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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack with words |
| Synonyms: | backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, blow off, calumniate, cap, castigate, cuss out, cut down, cut to the quick, decry, defame, derogate, discount, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, insult, knock*, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down*, rag on, reproach, revile, ride*, rip up, run down, scold, signify, slam*, slap, sling mud, smear, sound*, swear at, tear apart, trash*, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing |
| 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: | acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | bad-mouth |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | to denigrate |
| Synonyms: | belittle, criticize, cut down to size, dis, disparage, dump on, find fault, knock*, malign, mudsling, pan, pooh pooh, put down*, rap, rip, roast, run down, slam, slander, take a dig at, take down a peg, tear down, tear to pieces |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | belittle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | detract |
| Synonyms: | bad-mouth, blister, criticize, cut down to size, cut to the quick, decry, deprecate, depreciate, deride, derogate, diminish, discount, discredit, disparage, dispraise, downgrade, downplay, dump on, knock*, lower, minimize, pan, pooh pooh, poor mouth, put down, rip*, roast, run down, scoff at, scorch*, scorn, shoot down, shoot full of holes, slam*, smear, sneer at, sour grapes, squash, squelch, take a swipe at, take down, take down a peg, tear down, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, write off |
| Antonyms: | build up, exaggerate, praise, value |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | burden |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | encumber, strain |
| Synonyms: | afflict, bear down on, bother, crush, cumber, depress, dish it out, dish out, dump on, encumber, give it to, hamper, handicap, hinder, impede, lade, load, make heavy, obligate, oppress, overcharge, overload, overwhelm, pile, press, saddle with, snow under, snow*, stick it to, strain, tax, trouble, try, vex, weigh down, worry |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, relieve |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | confess |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | admit, confirm |
| Synonyms: | acknowledge, affirm, allow, assert, attest, aver, avow, blow, blurt out, chirp, clue in, come clean, come out, concede, confide, declare, disclose, divulge, dump on, evince, finger*, fink, grant, humble oneself, leak*, let on, level with, make clean breast of, manifest, narrate, open one's heart, own, own up, post, profess, prove, rat on, recognize, relate, reveal, sing*, snitch, sound off, spill the beans, spit out, squeal, tip hand, unload, vent, weasel |
| Antonyms: | conceal, deny, disavow, disown, hide, mask, repudiate, secrete |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | debase |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | degrade, shame |
| Synonyms: | abase, bemean, cast down, cheapen, corrupt, cripple, debauch, debilitate, demean, demoralize, deprave, devaluate, devalue, disable, disgrace, dishonor, drag down, dump on, enfeeble, fluff off, humble, humiliate, lower, put away, put down, reduce, sap, shoot down, sink, take down a peg, take down, undermine, weaken |
| Antonyms: | elevate, honor, laud, praise, upgrade, value |
| Main Entry: | decry |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, blame |
| Synonyms: | abuse, asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, calumniate, censure, condemn, cry down, defame, denounce, depreciate, derogate, detract, devalue, diminish, discount, discredit, disgrace, disparage, do a number on, downgrade, dump on, hit*, knock*, lower, malign, mark down, minimize, opprobriate, pan, poor-mouth, put down, rail against, rap, reprehend, reprobate, run down, slam*, take away, take swipe at, throw stones at, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off |
| Antonyms: | applaud, compliment, exalt, laud, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | demean |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | humble, humiliate |
| Synonyms: | abase, bad-mouth, belittle, bemean, cast down, contemn, cut down to size, cut rate, debase, decry, degrade, derogate, descend, despise, detract, dis, disparage, dump on, knock down, lower, pan, poor-mouth, scorn, sink, stoop |
| Antonyms: | boost, enhance, improve, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | deride |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make fun of; insult |
| Synonyms: | banter, chaff, contemn, detract, dis, disdain, disparage, do a number on, dump on, flout, gibe, jeer, jolly, kid, knock, laugh at, lout, mock, pan, pooh-pooh, put down*, quiz, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, roast, scoff, scorn, slam, sneer, taunt, twit |
| Antonyms: | commend, compliment, flatter, praise, revere |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
