| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harm, hinder |
| Synonyms: | blemish, blunt, cheapen, damage, debase, debilitate, decrease, destroy, deteriorate, devaluate, devalue, diminish, ding, disqualify, enervate, enfeeble, hurt, injure, invalidate, lessen, lose strength, make useless, mar, prejudice, queer, reduce, rough up, spoil, tarnish, total, tweak, undermine, unfit, vitiate, weaken, worsen |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help |
| Main Entry: | adulterate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alter or debase, often for profit |
| Synonyms: | alloy, amalgamate, attenuate, blend, cheapen, commingle, contaminate, cook, corrupt, cut*, defile, degrade, denature, depreciate, deteriorate, devalue, dilute, dissolve, doctor up, doctor*, falsify, impair, infiltrate, intermix, irrigate, lace, make impure, mingle, mix, phony up, plant*, pollute, shave, spike*, taint, thin, transfuse, vitiate, water down, weaken |
| Antonyms: | clarify, clean, cleanse, distill, filter, free, purify, refine |
| Main Entry: | alloy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
| Synonyms: | debase, denature, devalue, diminish, impair, reduce |
| Antonyms: | clean, clear, purify |
| Main Entry: | blemish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | flaw, disfigure |
| Synonyms: | blot, blotch, blur, damage, deface, distort, harm, hurt, impair, injure, maim, mangle, mar, mark, mutilate, pervert, prejudice, scar, smudge, spoil, spot, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, twist, vitiate, wrench |
| Antonyms: | adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, ornament |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | chafe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rub, grind against |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bark, corrode, damage, erode, excoriate, gall, grate, graze, hurt, impair, inflame, irritate, peel, ruffle, scrape, scratch, skin, wear |
| Notes: | to chafe means to rub until sore or worn; to chaff means to tease good-naturedly |
| Main Entry: | cloud |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse |
| Synonyms: | addle, becloud, befuddle, disorient, distort, distract, impair, muddle, muddy, obscure, perplex, puzzle |
| Antonyms: | clear up, explain, explicate |
| Main Entry: | corrode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wear away; eat away |
| Synonyms: | bite, canker, consume, corrupt, destroy, deteriorate, erode, gnaw, impair, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, waste |
| Antonyms: | aid, build, fortify, help |
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
| Synonyms: | abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste |
| Antonyms: | better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |