Synonym of the day

Synonym of the day

portray

portray is a synonym of describe

verb [ pawr-trey, pohr- ]

portray is another word for describe

To describe something is to tell or depict it in written or spoken words: He described the accident very carefully. The synonym portray suggests a more graphic or vivid accounting of events. This term, as you might’ve guessed, has an artistic heritage; its earliest use in English was to mean “to make a likeness of by drawing, painting, or carving.” This brings into focus portray’s connection to such words as portrait and portraiture. When you portray something, you’re not just recounting it; you’re attempting to paint a picture with words! More theatrically, portray means “to represent dramatically,” as an actor might represent a historical figure on the stage.

Commonly found as

media + portray
The media had portrayed the celebrity as egotistical and vapid, but in reality he was quite the opposite.
accurately portray
The diplomat was surprised to see that her colleague’s summary of the meeting did not accurately portray events.

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indispensable

indispensable is a synonym of essential

adjective [ in-di-spen-suh-buhl ]

indispensable is another word for essential

The adjective essential is used to describe things that are absolutely necessary for a particular purpose. For example, discipline is essential in an army. This all-important descriptor is related to the noun essence, which is defined as “the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing.” Indeed, sometimes essential suggests that which is in the very essence of constitution of a thing: Oxygen and hydrogen are essential in water. The synonym indispensable is a strong synonym for essential: it is used to describe people or things that are absolutely necessary or requisite—in other words, people or things that cannot be done without: She was an indispensable member of the staff.

Commonly found as

become + indispensable
Over time, the cyclist became indispensable to his team, owing in part to his incredible capacity to climb mountains while deftly handing his teammates water bottles.
indispensable tool
For anyone attempting to read a novel in another language, a bilingual dictionary is an indispensable tool.

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Synonym of the day

clandestine

clandestine is a synonym of secret

adjective [ klan-des-tin ]

clandestine is another word for secret

The adjective secret is used to describe things that are either done without the knowledge of others, such as secret negotiations, or that are working to escape notice or observation, such as secret police. It’s also used to describe things that are secluded or sheltered, such as a secret hiding place—and things that are known by only a few, such as a secret password. The synonym clandestine is used to describe operations, meetings, and programs that are done in or executed with concealment, especially for the purposes of subversion or deception. If you’re looking to describe the activities of international spies or stealth programs run by the military or a government, clandestine is the perfect choice.

Commonly found as

clandestine operations
Having run clandestine operations in the military, the officer could always tell when her children were sneaking around behind her back.
conduct + clandestine
The brokerage owned property on a remote island, where they conducted clandestine meetings dubbed “team building retreats” that were really held to discuss their illegal overseas transactions.

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