
fianc�(e) | fianc�(e): n. betrothed, wife- or bride- or husband-to-be, intended: He went out to buy a ring for his fianc�e.
fiasco | fiasco: n. failure, disaster, muddle, mess, abortion, botch, Colloq fizzle, flop: My effort to help Donald with his maths homework was a complete fiasco.
fib | fib: n. 1 falsehood, (little) white lie, untruth, prevarication, fabrication, invention, misrepresentation, story, (fairy) tale, fiction; lie; Colloq tall story, US tall tale, cock-and-bull story, whopper: I told a little fib when I said my grandmother was ill. --v. 2 prevaricate, misrepresent, fudge, falsify, misspeak, palter; lie; Colloq waffle: They admitted they had fibbed about who had thrown the egg.
fibre | fibre: n. 1 filament, thread, strand, fibril, tendril: This fabric is woven from cotton fibre. 2 texture, structure, material, fabric: The fibre of this rock is granular. 3 essence, character, nature, mould, composition, constitution, substance, quality, stripe, cast, make-up: Love for him is wrapped up in the very fibre of her being.
fickle | fickle: adj. flighty, capricious, frivolous, unpredictable, moody, giddy, fanciful, whimsical, fitful, mercurial, volatile, unstable, changeable, mutable, inconstant, changeful, unsteady, unsteadfast, indecisive, undecided, vacillating or rarely vacillant, unsure, uncertain, irresolute, wavering, erratic, unreliable, undependable, irresponsible, untrustworthy, faithless, unfaithful, disloyal, Colloq wishy-washy: That fickle woman has already taken up with someone else. You should know how fickle the tastes of the public are.
fictional | fictional: adj. unreal, imaginary, invented, made-up, mythical, fanciful; legendary, fabulous: The newspaper article was a hoax - completely fictional. Lorna Doone is Janet''s favourite fictional heroine.
fictitious | fictitious: adj. 1 imagined, imaginary, non-existent, unreal, made-up, invented, fabricated, mythical, fancied, fanciful, fictive, untrue, apocryphal: The claim that an article had appeared was completely fictitious. 2 false, counterfeit, bogus, artificial, spurious; assumed, improvised, made-up, invented, make-believe, imaginary, Colloq phoney or US also phony: When arrested they gave fictitious names.
fiddle | fiddle: v. 1 Often, fiddle with. meddle (with), tamper (with), interfere (with), alter, falsify, fix; cheat, swindle, flimflam; Colloq finagle, Brit cook: The treasurer had been fiddling the accounts for years. 2 Often, fiddle with or about or around. toy or trifle or fidget (with), twiddle or play or tinker (with), fool or fuss (with), Colloq mess or muck (about or around) (with), frivol (away), monkey (around) (with): He sat there nervously fiddling with his ear. Stop fiddling about and get on with your work. --n. 3 Brit swindle, fraud, racket, thimblerig, US shell-game, Slang skin game, funny business, monkey business: The tax inspector caught him in some fiddle with his business expenses. 4 violin, viola, viol, cello, violoncello, kit: He played fiddle for the tsar.
fiddlesticks | fiddlesticks: interj. Nonsense!, Rubbish!, Colloq Fiddle-de-dee!, Balderdash!, Stuff and Nonsense!, Poppycock!, Pish and tush!, Tommy-rot!, Hogwash!, Eyewash!, Boloney!, Bilge-water!, Moonshine!, Humbug!, Bosh!, Fiddle-faddle!, Bull!, Rot!, Brit Codswallop!, Taboo slang Bullshit!, Balls!, Crap!, Horseshit!, Brit Bollocks! or Ballocks!: When he said he''d pay what he owed, I just said, ''Fiddlesticks!''
fidget | fidget: v. 1 squirm, twitch, shuffle, wriggle, wiggle, fiddle, fuss; fret, chafe: Stop fidgeting and tell me the truth! --n. 2 fusspot, fuss-budget, cat on hot bricks, US cat on a hot tin roof, Colloq US nervous Nellie: If her conscience is clear, why is she such a fidget? 3 the fidgets. restlessness, fidgetiness, dither, uneasiness, the jitters, nervousness, itchiness, Colloq heebie-jeebies, jim-jams, ants in one''s pants: Whenever he tells a lie he gets a bad case of the fidgets.
field | field: n. 1 ground, land, arable, pasture, grassland, meadow, green, lawn, common, clearing, tract, area, acreage, Literary greensward, lea, sward; Archaic mead: The house looks out over the fields. 2 battlefield, battleground, airfield; (cricket) pitch, football or hockey or soccer field, American football gridiron: We marched onto the field prepared for anything. 3 competition, competitors, players, entrants, contestants, participants, candidates, possibilities, applicants: Who can match you among today''s field? 4 area, domain, realm, department, territory, province, sphere, scope, division, interest, line, m�tier, discipline, bailiwick, speciality, specialization, expertise, forte, strength: She is certainly the leading expert in her field. My field is biochemistry. --v. 5 catch, stop, return, retrieve, pick up: Did you see how Border fielded that ball? 6 answer, reply to, respond to, handle, manipulate, deal with, react to, cope with: The candidate adroitly fielded questions from the press.
fiend | fiend: n. 1 See devil. 2 addict, maniac, fanatic; fan, aficionado, enthusiast, devotee, hound, follower, Colloq buff, nut, Slang freak: He''s a Welsh rarebit fiend.
fiendish | fiendish: adj. cruel, savage, inhuman, monstrous, ghoulish, malignant, malevolent, malicious, wicked, evil, bad, black-hearted, satanic, devilish, Mephistophelian, demonic, demoniac(al), diabolic(al), cacodemonic, hellish, infernal: He sniggered with fiendish glee as he tightened the thumbscrew.
fierce | fierce: adj. 1 ferocious, savage, wild, truculent, brutish, feral, bestial, tigerish, brutal, cruel, fell, murderous, bloodthirsty, sanguinary, homicidal, barbaric, barbarous, inhuman, dangerous: The fierce beasts will tear you limb from limb. 2 intractable, angry, furious, hostile, aggressive, vehement, frenzied, stormy, violent, turbulent, wild, tempestuous, tumultuous, raging, merciless, uncontrollable: The old curmudgeon is in a fierce mood again today. A fierce storm raged for three days. 3 severe, awful, dreadful, intense, keen, dire, bitter, biting, racking: Wear warm clothes to protect you from the fierce cold.
fiercely | fiercely: adv. very, extremely, exceedingly, vehemently, intensely, impetuously, violently, furiously, ferociously, viciously, savagely: She refuses to deal with anyone who is so fiercely competitive.
fiery | fiery: adj. 1 burning, flaming, blazing, hot, red-hot, white-hot, overheated; afire, on fire, in flames, ablaze: Fiery lava burst from the volcano. 2 glowing, red, incandescent, brilliant, luminous, glaring, gleaming, radiant; aglow, afire: We watched the fiery sunset fade into azure hues. 3 ardent, eager, spirited, passionate, excited, excitable, peppery, irascible, touchy, irritable, edgy, hotheaded, fierce: I had best not be late as my boss has a fiery temper.
fight | fight: v. 1 contend (with), battle, conflict (with), encounter, war (against), engage, clash, take up arms (against), feud (with), combat, bear or take up arms (against), brawl, struggle or strive (with or against), cross swords (with), close (with), come to or exchange blows (with), go to or wage war (with or against), joust (with), grapple or wrestle (with), skirmish (with), tussle or scuffle (with or against); box, spar; Old-fashioned broil: He offered to fight anyone in the place. Why are the boys always fighting? 2 dispute, question, confront, contest, oppose, contradict, defy, confute, protest, resist, rail or struggle, against, withstand, refute, oppugn, make or take a stand against, contravene, confound: He has sworn to fight prejudice wherever he finds it. 3 rise up, make or take a stand, struggle, take up arms: It is better to fight for the good than to rail at the ill. 4 argue, dispute, bicker, quarrel, wrangle, squabble, spat, tiff, fall out (over), have words, disagree, row, altercate, debate: I hear the neighbours fight every night. 5 fight off. repel, repulse: Prepare to fight off anyone trying to come over the side! 6 fight shy of. avoid, keep or remain aloof from or of, keep away from: She usually fights shy of going to cocktail parties. --n. 7 battle, conflict, bout, duel, (single) combat, monomachy, one-on-one, action, warfare, clash, hostilities, war, match, struggle, engagement, meeting, encounter, contest, fighting, brawl, Donnybrook, affray, fray, fracas, disturbance, riot, row, m�l�e or melee, tussle, scuffle, scrimmage, skirmish, brush, Colloq free-for-all, set-to, scrap, Brit scrum, bovver, Slang US rumble, Old-fashioned broil: Three policeman were injured in the hour-long fight. 8 altercation, argument, quarrel, feud, dispute, run-in, disagreement, dissension, dissidence, dissent, difference (of opinion), squabble, bickering, spat, misunderstanding, row, discord, Colloq ruckus: Such fights between husband and wife happen all the time. 9 pugnacity, mettle, militancy, belligerence, truculence, spirit, pluck, zeal, enthusiasm, zest: She had enough fight left in her to go on to win.
figure | figure: n. 1 physique, build, shape, form, configuration, conformation, build, body, outline, silhouette; cut, cast; Slang bod, chassis: It''s exercise that gives Kathy such a fine figure. 2 appearance, image, likeness, representation, semblance: The vision came to him in the figure of a dragon. 3 person, individual, human (being): A burly figure loomed up out of the fog. 4 statue, effigy, sculpture, bust, mould, cast, image, representation, idol, icon: Hundreds of figures are carved into the stone of the temple fa�ade. 5 picture, illustration, diagram, drawing, sketch, plate: See Figure 12 for a graph showing the rate of inflation for the past decade. 6 personality, celebrity, somebody, leader, personage, worthy, notable, individual, presence, force, character: Chaplin looms large as a figure in the history of comedy. 7 number, numeral, cipher, digit; character, symbol, device, sign; design, pattern, motif, emblem: His salary is in six figures. --v. 8 Often, figure up. calculate, compute, reckon, work out; count, enumerate, numerate, total, tot up, tally, sum: Please figure up how much I owe you. 9 picture, imagine, think, take, reckon, consider, calculate, judge, believe; assume, presume, suppose; accept, acknowledge, concede: I never figured her to be the guilty one. 10 act, participate, take or play a part or role, appear, feature, have a place; be included or mentioned, be featured or conspicuous: He does not figure in my plans. 11 figure on or upon. a rely or depend on or upon, count on or upon, trust in, put faith in: You mustn''t figure on his help. b plan on or upon, take into consideration or account, consider, make allowance for: They were figuring on consumer demand for a better mousetrap. 12 figure out. a calculate, reckon, compute, work out: I haven''t yet figured out last year''s profits and losses. b decipher, translate, understand, interpret, solve, grasp, get, fathom, see, perceive, Colloq dig, make head(s) or tail(s) of, get through one''s head, get the hang or drift of, catch on (to), get a fix on, Brit twig, suss out: Can you figure out what this article is trying to say?
figurehead | figurehead: n. puppet, dummy, marionette, mouthpiece, Brit man of straw, US and Canadian straw man, Colloq front man, Chiefly US front: The king is a mere figurehead with no power at all.
file | file: n. 1 document, documentation, dossier, case, data, folder, portfolio, information: Interpol has files on Cowdery''s activities going back ten years. 2 line, queue, column, row, rank: The file of armoured vehicles stretched for miles. --v. 3 classify, organize, systematize, categorize, alphabetize, chronologize, order, arrange, pigeon-hole, interfile, put or place in order, register, record, enter: Must all this correspondence be filed today? 4 submit, send in, complete, fill in or US and Canadian also fill out, enter: I have already filed my application for a transfer. 5 walk, march, troop, parade: Please file into the classroom and take your seats.
fill | fill: v. 1 crowd, stuff, cram, jam, load, burden, pack, squeeze: A huge number of people filled the stadium. 2 top (off), top up, fill up, make full; inflate, swell, stretch, blow up, distend, expand: Pour in just enough to fill the bottle. See if you can fill the balloon. Wind filled the sails. 3 Sometimes, fill up. supply, provide, furnish: Irena has filled her house with paintings. 4 meet, satisfy, fulfil, answer: Will a dozen fill your needs for a while? 5 satisfy, satiate, bloat, sate, gorge, stuff; stock: The guests filled themselves with choice foods at the reception. 6 abound in, overflow, be abundant or plentiful in: Trout filled the lake. 7 close, stop (up), block, stuff, plug, caulk, seal: The dentist had to fill two cavities. 8 occupy, take over, discharge, carry out, do, execute: Can you fill her job while she''s away? 9 fill in or US and Canadian also out. a make out, complete, answer: Please fill in this application. b take the place, stand in, substitute: Could you fill in during my secretary''s absence? c inform, tell, advise, let in on, notify, bring up to date, share, let in on: Don will fill you in on the details later. 10 fill out. a swell, expand, grow, distend, stretch; fatten, increase: The sails filled out in the freshening breeze. b US fill in. See 9(a). --n. 11 one''s fill. plenty, enough; surfeit, sufficiency: We ate our fill and left.
filling | filling: n. filler, stuffing, padding, wadding; contents, components, Colloq innards: What kind of filling do you like in a pie?
film | film: n. 1 coating, skin, coat, membrane, peel, integument, layer, overlay, covering, cover, sheet, dusting, veil, Technical pellicle: There is a film of grease over everything. 2 motion picture, movie, picture; videotape; Colloq flick, pic; video: Why do they show the same films every Christmas? 3 veil, screen, murkiness, blur, smokescreen, haze, mist, haziness, mistiness, cloud, vapour, fog, steam: I could barely make out the road through the film on the windscreen. --v. 4 film over, coat, cover, dim, obscure, fade (away), veil, screen, blur, blear, mist, cloud, glaze,: The pond filmed over with bacteria. Her eyes filmed with tears. 5 photograph, shoot, take, (video)tape: If the director insists, then the scene must be filmed again.
filmy | filmy: adj. 1 gauzy, gossamer(-like), sheer, delicate, diaphanous, transparent, translucent, flimsy, light, cobwebby, insubstantial, see-through, peekaboo: Phoebe looked very seductive in her filmy negligee. 2 murky, blurry, cloudy, hazy, misty, bleary, blurred, dim, clouded, beclouded, milky, pearly, opalescent: We inched down the cliff in the filmy light of the moon.
filter | filter: n. 1 sieve, colander, riddle, screen, strainer, gauze, cloth, cheesecloth, membrane: To allow the liquid to pass through, a clean filter must be used. --v. 2 Sometimes, filter out. strain, screen, sift, winnow, clarify, refine, purify, clean; separate, weed out, exclude, eliminate: Some people filter tap water to improve its taste. This company would be improved if we could filter out the undesirable elements. 3 leach, percolate, drip, seep, dribble, trickle, drain, run or pass through, ooze: The rainwater is filtered through fine sand to purify it.
filth | filth: n. 1 sewage or sewerage, dirt, slime, muck, sludge, sullage, effluent, pollution, trash, rubbish, garbage, refuse, ordure, (night-)soil, excrement, faeces, excreta, manure, droppings, guano, dung, foul matter, filthiness, offal, leavings, carrion, decay, putrescence, putrefaction, Slang crud, Brit gunge, US grunge, Taboo slang shit: Cleaning the filth from the Augean stables was the fifth labour of Hercules. 2 corruption, vileness, baseness, foulness, rottenness, debasement, defilement, taint, pollution, adulteration, perversion, degradation, taint; sullying, besmirchment: Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed along with their filth. 3 indecency, obscenity, smut, pornography, corruption, nastiness, vulgarity, grossness: The censors forbade the showing of films with any hint of filth.
filthy | filthy: adj. 1 defiled, polluted, tainted, foul, nasty, dirty, unclean, vile, putrid, rotten, fetid or foetid, maggoty, fly-blown, purulent, feculent, faecal, scummy, slimy, mucky, Slang cruddy, Brit gungy, US grungy: That city''s public lavatories are the filthiest I have ever seen. 2 dirty, unwashed, begrimed, squalid, sordid, shabby, soiled, low, stained, grimy, bedraggled, unkempt, slovenly, sloppy, mean, scurvy, disgusting, miserable, wretched, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy: The filthy beggar turned out to be Holmes in disguise. 3 immoral, taboo or tabu, indecent, impure, obscene, smutty, pornographic, X-rated, depraved, corrupt, dirty, lewd, lascivious, licentious, gross, offensive, coarse, bawdy, ribald, blue, suggestive, foul-mouthed, dirty-minded, filthy-minded: Customs officers confiscated thousands of filthy books, magazines, films, and videos.
final | final: adj. 1 ending, concluding, terminating, finishing, closing, last, terminal, ultimate, end: The final sentence needs rewriting. 2 conclusive, decisive, unalterable, irreversible, irrevocable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, indisputable, unchangeable, immutable, definitive; settled, fixed, absolute, certain, sure: Those are my final words on the subject. We made a final series of measurements.
finality | finality: n. conclusiveness, decisiveness, unalterability, irreversibility, irrevocableness, incontrovertibility, irrefutability, indisputability, unchangeability, immutability, definitiveness, certainty, certitude, sureness, fixedness: There is an air of finality in the way she gives orders.
finalize | finalize: v. conclude, settle, complete, decide, Colloq wrap up, clinch, sew up: We finalized the agreement yesterday by signing the contract.
finally | finally: adv. 1 at (long) last, lastly, eventually, in the end, ultimately, at length, when all is said and done, in the long run, at the end of the day, at the last moment: We finally arrived in port. 2 conclusively, once and for all, decisively, irrevocably, in fine, completely, inexorably, absolutely, definitively, definitely, for good, for ever, for all time: I didn''t want to commit myself finally till I''d seen the plans.
finance | finance: n. 1 resource(s), banking, accounting, economics, money (management), business, commerce, (financial) affairs, investment: Bendick is the officer in charge of finance for the company. 2 finances. capital, money, cash, funds, resources, assets, holdings, wealth, wherewithal: Have you the finances needed to buy the house? --v. 3 fund, subvene, invest in, back, capitalize, underwrite, subsidize, pay for, Colloq US bankroll: The new enterprise is being financed entirely by small investors.
financial | financial: adj. monetary, pecuniary, fiscal, economic: We must get the financial affairs of the country in order.
financier | financier: n. capitalist, banker, plutocrat, investor, backer, US money-man, Colloq angel: The financiers suggest switching investment from shares to bonds.
find | find: v. 1 discover, come across, happen or come on or upon, hit upon or on, chance or stumble on or upon; encounter, bump into: We''ve found a tiny bistro on the Left Bank where we like to go. 2 Often, find out. uncover, discover, unearth, lay one''s hand(s) on, turn up, come up with, reveal, bring to light, light upon or on, catch sight of, see, espy, descry, detect, learn, spot, locate, track down; find out, identify, become aware of, determine, ascertain, put one''s finger on, point to, Colloq tumble to, Brit twig; Slang finger, rumble, Brit suss out: The police are trying to find the murderer. Can you find who did it? 3 discover, perceive, see, understand, notice, mark, remark, note, distinguish, discern; realize: I find nothing odd about her attire. 4 consider, think, regard, view, feel or discover to be: I have always found Lady Sharpless exceedingly dull. He finds it impossible to refuse her demands. 5 get, obtain, procure, secure, acquire, win, gain; experience: We despair of finding customers for our services in these hard times. He found relief only in painkillers. 6 recover, locate, get back; repossess, recoup: I hope you find the earring you lost. 7 summon (up), call up, command, gather (up), muster (up), rouse, arouse, awaken: I tried to find the courage to ask her to marry me. 8 set aside, allot, assign, manage, get: Have you found the time to read Connie''s new book? 9 judge, decide or determine to be, pronounce, declare: A jury found her guilty. The judge found in favour of the plaintiff. --n. 10 discovery, catch, bargain, deal; boon, windfall: The gold doubloon was the find of a lifetime.
finding | finding: n. 1 discovery, find: The findings from Pompeii are in the Museum of Portici. 2 judgement, decree, verdict, decision, determination, pronouncement, declaration, conclusion: The findings of the Law Lords are final.
fine� | fine�: adj. 1 superior, excellent, superb, magnificent, supreme, marvellous, exceptional, splendid, exquisite, elegant, first-class, first-rate, prime, choice, select, top-grade, high-grade, top-drawer, quality, admirable, great, good, satisfactory, Colloq out of this world, great, OK or okay, peachy, neat, keen, Brit tickety-boo, US neat, Australian bonzer, Slang swell, cool, Brit old-fashioned ripping, Dialectal champion: He is a connoisseur of fine paintings. She turned in a fine performance. 2 sunny, fair, bright, clear, cloudless, balmy, pleasant, dry, nice: It was a fine day for a picnic. 3 enjoyable, satisfying, entertaining, amusing, good, interesting, pleasant, nice: Thank you for inviting us to such a fine party. 4 accomplished, skilful, consummate, outstanding, masterly, brilliant, virtuoso: Ann-Sofie is a fine pianist. 5 delicate, subtle, exquisite, well-made, dainty, elegant; superior, excellent, outstanding: What a fine example of miniature-painting! 6 delicate, dainty, thin, gossamer, diaphanous, gauzy, sheer, slender, frail, flimsy, filamentous, threadlike: The sword hung over Damocles'' head by a fine thread. 7 powdered, powdery, pulverized, comminuted, crushed, fine-grained: As soon as they touched the papyrus, it disintegrated into a fine powder. 8 sharp, keen, keen-edged, razor-sharp, pointed, acute: The points of the sea urchin''s spines are so fine you don''t feel them enter. 9 subtle, delicate, refined, acute, keen, discriminating, critical, precise, nice, hair-splitting: There is sometimes a fine distinction between pleasure and pain. 10 good-looking, handsome, attractive, striking, beautiful, pretty, lovely, seemly, fair, comely, Colloq US cute, Scots bonny: Jeanette married a fine young man. 11 meritorious, worthy, commendable, admirable, excellent, superb, splendid, good, Colloq great: She has displayed fine courage in the face of terrible family problems. 12 healthy, well, healthful, robust, all right, Colloq OK or okay: I told the doctor that I was feeling fine. 13 close: Arriving at the airport with only minutes to spare is cutting it pretty fine.
fine� | fine�: n. 1 penalty, charge, fee, mulct, forfeit, amercement; forfeiture: He was unable to pay the parking fine. --v. 2 penalize, charge, mulct, amerce: She was fined for parking at a bus stop.
finery | finery: n. decoration(s), ornaments, trappings, trinkets, frippery, showy dress, Colloq best bib and tucker, Sunday best, Sunday clothes, gear, glad rags: They were all dressed in their finery at the reception.
finesse | finesse: n. 1 artfulness, subtlety, cunning, craftiness, cleverness, strategy, shrewdness, skill, style, dash, �lan, panache, knack, skilfulness, talent, adroitness, expertness, expertise, adeptness, proficiency, ability, facility: I admire the finesse with which she persuaded him to give the painting to the museum. 2 trick, artifice, stratagem, wile, ruse, scheme, machination, intrigue, device, expedient, manoeuvre, deception, deceit: He used every finesse in the book to get her to work for him. 3 tact, diplomacy, discretion, grace, taste, delicacy, polish, refinement, elegance: With infinite finesse, Lord Lacey suggested that the duchess might like to stay the night. --v. 4 manoeuvre, manipulate, bluff, trick, delude, deceive, fool, outwit, hoodwink, Colloq finagle, Slang con: She was finessed into making him heir to her fortune.
finger | finger: n. 1 digit: How many fingers am I holding up? 2 have a finger in. be or become or get involved in, figure in, have a hand in, influence, interfere in, tamper or meddle or tinker or monkey with: I knew that Lightfoot must have had a finger in the deal. 3 keep one''s fingers crossed. hope or pray for the best, touch or esp. US knock wood: I''m sure you''ll win, but I''ll keep my fingers crossed just the same. 4 lay or put a finger on. (so much as) touch, strike, hit, punch: If you lay a finger on her, you''ll have to answer to me! 5 lay or put one''s finger on. a recall, remember, recollect, bring or call to mind, think of, pin down: I can''t quite put my finger on the date when we met. b locate, find, discover, unearth, lay or put one''s hands on, track down, get hold of, come by, acquire; buy, purchase: I was finally able to put my finger on the book you asked for. c indicate, identify, point to, pin down, Colloq zero (in) on: Frank put his finger on the problem at once. 6 (not) lift or raise (even) a (little) finger. make an attempt or effort, offer, make a move, contribute, do one''s part, do anything or something: She didn''t so much as lift a finger when I needed her. 7 pull or get one''s finger out. get on with it, stop delaying or procrastinating, Colloq get cracking: He should have finished by now, and I wish he''d pull his finger out. 8 put the finger on. accuse, inform on or against, tell or tattle on, betray, bear witness, Slang snitch or squeal on, peach on: After Louise put the finger on the kingpin, the cops arrested him. 9 slip through one''s fingers. elude, escape, get away, vanish, disappear: Despite the cordon round the house, the fugitive slipped through our fingers. 10 twist or wrap around one''s little finger. control, dominate, lord it over, have under control, manipulate, manoeuvre, wield power or authority over, have under one''s thumb, have the upper hand over, be master of, influence, make subservient: She has her father twisted around her little finger, and can do no wrong in his eyes. --v. 11 touch, handle, feel; toy or play or fiddle with: He was quite nervous and kept fingering his tie. 12 identify, point out, put the finger on: It was too late, the mob had already fingered Slats for assassination.
finicky | finicky: adj. 1 finical, fussy, fastidious, critical, difficult, meticulous, hard to please, (over-)delicate, (over-)dainty, (over-)particular, over-nice, over-precise, niminy-piminy, punctilious, (over-)scrupulous, Colloq pernickety or US also persnickety, choosy, nit-picking, picky: No one can work for him - he''s too finicky. 2 fussy, elaborate, detailed, fine, delicate: Notice the tiny, finicky engraving on this watch-case.
finish | finish: v. 1 stop, conclude, end, cease: When you have finished eating, please clear the table. 2 complete, accomplish, perfect, achieve, carry out, fulfil, consummate, clinch, write ''finis'' to, Colloq wrap up: We finished the work on time. 3 Sometimes, finish off. dispose of, dispatch or despatch, exhaust, consume, eat or drink (up), use (up), devour, drain, Colloq polish off: We finished the last of the beer last night. 4 Sometimes, finish off. kill, exterminate, annihilate, destroy, get rid of, dispose of, dispatch or despatch, put an end to, administer or deliver or give the coup de gr�ce, bring down, overcome, beat, defeat, conquer, best, worst, Colloq polish off, terminate, Slang bump off, rub out, US waste, ice: The cavalry finished off the last of the enemy. The contender was finished in the third round. 5 Sometimes, finish up. conclude, close, terminate, wind up, end, culminate: He goes straight home when he finishes work. When will you finish? 6 Sometimes, finish up. end up, settle: Where did you finish up after the party? 7 Sometimes, finish off. perfect, put the final touches on, polish, put a finish on: He finishes fine furniture for a living. 8 finish with. release, let go, have or be done with, let loose, set free: I''ll finish with you later, young man! --n. 9 conclusion, termination, end, close, closing, completion, culmination, ending, finale, Colloq winding up, US wind-up: Tomorrow is the finish of the hunting season. 10 death, killing, annihilation, extermination, downfall, destruction, defeat: A major catastrophe spelt the finish of the dinosaurs. 11 polish, surface, texture: Just feel the finish on this gunstock!
finite | finite: adj. limited, bounded, bound, restricted, delimited, numerable, countable: It has been shown that there are a finite number of grains of sand in the universe.
fire | fire: n. 1 flame(s), blaze; conflagration, holocaust, inferno: We gathered round the roaring fire. 2 feeling, passion, ardour, ardency, fervour, fervency, intensity, vigour, spirit, energy, vim, vivacity, sparkle, animation, liveliness, verve, pep, �lan, �clat, dash, vitality, eagerness, enthusiasm, fever, feverishness: I have never seen the role of Carmen performed with such fire. 3 firing, fusillade, volley, barrage, bombardment, salvo, cannonade, shelling, broadside, flak: The fire from the guns shook the house. 4 hang fire. delay, be delayed, be in abeyance, be suspended, be shelved, be put off, be postponed, be up in the air, Colloq be put on hold, be (put) on the back burner: The decision is hanging fire till tomorrow. 5 on fire. afire, burning, blazing, alight, aflame, flaming; ardent, passionate, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, intense, aroused, stirred, stimulated, enthusiastic, fired up, eager, inspired, excited: The building is on fire: you must leave at once. My very soul is on fire when I think of you. 6 play with fire. undertake a risk or hazard or peril, run a risk, risk (something or everything), imperil or endanger (something), tempt fate, live dangerously: He warned people not to play with fire by stirring up racial hatred. 7 set fire to. See 8, below. --v. 8 a set fire to, set afire, set on fire, ignite, set alight, kindle, spark (off), put to the torch, burn, Slang US torch: Arsonists fired our headquarters last night. b Sometimes, fire up. inflame, impassion, incite, excite, provoke, foment, whip up, arouse, rouse, work up, fire up, enkindle, light a fire under, stimulate, inspirit, motivate, move, stir, animate, inspire, awaken, energize, vitalize, vivify: She fired the crowd''s emotions with her impassioned speech. 9 discharge, shoot, let go (with), launch, propel, throw, catapult, hurl: He fired the missile towards the enemy. 10 detonate, set off, ignite, set fire to, light, let off: It is against the law to fire any explosives in this area. 11 discharge, dismiss, oust, let go, cashier, give (someone) notice, Brit make or declare redundant, Colloq Brit ask for or get (someone''s) cards, US give (someone) a pink slip; Slang bounce, give (someone) the bounce, axe, give (someone) the axe, show (someone) the door, can, give (someone) the (old) heave-ho, give (someone) his or her (Brit) marching orders or (US) walking papers, Brit sack, give (someone) the sack, boot (someone) out, give (someone) the boot: They fired me last month and I can''t find work.
firm | firm: adj. 1 compact, solid, dense, compressed, condensed, concentrated, rigid, stiff, hard, unyielding, inflexible, inelastic: I prefer a firm mattress. 2 stable, fixed, fast, secure, steady, solid, stationary, anchored, moored, unmovable, immovable: This pole is firmer than that one. 3 steady, strong, sturdy, tight, unwavering, unshakable or unshakeable, unswerving: What we need is a firm hand at the controls. 4 resolute, determined, dogged, definite, resolved, positive, decisive, decided, set on or upon, steadfast, constant, unflinching, staunch, unshaken, unshakeable or unshakable, immovable, inflexible, rigid, unwavering, undeviating, unchanging, unchangeable, obstinate, obdurate, stubborn, strict, unyielding, unbending, unalterable: Father was firm about my not staying out past midnight. --v. 5 Often firm up. consolidate, establish, settle (down), solidify, resolve, determine, set up: We firmed up the terms of the contract. Sugar prices firmed today. --n. 6 company, organization, corporation, limited company, public limited company, plc, partnership, proprietorship, business, enterprise, concern, house, conglomerate, multinational (company), cartel, Colloq outfit; US jargon CIA, Central Intelligence Agency: He works for a firm in the City.
firmament | firmament: n. heaven, the heavens, sky, the skies, vault (of heaven), Literary welkin, empyrean: Sirius is one of the brightest stars in the firmament.
firmly | firmly: adv. 1 solidly, strongly, securely, tightly, rigidly, fast, immovably: The column is set firmly into the concrete. 2 resolutely, steadfastly, determinedly, staunchly, unwaveringly, decisively, unhesitatingly, constantly: Jacquelyn firmly supports John in anything he says.
first | first: adj. 1 foremost, leading, chief, head, premier, prime, primary, principal, pre-eminent: The Kennedys were regarded as among ''the first people of Boston''. I heard that your son is now first violinist in the Philharmonic. 2 earliest, original, senior, oldest; initial, beginning, maiden, opening: The first clock in England was made about 1288. The first assault resulted in great loss of life. 3 fundamental, elementary, basic, primary, cardinal, key, essential: It is necessary to return to first principles. --adv. 4 before, in front, earliest, beforehand, ahead, sooner, foremost: Bannister came in first. 5 in the first place, firstly, before all or anything else, initially, at the outset or beginning, to begin or start with, from the start, Colloq first off: First, I want to thank you all for coming to my party. --n. 6 beginning, start, inception, commencement, outset, Colloq word go: I knew you''d win from the first. 7 first place, blue ribbon, gold (medal), triumph, victory; win: Britain achieved three firsts in yesterday''s athletics meeting. 8 at first. initially, in the beginning, at the start or outset, Colloq from the word go: I didn''t believe him at first.
first-rate | first-rate: adj. first-class, high-grade, prime, excellent, superior, superb, great, remarkable, admirable, fine, exceptional, outstanding, extraordinary, unparalleled, matchless, unsurpassed, Colloq A-1 or A-one, top-notch, tiptop, crack, top, ace, Brit whiz-bang or whizz-bang, wizard: Sarah is a first-rate pianist.
fiscal | fiscal: adj. financial, economic, budgetary, pecuniary, monetary: It is against our fiscal policy to deal in off-shore securities.
fishy | fishy: adj. 1 piscine, fishlike, piscatory, piscatorial: On the fishmonger''s slab lay an array of fishy offerings, only a few of which I could recognize. 2 dubious, doubtful, questionable, unlikely, far-fetched, suspicious, not kosher, peculiar, odd, queer, strange, suspect, improbable, implausible, Colloq shady, funny: There is something fishy about this deal.
fit� | fit�: adj. 1 fitting, appropriate, fitted, suitable, suited, adapted, apt, meet, apropos, applicable; befitting, becoming, convenient, proper, right, correct, fitting: Those books are not fit for children. It''s not a fit night out for man or beast. 2 prepared, ready, able, capable, qualified, worthy, right, adequate: The question is, is such a man fit to lead men into battle? 3 healthy, well, hale, hearty, stalwart, vigorous, strong, sturdy, robust, strapping, able-bodied, in good shape or trim or condition, in fine fettle: Is she fit enough to run in the marathon? 4 ready, angry, troubled, upset, inclined, disposed, ready or likely or about to, exhausted enough: I worked till I was fit to drop. Mr Barrett was coughing fit to burst. --v. 5 befit, suit, become, be suited to, be suitable or appropriate for, answer, satisfy: This computer program does not fit my needs. 6 join, conform, go (together), match, correspond, dovetail, tally: I cannot make the parts fit. 7 adjust, modify, change, adapt, alter, accommodate, shape, fashion: You will just have to fit your schedule to conform to ours. 8 equip, supply, furnish, provide, outfit, fit out or up, install or instal, rig out, gear up: I am having my boat fitted with radar.
fit� | fit�: n. 1 attack, seizure, convulsion, spasm, spell, paroxysm, bout, throe: She has periodic fits of severe depression. 2 outburst, outbreak, paroxysm, spell, period: Occasionally, Gurning would go into a fit of hysterical laughter. 3 tantrum; eruption, explosion: She throws a fit if I so much as mention Maria''s name. 4 by fits and starts. sporadically, occasionally, fitfully, spasmodically, intermittently, erratically, haphazardly, now and then, irregularly, unsystematically; unreliably: The fridge works only by fits and starts.
fitful | fitful: adj. irregular, sporadic, intermittent, occasional, periodic, erratic, spasmodic, haphazard, unsystematic, changeable, unstable, capricious, varying, fluctuating, variable, uneven: The dying torch emitted a fitful light. No true patriot pays merely fitful allegiance to his country.
fitness | fitness: n. 1 aptness, appropriateness, suitability, suitableness, competence, pertinence, seemliness; eligibility, adequacy, qualification(s): There is some doubt about Henryson''s fitness as a leader. 2 health, healthiness, (good) (physical) condition, vigour, well-being, (good) shape, (fine) fettle, tone, wholesomeness, salubriousness or salubrity: Tony is a fanatic about physical fitness and exercises daily.
fitted | fitted: adj. custom-made, tailor-made; tailored, bespoke: The house boasts a fully fitted kitchen.
fitting | fitting: adj. 1 fit, befitting, suitable, appropriate, meet, becoming, proper, comme il faut, seemly, apt, apropos, apposite, germane, relevant: Is it fitting to send flowers? It was a fitting end to the story. --n. 2 fittings. fitments, attachments, accessories, elements, pieces, parts, units, fixtures; appointments, extras, installations, furnishings, trappings, furniture, equipment, accoutrements, paraphernalia, trimmings: Gold-plated bathroom fittings are available at extra cost.
fix | fix: v. 1 affix, pin, fasten, make fast, attach, secure, stick, connect, link, tie, couple, clasp, clamp, rivet, cement, weld, fuse: Fix this sign to the door. 2 establish, set, settle, agree to, determine, organize, stabilize, firm up, solidify, decide, conclude, arrive at, define, specify, resolve, arrange, install or instal, institute: The new limits must be fixed by tomorrow. 3 repair, mend, fix up, remedy, rectify, correct, emend, adjust, patch (up), regulate, put or set to rights, doctor, straighten out: My watch is at the jeweller''s being fixed. 4 hold, fasten, focus, direct, level, rivet, concentrate, freeze; fixate: He fixed his attention on the ice-cream. 5 hold, rivet, spellbind, mesmerize, hypnotize, fascinate, freeze, immobilize: She fixed him with a baleful stare. 6 concentrate, focus: Fix your thoughts on how we''re going to get out of here. 7 harden, congeal, thicken, set, consolidate, solidify, rigidify, become rigid, stiffen, freeze: Mould the clay before it becomes fixed. 8 establish, set, settle, organize, install or instal, situate, locate, position, place: Her family is comfortably fixed. 9 impose, assign, allocate, attribute, ascribe, specify, pin, attach, fasten, establish: They tried to fix the responsibility for the accident. 10 settle, set, stabilize, freeze, solidify: The introduction and spread of printing fixed many spellings. 11 bribe, suborn, buy (off), corrupt, influence, manipulate, Colloq grease (someone''s) palm: He attempted to fix a judge. 12 arrange, prearrange, predetermine, set up, contrive, Colloq fiddle, pull strings, rig: We knew the winner as they had fixed the race. 13 desexualize, desex, alter, cut; castrate, emasculate, see to, eunuchize, geld, caponize; spay, oophorectomize, ovariectomize: Animals that have been fixed are usually more tractable. 14 retaliate against, wreak vengeance on, hit or strike or get back at, get even with, even the score with, make reprisal against, avenge oneself against, take revenge or retribution on or against, repay, pay back, Colloq settle (someone''s) hash, cook (someone''s) goose, sort (some) out: I''ll fix him for tattling to the teacher! 15 fix on or upon. decide (on or upon), set, agree (on or upon), choose, select, settle (on), determine, finalize: We can''t fix on a date till we know David''s schedule. 16 fix up. a furnish, supply, provide, accommodate, set up, Brit lay on: Her mother fixed her up with a nice young man. Can you fix me up with a room for the night? b (re)decorate, furnish, renovate, restore, furbish, refurbish; straighten out or up, organize, do up, set up: I like the way you''ve fixed up the basement. Please fix up your room before the guests arrive. c clear up, resolve, reconcile, sort out, settle: Have they fixed up their differences yet? d repair, patch (up): Fix up my car so it will run at least till I get home. --n. 17 dilemma, predicament, difficulty, corner, double bind, catch-22, quandary, mess, (bad) situation, strait(s), Colloq pickle, jam, hole, (tight or tough) spot, pinch, US bind: You could help me get out of a terrible fix. 18 arrangement, prearrangement, fiddle; bribery, subornation; Slang chiefly US and Canadian set-up: The fix is on for her to win at roulette.
fixation | fixation: n. mania, obsession, compulsion, fixed idea, id�e fixe, fetish, monomania, preoccupation, infatuation, Colloq hang-up, thing, kick: He has a health-food fixation.
fixed | fixed: adj. 1 fastened, attached, anchored, set, secure(d), firm, stable, settled, immovable, immobile, stationary, rigid, rooted, solid; immobilized, stuck: While this part rolls, the other remains fixed. There was a fixed smile on her face. 2 established, secure, unalterable, steadfast, set, firm, unchangeable, unchanging, persistent, unfluctuating, unflagging, unwavering, inflexible, undeviating, unflinching, unblinking, rigid, rooted, immutable, definite, resolute, resolved, determined, intent; obstinate, stubborn: I admire Philip''s fixed determination to persevere. 3 settled, resolved, agreed, regular, habitual, decided, arranged, prearranged, definite, established: We have a fixed date on which we meet each month. 4 arranged, prearranged, set-up, framed; crooked, dishonest, bent, Colloq rigged, put-up: He lost everything in a fixed poker game.
fixture | fixture: n. 1 meet, meeting, event, match, occasion, occurrence: The Davis Cup tennis championship is an annual fixture. 2 appliance, accessory, fitting, equipment, apparatus, device, instrument, tool, gadget, contrivance, appendage, fitment: The landlord forbids the removal of any fixture.
fizz | fizz: v. 1 bubble, effervesce, sparkle, froth, fizzle; hiss, sputter, sizzle: The champagne fizzed in my glass. --n. 2 effervescence, sparkle, carbonation, bubbling, froth, fizzle, fizziness: All the fizz is gone from my drink! 3 hiss, hissing, sibilance: The steam escaped with a loud fizz. 4 US soda, soda water, club soda, seltzer, Dialect plain; soft drink, tonic: May I have a little fizz with my scotch? 5 champagne, Colloq Brit champers: We celebrated with oysters and a bottle of fizz.
fizzle | fizzle: v. 1 fizz: This headache powder makes the water fizzle. 2 Often, fizzle out. die (out or away), fizz out, expire, peter out, come to nothing or naught, fail, fall through, miscarry, abort, come to grief, misfire, collapse, cave in: Her grandiose plans for staging an extravaganza quickly fizzled out.
