Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
conceitedness, contemptuousness, scornfulness, uppishness (Brit. informal), disdainfulness, overweeningness ◼ OPPOSITE: modestyarrogant ADJECTIVE = conceited, lordly, assuming, proud, swaggering, pompous, pretentious, stuck up (informal), cocky, contemptuous, blustering, imperious, overbearing, haughty, scornful, puffed up, egotistical, disdainful, self-important, presumptuous, high-handed, insolent, supercilious, high and mighty (informal), overweening, immodest, swollen-headed, bigheaded (informal), uppish (Brit. informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: modestarrow NOUN 1 warriors armed with bows and arrows = dart, flight, reed (archaic), bolt, shaft (archaic), quarrel 2 A series of arrows point the way to his grave. = pointer, indicator, markerarsenal NOUN 1 = store, stock, supply, magazine, stockpile 2 Terrorists had broken into the arsenal and stolen a range of weapons. = armoury, storehouse, ammunition dump, arms depot, ordnance depotart NOUN 1 the first exhibition of such art in the West = artwork, style of art, fine art, creativity 2 the art of romance = skill, knowledge, method, facility, craft, profession, expertise, competence, accomplishment, mastery, knack, ingenuity, finesse, aptitude, artistry, artifice (archaic), virtuosity, dexterity, cleverness, adroitnessartful ADJECTIVE 1 the smiles and artifices of someone subtly artful = cunning, designing, scheming, sharp, smart, clever, subtle, intriguing, tricky, shrewd, sly, wily, politic, crafty, foxy, deceitful ◼ OPPOSITE: straightforward 2 There is also an artful contrast of shapes. = skilful, masterly, smart, clever, subtle, ingenious, adept, resourceful, proficient, adroit, dexterous ◼ OPPOSITE: clumsyarticle NOUN 1 a newspaper article = feature, story, paper, piece, item, creation, essay, composition, discourse, treatise 2 household articles = thing, piece, unit, item, object, device, tool, implement, commodity, gadget, utensil 3 article 50 of the UN charter = clause, point, part, heading, head, matter, detail, piece, particular, division, section, item, passage, portion, paragraph, provisoarticulate ADJECTIVE He is an articulate young man. = expressive, clear, effective, vocal, meaningful, understandable, coherent, persuasive, fluent, eloquent, lucid, comprehensible, communicative, intelligible ◼ OPPOSITE: incoherent ▸ VERB 1 He failed to articulate an overall vision. = express, say, tell, state, word, speak, declare, phrase, communicate, assert, pronounce, utter, couch, put across, enunciate, put into words, verbalize, asseverate (formal) 2 She articulated each syllable. = pronounce, say, talk, speak, voice, utter, enunciate, vocalize, enouncearticulation NOUN 1 an actor able to sustain clear articulation over long periods = expression, delivery, pronunciation, saying, talking, voicing, speaking, utterance, diction, enunciation, vocalization, verbalization 2 a way of restricting their articulation of grievances = voicing, statement, expression, verbalization 3 the articulation of different modes of production = joint, coupling, jointing, connection, hinge, junctureartifice NOUN 1 the artifice and illusion of sleight-of-hand card tricks = cunning, scheming, trick, device, craft, tactic, manoeuvre, deception, hoax, expedient, ruse, guile, trickery, duplicity, subterfuge, stratagem, contrivance, chicanery, wile, craftiness, artfulness, slyness, machination 2 a combination of theatrical artifice and dazzling cinematic movement = cleverness, skill, facility, invention, ingenuity, finesse, inventiveness, deftness, adroitnessartificial ADJECTIVE 1 free from artificial additives and flavours = synthetic, manufactured, plastic (slang), man-made, non-natural 2 The voice was affected, the accent artificial. = insincere, forced, affected, assumed, phoney or phony (informal), put on, false, pretended, hollow, contrived, unnatural, feigned, spurious, meretricious ◼ OPPOSITE: genuine 3 The sauce was glutinous and tasted artificial. = fake, mock, imitation, bogus, simulated, phoney or phony (informal), sham, pseudo (informal), fabricated, counterfeit, spurious, ersatz, specious ◼ OPPOSITE: authenticartillery NOUN = big guns, battery, cannon, ordnance, gunnery, cannonryartisan NOUN = craftsman or woman or person, technician, mechanic, journeyman, artificer, handicraftsman, skilled workerartist NOUN = creator, master, maker, craftsman or woman or person, artisan (obsolete), fine artist, draughtsman or woman or personartiste NOUN = performer, player, entertainer, Thespian, trouper, play-actorartistic ADJECTIVE 1 They encourage children to be sensitive and artistic. = creative, cultured, original, sensitive, sophisticated, refined, imaginative, aesthetic, discerning, eloquent, arty (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: untalented 2 an artistic arrangement = beautiful, fine, pleasing, lovely, creative, elegant, stylish, cultivated, imaginative, decorative, aesthetic, exquisite, graceful, expressive, ornamental, tasteful ◼ OPPOSITE: unattractiveartistry NOUN = skill, art, style, taste, talent, craft, genius, creativity, touch, flair, brilliance, sensibility, accomplishment, mastery, finesse, craftsmanship, proficiency, virtuosity, workmanship, artistic abilityartless ADJECTIVE 1 his artless air and charming smile = natural, simple, fair, frank, plain, pure, open, round, true, direct, genuine, humble, straightforward, sincere, honest, candid, unaffected, upfront (informal), unpretentious, unadorned, dinkum (Austral. & N.Z. informal), guileless, uncontrived, undesigning ◼ OPPOSITE: artificial 2 a spiritless and artless display of incompetence = unskilled, awkward, crude, primitive, rude, bungling, incompetent, clumsy, inept, untalented, maladroit ◼ OPPOSITE: artfularty ADJECTIVE = artistic, arty-farty (informal), arty-crafty (informal)as CONJUNCTION 1 All eyes were on her as she continued. = when, while, just as, at the time that, during the time that 2 Behave towards them as you would like to be treated. = in the way that, like, in the manner that 3 This is important as it sets the mood for the day. = since, because, seeing that, considering that, on account of the fact that ▸ PREPOSITION I had natural ability as a footballer. = in the role of, being, under the name of, in the character of ● as for or to As for giving the children fizzy drinks, I don't think that's a very good idea. = with regard to, about, re, concerning, regarding, respecting, relating to, with respect to, on the subject of, with reference to, in reference to, in the matter of, apropos of, as regards, anent (Scot.) ● as it were I understood the words, but I didn't, as it were, understand the question. = in a way, to some extent, so to speak, in a manner of speaking, so to sayascend VERB 1 I held her hand as we ascended the steps. = climb, scale, mount, go up ◼ OPPOSITE: go down 2 A number of steps ascend from the cobbled street. = slope upwards, come up, rise up ◼ OPPOSITE: slope downwards 3 Keep the drill centred as it ascends and descends in the hole. = move up, rise, go up ◼ OPPOSITE: move down 4 They ascended 55,900 feet in their balloon. = float up, rise, climb, tower, go up, take off, soar, lift off, fly up ◼ OPPOSITE: descendascendancy or ascendence NOUN = influence, power, control, rule, authority, command, reign, sovereignty, sway, dominance, domination, superiority, supremacy, mastery, dominion, upper hand, hegemony, prevalence, pre-eminence, predominance, rangatiratanga (N.Z.) ◼ OPPOSITE: inferiorityascendant or ascendent ADJECTIVE Radical reformers are once more ascendant. = influential, controlling, ruling, powerful, commanding, supreme, superior, dominant, prevailing, authoritative, predominant, uppermost, pre-eminent ● in the ascendant Geography, drama, art and English are in the ascendant. = rising, increasing, growing, powerful, mounting, climbing, dominating, commanding, supreme, dominant, influential, prevailing, flourishing, ascending, up-and-coming, on the rise, uppermost, on the way upascension NOUN 1 the first gas balloon ascension = rise, rising, mounting, climb, ascending, ascent, moving upwards 2 fifteen years after his ascension to the throne = succession, taking over, assumption, inheritance, elevation, entering uponascent NOUN 1 He led the first ascent of K2. = climbing, scaling, mounting, climb, clambering, ascending, ascension 2 It was a tough course over a gradual ascent. = upward slope, rise, incline, ramp, gradient, rising