| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | act out; accomplish |
| Synonyms: | achieve, appear as, depict, discourse, do, execute, go on, perform, personate, play, play the part of, playact, portray, represent |
| Antonyms: | fail, hinder, repeal, stop |
| Main Entry: | achieve |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring to successful conclusion; reach a goal |
| Synonyms: | accomplish, acquire, actualize, attain, bring about, bring off, bring to pass, cap, carry out, carry through, close, complete, conclude, consummate, deliver, discharge, dispatch, do, earn, earn wings, effect, effectuate, enact, end, execute, finish, follow through, fulfill, gain, get, get done, manage, negotiate, obtain, perfect, perform, procure, produce, rack up, reach, realize, resolve, score, seal, see through, settle, sign, solve, win, wind up, work out |
| Notes: | achieve means 'to bring to a successful conclusion' (literally French 'to bring to a head') and accomplish means 'to perform fully'; the completion of achievement is more comprehensive |
| Antonyms: | fail, lose, miss |
| Main Entry: | act |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | behave in a certain way |
| Synonyms: | appear, behave, carry, carry oneself, carry out, comport, conduct, do, enact, execute, exert, function, give the appearance, go about, impress as, operate, perform, play part, react, represent oneself, seem, serve, strike, take on |
| Notes: | an act is the main dramatic unit and a scene is a division within an act |
| Main Entry: | act |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | entertain by playing a role |
| Synonyms: | be on, bring down the house, burlesque, characterize, do a turn, dramatize, emote, enact, feign, go on, go over, ham it up, ham, impersonate, lay an egg, make debut, mime, mimic, mug, parody, perform, personate, personify, play, play act, play gig, play part, play role, portray, pretend, put it over, rehearse, represent, say one's piece, simulate, star, stooge, strut*, take part, tread the boards |
| Notes: | an act is the main dramatic unit and a scene is a division within an act |
| Main Entry: | command |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | demand |
| Synonyms: | adjure, appoint, authorize, ban, bar, beckon, bid, call, call for, call on, call the signals, call upon, charge, check, cite, compel, debar, dictate, direct, enact, enjoin, exact, forbid, force upon, give directions, give orders, grant, impose, inflict, inhibit, instruct, interdict, lay down the law, mark out, oblige, ordain, order, ordinate, proclaim, prohibit, put foot down, require, requisition, restrain, rule out, send for, set, subpoena, summon, take charge, take lead, task, tell, warn |
| Notes: | an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines, a command is being told to do something in a specific way, and a directive is being told to do something and getting this information through channels |
| Antonyms: | contradict, countermand, oppose, recall, reverse, revoke |
| Main Entry: | commit |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | perform an action |
| Synonyms: | accomplish, achieve, act, carry out, complete, contravene, do, effectuate, enact, execute, go for broke, go in for, go out for, offend, perpetrate, pull, pull off, scandalize, sin, transgress, trespass, violate, wreak |
| Antonyms: | cease, desist, end, idle, loaf, rest, stop, wait |
| Main Entry: | constitute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | comprise, form |
| Synonyms: | aggregate, complement, complete, compose, compound, construct, cook up, create, develop, dream up, embody, enact, establish, fill out, fix, flesh out, found, frame, fudge together, incorporate, integrate, make, make up, set up |
| Notes: | compose is preferred when the parts of the whole being assembled are regarded as nonconcrete and more general; when the parts are concrete and specific, then constitute is more appropriate, and then there is comprise, which can mean 'comprehending or encompassing certain parts' comprise means literally 'embrace': a zoo comprises mammals, reptiles, and birds (because it 'embraces' or includes them), but animals do not comprise ('embrace') a zoo, they constitute a zoo |
| Main Entry: | constitute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | authorize |
| Synonyms: | appoint, commission, decree, delegate, depute, deputize, designate, draft, empower, enact, establish, legislate, make, name, nominate, ordain, order |
| Notes: | compose is preferred when the parts of the whole being assembled are regarded as nonconcrete and more general; when the parts are concrete and specific, then constitute is more appropriate, and then there is comprise, which can mean 'comprehending or encompassing certain parts' comprise means literally 'embrace': a zoo comprises mammals, reptiles, and birds (because it 'embraces' or includes them), but animals do not comprise ('embrace') a zoo, they constitute a zoo |
| Antonyms: | deny, refuse |
| Main Entry: | decree |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | order rule or action |
| Synonyms: | announce, command, compel, constrain, decide, declare, demand, determine, dictate, enact, force, impose, lay down the law, oblige, ordain, prescribe, proclaim, pronounce, put one's foot down, read the riot act, require, rule, set |