Chapter XII: Part I: Synonyms, Antonyms and Prepositions (10)

_Language_ (F. _langage_ < L. _lingua_, the tongue) signified originally _expression_ of thought by spoken words, but now in its widest sense it signifies _expression_ of thought by any means; as, the _language_ of the eyes, the _language_ of flowers. As regards the use of words, _language_ in its broadest sense denotes all the uttered sounds and their combinations into words and sentences that human beings employ for the communication of thought, and, in a more limited sense, the words or combinations forming a means of communication among the members of a single nation, people, or race. _Speech_ involves always the power of articulate utterance; we can speak of the _language_ of animals, but not of their _speech_. A _tongue_ is the _speech_ or _language_ of some one people, country, or race. A _dialect_ is a special mode of speaking a _language_ peculiar to some locality or class, not recognized as in accordance with the best usage; a _barbarism_ is a perversion of a _language_ by ignorant foreigners, or some usage akin to that. _Idiom_ refers to the construction of phrases and sentences, and the way of forming or using words; it is the peculiar mold in which each _language_ casts its thought. The great difficulty of translation is to give the thought expressed in one _language_ in the _idiom_ of another. A _dialect_ may be used by the highest as well as the lowest within its range; a _patois_ is distinctly illiterate, belonging to the lower classes; those who speak a _patois_ understand the cultured form of their own language, but speak only the degraded form, as in the case of the Italian lazzaroni or the former negro slaves in the United States. _Vernacular_, from the Latin, has the same general sense as the Saxon _mother tongue_, of one's native _language_, or that of a people; as, the Scriptures were translated into the _vernacular_. Compare DICTION.

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LARGE.

Synonyms:

abundant, coarse, gigantic, long, ample, colossal, grand, massive, big, commodious, great, spacious, broad, considerable, huge, vast, bulky, enormous, immense, wide. capacious, extensive,

_Large_ denotes extension in more than one direction, and beyond the average of the class to which the object belongs; we speak of a _large_ surface or a _large_ solid, but of a _long_ line; a _large_ field, a _large_ room, a _large_ apple, etc. A _large_ man is a man of more than ordinary size; a _great_ man is a man of remarkable mental power. _Big_ is a more emphatic word than _large_, but of less dignity. We do not say that George Washington was a _big_ man.

Antonyms:

brief, limited, minute, scanty, small, diminutive, little, narrow, short, tiny, inconsiderable, mean, paltry, slender, trifling, infinitesimal, microscopic, petty, slight, trivial. insignificant,

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LAW.

Synonyms:

canon, economy, legislation, principle, code, edict, mandate, regulation, command, enactment, order, rule, commandment, formula, ordinance, statute. decree, jurisprudence, polity,

_Law_, in its ideal, is the statement of a _principle_ of right in mandatory form, by competent authority, with adequate penalty for disobedience; in common use, the term is applied to any legislative act, however imperfect or unjust. _Command_ and _commandment_ are personal and particular; as, the _commands_ of a parent; the ten _commandments_. An _edict_ is the act of an absolute sovereign or other authority; we speak of the _edict_ of an emperor, the _decree_ of a court. A _mandate_ is specific, for an occasion or a purpose; a superior court issues its _mandate_ to an inferior court to send up its records. _Statute_ is the recognized legal term for a specific _law_; _enactment_ is the more vague and general expression. We speak of algebraic or chemical _formulas_, municipal _ordinances_, military _orders_, army _regulations_, ecclesiastical _canons_, the _rules_ of a business house. _Law_ is often used, also, for a recognized _principle_, whose violation is attended with injury or loss that acts like a penalty; as, the _laws_ of business; the _laws_ of nature. In more strictly scientific use, a natural _law_ is simply a recognized system of sequences or relations; as, Kepler's _laws_ of planetary distances. A _code_ is a system of _laws_; _jurisprudence_ is the science of _law_, or a system of _laws_ scientifically considered, classed, and interpreted; _legislation_, primarily the act of legislating, denotes also the body of _statutes_ enacted by a legislative body. An _economy_ (Gr. _oikonomia_, primarily the management of a house) is any comprehensive system of administration; as, domestic _economy_; but the word is extended to the administration or government of a state or people, signifying a body of _laws_ and _regulations_, with the entire system, political or religious, especially the latter, of which they form a part; as, the _code_ of Draco, Roman _jurisprudence_, British _legislation_, the Mosaic _economy_. _Law_ is also used as a collective noun for a system of _laws_ or recognized _rules_ or _regulations_, including not only all special _laws_, but the _principles_ on which they are based. The Mosaic _economy_ is known also as the Mosaic _law_, and we speak of the English common _law_, or the _law_ of nations. _Polity_ (Gr. _politeia_, from _polis_, a city) signifies the form, constitution, or method of government of a nation, state, church, or other institution; in usage it differs from _economy_ as applying rather to the system, while _economy_ applies especially to method, or to the system as administered; an _economy_ might be termed a _polity_ considered with especial reference to its practical administration, hence commonly with special reference to details or particulars, while _polity_ has more reference to broad _principles_.

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LIBERTY.

Synonyms:

emancipation, freedom, independence, license.

In general terms, it may be said that _freedom_ is absolute, _liberty_ relative; _freedom_ is the absence of restraint, _liberty_ is primarily the removal or avoidance of restraint; in its broadest sense, it is the state of being exempt from the domination of others or from restricting circumstances. _Freedom_ and _liberty_ are constantly interchanged; the slave is set at _liberty_, or gains his _freedom_; but _freedom_ is the nobler word. _Independence_ is said of states or nations, _freedom_ and _liberty_ of individuals; the _independence_ of the United States did not secure _liberty_ or _freedom_ to its slaves. _Liberty_ keeps quite strictly to the thought of being clear of restraint or compulsion; _freedom_ takes a wider range, applying to other oppressive influences; thus, we speak of _freedom_ from annoyance or intrusion. _License_ is, in its limited sense, a permission or privilege granted by adequate authority, a bounded _liberty_; in the wider sense, _license_ is an ignoring and defiance of all that should restrain, and a reckless doing of all that individual caprice or passion may choose to do--a base and dangerous counterfeit of _freedom_. Compare ALLOW; PERMISSION.

Antonyms:

captivity, imprisonment, oppression, slavery, compulsion, necessity, serfdom, superstition, constraint, obligation, servitude, thraldom.

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LIGHT.

Synonyms:

blaze, gleam, glow, shimmer, flame, gleaming, illumination, shine, flare, glimmer, incandescence, shining, flash, glistening, luster, sparkle, flicker, glistering, scintillation, twinkle, glare, glitter, sheen, twinkling.

_Light_, strictly denoting a form of radiant energy, is used as a general term for any luminous effect discernible by the eye, from the faintest phosphorescence to the _blaze_ of the noonday sun. A _flame_ is both hot and luminous; if it contains few solid particles it will yield little _light_, tho it may afford intense heat, as in the case of a hydrogen-_flame_. A _blaze_ is an extensive, brilliant _flame_. A _flare_ is a wavering _flame_ or _blaze_; a _flash_ is a _light_ that appears and disappears in an instant; as, a _flash_ of lightning; the _flash_ of gunpowder. The _glare_ and _glow_ are steady, the _glare_ painfully bright, the _glow_ subdued; as, the _glare_ of torches; the _glow_ of dying embers. _Shine_ and _shining_ refer to a steady or continuous emission of _light_; _sheen_ is a faint _shining_, usually by reflection. _Glimmer_, _glitter_, and _shimmer_ denote wavering _light_. We speak of the _glimmer_ of distant lamps through the mist; of the _shimmer_ of waves in sun_light_ or moon_light_. A _gleam_ is not wavering, but transient or intermittent; a sudden _gleam_ of _light_ came through the half-open door; a _glitter_ is a hard _light_; as, the _glitter_ of burnished arms. A _sparkle_ is a sudden _light_, as of sparks thrown out; _scintillation_ is the more exact and scientific term for the actual emission of sparks, also the figurative term for what suggests such emission; as, _scintillations_ of wit or of genius. _Twinkle_ and _twinkling_ are used of the intermittent _light_ of the fixed stars. _Glistening_ is a _shining_ as from a wet surface. _Illumination_ is a wide-spread, brilliant _light_, as when all the windows of a house or of a street are lighted. The _light_ of _incandescence_ is intense and white like that from metal at a white heat.

Antonyms:

blackness, darkness, dusk, gloominess, shade, dark, dimness, gloom, obscurity, shadow.

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LIKELY.

Synonyms:

apt, conceivable, liable, probable, credible, conjectural, presumable, reasonable.

_Apt_ implies a natural fitness or tendency; an impetuous person is _apt_ to speak hastily. _Liable_ refers to a contingency regarded as unfavorable; as, the ship was _liable_ to founder at any moment. _Likely_ refers to a contingent event regarded as very probable, and usually, tho not always, favorable; as, an industrious worker is _likely_ to succeed. _Credible_ signifies readily to be believed; as, a _credible_ narrative; _likely_ in such connection is used ironically to signify the reverse; as, a _likely_ story! A thing is _conceivable_ of which the mind can entertain the possibility; a thing is _conjectural_ which is conjectured as possible or probable without other support than a conjecture, or tentative judgment; a thing is _presumable_ which, from what is antecedently known, may betaken for granted in advance of proof. _Reasonable_ in this connection signifies such as the reason can be satisfied with, independently of external grounds for belief or disbelief; as, that seems a _reasonable_ supposition. Compare APPARENT.

Antonyms:

doubtful, improbable, questionable, unreasonable. dubious, incredible, unlikely,

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LISTEN.

Synonyms:

attend, hark, harken, hear, heed, list.

Between _listen_ and _hear_ is a difference like that between the words look and see. (Compare synonyms for LOOK.) To _hear_ is simply to become conscious of sound, to _listen_ is to make a conscious effort or endeavor to _hear_. We may _hear_ without _listening_, as words suddenly uttered in an adjoining room; or we may _listen_ without _hearing_, as to a distant speaker. In _listening_ the ear is intent upon the sound; in _attending_ the mind is intent upon the thought, tho _listening_ implies some attention to the meaning or import of the sound. To _heed_ is not only to _attend_, but to remember and observe. _Harken_ is nearly obsolete.

Antonyms:

be deaf to, ignore, neglect, scorn, slight.

Prepositions:

We listen _for_ what we expect or desire to hear; we listen _to_ what we actually do hear; listen _for_ a step, a signal, a train; listen _to_ the debate.

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LITERATURE.

Synonyms:

belles-lettres, literary productions, publications, books, literary works, writings.

_Literature_ is collective, including in the most general sense all the written or printed productions of the human mind in all lands and ages, or in a more limited sense, referring to all that has been published in some land or age, or in some department of human knowledge; as, the _literature_ of Greece; the _literature_ of the Augustan age; the _literature_ of politics or of art. _Literature_, used absolutely, denotes what has been called "polite _literature_" or _belles-lettres_, _i. e._, the works collectively that embody taste, feeling, loftiness of thought, and purity and beauty of style, as poetry, history, fiction, and dramatic compositions, including also much of philosophical writing, as the "Republic" of Plato, and oratorical productions, as the orations of Demosthenes. In the broad sense, we can speak of the _literature_ of science; in the narrower sense, we speak of _literature_ and science as distinct departments of knowledge. _Literature_ is also used to signify literary pursuits or occupations; as, to devote one's life to _literature_. Compare KNOWLEDGE; SCIENCE.

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LOAD, _n._

Synonyms:

burden, charge, encumbrance, incubus, pack, cargo, clog, freight, lading, weight.

A _burden_ (from the Anglo-Saxon _byrthen_, from the verb _beran_, bear) is what one has to bear, and the word is used always of that which is borne by a living agent. A _load_ (from the Anglo-Saxon _l[=a]d_, a way, course, carrying, or carriage) is what is laid upon a person, animal, or vehicle for conveyance, or what is customarily so imposed; as, a two-horse _load_. _Weight_ measures the pressure due to gravity; the same _weight_ that one finds a moderate _load_ when in his full strength becomes a heavy _burden_ in weariness or weakness. A ship's _load_ is called distinctively a _cargo_, or it may be known as _freight_ or _lading_. _Freight_ denotes merchandise in or for transportation and is used largely of transportation or of merchandise transported by rail, which is, in commercial language, said to be "shipped." A _load_ to be fastened upon a horse or mule is called a _pack_, and the animal is known as a pack-horse or pack-mule.

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LOCK.

Synonyms:

bar, catch, fastening, hook, bolt, clasp, hasp, latch.

A _bar_ is a piece of wood or metal, usually of considerable size, by which an opening is obstructed, a door held fast, etc. A _bar_ may be movable or permanent; a _bolt_ is a movable rod or pin of metal, sliding in a socket and adapted for securing a door or window. A _lock_ is an arrangement by which an enclosed _bolt_ is shot forward or backward by a key, or other device; the _bolt_ is the essential part of the _lock_. A _latch_ or _catch_ is an accessible _fastening_ designed to be easily movable, and simply to secure against accidental opening of the door, cover, etc. A _hasp_ is a metallic strap that fits over a staple, calculated to be secured by a padlock; a simple _hook_ that fits into a staple is also called a _hasp_. A _clasp_ is a fastening that can be sprung into place, to draw and hold the parts of some enclosing object firmly together, as the _clasp_ of a book.

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LOOK.

Synonyms:

behold, discern, inspect, see, view, contemplate, gaze, regard, stare, watch. descry, glance, scan, survey,

To _see_ is simply to become conscious of an object of vision; to _look_ is to make a conscious and direct endeavor to _see_. To _behold_ is to fix the sight and the mind with distinctness and consideration upon something that has come to be clearly before the eyes. We may _look_ without _seeing_, as in pitch-darkness, and we may _see_ without _looking_, as in case of a flash of lightning. To _gaze_ is to _look_ intently, long, and steadily upon an object. To _glance_ is to _look_ casually or momentarily. To _stare_ is to _look_ with a fixed intensity such as is the effect of surprise, alarm, or rudeness. To _scan_ is to _look_ at minutely, to note every visible feature. To _inspect_ is to go below the surface, uncover, study item by item. _View_ and _survey_ are comprehensive, _survey_ expressing the greater exactness of measurement or estimate. _Watch_ brings in the element of time and often of wariness; we _watch_ for a movement or change, a signal, the approach of an enemy, etc. Compare APPEAR.

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LOVE.

Synonyms:

affection, charity, friendship, regard, attachment, devotion, liking, tenderness. attraction, fondness,

_Affection_ is kindly feeling, deep, tender, and constant, going out to some person or object, being less fervent and ardent than _love_, whether applied to persons or things. _Love_ is an intense and absorbing emotion, drawing one toward a person or object and causing one to appreciate, delight in, and crave the presence or possession of the person or object loved, and to desire to please and benefit the person, or to advance the cause, truth, or other object of _affection_; it is the yearning or outgoing of soul toward something that is regarded as excellent, beautiful, or desirable; _love_ may be briefly defined as strong and absorbing _affection_ for and _attraction_ toward a person or object. _Love_ may denote the sublimest and holiest spiritual _affection_ as when we are taught that "God is _love_." _Charity_ has so far swung aside from this original meaning that probably it never can be recalled (compare BENEVOLENCE). The Revised Version uses _love_ in place of _charity_ in _1 Cor._ xiii, and elsewhere. _Love_ is more intense, absorbing, and tender than _friendship_, more intense, impulsive, and perhaps passionate than _affection_; we speak of fervent _love_, but of deep or tender _affection_, or of close, firm, strong _friendship_. _Love_ is used specifically for personal _affection_ between the sexes in the highest sense, the _love_ that normally leads to marriage, and subsists throughout all happy wedded life. _Love_ can never properly denote mere animal passion, which is expressed by such words as appetite, desire, lust. One may properly be said to have _love_ for animals, for inanimate objects, or for abstract qualities that enlist the affections, as we speak of _love_ for a horse or a dog, for mountains, woods, ocean, or of _love_ of nature, and _love_ of virtue. _Love_ of articles of food is better expressed by _liking_, as _love_, in its full sense, expresses something spiritual and reciprocal, such as can have no place in connection with objects that minister merely to the senses. Compare ATTACHMENT; FRIENDSHIP.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for ANTIPATHY; ENMITY; HATRED.

Prepositions:

Love _of_ country; _for_ humanity; love _to_ God and man.

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MAKE.

Synonyms:

become, constrain, fabricate, manufacture, bring about, construct, fashion, occasion, bring into being, create, force, perform, bring to pass, do, frame, reach, cause, effect, get, render, compel, establish, make out, require, compose, execute, make up, shape. constitute,

_Make_ is essentially causative; to the idea of _cause_ all its various senses may be traced (compare synonyms for CAUSE). To _make_ is to _cause_ to exist, or to _cause_ to exist in a certain form or in certain relations; the word thus includes the idea of _create_, as in _Gen._ i, 31, "And God saw everything that he had _made_, and, behold, it was very good." _Make_ includes also the idea of _compose_, _constitute_; as, the parts _make up_ the whole. Similarly, to _cause_ a voluntary agent to do a certain act is to _make_ him do it, or _compel_ him to do it, _compel_ fixing the attention more on the process, _make_ on the accomplished fact. Compare COMPEL; DO; INFLUENCE; (make better) AMEND; (make haste) QUICKEN; (make known) ANNOUNCE; AVOW; CONFESS; (make prisoner) ARREST; (make up) ADD; (make void) CANCEL.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for ABOLISH; BREAK; DEMOLISH.

Prepositions:

Make _of_, _out of_, or _from_ certain materials, _into_ a certain form, _for_ a certain purpose or person; made _with_ hands, _by_ hand; made _by_ a prisoner, _with_ a jack-knife.

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MARRIAGE.

Synonyms:

conjugal union, espousals, nuptials, spousals, wedding, espousal, matrimony, spousal, union, wedlock.

_Matrimony_ denotes the state of those who are united in the relation of husband and wife; _marriage_ denotes primarily the act of so uniting, but is extensively used for the state as well. _Wedlock_, a word of specific legal use, is the Saxon term for the state or relation denoted by _matrimony_. _Wedding_ denotes the ceremony, with any attendant festivities, by which two persons are united as husband and wife, _nuptials_ being the more formal and stately term to express the same idea.

Antonyms:

bachelorhood, celibacy, divorce, maidenhood, virginity, widowhood.

Prepositions:

Marriage _of_ or _between_ two persons; _of_ one person _to_ or _with_ another; _among_ the Greeks.

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MASCULINE.

Synonyms:

male, manful, manlike, manly, mannish, virile.

We apply _male_ to the sex, _masculine_ to the qualities, especially to the stronger, hardier, and more imperious qualities that distinguish the _male_ sex; as applied to women, _masculine_ has often the depreciatory sense of unwomanly, rude, or harsh; as, a _masculine_ face or voice, or the like; tho one may say in a commendatory way, she acted with _masculine_ courage or decision. _Manlike_ may mean only having the outward appearance or semblance of a man, or may be closely equivalent to _manly_. _Manly_ refers to all the qualities and traits worthy of a man; _manful_, especially to the valor and prowess that become a man; we speak of a _manful_ struggle, _manly_ decision; we say _manly_ gentleness or tenderness; we could not say _manful_ tenderness. _Mannish_ is a depreciatory word referring to the mimicry or parade of some superficial qualities of manhood; as, a _mannish_ boy or woman. _Masculine_ may apply to the distinctive qualities of the _male_ sex at any age; _virile_ applies to the distinctive qualities of mature manhood only, as opposed not only to _feminine_ or _womanly_ but to _childish_, and is thus an emphatic word for _sturdy_, _intrepid_, etc.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for FEMININE.

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MASSACRE.

Synonyms:

butchery, carnage, havoc, slaughter.

A _massacre_ is the indiscriminate killing in numbers of the unresisting or defenseless; _butchery_ is the killing of men rudely and ruthlessly as cattle are killed in the shambles. _Havoc_ may not be so complete as _massacre_, nor so coldly brutal as _butchery_, but is more widely spread and furious; it is destruction let loose, and may be applied to organizations, interests, etc., as well as to human life; "as for Saul, he made _havoc_ of the church," _Acts_ viii, 3. _Carnage_ (Latin _caro, carnis_, flesh) refers to widely scattered or heaped up corpses of the slain; _slaughter_ is similar in meaning, but refers more to the process, as _carnage_ does to the result; these two words only of the group may be used of great destruction of life in open and honorable battle, as when we say the enemy was repulsed with great _slaughter_, or the _carnage_ was terrible.

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MEDDLESOME.

Synonyms:

impertinent, intrusive, meddling, obtrusive, officious.

The _meddlesome_ person interferes unasked in the affairs of others; the _intrusive_ person thrusts himself uninvited into their company or conversation; the _obtrusive_ person thrusts himself or his opinions conceitedly and undesirably upon their notice; the _officious_ person thrusts his services, unasked and undesired, upon others. _Obtrusive_ is oftener applied to words, qualities, actions, etc., than to persons; _intrusive_ is used chiefly of persons, as is _officious_, tho we speak of _officious_ attentions, _intrusive_ remarks; _meddlesome_ is used indifferently of persons, or of words, qualities, actions, etc. Compare INQUISITIVE; INTERPOSE.

Antonyms:

modest, reserved, retiring, shy, unassuming, unobtrusive.

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MELODY.

Synonyms:

harmony, music, symphony, unison.

_Harmony_ is simultaneous; _melody_ is successive; _harmony_ is the pleasing correspondence of two or more notes sounded at once, _melody_ the pleasing succession of a number of notes continuously following one another. A _melody_ may be wholly in one part; _harmony_ must be of two or more parts. Accordant notes of different pitch sounded simultaneously produce _harmony_; _unison_ is the simultaneous sounding of two or more notes of the same pitch. When the pitch is the same, there may be _unison_ between sounds of very different volume and quality, as a voice and a bell may sound in _unison_. Tones sounded at the interval of an octave are also said to be in _unison_, altho this is not literally exact; this usage arises from the fact that bass and tenor voices in attempting to sound the same note as the soprano and alto will in fact sound a note an octave below. _Music_ may denote the simplest _melody_ or the most complex and perfect _harmony_. A _symphony_ (apart from its technical orchestral sense) is any pleasing consonance of musical sounds, vocal or instrumental, as of many accordant voices or instruments.

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MEMORY.

Synonyms:

recollection, reminiscence, retrospect, retrospection. remembrance,

_Memory_ is the faculty by which knowledge is retained or recalled; in a more general sense, _memory_ is a retention of knowledge within the grasp of the mind, while _remembrance_ is the having what is known consciously before the mind. _Remembrance_ may be voluntary or involuntary; a thing is brought to _remembrance_ or we call it to _remembrance_; the same is true of _memory_. _Recollection_ involves volition, the mind making a distinct effort to recall something, or fixing the attention actively upon it when recalled. _Reminiscence_ is a half-dreamy _memory_ of scenes or events long past; _retrospection_ is a distinct turning of the mind back upon the past, bringing long periods under survey. _Retrospection_ is to _reminiscence_ much what _recollection_ is to _remembrance_.

Antonyms:

forgetfulness, oblivion, obliviousness, oversight, unconsciousness.

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MERCY.

Synonyms:

benevolence, favor, kindness, mildness, benignity, forbearance, lenience, pardon, blessing, forgiveness, leniency, pity, clemency, gentleness, lenity, tenderness. compassion, grace,

_Mercy_ is the exercise of less severity than one deserves, or in a more extended sense, the granting of _kindness_ or _favor_ beyond what one may rightly claim. _Grace_ is _favor_, _kindness_, or _blessing_ shown to the undeserving; _forgiveness_, _mercy_, and _pardon_ are exercised toward the ill-deserving. _Pardon_ remits the outward penalty which the offender deserves; _forgiveness_ dismisses resentment or displeasure from the heart of the one offended; _mercy_ seeks the highest possible good of the offender. There may be _mercy_ without _pardon_, as in the mitigation of sentence, or in all possible alleviation of necessary severity; there may be cases where _pardon_ would not be _mercy_, since it would encourage to repetition of the offense, from which timely punishment might have saved. _Mercy_ is also used in the wider sense of refraining from harshness or cruelty toward those who are in one's power without fault of their own; as, they besought the robber to have _mercy_. _Clemency_ is a colder word than _mercy_, and without its religious associations, signifying _mildness_ and moderation in the use of power where severity would have legal or military, rather than moral sanction; it often denotes a habitual _mildness_ of disposition on the part of the powerful, and is matter rather of good nature or policy than of principle. _Leniency_ or _lenity_ denotes an easy-going avoidance of severity; these words are more general and less magisterial than _clemency_; we should speak of the _leniency_ of a parent, the _clemency_ of a conqueror. Compare PITY.

Antonyms:

cruelty, implacability, punishment, rigor, sternness, hardness, justice, revenge, severity, vengeance. harshness, penalty,

Prepositions:

The mercy _of_ God _to_ or _toward_ sinners; have mercy _on_ or _upon_ one.

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METER.

Synonyms:

euphony, measure, rhythm, verse.

_Euphony_ is agreeable linguistic sound, however produced; _meter_, _measure_, and _rhythm_ denote agreeable succession of sounds in the utterance of connected words; _euphony_ may apply to a single word or even a single syllable; the other words apply to lines, sentences, paragraphs, etc.; _rhythm_ and _meter_ may be produced by accent only, as in English, or by accent and quantity combined, as in Greek or Italian; _rhythm_ or _measure_ may apply either to prose or to poetry, or to music, dancing, etc.; _meter_ is more precise than _rhythm_, applies only to poetry, and denotes a measured _rhythm_ with regular divisions into _verses_, stanzas, strophes, etc. A _verse_ is strictly a metrical line, but the word is often used as synonymous with stanza. _Verse_, in the general sense, denotes metrical writing without reference to the thought involved; as, prose and _verse_. Compare MELODY; POETRY.

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MIND.

Synonyms:

brain, instinct, reason, spirit, consciousness, intellect, sense, thought, disposition, intelligence, soul, understanding.

_Mind_, in a general sense, includes all the powers of sentient being apart from the physical factors in bodily faculties and activities; in a limited sense, _mind_ is nearly synonymous with _intellect_, but includes _disposition_, or the tendency toward action, as appears in the phrase "to have a _mind_ to work." As the seat of mental activity, _brain_ (colloquially _brains_) is often used as a synonym for _mind_, _intellect_, _intelligence_. _Thought_, the act, process, or power of thinking, is often used to denote the thinking faculty, and especially the _reason_. The _instinct_ of animals is now held by many philosophers to be of the same nature as the _intellect_ of man, but inferior and limited; yet the apparent difference is very great.

An _instinct_ is a propensity prior to experience and independent of
instruction.

PALEY _Natural Philosophy_ ch. 18.

In this sense we speak of human _instincts_, thus denoting tendencies independent of reasoning or instruction. The _soul_ includes the _intellect_, sensibilities, and will; beyond what is expressed by the word _mind_, the _soul_ denotes especially the moral, the immortal nature; we say of a dead body, the _soul_ (not the _mind_) has fled. _Spirit_ is used especially in contradistinction from matter; it may in many cases be substituted for _soul_, but _soul_ has commonly a fuller and more determinate meaning; we can conceive of _spirits_ as having no moral nature; the fairies, elves, and brownies of mythology might be termed _spirits_, but not _souls_. In the figurative sense, _spirit_ denotes animation, excitability, perhaps impatience; as, a lad of _spirit_; he sang with _spirit_; he replied with _spirit_. _Soul_ denotes energy and depth of feeling, as when we speak of soulful eyes; or it may denote the very life of anything; as, "the hidden _soul_ of harmony," MILTON _L'Allegro_ l. 144. _Sense_ may be an antonym of _intellect_, as when we speak of the _sense_ of hearing; but _sense_ is used also as denoting clear mental action, good judgment, acumen; as, he is a man of _sense_, or, he showed good _sense_; _sense_, even in its material signification, must be reckoned among the activities of _mind_, tho dependent on bodily functions; the _mind_, not the eye, really sees; the _mind_, not the ear, really hears. _Consciousness_ includes all that a sentient being perceives, knows, thinks, or feels, from whatever source arising and of whatever character, kind, or degree, whether with or without distinct thinking, feeling, or willing; we speak of the _consciousness_ of the brute, of the savage, or of the sage. The _intellect_ is that assemblage of faculties which is concerned with knowledge, as distinguished from emotion and volition. _Understanding_ is the Saxon word of the same general import, but is chiefly used of the reasoning powers; the _understanding_, which Sir Wm. Hamilton has called "the faculty of relations and comparisons," is distinguished by many philosophers from _reason_ in that "_reason_ is the faculty of the higher cognitions or a priori truth."

Antonyms:

body, brawn, brute force, material substance, matter.

* * * * *

MINUTE.

Synonyms:

circumstantial, diminutive, little, slender, comminuted, exact, particular, small, critical, fine, precise, tiny. detailed,

That is _minute_ which is of exceedingly limited dimensions, as a grain of dust, or which attends to matters of exceedingly slight amount or apparent importance; as, a _minute_ account; _minute_ observation. That which is broken up into _minute_ particles is said to be _comminuted_; things may be termed _fine_ which would not be termed _comminuted_; as, _fine_ sand; _fine_ gravel; but, in using the adverb, we say a substance is finely _comminuted_, _comminuted_ referring more to the process, _fine_ to the result. An account extended to very _minute_ particulars is _circumstantial_, _detailed_, _particular_; an examination so extended is _critical_, _exact_, _precise_. Compare FINE.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for LARGE.

* * * * *

MISFORTUNE.

Synonyms:

adversity, disappointment, ill fortune, ruin, affliction, disaster, ill luck, sorrow, bereavement, distress, misadventure, stroke, blow, failure, mischance, trial, calamity, hardship, misery, tribulation, chastening, harm, mishap, trouble, chastisement, ill, reverse, visitation.

_Misfortune_ is adverse fortune or any instance thereof, any untoward event, usually of lingering character or consequences, and such as the sufferer is not deemed directly responsible for; as, he had the _misfortune_ to be born blind. Any considerable _disappointment_, _failure_, or _misfortune_, as regards outward circumstances, as loss of fortune, position, and the like, when long continued or attended with enduring consequences, constitutes _adversity_. For the loss of friends by death we commonly use _affliction_ or _bereavement_. _Calamity_ and _disaster_ are used of sudden and severe _misfortunes_, often overwhelming; _ill fortune_ and _ill luck_, of lighter troubles and failures. We speak of the _misery_ of the poor, the _hardships_ of the soldier. _Affliction_, _chastening_, _trial_, and _tribulation_ have all an especially religious bearing, suggesting some disciplinary purpose of God with beneficent design. _Affliction_ may be keen and bitter, but brief; _tribulation_ is long and wearing. We speak of an _affliction_, but rarely of a _tribulation_, since _tribulation_ is viewed as a continuous process, which may endure for years or for a lifetime; but we speak of our daily _trials_. Compare CATASTROPHE.

Antonyms:

blessing, consolation, gratification, pleasure, success, boon, good fortune, happiness, prosperity, triumph. comfort, good luck, joy, relief,

* * * * *

MOB.

Synonyms:

canaille, dregs of the people, masses, rabble, crowd, lower classes, populace, the vulgar.

The _populace_ are poor and ignorant, but may be law-abiding; a _mob_ is disorderly and lawless, but may be rich and influential. The _rabble_ is despicable, worthless, purposeless; a _mob_ may have effective desperate purpose. A _crowd_ may be drawn by mere curiosity; some strong, pervading excitement is needed to make it a _mob_. Compare PEOPLE.

* * * * *

MODEL.

Synonyms:

archetype, facsimile, original, representation, copy, image, pattern, standard, design, imitation, prototype, type. example, mold,

A _pattern_ is always, in modern use, that which is to be copied; a _model_ may be either the thing to be copied or the _copy_ that has been made from it; as, the _models_ in the Patent Office. A _pattern_ is commonly superficial; a _model_ is usually in relief. A _pattern_ must be closely followed in its minutest particulars by a faithful copyist; a _model_ may allow a great degree of freedom. A sculptor may idealize his living _model_; his workmen must exactly _copy_ in marble or metal the _model_ he has made in clay. Compare EXAMPLE; IDEA; IDEAL.

* * * * *

MODESTY.

Synonyms:

backwardness, constraint, reserve, timidity, bashfulness, coyness, shyness, unobtrusiveness. coldness, diffidence,

_Bashfulness_ is a shrinking from notice without assignable reason. _Coyness_ is a half encouragement, half avoidance of offered attention, and may be real or affected. _Diffidence_ is self-distrust; _modesty_, a humble estimate of oneself in comparison with others, or with the demands of some undertaking. _Modesty_ has also the specific meaning of a sensitive shrinking from anything indelicate. _Shyness_ is a tendency to shrink from observation; _timidity_, a distinct fear of criticism, error, or failure. _Reserve_ is the holding oneself aloof from others, or holding back one's feelings from expression, or one's affairs from communication to others. _Reserve_ may be the retreat of _shyness_, or, on the other hand, the contemptuous withdrawal of pride and haughtiness. Compare ABASH; PRIDE; TACITURN.

Antonyms:

abandon, confidence, haughtiness, pertness, arrogance, egotism, impudence, sauciness, assumption, forwardness, indiscretion, self-conceit, assurance, frankness, loquaciousness, self-sufficiency, boldness, freedom, loquacity, sociability. conceit,

* * * * *

MONEY.

Synonyms:

bills, cash, funds, property, bullion, coin, gold, silver, capital, currency, notes, specie.

_Money_ is the authorized medium of exchange; coined _money_ is called _coin_ or _specie_. What are termed in England bank-_notes_ are in the United States commonly called _bills_; as, a five-dollar _bill_. The _notes_ of responsible men are readily transferable in commercial circles, but they are not _money_; as, the stock was sold for $500 in _money_ and the balance in merchantable paper. _Cash_ is _specie_ or _money_ in hand, or paid in hand; as, the _cash_ account; the _cash_ price. In the legal sense, _property_ is not _money_, and _money_ is not _property_; for _property_ is that which has inherent value, while _money_, as such, has but representative value, and may or may not have intrinsic value. _Bullion_ is either _gold_ or _silver_ uncoined, or the coined metal considered without reference to its coinage, but simply as merchandise, when its value as _bullion_ may be very different from its value as _money_. The word _capital_ is used chiefly of accumulated _property_ or _money_ invested in productive enterprises or available for such investment.

* * * * *

MOROSE.

Synonyms:

acrimonious, dogged, ill-natured, splenetic, churlish, gloomy, severe, sulky, crabbed, gruff, snappish, sullen, crusty, ill-humored, sour, surly.

The _sullen_ and _sulky_ are discontented and resentful in regard to that against which they are too proud to protest, or consider all protest vain; _sullen_ denotes more of pride, _sulky_ more of resentful obstinacy. The _morose_ are bitterly dissatisfied with the world in general, and disposed to vent their ill nature upon others. The _sullen_ and _sulky_ are for the most part silent; the _morose_ growl out bitter speeches. A _surly_ person is in a state of latent anger, resenting approach as intrusion, and ready to take offense at anything; thus we speak of a _surly_ dog. _Sullen_ and _sulky_ moods may be transitory; one who is _morose_ or _surly_ is commonly so by disposition or habit.

Antonyms:

amiable, complaisant, gentle, kind, pleasant, benignant, friendly, good-natured, loving, sympathetic, bland, genial, indulgent, mild, tender.

* * * * *

MOTION.

Synonyms:

act, change, movement, process, transition. action, move, passage, transit,

_Motion_ is _change_ of place or position in space; _transition_ is a passing from one point or position in space to another. _Motion_ may be either abstract or concrete, more frequently the former; _movement_ is always concrete, that is, considered in connection with the thing that moves or is moved; thus, we speak of the _movements_ of the planets, but of the laws of planetary _motion_; of military _movements_, but of perpetual _motion_. _Move_ is used chiefly of contests or competition, as in chess or politics; as, it is your _move_; a shrewd _move_ of the opposition. _Action_ is a more comprehensive word than _motion_. We now rarely speak of mental or spiritual _motions_, but rather of mental or spiritual _acts_ or _processes_, or of the laws of mental _action_, but a formal proposal of _action_ in a deliberative assembly is termed a _motion_. Compare ACT.

Antonyms:

immobility, quiescence, quiet, repose, rest, stillness.

* * * * *

MOURN.

Synonyms:

bemoan, deplore, lament, regret, rue, sorrow. bewail, grieve,

To _mourn_ is to feel or express sadness or distress because of some loss, affliction, or misfortune; _mourning_ is thought of as prolonged, _grief_ or _regret_ may be transient. One may _grieve_ or _mourn_, _regret_, _rue_, or _sorrow_ without a sound; he _bemoans_ with suppressed and often inarticulate sounds of grief; he _bewails_ with passionate utterance, whether of inarticulate cries or of spoken words. He _laments_ in plaintive or pathetic words, as the prophet Jeremiah in his "Lamentations." One _deplores_ with settled sorrow which may or may not find relief in words. One is made to _rue_ an act by some misfortune resulting, or by some penalty or vengeance inflicted because of it. One _regrets_ a slight misfortune or a hasty word; he _sorrows_ over the death of a friend.

Antonyms:

be joyful, exult, joy, make merry, rejoice, triumph.

* * * * *

MUTUAL.

Synonyms:

common, correlative, interchangeable, joint, reciprocal.

That is _common_ to which two or more persons have the same or equal claims, or in which they have equal interest or participation; in the strictest sense, that is _mutual_ (Latin _mutare_, to change) which is freely interchanged; that is _reciprocal_ in respect to which one act or movement is met by a corresponding act or movement in return; we speak of our _common_ country, _mutual_ affection, _reciprocal_ obligations, the _reciprocal_ action of cause and effect, where the effect becomes in turn a cause. Many good writers hold it incorrect to say "a _mutual_ friend," and insist that "a _common_ friend" would be more accurate; but "_common_ friend" is practically never used, because of the disagreeable suggestion that attaches to _common_, of ordinary or inferior. "_Mutual_ friend" has high literary authority (of Burke, Scott, Dickens, and others), and a considerable usage of good society in its favor, the expression being quite naturally derived from the thoroughly correct phrase _mutual_ friendship.

Antonyms:

detached, distinct, separated, unconnected, unrequited, disconnected, disunited, severed, unreciprocated, unshared. dissociated, separate, sundered,

* * * * *

MYSTERIOUS.

Synonyms:

abstruse, inexplicable, recondite, cabalistic, inscrutable, secret, dark, mystic, transcendental, enigmatical, mystical, unfathomable, hidden, obscure, unfathomed, incomprehensible, occult, unknown.

That is _mysterious_ in the true sense which is beyond human comprehension, as the decrees of God or the origin of life. That is _mystic_ or _mystical_ which has associated with it some _hidden_ or _recondite_ meaning, especially of a religious kind; as, the _mystic_ Babylon of the Apocalypse. That is _dark_ which we can not personally see through, especially if sadly perplexing; as, a _dark_ providence. That is _secret_ which is intentionally _hidden_. Compare DARK.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for CLEAR.

* * * * *

NAME.

Synonyms:

agnomen, denomination, prenomen, surname, appellation, designation, style, title. cognomen, epithet,

_Name_ in the most general sense, signifying the word by which a person or thing is called or known, includes all other words of this group; in this sense every noun is a _name_; in the more limited sense a _name_ is personal, an _appellation_ is descriptive, a _title_ is official. In the phrase William the Conqueror, King of England, William is the man's _name_, which belongs to him personally, independently of any rank or achievement; Conqueror is the _appellation_ which he won by his acquisition of England; King is the _title_ denoting his royal rank. An _epithet_ (Gr. _epitheton_, something added, from _epi_, on, and _tithemi_, put) is something placed upon a person or thing; the _epithet_ does not strictly belong to an object like a _name_, but is given to mark some assumed characteristic, good or bad; an _epithet_ is always an adjective, or a word or phrase used as an adjective, and is properly used to emphasize a characteristic but not to add information, as in the phrase "the _sounding_ sea;" the idea that an _epithet_ is always opprobrious, and that any word used opprobriously is an _epithet_ is a popular error. _Designation_ may be used much in the sense of _appellation_, but is more distinctive or specific in meaning; a _designation_ properly so called rests upon some inherent quality, while an _appellation_ may be fanciful. Among the Romans the _prenomen_ was the individual part of a man's _name_, the "nomen" designated the gens to which he belonged, the _cognomen_ showed his family and was borne by all patricians, and the _agnomen_ was added to refer to his achievements or character. When scientists _name_ an animal or a plant, they give it a binary or binomial technical _name_ comprising a generic and a specific _appellation_. In modern use, a personal _name_, as John or Mary, is given in infancy, and is often called the given _name_ or Christian _name_, or simply the first _name_ (rarely the _prenomen_); the _cognomen_ or _surname_ is the family _name_ which belongs to one by right of birth or marriage. _Style_ is the legal _designation_ by which a person or house is known in official or business relations; as, the _name_ and _style_ of Baring Brothers. The term _denomination_ is applied to a separate religious organization, without the opprobrious meaning attaching to the word "sect;" also, to designate any class of like objects collectively, especially money or notes of a certain value; as, the sum was in notes of the _denomination_ of one thousand dollars. Compare TERM.

* * * * *

NATIVE.

Synonyms:

indigenous, innate, natal, natural, original.

_Native_ denotes that which belongs to one by birth; _natal_ that which pertains to the event of birth; _natural_ denotes that which rests upon inherent qualities of character or being. We speak of one's _native_ country, or of his _natal_ day; of _natural_ ability, _native_ genius. Compare INHERENT; PRIMEVAL; RADICAL.

Antonyms:

acquired, alien, artificial, assumed, foreign, unnatural.

* * * * *

NAUTICAL.

Synonyms:

marine, maritime, naval, ocean, oceanic.

_Marine_ (L. _mare_, sea) signifies belonging to the ocean, _maritime_, a secondary derivative from the same root, bordering on or connected with the _ocean_; as, _marine_ products; _marine_ animals; _maritime_ nations; _maritime_ laws. _Nautical_ (Gr. _nautes_, a sailor) denotes primarily anything connected with sailors, and hence with ships or navigation; _naval_ (L. _navis_, Gr. _naus_, a ship) refers to the armed force of a nation on the sea, and, by extension, to similar forces on lakes and rivers; as, a _naval_ force; a _nautical_ almanac. _Ocean_, used adjectively, is applied to that which belongs to or is part of the _ocean_; _oceanic_ may be used in the same sense, but is especially applied to that which borders on (or upon) or is connected with, or which is similar to or suggestive of an _ocean_; we speak of _ocean_ currents, _oceanic_ islands, or, perhaps, of an _oceanic_ intellect.

* * * * *

NEAT.

Synonyms:

clean, dapper, nice, prim, tidy, cleanly, natty, orderly, spruce, trim.

That which is _clean_ is simply free from soil or defilement of any kind. Things are _orderly_ when in due relation to other things; a room or desk is _orderly_ when every article is in place; a person is _orderly_ who habitually keeps things so. _Tidy_ denotes that which conforms to propriety in general; an unlaced shoe may be perfectly _clean_, but is not _tidy_. _Neat_ refers to that which is _clean_ and _tidy_ with nothing superfluous, conspicuous, or showy, as when we speak of plain but _neat_ attire; the same idea of freedom from the superfluous appears in the phrases "a _neat_ speech," "a _neat_ turn," "a _neat_ reply," etc. A _clean_ cut has no ragged edges; a _neat_ stroke just does what is intended. _Nice_ is stronger than _neat_, implying value and beauty; a _cheap_, coarse dress may be perfectly _neat_, but would not be termed _nice_. _Spruce_ is applied to the show and affectation of neatness with a touch of smartness, and is always a term of mild contempt; as, a _spruce_ serving man. _Trim_ denotes a certain shapely and elegant firmness, often with suppleness and grace; as, a _trim_ suit; a _trim_ figure. _Prim_ applies to a precise, formal, affected nicety. _Dapper_ is _spruce_ with the suggestion of smallness and slightness; _natty_, a diminutive of _neat_, suggests minute elegance, with a tendency toward the exquisite; as, a _dapper_ little fellow in a _natty_ business suit.

Antonyms:

dirty, negligent, slouchy, uncared for, disorderly, rough, slovenly, unkempt, dowdy, rude, soiled, untidy.

* * * * *

NECESSARY.

Synonyms:

essential, infallible, required, unavoidable, indispensable, needed, requisite, undeniable. inevitable, needful,

That is _necessary_ which must exist, occur, or be true; which in the nature of things can not be otherwise. That which is _essential_ belongs to the essence of a thing, so that the thing can not exist in its completeness without it; that which is _indispensable_ may be only an adjunct, but it is one that can not be spared; vigorous health is _essential_ to an arctic explorer; warm clothing is _indispensable_. That which is _requisite_ (or _required_) is so in the judgment of the person requiring it, but may not be so absolutely; thus, the _requisite_ is more a matter of personal feeling than the _indispensable_. _Inevitable_ (L. _in_, not, and _evito_, shun) is primarily the exact equivalent of the Saxon _unavoidable_; both words are applied to things which some at least would escape or prevent, while that which is _necessary_ may meet with no objection; food is _necessary_, death is _inevitable_; a _necessary_ conclusion satisfies a thinker; an _inevitable_ conclusion silences opposition. An _infallible_ proof is one that necessarily leads the mind to a sound conclusion. _Needed_ and _needful_ are more concrete than _necessary_, and respect an end to be attained; we speak of a _necessary_ inference; _necessary_ food is what one can not live without, while _needful_ food is that without which he can not enjoy comfort, health, and strength.

Antonyms:

casual, needless, optional, useless, contingent, non-essential, unnecessary, worthless.

Prepositions:

Necessary _to_ a sequence or a total; _for_ or _to_ a result or a person; unity is necessary _to_ (to constitute) completeness; decision is necessary _for_ command, or _for_ a commander.

* * * * *

NECESSITY.

Synonyms:

compulsion, fatality, requisite, destiny, fate, sine qua non, emergency, indispensability, unavoidableness, essential, indispensableness, urgency, exigency, need, want. extremity, requirement,

_Necessity_ is the quality of being necessary, or the quality of that which can not but be, become, or be true, or be accepted as true. _Need_ and _want_ always imply a lack; _necessity_ may be used in this sense, but in the higher philosophical sense _necessity_ simply denotes the exclusion of any alternative either in thought or fact; righteousness is a _necessity_ (not a _need_) of the divine nature. _Need_ suggests the possibility of supplying the deficiency which _want_ expresses; to speak of a person's _want_ of decision merely points out a weakness in his character; to say that he has _need_ of decision implies that he can exercise or attain it. As applied to a deficiency, _necessity_ is more imperative than _need_; a weary person is in _need_ of rest; when rest becomes a _necessity_ he has no choice but to stop work. An _essential_ is something, as a quality, or element, that belongs to the essence of something else so as to be inseparable from it in its normal condition, or in any complete idea or statement of it. Compare NECESSARY; PREDESTINATION.

Antonyms:

choice, doubt, dubiousness, freedom, possibility, contingency, doubtfulness, fortuity, option, uncertainty.

Prepositions:

The necessity _of_ surrender; a necessity _for_ action; this is a necessity _to_ me.

* * * * *

NEGLECT.

Synonyms:

carelessness, heedlessness, negligence, scorn, default, inadvertence, omission, slackness, disregard, inattention, oversight, slight, disrespect, indifference, remissness, thoughtlessness. failure, neglectfulness,

_Neglect_ (L. _nec_, not, and _lego_, gather) is the failing to take such care, show such attention, pay such courtesy, etc., as may be rightfully or reasonably expected. _Negligence_, which is the same in origin, may be used in almost the same sense, but with a slighter force, as when Whittier speaks of "the _negligence_ which friendship loves;" but _negligence_ is often used to denote the quality or trait of character of which the act is a manifestation, or to denote the habit of neglecting that which ought to be done. _Neglect_ is transitive, _negligence_ is intransitive; we speak of _neglect_ of his books, friends, or duties, in which cases we could not use _negligence_; _negligence_ in dress implies want of care as to its arrangement, tidiness, etc.; _neglect_ of one's garments would imply leaving them exposed to defacement or injury, as by dust, moths, etc. _Neglect_ has a passive sense which _negligence_ has not; the child was suffering from _neglect_, _i. e._, from being neglected by others; the child was suffering from _negligence_ would imply that he himself was neglectful. The distinction sometimes made that _neglect_ denotes the act, and _negligence_ the habit, is but partially true; one may be guilty of habitual _neglect_ of duty; the wife may suffer from her husband's constant _neglect_, while the _negligence_ which causes a railroad accident may be that of a moment, and on the part of one ordinarily careful and attentive; in such cases the law provides punishment for criminal _negligence_.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for CARE.

Prepositions:

Neglect _of_ duty, _of_ the child _by_ the parent; there was neglect _on the part of_ the teacher.

* * * * *

NEW.

Synonyms:

fresh, modern, new-made, upstart, juvenile, new-fangled, novel, young, late, new-fashioned, recent, youthful.

That which is _new_ has lately come into existence, possession, or use; a _new_ house is just built, or in a more general sense is one that has just come into the possession of the present owner or occupant. _Modern_ denotes that which has begun to exist in the present age, and is still existing; _recent_ denotes that which has come into existence within a comparatively brief period, and may or may not be existing still. _Modern_ history pertains to any period since the middle ages; _modern_ literature, _modern_ architecture, etc., are not strikingly remote from the styles and types prevalent to-day. That which is _late_ is somewhat removed from the present, but not far enough to be called _old_. That which is _recent_ is not quite so sharply distinguished from the past as that which is _new_; _recent_ publications range over a longer time than _new_ books. That which is _novel_ is either absolutely or relatively unprecedented in kind; a _novel_ contrivance is one that has never before been known; a _novel_ experience is one that has never before occurred to the same person; that which is _new_ may be of a familiar or even of an ancient sort, as a _new_ copy of an old book. _Young_ and _youthful_ are applied to that which has life; that which is _young_ is possessed of a comparatively _new_ existence as a living thing, possessing actual youth; that which is _youthful_ manifests the attributes of youth. (Compare YOUTHFUL.) _Fresh_ applies to that which has the characteristics of newness or youth, while capable of deterioration by lapse of time; that which is unworn, unspoiled, or unfaded; as, a _fresh_ countenance, _fresh_ eggs, _fresh_ flowers. _New_ is opposed to _old_, _modern_ to _ancient_, _recent_ to _remote_, _young_ to _old_, _aged_, etc.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for OLD.

* * * * *

NIMBLE.

Synonyms:

active, alert, bustling, prompt, speedy, spry, agile, brisk, lively, quick, sprightly, swift.

_Nimble_ refers to lightness, freedom, and quickness of motion within a somewhat narrow range, with readiness to turn suddenly to any point; _swift_ applies commonly to more sustained motion over greater distances; a pickpocket is _nimble_-fingered, a dancer _nimble_-footed; an arrow, a race-horse, or an ocean steamer is _swift_; Shakespeare's "_nimble_ lightnings" is said of the visual appearance in sudden zigzag flash across the sky. Figuratively, we speak of _nimble_ wit, _swift_ intelligence, _swift_ destruction. _Alert_, which is strictly a synonym for _ready_, comes sometimes near the meaning of _nimble_ or _quick_, from the fact that the ready, wide-awake person is likely to be _lively_, _quick_, _speedy_. Compare ACTIVE; ALERT.

Antonyms:

clumsy, dull, heavy, inactive, inert, slow, sluggish, unready. dilatory,

* * * * *

NORMAL.

Synonyms: