| Main Entry: |
repress
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep back, hold in |
| Synonyms: | black out, bottle, chasten, check, collect, compose, control, cool*, cork, crush, curb, gridlock, hinder, hold back, inhibit, jam up, keep in, keep in check, keep under wraps, kill*, lock, master, muffle, overcome, overpower, quash, quelch, quell, rein, restrain, shush, silence, simmer down, smother, squelch, stifle, subdue, subjugate, suppress, swallow, throw cold water on, tie up |
| Antonyms: | allow, let go, permit |
| Main Entry: | bridle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | check, hold back |
| Synonyms: | constrain, control, curb, govern, inhibit, keep in check, master, moderate, repress, restrain, rule, subdue, suppress, withhold |
| Notes: | bridal relates to a bride or a marriage ceremony while a bridle is a harness |
| Antonyms: | let go, release, set free |
| Main Entry: | censor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | forbid; ban; selectively remove |
| Synonyms: | abridge, black out, blacklist, bleach, bleep, blue-pencil, bowdlerize, clean up, conceal, control, cork, criticize, cut, decontaminate, delete, drop the iron curtain, edit, examine, excise, expurgate, exscind, inspect, launder, narrow, oversee, prevent publication, purge, purify, put the lid on, refuse transmission, repress, restrain, restrict, review, revile, sanitize, scissor out, squelch, sterilize, strike out, supervise communications, suppress, withhold |
| Notes: | to censor is to disallow portions or the entireties of books, plays, etc. on the grounds that they transgress propriety, 'to scrutinize, revise, or cut,' expurgate or suppress; to censure is to criticize vehemently or harshly, or condemn |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, endorse, permit, sanction |
| Main Entry: | chasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, humiliate |
| Synonyms: | abase, admonish, afflict, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chide, cow, curb, discipline, exprobate, fulminate against, have on the carpet, humble, objurgate, penalize, punish, rake over the coals, rebuke, reprehend, repress, reprimand, reproach, reprove, restrain, scold, scourge, soften, subdue, take to task, tame, tongue-lash, try, upbraid |
| Notes: | chasten means to correct by punishment, to take to task - to restrain or subdue; chastise means to punish, as by beating or to criticize severely |
| Antonyms: | aid, animate, assist, boost, cheer, comfort, embolden, encourage, help, honor, uplift |
| Main Entry: | check |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hinder, restrain |
| Synonyms: | arrest, baffle, bar, bit, bottleneck, bridle, checkmate, choke, circumvent, constrain, control, counteract, curb, cut short, delay, discourage, foil, frustrate, halt, harness, hold, hold back, hold down, hold in, impede, inhibit, interrupt, keep back, limit, moderate, neutralize, nip in the bud, obstruct, obviate, pause, play for time, preclude, prevent, rebuff, reduce, rein in, repress, repulse, retard, slacken pace, slow down, snub, squelch, stay, stop, suppress, tame, terminate, thwart, withhold |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, expedite, help, indulge, liberate, permit |
| Main Entry: | coerce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | compel, press |
| Synonyms: | beset, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, concuss, constrain, cow, dragoon, drive, force, high pressure, hinder, impel, intimidate, lean on, make, make an offer they can't refuse, menace, oblige, pressurize, push, put the squeeze on, repress, restrict, shotgun, strong-arm, suppress, terrorize, threaten, twist one's arm, urge |
| Antonyms: | leave alone |
| Main Entry: | command |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rule, have power |
| Synonyms: | administer, boss, charge, check, coach, coerce, compel, conduct, conquer, constrain, control, curb, determine, dictate, direct, dominate, domineer, exact, exercise power, force, govern, guide, have authority, head, hinder, hold office, influence, lead, manage, officiate, oppress, overbear, override, predominate, prescribe, preside over, prevail, push, regulate, reign, reign over, repress, restrain, run, stop, subdue, superintend, supervise, sway, take over, tyrannize, wield |
| 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: | follow |
| Main Entry: | compose |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, bring under control |
| Synonyms: | adjust, allay, appease, arrange, assuage, balm, becalm, check, collect, comfort, console, contain, control, cool, ease, ease up, hold in, lessen, let up, lull, mitigate, moderate, modulate, pacify, placate, quell, quiet, re-collect, reconcile, regulate, rein, relax, repress, resolve, restrain, settle, simmer down, slacken, smother, soften, solace, soothe, still, suppress, temper, tranquilize, tune down |
| 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' |
| Antonyms: | agitate, anger, arouse, distress, excite, upset |
| Main Entry: | confine |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | enclose, limit |
| Synonyms: | bar, bind, bound, cage, circumscribe, constrain, cool, cool down, cramp, delimit, detain, enslave, fix, hem in, hinder, hog-tie, hold back, ice*, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, keep, put a lid on, put away, put on ice, repress, restrain, restrict, send up, shorten, shut up |
| Antonyms: | free, let go, liberate, release |