| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | calm, quiet |
| Synonyms: | bottled up, calm and collected, chilled, conservative, controlled, cool, corked up, discreet, in charge, in check, inobtrusive, laid-back*, mild, moderate, muted, on a leash, plain, reasonable, reticent, retiring, self-controlled, shrinking, soft, steady, subdued, tasteful, temperate, unaffable, undemonstrative, under control, under wraps, unexcessive, unexpansive, unextreme, unobtrusive, uptight, withdrawn |
| Antonyms: | assured, bold, confident, extroverted, outgoing |
| Main Entry: | hold |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | have in one's hands, possession; grasp |
| Synonyms: | adhere, arrest, bind, bottle up, carry, catch, check, cherish, clasp, cleave, clench, clinch, cling, clutch, confine, contain, cork up, cradle, detain, embrace, enclose, enjoy, fondle, freeze to, grip, handle, hang on, have, hug, imprison, keep, keep close, keep out, lock up, maintain, not let go, nourish, occupy, own, palm, possess, press, put a lock on, restrain, retain, secure, seize, squeeze, stay put, stick, take, trammel, vise, wield, withhold, wring |
| Antonyms: | drop, let go, release |
| Main Entry: | mute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | muffle, tone down sound |
| Synonyms: | benumb, bottle up, cork up, dampen, deaden, decrease the volume, drown, gag, hush, keep it down, lower, moderate, muzzle, pipe down, put damper on, put the lid on, reduce, silence, soft-pedal, soften, subdue, turn down |
| Antonyms: | articulate, speak, voice |
| Main Entry: | quash |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nullify, cancel |
| Synonyms: | abrogate, annul, black out, bottle up, clamp down on, cork up, crack down on, declare null and void, discharge, dissolve, hush up, invalidate, kill, negate, overrule, overthrow, put damper on, put the lid on, repeal, rescind, reverse, revoke, set aside, shut down, squelch, undo, vacate, veto, vitiate, void, watergate |
| Notes: | quash means to crush or to subdue or to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely, while squash means to compress, crush, or squeeze |
| Antonyms: | allow, permit, sanction, start, support |