| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | refrain or stay away from; prevent |
| Synonyms: | abstain, avert, bypass, circumlocute, circumvent, deflect, desist, ditch, divert, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, fake out, fend off, flee, give the slip, hide, hold off, jump, keep clear, lay low, obviate, recoil, run for cover, shake, shake and bake, shake off, shirk, shrink from, shuffle off, shun, shy, sidestep, skip out on, skip town, skip*, skirt, stay away, stay out, steer clear of, step aside, turn aside, ward off, weave, withdraw |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' |
| Antonyms: | face, meet, seek, want |
| Main Entry: | cast |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw aside |
| Synonyms: | boot, bung, chuck, drive, drop, fire*, fling, heave, hurl, impel, launch, lob, peg, pitch, project, shed, shy, sling, thrust, toss |
| Antonyms: | catch, gather |
| Main Entry: | chuck |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw aside, throw away, throw out |
| Synonyms: | abandon, can, cast, desert, discard, ditch, eighty-six, eject, fire, fling, flip, forsake, give the heave ho, heave, hurl, jettison, junk, launch, pitch, quit, reject, relinquish, renounce, scrap, shed, shy, sling, slough, toss |
| Antonyms: | keep |
| Main Entry: | cringe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | flinch, recoil from danger |
| Synonyms: | blench, cower, crawl, crouch, dodge, draw back, duck, eat dirt, grovel, kneel, quail, quiver, shrink, shy, start, stoop, tremble, wince |
| Antonyms: | come forward |
| Main Entry: | decline |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | say no |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abstain, avoid, balk, beg to be excused, bypass, demur, deny, desist, disapprove, dismiss, don't buy, forbear, forgo, gainsay, nix, not accept, not hear of, not think of, pass on, refrain, refuse, reject, renounce, reprobate, repudiate, send regrets, shy, spurn, turn down, turn thumbs down |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
| Antonyms: | accept, say yes |
| Main Entry: | deflect |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bounce off; turn aside |
| Synonyms: | avert, bend, cover up, curve, deviate, disperse, diverge, divert, fend, glance off, hold off, hook, keep off, parry, pivot, ricochet, sheer, shy, sidetrack, slew, slip, swerve, twist, veer, volte-face, wheel, whip, whirl, wind |
| Main Entry: | demur |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree |
| Synonyms: | balk, cavil, challenge, combat, complain, deprecate, disapprove, dispute, doubt, fight, hem and haw, hesitate, object, oppose, pause, protest, pussyfoot, refuse, remonstrate, resist, scruple, shy, stick, stickle, strain, take exception, vacillate, wait and see, waver |
| Notes: | demur is the verb 'to object or voice opposition' while demure is the adjective meaning 'modest, shy' |
| Antonyms: | accept, agree, consent, go along |
| Main Entry: | deviate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stray from normal path |
| Synonyms: | aberrate, angle off, avert, bear off, bend, bend the rules, break pattern, circumlocate, contrast, deflect, depart, depart from, differ, digress, divagate, diverge, drift, edge off, err, get around, go amiss, go haywire, go off on tangent, go out of control, go out of way, leave beaten path, not conform, part, shy, swerve, swim against stream, take a turn, turn, turn aside, vary, veer, wander |
| Antonyms: | go straight, keep, stay |
| Main Entry: | dissent |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree |
| Synonyms: | argue, balk, break with, buck, contradict, decline, demur, differ, disaccord, discord, divide, fly in the face of, object, oppose, pettifog, protest, put up a fight, put up an argument, refuse, say no way, say not a chance, say nothing doing, shy, stickle, vary, wrangle |
| Notes: | dissent is, literally, 'feel or think differently' and dissident means 'sit apart, disagree' |
| Antonyms: | agree, approve, assent, authorize, concur, consent, endorse, ratify, sanction |