
exact | exact: adj. 1 precise, accurate, correct, faithful, true, faultless, identical, literal, perfect, consummate: This is an exact copy of the original. Were those her exact words? 2 careful, meticulous, strict, rigorous, accurate, exacting, severe, fastidious, scrupulous, thorough, painstaking, rigid, punctilious: He has conducted the most exact experiments. --v. 3 demand, extort, require, enforce, insist on or upon, extract, impose, wrest, compel, enjoin, call for, requisition, claim: The chief exacted tribute before releasing the prisoners.
exacting | exacting: adj. demanding, rigorous, difficult, rigid, stern, hard, tough, severe, harsh, burdensome, taxing, stringent, imperative, unsparing, oppressive, tyrannical: I know of no more exacting job than that of air traffic controller.
exactly | exactly: adv. 1 accurately, precisely, strictly, perfectly, correctly, unerringly, faultlessly, faithfully, scrupulously, literally, to the letter, word for word, verbatim, closely; methodically, systematically: She translated the passage exactly, with no errors. 2 definitely, absolutely, positively, undeniably, surely, certainly, unequivocally, completely, in every respect, in all respects, particularly, specifically, explicitly, just, quite, expressly, precisely, accurately, truly, Colloq Brit bang on: This is exactly the kind of house we want.
exaggerate | exaggerate: v. overstate, magnify, inflate, overdraw, embroider, embellish, elaborate, enlarge, stretch, romance, overemphasize, overstress, overplay, overdo, exalt, hyperbolize, paint, Colloq lay it on thick, play up, pile it on: She exaggerates when she claims to be the best actress in the world. He believes the health risks are exaggerated.
exaggeration | exaggeration: n. overstatement, magnification, inflation, embroidery, embellishment, elaboration, enlargement, stretch, romanticization, extravagance, overemphasis, excess, exaltation, enhancement, hyperbole; empty talk, bombast, bragging, boasting, boastfulness, magniloquence, Literary gasconade, rodomontade, Colloq fish story, puffery, Slang bull(shit), hot air: It was a press agent''s exaggeration to call the movie a ''colossal epic''.
exalt | exalt: v. 1 elevate, raise or lift (up or on high), upraise, uplift, upgrade, boost, promote, advance: The goalkeeper was exalted to heroic status by the fans. 2 praise, honour, extol, glorify, idolize, dignify, ennoble, revere, reverence, venerate, pay homage or tribute to, celebrate; lionize: O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 3 stimulate, excite, animate, (a)rouse, fire, inspire, electrify, awaken, spur, stir (up), inspirit: Certain drugs have the effect of exalting the imagination.
exalted | exalted: adj. 1 elevated, lofty, high, eminent, notable, noted, prominent, famous, famed, celebrated, distinguished, dignified, honoured, prestigious, glorified, sublime, grand: During his later life he enjoyed an exalted reputation. 2 elevated, noble, lofty, superior, uplifting, heightened, high-flown; exaggerated, pretentious, overblown, inflated: His writing is euphuistic, that is, flowery or exalted. She has an exalted notion of her importance. 3 elated, excited, exultant, ecstatic, jubilant, overjoyed, joyful, rapturous, transported, blissful, happy, joyous, in seventh heaven, uplifted, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: They were in too exalted a mood to be interested in such mundane matters.
examination | examination: n. 1 investigation, scrutiny, study, analysis, inspection, inquiry or enquiry, probe, search, exploration, research, survey, going-over, check-up, check(out), appraisal, assessment: Examination of the finances revealed a secret Swiss bank account. 2 testing, test, quiz, exam: There will be a written examination on Friday. 3 interrogation, inquisition, inquiry or enquiry, catechism, cross-examination, Colloq third degree, grill(ing): Examination of the prisoners is left to intelligence officers.
examine | examine: v. 1 investigate, scrutinize, study, peruse, scan, pore over, analyse, sift, inspect, inquire or enquire into, go over or through or into, look over or into, probe, search, explore, research, survey, check up on, check (out), appraise, assess, weigh, Brit vet, Slang case: The theory will be examined thoroughly. 2 test; interrogate, quiz, catechize, cross-examine, question, sound out, Colloq grill, pump: The director closely examined all applicants for the position.
example | example: n. 1 instance, case, sample, specimen, illustration: If this is an example of your work, I''m afraid we aren''t interested. 2 model, prototype, standard, archetype, exemplar, pattern, benchmark, norm, criterion: You should set an example to the children. 3 warning, admonition, lesson: The judge made an example of him by giving him the maximum sentence. 4 for example. for instance, as a case in point, as an illustration or example, by way of illustration, to illustrate, e.g. or eg, exempli gratia: Consider, for example, the following poem by Wordsworth.
exasperate | exasperate: v. 1 anger, infuriate, enrage, incense, madden, rile, drive mad; embitter; inflame; Colloq drive crazy, drive up the wall: Dealing with a bureaucracy can be exasperating for anyone. 2 irritate, irk, annoy, bother, harass, pique, gall, nettle, rankle, provoke, vex, pester, torment, plague; hector, badger, Colloq bug, needle, peeve, get, get under (someone''s) skin, rub (up) the wrong way, aggravate, Slang get (someone''s) goat, piss (someone) off: The child''s constant questions were beginning to exasperate me.
excavate | excavate: v. 1 dig (out or up), hollow or gouge (out), scoop out, burrow or cut (out): They are excavating a great hole in the centre of the site. 2 unearth, uncover, expose, clear, lay bare, dig up, disinter, bring up, exhume: A large part of Pompeii has been excavated.
excavation | excavation: n. cavity, hole, pit, crater, cut, ditch, trench, trough, burrow, hollow, shaft, tunnel; mine, quarry: Concrete for the foundations will be poured into the excavation.
exceed | exceed: v. 1 surpass, top, excel, be superior to, go beyond, beat, overwhelm, better, outdistance, pass, overtake, outstrip, outrank, outrun, outdo, outpace, transcend, outshine, outreach, overshadow, eclipse: The success of the new product exceeded our expectations. 2 overstep, go beyond, overextend: His behaviour exceeded the bounds of decency.
exceeding | exceeding: adj. great, huge, enormous, extraordinary, excessive, exceptional, surpassing: The exceeding poverty of the people is heart-rending.
exceedingly | exceedingly: adv. very, extremely, especially, exceptionally, considerably, incomparably, immeasurably, extraordinarily, remarkably; excessively, greatly, hugely, enormously: She plays the violin exceedingly well. Even for a dog, that is an exceedingly ugly dog.
excel | excel: v. surpass, be superior (to), dominate, top, exceed, go beyond, beat, outstrip, outrank, outdo, outpace, outshine, overshadow, eclipse; shine, be pre-eminent: Few places excel the Caribbean islands for beauty. He really excels when it comes to swimming.
excellence | excellence: n. superiority, merit, (high) quality, goodness, fineness, greatness, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, distinction, value, worth, supremacy: Those who attain excellence often devote their lives to one pursuit.
excellent | excellent: adj. superb, outstanding, exceptional, superior, matchless, peerless, unequalled, without equal, nonpareil, supreme, superlative, sterling, capital, first-class, first-rate, prime, choice, select, distinguished, noteworthy, notable, worthy, the best, tiptop, admirable, splendid, remarkable, marvellous, extraordinary, Colloq A-1 or A-one, great, smashing, super, terrific, fantastic, Brit magic, Dialectal champion, Old-fashioned top-hole, ripping, tickety-boo, US A number 1, major, Australian bonzer, Slang cool, ripsnorting: Thank you for an excellent dinner. He is an excellent pianist.
except | except: prep. 1 Sometimes except for. excepting, save, but, excluding, exclusive of, barring, bar, with the exception of, omitting, not counting, apart from, but for, other than, saving: There was no one there except us. Except for us, no one came. --conj. 2 except that. except or but (for the fact) that, but, save that: He would have gone except that he has no car. --v. 3 exclude, omit, leave out, excuse: As usual, the wealthy were excepted from the tax increase.
exception | exception: n. 1 exclusion, omission: With the exception of those who are absent, all members are entitled to a free T-shirt. 2 debarment, blockage, lockout, shut-out: His wife was deeply offended by his exception from membership of the country club. 3 departure, anomaly, irregularity, special case; oddity, freak, rarity, peculiarity, quirk: The exception proves the rule. Why does Viv always have to be an exception? 4 take exception (to). make or raise (an) objection (to or against), object (to), demur (at), find fault (with), take offence or umbrage (at), be offended (at); (call into) question, cavil, quibble, challenge, oppose, disagree (with): She takes exception to everything I suggest. If you propose to ban smoking at the meeting, will some people take exception?
exceptionable | exceptionable: adj. objectionable, disputable, questionable, criticizable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory: We found nothing exceptionable about the service.
exceptional | exceptional: adj. 1 special, unusual, especial, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, uncommon, rare, singular; strange, irregular, aberrant, odd, peculiar, anomalous: The candlesticks turned out to be of exceptional value. He insisted that rainstorms in the Sahara were not exceptional. 2 gifted, talented, superior, outstanding, above average, excellent, prodigious, extraordinary: Your child is exceptional, Mrs Einstein. 3 handicapped, below average, deficient, Brit ESN (=''educationally subnormal''): The boy attends a school for exceptional children.
excerpt | excerpt: n. 1 extract, selection, quotation, citation, passage, pericope: The speaker read excerpts from well-known writers. --v. 2 extract, select, quote, cite, cull (out), pick (out), take: Parts of this book were excerpted from his earlier writings.
excess | excess: n. 1 surplus, over-abundance, overflow, superabundance, nimiety, superfluity, surfeit, plethora, glut, redundancy, over-sufficiency, supererogation, leftovers; overkill: The excess of income over expenses constitutes profit. There is an excess of water on the road after a rainstorm. 2 Often, excesses. debauchery, extravagance, immoderation, prodigality, overindulgence, intemperance, dissipation, dissoluteness: Because of their excesses they have been shunned by their friends. --adj. 3 surplus, extra, superfluous, excessive, leftover, residual, remaining: After paying the bills, any excess money goes into savings.
excessive | excessive: adj. 1 immoderate, inordinate, disproportionate, extravagant, exorbitant, superfluous, excess, undue, enormous, extreme, unreasonable, unwarranted, unjustifiable, outrageous, unconscionable: This job is making excessive demands on my time. 2 overdone, fulsome, cloying, nauseating, disgusting: I was sickened by her excessive sweetness.
exchange | exchange: v. 1 trade, barter, switch, change, interchange, reciprocate, return, Colloq swap or swop: We exchange gifts every Christmas. --n. 2 trade, barter, change, traffic, commerce, dealing, truck, transfer, interchange, reciprocity, reciprocation, switch, quid pro quo, tit for tat, Colloq swap or swop: An exchange of prisoners was negotiated. What can I do for you in exchange? 3 altercation, argument, quarrel, disagreement, unpleasantness: We had a brief exchange, then he struck me. 4 market, stock market, Stock Exchange, securities exchange, the Market, the Board, the Big Board, the Exchange, the Bourse, Wall Street, US the Street: The exchange reported little activity in anticipation of the finance minister''s speech.
excitable | excitable: adj. volatile, jumpy, apprehensive, nervous, restive, restless, fidgety, edgy, touchy, highly-strung, high-strung, mercurial, emotional, quick-tempered, testy, hot-blooded, feverish, hysterical, US on a short string: The director becomes very excitable before each performance.
excite | excite: v. 1 (a)rouse, spur (on), stir (up), move, animate, enliven, activate, motivate, invigorate, energize, stimulate, cause, provoke, prod, agitate, incite, quicken, urge, (a)wake, (a)waken, call forth, summon (up), elicit, inspire, inspirit, rally, galvanize, electrify, foment, fire (up), inflame, kindle, ignite, initiate, instigate, generate, occasion, begin, start, bring about, effect, set in motion, Colloq get going, spark, wind up, get (someone) (all) steamed up, hop up, US kick-start, light a fire under: The speech excited the crowd''s patriotic fervour. 2 agitate, disturb, perturb, stir up, discompose, fluster, ruffle, upset, disconcert: Don''t excite the horses. 3 thrill, stir up, titillate, work up, arouse, inflame: Risqu� films are intended to excite viewers.
excited | excited: adj. 1 (a)roused, stirred (up), stimulated, agitated, disturbed, perturbed, upset, worked up, wrought up, wound up, keyed up, overwrought, discomposed, disconcerted, discomfited, nervous, edgy, on edge, uneasy, flustered, ruffled, fidgety, frantic, frenetic, aflame, feverish, frenzied, hysterical, beside oneself, Colloq itchy, (all) hot and bothered, high, on a high, off the deep end, out of one''s mind: Turner was in a very excited state by the time the police arrived. Don''t get so excited just because he called you a name. 2 ardent, zealous, impassioned, passionate, eager, energized, energetic, active, brisk, animated, lively, spirited, fervid, fervent, vehement, stimulated, enthusiastic, galvanized, electrified, intoxicated, Colloq turned on: The excited children scrambled into the boat. She becomes excited listening to rock ''n'' roll.
excitement | excitement: n. 1 restlessness, disquiet, disquietude, tension, agitation, unrest, malaise, discomfort, jumpiness, nervousness, freneticness, excitation: He had to give the patient an injection to quell her excitement. 2 perturbation, upset, action, ado, activity, ferment, furore or US furor, turmoil, tumult, to-do, stir, commotion, hubbub, brouhaha, fuss, hurly-burly, Colloq fireworks: The robbery caused a lot of excitement at the bank. 3 animation, eagerness, enthusiasm, exhilaration, ebullience: She could hardly contain her excitement at winning the lottery.
exciting | exciting: adj. 1 stimulating, intoxicating, heady, thrilling, stirring, moving, inspiring, rousing, exhilarating, electrifying, galvanizing, energizing, invigorating; overwhelming, overpowering, astounding, astonishing, amazing, mind-boggling, Colloq far-out, rip-roaring, mind-blowing: Orbiting the world in the space shuttle was the most exciting experience of my life. 2 seductive, sensuous, voluptuous, ravishing, captivating, charming, tempting, enticing, alluring, provocative, titillating, Colloq sexy: Fenella is truly an exciting young woman.
exclaim | exclaim: v. call or cry (out), proclaim, vociferate, utter, declare, ejaculate, shout, yell, bawl, bellow, burst out (with), blurt out, Colloq holler: ''It''s a girl!'' he exclaimed.
exclamation | exclamation: n. outcry, call, cry, utterance, ejaculation, interjection, vociferation, shout, yell, bellow, Colloq holler: She gave an exclamation of surprise at seeing me there.
exclude | exclude: v. 1 Often, exclude from. keep out or away, lock or shut out, ban, bar, debar, prohibit, interdict, forbid, proscribe, deny, refuse, disallow: Women are excluded from participating in certain religious ceremonies. Must we exclude Maria, too? 2 eliminate, leave out, reject, omit, except, preclude, repudiate, count out: Exclude them from consideration as candidates. 3 eject, evict, expel, oust, get rid of, remove, throw out, Colloq toss out, Slang bounce: He was excluded from the club because of his behaviour.
exclusion | exclusion: n. 1 lockout, shut-out, ban, bar, prohibition, interdiction, forbiddance, denial, refusal, disallowance, proscription: He would not join a club that supported the exclusion of women members. 2 elimination, rejection, omission, repudiation, exception, preclusion: We must ensure the exclusion of unqualified candidates. 3 ejection, eviction, expulsion, ouster, removal, riddance: The exclusion of rowdies and hooligans is in the club''s best interests.
exclusive | exclusive: adj. 1 incompatible, inimical; unshared, unique, absolute, restricted, limited: Exclusive concepts, like ''animal'' and ''vegetable'', do not coincide save in their both being ''alive''. Our newspaper printed the exclusive story of the disaster. 2 chic, clannish, choice, upper-class, aristocratic, closed, restricted, restrictive, private, snobbish, fashionable, elegant, stylish, select, Colloq trendy, Slang classy: They are seen in the most exclusive nightclubs. 3 only, single, one, sole, singular, unique: Boats are the exclusive means of transport here. 4 Usually, exclusive of. excluding, excepting, except for, omitting, ignoring, leaving aside, apart from, (de)barring, not counting, eliminating: Charges range from $220 to $350 a night, exclusive of meals.
excruciating | excruciating: adj. tormenting, torturing, torturous, agonizing, painful, racking, intense, extreme, unbearable, unendurable, severe, acute, exquisite, harrowing, distressful, distressing, piercing, insufferable: She was racked with excruciating pain.
excursion | excursion: n. 1 trip, tour, outing, airing, expedition, voyage, cruise, journey, junket, jaunt; ramble, stroll, walk, hike, trek, drive, ride, sail: We left the city and took an excursion into the mountains. 2 detour, deviation, side-trip, diversion, digression, excursus: Forgive the excursion, but I''ll return to the subject in a minute.
excuse | excuse: v. 1 forgive, pardon, overlook, absolve, clear, exonerate, acquit, exculpate, pass over, disregard, wink at, ignore, be blind to, look the other way, pay no attention or heed (to), find or prove innocent (of): Please excuse my tardiness. 2 release, let go or off, liberate, free, relieve, exempt, absolve; dismiss, Colloq let off the hook: She was excused from attending class today. You may be excused. 3 condone, allow, permit, defend, apologize for, justify, warrant, explain, vindicate, rationalize, mitigate, extenuate, palliate: Poverty does not excuse your stealing. --n. 4 apology, explanation, story, reason, justification, defence, plea, vindication, condonation, rationalization, extenuation, mitigation, palliation; basis, grounds, foundation, cause: Can you think of any excuse for your behaviour? 5 forgiveness, remission, pardon, indulgence, reprieve, clearing, exculpation, absolution, exoneration, acquittal, disregard, heedlessness, vindication, clearance, acquittance: Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. 6 evasion, subterfuge, pretence, pretext, makeshift, escape, loophole, way out, Colloq alibi, stall, Slang cop-out: He always uses his grandmother''s illness as an excuse for missing school.
execute | execute: v. 1 accomplish, do, carry out or off or through, perform, discharge, dispatch or despatch, bring about or off, implement, engineer, cause, Colloq pull off, put over, Slang US swing, cut, hack (out): She executes her duties satisfactorily. 2 complete, finish, deliver; achieve, consummate, fulfil, effect, effectuate; sign, seal, validate, countersign: He executed the portrait in an hour. The contract was executed yesterday. 3 put to death, kill, put to the sword, butcher; liquidate, assassinate, murder, remove, slay, Slang bump off, rub or wipe out, snuff (out), knock off, US waste, ice: Convicted murderers are no longer executed in this country. The mob executed the rival gangleaders.
execution | execution: n. 1 accomplishment, performance, carrying out, doing, discharge, dispatch or despatch, implementation, prosecution, realization, enactment: His drinking interferes with the execution of his responsibilities. 2 completion, fulfilment, consummation, achievement, attainment, implementation, bringing about, administration, pursuance: The company will pay ten thousand dollars upon execution of the agreement. 3 killing, capital punishment; assassination, murder, removal, liquidation, slaying: The traitor''s execution is tomorrow. There has been another gangland style execution. 4 skill, art, mastery, technique, style, manner, mode, touch, approach, delivery, rendering, rendition, production: The cellist''s execution was superb.
executive | executive: n. 1 chairman (of the board), director, managing director, chief executive, president, chief (executive officer), CEO, manager, head, leader, principal, administrator, official; supervisor, foreman, superintendent, overseer, boss, master, Colloq Mr Big, (chief or head) honcho, number one, kingpin, Slang top banana, big cheese, numero uno, top dog: She is an executive in the local power company. 2 administration, management, directorship, directorate, government, leadership, supervision: Five people form the executive of the society. --adj. 3 administrative, managerial, supervisory, official, governing, governmental, gubernatorial, regulatory: He works in the executive department of the government.
exemplary | exemplary: adj. 1 illustrative, typical, characteristic, representative, archetypal; paradigmatic: The text contains passages exemplary of good writing. 2 model, meritorious, outstanding, noteworthy, admirable, commendable, praiseworthy, excellent, superior: Private Jones is an exemplary soldier. 3 cautionary, admonitory, warning, monitory: In addition to payment for the damage, we were awarded exemplary damages.
exemplify | exemplify: v. 1 illustrate, typify, represent, epitomize, instance; embody, personify: This painting exemplifies Picasso''s blue period. 2 demonstrate, display, show, exhibit, model, depict: Early Mediterranean civilization is exemplified at Knossos.
exempt | exempt: v. 1 Often, exempt from. free or liberate or release from, excuse or relieve from, spare from, let off, absolve, except, Colloq let off the hook: The doctor exempted Becker from strenuous activity. --adj. 2 exempted, free, liberated, released, excused, relieved, spared, let off, excepted, immune, Colloq off the hook: It seems that Becker is now exempt from doing any work.
exemption | exemption: n. exception, immunity, freedom, release, impunity, dispensation, exclusion: This document confirms his exemption from jury service.
exercise | exercise: v. 1 employ, use, apply, practise, bring to bear, put to use or effect; discharge, exert, wield, execute; utilize, effect: Try to exercise better judgement next time. The chairman exercises too much authority. 2 work out, limber up, warm up, train, drill: She exercises for an hour every day. 3 harass, annoy, irritate, vex, harry, distress, worry, concern, burden, try, trouble, perturb, disturb, agitate, make nervous, Colloq drive crazy, drive up the wall: We have been much exercised over the issue of acid rain. --n. 4 activity, workout, working-out, warm-up, warming up, callisthenics, aerobics, isometrics, gymnastics; training, drill, drilling: Exercise is good for the heart. 5 action, application, practice, performance, discharge, use, utilization, employment, execution, operation: We expect the exercise of your best endeavours.
exert | exert: v. 1 exercise, use, utilize, put to use or work or effect, employ, wield, bring to bear, bring into play, expend: Please exert your influence to have his conviction quashed. 2 exert oneself. attempt, try, endeavour, make an effort, apply oneself, strive, do one''s best, work, strain, struggle, toil, push, drive (oneself), go all out, give one''s all, Colloq knock oneself out, cudgel one''s brains, beat one''s brains out, do one''s damnedest, Slang bust a gut: If Peter exerted himself a bit more, we might see some results.
exertion | exertion: n. action, effort, striving, strain, work, struggle, toil, drive, push, diligence, industry, assiduity, assiduousness, sedulousness, sedulity, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: By considerable exertion, we finished on time. He was tired after all his exertions.
exhalation | exhalation: n. 1 expiration, exhaling, breath, respiration, suspiration: The doctor could detect the wheezing only on exhalation. 2 vapour, breath, air, puff, whiff, exhaust, emission, steam, mist, gas, fog, fume, emanation, effluvium, evaporation: Poisonous exhalations from vents on the side of the volcano had destroyed all vegetation.
exhale | exhale: v. breathe (out), blow, puff, huff, gasp, evaporate, pass off, discharge, emit, emanate, issue (forth), respire, suspire, give forth, blow off, eject, expel, exsufflate: Please exhale into this balloon. The volcano continued to exhale noxious fumes.
exhaust | exhaust: v. 1 use (up), expend, consume, finish, deplete, spend, dissipate, run through, squander, waste, fritter away, Slang blow: In less than a year, he had exhausted all his funds. 2 tire (out), fatigue, weary, wear out, enervate, fag, overtire, sap, strain, tax, weaken, prostrate, debilitate, disable, Colloq frazzle: Working sixty hours a week would exhaust anyone. 3 empty, drain, evacuate, void, clean or clear out: The pump is used to exhaust the chamber of air. 4 overdo, overwork, treat thoroughly, deplete, drain, empty: I think we''ve exhausted that topic. 5 empty (out), drain (off or out), vent, issue, escape, discharge, run out: The fumes exhaust through this tube. --n. 6 emanation, effluent, emission, fumes, gas: Car exhausts are polluting the atmosphere.
exhausted | exhausted: adj. 1 (dead) tired, fatigued, weary, wearied, worn out, enervated, debilitated, overtired, weak, weakened, prostrate, worn or fagged or played or burnt-out, spent, all in, out on one''s feet, Colloq dog-tired, dead (on one''s feet), wiped out, drained, knocked out, all in, done in, frazzled, Slang (dead) beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian pooped: I must sleep: I''m exhausted. 2 empty, emptied, bare; depleted, consumed, done, gone, at an end, finished: Our supply of paper-clips is exhausted. 3 spent, worn out, depleted, impoverished, poor, infertile, barren: It is impossible to grow anything in this exhausted soil.
exhausting | exhausting: adj. 1 tiring, fatiguing, wearying, enervating, wearing, debilitating: Proofreading these figures can be exhausting. 2 arduous, laborious, back-breaking, strenuous, hard, gruelling, crippling, difficult, burdensome, onerous: Harvesting sugar is exhausting work.
exhaustion | exhaustion: n. 1 emptying, drawing out or forth, discharge, draining, evacuation, voiding, depletion, consumption, finish(ing): The exhaustion of air from the cylinder is accomplished by a powerful pump. 2 tiredness, fatigue, enervation, debilitation, weariness, lassitude: The survivors were suffering from exposure and exhaustion.
exhaustive | exhaustive: adj. complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, thorough, all-encompassing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, extensive, thoroughgoing, far-reaching, sweeping, full-scale, in-depth, maximal, maximum, Colloq all-out: The police conducted an exhaustive investigation of the company''s finances.
exhibit | exhibit: v. show, display, present, offer, expose; show off, parade, brandish, flaunt; demonstrate, reveal, betray, manifest, exemplify, evince, evidence, disclose, express: Her paintings are widely exhibited. Such behaviour exhibits poor judgement.
exhibition | exhibition: n. exposition, fair, show(ing), display, demonstration, presentation, offering, US exhibit, Colloq expo, demo: The craft exhibition will be held at the civic centre.
exhilarating | exhilarating: adj. 1 invigorating, bracing, stimulating, vivifying, enlivening, rejuvenating, refreshing, vitalizing, fortifying, restorative, tonic: We took an exhilarating walk round the lake. 2 cheering, uplifting, gladdening, elating, inspiriting, heartening, comforting, reassuring; happy, good, delightful: We received the exhilarating news of Phoebe''s complete recovery.
exile | exile: n. 1 expatriation, banishment, expulsion, deportation, transportation; separation: Napoleon was sentenced to exile on Elba. 2 expatriate, �migr�(e), emigrant, outcast, deportee, pariah, displaced person, DP; alien, foreigner, outsider: Many of the exiles from Nazi Germany settled in Britain. --v. 3 deport, expel, alienate, banish, expatriate, oust, eject, displace, transport, drive or run or cast out, outlaw, exclude, oust, evict, bar, ban; extradite; maroon: Many criminals were exiled to Australia.
exist | exist: v. 1 be, continue, prevail, endure, abide; live, breathe: Some believe that the universe exists only in our imagination. 2 survive, subsist, eke out a living or an existence, stay alive, get by or along: How can the family exist only on his pension? 3 occur, happen, be found, be present, remain, persist; obtain, prevail: A two-foot gap exists between the wall and the roof. ''Status quo'' refers to the circumstances that exist.
existence | existence: n. 1 being, presence, actuality, fact: Most cultures believe in the existence of one god or more. 2 life, living; continuance, continuation, persistence, permanence, duration, endurance: The early settlers had to struggle for existence. 3 entity, being, creature; ens, quiddity, essence: In Hindu philosophy, there is no limit to the number of existences.
exit | exit: n. 1 way out, egress, door, gate; outlet, vent: Everyone left by the emergency exit when the alarm rang. This is the exit for the smoke. 2 departure, leave-taking, withdrawal, leaving, retreat, retirement; flight, exodus, evacuation, escape: Terribly embarrassed, they made their exit. The villain''s exit from the stage was marked by catcalls. --v. 3 go (out or away), (take one''s) leave, depart, take or make one''s departure, retire, (beat a) retreat, bid adieu, withdraw, run, (take a) walk, walk out (on), quit, escape, take to one''s heels, show a clean pair of heels, vanish, disappear, Colloq take off, skedaddle, kiss goodbye, US cut out; Slang beat it, US and Canadian take it on the lam, lam (on) out of or from, take a (run-out) powder: He exited from the party as soon as he could.
exorbitant | exorbitant: adj. extraordinary, excessive, extravagant, outrageous, immoderate, extortionate, extreme, unreasonable, inordinate, disproportionate, unconscionable, preposterous, undue, unwarranted, unjustifiable, unjustified: The price of petrol in Britain is exorbitant.
exotic | exotic: adj. 1 foreign, alien, non-native, imported: She raises exotic plants. 2 strange, unfamiliar, unusual, bizarre, odd, peculiar, unique, singular, extraordinary, remarkable, out of the ordinary, different, outlandish, weird, crazy: His exotic clothes make him stand out in a crowd. 3 striptease, belly, go-go, topless, bottomless, nude: Her daughter is an exotic dancer at the new disco.
expand | expand: v. 1 enlarge, spread (out), extend, increase, open (out or up), swell, inflate, distend; unfold: His waistline began to expand as he approached middle age. 2 prolong, lengthen, stretch, dilate: An elastic valve expands easily. 3 increase, extend, amplify, magnify, broaden, widen, augment, heighten, develop: The minister sought to expand his influence. 4 Often, expand on. detail, enlarge on, embellish, develop, amplify, expatiate on or upon, elaborate (on); flesh out: The speaker expanded on the topic of health insurance.
expanse | expanse: n. stretch, extent, area, space, range, sweep, reach, length and breadth, spread: The vast expanses of space are yet to be explored.
expansion | expansion: n. 1 increase, augmentation, development, enlargement, extension, burgeoning or bourgeoning, flourishing, growth, spread: How will the company finance its expansion in other markets? 2 dilatation or dilation, stretching, distension or distention, inflation, swelling: The animal moves by the alternate expansion and contraction of the muscle.
expansive | expansive: adj. 1 expansible or expandable or expandible, inflatable, dilatable, extensible or extendible or extendable; extending, expanding, enlarging, spreading, opening or stretching (out): Increased temperature causes the enlargement of expansive materials. 2 effusive, open, free, easy, genial, amiable, friendly, warm, affable, sociable, outgoing, communicative, outspoken, extrovert(ed) or extravert(ed), talkative, loquacious, garrulous, frank, unreserved: William became relaxed, almost expansive over the meal. 3 broad, extensive, far-reaching, wide-ranging; comprehensive, widespread, all-embracing, (all-)inclusive: We stood on the edge of an expansive desert. The company has expansive interests in Europe.
expect | expect: v. 1 anticipate, look forward or ahead to, have or keep in view, await, envisage, watch or look for, wait for, contemplate, foresee, US envision: She expects to leave. He was expecting her at noon. 2 assume, presume, suppose, imagine, believe, think,trust, surmise, conjecture; foresee, US and Canadian guess: I expect you will be hungry when you return. 3 look for, want, require, wish, need, demand, reckon on or upon, hope for, calculate or count on or upon: What did you expect me to do?
expectant | expectant: adj. expecting, (a)waiting, ready, eager, apprehensive, anxious, with bated breath, hopeful, looking, watchful, anticipating: The understudy waited, expectant, in the wings.
expectation | expectation: n. 1 anticipation, confidence, hopefulness, watchfulness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, expectancy, suspense: There was an air of expectation in the room. 2 hope, assumption, presumption, surmise, supposition, belief, conjecture, US and Canadian guess: Our expectation is that he will come on the next train. 3 demand, requirement, wish, desire, want, insistence, reliance: I think your expectations might be too optimistic. 4 prospects, outlook: He had great expectations from his rich uncle.
expecting | expecting: adj. pregnant, gravid, with child, in a family way, enceinte, Brit in the family way, US in a family way, Colloq in the club, Brit preggers, Slang US with a bun in the oven: Monica is expecting and will give birth any day.
expedient | expedient: adj. 1 suitable, appropriate, fitting, fit, befitting, proper, apropos, right, correct, meet, pertinent, applicable, practical, pragmatic, worthwhile, politic: To cross the river, a bridge would prove expedient. 2 advantageous, beneficial, advisable, desirable, recommended, useful, practical, utilitarian, prudent, wise, propitious, opportune, helpful, effective: Count on him to do what is expedient and ignore what is honest. --n. 3 device, resource, means, measure, contrivance, resort, recourse: Life jackets are a useful expedient if the boat sinks.
expedite | expedite: v. 1 hasten, rush, hurry, speed or step up, accelerate; dispatch or despatch: The shipment has been expedited and should reach you tomorrow. 2 advance, facilitate, promote, forward, ease, enable: The growing process can be expedited by adding this chemical.
expedition | expedition: n. 1 exploration, journey, voyage, field trip, trip, tour, excursion; enterprise, undertaking, mission, quest: She went on an expedition up the Amazon to research herbal medicines. 2 speed, promptness, celerity, alacrity, dispatch or despatch, haste, rapidity, swiftness, quickness: He was ordered to complete his chores with expedition.
expeditious | expeditious: adj. ready, quick, rapid, swift, fast, brisk, speedy, fleet, efficient, diligent: We made an expeditious passage round Cape Horn. The problem requires an expeditious solution.
expel | expel: v. 1 eject, dislodge, throw or cast out, drive or force out, evict, put or push out, remove, run (someone) off or out, displace, dispossess, show the door, suspend, dismiss, let go, Colloq fire, Brit sack, turf out: They will expel the tenant at the earliest opportunity. 2 banish, deport, exile, expatriate, outlaw, maroon; proscribe, ban, bar, debar, dismiss, exclude, blackball, drum out, cashier, discharge, oust: The leader of the opposition was expelled from the country. The committee voted to expel Horace from the club.
expend | expend: v. 1 pay out, spend, disburse, use, employ, Slang lay or dish out, fork or shell out: Reduce the money expended on entertainment. 2 use up, consume, exhaust, deplete, finish (off), dissipate, sap, drain: I expended all my energies eking out a bare living.
expendable | expendable: adj. dispensable, disposable, non-essential, inessential or unessential, unnecessary, replaceable; unimportant, insignificant: In terms of military strategy, the commando unit was expendable.
expenditure | expenditure: n. outlay, outgoings, disbursement, spending, payment, expense, cost; price, charge, fee: The financial director must closely examine all expenditures. I cannot justify that kind of expenditure for a car.
expense | expense: n. 1 Often, expenses. payment, costs, outlay, outgoings, disbursement, expenditure, spending, out-of-pocket (expenses); cost, price, charge, fee, rate: Keep your expenses to a minimum. Expenses for travel and entertainment will be reimbursed by the company. 2 detriment, sacrifice, cost, loss, impairment, ruin, destruction: They continue to smoke at the expense of their health.
expensive | expensive: adj. costly, dear, high-priced, up-market, valuable, precious, priceless, extravagant; overpriced: Richard and Elizabeth flew off for an expensive holiday in the sun.
experience | experience: n. 1 knowledge, contact, involvement, practice, familiarity, acquaintance, exposure; participation, observation: Her book on nursing is based on personal experience. 2 incident, event, happening, affair, episode, occurrence, circumstance, adventure, encounter; trial, test, ordeal: He has lived through some harrowing experiences. 3 common sense, wisdom, sagacity, knowledge, know-how, savoir faire, savoir vivre, sophistication, skill, judgement, Slang savvy: She is a woman of experience. --v. 4 undergo, live or go through, suffer, endure, sustain, face, encounter, meet (with), feel, sense, taste, sample, be familiar with, know: Your problem is that you have never experienced genuine hunger.
experienced | experienced: adj. 1 adept, skilled, skilful, accomplished, practised, proficient, knowledgeable, knowing, wise, sage, sagacious, shrewd, prepared, (well-)informed, trained, (well-)versed, expert, master, masterly, qualified, professional, competent, efficient, capable, au fait; Slang on the ball, US savvy: She is an experienced surgeon. 2 mature, seasoned, sophisticated, battle-scarred, seasoned, veteran; Slang in the know, US savvy: We need an experienced leader.
experiment | experiment: n. 1 test, trial, investigation, inquiry or enquiry, examination, experimentation, research, proof: Experiment has shown that the ointment cures many minor skin ailments. 2 procedure, policy: Totalitarianism seems to have failed as a political experiment. --v. 3 experiment on or with. test, try, examine, investigate, research, probe: The time has come to experiment on human subjects. Artists now experiment with many media, from canvas to computers.
experimental | experimental: adj. 1 hypothetical, theoretical, tentative, speculative, conjectural, exploratory: Man''s first attempts at flying were purely experimental. 2 empirical, experiential: She has profound experimental knowledge of what is involved.
expert | expert: n. 1 authority, professional, specialist, scholar, master, connoisseur, pundit, Colloq wizard, whiz, pro, ace, Brit dab hand, boffin, Slang US maven or mavin: We rely on experts to verify the age of works of art. --adj. 2 skilful, skilled, trained, knowledgeable, learned, experienced, practised, qualified, adept, proficient, accomplished, au fait, adroit, dexterous, polished, finished, masterful, masterly, first-rate, excellent, superb, wonderful, superior, champion(ship), A-one, A-1, virtuoso, Colloq top-notch, Brit whizzo, wizard, US crackerjack, crack: Davis is an expert snooker player.
expertise | expertise: n. expertness, skill, knowledge, know-how, judgement, mastery; dexterity, adroitness, Slang savvy: You need a great deal of expertise to be a museum curator.
expiration | expiration: n. expiry, finish, (coming to an) end, termination, running out, ending, conclusion, concluding, close, closing, discontinuance, discontinuation: The expiration of the option is in March.
expire | expire: v. 1 cease, (come to an) end, close, finish, terminate, run out, conclude, discontinue: Your subscription expires with the next issue. 2 die, breathe one''s last, decease, perish, pass away: His grandmother expired only last year, at the age of 110. 3 exhale, breathe out, expel: In the daytime we expire more carbon dioxide than during the night.
explain | explain: v. 1 interpret, define, explicate, detail, delineate, make plain, simplify, spell out, resolve, get across, clarify, clear up, elucidate, illustrate, expound, describe, disclose, unfold, unravel, untangle: The teacher explained the theory so that even I could understand it. 2 Also, explain away. justify, account for, excuse, rationalize, legitimate, legitimatize, extenuate, palliate: You will be required to explain your absence.
explanation | explanation: n. 1 interpretation, definition, explication, delineation, simplification, resolution, clarification, elucidation, description, illustration, exposition, account, disclosure; exegesis, commentary, criticism, analysis: The encyclopedia contains detailed explanations of how machines work. 2 excuse, rationalization, justification, vindication: What is your explanation for such outrageous behaviour? 3 cause, motive, reason, key, signification, solution: The explanation for aberrant behaviour often lies in hormonal imbalance.
explanatory | explanatory: adj. explanative, elucidative, revelatory, interpretive or interpretative, expository, descriptive; critical, exegetic(al): Please read the explanatory notes below.
expletive | expletive: adj. 1 wordy, verbose, prolix, repetitious, redundant, tautological, iterative, reiterative, pleonastic; unnecessary, unneeded, needless, unessential, non-essential, gratuitous, superfluous: Her speech is punctuated by expletive words and phrases, like ''like, you know'', and so forth. --n. 2 oath, swear-word, curse, obscenity, epithet, Colloq cuss-word, dirty word, four-letter word: Expletives sometimes lend an air of naturalness to written dialogue. 3 filler, padding, redundancy, tautology, pleonasm: Some grammarians term the ''It'' in ''It is raining'' an expletive.
explicit | explicit: adj. 1 specific, categorical, (crystal-)clear, definite, well-defined, distinct, unambiguous, precise, exact, unequivocal, express, stated, plain, manifest, unmistakable, positive, absolute, final, peremptory, unqualified, unconditional: The children had explicit instructions to keep away from the canal. 2 open, outspoken, unreserved, unrestrained, candid, frank, direct, forthright, straightforward, definite: She was explicit in her orders.
explode | explode: v. 1 blow up, burst, blast, fly apart, go off, erupt, fulminate; set off, detonate: Police exploded the bomb after clearing the area. Rockets exploded in the night sky. 2 reject, discredit, refute, repudiate, disprove, debunk, belie, give the lie to, Slang pick holes in, poke or shoot full of holes: Ptolemy''s geocentric theory has been thoroughly exploded. 3 lose one''s temper, rant, rave, rage, storm, throw a tantrum, Colloq get into a tizzy, blow one''s top, fly off the handle, go through or hit the roof, hit the ceiling; Slang lose one''s cool, go up the wall, US blow one''s stack or cool, flip (one''s lid), freak out: He exploded when he learned his car had been smashed up.
exploit | exploit: n. 1 achievement, deed, feat, attainment, accomplishment: The speaker regaled them with tales of his exploits as an explorer. --v. 2 use, take advantage of, manipulate, make capital out of, profit from, utilize, turn to account, manoeuvre, work: Far from being your friends, they are exploiting you for their own purposes. They need capital to exploit the country''s natural resources.
exploration | exploration: n. examination, investigation, search, probe, inquiry or enquiry, study, research, analysis, review, scrutiny, inspection, survey, reconnaissance, observation; expedition: Exploration of the intestine revealed the presence of polyps. He is noted for his exploration of the sources of the Nile.
explore | explore: v. 1 survey, tour, travel, reconnoitre, traverse: They are on safari, exploring the Congo. 2 investigate, scrutinize, examine, inquire or enquire into, inspect, probe, search, research, look into, study, analyse, review, observe: We ought to explore the possibility of your working for us.
explosion | explosion: n. 1 blast, bang, report, burst, boom, clap, crack, eruption, crash, outburst, fulmination; detonation: The explosion shook the entire house. 2 outburst, outbreak, paroxysm, upheaval, flare-up, eruption, burst, fit, spasm, tantrum, Colloq Brit paddy or paddywhack or paddywack, wax: The unrest among the people is building up to an explosion. 3 increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning, expansion, welling up, mushrooming: The population explosion has caused a housing shortage.
explosive | explosive: adj. 1 volatile, sensitive, delicate, tense, anxious, fraught, touch-and-go, touchy, inflammable, (highly) charged, unstable, uncertain, unsound, shaky, hazardous, chancy, unpredictable, precarious, dangerous, perilous, critical, nasty, ugly, Colloq dicey, iffy: The explosive situation between the strikers and management may lead to bloodshed. --n. 2 dynamite, TNT, gunpowder, gelignite, plastic, plastique: The car was blown up by a powerful charge of explosive.
expose | expose: v. 1 (lay) bare, reveal, uncover, show, exhibit, present, display, disclose; divulge, unveil, unmask, discover, air, ventilate, let out, leak, betray, bring to light, make known: He unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his hairy chest. The facts of the case will be exposed tomorrow. Will he expose the names of his accomplices? 2 risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize, hazard: Do not expose your house to danger of flooding by building it so close to the river. 3 expose to. subject to, introduce to, acquaint with, bring into contact with: Today children are not taught, but ''exposed to education''.
exposition | exposition: n. 1 exhibition, show(ing), presentation, display, demonstration, US exhibit , Colloq expo: There is a special exposition of medieval farming implements in the museum. 2 description, declaration, statement, explanation, explication, clarification, interpretation, exegesis: The exposition of his argument was remarkably lucid. 3 paper, theme, article, essay, thesis, dissertation, treatise, disquisition, study, critique, commentary: She received high marks for her exposition on Zoroastrianism.
exposure | exposure: n. 1 baring, uncovering, laying open, unveiling, disclosure, disclosing, unmasking, revealing, revelation, expos�, airing, publication, publishing, communicating, communication, leaking, leak, divulging: The exposure of the spy was part of the plan. 2 jeopardy, risk, hazard, endangerment, vulnerability, imperilment; danger, peril: By diversifying your investments, you reduce your exposure to a loss in just one. 3 familiarity, knowledge, acquaintance, experience, contact, conversancy: My exposure to Chinese philosophy has been negligible. 4 aspect, view, outlook, orientation, frontage; setting, location, direction: She said that she preferred a bedroom with an easterly exposure.
express | express: v. 1 articulate, verbalize, phrase, utter, voice, state, word, put (into words), set or put forth, put or get across, communicate, depict, portray; say, speak, tell: She expressed her thoughts on the subject very clearly. 2 show, indicate, demonstrate, manifest, exhibit, evince, evidence, reveal, expose, disclose, divulge, make known, intimate, betoken, signify, embody, depict, designate, denote, convey: His tone of voice expressed his resentment. 3 symbolize, represent, signify, stand for, denote, designate: The ratio can be expressed in the form of a fraction. 4 press or squeeze or wring or force out, expel, extract: The oil is expressed from ripe olives. --adj. 5 explicit, clear, plain, unambiguous, unmistakable, unqualified, outright, definite, out-and-out, downright, straightforward, categorical, direct, specific, well-defined, distinct, precise, accurate, exact, positive: We had an express understanding not to enter into competition with one another. 6 specific, special, particular, clear-cut; true: Our express purpose in coming was to see you. 7 quick, speedy, swift, fast, rapid, prompt, immediate; direct, non-stop: The documents must be sent by express delivery.
expression | expression: n. 1 verbalization, airing, representation, declaration, utterance, assertion, enunciation, asseveration, pronouncement, communication, voicing, announcement: Any expression of criticism of government is forbidden in many countries. 2 representation, manifestation, sign, token, symbol, show, demonstration, indication, evidence: A curled lip is an expression of scorn. 3 look, mien, air, appearance, face, aspect, countenance: He had long straight hair and a completely blank expression. Her smile twisted into an expression of frustration. 4 tone, note, nuance, intonation, accent, touch, nuance, shading, loudness, softness; expressiveness, emotion, feeling, sensitivity, passion, spirit, depth, ardour, intensity, pathos: There was much expression in her playing of the fugue. 5 word, term, phrase, idiom, turn of phrase, locution, saying: Some find the expression ''Have a nice day'' to be irritating. 6 wording, phrasing, phraseology, language, style, diction, usage, speech, delivery: Writers are not the only ones who should study effective expression.
expressive | expressive: adj. 1 indicative, suggestive, allusive, eloquent, revealing, meaningful, significant, denotative: Her frown is expressive of her disapproval. 2 pointed, pithy, explicit: Leave it to him to make some expressive remark about Frieda''s hat. 3 striking, vivid, telling, pregnant, loaded, forceful, moving, emotional, poignant, provocative, thought-provoking: His poetry contains much expressive language.
expressly | expressly: adv. 1 distinctly, definitely, categorically, explicitly, absolutely, positively, directly, unambiguously, unequivocally, unmistakably, plainly, pointedly, exactly, clearly: He expressly denied the rumour. 2 purposely, especially, purposefully, particularly, specifically, specially; on purpose: The gift was intended expressly for you.
expulsion | expulsion: n. expelling, ejection, eviction, repudiation, ouster, removal, dismissal, discharge; Colloq the (old) heave-ho, Brit the boot, the sack, sacking, US the bounce: His expulsion from the pub was accompanied by cheers from the patrons.
exquisite | exquisite: adj. 1 delicate, fine, elegant, graceful, excellent, choice, well-crafted, well-made, well-executed, refined, elaborate: They have a collection of exquisite miniature portraits. 2 ingenious, detailed, recherch�, rare, subtle, deep, abstruse; far-fetched: He is expert in the exquisite points of seduction. 3 beautiful, perfect, lovely, attractive, handsome, comely, good-looking; smart, chic, elegant, striking: In her youth, she was an exquisite blonde goddess. He wore an exquisite silk costume. 4 acute, sharp, keen, excruciating, agonizing, intense; elaborate: The most exquisite pain I have known is occasioned by gout. Spies, subjected to exquisite torture, usually revealed their secrets. 5 superb, superior, peerless, matchless, incomparable, unequalled, rare, precious, choice, consummate, outstanding, superlative, excellent, select, flawless, perfect, wonderful, splendid, marvellous: She wore a tiara of exquisite diamonds.
extemporaneous | extemporaneous: adj. unstudied, unpremeditated, extempore, extemporary, impromptu, improvised, spontaneous, unrehearsed, extemporized, unprepared, unplanned, unscripted, offhand, ad lib, extempore, Colloq off the cuff: Though extraordinarily well-organized, Charlotte''s speech was entirely extemporaneous.
extend | extend: v. 1 stretch or spread (out), outstretch, outspread, open (out), unroll, unfold; reach, range; carry on, draw out, continue, develop: The carpet extends from wall to wall. Her reputation extends worldwide. The city walls extended to the river. 2 lengthen, elongate, widen, continue; broaden, enlarge, add to, augment; increase, stretch (out), supplement: We are planning to extend the sitting-room. They asked the mortgage company to extend the repayment period. 3 last, stretch, continue, go or carry on; perpetuate, drag on or out, keep up or on, prolong: Their visit extended until the following week. 4 offer, proffer, give, present, hold out, stretch forth, tender; bestow; grant, impart, confer, accord, advance: She extended her hand. The store does not extend credit to any customers.
extension | extension: n. 1 stretching, expansion, increase, enlargement, augmentation, development, amplification, broadening, widening, lengthening, spread, spreading: The extension of the plan is scheduled for next year. 2 range, extensiveness, scope, extent, magnitude, gauge, compass, sweep, reach, size, volume, dimension(s), proportions, capacity, span; breadth, width, height, length, spread, stretch: The extension of the mind seems almost limitless. 3 addendum, addition, annexe, wing, adjunct, ell, appendage; appendix, supplement: We have built an extension to the house.
extensive | extensive: adj. 1 broad, wide, expansive, far-reaching, far-ranging, wide-ranging, far-flung, sweeping, widespread, comprehensive, all-embracing; national, nationwide, international, intercontinental, cosmopolitan, worldwide, global, universal, vast; cosmic; catholic: The storm is responsible for extensive crop damage. He has extensive business connections. 2 large, big, great, huge, substantial, considerable, sizeable, immense, enormous, vast, gigantic, massive; voluminous, spacious, commodious, capacious: The extensive gold deposits were soon depleted. The cave contains several extensive chambers.
extent | extent: n. 1 magnitude, dimensions, compass, size, range, scale, sweep, scope, expanse, immensity, enormousness, capaciousness, spaciousness, space, amplitude: The extent of space is unimaginably vast. 2 limit, bounds, limitation, lengths; range, scope: To what extent will he go to see justice done? 3 area, region, tract, territory, compass: In the whole extent of Europe you could find no better mushroom.
extenuating | extenuating: adj. mitigating, lessening, tempering, palliating, moderating, diminishing, qualifying: Owing to extenuating circumstances, he could not be tried for murder.
exterior | exterior: adj. 1 outer, outside, external, outward, superficial, surface: The exterior covering of the capsule becomes very hot on re-entry into the earth''s atmosphere. 2 external, extrinsic, extraneous, foreign, alien, exotic, outside: The problem can be overcome without exterior help. --n. 3 outside, surface, covering, coating, facing, face, front, skin, shell, fa�ade: The exterior is of pink stucco.
exterminate | exterminate: v. destroy, root out, eradicate, extirpate, annihilate, eliminate, weed out, get rid of, wipe out, obliterate, put an end to, terminate, liquidate, massacre, murder, kill (off), butcher, slaughter, Slang bump off, US rub out, waste: It is his avowed intention to exterminate all the vermin of the criminal fraternity.
external | external: adj. 1 outer, outside, outward, exterior: This medication is for external use only. 2 outside, exterior, extrinsic, extraneous, alien, foreign, exotic: Do not ignore the external influences on the nation''s economy. 3 apparent, visible, perceptible, superficial, surface: The external features of the planet barely suggest what lies within.
extinct | extinct: adj. 1 defunct, dead, died out, gone, departed, vanished: These are the bones of an extinct species of flying mammal. 2 dated, outmoded, old-fashioned, antiquated, obsolete, archaic, out of date, antediluvian, ancient, old hat, pass�, d�mod�: High-button shoes and bustles have been extinct for almost a century. 3 out, extinguished, quenched, burnt- or put or snuffed out; inactive, dormant: The lake is in the caldera of an extinct volcano.
extinguish | extinguish: v. 1 put or snuff or blow out, quench; turn off or out: We are landing shortly, so please extinguish all smoking materials. Extinguish the lights before leaving. 2 kill (off), annihilate, destroy, obliterate, abolish, exterminate, eliminate, do away with, nullify, eradicate, remove, banish, wipe or blot out: The potion contained a drug that extinguished all memory of unhappiness. 3 obscure, eclipse, dim, outdo, put in the shade, overshadow, adumbrate, Colloq show up: His personality is completely extinguished by the dazzle of his wife.
extol | extol: v. exalt, elevate, uplift, glorify, praise, laud, applaud, commend, acclaim, cheer, celebrate, pay tribute or homage to, sing the praises of, make much of, honour, congratulate, compliment: William is always extolling the talents of some dancer or other.
extort | extort: v. exact, extract, blackmail, bully, coerce, force, wring, wrest, Colloq milk, bleed, put the arm on (someone): Threatening to swear that it was my fault, she extorted a promise from me to keep silent about the body.
extra | extra: adj. 1 additional, added, auxiliary, accessory, supplementary, supplemental, further, ancillary, subsidiary, collateral, adventitious: We had an extra person for dinner. Zenobia has an extra toe on each foot. 2 leftover, excess, spare, surplus, unused, superfluous, supernumerary, reserve: After all were served, we had two extra desserts. --n. 3 addition, addendum, accessory, appurtenance, supplement, bonus, premium, dividend: As an extra, each customer receives a free ball-point pen. 4 supplement, US mark-up, surcharge, Slang US and Canadian kicker: There is an extra if you want bread and butter. 5 supernumerary, walk-on, Colloq super, spear-carrier: One could scarcely call being an extra a ''Hollywood career''. --adv. 6 uncommonly, unusually, exceptionally, unexpectedly, extraordinarily, remarkably, notably, surprisingly, amazingly, very, particularly, especially, extremely, strikingly: Teacher said that Philip was extra good today. 7 additionally, again, more, in addition: They charge extra for room service.
extract | extract: v. 1 draw or pull (out), remove, withdraw, pluck or take out, draw forth, extricate: The dentist extracted two teeth. I extracted some important papers from your waste-paper basket. 2 draw, derive, deduce, develop, glean, extricate, distil, get, obtain: I could extract little sense from her ramblings. 3 wrench, wring, wrest, extort, draw (forth), evoke, elicit, extricate, winkle out, worm (out), prise (out), force (out): Using torture, they finally extracted a confession from him. She extracted money from her victims by threatening to tell their wives. 4 copy, quote, cite, abstract, select, choose, glean, cull: We extracted useful material from some old encyclopedias. --n. 5 concentrate, distillate, essence, distillation, quintessence, concentration, extraction, decoction: We boiled off the water and used the extract as a salve. 6 excerpt, abstract, quotation, citation, clipping, cutting, passage, selection: Extracts from other works are printed in smaller type.
extraction | extraction: n. 1 removal, extrication, withdrawal, uprooting, eradication, extirpation, deracination: The extraction of my tooth was completely painless. 2 extract, concentrate, distillate, essence, distillation, quintessence, concentration, decoction, separation, derivation: This syrup is an extraction from coffee beans. 3 origin, birth, ancestry, descent, lineage, derivation, blood, parentage, breed, strain, race, stock, pedigree: The family is of Scandinavian extraction.
extraneous | extraneous: adj. 1 unessential, non-essential, inessential, peripheral, superfluous, unnecessary, unneeded, extra, added, additional, adventitious, supernumerary, incidental, needless: Filter out all the extraneous substances. 2 not pertinent, impertinent, inapplicable, inapt, unapt, unfitting, inappropriate, unrelated, irrelevant, inapposite, unconnected, remote, alien, foreign, exotic, strange, outlandish, external, extrinsic, external, out of place, off the mark or point or subject, beside the point or mark: Why must you constantly bring up extraneous matters?
extraordinary | extraordinary: adj. 1 unusual, uncommon, remarkable, exceptional, particular, outstanding, special, rare, unique, singular, signal, unheard-of, curious, peculiar, odd, bizarre, queer, strange, abnormal, unprecedented, unparalleled: She showed extraordinary courage in coming here. 2 amazing, surprising, astonishing, astounding, remarkable, notable, noteworthy, marvellous, fantastic, incredible, unbelievable, impressive, fabulous, miraculous, unparalleled, Colloq super, smashing, lovely, gorgeous, Slang far-out, unreal: This is an extraordinary example of the bookbinder''s art.
extravagance | extravagance: n. 1 wastefulness, waste, lavishness, profligacy, prodigality, squandering, dissipation, improvidence, exorbitance, recklessness, overspending, excess: Our present debts are the result of extravagance. 2 immoderation, immoderateness, excessiveness, outrageousness, unrestraint, superfluity, superfluousness, over-sufficiency, preposterousness, unreasonableness, irrationality, absurdity; capriciousness, whim, fantasy, flightiness: His tawdry life belied the extravagance of his dreams.
extravagant | extravagant: adj. 1 wasteful, lavish, profligate, prodigal, improvident, reckless, excessive, spendthrift, profuse, extreme, immoderate: She cannot afford to maintain her extravagant way of life for long. 2 unrestrained, uncontained, wild, outrageous, preposterous, immoderate, ridiculous, foolish, fanciful, unreasonable, absurd, impractical; undeserved, unjustified, unjustifiable: The speaker lavished extravagant praise on the award winners. 3 expensive, costly, extortionate, unreasonable, overpriced, exorbitant, high; dear; Colloq steep: That trip to Istanbul by private jet was extravagant to say the least. 4 gaudy, garish, ostentatious, showy, ornate, flashy, loud, flamboyant; exaggerated, high-sounding: She appears at parties wearing the most extravagant costumes.
extravaganza | extravaganza: n. spectacular, spectacle, pageant, production, show, exposition: An extravaganza was staged to celebrate the opening of the Channel Tunnel.
extreme | extreme: adj. 1 unusual, uncommon, exceptional, outstanding, notable, noteworthy, abnormal, different, extraordinary, remarkable: We experienced extreme difficulty driving home. 2 immoderate, excessive, severe, intense, acute, maximum, worst: This equipment is made to withstand extreme arctic conditions. 3 outermost, endmost, farthest, ultimate, utmost, uttermost, remotest, last, far-off, far-away, distant, very: She walked to the extreme end of the pier. 4 rigid, stern, severe, strict, conservative, hidebound, stiff, stringent, restrictive, constrictive, uncompromising, Draconian, harsh, drastic: Grandfather favoured taking extreme measures against terrorists. 5 unconventional, radical, outrageous, wild, weird, bizarre, queer, outrageous, offbeat, exotic, eccentric, different, outr�, Slang far-out, way-out, US and Canadian kooky: I find your outfit too extreme to wear in public. 6 beyond the pale or limits or bounds, extravagant, inordinate, excessive, disproportionate, outrageous: Because of your extreme behaviour, you will be confined to the house for a week. --n. 7 Often, extremes. limit(s), bounds, utmost, maximum, Colloq swing: Try to be more moderate and to avoid extremes. 8 Often, go to extremes. limit(s), bounds, maximum, acme, zenith, pinnacle, summit, height, apex, apogee, peak, extremity; depth, nadir: Thea''s moods varied between the extremes of joy and grief. 9 in the extreme. extremely, very, exceptionally, exceedingly, extraordinarily, unusually: His table manners are rude in the extreme.
extremely | extremely: adv. very, exceedingly, outrageously, extraordinarily, unusually, uncommonly, exceptionally, damned, hellishly, to the nth degree, Colloq Brit bloody, US darned: The service was extremely bad. They are extremely stupid.
extremity | extremity: n. 1 end, termination, limit, edge, boundary, bound, border, margin; periphery; frontier: A fence marks the eastern extremity of our land. 2 extremities. fingers, fingertips, toes; hands, feet; arms, legs, limbs; paws, trotters, hooves, wings: His extremities were numb with frostbite. 3 extreme, utmost, maximum, limit(s), bounds: The situation tested the extremity of my patience. They were driven to extremities in their search for food.
extricate | extricate: v. unravel, disentangle, untangle, disengage, (set) free, turn loose, release, liberate, rescue, save, deliver: You helped extricate me from a terrible predicament.
extrinsic | extrinsic: adj. external, extraneous, irrelevant, exterior, unrelated, outside; outer, outward: Such extrinsic factors may be excluded from the discussion.
exuberance | exuberance: n. 1 cheerfulness, joy, joyfulness, ebullience, effervescence, exhilaration, buoyancy, animation, spirit, spiritedness, sprightliness, liveliness, vitality, vivacity, enthusiasm, excitement, zeal, zest, energy, vigour: It is hard to imagine the dog''s exuberance when he saw his master. 2 abundance, lavishness, effusiveness, flamboyance, copiousness, superabundance, superfluity, excess, profusion, prodigality, bounteousness, bountifulness: Everything attests to the exuberance of the author''s genius.
exuberant | exuberant: adj. 1 cheerful, joyful, ebullient, effervescent, buoyant, animated, spirited, spry, sprightly, lively, vivacious, enthusiastic, zealous, energetic, vigorous: She enjoys exuberant good health. 2 happy, glad, delighted, overjoyed, joyful, ecstatic, Brit in the seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven, Colloq on cloud nine: She was exuberant at the news of Lyle''s return.
exult | exult: v. rejoice, revel, glory (in), jump for joy, delight, celebrate, make merry: We exulted in our new-found freedom.
exultant | exultant: adj. delighted, jubilant, overjoyed, elated, joyful, gleeful, glad, ecstatic, exuberant, in seventh heaven, cock-a-hoop, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: We were exultant to learn that the war was over.
