| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | situation of devastation |
| Synonyms: | atrophy, bane, bankruptcy, bath, breakdown, collapse, confusion, crackup, crash, crumbling, damage, decay, defeat, degeneracy, degeneration, demolition, destitution, destruction, deterioration, dilapidation, disintegration, disrepair, dissolution, downfall, downgrade, extinction, failure, fall, havoc, insolvency, loss, nemesis, overthrow, ruination, skids, subversion, the end, undoing, waste, waterloo, wreck, wreckage |
| Notes: | rack is destruction and ruin is destitution; in rack and ruin, rack is a variation of wrack and wreck |
| Antonyms: | building, construction, creation, development, growth |
| Main Entry: | ruins |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | buildings that are dilapidated |
| Synonyms: | ashes, debris, destruction, detritus, foundation, relics, remains, remnants, residue, rubble, traces, vestiges, wreck, wreckage |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
| Synonyms: | bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | annihilate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | destroy completely |
| Synonyms: | abate, abolish, abrogate, annul, blot out, crush*, decimate, demolish, do in, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, finish off, invalidate, liquidate, massacre, murder, negate, nullify, obliterate, quash, quell, raze, root out, rub out, ruin, slaughter, take out*, undo, vitiate, wipe out, wrack, wreck |
| Antonyms: | help, preserve, revive, save |
| Main Entry: | antique |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | old object, often of great value |
| Synonyms: | antiquity, artifact, bygone, heirloom, monument, objet d'art, rarity, relic, ruin, vestige |
| Main Entry: | assault |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
| Synonyms: | abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms assault is an attempt or threat to do physical harm while battery is unjustified application of force; assault and battery is carrying out of threatened physical harm or violence |
| Main Entry: | baffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hinder |
| Synonyms: | beat, block, check, circumvent, dash, defeat, disappoint, foil, frustrate, impede, obstruct, prevent, ruin, thwart, upset |
| Antonyms: | abet, aid, assist, encourage, help, relieve, support |
| Main Entry: | balk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | thwart |
| Synonyms: | baffle, bar, beat, check, circumvent, counteract, cramp, cramp one's style, dash, defeat, disappoint, disconcert, foil, forestall, frustrate, hinder, obstruct, prevent, ruin, stall, stop, throw a curve, throw monkey wrench in, upset the apple cart |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, make easier |