Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
The elevator began its slow ascent. = rise, rising, climb, ascension, upward movementascertain VERB = find out, learn, discover, determine, confirm, settle, identify, establish, fix, verify, make certain, suss (out) (slang), ferret outascetic NOUN He left the luxuries of court for a life as an ascetic. = recluse, monk, nun, abstainer, hermit, anchorite, self-denier ◼ OPPOSITE: hedonist ▸ ADJECTIVE priests practising an ascetic life = self-denying, severe, plain, harsh, stern, rigorous, austere, Spartan, self-disciplined, celibate, puritanical, frugal, abstemious, abstinent ◼ OPPOSITE: self-indulgentascribe VERB = attribute, credit, refer, charge, assign, put down, set down, impute
| USAGE Ascribe is sometimes used where subscribe is meant: I do not subscribe (not ascribe) to this view of music. |
ashamed ADJECTIVE 1 He was ashamed at how shabbily he had dressed for the occasion. = embarrassed, sorry, guilty, upset, distressed, shy, humbled, humiliated, blushing, self-conscious, red-faced, chagrined, flustered, mortified, sheepish, bashful, prudish, crestfallen, discomfited, remorseful, abashed, shamefaced, conscience-stricken, discountenanced ◼ OPPOSITE: proud 2 She made up the story because she was ashamed to tell her family she was jobless. = reluctant, afraid, embarrassed, scared, unwilling, loath, disinclinedashen ADJECTIVE = pale, white, grey, wan, livid, pasty, leaden, colourless, pallid, anaemic, ashy, like death warmed up (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: rosyashore ADVERB = on land, on the beach, on the shore, aground, to the shore, on dry land, shorewards, landwardsaside ADVERB She closed the book and laid it aside. = to one side, away, alone, separately, apart, alongside, beside, out of the way, on one side, to the side, in isolation, in reserve, out of mind ▸ NOUN She mutters an aside to the camera. = interpolation, remark, parenthesis, digression, interposition, confidential remarkask VERB 1 'How is Frank?' he asked. = inquire, question, quiz, query, interrogate ◼ OPPOSITE: answer 2 We had to ask him to leave. = request, apply to, appeal to, plead with, demand, urge, sue, pray, beg, petition, crave (informal), solicit, implore, enjoin, beseech, entreat, supplicate 3 She asked me back to her house. = invite, bid, summonaskance ADVERB 1 They have always looked askance at the western notion of democracy. = suspiciously, doubtfully, dubiously, sceptically, disapprovingly, distrustfully, mistrustfully 2 'Do you play chess?' he asked, looking askance at me. = out of the corner of your eye, sideways, indirectly, awry, obliquely, with a side glanceaskew ADJECTIVE She stood there, hat askew. = crooked, awry, oblique, lopsided, off-centre, cockeyed (informal), skewwhiff (Brit. informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: straight ▸ ADVERB Some of the doors hung askew. = crookedly, to one side, awry, obliquely, off-centre, aslant ◼ OPPOSITE: straightasleep ADJECTIVE = sleeping, napping, dormant, crashed out (slang), dozing, slumbering, snoozing (informal), fast asleep, sound asleep, out for the count, dead to the world (informal), in a deep sleep
aspect NOUN
1 Climate affects every aspect of our lives. = feature, point, side, factor, angle, characteristic, facet 2 The house has a south-west aspect. = position, view, situation, scene, bearing, direction, prospect, exposure, point of view, outlook 3 The snowy tree assumed a lifeless aspect. = appearance, look, air, condition, quality, bearing, attitude, cast, manner, expression, countenance (literary), demeanour, mien (literary)aspirant NOUN He is among the few aspirants with administrative experience. = candidate, applicant, hopeful, aspirer, seeker, suitor, postulant ▸ ADJECTIVE aspirant politicians = hopeful, longing, ambitious, eager, striving, aspiring, endeavouring, wishfulaspiration NOUN = aim, longing, end, plan, hope, goal, design, dream, wish, desire, object, intention, objective, ambition, craving, endeavour, yearning, eagerness, Holy Grail (informal), hankeringaspire to VERB = aim for, desire, pursue, hope for, long for, crave, seek out, wish for, dream about, yearn for, hunger for, hanker after, be eager for, set your heart on, set your sights on, be ambitious foraspiring ADJECTIVE = hopeful, longing, would-be, ambitious, eager, striving, endeavouring, wannabe (informal), wishful, aspirantass NOUN 1 She was led up to the sanctuary on an ass. = donkey, moke (slang), jennet 2 He was regarded as a pompous ass. = fool, jerk (slang), idiot, plank (Brit. slang), berk (Brit. slang), wally (slang), prat (slang), charlie (Brit. informal), plonker (slang), coot, twit (informal, chiefly Brit.), oaf, jackass, dipstick (Brit. slang), schmuck (U.S. slang), dork (slang), nitwit (informal), dolt, blockhead, ninny, divvy (Brit. slang), pillock (Brit. slang), nincompoop, dweeb (U.S. slang), putz (U.S. slang), weenie (U.S. informal), eejit (Scot. & Irish), numpty (Scot. informal), doofus (slang, chiefly U.S.), daftie (informal), twerp or twirp (informal), dorba or dorb (Austral. slang) ◼ RELATED WORDS: adjective asinine; name of male jack; name of female jennyassail VERB 1 These newspapers assail the government each day. = criticize, abuse, blast, put down, malign, berate, revile, vilify, tear into (informal), diss (slang), impugn, go for the jugular, lambast(e) 2 He was assailed by a young man. = attack, charge, assault, invade, set about, beset, fall upon, set upon, lay into (informal), maltreat, belabourassailant NOUN = attacker, assaulter, invader, aggressor, assailerassassin NOUN = murderer, killer, slayer, liquidator, executioner, hitman or woman (slang), eliminator (slang), hatchet man or woman or person (slang)assassinate VERB = murder, kill, eliminate (slang), take out (slang), terminate, hit (slang), slay, blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), liquidateassassination NOUN = murder, killing, slaughter, purge, hit (slang), removal, elimination (slang), slaying, homicide, liquidationassault NOUN The rebels are poised for a new assault. = attack, campaign, strike, rush, storm, storming, raid, invasion, charge, offensive, onset, onslaught, foray, incursion, act of aggression, inroad ◼ OPPOSITE: defence ▸ VERB The gang assaulted him in the street. = strike, attack, beat, knock, punch, belt (informal), bang, batter, clip (informal), slap, bash (informal), deck (slang), sock (slang), chin (slang), smack, thump, set about, lay one on (slang), clout (informal), cuff, flog, whack, lob, beset, clobber (slang), smite (archaic), wallop (informal), swat, fall upon, set upon, lay into (informal), tonk (slang), lambast(e), belabour, beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)assay VERB = analyse, examine, investigate, assess, weigh, evaluate, inspect, try, appraiseassemblage NOUN = group, company, meeting, body, crowd, collection, mass, gathering, rally, assembly, flock, congregation, accumulation, multitude, throng, hui (N.Z.), conclave, aggregation, convocation (formal), runanga (N.Z.)assemble VERB 1 There was nowhere for students to assemble before classes. = gather, meet, collect, rally, flock, accumulate, come together, muster, convene, congregate, foregather ◼ OPPOSITE: scatter 2 The assembled multitude cheered as the leaders arrived. = bring together, collect, gather, rally, summon, accumulate, round up, marshal, come together, muster, convene, amass, congregate, call together, foregather, convoke (formal) 3 She was trying to assemble the bookcase when it collapsed. = put together, make, join, set up, manufacture, build up, connect, construct, erect, piece together, fabricate, fit together ◼ OPPOSITE: take apartassembly NOUN 1 She waited until quiet settled on the assembly. = gathering, group, meeting, body, council, conference, crowd, congress, audience, collection, mass, diet, rally, convention, flock, company, house, congregation, accumulation, multitude, throng, synod, hui (N.Z.), assemblage, conclave, aggregation, convocation (formal), jamaat, runanga (N.Z.) 2 They are famous for their self assembly furniture range. = putting together, joining, setting up, manufacture, construction, building up, connecting, erection, piecing together, fabrication, fitting togetherassent NOUN He gave his assent to the proposed legislation. = agreement, accord, sanction, approval, permission, acceptance, consent, compliance, accession, acquiescence, concurrence ◼ OPPOSITE: refusal ● assent to something I assented to the publisher's request to write this book. = agree to, allow, accept, grant, approve, permit, sanction,