| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | stinging, harsh |
| Synonyms: | biting, carrying, clear-cut, crisp, cutting, edged, entering, forcing, going through, infiltrating, ingoing, intrusive, passing through, penetrant, permeating, pervasive, piercing, pointed, puncturing, pungent, sharp, shrill, strong, trenchant |
| Antonyms: | blunt, dull |
| Main Entry: | penetrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pierce; get through physically |
| Synonyms: | access, barge in, bayonet, blow in, bore, break in, breeze in, bust in, charge, come, crack, diffuse, drill, drive, eat through, encroach, enter, filter in, force, get in, go through, gore, impale, infiltrate, ingress, insert, insinuate, introduce, invade, jab, knife, make a hole, make an entrance, pass through, percolate, perforate, permeate, pervade, pop in, prick, probe, puncture, ream, run into, saturate, seep, sink into, spear, stab, stick into, suffuse, thrust, trespass |
| Notes: | the difference between permeate and pervade is that the former is affecting a surface, the latter an area; a characteristic of penetrate is that it is effected upon a solid substance |
| Antonyms: | exit, take out, withdraw |
| Main Entry: | penetrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | understand or be understood |
| Synonyms: | affect, become clear, come across, comprehend, decipher, discern, fathom, figure out, get across, get over, get through, get to the bottom, grasp, impress, perceive, put over, see through, sink in, soak in, touch, unravel, work out |
| Notes: | the difference between permeate and pervade is that the former is affecting a surface, the latter an area; a characteristic of penetrate is that it is effected upon a solid substance |
| Antonyms: | misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand |
| Main Entry: | acute |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | deeply perceptive |
| Synonyms: | astute, canny, clever, discerning, discriminating, incisive, ingenious, insightful, intense, intuitive, judicious, keen, observant, penetrating, perspicacious, piercing, quick-witted, sensitive, sharp, smart, subtle |
| Notes: | acute is used for a sudden onset and short duration; chronic is for conditions that are slow to develop and of long duration acute is an angle of less than 90 degrees; obtuse is one of more than 90 degrees chronic is contrasted with acute as chronic pain persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments |
| Antonyms: | dense, imperceptive, insensitive, obtuse, slow, stupid |
| Main Entry: | analytic/analytical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | examining and determining |
| Synonyms: | cogent, conclusive, detailed, diagnostic, discrete, dissecting, explanatory, expository, inquiring, inquisitive, interpretive, investigative, judicious, logical, organized, penetrating, perceptive, perspicuous, precise, problem-solving, questioning, ratiocinative, rational, reasonable, scientific, searching, solid, sound, studious, subtle, systematic, testing, thorough, valid, well-grounded |
| Main Entry: | biting |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | piercing, sharp |
| Synonyms: | bitter, bleak, blighting, cold, crisp, cutting, freezing, harsh, nipping, penetrating, raw |
| Antonyms: | bland, calm, mild |
| Main Entry: | brilliant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | very intelligent |
| Synonyms: | Einstein, accomplished, acute, astute, brainy, bright, clever, discerning, eggheaded, expert, genius, gifted, ingenious, intellectual, inventive, knowing, knowledgeable, masterly, penetrating, profound, quick, quick-witted, sharp, smart, talented, whip, whiz kid |
| Antonyms: | stupid, unaware, unintelligent |
| Main Entry: | chilly |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | cold |
| Synonyms: | arctic, biting, blowy, breezy, brisk, cool, crisp, drafty, freezing, fresh, frosty, glacial, hawkish, icebox, icy, nippy, penetrating, sharp, snappy, wintry |
| Antonyms: | hot, tropical, warm |
| Main Entry: | clairvoyant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | intuitive, psychic |
| Synonyms: | clear-sighted, discerning, extrasensory, far-sighted, farseeing, fey, judicious, long-sighted, new age, oracular, penetrating, perceptive, prescient, prophetic, second-sighted, sibylline, spiritualistic, telepathic, vatic, visionary |