
diabolic | diabolic: adj. 1 diabolical, devilish, satanic, Mephistophelian, demonic, demoniac(al), fiendish, hellish, infernal: His interest in the supernatural included participation in diabolic rituals of the most repulsive kind. 2 diabolical, cruel, wicked, iniquitous, evil, fiendish, appalling, dreadful, inhuman, atrocious, execrable, abominable, awful, terrible, damnable, accursed, horrid, horrible, hideous, monstrous, odious, vile, base, corrupt, foul, depraved, flagitious, heinous, malicious, malevolent, malign, maleficent, sinister, sinful, impious, bad: The prisoners suffered the most diabolic treatment.
diagnose | diagnose: v. identify, name, determine, recognize, distinguish, pinpoint, interpret; analyse: The doctor diagnosed the symptoms as those of rheumatoid arthritis.
dialect | dialect: n. speech (pattern), phraseology, idiom, accent, pronunciation, patois, vernacular; jargon, cant, slang, argot, language, tongue, Creole, pidgin; brogue, burr, Colloq lingo: Some of the regional dialects are hard to understand.
dialogue | dialogue: n. 1 duologue, conversation, discussion, conference, talk, chat, colloquy, communication: I wrote down that dialogue - it was hilarious! 2 parley, conference, meeting, huddle, t�te-�-t�te, colloquy, Colloq US and Canadian rap session: A meaningful dialogue between labour and management could easily settle the question.
diary | diary: n. appointment book, date-book, calendar, engagement book; journal, chronicle, log, record, annal(s): According to my diary, the date we dined was the lst.
dicey | dicey: n. risky, tricky, dangerous, difficult, ticklish, unpredictable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, Colloq iffy, chancy or chancey, hairy: Asking for another pay rise could be pretty dicey, Daniel.
dicker | dicker: v. 1 bargain, trade, barter, deal, haggle, negotiate: If I dicker with him, he may drop his price. --n. 2 bargain, deal, haggle, negotiation: We had a bit of a dicker but finally settled on a figure.
dicky | dicky: adj. dickey, shaky, unreliable, unsteady, unsound, faulty, Colloq dodgy: The engine sounds a bit dicky to me - you''d better have it seen to.
dictate | dictate: v. 1 say, prescribe, ordain, decree, demand, command, lay down (the law), order, direct, pronounce, impose: It is our leader who dictates what we may say and do. --n. 2 decree, demand, command, order, direction, instruction, charge, pronouncement, edict, fiat, ukase, mandate, caveat, injunction, requirement, bidding, behest: Each must act in accord with the dictates of his conscience.
dictator | dictator: n. autocrat, absolute ruler or monarch, despot, overlord, oppressor, tsar or czar, tyrant, Fuehrer or F�hrer: Among monarchs, Henry VIII certainly could have been characterized as a dictator.
dictatorial | dictatorial: adj. 1 absolute, arbitrary, totalitarian, authoritarian, autocratic, all-powerful, omnipotent, unlimited: The peoples of some countries often confer dictatorial powers on their leaders. 2 despotic, tyrannical, authoritarian, iron-handed, domineering, imperious, overbearing, Colloq bossy: The dictatorial way she runs the department makes those who work there miserable.
diction | diction: n. 1 language, wording, (verbal or writing) style, expression, usage, expressiveness, terminology, word choice, vocabulary, phraseology, phrasing, rhetoric: Please go over my paper and correct the diction. 2 articulation, pronunciation, enunciation, delivery, elocution, oratory, presentation, speech, intonation, inflection: That course in public speaking, improved Brian''s diction enormously.
dictionary | dictionary: n. lexicon, glossary, wordbook; thesaurus: My dictionary gives the pronunciation, etymology, and meanings of hundreds of thousands of words.
die | die: v. 1 lose one''s life, lay down one''s life, perish, expire, decease, suffer death, Euphemistic depart, give up the ghost, be no more, (go to) meet one''s Maker, breathe one''s last, go to the happy hunting-grounds, go to one''s reward, go to one''s final or last resting-place, go west, pay the debt of nature, pay one''s debt to nature, pass through the pearly gates, pass away or on, join the majority, go the way of all flesh; Slang pop off, bite the dust, kick the bucket, croak, Brit snuff it, go for a burton, pop one''s clogs, US turn up one''s toes, cash in one''s chips or checks: He died of tuberculosis, a rare affliction these days. 2 Often, die down or out or away. dwindle, lessen, diminish, decrease, ebb, decline, wane, subside, wither (away), wilt, melt (away), dissolve, peter out, fail, weaken, deteriorate, disintegrate, degenerate, fade (away), droop, moulder, sink, vanish, disappear: We lost the race because the breeze died down. After the third try, her enthusiasm died. The sound of the flute died away among its echoes. 3 expire, end, stop, cease: Your secret will die with me. 4 Usually, die off or out. become extinct, perish: By about 200 million years ago, all the dinosaurs had died out. 5 long, pine, yearn, crave, hanker, want, desire, hunger, ache: He said he was dying to meet a real movie star.
diet� | diet�: n. 1 fare, food, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, subsistence, victuals, intake, aliment: A well-balanced diet is very important. 2 regimen, regime: She is on a diet of bread and water. --v. 3 fast, abstain; slim; reduce: I am dieting to lose weight.
diet� | diet�: n. council, congress, parliament, senate, legislature, house, chamber, assembly: In Japan, the legislature is called a diet .
differ | differ: v. 1 diverge, deviate, be separate or distinct, be dissimilar or different, contrast; depart: Even the leaves of the same tree differ from one another. These substances differ in their magnetic properties. 2 disagree, conflict, contradict, be contradictory, vary, be at variance, take issue, part company, fall out, quarrel, argue: Opinions differ as to the best way to bring up children. She differed with me on many subjects.
difference | difference: n. 1 distinction, dissimilarity, discrepancy, unlikeness, disagreement, inconsistency, diversity, variation, imbalance; inequality, dissimilitude, incongruity, contrast, contradistinction, contrariety: Difference of opinion can be constructive in a business partnership. Being colour-blind, he cannot tell the difference between red and green. 2 Often, differences. dispute, quarrel, argument, disagreement, dissension, conflict: We were able to settle our differences amicably. 3 change, alteration, metamorphosis, reformation, transformation, conversion, adjustment, modification: Since her operation, the difference in Philippa is surprising. 4 idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, characteristic, character, nature: There are important differences between socialism and communism. 5 rest, remainder, leftovers, balance: After each had taken his share, the difference was 12, which we divided equally among the four of us.
different | different: adj. 1 unlike, unalike, dissimilar, conflicting; contrary, discrete, contrastive, contrasting, disparate, divergent, diverse, distinct, opposite, separate, distinguishable; another or other: We both enjoy boating but in different ways. When modelling, she assumes a different pose every few seconds. 2 unique, unusual, peculiar, odd, singular, particular, distinctive, personal, extraordinary, special, remarkable, bizarre, rare, weird, strange, unconventional, original, out of the ordinary; new, novel, exceptional, unheard-of: And now, for something completely different, we present a juggling trick cyclist. 3 assorted, manifold, multifarious, numerous, abundant, sundry, various, varied, divers, many, several: Different kinds of breakfast cereal are now available.
differentiate | differentiate: v. 1 distinguish, discriminate, contradistinguish, separate, contrast, oppose, set off or apart, tell apart: They must learn how to differentiate one species from another. 2 modify, specialize, change, alter, transform, transmute, convert, adapt, adjust: All organisms possess the power to differentiate special organs to meet special needs.
difficult | difficult: adj. 1 hard, arduous, toilsome, strenuous, tough, laborious, burdensome, onerous, demanding: He found it difficult to work the longer hours. The first birth is sometimes difficult. 2 puzzling, perplexing, baffling, enigmatic(al), profound, abstruse, obscure, recondite, complex; thorny, intricate, sensitive, knotty, problematic(al), ticklish, scabrous: Some of the questions in the exam were very difficult. The analyst raised a lot of difficult issues which I had to confront. 3 intractable, recalcitrant, obstructive, stubborn, unmanageable, obstinate, contrary, unaccommodating, refractory, unyielding, uncompromising; naughty, ill-behaved; Colloq Brit bloody-minded: Tessa has three difficult teenagers in the house these days. 4 troubled, troubling, tough, burdensome, onerous, demanding, trying, hard, grim, dark, unfavourable, straitening: We have been through some difficult times together. 5 fussy, particular, demanding, finicky, finical, fastidious, critical, troublesome, difficile, awkward, Colloq nit-picking: I''ll go wherever you like; I don''t want to be difficult about it. Sharon can be a very difficult person to be with.
difficulty | difficulty: n. 1 strain, hardship, arduousness, laboriousness, formidableness, tribulation, painfulness: Despite much difficulty she succeeded. 2 hardship, obstacle, problem, distress, pitfall, dilemma, predicament, problem, snag, hindrance; Gordian knot: He has encountered difficulties during his career. 3 Often, difficulties. embarrassment, plight, predicament, mess, strait(s), trouble, scrape, Colloq hot water, jam, pickle, fix; hot potato: She always seems to be in financial difficulties.
diffuse | diffuse: adj. 1 spread (out or about or around), scattered, dispersed, widespread; sparse, meagre, thin (on the ground): A few diffuse clouds could be seen on the horizon. 2 wordy, verbose, prolix, long-winded, loquacious, discursive, digressive, rambling, circumlocutory, meandering, roundabout, circuitous, periphrastic, ambagious, diffusive, pleonastic: The style of the book is very diffuse, being extravagantly uneconomic of expression. --v. 3 spread, circulate, distribute, dispense, disperse; dispel, scatter, broadcast, sow, disseminate; dissipate: The colour rapidly diffused, turning the liquid crimson. She has successfully diffused her ideas of female equality throughout the community.
dig | dig: v. 1 excavate, burrow, gouge, scoop, hollow out; tunnel: He dug a hole in which to set the post. 2 nudge, thrust, stab, jab, plunge, force, prod, poke: I dug my spurs into my horse and rode off. He kept digging me in the ribs with his finger. 3 appreciate, enjoy, like, understand: They really dig the jazz of the big-band era. 4 notice, note, look at, regard: Hey, man, dig that crazy gear! 5 dig into. probe (into), delve into, go deeply into, explore, look into, research, study: We dug into many books of forgotten lore to find the words of the magic spell. 6 dig out or up. unearth, disinter, exhume, bring up, find, obtain, extract, ferret out, winkle out, discover, bring to light, expose, dredge up, extricate, come up with, Australian fossick: I dug out an old book on witchcraft. She has dug up some interesting information about your friend Glover. --n. 7 thrust, poke, jab, stab, nudge: She playfully gave him a dig in the ribs. 8 insult, insinuation, gibe, slur; taunt, jeer; Colloq slap (in the face), wisecrack, crack, US low blow: Referring to him as a Dartmoor graduate was a nasty dig.
digest | digest: v. 1 assimilate: She has trouble digesting milk. 2 bear, stand, endure, survive, assimilate, accept, tolerate, brook, swallow, stomach: The attack was too much for even him to digest. 3 comprehend, assimilate, understand, take in, consider, grasp, study, ponder, meditate (on or over), reflect on, think over, weigh: I need a little time to digest the new regulations. 4 abbreviate, cut, condense, abridge, compress, epitomize, summarize, reduce, shorten: Her assistant had digested the report into four pages by noon. --n. 5 condensation, abridgment or abridgement, abstract, pr�cis, r�sum�, synopsis, summary, conspectus, abbreviation: I never did read the original novel, only a digest.
dignified | dignified: adj. stately, noble, majestic, formal, solemn, serious, sober, grave, distinguished, honourable, distingu�, elegant, august, sedate, reserved; regal, courtly, lordly, lofty, exalted, grand: Despite the abuse, he maintained a dignified demeanour.
dignify | dignify: v. distinguish, ennoble, elevate, raise, exalt, glorify, upraise, lift, uplift, enhance, improve, better, upgrade: The critic wrote that he wouldn''t deign to dignify the book by calling it a novel.
dignitary | dignitary: n. personage, official, notable, worthy, magnate, power, higher-up; celebrity, lion, luminary, star, superstar, Colloq VIP, bigwig, big shot, big wheel, big name, big gun, hotshot, hot stuff, big noise, big White Chief, big Chief, big Daddy, Brit Lord or Lady Muck, high-muck-a-muck, Slang big cheese, Chiefly US Mr Big, biggie, fat cat: Anyone with a lot of money is treated today as a dignitary.
dignity | dignity: n. 1 nobility, majesty, gravity, gravitas, solemnity, courtliness, distinction, stateliness, formality, grandeur, eminence; hauteur, loftiness: She entered and walked with dignity to the throne. 2 worth, worthiness, nobility, nobleness, excellence, honour, honourableness, respectability, respectableness, standing, importance, greatness, glory, station, status, rank, level, position: The real dignity of a man lies not in what he has but in what he is. 3 self-respect, self-regard, amour propre, self-confidence, self-esteem, pride, self-importance: It was beneath her dignity to speak directly to a footman.
digression | digression: n. 1 aside, departure, deviation, detour, obiter dictum, parenthesis, apostrophe, excursus: His numerous digressions made it difficult to focus on the main points of the speech. 2 digressing, deviating, divergence, going off at a tangent, rambling, meandering, straying, wandering, deviation: Digression from the main theme of his speech only diluted his argument.
dilapidated | dilapidated: adj. ruined, broken-down, in ruins, gone to rack and ruin, wrecked, destroyed, falling apart, decrepit, derelict, battered, tumbledown, run-down, ramshackle, crumbling, decayed, decaying, rickety, shaky, shabby, Brit raddled: We shall have to fix up that dilapidated barn if we expect to use it.
dilemma | dilemma: n. predicament, quandary, double bind, catch-22, impasse, deadlock, stalemate; plight, difficulty, trouble; stymie, snooker; Colloq bind, box, fix, jam, spot, pickle, squeeze: He was faced with the dilemma of killing the injured animal or allowing it to die in agony.
dilettante | dilettante: n. dabbler, trifler, aesthete, amateur: You know art like a curator; I am a mere dilettante.
diligent | diligent: adj. persevering, persistent, industrious, assiduous, sedulous, intent, steady, steadfast, focused, concentrated, earnest, attentive, conscientious, hard-working, indefatigable, tireless, constant, painstaking, careful, thorough, scrupulous, meticulous, punctilious: Only through diligent application was she able to get through law school.
dilute | dilute: v. water (down), thin (down or out), cut, weaken, doctor, adulterate; mitigate, lessen, diminish, decrease: For the table, wine was often diluted with water. He dilutes his argument by citing irrelevancies.
dim | dim: adj. 1 obscure, obscured, vague, faint, weak, weakened, pale, imperceptible, fuzzy, indistinct, ill-defined, indiscernible, undefined, indistinguishable, foggy, clouded, cloudy, nebulous, blurred, blurry, unclear, dull, hazy, misty, dark, shadowy, murky, tenebrous, gloomy, sombre, dusky, crepuscular: Her beauty made The bright world dim. We could barely see in the dim light of the cave. 2 stupid, obtuse, doltish, dull, dull-witted, foolish, slow-witted, dim-witted, dense, Colloq thick, dumb: Anyone who can''t understand that is really quite dim. --v. 3 obscure, dull, becloud: His natural feelings of compassion had been dimmed by neglect. 4 darken, bedim, shroud, shade: Twilight dims the sky above. The stage-lights dimmed and the curtain fell.
diminish | diminish: v. 1 decrease, decline, abate, lessen, reduce, lower, shrink, curtail, contract, lop, crop, dock, clip, prune, cut, truncate, cut down, abbreviate, shorten, abridge, compress, condense, pare (down), scale down, boil down: As the height increases, the pressure diminishes. The need for police patrols was diminished when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade, downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase, deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue, cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject: His abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes. 3 wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede, subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (off), Colloq run out of steam: Soaking in the hot water, I felt the tensions of mind and body gradually diminishing. The campaign finally diminished to a negligible effort.
diminutive | diminutive: adj. small, tiny, little, miniature, petite, minute, minuscule, mini, compact, undersized, pocket, pocket-sized, pygmy, elfin, Lilliputian, midget, wee, microscopic; micro, infinitesimal; US vest-pocket, vest-pocket-sized, Colloq teeny, teeny-weeny or teensy-weensy: The bride and groom appeared with their diminutive page-boys and bridesmaids behind them.
din | din: n. 1 noise, clamour, uproar, shouting, screaming, yelling, babel, clangour, clatter, commotion, racket, row, hullabaloo, hubbub, hurly-burly, rumpus, hollering, blare, blaring, bray, braying, bellow, bellowing, roar, blast, roaring, pandemonium, tumult: We couldn''t hear the speech above the din of the crowd. --v. 2 instil, drum, hammer: The names and dates of the British monarchs were dinned into me in childhood.
dine | dine: v. eat, banquet, feast, sup, break bread, breakfast, lunch, have a bite or snack, nibble, Colloq feed, Slang nosh: We''ll dine at 8.00, so don''t be late.
dingy | dingy: adj. dark, dull, gloomy, dim, lacklustre, faded, discoloured, dusky, drab, dreary, dismal, cheerless, depressing, gloomy, shadowy, tenebrous, smoky, sooty, grey-brown, smudgy, grimy, dirty, soiled: He was a dingy man, in dingy clothes, who lived in a dingy house.
dip | dip: v. 1 immerse, plunge, duck, dunk, douse, bathe, submerge: He dipped each dish into the soapy water. 2 decline, go down, fall, descend, sag, sink, subside, slump: The road dips after the next curve. The price of shares has dipped again. 3 dip in or into. dabble in, play at; skim, scan: I haven''t had time to read it, but I dipped into it here and there. --n. 4 swim, plunge; immersion; Brit bathe: We are going for a dip in the pool before dinner. 5 lowering, sinking, depression, drop, slump, decline: This dip in the price of oil means nothing.
diplomacy | diplomacy: n. 1 tact, tactfulness, adroitness, discretion: She was able to get rid of that rude boor with her customary diplomacy. 2 statecraft, statesmanship, negotiation; intrigue, Machiavellianism, machination, manoeuvring or maneuvering: Cardinal Richelieu is considered the founder of modern diplomacy.
diplomatic | diplomatic: adj. tactful, discreet, prudent, wise, sensitive, politic, courteous, polite, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, thoughtful: How diplomatic it was of you to have invited Frances''s husband!
direct | direct: v. 1 manage, handle, run, administer, govern, regulate, control, operate, superintend, supervise, command, head up, rule; Colloq call the shots: She directs the company with an iron hand. 2 guide, lead, conduct, pilot, steer, show or point (the way), be at the helm; advise, counsel, instruct, mastermind; usher, escort: He has directed the company for 40 years, through good times and bad. Can you direct me to the post office? 3 rule, command, order, require, bid, tell, instruct, charge, dictate, enjoin; appoint, ordain: He directed that the attack be launched at dawn. 4 aim, focus, level, point, train; turn: That bullet was directed at my heart. Direct your attention to the front of the room. 5 send, address, post, mail: Please direct the letter to my home. --adj. 6 straight, unswerving, shortest, undeviating, through: We turned off the direct road to take in the view. 7 uninterrupted, unreflected, unrefracted, without interference, unobstructed: She cannot remain in direct sunlight for very long. 8 unbroken, lineal: He claims to be a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell''s. 9 straightforward, unmitigated, outright, matter-of-fact, categorical, plain, clear, unambiguous, unmistakable, to the point, without or with no beating about the bush, unqualified, unequivocal, point-blank, explicit, express: I expect a direct answer to my direct question. Have you direct evidence of his guilt? That was a gross insult and a direct lie! 10 straightforward, frank, candid, outspoken, plain-spoken, honest, blunt, open, uninhibited, unreserved, forthright, honest, sincere, unequivocal; undiplomatic, tactless: She is very direct in commenting about people she dislikes.
direction | direction: n. 1 directing, aiming, pointing, guiding, guidance, conducting, conduct, instructing, instruction, managing, management, administering, administration, governing, government, supervising, supervision, operating, operation, running, leadership, directorship, directorate, control, captaincy, handling, manipulation, regulation, rule, charge: The Freedom Party''s direction of the country has led to many reforms. 2 Often, directions. instruction(s), information; bearing, road, way, route, avenue, course: To assemble the appliance, follow the directions printed in the leaflet. Can you give me directions to the nearest filling-station?
directly | directly: adv. 1 straight, in a beeline, unswervingly, undeviatingly, as the crow flies: This road should take me directly to the beach. 2 immediately, at once, straight away, right away, quickly, promptly, without delay, speedily, instantly, Colloq US and Canadian momentarily: She called and I went directly. 3 soon, later (on), anon, presently, in a (little) while, shortly: The doctor will be here directly. 4 exactly, precisely, just; completely, entirely: My garage is directly opposite. The cricket pitch is directly at the centre of the park. --conj. 5 as soon as, when: The police arrested him directly he entered the building.
director | director: n. 1 executive, administrator, official, principal; chairman, president, vice-president; governor; head, chief, boss, manager, superintendent, supervisor, overseer, foreman, headman, Colloq kingpin, number one, numero uno, Mr Big, the man; Slang top dog, top banana, Brit gaffer, US big cheese, head or chief honcho: The sale of the company was announced at the meeting of the board of directors. 2 guide, leader; steersman, helmsman, pilot, skipper, commander, commandant, captain; cicerone; maestro, concert-master, conductor; impresario: We were lucky to have a director who really knew what he was doing.
dirt | dirt: n. 1 soil, mud, muck, mire, grime, slime, sludge, ooze, slop; dust, soot; excrement, ordure; filth, waste, refuse, trash, garbage, rubbish, offal, junk, dross, sweepings; leavings, scrap, orts; Slang Brit gunge, US grunge: This vacuum cleaner is guaranteed to pick up any kind of dirt. 2 soil, earth, loam, ground, clay: Hydroponics is the technique of farming without dirt, using only liquid nutrients. 3 indecency, obscenity, smut, pornography, foulness, corruption, filth, vileness: Customs confiscated much of the dirt before it could enter the country. 4 gossip, scandal, talk, rumour, inside information , Colloq low-down, dope, Slang US scuttlebutt: I got the dirt from David about what really happened at the party.
dirty | dirty: adj. 1 foul, unclean, befouled, soiled, begrimed, sooty, grimy, filthy, mucky, besmeared, besmirched, befouled, polluted, squalid, sullied, stained, spotted, smudged, slovenly, unwashed, bedraggled, slatternly, untidy, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy: If you think his shirt was dirty, you should have seen his body! 2 smutty, indecent, obscene, ribald, off colour, prurient, risqu�, salacious, lewd, lascivious, salacious, pornographic, coarse, licentious, rude, blue, scabrous: His parents were shocked to hear him telling dirty jokes. 3 unfair, unscrupulous, unsporting, dishonest, mean, underhand(ed), unsportsmanlike, dishonourable, deceitful, corrupt, treacherous, perfidious, villainous, disloyal; malicious, malevolent, rotten, filthy: It was a dirty trick of Sue''s to tell the teacher. 4 bad, foul, nasty, stormy, rainy, windy, blowy, blowing, squally, sloppy: We''re in for some dirty weather, Mr Christian, so you''d best reduce sail. 5 bitter, resentful, angry, furious, wrathful, smouldering: She gave me a dirty look when I said anything about her sister. 6 sordid, base, mean, despicable, contemptible, ignoble, scurvy, low, low-down, ignominious, vile, nasty, infamous: That villain has done his dirty work and now we must all suffer. He''s nothing but a dirty coward! --v. 7 stain, sully, befoul, soil, begrime, besmirch, pollute, muddy, smear, defile; blacken, tarnish: She refused to so much as dirty her hands to help us. Are you afraid it will dirty your reputation to be seen with me?
disability | disability: n. 1 handicap, impairment, defect, infirmity, disablement: James is unable to play tennis owing to his disability. 2 inability, incapacity, unfitness, impotence, powerlessness, helplessness: The teacher helped her to overcome her disability.
disabled | disabled: adj. incapacitated, crippled, lame; damaged, ruined, impaired, harmed, non-functioning, inoperative, Slang Brit scuppered: Disabled ex-servicemen ought to receive compensation. No parts could be found for the disabled machines.
disadvantage | disadvantage: n. 1 deprivation, set-back, drawback, liability, handicap, defect, flaw, shortcoming, weakness, weak spot, fault: Being colour-blind has not been a disadvantage in his kind of work. 2 detriment, harm, loss, injury, damage; prejudice, disservice: Failure to send in a tax return will be to your distinct disadvantage.
disagree | disagree: v. 1 differ, dissent, diverge: She disagrees with most of my ideas. I said the painting was by Hockney, but he disagreed. 2 conflict, dispute, quarrel, argue, contend, contest, bicker, fight, fall out, squabble, wrangle, debate: Those who agree on major principles often disagree about trifles, and vice versa.
disagreeable | disagreeable: adj. 1 unpleasant, unpleasing, offensive, distasteful, repugnant, obnoxious, repellent, repulsive, objectionable, revolting, odious: He found the heat and humidity in the tropics most disagreeable. 2 offensive, noxious, unsavoury, unpalatable, nauseating, nauseous, nasty, sickening, disgusting, revolting, repellent, abominable, objectionable: A disagreeable odour arose from the beggar on the doorstep. 3 bad-tempered, ill-tempered, disobliging, uncooperative, unfriendly, uncivil, abrupt, blunt, curt, brusque, short, uncourtly, impolite, bad-mannered, ill-mannered, discourteous, rude, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, testy, grouchy, splenetic, cross, ill-humoured, peevish, morose, sulky, sullen: Brian became quite disagreeable, and I did not see him again.
disagreement | disagreement: n. 1 difference, discrepancy, discord, discordance, discordancy, dissimilarity, disaccord, diversity, incongruity, nonconformity, incompatibility: Can you resolve the disagreement between the results of these experiments? 2 dissent, opposition, conflict, contradiction, difference, disparity: The problem arises from a basic disagreement in their principles. 3 quarrel, strife, argument, dispute, velitation, altercation, controversy, contention, dissension, debate, clash, Colloq US rhubarb: Their mother had to settle the disagreement between the brothers.
disappear | disappear: v. 1 vanish, evaporate, vaporize, fade (away or out), evanesce, Poetic evanish: After granting my wish, the genie disappeared, laughing diabolically. 2 die (out or off), become extinct, cease (to exist), perish (without a trace): The dinosaurs, though enormously successful as a species, suddenly disappeared from the earth.
disappoint | disappoint: v. 1 let down, fail, dissatisfy: Miss Sheila disappointed her public by refusing to sing. 2 mislead, deceive, disenchant, Colloq stand up: She disappointed me by saying she would be there and then not arriving. 3 undo, frustrate, foil, thwart, balk, defeat: How can I answer you truthfully without disappointing your expectations?
disappointed | disappointed: adj. 1 frustrated, unsatisfied, dissatisfied, disillusioned, disenchanted, discouraged, downhearted, disheartened, downcast, saddened, unhappy, dejected, discontented, let down: There will be a lot of disappointed children at Christmas this year. 2 foiled, thwarted, balked, defeated, undone, failed, let down: Though she campaigned energetically, Theodora was among the disappointed candidates.
disappointing | disappointing: adj. discouraging, dissatisfying, unsatisfactory, unsatisfying, disconcerting; poor, second-rate, sorry, inadequate, insufficient, inferior, pathetic, sad: The former champion turned in a disappointing performance yesterday evening.
disappointment | disappointment: n. 1 frustration, non-fulfilment,unfulfilment, unsatisfaction, dissatisfaction, set-back, failure, let-down, defeat, blow, fiasco, calamity, disaster, fizzle, Brit damp squib, Colloq wash-out: Recently he has had one disappointment after another. 2 dejection, depression, discouragement, disenchantment, distress, regret, mortification, chagrin: I cannot tell you the disappointment your father and I felt when you failed to get into university.
disapproval | disapproval: n. disapprobation, condemnation, censure, criticism, reproof, reproach, objection, exception, disfavour, displeasure, dissatisfaction: The council voiced their disapproval of holding a carnival in the village square.
disapprove | disapprove: v. condemn, criticize, censure, object to, decry, denounce, put or run down, deplore, deprecate, belittle, look down on, frown on or upon, Colloq knock, look down one''s nose at, tut-tut: I don''t care if you disapprove of my marrying Eustace. The monopolies commission has disapproved the merger.
disarm | disarm: v. 1 unarm; demilitarize, demobilize, disband, deactivate: After the war, most - but not all - European countries disarmed. 2 win over, put or set at ease, mollify, appease, placate, pacify, reconcile, conciliate, propitiate, charm: I was completely disarmed by her friendly disposition. Many people found his na�vety disarming.
disaster | disaster: n. catastrophe, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, misfortune, d�b�cle, accident, mishap, blow, act of God, adversity, trouble, reverse: The flooding of the river was as much of a disaster as the earlier drought.
disastrous | disastrous: adj. 1 calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, tragic, destructive, ruinous, devastating, appalling, harrowing, awful, terrible, dire, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, dreadful, fatal: There has been a disastrous earthquake which killed thousands. 2 awful, terrible, unlucky, unfortunate, detrimental, grievous, harmful: The postal strike has had disastrous effects on the mail-order business.
disband | disband: v. disperse, disorganize, scatter, break up, dissolve, demobilize, deactivate, retire: After the war, the special spy force was disbanded.
discard | discard: v. 1 get rid of, dispense with, dispose of, throw away or out, toss out or away, abandon, jettison, scrap, Colloq trash, dump, Slang ditch: We discarded boxes of old photographs when we moved house. --n. 2 reject, cast-off: I felt like a discard from the lonely hearts club.
discernible | discernible: adj. 1 perceptible, visible, seeable, perceivable, apparent, clear, observable, plain, detectable; conspicuous, noticeable: A small sailing-boat was discernible on the horizon. 2 distinguishable, recognizable, identifiable, distinct: To me there is a discernible difference between puce and burgundy.
discharge | discharge: v. 1 release, let out, dismiss, let go, send away; pardon, exonerate, liberate, (set) free, acquit, let off, absolve: She was discharged from hospital yesterday. He was discharged from police custody last week. 2 expel, oust, dismiss, cashier, eject, give notice, Colloq sack, give (someone) the sack, fire, kick out: He was discharged from his job yesterday. 3 shoot, fire (off); set or let off, detonate, explode: It is illegal to discharge a firearm or other explosive device in this area. 4 emit, send out or forth, pour out or forth, gush; disembogue; ooze, leak, exude; excrete, void: The sore in his leg continued to discharge pus. We can ill afford to discharge those effluents into the sea. 5 carry out, perform, fulfil, accomplish, do, execute: He faithfully discharges the duties of his office. 6 pay, settle, liquidate, clear, honour, meet, square (up): Before going off on holiday, we discharged all our financial obligations. 7 unload, offload, disburden, empty: After discharging its cargo, the vessel rode high in the water. --n. 8 release, dismissal: What is the date of his discharge from the clinic? 9 expulsion, ouster, dismissal, ejection, notice, Colloq the axe or US ax, the sack, the boot, Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Slang US and Canadian the bounce, the gate: Her discharge from the firm was rather ignominious. 10 shooting, firing (off), report, shot; salvo, fusillade, volley; detonation, explosion, burst: The discharge of a pistol could not be heard at that distance. I heard the discharge from the guns of the firing squad in the courtyard below. The discharge of the bomb maimed three children. 11 emission, release, void, voiding, excretion, excreting, emptying, flow; ooze, oozing, pus, suppuration, secretion, seepage: The discharge of blood from the wound continued. 12 performance, fulfilment, accomplishment, execution, observance, achievement: The discharge of my family responsibilities will have to await my return from the front. 13 payment, settlement, liquidation, squaring (up), clearance: The bank expects full discharge of all debts before they lend any money. 14 unloading, disburdening, offloading, emptying: The customer will pay in full after the discharge of his cargo.
disciple | disciple: n. 1 apprentice, pupil, student, proselyte, learner, scholar: Pietro Zampollini was a disciple of the great artist Ravelli. 2 follower, adherent, devotee, admirer, votary; partisan, fan, aficionado: She is a disciple of Louis Armstrong''s.
disciplinarian | disciplinarian: n. taskmaster, martinet, drill-sergeant; tyrant, despot, dictator: The headmaster at Briarcliffe was a stern disciplinarian who regularly used to beat us.
discipline | discipline: n. 1 training, drilling, regimen, exercise, practice, drill, inculcation, indoctrination, instruction, schooling: Strict discipline is good for young people, according to my father. 2 punishment, penalty, chastisement, castigation, correction: The discipline meted out to senior students was very harsh. 3 order, routine, (proper) behaviour, decorum: The sergeant is there to maintain discipline among the recruits. 4 direction, rule, regulation, government, control, subjection, restriction, check, curb, restraint: There was far too much discipline during my childhood, both at school and at home. 5 subject, course, branch of knowledge, area, field, speciality or chiefly US and Canadian specialty: Latin is a discipline which is fast disappearing from our schools. --v. 6 train, break in, condition, drill, exercise, instruct, coach, teach, school, indoctrinate, inculcate; edify, enlighten, inform: The aim of his education is to discipline him to respond to orders. 7 check, curb, restrain, bridle, control, govern, direct, run, supervise, manage, regulate, hold or keep in check, US ride herd on: You have to discipline those children or they will always misbehave. 8 punish, chastise, castigate, correct, penalize, reprove, criticize, reprimand, rebuke: Discipline that boy or he will just do it again.
disclose | disclose: v. 1 reveal, impart, divulge, betray, release, tell, blurt out, blab, leak, let slip, report, inform, Colloq spill the beans, blow the gaff, Slang squeal, snitch, squeak, rat, peach, US fink: To get a shorter sentence, he disclosed all to the police. 2 bare, reveal, expose, uncover, show, unveil: When the pie was opened, twenty-four blackbirds were disclosed.
discomfit | discomfit: v. 1 embarrass, abash, disconcert, disturb, confuse, make uneasy or uncomfortable, discompose, fluster, ruffle, confound, perturb, upset, worry, unsettle, unnerve, Colloq rattle, US faze, discombobulate: Being short, she was discomfited by references to her height. 2 frustrate, foil, thwart, baffle, check, defeat, trump, outdo, outwit, overcome: Discomfited by her violent reaction, her attacker fled.
discomfort | discomfort: n. 1 uneasiness, hardship, difficulty, trouble, care, worry, distress, vexation: She hasn''t known the discomfort of being the wife of a miner. 2 ache, pain, twinge, soreness, irritation; bother, inconvenience, nuisance: Some discomfort persisted in my legs long after the accident.
disconcerted | disconcerted: adj. discomposed, discomfited, ruffled, uneasy, put out or off, uncomfortable, queasy, flustered, agitated, upset, shaken, unsettled, perturbed, confused, bewildered, perplexed, baffled, puzzled, US thrown off, Colloq rattled, US fazed, discombobulated; Slang (all) shook (up): They were really disconcerted by the arrival of the police.
disconcerting | disconcerting: adj. awkward, discomfiting, off-putting, upsetting, unnerving, unsettling, disturbing, confusing, confounding, bewildering, perplexing, baffling, puzzling: I found his persistence quite disconcerting.
disconnect | disconnect: v. separate, disjoin, disunite, uncouple, detach, unhook, undo, disengage, unhitch; cut or break off; cut or pull apart, part, divide, sever: They disconnected the engine after pushing the carriages onto a siding. Disconnect the power before changing the light-bulb.
disconnected | disconnected: adj. 1 unconnected, separate, apart, unattached; split, separated: A totally disconnected thought suddenly occurred to me. 2 incoherent, irrational, confused, illogical, garbled, disjointed, rambling, mixed-up, unintelligible, uncoordinated, random: He lost the debate because his argument was disconnected and lacked cogency.
discontent | discontent: n. displeasure, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, discontentment, distaste, uneasiness; malaise: He felt discontent at being barred from the club.
discontented | discontented: adj. displeased, dissatisfied, discontent, annoyed, vexed, fretful, irritated, testy, piqued, petulant, disgruntled, exasperated, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, pissed off, Brit cheesed or brassed off: The umpire''s decision made many fans quite discontented.
discontinue | discontinue: v. cease, break off, give up, stop, terminate, put an end to, quit, leave off, drop; interrupt, suspend: Please discontinue newspaper delivery until further notice.
discord | discord: n. strife, dissension, disagreement, conflict, disharmony, contention, disunity, discordance, division, incompatibility: The seeds of discord between the families were sown generations before.
discordant | discordant: adj. 1 contrary, disagreeing, divergent, opposite, opposed, adverse, contradictory, incompatible, differing, different, conflicting, at odds, incongruous, in conflict, in disagreement, at variance, dissimilar: The testimony of the fossils is discordant with the evidence in the legend. 2 inharmonious, dissonant, jarring, cacophonous, unmelodious, unmusical, harsh, strident, jangling, grating: He struck some discordant notes on his zither.
discount | discount: v. 1 reduce, mark down, deduct, lower, take or knock off: As I was buying a dozen, he discounted the price by ten per cent. 2 diminish, lessen, minimize, detract from: One must discount what she says when she''s angry. 3 disregard, omit, ignore, pass or gloss over, overlook, brush off, dismiss: Those statistics are old and can be discounted. --n. 4 reduction, mark-down, deduction, rebate, allowance: The shop overstocked the item and is offering it at a big discount.
discourage | discourage: v. 1 dispirit, dishearten, daunt, unman, dismay, cow, intimidate, awe, overawe, unnerve: We were discouraged by the arrival of more enemy troops. 2 deter, put off, dissuade, advise or hint against, talk out of, divert from; oppose, disapprove (of), Colloq throw cold water on: They discouraged me from applying again. 3 prevent, inhibit, hinder, stop, slow, suppress, obviate: This paint is supposed to discourage corrosion.
discourteous | discourteous: adj. uncivil, impolite, rude, unmannerly, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, disrespectful, misbehaved, boorish, abrupt, curt, brusque, short, ungentlemanly, unladylike, insolent, impertinent, ungracious: He had been discourteous and would not be invited again.
discover | discover: v. 1 find (out), learn, perceive, unearth, uncover, bring to light, turn or dig up, smoke or search out, root or ferret out; determine, ascertain, track down, identify; locate: He discovered the ninth moon of Saturn. We discovered why the tyre had gone flat. 2 see, spot, catch sight or a glimpse of, lay eyes on, behold, view, encounter, meet (with); notice, espy, descry, detect, discern: He discovered Madagascar lying right on their course. 3 originate, conceive (of), devise, contrive, invent, make up, design, pioneer; come or chance or stumble upon: She discovered a method for tin-plating gold.
discovery | discovery: n. 1 finding, recognition, uncovering, determining, ascertaining, unearthing; origination, invention, conception, idea; development: Who is credited with the discovery of Christmas Island? That year marks the discovery of a vaccine against smallpox. 2 exploration, disclosure, detection, revelation: He''s off on a voyage of discovery.
discredit | discredit: v. 1 detract, disparage, defame, dishonour, disgrace, degrade, bring into disfavour or disrepute, deprecate, demean, lower, devalue, depreciate, devaluate, belittle, diminish, reduce; slur, slander, vilify, calumniate, sully, smear, blacken, taint, tarnish, besmirch, smirch, stigmatize, asperse, malign, libel: Both of them were thoroughly discredited by the scandal. 2 disbelieve, deny, dispute, doubt, question, raise doubts about, distrust, mistrust, give no credit or credence to: As he''s a known liar, you can discredit whatever he tells you. 3 disprove, reject, refute, invalidate; mock, ridicule: The phlogiston theory is generally discredited by most modern chemists. --n. 4 dishonour, degradation, disfavour, disrepute, ill repute, disgrace, ignominy, infamy, odium, stigma, shame, smear, slur, scandal, obloquy, opprobrium, humiliation: Her performance has brought discredit to all female saxophonists. 5 damage, harm, reflection, slur, aspersion, slander, defamation, blot, brand, tarnish, blemish, taint: The discredit to her reputation is irreparable. 6 doubt, scepticism, dubiousness, doubtfulness, qualm, scruple, question, incredulity, suspicion, distrust, mistrust: The new evidence throws discredit on the validity of the previous testimony.
discreet | discreet: adj. careful, cautious, prudent, judicious, considerate, guarded, tactful, diplomatic, circumspect, wary, chary, heedful, watchful, circumspect: She has always been very discreet in her business dealings with me.
discrepancy | discrepancy: n. gap, disparity, lacuna, difference, dissimilarity, deviation, divergence, disagreement, incongruity, incompatibility, inconsistency, variance; conflict, discordance, contrariety: There is a great discrepancy between what he says and what he means.
discrete | discrete: adj. separate, distinct, individual, disconnected, unattached, discontinuous: These items must be treated as discrete entities and not taken together.
discretion | discretion: n. 1 tact, diplomacy, prudence, care, discernment, sound judgement, circumspection, sagacity, common sense, good sense, wisdom, discrimination: You can rely on my discretion not to reveal the club''s secrets. 2 choice, option, judgement, preference, pleasure, disposition, volition; wish, will, liking, inclination: Buyers may subscribe to insurance cover at their own discretion.
discriminate | discriminate: v. 1 distinguish, separate, differentiate, discern, draw a distinction, tell the difference: He cannot discriminate between good art and bad. 2 favour, disfavour, segregate, show favour or prejudice or bias for or against, be intolerant: It is illegal here to discriminate against people on the basis of race, creed, or colour.
discriminating | discriminating: adj. discerning, perceptive, critical, keen, fastidious, selective, particular, selective, fussy, refined, cultivated: From the wine you chose, I see you are a lady of discriminating tastes.
discrimination | discrimination: n. 1 bigotry, prejudice, bias, intolerance, favouritism, one-sidedness, unfairness, inequity: In Nazi Germany discrimination was practised against everyone except the Nazis. 2 taste, perception, perceptiveness, discernment, refinement, acumen, insight, penetration, keenness, judgement, sensitivity; connoisseurship, aestheticism: He exercises excellent discrimination in his choice of paintings.
discursive | discursive: adj. wandering, meandering, digressing, digressive, rambling, circuitous, roundabout, diffuse, long-winded, verbose, wordy, prolix, windy: Frobisher was again boring everyone with his discursive description of life in an igloo.
discuss | discuss: v. converse about, talk over or about, chat about, deliberate (over), review, examine, consult on; debate, argue, thrash out: We discussed the problem but came to no conclusion.
discussion | discussion: n. conversation, talk, chat, dialogue, colloquy, exchange, deliberation, examination, scrutiny, analysis, review; confabulation, conference, powwow; debate, argument; Colloq chiefly Brit chin-wag, US and Canadian bull session: The subject of your dismissal came up for discussion yesterday.
disdainful | disdainful: adj. contemptuous, scornful, contumelious, derisive, sneering, superior, supercilious, pompous, proud, prideful, arrogant, haughty, snobbish, lordly, regal; jeering, mocking, insolent, insulting, Colloq hoity-toity, high and mighty, stuck-up, highfalutin or hifalutin; Slang snotty: She was most disdainful of our efforts to enter the cosmetics market.
disease | disease: n. 1 sickness, affliction, ailment, malady, illness, infection, complaint, disorder, condition, infirmity, disability, Archaic murrain, Colloq bug: The colonel contracted the disease while in Malaysia. 2 blight, cancer, virus, plague; contagion: Panic spread through the Exchange like an infectious disease.
diseased | diseased: adj. unhealthy, unwell, ill, sick, ailing, unsound, infirm, out of sorts, abed, infected, contaminated; afflicted, abnormal: We must care for the diseased patients before those with broken bones.
disembark | disembark: v. land, alight, go or put ashore, get or step off or out, leave; debark, detrain, deplane: Tomorrow we disembark at Tunis.
disembodied | disembodied: adj. incorporeal, bodiless; intangible, immaterial, insubstantial or unsubstantial, impalpable, unreal; spiritual, ghostly, spectral, phantom, wraithlike: She wafted before his eyes, a disembodied spirit.
disenchanted | disenchanted: adj. disillusioned, disabused, undeceived, disappointed; blas�, indifferent, jaundiced, sour(ed), cynical: I''m afraid she''s now thoroughly disenchanted with her job.
disengage | disengage: v. loose, loosen, unloose, detach, unfasten, release, disconnect, disjoin, undo, disunite, divide, cleave (from), separate, uncouple, part, disinvolve, extricate, get out (of), get away (from), cut loose, throw off, shake (off), get rid of, break (with or from), break (up) (with); unbuckle, unhitch, unclasp, unlatch, unbolt, unlock, unleash, unfetter, unchain, unlace, unhook, unbind, untie; (set) free, liberate, disentangle: She was holding on to me so tenaciously that I could hardly disengage myself.
disfavour | disfavour: n. 1 disapproval, dislike, displeasure, disapprobation, unhappiness: Katerina regards your decision with disfavour. 2 disesteem, discredit, dishonour, disgrace, disrepute: After last night''s events, we are really in disfavour with the management. --v. 3 disapprove (of), dislike, discountenance, frown on or upon: We strongly disfavour the merger.
disfigured | disfigured: adj. marred, damaged, scarred, defaced, mutilated, injured, impaired, blemished, disfeatured, deformed, distorted, spoilt or spoiled, ruined: Plastic surgery has repaired her disfigured face.
disgrace | disgrace: n. 1 ignominy, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, degradation, debasement, dishonour, discredit, disfavour, disrepute, vitiation, infamy; disesteem, contempt, odium, obloquy, opprobrium: His conduct has brought disgrace on his family. 2 blemish, harm, aspersion, blot, scandal, slur, stigma, vilification, smirch, smear, stain, taint, black mark: The way she has been treated by the company is a disgrace. --v. 3 shame, humiliate, embarrass, mortify: He has been disgraced by his son''s cowardice. 4 degrade, debase, dishonour, discredit, disfavour, vitiate, defame, disparage, scandalize, slur, stain, taint, stigmatize, sully, besmirch, smirch, tarnish, smear, asperse, vilify, blacken, drag through the mud, reflect (adversely) on: Once again his actions have disgraced the family name.
disgraceful | disgraceful: adj. 1 shameful, humiliating, embarrassing, dishonourable, disreputable, infamous, ignominious, degrading, debasing, degraded, debased, base, low, vile, corrupt, bad, wrong, sinful, evil, low, mean, despicable, contemptible, opprobrious: He was forced to submit to the most disgraceful punishment. 2 shameless, outrageous, notorious, shocking, scandalous, improper, unseemly, unworthy; indecent, rude, flagrant, lewd, lascivious, delinquent, objectionable: Your drunken behaviour at the party last night was a disgraceful performance.
disgruntled | disgruntled: adj. displeased, dissatisfied, irritated, peeved, vexed, cross, exasperated, annoyed, unhappy, disappointed, discontented, put out; malcontent, discontent, testy, cranky, peevish, grouchy, grumpy, moody, sullen, sulky, ill-humoured, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, Brit cheesed off: He was disgruntled at the thought of having to go shopping in the pouring rain.
disguise | disguise: v. 1 camouflage, cover up, conceal, hide, mask: The van was disguised as a hay wagon. 2 misrepresent, falsify, counterfeit, fake, deceive: They have disguised the true profits to avoid paying taxes. --n. 3 guise, identity, cover-up, camouflage, appearance, semblance, form, outfit, costume: She appeared in the disguise of a policewoman. 4 pretence, deception, dissimulation, fa�ade, semblance, Colloq front: Disguise is seldom resorted to by spies these days.
disgust | disgust: v. 1 sicken, offend, nauseate, repel, revolt, put off, outrage, appal, Slang gross out: His patronizing attitude disgusts those who work for him. --n. 2 revulsion, nausea, sickness, repugnance, fulsomeness, outrage, distaste, aversion: One look at the food filled me with disgust. 3 loathing, contempt, hatred, abhorrence, odium, animus, animosity, enmity, antagonism, antipathy, dislike: Some feel disgust at the thought of eating insects.
disgusted | disgusted: adj. nauseated, sickened, nauseous, queasy; offended, outraged, Colloq fed up (with), sick (of), sick and tired (of); Slang US grossed out: Disgusted customers complain about delays in service.
disgusting | disgusting: adj. nauseating, sickening, offensive, outrageous, sick-making, fulsome, repulsive, revolting, repugnant, off-putting, repellent, obnoxious, loathsome, gross, vile, foul, nasty; unappetizing, unsavoury, objectionable, distasteful: Spitting in public is now considered a disgusting way to behave.
dishonest | dishonest: adj. untrustworthy, underhand(ed), dishonourable, fraudulent, fake, counterfeit, deceiving, deceptive, unfair, double-dealing, thieving, thievish, knavish, cheating, deceitful, lying, untruthful, mendacious, treacherous, perfidious, corrupt, unscrupulous, unprincipled; two-faced, hypocritical; Colloq crooked, shady; Chiefly Brit slang bent: He was so dishonest he stole from his mother''s purse.
dishonour | dishonour: v. 1 insult, abuse, affront, outrage, slight, offend, injure: His slaughter of the prisoners has dishonoured our flag. 2 disgrace, degrade, shame, debase, humiliate, mortify, abase, vitiate, humble: We were all dishonoured by our colleague''s defection. 3 defile, violate, ravish, rape, seduce, deflower, debauch: The general learned that his wife had been dishonoured by one of his adjutants. --n. 4 disesteem, disrespect, irreverence, slight, indignity, ignominy, disgrace, shame, disrepute, discredit, insult, offence, affront, loss of face, depreciation, belittlement, disparagement, detraction, derogation, obloquy: You cannot retreat without dishonour. 5 aspersion, defamation, libel, slander, blot, slur, smear, smirch, black mark, blemish, denigration: His actions have brought us dishonour.
dishonourable | dishonourable: adj. 1 disgraceful, degrading, inglorious, ignominious, shameful, shaming, base, debased: After the court martial, he received a dishonourable discharge. 2 unprincipled, shameless, corrupt, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, treacherous, traitorous, perfidious, dishonest, hypocritical, two-faced, duplicitous, disreputable, discreditable, base, despicable; disloyal, unfaithful, faithless: A double agent is considered dishonourable by both governments. 3 improper, unseemly, unbecoming, unworthy, outrageous, objectionable, reprehensible, flagrant, bad, evil, vile, low, mean, contemptible, below or beneath criticism, foul, heinous, dirty, filthy: Informing on your classmates is the most dishonourable thing you can do.
disillusion | disillusion: v. disabuse, disappoint, disenchant, disenchant, break the spell, enlighten, set straight, disentrance, disenthral, undeceive: When I saw her without make-up, I was thoroughly disillusioned.
disinclined | disinclined: adj. averse, indisposed, reluctant, unwilling, loath, opposed, unwilling; hesitant: I was disinclined to try skydiving.
disinfect | disinfect: v. clean, cleanse, purify, purge, sanitize, fumigate, decontaminate, sterilize: The bedding will have to be disinfected before it can be used.
disinfectant | disinfectant: n. germicide, antiseptic, sterilizer, bactericide, sanitizer, fumigant, decontaminant, decontaminator, purifier, cleaner, cleanser: Most disinfectants are poisonous.
disingenuous | disingenuous: adj. clever, artful, crafty, sly, on the qui vive, cunning, insidious, foxy, wily, slick, smooth; insincere, false, dishonest, tricky, devious, deceitful, underhand(ed), guileful, shifty; double-dealing, two-faced, duplicitous, hypocritical, scheming, plotting, calculating, designing, contriving: It is disingenuous to ask for advice when what you want is assistance.
disintegrate | disintegrate: v. break up or apart, shatter, come or fall apart, come or go or fall to pieces, crumble; decompose, rot, decay, moulder: The fossil disintegrated in my hands.
disinterested | disinterested: n. unbiased, impartial, unprejudiced, altruistic, objective, fair, neutral, open-minded, equitable, just, dispassionate, detached, even-handed, impersonal, uninvolved: The judge is supposed to be a disinterested party.
disjointed | disjointed: adj. 1 disjoined, separate(d), disconnected, unconnected, dismembered, disunited, divided, split (up): The disjointed parts of the building were kept in a warehouse. 2 ununified, loose, incoherent, confused, aimless, directionless, rambling, muddled, jumbled, mixed up, fitful, discontinuous, disorganized, unorganized, disorderly: His speech was disjointed - total gibberish.
dislike | dislike: v. 1 be averse to, mind, turn from, disfavour, disesteem, be put or turned off by; hate, loathe, scorn, despise, contemn, detest, abominate, execrate: I no longer dislike spinach. --n. 2 aversion, displeasure, distaste, disfavour, disesteem, disrelish, disaffection, disinclination; loathing, hatred, animus, animosity, antipathy, detestation, contempt, execration, ill will; disgust, repugnance; hostility, antagonism: I took an instant dislike to the fellow. She feels an intense dislike for her father.
disloyal | disloyal: adj. unfaithful, faithless, untrue, false, untrustworthy, recreant; treasonable or treasonous, treacherous, traitorous, unpatriotic, subversive, perfidious, deceitful; renegade, apostate, heretical: It would be disloyal of you not to vote along party lines.
dismal | dismal: adj. depressing, gloomy, cheerless, melancholy, sombre, dreary, sad, bleak, funereal, lugubrious, forlorn, morose, solemn, dark, grim, wretched, woebegone, woeful, black, blue, joyless, doleful, dolorous, unhappy, miserable, lowering; pessimistic: She was alone, alone on the dismal moor. The prospects for the company looked very dismal.
dismay | dismay: v. 1 alarm, frighten, scare, terrify, appal, panic, horrify, petrify, intimidate, cow, disconcert, unnerve: We were dismayed when the motor-cycle gang came to the house. 2 unsettle, discompose, upset, discourage, take aback, startle, shock, put off, dishearten: I was dismayed to hear she was still married to Grimsby. --n. 3 consternation, alarm, anxiety, agitation, terror, panic, horror, shock, fright, fear, trepidation, apprehension, dread, awe: The thought of the children alone in the boat filled me with dismay.
dismiss | dismiss: v. 1 discharge, oust, release, give notice (to), let go, lay off, throw out, toss out, remove, Chiefly military cashier, Old-fashioned military drum out, Brit politics deselect, Colloq fire, send packing, kick out, Brit sack, give (someone) the sack, boot (out), turn off, US give (someone) his or her walking papers, give (someone) a pink slip, can; Slang give (someone) the (old) heave-ho: Gabney has been dismissed without notice. 2 reject, set aside, repudiate, spurn, discount, disregard, lay aside, put out of one''s mind, think no more of, write off, banish, have or be done with, scorn, discard, ignore, shrug off; belittle, diminish, pooh-pooh: She dismissed the story as just so much gossip. 3 disperse, release, disband, send away: After returning from the mission, the commando unit was dismissed.
dismissal | dismissal: n. 1 discharge, expulsion, notice, Colloq firing, bounce, marching orders, Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Brit sack, sacking, one''s cards, US pink slip; Slang the (old) heave-ho , Brit the boot: Cholmondley got his dismissal yesterday. 2 cancellation, adjournment, discharge, end, release; cong�: The judge ordered dismissal of the charge of murder.
disobedient | disobedient: adj. 1 insubordinate, unruly, naughty, mischievous, bad, ill-behaved, badly behaved, obstreperous, unmanageable, refractory, fractious, ungovernable, uncomplying, unsubmissive, wayward, non-compliant, incompliant, intractable, defiant; delinquent, derelict, disregardful, remiss, undutiful: Disobedient children will be kept in after school. 2 contrary, perverse, wilful, headstrong, stubborn, recalcitrant, obdurate, obstinate, contumacious, wayward, cross-grained, opposed, mutinous, rebellious, revolting, anarchic, Colloq pigheaded: We cannot tolerate disobedient recruits.
disobey | disobey: v. defy, break, contravene, flout, disregard, ignore, resist, oppose, violate, transgress, overstep, go counter to, fly in the face of, infringe, thumb one''s nose at, snap one''s fingers at, Brit cock a snook at; mutiny, rebel, revolt, strike: You cannot play because you disobeyed the rules. If anyone disobeys, throw him in irons.
disorder | disorder: n. 1 disarray, confusion, chaos, disorderliness, disorganization, untidiness, mess, muddle, jumble, hash, mishmash, tangle, hotchpotch or US and Canadian also hodgepodge, derangement, shambles, clutter: After the party, the place was in terrible disorder. 2 tumult, riot, disturbance, pandemonium, upheaval, ferment, fuss, unrest, uproar, hubbub, hullabaloo, commotion, clamour, turbulence, turmoil, turbulence, violence, bedlam, free-for-all, rumpus, brouhaha, fracas, affray, fray, brawl, Donnybrook, scuffle, fight, m�l�e or melee, battle royal, battle, civil disorder, breach of the peace, Colloq Brit kerfuffle or carfuffle or kurfuffle, Slang Brit bovver: The army had to be called out to quell the disorder. 3 ailment, illness, sickness, affliction, malady, affection, complaint, disease: The doctors diagnosed it as a liver disorder. --v. 4 upset, disarrange, muddle, confuse, confound, unsettle, disorganize, discompose, shake up, disturb, mix (up), befuddle, jumble, scramble, tangle, snarl: You obscure the sense when you disorder the words.
disorderly | disorderly: adj. 1 confused, chaotic, scrambled, muddled, disordered, irregular, untidy, messy, messed-up, disarranged, disorganized, unorganized, jumbled, cluttered, haphazard, in disarray, pell-mell, helter-skelter, Colloq topsy-turvy, higgledy-piggledy: The books lay about in disorderly array. 2 unruly, uncontrolled, undisciplined, ungoverned, disobedient, mutinous, rebellious, lawless, obstreperous, refractory, turbulent, violent, tumultuous, unrestrained, boisterous, noisy, rowdy, wild; unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable, intractable: He was charged with being drunk and disorderly.
disorientated | disorientated: n. confused, bewildered, lost, adrift, (all) at sea, mixed up, uncertain, unsure, insecure, disoriented, Colloq out of it, in a fog, Brit off (the) beam, US off the beam: I left by another door and was completely disorientated for a moment.
disparage | disparage: v. 1 belittle, diminish, depreciate, devalue or devaluate, cheapen, talk down, discredit, dishonour, decry, demean, criticize, denigrate, deprecate, derogate, underrate, undervalue, downgrade, reduce, minimize: She keeps making remarks that disparage her husband. 2 run down, slander, libel, defame, traduce, malign, backbite, vilify, insult, stab in the back, US back-stab; Colloq poor mouth; Slang US and Canadian bad-mouth: A loving person never disparages others.
disparity | disparity: n. difference, discrepancy, gap, inequality, unevenness, imbalance, dissimilarity, contrast, imparity, inconsistency, incongruity: Our interests differ owing to the disparity in our ages.
dispassionate | dispassionate: adj. 1 cool, calm, composed, self-possessed, unemotional, unexcited, unexcitable, unflappable, level-headed, sober, self-controlled, even-tempered, unruffled, unmoved, tranquil, equable, placid, peaceful, serene: You can count on Henry for a dispassionate treatment of the subject. 2 fair, impartial, neutral, disinterested, detached, equitable, even-handed, unbiased, just, objective, unprejudiced, open-minded, candid, frank, open: The judge is known to be completely dispassionate in his decisions.
dispatch | dispatch: v. 1 send off or away or out, send on one''s way: We dispatched a messenger with the parcel. 2 send, mail, post, transmit, forward, ship, express, remit, convey , Chiefly US and Canadian freight: Please dispatch this letter as quickly as possible. 3 kill, murder, slay, dispose of, put to death, execute, do away with, do in, assassinate,- liquidate, finish (off), put an end to, put away (for good), Slang polish off, bump off, eliminate, gun down, silence, get, erase, rub out, knock off, bury, US ice, hit, take for a ride, waste, zap: The gang soon dispatched all their rivals. 4 hasten, hurry, speed up, accelerate, get done, accomplish, get through, conclude, finish off, complete, execute, do: The task was dispatched in just two days. --n. 5 haste, speed, promptness, quickness, expedition, expeditiousness, celerity, alacrity, swiftness, hurry, rapidity: She concluded the interview with dispatch and sent me away. 6 communiqu�, report, bulletin, story, news (item), communication, message, piece: document, instruction, missive: Here is a dispatch from our correspondent on Pitcairn Island. 7 execution, killing, murder, disposal, assassination, dispatching, slaying: The dispatch of the consul left us without a representative.
dispensable | dispensable: adj. disposable, non-essential, unessential, inessential, unnecessary, unneeded, expendable, superfluous, needless, useless: He said that a dishwasher was a luxury and entirely dispensable.
dispense | dispense: v. 1 distribute, give out, hand or pass out, furnish, supply, provide, give away, deal (out), dole out, parcel out, disburse, mete out, share (out), issue, apportion, allocate, allot, assign, Colloq dish out: The Red Cross dispensed medicines to the stricken villagers. 2 administer, conduct, direct, operate, superintend, supervise, carry out, execute, discharge, apply, implement, enforce: It is the governor who dispenses justice in these islands. 3 dispense with. a do without, forgo, give up, eschew, relinquish, refuse, waive, forswear, abstain (from), renounce, reject: Can we dispense with the jokes and get to work? b do away with, get rid of, eliminate, do without, dispose of, abolish, manage or do without, remove, cancel, ignore, render unnecessary or superfluous: Building on solid rock will dispense with the need for a foundation.
disperse | disperse: v. 1 spread (out), scatter, broadcast, distribute, circulate, diffuse, disseminate: The practice is now widely dispersed throughout Asia. 2 disband, spread out, scatter, dissipate, break up; disappear, vanish; dispel, dismiss, rout, send off or away: The crowd dispersed quietly.
displace | displace: v. 1 move, transfer, shift, relocate, dislocate, misplace, disturb, disarrange, disorder, unsettle: The entire population of the village was displaced when the dam was built. 2 expel, unseat, eject, evict, exile, banish, depose, remove, oust, dismiss, discharge, cashier, Colloq fire, kick or throw out, Brit sack: The voters displaced the corrupt council. 3 take the place of, supplant, replace, supersede, succeed: Watching television has displaced reading in many modern homes.
display | display: v. 1 show, exhibit, air, put or set forth, make visible, expose, evince, manifest, demonstrate, betray, reveal, unveil, disclose; advertise, publicize: Her paintings are being displayed at the gallery today. 2 unfurl, unfold, spread or stretch or open out, present: The ship suddenly displayed the Jolly Roger. 3 show off, flaunt, parade, flourish, vaunt, Colloq flash: He goes on those quiz programmes only to display his knowledge. --n. 4 show, exhibition, exhibit, presentation, array; demonstration; exposition, manifestation, revelation: We visited a display of weapons at the armoury. I have seldom seen such a display of ignorance. 5 ostentation, spectacle, flourish, show, parade, ceremony, pageantry, pageant, splendour, array, panoply, magnificence, grandeur, pomp, splash, �clat, �lan, dash: The display put on for Queen Victoria''s jubilee was truly lavish.
displease | displease: v. offend, put out, dissatisfy, upset, provoke, exasperate, worry, trouble, vex, annoy, irritate, pique, irk, nettle, peeve, chafe, rile, ruffle, anger, infuriate, frustrate, get (someone''s) goat, Colloq miff; Slang US bug: Having to listen to rock ''n'' roll on your damned hi-fi is what displeases me most.
displeasure | displeasure: n. 1 dissatisfaction, disapproval, disfavour, discontentment, distaste, dislike, discountenance: Your parents view your giving up college with displeasure and disappointment. 2 annoyance, irritation, vexation, chagrin, indignation, dudgeon, ire, anger, exasperation: He incurred the king''s displeasure and was banished from the land.
disposable | disposable: adj. 1 discardable, throw-away, non-returnable, paper, plastic, biodegradable: The new product is packaged in a disposable container. 2 available, liquid, spendable, usable, expendable, obtainable: Her disposable assets include valuable government bonds.
dispose | dispose: v. 1 place, arrange, move, adjust, order, array, organize, set up, situate, group, distribute, put: She is planning how to dispose the furniture in the room. 2 incline, influence, persuade, induce, bend, tempt, move, motivate, lead, prompt, urge: Her actions disposed me to cut her out of my will. 3 dispose of. a deal with, settle, decide, determine, conclude, finish (with): I hope we can dispose of these matters quickly. b throw away or out, discard, get rid of, jettison, scrap, Colloq dump, junk, US trash: Dispose of the remains of the broken chair. c distribute, give out, deal out, give (away), dispense, apportion, parcel out, allot, part with, transfer, make over, bestow, sell: My grandfather disposed of his wealth before he died. d do away with, finish off, put away, demolish, destroy, consume, devour, eat, Slang kill (off), knock off, polish off: She could dispose of four hamburgers at one sitting. The boys disposed of Louie because he knew too much.
disposed | disposed: adj. likely, inclined, apt, liable, given, tending or leaning towards, prone, subject, of a mind to, minded, willing, ready, predisposed: She was still awake when he got home and seemed disposed to talk.
disposition | disposition: n. 1 character, temper, attitude, temperament, nature, personality, bent, frame of mind, humour, make-up, spirit: Alan''s son David has a cheerful disposition. 2 arrangement, organization, placement, disposal, ordering, grouping, set, placing: I don''t care much for the disposition of the furniture. 3 transfer, transference, dispensation, disposal, assignment, settlement, determination, bestowal, parcelling out, distribution: The disposition of father''s assets is not your affair. 4 determination, choice, disposal, power, command, control, management, discretion, decision, regulation: Distribution of favours is at the disposition of the crown.
dispossess | dispossess: v. evict, expel, oust, eject, turn or drive out, dislodge, Colloq kick or throw out, Brit boot out, US bounce: The landlord dispossessed them for non-payment of rent.
disproportion | disproportion: n. inequality, unevenness, disparity, imbalance, asymmetry, irregularity, lopsidedness, dissimilarity, inconsistency, incongruity: Now that we''re older, there isn''t such a disproportion in our ages.
disproportionate | disproportionate: adj. unbalanced, out of proportion, asymmetrical, irregular, lopsided, dissimilar, inconsistent, incommensurate, incongruous; unfair, unequal, uneven, disparate: The windows are disproportionate to the size of the house. The contractor was paid a disproportionate amount for his work.
disprove | disprove: v. refute, confute, invalidate, contradict, negate, rebut, discredit, controvert, puncture, demolish, destroy, Colloq shoot or poke full of holes: Modern science has disproved the phlogiston theory.
disputable | disputable: n. debatable, moot, doubtful, uncertain, dubious, questionable, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, controversial; arguable: His claim to ownership of the property is disputable.
dispute | dispute: v. 1 argue with or against, question, debate, challenge, impugn, gainsay, deny, oppose, fight (against), object to, take exception to, disagree with, contest, confute, quarrel with, doubt, raise doubts about, dissent (from): The council dispute his right to build a hotel on that land. 2 argue (about), debate, discuss, quarrel about, wrangle over, differ (on or about): A bill of rights has occasionally been disputed in Parliament. --n. 3 argument, debate, disagreement, difference (of opinion), controversy, polemic, conflict, quarrel, wrangle, velitation; discussion; Colloq Brit argy-bargy or argie-bargie or argle-bargle: There is a dispute about the runner''s eligibility for the race. 4 conflict, disturbance, fight, altercation, row, disagreement, brawl, Donnybrook, feud, rumpus, fracas; strife, discord; tiff, velitation, US spat: Four people have been injured in the dispute.
disqualify | disqualify: v. declare ineligible or unqualified, turn down or away, reject, exclude, bar, debar, rule out: He was disqualified from voting because of his age.
disregard | disregard: v. 1 ignore, overlook, pay little or no heed or attention to, take little or no notice or account of, dismiss from one''s mind or thoughts, turn a blind eye or deaf ear to, brush aside, pass up, wink or blink at, make light of, let go by, gloss over, Rare pretermit: I shall disregard those insulting remarks. 2 snub, slight, turn up one''s nose at, disparage, despise, contemn, disdain, scorn, (give the) cold shoulder (to), cut; underrate, underestimate, take little or no account of, undervalue, minimize, dismiss, sneeze at, Slang brush off, give the go-by: Visitors often disregard the cultural attractions of Las Vegas. --n. 3 disrespect, contempt, indifference, inattention, non-observance, neglect, heedlessness, Rare pretermission; disdain, low regard, disesteem: Some drive with a profound disregard for the law.
disrepair | disrepair: n. decay, ruin, collapse, dilapidation, deterioration, ruination: The house is in a terrible state of disrepair.
disreputable | disreputable: adj. 1 low, base, abject, contemptuous, unrespectable, disrespectable, untrustworthy, discreditable, dishonourable, disgraceful, reprehensible, shameful, despicable, ignominious, bad, wicked, heinous, vicious, iniquitous, vile, opprobrious, scandalous, louche, questionable, dubious, Colloq shady: She keeps disreputable company. 2 dishevelled, unkempt, slovenly, untidy, shabby, disordered, messy, dirty, bedraggled, scruffy, seedy, threadbare, tattered, Brit down at heel, raddled, US down at the heel(s), Colloq sloppy, Slang Brit grotty: That disreputable beggar is your brother?
disrespect | disrespect: n. rudeness, impoliteness, discourtesy, incivility, unmannerliness, irreverence, impudence, impertinence, insolence, indecorum, Colloq cheek: I meant no disrespect by keeping my hat on, ma''am.
disrespectful | disrespectful: adj. impolite, rude, discourteous, uncivil, unmannerly, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, irreverent, impudent, insolent, indecorous, pert, saucy, forward, Colloq fresh, cheeky: Sara is sometimes disrespectful to her elders.
disrobe | disrobe: v. undress, strip, bare oneself: She disrobed and put on a swimsuit.
disrupt | disrupt: v. 1 disorder, upset, disorganize, disturb, unsettle, shake up, disconcert, agitate: You''ve disrupted my plan completely. 2 interrupt, break in or into, interfere (with): They disrupted the meeting with their loud outbursts.
dissatisfaction | dissatisfaction: n. 1 discontent, discontentment, unhappiness, displeasure, non-fulfilment, disappointment, frustration, discomfort, uneasiness, disquiet, malaise: I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction at the end of the play. 2 annoyance, irritation, dismay, displeasure: Complaints concerning dissatisfaction with the food plagued the hospital administrators.
dissatisfied | dissatisfied: adj. discontented, displeased, disappointed, unsatisfied, discontent, disgruntled, unhappy, unfulfilled, ungratified, frustrated: We return the full purchase price to any dissatisfied customer.
dissension | dissension: n. disagreement, dissent, discord, contention, strife, conflict, discordance, friction: The issue has sown dissension among the members.
disservice | disservice: n. harm, damage, injury, wrong, unkindness, bad turn, disfavour, injustice: It was a disservice to tell my boss about my expense account.
dissident | dissident: n. 1 dissenter, nonconformist, protester or protestor, heretic, rebel, apostate, recusant; revolutionary: Many dissidents were released and allowed to leave the country. --adj. 2 disagreeing, nonconformist, nonconforming, dissenting, dissentient, apostate, non-compliant, heterodox, discordant, conflicting, contentious: The couple spent ten years in Siberia for promoting their dissident philosophy.
dissimilar | dissimilar: adj. different, unlike, unalike, distinct, separate, contrasting, diverse, unrelated, heterogeneous: The styles are entirely dissimilar.
dissimilarity | dissimilarity: n. difference, dissimilitude, unlikeness, disparity; discrepancy: The dissimilarities between art deco and art nouveau are too numerous to mention.
dissimulate | dissimulate: v. pretend, dissemble, feign, disguise, camouflage, cover up, conceal, deceive, misrepresent, fake, counterfeit: She''s dissimulating her real attitude towards the wealthy.
dissimulation | dissimulation: n. deception, misrepresentation, dissembling, deceit, deception, hypocrisy, sham, pretence, duplicity, double-dealing: There can be no dissimulation between honest people.
dissipate | dissipate: v. 1 scatter, spread (out), disperse, be dispelled, diffuse; disseminate, sow, distribute; break up: The crowd had dissipated by noon. 2 spread thin, evaporate, vanish, disappear, vaporize, peter out, diminish: By the time we were ready to go, the clouds had dissipated. 3 squander, waste, fritter away, throw away, burn up, use up, exhaust, run through: By the time he was twenty, he had dissipated a huge fortune. 4 revel, carouse, party, sow one''s wild oats, burn the candle at both ends, roister, make merry, debauch, go on a spree: Before their marriage, he was seen dissipating in the fleshpots of Europe.
dissipation | dissipation: n. 1 squandering, waste, wastefulness, profligacy, abandon, abandonment, self-indulgence, self-gratification, overindulgence, intemperance, hedonism, fast or high living, dolce vita, voluptuousness, sensualism, sybaritism, dissoluteness, dissolution, excess(es), wantonness, debauchery, carousing, prodigality, recklessness, extravagance, rakishness: Owing to my dissipation, I had become an alcoholic vagrant. 2 disappearance, dispersion, dispersal, diffusion, scattering, vanishing: The dissipation of the tear-gas was rapid in the strong breeze. 3 distraction, amusement, diversion, entertainment: Reading, once a dissipation, had become an obsession.
dissociate | dissociate: v. separate, cut off, sever, disassociate, disjoin, disconnect, abstract, disengage, detach, isolate, distance, break off (from), break up (with), divorce, set apart, segregate: I have carefully dissociated myself from any political party.
dissolute | dissolute: adj. dissipated, debauched, abandoned, corrupt, degenerate, rakish, profligate, wanton, rakehell, intemperate, incontinent, loose, licentious, overindulgent, carousing, self-indulgent, hedonistic, pleasure-bound, immoral, amoral, libidinous, unrestrained, depraved: He has paid dearly for his dissolute life.
dissolution | dissolution: n. 1 disintegration, separation, breakup, breakdown, separation, breaking up, breaking down, collapse, undoing: Much ill will attended the dissolution of our marriage. 2 destruction, decomposition, decay, ruin, overthrow, dissolving, disbandment, dismissal, dispersal, disorganization, discontinuation; adjournment, ending, end, termination, conclusion, finish: A vote of no confidence led to the dissolution of Parliament.
dissolve | dissolve: v. 1 melt (away), liquefy, disperse, disintegrate, diffuse, decompose, thaw (out), fuse, deliquesce; sublime; vanish, disappear, fade (away), diminish, decline, peter out: Dissolve one tablet in water. The sugar dissolved in the tea. 2 collapse, break into, melt into: She dissolved into tears whenever he shouted at her. 3 break up, disperse, dismiss, terminate, finish, conclude, adjourn, recess, disband, wind up; liquidate: We took a vote and dissolved the meeting.
distance | distance: n. 1 remoteness, space, gap, interval, mileage, footage, stretch: What is the distance from here to your house? 2 aloofness, detachment, reserve, coolness, haughtiness, hauteur, stiffness, rigidity: He maintains a distance between himself and the servants. --v. 3 separate, detach, dissociate, disassociate: She distanced herself from her students.
distant | distant: adj. 1 far, far-off, remote, far-away, long-way-off; removed: The creature said he had come from a distant star. 2 away, off: The ship is ten miles distant. 3 aloof, detached, reserved, cool, cold, haughty, standoffish, unapproachable, inaccessible, withdrawn, reticent, ceremonious, formal, stiff, rigid, frigid, unfriendly: You find him warm, but I think him very distant.
distaste | distaste: n. 1 dislike, disfavour, antipathy, disrelish, disinclination; dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontentment: You know of my distaste for cocktail parties. 2 aversion, revulsion, disgust, nausea, abhorrence, loathing, repugnance, horror: She has a distinct distaste for avocado pears.
distasteful | distasteful: adj. disgusting, revolting, sick-making, nauseating, nauseous, repugnant, repulsive, loathsome, fulsome, nasty, disagreeable, foul, off-putting, unpalatable, obnoxious, objectionable, offensive, unpleasing, unpleasant, displeasing: I found their children''s table manners quite distasteful.
distinct | distinct: adj. 1 clear, perceptible, plain, understandable, vivid, definite, well-defined, precise, exact, unmistakable or unmistakeable, noticeable, recognizable, obvious, patent, marked, manifest, evident, apparent, explicit, unambiguous, clear-cut, palpable, unequivocal, lucid, sharp, pellucid, limpid, transparent: There is a distinct outline of a figure on the Turin shroud. 2 separate, detached, discrete, different, dissimilar, distinguishable, distinguished; individual, sui generis, unique, special, singular; peculiar, unusual, uncommon, contrasting: The government of Puerto Rico is distinct from that of the US. He has been charged with three distinct offences.
distinction | distinction: n. 1 differentiation, discrimination, difference, contrast, separation, division, dividing line; distinctiveness: Any distinction between them is difficult to discern. 2 honour, credit, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, superiority, uniqueness, greatness, excellence, quality, merit, worth, value, prestige, note, importance, significance, consequence, renown, fame, repute, reputation, celebrity, glory, account: We all know her as a scholar of distinction.
distinctive | distinctive: adj. distinguishing, characteristic, unique, singular, distinct, individual, typical, idiosyncratic, peculiar: She has developed a distinctive style of her own.
distinguish | distinguish: v. 1 differentiate, discriminate, tell the difference, tell apart, determine, judge, decide, tell who''s who or what''s what: He is still unable to distinguish between his own twin daughters. 2 classify, categorize, characterize, individualize, mark, identify, define, designate, denote, indicate, separate, single out, set apart; grade, group: The male is distinguished by his brighter colouring. 3 sense, make out, perceive, discern, pick out, recognize, identify, detect, notice; see, espy, descry; hear; smell; taste; feel: I could distinguish two people in the dark. 4 call attention to, identify, mark, set apart, separate, segregate, indicate, particularize: She distinguished herself by her great beauty and her awful voice.
distinguished | distinguished: adj. 1 celebrated, famous, illustrious, noted, renowned, notable, noteworthy, pre-eminent, eminent, prominent, honoured, respected, honourable: Churchill was one of the most distinguished men of his day. 2 dignified, noble, grand, stately, distingu�, royal, regal, aristocratic: What is he doing in this distinguished gathering?
distort | distort: v. 1 twist, warp, deform, misshape, contort, gnarl, bend, disfigure, wrench: The car was completely distorted in the crash. 2 twist, warp, slant, tamper with, colour, varnish, torture, pervert, misrepresent, fabricate, falsify, misstate, alter, change, bend, garble, violate: She distorted the facts if she said it was Bill who had a gun.
distract | distract: v. 1 divert, deflect, sidetrack, turn aside, draw away: Sorry, I was distracted for a moment - where were we? 2 divert, amuse, entertain, gratify, delight, occupy, interest, absorb, engross: We found the belly-dancers quite distracting. 3 bewilder, confuse, confound, perplex, puzzle, discompose, befuddle, mystify, disconcert, fluster, rattle, bemuse, daze, disturb, agitate, trouble, bother: I am distracted with doubts about whether to phone the police.
distraction | distraction: n. 1 bewilderment, befuddlement, disorder, disturbance, upset, confusion, agitation: The princess loves you to distraction. 2 diversion, entertainment, amusement: I was never really interested in him, he was merely a temporary distraction.
distraught | distraught: adj. distracted, agitated, troubled, disturbed, upset, perturbed, wrought or worked up, excited, frantic, at (one''s) wits'' end, overwrought, frenetic, nervous, frenzied, feverish, wild, hysterical, delirious, irrational, crazy, mad, insane, berserk, run(ning) amok: He is distraught with grief.
distress | distress: n. 1 anguish, anxiety, affliction, angst, grief, misery, torment, ache, pain, suffering, agony, torture, woe, woefulness, wretchedness; unhappiness, sorrow, sadness, depression, heartache, desolation: It is impossible to imagine the distress of a bereaved parent. 2 calamity, trouble, adversity, catastrophe, tragedy, misfortune, difficulty, hardship, straits, trial, disaster: Has he no sympathy for the distresses that have beset his people? --v. 3 bother, disturb, perturb, upset, trouble, worry, harrow, harry, vex, harass, plague, oppress, grieve, torment, torture, afflict: The thought of Miss Camberley as a hostage distressed us all.
distribute | distribute: v. 1 deal or dole out, parcel out, give (out), mete out, dispense, apportion, allot, share (out), partition, divide up, assign, issue, circulate, pass out, pass round or around, hand out, deliver, convey, Colloq dish or spoon out: Emergency rations were distributed to the flood victims. 2 disperse, scatter, strew, spread (round or around or about), diffuse, disseminate: Mammals are uniformly distributed over the globe. 3 sort, classify, class, categorize, assort, arrange, group, file, order: Distribute the packages according to their size.
distribution | distribution: n. 1 apportionment, allotment, allocation, assignment, parcelling or US also parceling out, sharing; deployment: She supervised the distribution of the prizes. 2 issuance, circulation, dissemination, giving (out), dispersal, dispensation; deployment: The distribution of food parcels is being handled by charities. 3 arrangement, disposition, grouping, classification, order, ordering, division, cataloguing, codification; deployment: What is the distribution of scientists among the population?
district | district: n. territory, region, section, sector, division, partition, part, precinct, locality, area, locale, department, province, community, quarter, neighbourhood, ward: We need a new hospital in our district.
distrust | distrust: v. 1 mistrust, doubt, question, be sceptical of, be circumspect or cautious about, suspect, be suspicious or wary of, discredit, disbelieve, Colloq smell a rat; Colloq be leery of: I distrusted her motives from the very beginning. --n. 2 mistrust, doubt, doubtfulness, uncertainty, misgiving(s), scepticism, suspicion, disbelief, incredulity, incredulousness, hesitation, caution, wariness, qualm, hesitancy: His claims were greeted with distrust.
distrustful | distrustful: adj. distrusting, untrusting, mistrustful, doubting, chary, wary, cautious, suspicious, sceptical, doubtful, dubious, cynical, disbelieving, unbelieving, uneasy, nervous, hesitant, hesitating, unsure, uncertain, Colloq leery: She is distrustful of men who bring her flowers.
disturb | disturb: v. 1 interrupt, disrupt, intrude (on), inconvenience, put out, interfere (with); bother, pester, annoy, irritate, irk, upset, plague, hector, harry, harass, worry, vex, provoke, pique, peeve, get on (someone''s) nerves, Colloq bug, miff, get under (someone''s) skin, get in (someone''s) hair, drive nuts or crazy or bats or batty or bananas or up the wall, hassle: The sound of dripping water disturbed me. Please do not disturb the animals. 2 agitate, stir or churn (up), shake (up), unsettle, roil, disorder: The lake''s surface was violently disturbed by an enormous creature. 3 unsettle, affect, upset, damage, harm, destroy: We put the delicate mechanism where it wouldn''t be disturbed by curious visitors. 4 trouble, disconcert, discomfit, perturb, ruffle, fluster, upset, agitate, put off, bother, discommode, put out, unsettle, distress; alarm, Colloq shake (up): He was greatly disturbed by the death of his father. 5 affect, upset, confound, confuse, change, put off, ruin, destroy, cancel, make ineffectual or ineffective, negate: Any change in temperature will disturb the results of the experiment.
disturbance | disturbance: n. 1 disruption, disorder, disorganization, disarrangement, disarray; upheaval, interruption, upset, intrusion, interference: She won''t tolerate any disturbance to her schedule. 2 commotion, disorder, upset, outburst, tumult, turmoil, turbulence, violence, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, uproar, brouhaha, rumpus, brawl, m�l�e or melee, breach of the peace, Donnybrook, fray, affray, fracas, trouble, Colloq ruckus, Brit spot of bother, Slang Brit spot of bovver: There was a disturbance at the pub yesterday.
disturbed | disturbed: adj. 1 upset, uneasy, uncomfortable, discomfited, troubled, worried, bothered, agitated, anxious, concerned, apprehensive, nervous: He''s disturbed that Marie didn''t come home last night. 2 psychoneurotic, neurotic, unbalanced, psychopathic, psychotic, maladjusted, mad, insane, out of one''s mind, depressed, Colloq crazy, unable to cope, Brit bonkers, Slang nuts, screwy, batty, off one''s rocker, off the deep end, messed-up, screwed-up: She looks after her sister, who is disturbed.
disturbing | disturbing: adj. upsetting, off-putting, perturbing, troubling, unsettling, worrying, disconcerting, disquieting, alarming, distressing: There is disturbing news from the front.
disused | disused: adj. abandoned, neglected, unused; discontinued, obsolete, archaic: We had to sleep in a disused railway carriage.
diurnal | diurnal: adj. daily, circadian; day-to-day, regular, everyday, quotidian; daytime: Jet lag is a disturbance of the body''s diurnal rhythms. Are these animals nocturnal or diurnal?
dive | dive: v. 1 plunge, nosedive, sound, descend, dip, submerge, go under, sink; jump, leap, duck; swoop, plummet: The submarine dived at once. --n. 2 plunge, nosedive: The plane went into a dive. 3 bar, saloon, nightclub, bistro, club, Colloq nightspot, Slang joint, US dump, honky-tonk, juke-joint: He met the woman in a dive in Limehouse.
diverge | diverge: v. 1 separate, radiate, spread (apart), divide, subdivide, fork, branch (off or out), ramify, split: The roads diverge further on. 2 deviate, turn aside or away, wander, digress, stray, depart, drift, divagate: Our policy diverges from that set up by the committee.
divergent | divergent: adj. differing, different, dissimilar, disparate, variant, separate, diverging, disagreeing, conflicting, discrepant: There are divergent theories about the origin of the universe.
divers | divers: adj. various, several, sundry; miscellaneous, multifarious, manifold, varied, assorted, variegated, differing, different; some, numerous, many: We have the divers statements of the witnesses.
diverse | diverse: adj. different, varied, diversified, multiform, various, assorted, mixed, miscellaneous; distinctive, distinct, separate, varying, discrete, dissimilar, differing, divergent, heterogeneous: Diverse subjects are available for study.
diversify | diversify: v. vary, variegate, change, mix, change; spread, distribute, divide, break up, separate; branch out: We must diversify our investments to hedge against losses. Perhaps this is not a good time to diversify into other areas.
diversion | diversion: n. 1 digression, deviation, departure, distraction: George created a diversion, while we robbed the safe. 2 detour, sidetrack, deviation, bypass, deviation: Owing to roadworks, we had to take a diversion off the main road. 3 amusement, distraction, entertainment, pastime, recreation, divertissement, game, play, relaxation: She prefers chess for diversion.
diversity | diversity: n. 1 difference, dissimilarity, dissimilitude, unlikeness, disparity, deviation, divergence, departure, distinctiveness, diverseness, variation, variety, individuality, inconsistency, contrariety, discrepancy, contrast: Flowers are impressive in their diversity. 2 variety, range, extent, heterogeneity, multiplicity, multifariousness, variegation, multiformity: Democracy encourages diversity of opinion.
divert | divert: v. 1 switch, rechannel, redirect; change, alter, deflect: Funds for the new civic centre have been diverted to housing. We must divert the course of the river. 2 turn away, turn aside, avert, re-route, deflect; change course, swerve (off or away), shift, sidetrack, depart, deviate: Cars were diverted to avoid flooded areas. We diverted from our route because of the roadworks. 3 entertain, amuse, distract, interest, beguile, engage, occupy, absorb: We found the stand-up comedian mildly diverting but not really funny.
divest | divest: v. 1 strip, denude, rid, get rid, relieve, disencumber, deprive, dispossess; despoil, mulct: The company has been divested of all its assets. 2 divest oneself of. take or put off, doff, remove; disrobe,unclothe, undress: She divested herself of her fur coat.
divide | divide: v. 1 separate, split (up), break up, cleave, cut up or asunder, partition, segregate, subdivide; disconnect, disjoin, detach, sever, sunder, part: Argyle divided his mountaineers into three regiments. A divided nation cannot stand. Some would like to see Britain divided from continental Europe. 2 Sometimes, divide up. distribute, share (out), measure out, parcel out, partition, dole (out), deal (out), mete out, allocate, allot, apportion, dispense, give (out): The remaining food was divided among us. 3 separate, split, cause to disagree, alienate, disunite, set at odds, sow dissension (among), pit or set against one another, disaffect: Racial issues still divide the people. 4 branch (out), ramify, split, separate: The road divides there and passes on each side of that huge rock. 5 categorize, classify, sort, assort, grade, group, (put in) order, rank, organize, arrange: You have to divide the books into several piles according to size.
divine | divine: adj. 1 godlike, godly, holy, deiform, deific, angelic, seraphic, saintly; heavenly, celestial; sacred, sanctified, hallowed, consecrated, religious, spiritual: They believe in the divine right of kings. He receives divine inspiration at divine services. 2 superhuman, supernatural, gifted, pre-eminent, superior, excellent, supreme, exalted, transcendent, extraordinary: Even the divine Homer nods. 3 great, marvellous, splendid, superlative, glorious, superb, admirable, wonderful, awesome, perfect, excellent, beautiful, Colloq super, great, terrific, smashing, fantastic, splendiferous, Colloq Brit ace, magic: They say that the new musical is simply divine. --v. 4 intuit, imagine, conjecture, guess, assume, presume, infer, suppose, hypothesize, surmise, suspect, understand, perceive, speculate, theorize, predict, foretell, have foreknowledge of; determine, discover: He had divined that she might be there. --n. 5 holy man, priest, clergyman, cleric, ecclesiastic, minister, pastor, reverend, churchman, prelate: At his club, he enjoys the company of bishops, archbishops, and other divines.
division | division: n. 1 dividing, split, splitting (up), breaking up, partition, partitioning, partitionment, separation, separating, diremption, segmentation, segmenting, compartmentation, sectioning, apportioning, apportionment, allotment: In England a division between Church and State is not recognized. 2 section, compartment, segment; partition, separation: Egg crates have 144 divisions. 3 branch, department, sector, section, unit, group, arm; part, set, category, class, classification: The textile division of the company lost money last year. 4 boundary (line), border, borderline, frontier, margin, line, dividing line: Where is the division between good and evil? 5 discord, disagreement, upset, conflict, strife, disunity, disunion: The issue of equal rights has led to much division within the movement.
divorce | divorce: n. 1 separation, split, split-up, dissolution, severance, disunion, break-up: Their divorce after twenty years surprised everyone. --v. 2 separate, divide, split (up), part, sever, detach, dissociate, disassociate; dissolve: A splinter group has divorced itself from the main party. We were divorced last year.
dizzy | dizzy: adj. 1 giddy, vertiginous, light-headed, faint, dazed, tottering, unsteady, reeling, tipsy, Colloq woozy: I felt dizzy after going down the helter-skelter. 2 confused, silly, giddy, empty-headed, scatterbrained, muddled, befuddled, flighty, feather-headed, feather-brained, rattle-brained, hare-brained, frivolous: He is dizzy with power.
