
foam | foam: n. 1 bubbles, froth, spume, lather, suds; effervescence, sparkle, carbonation, fizz: The foam leaves spots when it dries. --v. 2 bubble, froth, spume, lather, suds, soap up: Watch the solution foam when I drop this tablet into it.
focal | focal: adj. central, focused, concentrated, convergent, centred, centralized: The light rays come together at this focal point. Harris''s address was the focal point of the conference.
focus | focus: n. 1 centre, concentration, focal point, heart, core, target, convergence, hub, nave; cynosure: Why should Anita always be the focus of attention? 2 in focus. clear, distinct, well- or sharply defined: With the telescope in focus, you feel as if you can almost touch the distant shore. 3 out of focus. unclear, indistinct, blurred, blurry, fuzzy, woolly: The photos are so out of focus that I can''t tell who''s who. --v. 4 concentrate, centre, converge, meet, pinpoint, spotlight; bring into focus; Colloq zero in: Without distractions, we can focus on the problem at hand.
fog | fog: n. 1 mist, haze, smog, vapour, cloud, Colloq pea-souper: Our flight was grounded because of fog. 2 trance, daze, stupor, brown study, confused state; coma: He''s in a fog and didn''t hear a word you said. --v. 3 dim, obscure, cloud, bedim, becloud, blind, stifle: The purpose of all that verbiage is merely to fog the issue. 4 Usually, befog. bewilder, mystify, perplex, confuse, muddle, puzzle, nonplus: I was completely befogged by the technical language he used. 5 Also, fog up or over. mist over or up, cloud up or over, shroud: My bathroom mirror fogs when I take a hot shower.
fogy | fogy: n. Also, fogey. Usually, old fogy or fogey. conservative, relic, Colloq fuddy-duddy, fossil, antique, stick-in-the-mud, back number, square: That old fogy still dances the foxtrot.
foible | foible: n. weakness, imperfection, weak point, fault, frailty, shortcoming, flaw, defect, failing, blemish, infirmity; peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk, crotchet, eccentricity, preoccupation, kink, Colloq hang-up, bug: One of her foibles is that she loves junk food.
foil� | foil�: v. thwart, offset, defeat, baffle, balk, parry, frustrate, counter, check, impede, hamper, outwit, circumvent, checkmate, daunt, disconcert, discomfit, disappoint, pull the rug out from under (someone), cut the ground from under someone''s feet, nullify, nip in the bud, countervail (against), Brit put a spoke in (someone''s) wheel, Colloq clip (someone''s) wings, cut (someone) down to size, spoil (someone''s) game, Chiefly US and Canadian faze: The villain and his evil plan were again foiled by the arrival of the sheriff.
foil� | foil�: n. layer, lamina, lamination, sheet, membrane, film, coating, flake, scale, wafer: Cigarettes once came packaged in tin foil.
foist | foist: v. palm or pass off, impose, unload, put (off), push (off), Colloq lay (off), Brit fob off: Don''t try to foist those fake paintings on me!
fold | fold: v. 1 bend, ply, double (over or up), overlap, crease, pleat, gather, crimp: Fold the letter before putting it into the envelope. 2 enclose, envelop, enfold, wrap, enwrap, clasp, clip, embrace, hug, gather: He folded her in his arms. 3 give way, collapse, fail, close (up or down), shut down, go out of business, go bankrupt, Colloq go under, go broke, go bust, Brit go to the wall: The company folded and ten employees were made redundant. --n. 4 crease, wrinkle, crinkle, pucker, pleat, gather, crimp, overlap, lap: The folds will remain crisp if you use starch when ironing.
folk | folk: n. people, tribe, (ethnic) group, clan, race; society, nation, (general) public, populace, population, citizenry: Archaeologists refer to these people as the ''Beaker Folk''. Some folks disliked the performance.
follow | follow: v. 1 go or come after or next; go or walk or tread or move behind, bring up the rear, Colloq string or tag along: You go on ahead and I''ll follow shortly. Please see the comments that follow. 2 adhere to, cleave to, support, believe in, accept, adopt, conform to, comply with, obey, be guided by, be modelled after or on, observe, heed, mind, go along with, reflect, mirror, echo, imitate, copy, mimic, ape: This newspaper follows strict party policy. 3 attend, accompany, escort, go (along) with; serve: Mary''s little lamb followed her everywhere. 4 chase, pursue, dog, hunt (down), stalk, run down, track, trail, tail, trace, shadow: The detective swore to follow him to the ends of the earth. 5 succeed, supersede, step into the shoes of, take the place of, replace, supplant: Who followed Henry VIII on the throne? 6 practise, pursue, engage in, carry on, occupy oneself with, apply or dedicate or devote oneself to, cultivate: After the war he followed a career as a teacher. 7 result from, ensue, issue, flow, arise, develop: The conclusion follows logically from the premise. 8 understand, fathom, comprehend, get, grasp, see, catch, appreciate, take in, keep up with, Colloq dig: Were you able to follow everything in that lecture? 9 watch, be a fan or aficionado of, pursue, take an interest in, keep up with, keep abreast of, cheer or root for, admire: He follows international yacht racing. 10 follow through (on). persist or persevere, continue, perform, conclude, realize, consummate, pursue, carry out, see through, make good, discharge, adhere to, keep: I only hope she follows this through and delivers the goods. 11 follow up (on). a pursue, go after, track, investigate, pursue, check (out), check up (on), inquire, make inquiries, look into: MacGregor is very good at following up on the most obscure references. b pursue, prosecute, reinforce, consolidate, support, buttress, augment, bolster, ensure: The Romans followed up their success with an attack on Olbia.
follower | follower: n. 1 disciple, adherent, student, pupil, apprentice, prot�g�(e): They were followers of Buddha. 2 attendant, henchman, servant, retainer, bodyguard, myrmidon: Louie walked in with two of his followers. 3 supporter, devotee, fan, aficionado, promoter, enthusiast, booster, advocate, proponent, US rooter, Colloq groupie: She is a faithful follower of The Dirty Knees, a rock group.
follow-through | follow-through: n. perseverance, diligence, persistence, steadfastness, endurance, stamina, indefatigableness, sedulousness, sedulity, pursuance, tenacity, resolve, determination, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: One needs imagination for new ideas but follow-through to make them succeed.
follow-up | follow-up: n. reinforcement, support, backup, bolstering; consolidation: The failure of the sales campaign was attributed to lack of follow-up.
folly | folly: n. 1 foolishness, nonsense, absurdity, daftness, silliness, preposterousness, absurdness, senselessness, fatuousness, fatuity, rashness, stupidity, asininity, inanity, nonsensicalness, idiocy, imbecility, irrationality, lunacy, insanity, madness, craziness, eccentricity, weak-mindedness, feeble-mindedness, simple-mindedness, muddle-headedness, thickheadedness, stolidity, stolidness, obtuseness, brainlessness, Colloq dumbness, dopiness, nuttiness, US and Canadian kookiness: They saw the folly of fighting against such enormous odds. It would be folly to leave in this storm. 2 absurdity, mistake, blunder, error, faux pas, gaffe, Colloq goof, fluff: What follies have been committed in the name of honour!
foment | foment: v. rouse, stir or whip up, awaken, waken, provoke, incite, instigate, initiate, prompt, start, motivate, inspire, work up, inflame, fan the flames (of), kindle, galvanize, rally, excite, stimulate, encourage, promote, foster, forward, further, advance, cultivate, sow the seeds of, spur, goad, egg on, urge: He is always fomenting ill will against the management.
fond | fond: adj. 1 tender, loving, affectionate, warm, adoring, caring: She clasped him in a fond embrace. 2 foolish, bootless, empty, vain, na�ve: She had fond hopes of his being elected. 3 fond of. partial to, (having a) liking (for), soft on or about, affectionate towards, attached to, having a fancy or taste for, fancying, predisposed or inclined to or towards; addicted to, Colloq hooked on: She is inordinately fond of chocolate.
fondle | fondle: v. caress, stroke, pet, pat, touch, cuddle, snuggle; handle, touch: See that couple over there fondling one another? He fondled his dagger.
fondly | fondly: adv. affectionately, lovingly, tenderly, warmly, adoringly, caressingly: Martin regarded his wife fondly.
food | food: n. nourishment, nutriment, aliment, sustenance, subsistence; foodstuffs, edibles, eatables, viands, bread, victuals, rations, provisions, comestibles, Brit commons, Colloq grub, eats, chow, Brit scoff, prog: Without any food for days, the survivors were near starvation.
fool | fool: n. 1 simpleton, ninny, ninny-hammer, nincompoop, ass, jackass, dunce, dolt, halfwit, numskull or numbskull, blockhead, bonehead, pinhead, silly, feather-brain, loon, goose, booby, jay, goon, mooncalf, idiot, ignoramus, dim-wit, nitwit, halfwit, imbecile, moron, clod, clodpole, clodpoll, clodpate, oaf, Psychology retardate, Scots gomerel, Colloq birdbrain, dumb-bell, fat-head, chump, twit, knuckle-head, chucklehead, nit, twerp or twirp, Brit pillock, US and Canadian jerk, retard; Slang sap, dope, Brit git, Australian boofhead: He''s such a fool he''ll believe anything. 2 (court) jester, clown, comic, comedian or comedienne, entertainer, zany, buffoon, merry andrew, farceur, joker, jokester, droll, Punch, Punchinello, pierrot, harlequin: In Shakespeare''s plays, the fool is often the wisest character. 3 butt, dupe, gull, victim, cat''s-paw, Colloq chump, greenhorn, (easy) mark, US fall guy; Slang pigeon, sucker, stooge, Brit mug: His co-workers liked to make a fool out of him. --v. 4 trick, deceive, take in, swindle, defraud, hoax, cheat, fleece, cozen, hoodwink, bluff, dupe, gull, humbug, delude, mislead, make a fool of; pull the wool over (someone''s) eyes, have (someone) on, pull (someone''s) leg, tease, twit, Archaic chouse; Colloq kid, con, snow, do a snow job on, bamboozle, put one or something over on, pull something or a fast one on, Brit twist, Chiefly US and Canadian josh; Slang pluck, Brit nobble: When he said the diamond was fake, he certainly fooled me. I think she was fooling when she said she''d inherited millions. 5 joke, jest, banter, tease, twit, feign, fake, pretend, make believe, Colloq kid: She insists that she is not fooling but dead serious. 6 fool with or around or about (with). play (around or about) (with), toy or trifle (with), mess or fiddle (around or about) (with), monkey (around or about) with, meddle (with), tamper with, fribble (with): Please stop fooling with the dials on the radio. 7 fool around or about. a play or mess around or about, gambol, frolic, romp, cavort: Stop fooling around and get serious. b waste or fritter away or squander or kill time, fribble, loiter, dawdle, idle, Brit potter (about), lark or muck about or around, US putter around or about, Colloq footle: She''s always fooling around instead of getting on with her work.
foolhardy | foolhardy: adj. rash, imprudent, impetuous, reckless, brash, venturesome, bold, cheeky, daring, audacious, temerarious, adventurous, daredevil, incautious, hotheaded, careless, heedless, devil-may-care, hasty, thoughtless, unthinking, irresponsible, wild, madcap, Colloq US and Canadian nervy, Slang gutsy: It is foolhardy to go scuba diving without a companion.
foolish | foolish: adj. 1 senseless, incautious, imprudent, impolitic, indiscreet, unwise, injudicious, ill-considered, ill-advised, misguided, short-sighted, impetuous, headlong, rash, brash, reckless, hasty, heedless, unwary, foolhardy, thoughtless, mindless: Standing under a tree in a thunderstorm is foolish. 2 nonsensical, stupid, asinine, inane, silly, fatuous, fatuitous, dim-witted, scatterbrained, hare-brained, crazy, mad, insane, demented, irrational, erratic, unstable, crack-brained, feather-brained, bird-brained, simple-minded, light-headed, muddle-headed, numskulled or numbskulled, addle-pated, rattle-brained, bemused, confused, feeble-minded, moronic, idiotic, imbecilic, halfwitted, dull-witted, slow-witted, witless, brainless, empty-headed, blockheaded, boneheaded, thickheaded, obtuse, stolid, Colloq dumb, balmy or Brit barmy, loony, nuts, nutty, batty, dopey or dopy, soft (in the head), dim, thick, dippy, dotty, dizzy, Brit potty, daft, Slang cuckoo, goofy, screwy, wacky: Tracy was foolish to believe him when he said he loved her. 3 preposterous, ridiculous, absurd, irrational, illogical, unreasonable, ludicrous, wild: They have some foolish idea about building a hotel in Antarctica.
foolproof | foolproof: adj. safe, certain, sure, trustworthy, dependable, reliable, infallible, unfailing, guaranteed, warranted, Colloq sure-fire: She claims to have a foolproof way of preventing unwanted pregnancies.
footing | footing: n. 1 foundation, basis, base, ground(s): The events put our entire relationship on a new footing. 2 standing, status, level, condition, position, terms, state, rank: The two departments are on an equal footing as far as funding is concerned. 3 foothold, toe-hold; balance, stability: She lost her footing on the icy pavement and down she went.
footstep | footstep: n. 1 step, footfall, tread: I recognized her footstep. 2 Usually, footsteps. footprint(s), track, trail, trace, spoor, footmark(s); tradition, example, way of life: He followed in his master''s footsteps.
for | for: prep. 1 representing, championing; in favour of, Brit on or US and Canadian also in behalf of, on the side of, in support of, in the service of, as a service to, for the benefit of, pro: Are you for or against the candidate? She did it for herself. 2 in search or quest of, seeking, looking for or after, after, with a view or an eye to: We''re just here for the beer. 3 instead of, in place of, representing, as a replacement for, Brit on or US and Canadian in behalf of; in return or exchange for, in compensation or recompense or payment or repayment for, in requital for: I am acting for my father. This cheque is for the toaster. Will you accept nothing for your pains? 4 for the treatment of, as a remedy for, against; for the purpose or object of: This medication is for skin infections only. It''s for your own good. 5 for the sake of, Brit on or US and Canadian also in behalf of, in the interest of: Would you really do that for me? 6 in the direction of, to, towards, into: Head for the hills! 7 to save, in the interest or benefit of, for the sake or benefit of, conducive to; because of, on account of, by reason of: Every summer, they went to Carlsbad for their health. She hated him for what he represented. 8 to go to, destined for: I am leaving for Tierra del Fuego tomorrow. 9 suitable or suited for, fit or fitted or fitting for, appropriate for, proper for: I am not sure that this colour is for you. Is it right for me to speak out now? 10 for the duration of; over (the extent of), during, in the course of, throughout, through: She stayed for a week. 11 despite, in spite of, notwithstanding, allowing for: For all his complaining, he seemed satisfied. 12 as for. regarding, in regard to, as regards, respecting, concerning, as far as (something or someone) is concerned: As for Betty, let her do as she likes. --conj. 13 because, since, as, inasmuch as, seeing that, owing or due to the fact that: I was unable to see him, for he was out of the office.
forbid | forbid: v. prohibit, ban, hinder, stop, exclude, debar, preclude, prevent; outlaw, interdict, disallow, proscribe, taboo; veto: I was forbidden from entering. They forbid smoking in the classrooms.
forbidding | forbidding: adj. 1 repellent, repulsive, offensive, odious, abhorrent: In his long cloak and mask, he presented a forbidding appearance. 2 hostile, unfriendly, stern, harsh, menacing, threatening, ominous, dangerous, bad, nasty, ugly, unpleasant: The coast here is rocky and forbidding. The old crone gave him a forbidding look and we cringed.
force | force: n. 1 power, might, energy, strength, potency, vigour, intensity, violence, impact; dynamism, pressure: The force of the blow knocked me down. 2 coercion, pressure, constraint, duress, compulsion, arm-twisting: When persuasion failed, the guards resorted to force. 3 troops, soldiers, army: NATO forces are on manoeuvres. 4 weight, persuasiveness, persistence, cogency, effectiveness, efficacy, strength, validity, significance, value: The force of his argument was sufficient to convince us. 5 meaning, import, significance: Are they able to cope with the full force of the word ''God''? 6 in force. in effect, effective, in operation, operative, valid, binding, current: The ancient customs still remain in force. The law came into force at midnight. --v. 7 make, oblige, require, compel, coerce, exact, constrain, enforce, impel, intimidate, pressure or Brit also pressurize, press, dragoon, twist (someone''s) arm, Colloq bulldoze, put the squeeze on (someone): Each of us was forced to dig his own grave. 8 push, drive, thrust, propel; prise or prize, break, wrench, crack, jemmy, US pry: The tornado forced the chair through the wall. He forced open the safe and took the money. 9 exact, extort, extract, wrest, wring, drag: The CIA tried to force a confession from her.
forced | forced: adj. artificial, unnatural, contrived, stilted, calculated, studied, laboured, strained, stiff, false, feigned, fake(d), mannered, affected, self-conscious, Colloq phoney or US also phony: Her forced joviality failed to conceal her contempt for those present.
forceful | forceful: adj. 1 vigorous, energetic, compelling, dynamic, intense, potent, strong, mighty, powerful, aggressive, weighty, effective, convincing, persuasive: The colonel was known as a forceful leader of men. 2 effective, efficacious, cogent, logical, impressive, telling, convincing, persuasive, strong, mighty, forcible, powerful, compelling, irresistible; pithy, meaty: The most forceful arguments came from Catherine towards the end of the discussion.
forcible | forcible: adj. 1 See forceful, 2. 2 drastic, forceful, violent, aggressive, coercive, severe, stringent: The plan involves the forcible repatriation of refugees.
foreboding | foreboding: n. 1 apprehension, apprehensiveness, feeling, sense, misgiving, dread, suspicion, intuition, anxiety, fear: An atmosphere of foreboding filled the crypt. 2 premonition, augury, prophecy, prediction, prognostication, warning, foretoken, foreshadowing, presentiment, omen, sign, portent, intimation, forewarning, presage, advance word: I had a strange foreboding of horror as I entered the room.
forecast | forecast: v. 1 predict, foretell, prophesy, prognosticate, foresee, augur, presage, vaticinate, anticipate; forewarn, calculate: Seers forecast coming events; meteorologists forecast the weather. --n. 2 prediction, prophecy, prognosis, prognostication, foresight, augury, vaticination, anticipation; forewarning, calculation: Have you heard the weather forecast for tomorrow?
foregoing | foregoing: adj. preceding, above, former, previous, precedent, prior, antecedent; earlier, preliminary, anterior; aforementioned, aforesaid: The foregoing paragraph set forth the principles.
foregone | foregone: adj. Usually in foregone conclusion. assumed, established, pre-established, predetermined, fixed, inevitable, set, accepted, cut and dried: His incarceration for the crime was a foregone conclusion.
foreign | foreign: adj. 1 alien, imported, non-native; overseas, distant, tramontane, transalpine, transatlantic, transpacific: Duty is payable on foreign goods. We holiday in a different foreign country each year. 2 strange, outlandish, exotic, unfamiliar, peculiar, odd, curious: She regards anything except beans and toast as foreign food. 3 unknown, unfamiliar, strange, inappropriate, unrelated, unconnected, unassimilable, remote, extrinsic, extraneous: Their philosophy is completely foreign to my way of thinking.
foreigner | foreigner: n. alien, non-native, immigrant, newcomer, new arrival, outsider, outlander, stranger: The word xenophobia means ''dread of foreigners''.
foreman | foreman: n. superintendent, manager, boss, supervisor, overseer, Brit shopwalker, US floor-walker, Colloq super, Brit gaffer, US straw boss: The foreman insists we use the time clocks.
foremost | foremost: adj. 1 first, primary, prime, leading, pre-eminent, supreme; prominent, notable, noteworthy, noted, chief, paramount, main, best, superior: She is one of the foremost eye surgeons in her country. --adv. 2 first, firstly, primarily, primarily, in (the) first place, before anything else: First and foremost, we must consider the matter of safety.
forerunner | forerunner: n. 1 predecessor, precursor, foregoer; herald, harbinger, envoy; forebear, ancestor, forefather, progenitor: This dishwasher is better designed than its forerunners. The cuckoo is thought by many to be the forerunner of spring. 2 omen, portent, foretoken, premonition, sign, augury, token: A drop in the barometer is a forerunner of bad weather.
foresee | foresee: v. presage, foretell, envisage, picture, forecast, predict, prophesy, augur, US envision: I don''t foresee any problems.
foreshadow | foreshadow: v. presage, foretoken, portend, augur, indicate, prophesy, predict, bode, signal, signify, betoken: The surrender of Ghent foreshadowed the fate of Flanders.
foresight | foresight: n. 1 providence, prudence, care, far-sightedness, watchfulness, caution, precaution, long-sightedness, perspicacity, wisdom, sagacity, insight, circumspection: The commander demonstrated foresight in ordering a retreat. 2 prevision, perception, prospect, vision, foreknowledge, prescience; expectation: A little foresight could have prevented the calamity.
forestall | forestall: v. anticipate, prevent, obstruct, hinder, obviate, thwart, preclude, frustrate, avert, ward or stave or fend off, intercept, parry, stop, delay: The frigate effectively forestalled our plan to sail away secretly.
forethought | forethought: n. premeditation, planning, plotting, far-sightedness, long-sightedness: Much forethought went into the assassination scheme.
for ever | for ever: adv. 1 forever, always, for good, ever, (for) evermore, forevermore, eternally, everlastingly, for ever and a day, undyingly, for eternity, till doomsday, till the end of time, Colloq till the cows come home, till hell freezes over: They swore to be true for ever. 2 constantly, continually, continuously, all the time, unceasingly, incessantly, without cease or surcease, endlessly, consistently, persistently, interminably, perpetually: She was forever watching soap operas on the telly.
foreword | foreword: n. preface, prologue, prelude, prolegomenon, preamble, Literary proem; introduction: He set forth the purpose of the book in the foreword.
forfeit | forfeit: n. 1 penalty, fine, fee, charge, damages, forfeiture, sequestration, amercement, mulct: You will have to give me a kiss as a forfeit. --v. 2 lose, yield (up), give up or over, relinquish, surrender, be stripped or deprived of, forgo, renounce, waive: You have forfeited your right to trial and you will be hanged at dawn. --adj. 3 surrendered, lost, yielded, relinquished, forgone, waived, renounced: His life was forfeit the moment he volunteered to defuse the bomb.
forge | forge: v. 1 make, construct, fashion, fabricate, manufacture, shape, mould, cast, hammer out: This plant forges heavy steel tools. He forged a new life for himself in the American West. 2 create, invent, conceive (of), coin, devise, think up, frame: I have forged a new plan of escape. 3 counterfeit, copy, reproduce, imitate, falsify, fake, Slang US hang paper: She forged her employer''s name on the cheque. The gang was caught because they forged three-pound notes.
forgery | forgery: n. 1 counterfeiting, falsification, fraud, fraudulence: He was sent to prison for ten years for forgery. 2 counterfeit, fake, sham, imitation, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The police have found three forgeries of Dali paintings.
forget | forget: v. 1 fail or cease to remember or recall or think of, lose, draw a blank: I forgot what I was supposed to buy at the market. 2 leave (behind), omit or neglect (doing or taking): I forgot my umbrella this morning. 3 ignore, dismiss from (one''s) mind or thoughts, disregard, overlook, consign to oblivion: Forget the fact that you ever met me.
forgetful | forgetful: adj. amnesiac; absent-minded, distracted, abstracted, inattentive, preoccupied, neglectful, negligent, careless, lax, dreamy, dreaming, in dreamland, in the clouds, in cloud-cuckoo-land or cloud-land or Nephelococcygia, remote, distrait(e), Colloq not turned on, turned off, out of it: Franklin is so forgetful he''d lose his head if it weren''t stitched on.
forgive | forgive: v. 1 pardon, excuse, allow, make allowance(s) for, indulge, condone, vindicate; overlook, ignore, disregard, pay no attention to, pass over, US slough over: Please forgive my curiosity, but where did you get that hat? 2 clear, acquit, absolve, exculpate, exonerate; spare; Colloq let off: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 3 cancel, waive, abolish, void, nullify, erase, delete; Colloq let off (the hook): Her dream was to awake one day and find all her debts forgiven.
forgiveness | forgiveness: n. 1 pardon, reprieve, absolution, remission, acquittal, acquittance, amnesty, allowance, vindication, exculpation, exoneration, Archaic shrift: Oh, Lord, I ask forgiveness for my sins. 2 mercy, mercifulness, compassion, grace, leniency, clemency, indulgence, tolerance: He begged her forgiveness for the way he had treated her.
forgiving | forgiving: adj. tolerant, lenient, sparing, forbearing, merciful, compassionate, conciliatory, magnanimous, humane, soft-hearted, clement: In a forgiving mood, the judge gave her a light sentence.
forgo | forgo: v. 1 give up, renounce, forswear, forsake, abandon, do or go without, sacrifice, eliminate, omit, leave out or alone, cede, waive; avoid, shun, eschew, abstain from, turn down, pass up, deny (oneself): His new diet requires him to forgo all dairy produce. 2 resign, give up, yield, surrender, relinquish, cede, waive, renounce, forswear, abdicate, abandon: Did he not forgo all right to the throne by marrying a commoner?
forlorn | forlorn: adj. 1 miserable, wretched, desolate, woebegone, lost, pitiable, pitiful, pathetic, woeful, cheerless, joyless, unhappy, depressed, sad, desolate, disconsolate, gloomy, lugubrious, glum, despondent, dismal, dejected, dispirited, low-spirited, comfortless, down, melancholy, dolorous, sorrowful, mournful, inconsolable: She looked so fragile and forlorn as she struggled to hold back her tears. 2 abandoned, forsaken, deserted, neglected, shunned, outcast, alone, lonely, lonesome, friendless, bereft: We came upon a forlorn little village.
form | form: n. 1 shape, configuration, conformation, order, organization, arrangement, formation, construction, structure, construct, frame, cut, cast, mould, pattern, appearance; manifestation: The equipment in the playground was in a variety of geometric forms. In what form will the jinnee appear next? 2 figure, body, build, shape, physique, anatomy; silhouette, aspect, look, appearance, profile, contour; carriage, bearing, attitude, pose, Slang US bod, built: She has the form of a wrestler. 3 type, kind, variety, sort, breed, species, genus, genre, character, make, brand, colour, tone, tint, texture, fabric, material, feather, description, manner, way, nature, style, stamp, manifestation: What forms of life are not of divine origin? He revelled in music in all its forms. 4 blank; model, format, frame, framework, course, procedure, order, regimen, method, system, ritual, formula, rule(s), practice, technique, way, means, approach, mode, fashion, manner, style: Fill in the application form in ink. Please follow the proper form when submitting articles. 5 condition, state, shape, trim, fettle: He seems in unusually good form tonight. 6 decorum, behaviour, deportment, formality, ceremony, convention, etiquette, manners, conduct, custom, protocol, propriety, ritual: Follow correct form when writing to the king. Spitting is considered bad form. --v. 7 make, fabricate, forge, shape, mould, fashion, produce, turn out, manufacture, construct, assemble, put together, set up, put up, build, erect, elevate, raise, put up; organize, codify; develop: The architect takes the many elements and forms them into a coherent whole. Have you formed an opinion of the book? 8 create, originate, devise, invent, compose, formulate, give form or shape, coin, concoct, conceive, contrive, dream up, imagine, visualize, envisage, US envision: His ideas of religion were formed when he was very young. A picture of the battle was formed in my mind. 9 make up, constitute, be made up of, comprise, be composed of; serve as: This compound is formed of many elements. Six fugues formed the main part of the programme. 10 acquire, develop, cultivate, contract; get: In prison I formed the habit of rolling my own cigarettes. We formed a lasting friendship. 11 develop, grow, arise, appear, materialize, show up, take shape or form, accumulate: When the yeast is added, a barm forms on the surface.
formal | formal: adj. 1 standard, conventional, customary, established, prescribed, regular, normal, correct, proper; strict, formulaic, inflexible, punctilious, exacting, unchanging, methodical, orderly, systematic, set, pro forma, ritual, ritualistic, ceremonial, proper, official, routine, fixed, rigid, stiff, stilted, stately, starched, unbending, solemn; confining, straitened, limited; Colloq straight, square: Formal rules of behaviour are observed. 2 explicit, express, definite, spelled out, formalized, express, authorized, official, solemn, legal, lawful: Formal demands have been made for the withdrawal of our ambassador. 3 prim, ceremonious, dignified, stuffy, strait-laced, stiff, precise, exact: He made a formal bow and left our company.
formality | formality: n. 1 Often, the formalities. form, convention, conventionality, practice, procedure, custom, wont, observance, protocol, ceremony, rite, ritual: Observe the legal formalities by having this document witnessed. Formality requires that you walk backwards out of the room. 2 strictness, punctilio, exactness, precision, correctness, rigidity, stiffness, inflexibility: We must maintain the formality of Sunday service. 3 etiquette, politesse, decorum, punctilio, conformity, propriety: Formality prohibits casual conversation.
format | format: n. 1 appearance, look(s), aspect, layout, plan, design, style, form, dimension(s), shape, size: In its present format, the magazine resembles an academic journal. 2 composition, content(s), make-up, constitution, arrangement, plan, organization, order, set-up: Her TV programme has the format of a chat show.
formation | formation: n. 1 development, appearance, materialization, shape, accumulation, generation, creation, crystallization, forming, genesis, production: The formation of bubbles indicates that the acid is working. 2 establishment, institution, creation, founding, set-up, organizing, organization, development, composition: We met to discuss the formation of a new company. 3 array, display, pattern, arrangement, structure, grouping, organization, configuration, disposition: The vast military formation covered the entire valley.
former | former: adj. 1 previous, earlier, prior, ex-, one-time, preceding, erstwhile, late, latest, last, recent, ci-devant, quondam, Archaic whilom: I ran into a former girl-friend at the art show. 2 old, past, bygone; ancient, (pre)historic, departed, antediluvian: In former times, one could demand - and get - decent service.
formerly | formerly: adv. once, before, previously, hitherto, long ago, at one time, in the old days, once upon a time, in days gone by, in days or time past, time was, back then, when the world was young(er), Colloq way back or US also way back when: Formerly, there were no tall buildings to block one''s view.
formidable | formidable: adj. 1 alarming, appalling, dreadful, frightful, awesome, awe-inspiring, menacing, horrifying, frightening, intimidating, daunting, petrifying, terrifying: A formidable, fire-breathing dragon blocked our exit. 2 terrific, fantastic, unbelievable, incredible, impressive, prodigious, mind-boggling, awesome, Colloq mind-blowing, freaky: They are a formidable talent and will sell a million records this year. 3 arduous, indomitable, overwhelming, staggering, powerful, mighty, difficult, challenging, burdensome, onerous: She has formidable obstacles to overcome before becoming a doctor.
formula | formula: n. recipe, rubric, formulary; rule(s), prescription, directions, instructions, blueprint, method, technique, means, way, pattern, procedure, modus operandi, Colloq US MO: Ali Baba uttered the formula, ''Open sesame!'', and the rock opened. Alchemists sought to discover a formula for making gold from lead.
formulate | formulate: v. 1 systematize, codify, define, specify, articulate, particularize, denote: You must try to formulate your ideas more clearly. 2 devise, originate, create, think up or of, dream up, conceive, concoct, invent, improvise, Colloq cook up: I have formulated a plan in my mind to deal with the problem. 3 develop, forge, evolve, work out, design, map out, block out, draw up: You have three days to formulate a workable procedure.
forsake | forsake: v. 1 abandon, desert, quit, leave, flee, depart, vacate: He forsook balmy California to dig for gold in the Klondike. 2 abandon, desert, leave, jilt, reject, throw over, jettison, cast off: She has forsaken Michael for another man. 3 give up, yield, renounce, repudiate, relinquish, forgo, forswear, surrender, resign, abdicate, recant, deny, have or be done with, turn one''s back on: Would you forsake a throne for the love of a woman?
forte | forte: n. talent, strong point, gift, speciality, strength, aptitude, genius, Colloq long suit: His forte is carving ivory miniatures.
forthcoming | forthcoming: adj. 1 approaching, nearing, impending, imminent, coming, (close) at hand, upcoming; near or close (by), (near or close) at hand, in the offing, on the horizon, Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the cards: The forthcoming tax increase will affect everyone. A new regulation is forthcoming. 2 awaited, expected, anticipated, looked-for, watched for, prospective, foreseen: The forthcoming payment will be be a little late. 3 outgoing, friendly, amiable, affable, sociable, accessible, expansive, chatty, talkative, communicative, informative, open, free, revealing, unreserved: Barry was most forthcoming when questioned about his finances.
forthright | forthright: adj. straightforward, direct, blunt, candid, frank, above-board, unambiguous, unequivocal, open, outspoken, uninhibited, unreserved, unconstrained, unrestrained: She has always been forthright and honest in her dealings with me.
fortify | fortify: v. 1 strengthen, reinforce, shore up, buttress, brace, bolster, secure: Steel plates were used to fortify the walls. 2 cheer, encourage, hearten, buoy, invigorate, energize, embolden, reassure, brace: Her enthusiasm fortified him to face what was coming. 3 supplement, enhance, enrich, boost, augment: The drink was fortified by the addition of whisky.
fortitude | fortitude: n. strength, mettle, backbone, courage, nerve, resolution, resoluteness, perseverance, endurance, tenacity, pertinacity, grit, determination, will-power, Colloq guts: His encouragement gave me the fortitude to carry on.
fortunate | fortunate: adj. 1 lucky, in luck, fortuitous, blessed: You were fortunate to have survived the crash. 2 favoured, advantageous, propitious, auspicious, providential, favourable, opportune, timely, well-timed: It was a fortunate time to be buying a house.
fortune | fortune: n. 1 position, worth, means, assets, holdings, wealth, property, estate, possessions; wealth, riches, affluence, opulence, treasure, money, prosperity: Each member is liable to the full extent of his fortune. He acquired his fortune from oil. 2 luck, chance, fortuity; lot, fate, kismet, destiny, karma; future; US happenstance: It was just fortune that put me in the right place at the right time. She''ll tell your fortune if you cross her palm with silver. 3 Usually, fortunes. circumstance(s), experience(s), adventures, expectation(s), lot: My fortunes of late have been poor.
fortune-teller | fortune-teller: n. oracle, soothsayer, prophet, diviner, augur, seer, clairvoyant, prognosticator, sibyl, haruspex, crystal-gazer, tea-leaf reader, palmist, palm reader, star-gazer; futurologist: The fortune-teller said to beware the Ides of March.
forward | forward: adj. 1 advance, leading, foremost, front, head, first: The forward contingents of the army moved into the town. 2 bold, pert, impudent, brash, insolent, impertinent, disrespectful, brazen, audacious, rash, unashamed, unabashed, saucy, flippant, presumptuous, cheeky, Colloq flip, fresh, pushy: It was a bit forward of you to call the chairman by his nickname. 3 (well-)advanced, (well-)developed, progressive, precocious, forward-looking: She was quite a forward girl at fifteen. --adv. 4 forwards, ahead, onward, along; clockwise, deasil: I moved forward to the head of the queue. Set the clock forward an hour tonight. 5 up, out, forth, to the fore, into consideration, into view, into the open, to the surface, on to the table: Cooper brought forward an interesting proposal. --v. 6 advance, further, promote, back, foster, support, aid, assist, help; patronize, encourage, nourish, nurse along: He did his best to forward her career. 7 dispatch or despatch, send, ship, deliver, transmit, express, post, mail, consign, remit; send on: The shipment will be forwarded as soon as payment is received. The post office will forward mail to my new address. 8 speed (up), accelerate, advance, hasten, expedite, hurry, quicken, step up: This mixture is said to forward the flowering of plants.
foster | foster: v. 1 promote, encourage, stimulate, further, forward, advance, cultivate, nurture, nourish, support, back, assist, help, aid, succour, patronize: Cutting back these offshoots fosters growth of the main stem. Representatives have fostered acceptance of our products throughout Europe. 2 bring up, rear, raise, take care of, maintain, care for: The Cartwrights have fostered eight orphans in their home.
foul | foul: adj. 1 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, obnoxious, revolting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, sickening, nauseous, nauseating, nasty, beastly, Archaic fulsome: The bartender makes a foul concoction he swears will cure a hangover. 2 filthy, unclean, nasty, polluted, putrid, putrescent, putrefactive or putrefacient, defiled, soiled, spoiled, rotten, decayed, decomposed, rancid, soured, turned, tainted, mouldy, impure, adulterated, contaminated, stale, bad, Brit off: The hamburger place was closed when public health inspectors found foul food in the freezer. 3 smelly, stinking, noisome, fetid or foetid, rank, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, malodorous, musty, mephitic, graveolent: A foul odour emanated from the cabinet. 4 wicked, vile, bad, base, abominable, low, sordid, iniquitous, evil, flagitious, atrocious, monstrous, nefarious, sinful, immoral, amoral, vicious, villainous, scandalous, infamous, dishonourable, shameful, disgraceful, ignominious; detestable: They were finally brought to justice for their foul deeds. 5 dirty, obscene, filthy, profane, scatological, gross, smutty, foul-mouthed, blue, licentious, salacious, lewd, indecent, improper, coarse, uncouth, vulgar, rude, scurrilous, rough, indelicate, immodest, risqu�, off colour, suggestive, bawdy, ribald, Rabelaisian, Fescennine, US raw, Slang raunchy: My mother forbids my reading books containing foul language. 6 abusive, offensive, affronting, insulting, disparaging, maligning, thersitical, calumnious or calumniatory, aspersive, slanderous, defamatory, libellous, denigrating, derogatory, deprecatory or deprecative, depreciatory or depreciative, denunciatory or denunciative, derisory, derisive, scornful, belittling, fulminous, objurgatory or objurgative, vituperative, invective: Keep your foul tongue to yourself. 7 dishonest, unfair, unjust, unsportsmanlike, dishonourable, fraudulent, underhand(ed), double-dealing, two-faced, corrupt, venal, dirty, treacherous, perfidious, traitorous, unscrupulous, Colloq crooked, shady, Slang chiefly Brit bent: Thrupp will get his way by fair means or foul. 8 nasty, dangerous, rough, disagreeable, unfavourable, sloppy, stormy, adverse; windy, blustery; snowy, sleety, wet, rainy: We ran into a spot of foul weather at Dover. 9 obstructed, blocked, choked, stopped (up), plugged (up), clogged (up): The drain is foul with all that rubbish. 10 tangled, entangled, caught, ensnared, enmeshed, snarled: A foul anchor is a common nautical symbol. 11 illegal, prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, not fair; dirty: In boxing a hit below the belt is a foul blow. --v. 12 dirty, pollute, sully, befoul, defile, soil, contaminate, adulterate, taint: Effluent from the factory was fouling the river. 13 tangle, entangle, catch, snare, ensnare, enmesh, snag, snarl, jam, twist: We can''t hoist the mainsail because the halyard is fouled. 14 disgrace, dishonour, sully, taint, besmirch, defile, soil, stain, smear, tarnish, blacken, denigrate, debase, degrade, abase, demean, disparage, defame, derogate, asperse, devaluate, depreciate, vitiate, belittle, discredit, bring or call into disrepute: That act of treachery will foul the family name for generations. 15 obstruct, block, choke, stop or plug or clog (up): Dead leaves fouled the downpipe. 16 foul up. a See def. 13. b mismanage, mishandle, botch, bungle, make a mess (of), mess up, spoil, ruin, Colloq muff, Brit throw a spanner in(to) (the works), US throw a monkey wrench into (the machinery); Slang muck up, goof (up), blow, screw up, louse up, Chiefly Brit bugger (up), US and Canadian snafu: Give him a chance and he''s sure to foul up. She fouled up my hi-fi. --n. 17 violation, infringement, infraction, illegality: The Rangers'' forward has already been charged with two fouls. --adv. 18 afoul, in conflict, in trouble, in violation: Curshaw has fallen foul of the law again.
foul play | foul play: n. treachery, chicanery, perfidy, perfidiousness, duplicity, double-dealing, deception, guile, crime, sharp practice, skulduggery, dirty work or business, dirty trick(s); murder, homicide, manslaughter; Colloq hanky-panky: The travellers suspected foul play when the aeroplane failed to arrive. The hacked up corpse suggested foul play to Detective Lema�tre.
found | found: v. 1 establish, originate, institute, set up, organize, inaugurate, start, initiate, create, bring about, develop: The society was founded a hundred years ago. 2 base, ground, establish, set, build; rest: This charity was founded on love and concern for children.
foundation | foundation: n. 1 basis, base, substructure, understructure, underpinning, bottom, foot, basement, cellar: This foundation is of stone. 2 basis, base, fundamental, (underlying or fundamental) principle, grounds, groundwork, rationale, raison d''�tre, purpose: Their morality finds its foundations in Judaeo-Christian culture. 3 founding, establishment, instituting, institution, creation, origination, setting up, organizing, organization, inauguration, endowment: We voted for the foundation of an institute to study the English language.
founder� | founder�: n. originator, creator, progenitor, author, framer, father, architect, designer, builder, initiator, establisher, institutor: Today we honour the founder of this great university.
founder� | founder�: v. 1 sink, go down or under, go to Davy Jones''s locker, be wrecked or destroyed: Many a proud vessel has foundered on this rock. 2 fail, miscarry, collapse, come to nothing or naught, fall through, abort, falter, break down, come to grief, die: After Alice left to get married, the business foundered. 3 trip, stumble, stagger, lurch, fall, topple (over or down), collapse; go lame: He drove the horse too hard and caused it to founder.
foundling | foundling: n. orphan, waif; stray, outcast: We are trying to raise money for a hospital for foundlings.
fountain | fountain: n. 1 fount, spring, font, jet, spout, spray, well, well-spring, well-head, fountain-head: Bathing in the city fountains is forbidden. 2 source, origin, genesis: Miss Corbell was a fountain of wisdom on the subject of basket-weaving.
foxy | foxy: adj. 1 clever, sly, cunning, wily, crafty, tricky, guileful, shifty, devious, slippery, smooth, slick, artful, resourceful, ingenious, calculating, designing, plotting, scheming, disingenuous, knowing, shrewd, sharp, astute, wise; foxlike, vulpine; Colloq cagey or cagy: Be careful dealing with him, for he can be foxy. 2 attractive, alluring, seductive, vampish, Colloq sexy: Margo is a very foxy lady.
