermic or homeothermal: Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, reptiles and fish are cold-blooded. 2 passionate, ardent, fervid, hot-blooded, impetuous, Colloq randy: He tried to excuse his behaviour towards her by saying that he was just a normal, warm-blooded man.
warmly | warmly: adv. 1 affectionately, tenderly, fondly, lovingly: Linda kissed him warmly to thank him for the gift. 2 cordially, amiably, amicably, solicitously, warm-heartedly: We were greeted warmly by the manager on our arrival and shown to our rooms. 3 earnestly, eagerly, fervently, enthusiastically, well, kindly: The directors are warmly disposed to your plan for reorganization. 4 vigorously, intensely, fiercely, intensively, intently, energetically, doggedly, persistently, zealously, fervently, fervidly, hotly, ardently, enthusiastically: We learned that she was being warmly pursued by Interpol. 5 heatedly, vehemently, vociferously, forcefully, energetically, vigorously, feverishly, frantically, furiously, angrily, violently: The sending of a peace-keeping force was being warmly debated in the UN.
warmth | warmth: n. 1 heat: We basked in the welcome warmth of the sun. 2 cordiality, heartiness, friendliness, geniality, amiableness, kindliness, tenderness, affability, love: Mother thrives on the warmth of a family environment and should not be put in a nursing home. 3 ardour, effusiveness, enthusiasm, zeal, excitedness, fervour, vehemence, vigour, ebullience, passion: I was taken aback by the warmth of the stranger''s greeting. The resolution was debated with considerable warmth. 4 irritation, annoyance, pique: The warmth of his reaction to the accusation is understandable.
warn | warn: v. 1 caution, admonish, advise, notify, apprise, inform, give (fair) warning, alert, give (prior) notice, put (someone) on notice or on guard or on the alert, make (someone) aware (of), forewarn, tip off, Rare premonish: The entire population has been warned about the imminent hurricane. 2 advise, counsel, caution: You did warn me against investing in llama farms.
warning | warning: n. 1 caution, admonition, advice, counsel, caveat, word (to the wise), tip, notification, notice, threat; lesson, example: Cyril never took seriously his doctor''s warning about his cholesterol level. Let that be a warning to you not to drink and drive. 2 omen, sign, signal, indication, augury, foretoken, portent, foreshadowing, forewarning, prophecy: Sailors take that kind of sky and a falling barometer as warning of a hurricane.
warp | warp: v. 1 twist, contort, distort, deform, bend out of shape, wrench, pervert, misshape: Using steam, the timber was warped to fit the hull. You certainly have a warped idea of what Yvette does for a living. --n. 2 twist, contortion, distortion, bias, deformity, deformation, bend, wrench, perversion, kink, idiosyncrasy, quirk, deviation: There is too much of a warp in this veneer to repair it. Harry has to overcome a serious warp in his attitude towards food.
warrant | warrant: n. 1 authorization, sanction, reason, justification, approval, validation, licence, right, certification, entitlement, grounds, cause, rationale, basis, assurance, carte blanche, guarantee, pledge, security, charter, warranty: We demand to know what warrant may exist for such an action. 2 writ, order, affidavit, paper, document, credential, permit, entitlement, licence, permit, summons, subpoena, mandate, decree, fiat, edict, ukase: Do not let them search the premises without a warrant. A warrant has been issued for her arrest. --v. 3 guarantee, promise, assure, ensure or insure, answer for, be answerable for, certify, vouch for, underwrite, back up, uphold, stand by or behind: All these products are warranted by the manufacturer for one year. 4 authorize, sanction, justify, explain, approve, verify, validate, permit, allow, provide or offer grounds or justification or cause or reason for, call for, necessitate, entitle, empower, excuse, license: What is it that warrants such accusations of malfeasance?
warranty | warranty: n. guarantee, assurance, promise, commitment, covenant, undertaking, agreement, pledge, bond: There is a maker''s warranty that repairs of any defects will be made at no cost to the buyer.
wary | wary: adj. cautious, careful, on (one''s) guard, circumspect, prudent, apprehensive, chary, watchful, vigilant, on the qui vive, heedful, observant, on (one''s) toes, Colloq cagey, Slang leery (of): Phoebe is wary of going out with someone she doesn''t know.
wash | wash: v. 1 wash up, clean (up), cleanse, bathe, shower, douche, douse, scrub (up), shampoo, soap up, lather, launder, scour, soak, rinse, flush, wet, drench, deterge, sponge (off), Facetious perform (one''s) ablutions, Archaic absterge, Formal or literary lave, Brit bath: Please wash the dishes when you have finished eating. I must wash before I do anything else. 2 Sometimes, wash away or out or off. remove, move, transport, carry, bear, convey, deliver, deposit, drive, sweep: The silt, with the gold dust, is washed downstream. In this process, the impurities are washed away. 3 splash, spatter, splatter, plash, dash, beat, pound, thrash, break, toss, surge, undulate, rush, run, lap, ripple, roll, flow: We stood watching the sea washing against the breakwater. 4 Usually, wash away or off. erode, wear off or away, remove, delete, erase, expunge, destroy, eradicate, obliterate, extinguish, blot out, wipe out: After 5000 years, the action of the waves had washed away all traces of the Vengorian civilization. 5 Often, wash away or out. erode, cut or dig or wear or eat or dredge (away or out), excavate, channel: The river eventually washed out a new course, fifteen miles to the west. 6 decontaminate, purify, sift, filter, depurate: The wastes are thoroughly washed in these tanks before being discharged into the ocean. 7 overlay, film, coat, paint, glaze; plate: What do you think of colour they washed the wall? 8 hold up, stand up, stand the test of time, carry weight, bear scrutiny, prove true, make sense, be believable or credible, Colloq hold water: I''m afraid that Helen''s explanation of her whereabouts at the time of the murder simply won''t wash. 9 wash down. swallow: Here, wash the pill down with this. 10 wash (one''s) hands of. stay or keep away from, disown, repudiate, turn (one''s) back on, have nothing more or further to do with, get rid of, rid (oneself) of, desert, abandon, leave: After Neil took the money, Violet washed her hands of him and his problems. --n. 11 washing, cleaning, cleansing, scrubbing, scrub, scouring, shampoo, shampooing, bath, bathing, shower, sponge bath, tub-bath; laundering; Facetious ablutions; Colloq Brit tub, tubbing: He always likes a good wash and shave before breakfast. 12 wave, wake, surge, backwash: The wash from passing ships almost swamped our skiff. 13 lotion, rinse, liniment, salve, embrocation, emulsion, preparation; mouthwash, gargle; eyewash, collyrium: Use this wash twice a day till the condition disappears. 14 flow, wave, swell, welling, sweep, sweeping, ebb and flow, surge, surging, undulation, rise and fall: Shellfish in the gap cleanse themselves of impurities in the constant tidal wash running through there. 15 coat, coating, film, overlay, glaze; plating: There is a microscopic wash of gold over the tin to lend the bracelet a little cachet.
washed out | washed out: adj. 1 wan, pale, pallid, colourless, faded, lacklustre, flat; blanched, bleached, etiolated: Gene looks washed out because he never gets out in the sun. She was wearing washed-out jeans and a torn t-shirt. 2 exhausted, spent, tired, tired out, weary, worn out, fatigued, drained, Colloq dog-tired, bone-tired, done in, all in, fagged out, bushed, Brit knocked up, US knocked out, Slang beat, US and Canadian tuckered out, pooped: After a hard day in the office, I feel completely washed out.
washed up | washed up: adj. finished, through, failed, done for, played out, over (and done with), Slang kaput, fini: After that last fiasco, he''s no more than a washed-up has-been.
washout | washout: n. failure, disaster, d�b�cle, (total) loss, fiasco, disappointment, Colloq flop, dud, Brit damp squib, US lead balloon: His attempts to revive the hula-hoop craze were a washout.
waspish | waspish: adj. irascible, bad-tempered, foul-tempered, temperamental, testy, grouchy, sensitive, volatile, querulous, edgy, petulant, spiteful, peevish, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, cross, crabby, crabbed, crotchety, splenetic, grumpy, captious, cranky, crusty: Elaine is feeling very waspish today - no one can do anything right.
waste | waste: v. 1 squander, misuse, throw away, fritter away, misspend, splurge, dissipate, Slang blow: Why I wasted so much time on him I''ll never know. Don''t waste your money on such frivolities. 2 Often, waste away. diminish, deteriorate, dwindle, decline, decay, atrophy, wither, shrink, weaken, become debilitated, fade, become enervated or enfeebled, regress, ebb, sink: She is just wasting away, and I am seriously worried that she may not recover. 3 enervate, enfeeble, emaciate, gnaw, destroy, consume, debilitate, exhaust, disable: Arkwright contracted a terrible wasting disease while in the tropics. 4 assassinate, murder, kill, Slang put away, rub out, US ice: Don''t worry, Boss, we''ll waste Andy and you won''t have no more trouble. --n. 5 misuse, misapplication, squandering, dissipation, misemployment, abuse, neglect: What a terrible waste of talent to have such a person doing such lowly work! Do not let that genius go to waste. 6 wasting, extravagance, prodigality, wastefulness, squandering, indulgence, lavishness, profligacy, dissoluteness, improvidence, overindulgence: Government waste is one of our biggest problems. 7 refuse, rubbish, garbage, dregs, debris, leavings, scrap, offscourings, sweepings, litter, Archaic orts, US and Canadian trash: Techniques are being developed to process the waste in order to avoid using landfills, incineration, or dumping at sea. 8 wasteland, desert, wilderness, barrens, wilds, emptiness, vastness: Beyond that system were vast wastes of uninhabited space. --adj. 9 extra, leftover, unused, superfluous, worthless, useless: The waste food was usually fed to the animals. 10 barren, unproductive, unusable, unsalvageable, useless, unrecyclable, unprofitable, worthless: The waste products of manufacture are a big problem. 11 lay waste. devastate, destroy, demolish, despoil, ruin, wreck, ravage, pillage, sack, plunder, loot, rob, strip, spoil, gut, ransack, wreak havoc (up)on, crush, raze, annihilate, eradicate, extirpate, wipe out: These lands and cities, laid waste by the invaders, have never recovered.
wasteful | wasteful: adj. extravagant, spendthrift, profligate, prodigal, lavish, improvident, unthrifty, uneconomical, overindulgent, open-handed, free-handed, penny wise and pound foolish: It was very wasteful of you to buy me that expensive jewellery.
wastrel | wastrel: n. 1 spendthrift, profligate, waster, prodigal, big spender, squanderer: That wastrel went through his inheritance in a year. 2 idler, layabout, malingerer, loafer, shirker, good-for-nothing, ne''er-do-well, Chiefly Brit drone, Slang Brit skiver: The workhouse is the place for wastrels like you!
watch | watch: v. 1 observe, regard, look at, gaze at or on, take in, contemplate: Daniel loves to watch the bears at the zoo. 2 look after, tend, mind, keep an eye on, watch over, mind, guard, care for, take care of, safeguard, protect, shield, keep safe, supervise, superintend; chaperon, accompany, attend; Colloq babysit (for), sit (with): Could you please watch Suzie while I go shopping? 3 observe, note, notice, make or take note of, see, pay attention (to), attend (to), follow, (take) heed (of), examine, inspect, scrutinize, pore over; eye, peer at; ogle, make eyes at: Watch the way I bone this fish. Ted enjoys watching the girls going by. 4 Often, watch (out) for. look for, be on the watch or lookout or alert or qui vive (for), guard (against), keep an eye open (for), be watchful (for), note, take note or notice of, be vigilant (for or of), keep (one''s) eyes open (for), keep a (sharp) lookout (for), be prepared or ready for, be careful of, anticipate, await, wait (for), look for, Colloq keep (one''s) eyes peeled or skinned (for), keep a weather eye open (for): We were watching for irregularities in the test results. Watch where you''re going! Watch out for that last step! --n. 5 vigil, surveillance, observation, lookout: Our six-hour watch was rewarded by the appearance of a yellow-bellied sapsucker. 6 clock, timepiece, pocket watch, wrist-watch; chronometer: I always set my watch by the GMT time signal on the radio. 7 sentry, sentinel, guard, watchman: The midnight watch just returned from his rounds. 8 on the watch (for). on the alert (for), on the lookout (for), on (one''s) guard (for), on the qui vive (for), alert (for or to), awake (to), observant (of), watchful (of), cautious (of), wary (of), vigilant, circumspect: We remained on the watch for the slightest movement in the bushes.
watchman | watchman: n. (security) guard, sentinel, sentry, watch, night-watchman, custodian, caretaker; watchdog: After retiring from the police, he worked as a watchman.
water | water: n. 1 H2O; distilled water, tap water, drinking-water, bottled water, spa water, still water, soda (water), effervescent water, mineral water; sea water, salt water; ditch-water, dishwater, bath-water, US branch water, Facetious Adam''s ale, Technical or Latin aqua; Technical heavy water or deuterium oxide or D2O; Brit fizzy water: Pure water is odourless, tasteless, and colourless. 2 not hold water. be illogical or unsound or invalid, not be sensible, be inconsistent, not make sense, be unbelievable or incredible, be indefensible, be unfeasible or unworkable, not work, not function, not hold up under or bear scrutiny or examination, not ring true, ring false, Colloq not wash: Her account of her whereabouts that day just doesn''t hold water. 3 like water. lavishly, extravagantly, freely, wastefully, profligately, open-handedly, liberally, excessively, copiously, unstintingly, unreservedly: They''ve been spending money like water since they won the football pools. 4 make water. urinate, pass water, Colloq pee, piss: When a dog makes water, it marks off a territory bounded by its scent. 5 of the first water. of superior or excellent or first or top or A-one or the finest or the highest or the best quality or grade; first-grade, top-grade: These were not industrial stones but diamonds of the first water. --v. 6 inundate, flood, drench, saturate, soak, douse, irrigate, hose, wet, shower, splash, spray, sprinkle, moisten, damp, dampen, bedew: If you don''t water the garden, the vegetables will die. 7 Often, water down. dilute, weaken, thin out, adulterate; cut; mollify, modify, soften, tone down, qualify: We no longer go there because they water the drinks. They told the children a watered-down version of what had happened.
water-colour | water-colour: n. aquarelle: John''s water-colours sell as fast as he paints them.
waterfall | waterfall: n. cascade, cataract, fall(s), chute, Niagara, No. Brit force, Scots linn: In front of them, a waterfall tumbled down a rock-face into a deep pool.
watertight | watertight: adj. 1 sealed, waterproof: The escape hatch has been made watertight. 2 unassailable, impregnable, solid, airtight, flawless, faultless, incontrovertible; without loopholes: Landry has a watertight alibi for the night of the crime.
watery | watery: adj. 1 weak, dilute(d), watered down, tasteless, insipid, flavourless, bland, flat, dull, thin, runny, pallid, anaemic, Colloq wishy-washy: He asked me in, then gave me some watery tea to drink. 2 weeping, teary, tearful, running, weepy, lachrymose, rheumy: The child looked up at him with watery eyes and then collapsed, sobbing. 3 wet, swampy, boggy, marshy, aqueous, squelchy; soggy, moist, damp, humid; Colloq squushy or squooshy: It took days to make our way across that watery plain to the high ground.
wave | wave: n. 1 swell, undulation, billow, sea, heave, roller, whitecap, white horse; ripple, wavelet, breaker, comber: A huge wave tossed me up on the beach. 2 surge, swell, welling up, ground swell, movement, flood, upsurge, uprising, current, tide: The period is marked by a wave of materialism and greed that swamped all morality and integrity. 3 signal, sign, gesticulation, gesture: Was his wave intended for you or for me? --v. 4 undulate, billow, move to and fro, flap, flutter, quiver, flip-flop, swing, sway, ripple, oscillate, zigzag, fluctuate, shake; wag, whiffle, wigwag, wiggle, waggle, brandish: The streamer waved slowly in the quickening breeze. Stop waving that knife at me! 5 signal, sign, indicate, signify; gesture, gesticulate: Hazel waved goodbye from the train.
way | way: n. 1 manner, method, mode, fashion, means, system, course (of action), procedure, approach, scheme, technique, practice, modus operandi, Colloq MO (= ''modus operandi''): That''s no way to talk to your mother! We have ways of making you talk. Is that any way to treat a lady?! It''s the wrong way to deal with the problem. 2 manner, spirit, feeling, sense, character, approach, personality, temperament, disposition, modus vivendi (= ''lifestyle''), nature, technique, style, conduct, habit, behaviour pattern, custom: He has such a pleasant way about him. Lucinda certainly has a way with children and dogs. You city people may not approve of our down-to-earth country ways. 3 path, road, street, avenue, course, route, trail, direction: Show me the way to go home. The way to the village lies through dark woods. 4 distance; route, trail, course, road: You''ve come a long way since we last met. 5 progress, passage, advance, headway; speed, velocity, motion, (forward) movement: We made our way to the front of the crowd. Who has the right of way at the crossing? The tide was too strong for us to get any way on. 6 aspect, respect, particular, detail, point, sense, feature: In certain ways, you remind me of Attila the Hun. 7 clearance, pathway, avenue, scope, freedom, opportunity: When you hear a siren, drive to the side and give way. Make way for the Lord High Executioner! 8 condition, situation: She prefers the prissy ''in a family way'' to the straightforward ''pregnant'' and the vulgar ''have a bun in the oven''. I saw Luke yesterday and he was really in a bad way. 9 by the way. incidentally, moreover, by the by, parenthetically: By the way, have I told you how beautiful you look tonight? 10 by way of. a via, through, by means of: We drove from London to Oxford by way of Reading. b (functioning) as, in (the) way of, in the capacity of, equivalent to, more or less, something like: Richard is by way of being an expert on eccentric behaviour. 11 give way. a collapse, break (down), fail, cave in, fall (down), crumble, crumple, disintegrate, go to pieces: The cable gave way, causing the bridge to collapse. b yield, surrender, retreat, concede, withdraw, accede, make concessions, acquiesce, acknowledge: The trouble is that they both think they are in the right and neither will give way. 12 under way. proceeding, progressing, on the move, moving, advancing, going, begun, started, in progress, operating, functioning, at work, US in work, Colloq in the works, US in the pipeline: Once under way, it takes the ship three days to make the crossing. Plans are under way to reclaim the slum area for a park.
waylay | waylay: v. 1 ambush, lie in wait for, await, intercept, pounce upon or on, swoop down on or upon, accost: You''ll have to waylay him on his way to lunch if you want to speak to him. 2 attack, mug, seize, assault, accost, set upon: He was waylaid by a band of thieves and stripped of his belongings.
way-out | way-out: adj. 1 bizarre, mad, weird, crazy, strange, odd, peculiar, freakish, freaky, eccentric, queer, abnormal, offbeat, outrageous, wild, exotic, esoteric, Colloq kinky, Slang kooky, off-the-wall, far-out, screwy, nutty, US flaky, screwball: The police did not take kindly to the boys'' way-out behaviour after the party. 2 avant-garde, advanced, original, innovative, unorthodox, unconventional, experimental, precedent-setting, progressive, exploratory, ground-breaking, Slang far-out: Spencer thinks that the way-out art of the 1960s will have great value one day.
