| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack with words |
| Synonyms: | backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, blow off, calumniate, cap, castigate, cuss out, cut down, cut to the quick, decry, defame, derogate, discount, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, insult, knock*, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down*, rag on, reproach, revile, ride*, rip up, run down, scold, signify, slam*, slap, sling mud, smear, sound*, swear at, tear apart, trash*, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | assault |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
| Synonyms: | abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms assault is an attempt or threat to do physical harm while battery is unjustified application of force; assault and battery is carrying out of threatened physical harm or violence |
| Main Entry: | best |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defeat; gain advantage |
| Synonyms: | KO, beat, beat up, better, blank*, blast*, bulldoze, clobber, conquer, cream*, deck, drub, exceed, excel, flax, floor*, get the better of, knock off, lambaste, let have it, lick*, master, outclass, outdo, outshine, outstrip, overcome, prevail, put away, shoot down, shut down, surpass, take care of, take down, tan*, thrash*, top, total, transcend, trash*, triumph, triumph over, trounce, wallop, waste*, wax, whip*, whomp, whop, wipe out, wipe the floor with, wipe, zap |
| Antonyms: | give up, lose, relent, surrender |
| Main Entry: | blight |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin, destroy |
| Synonyms: | annihilate, blast, crush, damage, dash, decay, disappoint, foul up, frustrate, glitch up, injure, mar, mess up*, nip in the bud, nullify, shrivel, spoil, taint, trash*, wither, wreck |
| Antonyms: | aid, bless, guard, help, prosper, protect |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | destroy; make whole into pieces |
| Synonyms: | annihilate, batter, burst, bust, bust up, crack, crash, crush, damage, demolish, disintegrate, divide, eradicate, finish off, fracture, fragment, make hash of, make mincemeat of, part, pull to pieces, rend, separate, sever, shatter, shiver, smash, snap, splinter, split, tear, torpedo, total, trash* |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | attach, fasten, fix, join, mend, put together, secure |
| Main Entry: | cancel |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | call off; erase |
| Synonyms: | X-out, abolish, abort, abrogate, annul, ax, black out, blot out, break, break off, countermand, cross out, cut, deface, delete, destroy, do away with, do in, efface, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, finish off, go back on one's word, kill, obliterate, off*, omit, quash, remove, render invalid, repeal, repudiate, rescind, revoke, rub out, scratch out, scrub, sink*, smash, squash, stamp across, strike out, torpedo, total*, trash*, trim*, undo, wash out, wipe out, wipe slate clean, zap |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, arrange, establish, permit, uphold |
| Main Entry: | conquer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defeat, overcome |
| Synonyms: | beat, bring to knees, checkmate, circumvent, clobber, control, cream*, crush, discomfit, drub, foil, frustrate, get the better of, humble, lick, master, outwit, overmaster, overpower, override, overthrow, prevail, quell, reduce, rout, shut down, subdue, subjugate, succeed, surmount, throw, thwart, total*, trample underfoot, trash, triumph, vanquish, whip, wipe off map, worst, zap |
| Antonyms: | capitulate, fail, give up, lose, retreat, succumb, surrender, yield |
| Main Entry: | criticize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disapprove, judge as bad |
| Synonyms: | animadvert on, bash, blame, blast, blister, carp, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, clobber, come down on, condemn, cut down, cut to bits, cut up, denounce, denunciate, disparage, do a number on, dress down, excoriate, find fault, fluff, fulminate against, fustigate, give bad press, hit, jump on, knock*, lambaste*, nag at, nit-pick, pan, pick at, rap, reprehend, reprimand, reprobate, reprove, rip*, roast, scathe, scorch*, skin alive, skin*, slam*, slog, slug, take down, trash*, trim*, zap |
| Antonyms: | approve, compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | deface |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mar, mutilate |
| Synonyms: | blemish, contort, damage, deform, demolish, destroy, dilapidate, disfigure, distort, harm, impair, injure, mangle, misshape, obliterate, ruin, scratch, spoil, sully, tarnish, trash*, vandalize, wreck |
| Antonyms: | adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, fix, mend, ornament, repair |