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spell out
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go into detail |
| Synonyms: | amplify, beef up, build up, develop, dilate, discourse, drag out, elaborate, embellish, enlarge, expatiate, expound, extend, flesh out, spell out, sweeten |
| Antonyms: | abbreviate, abridge, shorten |
| Main Entry: | explicate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | clarify, expand |
| Synonyms: | amplify, clear up, construe, demonstrate, develop, dilate, elucidate, enlarge upon, enucleate, expatiate, explain, expound, give the big picture, illustrate, interpret, make clear, make explicit, make plain, run down, spell out, tell why, unfold, untangle, work out |
| Notes: | explicate also contains the implication that the something of which an account is being given is more complicated or detailed - so while one may explain why a child is crying, one would explicate the meaning of a poem or implications of a legal document; early senses of explain were 'smooth out' and 'spread flat' |
| Antonyms: | cloud, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, tangle |
| Main Entry: | expound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | talk about in great detail |
| Synonyms: | clarify, comment, construe, delineate, describe, discourse, elucidate, enucleate, exemplify, explain, explicate, express, illustrate, interpret, present, set forth, spell out, state, unfold |
| Main Entry: | interpret |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make sense of; define |
| Synonyms: | adapt, annotate, clarify, comment, commentate, construe, decipher, decode, delineate, depict, describe, elucidate, enact, exemplify, explain, explicate, expound, gather, gloss, illustrate, image, improvise, limn, make of, mimic, paraphrase, perform, picture, play, portray, read, reenact, render, represent, solve, spell out, take*, throw light on, translate, understand, view |
| Antonyms: | misinterpret, misunderstand |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | itemize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep detailed record |
| Synonyms: | catalog, circumstantiate, cite, count, detail, document, enumerate, individualize, instance, inventory, lay out, list, mention, number, particularize, quote, recite, record, recount, rehearse, relate, set out, specify, spell out, tally |
| Main Entry: | list |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep a record; tabulate |
| Synonyms: | arrange, bill, book, button down, calender, catalogue, census, chart, chronicle, classify, detail, docket, enroll, enter, enumerate, file, index, inscribe, insert, inventory, invoice, itemize, keep count, manifest, note, numerate, particularize, peg, place, poll, post, put down as, put down for, record, register, run down, schedule, set down, specialize, specify, spell out, tab, tally, tick off, write down |
| Antonyms: | forget |
| Main Entry: | simplify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make easy, intelligible |
| Synonyms: | abridge, analyze, boil down, break down, break it down, chasten, clarify, clean it up, clean up, clear up, cut down, cut the frills, decipher, disentangle, disinvolve, draw a picture, elucidate, explain, facilitate, get down to basics, get to the meat, hit the high spots, interpret, lay out, let daylight in, let sunlight in, make clear, make perfectly clear, make plain, order, put in a nutshell, put one straight, reduce, shorten, spell out, streamline, unscramble |
| Antonyms: | complicate, confuse, make difficult |
| Main Entry: | specify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | designate; decide definitely |
| Synonyms: | be specific, blueprint*, button down, cite, come to the point, condition, define, detail, determine, draw a picture, enumerate, establish, finger*, fix, get down to brass tacks, get to the point, go into detail, indicate, individualize, instance, inventory, itemize, lay out, limit, list, make, mention, name, particularize, peg, pin down, point out, precise, put down, put finger on, set, settle, show clearly, slot, specialize, specificate, specificize, spell out, stipulate, tab, tag, tick off |
| Antonyms: | generalize |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | stipulate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decide on conditions |
| Synonyms: | agree, arrange, bargain, condition, contract, covenant, designate, detail, engage, guarantee, impose, insist upon, lay down, lay finger on, make, make a point, name, particularize, pin down, pledge, postulate, promise, provide, put down for, require, settle, slot, specificate, specificize, specify, spell out, state |
| Antonyms: | imply, wish |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
