Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries

      Aa

      aback ADVERB

● taken aback = surprised, thrown, shocked, stunned, confused, astonished, staggered, startled, bewildered, astounded, disconcerted, bowled over (informal), stupefied, floored (informal), knocked for six, dumbfounded, left open-mouthed, nonplussed, flabbergasted (informal)abandon VERB 1 She claimed that her friends had abandoned her. = leave, strand, ditch (slang), leave behind, walk out on, forsake, jilt, run out on, throw over, turn your back on, desert, dump, leave high and dry, leave in the lurch 2 The authorities have abandoned any attempt to distribute food. = stop, drop, give up, halt, cease, cut out, pack in (Brit. informal), discontinue, leave off, desist from ◼ OPPOSITE: continue 3 They were persuaded to abandon their lawsuit. = give up, resign from, yield, surrender, relinquish, renounce, waive, cede, forgo, abdicate ◼ OPPOSITE: keep ▸ NOUN He has splashed money around with abandon. = recklessness, dash, wildness, wantonness, unrestraint, careless freedom ◼ OPPOSITE: restraint ● abandon ship The crew prepared to abandon ship. = evacuate, quit, withdraw from, vacate, depart fromabandoned ADJECTIVE 1 abandoned buildings that become a breeding ground for crime = unoccupied, empty, deserted, vacant, derelict, uninhabited ◼ OPPOSITE: occupied 2 a newsreel of abandoned puppies = deserted, dropped, rejected, neglected, stranded, ditched, discarded, relinquished, left, forsaken, cast off, jilted, cast aside, cast out, cast away 3 people who enjoy a wild, abandoned lifestyle = uninhibited, wild, uncontrolled, unbridled, unrestrained, unconstrained ◼ OPPOSITE: inhibitedabandonment NOUN 1 memories of her father's complete abandonment of her = desertion, leaving, forsaking, jilting 2 the abandonment of two North Sea oilfields = evacuation, leaving, quitting, departure, withdrawal 3 Rain forced the abandonment of the next day's competitions. = stopping, cessation, discontinuation 4 their abandonment of the policy = renunciation, giving up, surrender, waiver, abdication, cession, relinquishmentabate VERB 1 The storms soon abated. = decrease, decline, relax, ease, sink, fade, weaken, diminish, dwindle, lessen, slow, wane, subside, ebb, let up, slacken, attenuate, taper off ◼ OPPOSITE: increase 2 a government programme to abate greenhouse gas emissions = reduce, slow, relax, ease, relieve, moderate, weaken, dull, diminish, decrease, lessen, alleviate, quell, mitigate, attenuate ◼ OPPOSITE: increaseabatement NOUN 1 Demand for the product shows no sign of abatement. = decrease, slowing, decline, easing, sinking, fading, weakening, relaxation, dwindling, lessening, waning, subsiding, ebbing, cessation, let-up (informal), slackening, diminution, tapering off, attenuation 2 noise abatement = reduction, slowing, relief, easing, weakening, dulling, decrease, lessening, cutback, quelling, moderation, remission, slackening, mitigation, diminution, curtailment, alleviation, attenuation, extenuationabattoir NOUN = slaughterhouse, shambles, butcheryabbey NOUN = monastery, convent, priory, cloister, nunnery, friaryabbreviate VERB = shorten, reduce, contract, trim, cut, prune, summarize, compress, condense, abridge ◼ OPPOSITE: expandabbreviated ADJECTIVE = shortened, shorter, reduced, brief, potted, trimmed, pruned, cut, summarized, compressed, concise, condensed, abridged ◼ OPPOSITE: expandedabbreviation NOUN = shortening, reduction, résumé, trimming, summary, contraction, compression, synopsis, précis, abridgmentabdicate VERB 1 The last French king abdicated in 1848. = resign, retire, quit, step down (informal) 2 Edward chose to abdicate the throne, rather than give Mrs Simpson up. = give up, yield, hand over, surrender, relinquish, renounce, waive, vacate, cede, abjure 3 Citizens of the world should not abdicate responsibility for the environment. = renounce, give up, abandon, surrender, relinquish, waive, forgo, abnegateabdication NOUN 1 the abdication of Edward VIII = resignation, quitting, retirement, retiral (chiefly Scot.) 2 Edward was titled Duke of Windsor after his abdication of the throne. = giving up, yielding, surrender, waiving, renunciation, cession, relinquishment, abjurationabdomen NOUN = stomach, guts (slang), belly, tummy (informal), midriff, midsection, makutu (N.Z.), puku (N.Z.) ◼ RELATED WORD: adjective abdominalabdominal ADJECTIVE = gastric, intestinal, visceralabduct VERB = kidnap, seize, carry off, run off with, run away with, make off with, snatch (slang)abduction NOUN = kidnapping, seizure, carrying offaberrant ADJECTIVE 1 His rages and aberrant behaviour worsened. = abnormal, odd, strange, extraordinary, curious, weird, peculiar, eccentric, queer (old-fashioned), irregular, erratic, deviant (old-fashioned), off-the-wall (slang), oddball (informal), anomalous, untypical, outré 2 cruel and aberrant acts = depraved, corrupt, perverted, perverse, degenerate, deviant, debased, debauchedaberration NOUN = anomaly, exception, defect, abnormality, inconsistency, deviation, quirk, peculiarity, divergence, departure, irregularity, incongruityabet VERB 1 We shall strike hard at terrorists and those who abet them. = help, aid, encourage, sustain, assist, uphold, back, second, incite, egg on, succour 2 The media have abetted the feeling of unreality. = encourage, further, forward, promote, urge, boost, prompt, spur, foster, incite, connive atabetting NOUN = help, backing, support, aid, assistance, encouragement, abetment, abettalabeyance NOUN ● in abeyance = shelved, pending, on ice (informal), in cold storage (informal), hanging fire, suspendedabhor VERB = hate, loathe, despise, detest, shrink from, shudder at, recoil from, be repelled by, have an aversion to, abominate, execrate, regard with repugnance or horror ◼ OPPOSITE: loveabhorrent ADJECTIVE = hateful, hated, offensive, disgusting, horrible, revolting, obscene, distasteful, horrid, repellent, obnoxious, despicable, repulsive, heinous, odious, repugnant, loathsome, abominable, execrable, detestableabide VERB 1 I can't abide people who can't make up their minds. = tolerate, suffer, accept, bear, endure, brook, hack (slang), put up with, take, stand, stomach, thole (Scot.) 2 to make moral judgements on the basis of what is eternal and abides = last, continue, remain, survive, carry on, endure, persist, keep on ● abide by something They have got to abide by the rules. = obey, follow, agree to, carry out, observe, fulfil, stand by, act on, comply with, hold to, heed, submit to, conform to, keep to, adhere to, mindabiding ADJECTIVE = enduring, lasting, continuing, remaining, surviving, permanent, constant, prevailing, persisting, persistent, eternal, tenacious, firm, fast, everlasting, unending, unchanging ◼ OPPOSITE: briefability NOUN 1 No one had faith in his ability to do the job. = capability, power, potential, facility, capacity, qualification, competence, proficiency, competency, potentiality ◼ OPPOSITE: inability 2 Her drama teacher spotted her ability. = skill, talent, know-how (informal), gift, expertise, faculty, flair, competence, energy, accomplishment, knack, aptitude, proficiency, dexterity, cleverness, potentiality, adroitness, adeptnessabject ADJECTIVE 1 Both of them suffered abject poverty. = wretched, miserable, hopeless, dismal, outcast, pitiful, forlorn, deplorable, pitiable 2 He sounded abject and eager to please. = servile, humble, craven, cringing, fawning, submissive, grovelling, subservient, slavish, mean, low, obsequious ◼ OPPOSITE: dignified 3 an abject traitor = despicable, base, degraded, worthless, vile, sordid,