14.1 nab...
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nab v. catch, capture, arrest, put or place under arrest, seize,
apprehend, pick up, bring in, take into custody, Colloq pinch,
collar, run in, nail, Brit nick: They finally nabbed that cat
burglar in Hampstead.
nagฐ v. 1 Sometimes, nag at. annoy, irritate, irk, pester,
criticize, ride, scold, carp (at), upbraid, badger, harass,
harry, vex, henpeck, torment, hector, pick at, goad, pick on,
find fault with, berate, nettle, bully, provoke, plague, worry,
bother, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy, Colloq needle: He nags
her day and night about going on a diet.
--n. 2 scold, harpy, pest, shrew, virago, termagant, fishwife:
You certainly can be a terrible nag, can't you?
nag n. jade, Rosinante; horse, hack, pony, dobbin, racehorse,
Thoroughbred, Slang gee-gee, US hayburner, plug, bangtail,
gee-gee: That old nag wouldn't be able to clear the fence.
nagging adj. distressing, chronic, continuous, continual, persistent,
unrelenting, relentless, recurring: He complains of a nagging
pain in his shoulder. I have a nagging feeling that I have an
appointment to be somewhere.
nail n. 1 fastener, fastening, spike, pin: The pieces were held
together by several nails. 2 fingernail, toenail, claw, talon:
The detective found some fibres under the victim's nails. 3
bite one's nails. worry, agonize, fret, lose sleep (over),
chafe, suffer, Colloq stew (over or about): Carl is biting his
nails over the result of his cholesterol test. 4 hard or tough
as nails. a tough, vigorous, hardy: After years of
mountain-climbing, Ren‚ is as hard as nails. b cold,
unsentimental, unsympathetic, unfeeling: The boss, as hard as
nails, doesn't care what you sacrifice to get the job done. 5
hit the nail on the head. be accurate, be correct, be precise,
be right, put (one's) finger on it: When you said they were
fools, you really hit the nail on the head. 6 on the nail.
immediately, at once, straight or right away, promptly, without
delay, on the spot, Colloq US on the barrel-head: He has always
paid his bills right on the nail.
--v. 7 attach, secure, join, pin, tack, clinch or clench;
fasten, fix, focus, rivet, glue: The door to the mysterious
room was nailed shut. His eyes were nailed to the pressure
gauge. 8 See nab, above. 9 hit, strike; punch; shoot: She
nailed him with a left hook and he sank like a stone. 10 nail
down. settle, secure, resolve, complete, conclude, make final;
finalize: Let's celebrate: I nailed down the order for 10,000
air-conditioning units.
na‹ve adj. naive or na‹f, ingenuous, innocent, credulous, childlike,
born yesterday, unaffected, unsophisticated, inexperienced,
green, unworldly, unsuspecting, unenlightened, unsuspicious,
trusting, trustful, gullible, artless, guileless, simple,
simplistic, simple-minded, unpretentious, unpretending, candid,
natural: Is Chatterley na‹ve enough to believe that the
gamekeeper's meetings with his wife were to discuss fox-hunting?
na‹vety n. naivety, na‹vet‚ or na‹vet‚, ingenuousness, innocence,
credulity, credulousness, inexperience, (blind) trust,
gullibility, artlessness, callowness, guilelessness, simplicity,
unpretentiousness, candour, naturalness, frankness, openness,
sincerity: I hope that no one takes advantage of her na‹vety.
naked adj. 1 stark naked, unclothed, undraped, bare, exposed,
stripped, undressed, unclad, uncovered, bared, nude, in the
nude, Colloq in the altogether, in one's birthday suit, in the
buff, in the raw, au naturel, in a state of nature, Brit
starkers, in the nuddy: The two of them stood there, completely
naked. 2 unaided, unassisted: Stars of the seventh magnitude
or brighter are visible to the naked eye. 3 plain, unadorned,
unembellished, stark, overt, patent, obvious, conspicuous,
manifest, sheer, undisguised, unvarnished, unmitigated, evident,
palpable, unconcealed, in plain sight or view, blatant,
barefaced, undeniable, glaring, flagrant, unmistakable or
unmistakeable, unalloyed, unmixed, blunt, unadulterated, pure:
He told her the naked truth about how he felt. 4 unsheathed,
unprotected, bare, exposed: How dare he show a naked sword in
the presence of the Emperor?!
name n. 1 designation, label, appellation, term, tag, style, Colloq
moniker or monicker, handle: His name is Chauncy but they call
him Rusty. 2 reputation; repute, honour, esteem, (high) regard,
respect, rank, standing, rating, pre-eminence, superiority,
eminence, notability, prominence, prestige, favour, distinction,
renown, fame, popularity, celebrity: She has made a name for
herself as a clever business executive. He thinks he has to
protect his name as a ladies' man. 3 personage, somebody,
celebrity, star, superstar, hero, VIP, dignitary, luminary,
Colloq big shot, bigwig, big cheese, big name: The programme
included some well-known names in the entertainment world.
--v. 4 label, tag, style, entitle; call, dub, christen,
baptize: They named their book 'The Alien Tongue'. Why would
people want to name their child 'Quercus'? 5 choose, elect,
select, delegate, nominate, designate, appoint; identify,
denominate, pinpoint, specify: She has been named 'Woman of the
Year'. I asked her to name our wedding day. She refuses to name
her attacker. 6 name names. identify, specify, mention, cite:
In exchange for a lighter sentence, the witness agreed to name
names.
nameless adj. 1 unnamed, innominate, unidentified, anonymous,
pseudonymous, incognito, unknown, unheard-of, unsung: How much
we owe the nameless inventor of the wheel! 2 inexpressible,
indefinable, unidentifiable, unspecified, unspecifiable: A
nameless dread seized him as he entered the cave. 3 ineffable,
unutterable, unspeakable, unmentionable, abominable, horrible,
indescribable, repulsive: Paganism allowed man to sink beneath
a flood of nameless sensualities.
namely adv. specifically, to wit, that is (to say), id est, i.e.,
videlicet, viz., scilicet, sc.; for example, for instance,
exempli gratia, e.g. or eg or eg.: We visited three countries,
namely, France, Italy, and Switzerland.
napฐ v. 1 doze, nod (off), catnap, Colloq catch forty winks, drop
off (to sleep), get some shut-eye, snooze, zizz, US catch or log
a few zees (Z's): I nap every afternoon.
--adv. 2 napping. unawares, off guard, unexpectedly, in an
unguarded moment: The ball, hit to his backhand, caught him
napping.
--n. 3 doze, catnap, siesta, Colloq forty winks, shut-eye,
snooze, zizz, Brit lie-down: Take a short nap before dinner.
nap n. pile, fibre, texture, weave, down, shag: Choose a carpet
with a short nap for areas of heavy wear.
narcotic adj. 1 soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, somnolent,
sleep-inducing, opiate, dulling, numbing, anaesthetic,
stupefacient, stupefying, stupefactive, tranquillizing, Lethean:
Most narcotic drugs may be sold only with a doctor's
prescription.
--n. 2 drug, soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, opiate,
anaesthetic, stupefacient, tranquillizer: Many doctors are
reluctant to prescribe narcotics.
narrate v. relate, tell, recount, report, give an account (of), recite,
rehearse, repeat, review, unfold, chronicle, describe, detail,
reveal, retail: She narrated a bone-chilling story of intrigue
and murder. Please narrate the events leading up to your finding
the body, Mrs Easton.
narration n. 1 telling, relating, unfolding, recounting, chronicling,
recording, describing; report, recital, recitation, rehearsal,
relation, chronicle, description, portrayal, detailing,
revelation, story, tale, narrative: His narration was
accompanied by nervous gestures. Her narration disagrees with
her husband's in certain essential respects. 2 reading,
voice-over: The narration did not seem to be coordinated with
the pictures on the screen.
narrative n. 1 story, tale, chronicle, description, revelation,
portrayal, account, report, record, history, recital, statement:
The characterizations were poor, but the narrative was
fascinating.
--adj. 2 storytelling, chronicling, anecdotal: One of her
long, narrative poems has been published in a collection.
narrator n. reporter, storyteller, raconteur, taleteller, teller of
tales, anecdotist or anecdotalist, relator, annalist,
chronicler, describer, author; voice-over: We sat spellbound
waiting for the narrator to continue.
narrow adj. 1 constricted, slender, slim, thin, restricted,
straitened, attenuated, narrowed; narrowing, tapering: We
squeezed through the narrow passage to freedom. 2 confined,
confining, limited, cramped, close, meagre, pinched, tight,
incommodious: I awoke in a cell so narrow I could scarcely
move. 3 strict, careful, close, precise, exact, exacting,
demanding, finicky, finical, sharp, meticulous, scrupulous,
fussy, rigid, searching, critical: The suspected forgeries were
submitted to the narrow scrutiny of several experts. 4
restricted, limited, circumscribed, proscribed, denotative: I
learnt the meaning of charity in its narrowest sense. 5 See
narrow-minded, below. 6 close, hairbreadth, lucky: I'd had a
very narrow escape, for the bullet just grazed my scalp. 7
stingy, niggardly, parsimonious, miserly, tight, sparing,
tight-fisted, mean, mercenary Brit mingy, Dialectal near, Colloq
close: He was so narrow he barely allowed himself the
essentials.
--v. 8 constrict, limit, qualify, reduce, lessen, diminish,
decrease: She narrowed her chances of winning by buying only
one lottery ticket. 9 limit, restrict, focus, confine,
concentrate, narrow down: They have narrowed the search for the
boy to the area near Chester.
--n. 10 narrows. strait(s), channel, passage: The vessel
approached the narrows at dead slow speed.
narrowly adv. 1 barely, (only) just, scarcely, hardly, by a hair's
breadth; by the skin of one's teeth, Colloq by a whisker: The
speeding lorry narrowly missed those children. 2 closely,
carefully, meticulously, scrupulously, searchingly, critically:
She regarded him narrowly before speaking.
narrow-minded
adj. bigoted, prejudiced, illiberal, narrow, biased,
opinionated, one-sided, intolerant, non-objective, conservative,
reactionary, parochial, ultra-conservative, stiff-necked,
conventional, hidebound, fundamentalist, literal-minded,
narrow-spirited, mean-minded, mean-spirited, petty,
pettifogging, small-minded, puritanical, unprogressive,
old-fashioned, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, strait-laced, Colloq
stuffy, US close-minded, square, screed-bound, red-necked: The
vote reflected a reasonable balance between broad-minded and
narrow-minded factions.
nasty adj. 1 foul, filthy, dirty, unclean, offensive, disgusting,
nauseating, revolting, horrible, loathsome, repugnant,
repellent, vile, odious, obnoxious, objectionable, nauseous,
sickening, vomit-provoking, fetid or foetid, noisome, mephitic,
rank, malodorous, rancid, noxious: The nasty stench of rotting
vegetation assailed our nostrils. 2 unpleasant, disagreeable,
unsavoury, painful, objectionable, annoying, untoward, awkward,
difficult, bad, serious: Lord Petherbridge had some very nasty
experiences in the war. 3 obscene, dirty, pornographic, blue,
smutty, lewd, vulgar, sordid, indecent, licentious, gross,
coarse, crude, rude, ribald, bawdy, risqu‚, off colour,
suggestive, Colloq X-rated, raunchy: The shops are selling some
rather nasty videos that I don't want the children to watch. 4
unpleasant, disagreeable, ugly, bad-tempered, vicious, currish,
surly, abusive, spiteful, irascible, ill-natured, ill-tempered,
cruel, inconsiderate, rude, churlish, obnoxious, crotchety,
curmudgeonly, cantankerous, crabbed, cranky, US and Canadian
mean: Why is your father so nasty to everyone who wants to go
out with you? 5 bad, severe, acute, painful, serious; dangerous,
critical: I got a nasty shock when I opened the cupboard door.
That's a nasty wound you have there.
nation n. country, state, land, political entity, polity, domain,
realm: The countries of Europe are unlikely to become one
nation.
national adj. 1 nationwide, country-wide, state, governmental, civil;
public, popular, US federal: It took years to enact national
clean-air laws. 2 nationalistic, nationalist, patriotic,
jingoistic, chauvinistic: During the war, national feelings ran
high.
--n. 3 citizen, subject, inhabitant, resident; native:
Stephenson left England years ago and is now an Australian
national.
nationalistic
adj. nationalist, patriotic, jingoist(ic), chauvinist(ic),
xenophobic, isolationist: As communications improved,
nationalistic feelings were eroded.
nationality
n. 1 citizenship: Some countries allow their citizens dual
nationality. 2 race, nation, ethnic group, ethnos, clan, tribe;
strain, stock, pedigree, heritage, roots, extraction, bloodline,
breed: The country became a melting-pot of myriad
nationalities.
native adj. 1 innate, natal, inborn, natural, inherent, congenital,
indwelling, inherited, hereditary, in the blood, intrinsic,
constitutional: Early in life, Carla demonstrated a native
ability for music. 2 domestic, local, home-grown; indigenous,
autochthonous, aboriginal: The native oysters in this area are
superb. 3 basic, first, best, original, exclusive: Can you
tell that my native language is Hungarian? 4 national, ethnic,
clan, tribal: We visited a Dutch town where the people wear
traditional native dress. 5 aboriginal, provincial, local: We
soon fell in with the native custom of taking a siesta. 6 born;
by birth: Are you a native Glaswegian?
--n. 7 aborigine, indigene, autochthon; national, citizen,
resident, inhabitant: It is not difficult to distinguish the
natives from the tourists in London.
natural adj. 1 ordinary, common, commonplace, normal, standard,
regular, usual, customary, unexceptional, routine, habitual,
typical, everyday; reasonable, logical, reasonable, sensible,
accepted: They say that Count Dracula could not die a natural
death. The natural thing to do in case of attack is to defend
oneself. 2 normal, ordinary, regular, expected; spontaneous:
The natural motion of the waves carried the bottle out to sea.
3 simple, basic, fundamental, real, unartificial, genuine,
unembellished, unadorned, unpretentious: She has great natural
beauty and needs no cosmetics. 4 unstudied, unconstrained,
candid, frank, spontaneous, unaffected, easy, honest, straight,
straightforward, artless, guileless, impulsive, unpremeditated,
unaffected, ingenuous, unsophisticated, unsophistic(al): His
kindness is quite natural. 5 See native, 1, above: She has a
natural gift for painting. 6 true, real, genuine, actual,
authentic, bona fide: That, believe it or not, is his natural
hair. 7 lifelike, true to life, realistic: Note the natural
colours of the sea in this painting by Whistler. 8
illegitimate, bastard: He was the duke's natural son and had no
claim on the estate. 9 consistent, consonant, consequent,
logical, reasonable, fitting, appropriate, proper, expected, not
incongruous, understandable: In the circumstances, it would
have been natural for her to despise Jonathan. 10 organic,
organically grown, non-chemical, health: They eat only natural
foods, which they grow themselves.
--n. 11 genius, artist, talent: When it comes to chess, Boris
is a natural. 12 Archaic idiot, imbecile, simpleton, fool,
halfwit: One would have to be a natural to give money to that
crook.
naturally adv. 1 (as a matter) of course, needless to say, to be sure,
certainly, surely, not unexpectedly, as expected or anticipated,
obviously, clearly, logically, consequently, as a consequence or
result: He treated her badly, so, naturally, she refuses to see
him again. 2 normally, by nature, by character, really,
actually, genuinely; inherently, instinctively, innately,
congenitally: My hair is naturally curly. He is not aloof, just
naturally shy. 3 unaffectedly, unpretentiously, easily,
candidly, openly, simply, plainly, honestly, straightforwardly,
uncomplicatedly: If only politicians expressed themselves
naturally and not pompously.
nature n. 1 quality, properties, features, character, personality,
make-up, essence, constitution, identity, attributes,
disposition, temperament, complexion: Only detailed analysis
will reveal the nature of this compound. It is not in his
nature to be envious. 2 universe, cosmos, world, creation,
environment: Science fiction deals with phenomena and
contrivances that defy the laws of nature. 3 scenery,
countryside, wildness, primitiveness, simplicity: I often
enjoyed sitting by the river, communing with nature. 4 kind,
variety, description, sort, class, category, type, genre,
species; stamp, cast, mould, feather, kidney, colour, stripe:
The duties of the position are largely of a ceremonial nature.
5 by nature. See naturally, 2, above.
naught n. nought, nothing, nil, zero, aught or ought; ruin,
destruction, disaster, collapse, failure: All my efforts had
come to naught.
naughty adj. 1 mischievous, impish, puckish, roguish, scampish,
devilish; frolicsome, playful: The children would get naughty
the minute the teacher turned her back to the class. 2
disobedient, refractory, insubordinate, bad, perverse, wicked,
fractious, unruly, wayward, unmanageable, ungovernable,
undisciplined, defiant, obstreperous: Naughty pupils in this
school are birched. 3 improper, offensive, vulgar, indecent,
immoral, risqu‚, off colour, ribald, bawdy, blue, pornographic,
smutty, lewd, obscene, dirty, Colloq X-rated, raunchy: The
teacher caught Keith reading a naughty book.
nauseate v. sicken, disgust, repel, revolt, offend: Your hypocrisy
nauseates me. When you get used to it, eating snails no longer
seems nauseating.
nauseated adj. sickened, disgusted, repelled, revolted, offended, sick
(to one's stomach), queasy, squeamish; seasick, carsick,
airsick: They were nauseated when they saw the cadavers. I
became nauseated by the rocking of the boat.
nauseous adj. nauseating, loathsome, sickening, disgusting, repellent,
vomit-provoking, offensive, revolting, repugnant, repulsive,
abhorrent, nasty, foul, unpleasant, stomach-turning, Technical
emetic: A nauseous odour emanated from the crypt.
nautical adj. maritime, marine, seafaring, seagoing; naval; boating,
yachting, sailing; navigational: Britain has always been a
nautical nation. One must observe the nautical rules of the
road.
navel n. Technical umbilicus, omphalos, Colloq belly button: The
dancer wore a ruby in her navel.
navigable adj. 1 passable, traversable, negotiable, unblocked,
unobstructed, clear: The Thames is not navigable above
Lechlade. 2 manoeuvrable, sailable, controllable, steerable,
yare: My boat is navigable when under way at about four knots.
navigate v. 1 sail, voyage, cruise, journey; cross, traverse: After
navigating the Indian Ocean for a month, we reached the
Seychelles. 2 manoeuvre, handle, sail, guide, pilot, steer,
direct, skipper, captain, Nautical con: It was tricky
navigating through the shoals. Richard has navigated the company
through rough waters over the years.
navigation
n. pilotage, helmsmanship, seamanship, steersmanship, steering,
sailing: The navigation of a small vessel in such a storm is no
mean task.
navigator n. pilot, helmsman, seaman, tillerman, wheelman, steersman,
skipper: The navigator without knowledge of local waterways
must engage a pilot.
navy n. fleet, flotilla, naval force(s), armada, Literary argosy:
The entire navy sailed across the Channel to Le Havre.
naysayer n. denier, refuser, disdainer, rejecter or rejector; prophet of
doom, pessimist, sceptic, dissenter, defeatist: Don't expect
any encouragement from a naysayer like Raymond.
14.2 near...
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near adv. 1 close (by or at hand), not far (off or away), nearby,
nigh, in or into the vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy)
reach: Draw near and listen to my tale. 2 close to, next to:
Don't go near the edge! 3 nearly, almost, just about, wellnigh,
close to being; not quite, virtually: She was damn near killed
in the car crash.
--adj. 4 close, imminent, immediate, impending, looming,
coming, approaching, forthcoming; in the offing, at hand: We
hope to settle the pollution problem in the near future. The
time is near for me to go. 5 nearby, close, adjacent, next-door,
close-by, adjoining, abutting, neighbouring, contiguous: My
nearest neighbours live a mile away. 6 stingy, mean, niggardly,
miserly, parsimonious, penurious, cheap, penny-pinching,
cheese-paring, selfish, close, tight-fisted, close-fisted: He
is so near he begrudged me even a cup of tea. 7 close,
intimate, connected, related, attached: In case of emergency,
list the name and address of a near relative. 8 close, narrow,
hairbreadth: Although I escaped, it was a near thing.
--prep. 9 close to, in the vicinity or neighbourhood of, next
to, adjacent to, within reach of, within a mile of; a stone's
throw from, not far (away) from: She wouldn't allow the doctor
to come near her. I live near the railway.
--v. 10 approach, draw near or nigh, come close or closer,
verge on, approximate on, lean towards: As summer nears, I
think of going on holiday. The ship neared port. His estimate is
beginning to near mine.
nearby adv. 1 close by, close at hand, not far-off or -away, in the
vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy) reach, about, around:
Hyenas loitered nearby waiting for the lions to leave the kill.
--adj. 2 close, within reach, handy, accessible, at or to hand,
adjacent: Nearby villagers helped put out the fire. We always
kept a gun nearby because of pirates.
nearly adv. 1 almost, not quite, about, approximately, all but, just
about, virtually, wellnigh, practically, as good as, more or
less; around, approaching, nearing, barely, hardly, scarcely,
close to: We were nearly there but couldn't make it. She was
nearly ninety when her first book was published. 2 closely,
identically, exactly, precisely: Her opinions agree most nearly
with his. His painting most nearly resembles Picasso's.
near-sighted
adj. 1 myopic, short-sighted: Being near-sighted, I must wear
spectacles for driving. 2 Chiefly US short-sighted,
narrow-minded, blinkered, narrow, close-minded, illiberal,
unthinking, heedless, insular, partial, one-sided, parochial,
unsophisticated, unimaginative, biased, unobjective,
opinionated, dogmatic, prejudiced, intolerant, bigoted: They
maintain a near-sighted attitude towards associating with anyone
outside their immediate clique.
neat adj. 1 tidy, orderly, clean, uncluttered, trim, spruce, natty,
fastidious, spick and span, shipshape (and Bristol fashion),
organized, well-organized, well-ordered, systematic, Brit
dialect trig, Colloq neat as a pin, Brit dinky: His room was
always neat - very odd for a teenager. 2 straight,
unadulterated, unmixed, undiluted, uncut, unblended, pure; on
the rocks: He drinks his whisky neat. 3 unembellished,
unadorned, unornamented, simple, elegant, graceful, smart,
uncomplicated, regular, precise, copperplate; calligraphic: An
invitation in her neat handwriting awaited my return from
abroad. 4 deft, adroit, clever, efficient, ingenious, expert,
practised, skilful, dexterous: He contrived a neat plan to
avoid paying taxes. 5 fine, wonderful, marvellous, great,
splendid, excellent, exceptional, capital, grand, first-class,
Colloq cool, smashing, keen, nifty, top-notch, A1 or A-1 or
A-one, Brit top-hole, Chiefly US A-OK or A-okay, Slang swell,
far-out, boss, Brit topping, US and Canadian spiffy: She found
a really neat way to get boys to ask her out. Gordon has a neat
new car.
neaten v. Often, neaten up. tidy (up), straighten (up or out), clean
(up), spruce up, (put in) order, Brit dialect trig: If you
don't neaten up your room, Mandy, you may not borrow the car.
nebulous adj. vague, hazy, clouded, unclear, obscure, indistinct, fuzzy,
muddy, ill-defined, shapeless, amorphous, blurred,
indeterminate, murky, opaque, turbid, dim, foggy, faint, pale:
He has only the most nebulous idea of what the lecture was
about.
necessarily
adv. inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, axiomatically,
inexorably, ineluctably, irresistibly, incontrovertibly,
automatically, naturally, (as a matter) of course, as a result,
certainly, surely, to be sure, like it or not, willy-nilly,
perforce, of necessity, by definition: If you accept his
premise, then you must, necessarily, accept his conclusion. You
don't necessarily need to be rich to be happy.
necessary adj. 1 indispensable, essential, required, needed, compulsory,
requisite, vital, demanded, imperative, obligatory, needful, of
the essence, important, of the utmost importance, top-priority,
high-priority, urgent, exigent, compelling, life-and-death or
life-or-death: A good diet is necessary for good health. It is
necessary that you come at once. Take the necessary steps to get
the job done. 2 inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable,
ineluctable: In the circumstances, we find it necessary to ask
for your resignation. 3 sure, certain, predetermined,
predestined, fated, inexorable; resulting, resultant: The
necessary outcome of the affair was that the child was returned
to her natural parents.
--n. 4 See necessity, 1, below.
necessity n. 1 requirement, essential, necessary, requisite, need,
prerequisite, basic, fundamental, sine qua non, desideratum,
constraint: I was marooned for a year with only the bare
necessities of life. We regard honesty as a necessity in a bank
manager. 2 indispensability, unavoidability, needfulness,
inexorability: The necessity for exercise is often met by
private health clubs. 3 poverty, want, indigence, need,
destitution, penury, straits, difficulty, difficulties,
pauperism, neediness: The extreme necessity of the unemployed
demands that the government act quickly. 4 urgency, emergency,
crisis, misfortune, exigency, pinch, extreme, matter of life and
death: She has made a virtue of necessity. Electric power is no
longer a matter of choice but of necessity.
need v. 1 require, demand, want, be in want of, call for, have need
of or for; lack, miss, have occasion for: This room needs a
coat of paint. Although she may want more money, she doesn't
need it. Do you need anything to make you more comfortable?
--n. 2 necessity, requirement; call, demand, constraint:
There's no need to shout - I can hear you. There is a need to
keep this matter confidential. This facility will meet our
electricity needs for decades. 3 essential, necessary,
requisite, prerequisite, necessity, basic, fundamental, sine qua
non, necessary, desideratum: I am perfectly capable of taking
care of my family's needs. 4 distress, difficulty, trouble,
(dire or desperate) straits, stress, emergency, exigency,
extremity, neediness, needfulness; poverty, penury,
impecuniousness, destitution, privation, deprivation, indigence,
beggary: She was very supportive in his hour of need. The need
of the people in that district is heart-rending. 5 want, lack,
dearth, shortage, paucity, scarcity, insufficiency, desideratum:
The need for medical supplies was most sharply felt in areas
that were already ravaged by famine.
needless adj. 1 unnecessary, non-essential, unessential, unneeded,
unwanted, useless, uncalled-for, gratuitous, superfluous,
redundant, excess, excessive, tautological, dispensable,
expendable, supererogatory, de trop, pleonastic: He went to a
lot of needless trouble to change the tyre. It is needless to
raise further questions. 2 needless to say. naturally, (as a
matter) of course, obviously, it goes without saying: Needless
to say, he will have to resign when this comes to light.
needy adj. poor, indigent, poverty-stricken, destitute, impoverished,
penniless, impecunious, necessitous, underprivileged, deprived,
disadvantaged, below the poverty level, in dire straits, in or
on the way to the poorhouse, in reduced circumstances,
down-and-out, insolvent, Colloq on one's uppers, dead or flat or
stony-broke, hard up, strapped, pinched, on the breadline, up
against it, Brit on the dole, US dead broke, on welfare, on
relief: It is not enough to look after needy families only at
Christmas time.
negative adj. 1 contradictory, anti, contrary, dissenting, dissentious,
disputing, disputatious, argumentative, adversarial,
adversative, antagonistic, antipathetic, adverse, US adversary:
He has adopted a very negative attitude towards his job. Few
negative voices were heard on the issue. 2 pessimistic,
unenthusiastic, cool, cold, uninterested, unresponsive: The
reaction to our offer has been largely negative. 3 nullifying,
annulling, neutralizing, voiding, cancelling: The laws are
mainly negative, listing only things one must not do. 4
negating, refusing, denying, gainsaying, opposing: The judge
came to a negative decision regarding bail. 5 in the negative.
negatively, 'No': Asked if she wanted to go, she replied in the
negative.
neglect v. 1 disregard, ignore, slight, pay no attention to, be
inattentive to, overlook, pass by, spurn, rebuff, scorn,
disdain, contemn, Colloq cold-shoulder: Scholars neglected his
work for years. 2 fail (in), omit; disregard, let slide or
pass, be remiss (about or in or regarding), abandon, lose sight
of, forget, shirk: Have I neglected telling you how much I love
you? Sybil has neglected her obligations.
--n. 3 disregard, disrespect, inattention, indifference,
slighting, unconcern, oversight, heedlessness, neglectfulness,
carelessness, inadvertence: We lost business to our competitor
through simple neglect. 4 negligence, laxity, laxness,
slackness, neglectfulness, passivity, passiveness, inactivity,
inaction, dereliction, default, failure, failing, remissness:
She has been accused of neglect in looking after her children
properly.
negligence
n. inattention, inattentiveness, indifference, carelessness,
unconcern, dereliction, failure, failing, heedlessness, laxity,
laxness, disregard, oversight, omission, inadvertence, neglect,
remissness, forgetfulness, oscitancy or oscitance: The car
crash was attributed to the lorry driver's negligence.
negligible
adj. insignificant, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial,
inconsequential, piddling, inappreciable, small, slight, paltry,
nugatory, worthless, petty, niggling, not worth mentioning or
talking about: The differences between the two plans are
negligible.
negotiate v. 1 deal, bargain, dicker, haggle, chaffer, palter; discuss,
debate, mediate, consult, parley, speak, talk, transact, come to
terms: A conglomerate is negotiating to buy our company. The
company asked me to negotiate on our behalf. 2 arrange (for),
organize, orchestrate, conduct, handle, manoeuvre, manage,
engineer, work out, settle, get, obtain, bring off or about,
carry off, accomplish, do, execute, effect, complete, conclude,
Colloq pull off: Will you be able to negotiate a loan for the
car? 3 manoeuvre, clear, get through or past or round or over,
pass, cross, Colloq make (it (through or past or round or
over)): Will you be able to negotiate the barbed-wire fence?
negotiation
n. 1 discussion, mediation, arbitration, bargaining, parley,
parleying, talk, coming to terms: The disarmament negotiations
have dragged on for years. 2 deal, bargain, transaction,
agreement, arrangement, understanding, determination, decision,
settlement; contract, pact, compact, covenant, concordat,
treaty: All parties seem pleased with the final negotiation.
negotiator
n. arbitrator, arbiter, mediator, moderator, diplomat,
ambassador, go-between, middleman, intercessor, interceder,
intervener, agent, broker: An independent negotiator was
invited to the bargaining table with the union and management
representatives.
neighbourhood
n. 1 locality, area, region, vicinity, vicinage, environs,
quarter, district, precinct(s), purlieus, locale; surroundings,
confines: Houses in the neighbourhood of the blast were
levelled. 2 in the neighbourhood of. approximately, about,
around, nearly, practically, close to, almost, more or less,
Colloq in the ballpark of, in the region of, Brit getting on
for, not far off, US within an eyelash of, Slang as near as
dammit to: The playground will cost in the neighbourhood of
œ5,000.
neighbouring
adj. nearby, near, around, adjacent (to), surrounding,
adjoining, contiguous (to), touching, bordering (on), next (to),
nearest: Owners of properties neighbouring the nuclear power
plant worry about radiation. The neighbouring villages will
participate in the fˆte at Long Norton.
neighbourly
adj. friendly, cordial, warm, amiable, agreeable, affable,
companionable, well-disposed, kindly, kind, well-wishing,
genial, sociable, social, harmonious, considerate, thoughtful,
helpful, gracious, courteous, civil: It was quite neighbourly
of the Constables to look after our cat.
neologism n. neoterism, coinage, neology, nonce-word; blend, portmanteau
word: Lexicographers must decide the neologisms to be added to
their dictionaries.
nerve n. 1 courage, coolness, boldness, bravery, intrepidity,
determination, valour, daring, fearlessness, dauntlessness,
pluck, mettle, spirit, fortitude, will, tenacity, steadfastness,
staunchness, firmness, doughtiness, resoluteness, Colloq guts,
grit, gumption, spunk, US sand, Brit bottle, US moxie , Taboo
slang balls: It took a lot of nerve to go back into that
burning building. 2 effrontery, brazenness, gall, impertinence,
brass, impudence, insolence, audacity, brashness, presumption,
presumptuousness, temerity, Colloq cheek, sauce, chutzpah, Slang
crust: You have a lot of nerve, talking to your mother that
way! 3 get on someone's nerves. annoy, irritate, upset: That
loud rock music gets on my nerves. 4 nerves. tension,
nervousness, hysteria, anxiety, fretfulness, stress, worry,
apprehension, fright, Colloq the jitters, Slang the willies, the
heebie-jeebies, US the whim-whams: I had a bad case of nerves
before learning the doctor's diagnosis.
nerve-racking
adj. nerve-wracking, harrowing, agonizing, distressing, trying,
vexing, vexatious, troublesome, worrisome, irksome, irritating:
Waiting for the names of the survivors was the most
nerve-racking experience of my life.
nervous adj. 1 highly-strung, excitable, sensitive, tense, agitated,
wrought up, worked up, upset, flustered, ruffled, disturbed,
perturbed, distressed, worried, anxious, troubled, concerned,
disquieted, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety, fretful,
uneasy, apprehensive, frightened, fearful, shaky, scared,
skittish, US on a tightrope, Colloq jumpy, jittery, flappable,
in a stew, in a dither, in a sweat, in a tizzy, in a flap,
uptight, Brit nervy, US on pins and needles, Slang strung out:
Thomas is nervous because he has to give a speech. 2 difficult,
tense, critical: There were a few nervous moments before we
knew if the rope would hold.
nest n. 1 roost, perch, eyrie or US also aerie, den, lair: The
birds, which mate for life, return to the same nest each year.
2 snuggery, retreat, refuge, haunt, hideaway, hide-out; resort:
We have a little nest in the country which we escape to at
weekends.
nestle v. cuddle (up), snuggle (up), huddle, curl up, nuzzle (up):
They nestled close together to keep warm.
netฐ n. 1 network, netting, mesh, mesh-work, web, webbing, openwork,
lattice, lattice-work, trellis, trellis-work, lace-work,
reticulum, reticle, rete, plexus, grid, grid-work, grille,
grate, grating, fretwork; sieve, screen, strainer, sifter: They
watched the fishermen mending their nets.
--v. 2 catch, capture, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, bag: As I
bring the fish close to the boat, you net it with this.
net n. 1 nett, (net) profit, gain, earnings, return(s), Colloq US
take: The net for the first quarter was 15 per cent higher than
last year's.
--adj. 2 clear, after deductions, after taxes, take-home,
final, bottom-line: The tax increase was greater than my salary
increase, so my net income was lower this year. 3 final, end,
closing, concluding, conclusive, effective, ultimate: The net
result of the advertising campaign was a sales increase of 18
per cent.
--v. 4 make, realize, clear, take home, bring in, earn, pocket,
take in, get: How much did you net last year - after taxes,
that is.
network n. 1 See netฐ, 1, above. 2 system, arrangement, structure,
organization, complex, grid, criss-cross, web, plexus; maze,
labyrinth, jungle, tangle: She has developed a worldwide
network of contacts for her business. Before transistors, the
back of a radio was a network of multicoloured wires.
neurotic adj. psychoneurotic, unstable, disturbed, confused, irrational,
disordered, maladjusted, distraught, overwrought, anxious,
nervous, obsessive, deviant, abnormal: Many people are neurotic
about something.
neuter adj. 1 asexual, sexless, epicene: Worker bees are neuter,
neither male nor female.
--v. 2 desex or desexualize, doctor; castrate, emasculate,
geld, capon or caponize, eunuchize; spay, ovariectomize,
oophorectomize; Colloq fix, cut, US alter: We had our cat
neutered after her first litter.
neutral adj. 1 non-belligerent, non-combatant, unaligned, non-aligned,
unaffiliated, uninvolved, unallied, non-allied, non-partisan,
impartial, disinterested, indifferent, dispassionate, unbiased,
uncommitted, noncommittal, aloof, withdrawn, detached, remote,
removed: Switzerland has remained neutral during both world
wars. 2 dull, drab, colourless, achromatic, toneless,
indeterminate, washed out, pale, indefinite, indistinct,
indistinguishable, indeterminate, vague, drab, beige, ecru: A
neutral wallpaper colour won't clash with the paintings.
neutralize
v. void, annul, cancel (out), nullify, invalidate, negate,
delete, undo, make or render ineffective, counterbalance,
counteract, offset, equalize, even, square, compensate for, make
up for: The forces on both sides of the sail, being equal,
neutralize each other.
never adv. 1 at no time, not ever, not at any time, on no occasion,
under no circumstances or condition(s), on no account, not at
all, Colloq not in a million years, not till hell freezes over:
You are never to use such language again! 2 in no way, not in
any way, not in the least, not in any degree, not under any
condition, not: Never fear, for I am near.
nevertheless
adv. still, notwithstanding, yet, in spite of that, despite
that, nonetheless, regardless, be that as it may, for all that,
even so, but, however, just or all the same, everything
considered, at any rate, anyway, in any case, in any event, at
all events, Literary withal: He said he dislikes sweets;
nevertheless, he ate a whole bar of chocolate.
new adj. 1 novel, original, unique, unusual, different, fresh,
creative, imaginative, brand-new: Ruth has a new idea for the
sales campaign. 2 latest, late, modern, contemporary, modish,
stylish, fashionable, chic, recent, advanced, up to date,
brand-new, late-model, Colloq trendy, Slang mod, hip: MacGregor
buys a new car every year: it has to be equipped with the newest
gadgets. 3 fresh, further, additional, supplemental,
supplementary: Has the new issue of Verbatim come out yet? 4
unfamiliar, unknown, strange, different; unique, unheard of: I
hear there's a new girl in your office. I want to introduce my
new friend, Dan Hammond. Every year they discover a new virus. 5
revitalized, reborn, renewed, rejuvenated, changed, altered,
redone, restored, redesigned, remodelled: I saw before me a new
Marie. They published a new version of the Bible. 6
inexperienced, green, fresh, callow, unfledged, budding,
immature, unripe, untrained: Let us look over the new recruits,
Sergeant. 7 late, young, recent: We found newer fossils at
higher levels. 8 uncharted, unexplored, untrodden, unknown,
experimental: Astronomers are breaking new ground in the
analysis of pulsars.
newcomer n. 1 alien, immigrant, foreigner, outlander, stranger, settler,
colonist, outsider: The newcomers quickly established
themselves and became self-sufficient. 2 beginner, amateur,
novice, proselyte, neophyte, tiro or tyro, initiate, trainee,
learner, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US freshman, Colloq
greenhorn: Though experienced in book publishing, he was a
newcomer to magazine publishing.
news n. 1 tidings, word, information, advice, intelligence; rumour,
talk, gossip, hearsay, dirt, scandal, expos‚, Colloq info,
low-down, scoop, US scuttlebutt, Slang dope: What's the latest
news about the situation in the Middle East? 2 dispatch or
despatch, report, account, story, communication, bulletin,
communiqu‚, announcement, information, message, word, statement,
(press) release, (news)flash: The news from our correspondent
contains no mention of finding a cache of arms. 3 newscast, news
broadcast or telecast, news programme; newsflash: Please be
quiet so that I can listen to the news. 4 (good) copy,
front-page news, (hot) item: The royal family is always news.
14.3 nice...
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nice adj. 1 pleasant, agreeable, amiable, amicable, friendly,
cordial, warm, gracious, warm-hearted, kind, kindly, outgoing,
charming, genial, delightful, courteous, polite, refined,
gentlemanly, ladylike, winsome, likeable, attractive: They are
one of the nicest couples I have ever met. 2 good,
satisfactory, commendable, worthy, worthwhile: The manager said
that I had done a nice job in preparing the specifications. 3
good, fine, superb, superior, attentive, sharp, acute, keen,
careful, exact, exacting, rigorous; precise, accurate, unerring,
scrupulous, meticulous, punctilious, discriminating,
discriminative, perceptive, delicate, fastidious, flawless,
faultless, subtle, strict, close, small, slight, minute,
complex, complicated, intricate: A diamond cutter must have a
nice eye for detail. It is difficult to maintain nice
distinctions of meaning among certain words, given that people
are so careless with their speech these days. 4 delicate,
subtle, sensitive, exquisite, hair-splitting, over-nice, fine,
critical, ticklish, dangerous, precarious, perilous, Colloq
hairy: The matter of Hong Kong requires some nice political
negotiations. 5 trim, well turned out, tidy, neat, fine: Don't
you want to look nice for your birthday party? 6 nice and -
pleasantly, delightfully, pleasingly, agreeably, enjoyably,
gratifyingly, satisfyingly, comfortably: It's nice and warm by
the fire.
niche n. 1 recess, hollow, alcove, nook: A small statue of Buddha
stood in a niche in the wall. 2 place, position, Colloq slot,
pigeon-hole: Humphrey has finally found a niche for himself
working as a tax inspector.
nick n. 1 cut, notch, chip, gouge, gash, scratch, dent, indentation,
flaw, mark, blemish, defect: Be careful of that nick in the rim
of the glass. 2 jail or Brit also gaol; police station: The
police took him to the nick to help them with their inquiries.
--v. 3 steal, purloin, take, appropriate, make off with, Colloq
pinch: Who nicked my biro? 4 arrest, nab, take in, Colloq
collar: Alan was nicked for possession of marijuana. 5 nick
off. depart, go or run off or away, take off, take to one's
heels, show a clean pair of heels, beat a (hasty) retreat,
Colloq scarper, make tracks, beat it: The cops were coming so I
nicked off.
nickname n. 1 pet name, sobriquet, epithet, agnomen, Colloq moniker or
monicker, handle: Her real name is Josephine, but her nickname
is Dusty. 2 diminutive: A common nickname for Terence is
Terry.
nifty adj. 1 smart, stylish, modish, chic, spruce: I borrowed a
nifty outfit from Grandma for the flapper's costume ball. 2
healthy, in good form, spry, energetic, agile, quick: I'm not
as nifty as I was in 1950. 3 excellent, neat, great, splendid,
fine, clever, skilful, apt, suitable: Having a picnic was a
nifty idea. That was as nifty a bit of bargaining as I 've ever
seen. 4 satisfactory, satisfying, good, profitable, substantial,
considerable: He made a nifty profit on the sale of his house
in Chelsea.
niggle v. find fault, nag, carp, fuss, cavil, criticize; complain,
Colloq grouse, Slang bitch, US kvetch: I do wish she would stop
niggling when we cannot do anything about the situation.
niggling adj. 1 irritating, worrying, worrisome, irksome, vexing,
vexatious, annoying, troublesome: There are a few niggling
matters that I must see my accountant about. 2 petty, nugatory,
trifling, trivial, fussy, insignificant, unimportant,
inconsequential, frivolous, Colloq piddling, nit-picking, US and
Canadian picayune: Bill always ignores the core of a problem
and occupies himself with the niggling details.
night n. 1 (Stygian or Cimmerian) dark or darkness or blackness or
gloom; night-time, shades of night, Formal tenebrosity or
tenebrousness or tenebriousness: The strange creature slunk off
into the night. 2 nightfall, gloaming, twilight, dusk,
eventide, evening, evensong, edge of night, sunset, sundown, end
of day, vespers: When night comes, one can hear the frogs
calling from the pond. 3 night and day. all the time,
continually, incessantly, unceasingly, continuously, unendingly,
endlessly, round-the-clock, ceaselessly, non-stop: Those
animals keep up their caterwauling night and day.
nightly adj. 1 every night, each night, each and every night, night
after night: The watchman does his nightly rounds. 2
night-time, nocturnal, bedtime: A nightly glass of warm milk
promotes sound sleep.
--adv. 3 every night, each night, nights, after dark, after
sunset; nocturnally: The bird sings nightly outside my window.
nightmarish
adj. frightening, terrifying, alarming, horrific, horrible,
dreadful, awful, ghastly, dismaying, agonizing, worrisome,
exasperating, frustrating, Kafkaesque, Colloq creepy, scary:
Dealing with officialdom can be a nightmarish experience when
abroad.
nil n. nothing, zero, nought or naught, aught or ought, Tennis,
table tennis, etc. love, Cricket duck, US goose-egg, Slang US
zip: Oxford United: 4; Queens Park Rangers: Nil.
nimble adj. 1 agile, lively, active, light, lithe, limber, spry,
sprightly, brisk, smart, energetic, rapid, quick, swift, adroit,
deft, dexterous; nimble-fingered; nimble-footed: She's as
nimble as a cat on a hot tin roof. 2 agile, alert, acute,
nimble-witted, quick-witted, ready-witted, intelligent, keen,
sharp; smart, brilliant, sparkling, scintillating, coruscating:
Despite his inability to make decisions, Desmond has quite a
nimble mind.
nipฐ v. 1 bite, nibble; pinch, snip, clip, cut, snap, tweak, twitch,
trim, lop, crop, shear; grip, squeeze: The dog nipped the
postman's ankle. Nip off the suckers to promote healthy growth
of the tomatoes. 2 nip in the bud. stop, arrest, check, thwart,
frustrate, stymie, forestall; quash, squelch, suppress,
extinguish, put down: The revolt of the army officers was
nipped in the bud.
--n. 3 bite, nibble, morsel, pinch, snip: The deer had taken
nips off the tips of the shrubbery. 4 chill, coldness, iciness,
sharpness, tang, bite: There's a definite wintry nip in the air
tonight.
nip n. taste, drop, sip, soup‡on, portion, swallow, gulp, mouthful,
finger, Brit peg, tot, draught, Scots dram, US draft, Colloq
snort, shot: I had a few nips of brandy to ward off the cold.
14.4 nobility...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
nobility n. 1 nobleness, dignity, grandeur, illustriousness, greatness,
glory, influence, authority, leadership, distinction, probity,
integrity, excellence, goodness, character, rectitude,
righteousness, ethics, honesty, honourableness, decency,
justness, high-mindedness, magnanimity, prestige, loftiness,
primacy, significance: The man's nobility was evident from his
mien and bearing. 2 rank, position, class, birth, blue blood:
Their nobility is recognized only at court and in fashionable
society. 3 the nobility. the gentry, the ‚lite, the aristocracy,
Colloq the upper crust, the ruling class(es), the Establishment,
US the Four Hundred: With a name like Hohenzollern, her family
must be from the European nobility.
noble n. 1 nobleman, noblewoman, aristocrat, patrician, lord, lady,
peer; gentleman, gentlewoman, Colloq blue blood: The nobles
united and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.
--adj. 2 high-born, high-class, upper-class, aristocratic,
titled, high-ranking, lordly, patrician, Colloq blue-blood(ed):
She came from a noble Austrian family. 3 dignified, eminent,
distinguished, august, grand, lofty, elevated, illustrious,
prestigious, pre-eminent, noted, honoured, esteemed, celebrated,
renowned, acclaimed, respected, venerated: The noble Knights of
the Round Table have become legend throughout the world. 4
upright, righteous, honourable, honest, virtuous, incorruptible,
chivalrous, staunch, steadfast, true, loyal, faithful,
trustworthy, true, principled, moral, good, decent,
self-sacrificing, magnanimous, generous: The qualities that
make a noble friend make a formidable enemy. 5 splendid,
magnificent, imposing, impressive, stately, exquisite, sublime,
grand, striking, stunning, superb, admirable, elegant, rich,
sumptuous, luxurious: The Taj Mahal is probably one of the
noblest works of man.
nobody pron. 1 no one, not anyone, no person: We had to wait because
nobody was in the shop when we entered.
--n. 2 nonentity, unknown, zero, cipher, Colloq nothing:
Overnight, Tony went from being a celebrity to being a nobody.
nod v. 1 greet, acknowledge, recognize: The maŒtre d'h“tel nodded
to me as I entered the restaurant. 2 say yes; consent, assent,
agree, concur, acquiesce: Asked if she had seen Nick, the
barmaid nodded. I asked permission to leave the room and the
teacher nodded. 3 doze (off), nap, drowse, drop off, fall
asleep: Exhausted travellers nodded in their chairs waiting for
their flights to be announced. 4 slip (up), err, make a mistake,
be mistaken or wrong; be careless or negligent or lax or
inattentive: Sometimes, even Homer nods.
--n. 5 signal, sign, cue, indication, gesture: I saw him give
a nod to the barber, who suddenly held a cutthroat razor to my
throat. 6 approval; consent, acquiescence, concurrence, assent,
agreement, Colloq OK or okay: The company has given me the nod
to open an office in Acapulco.
nodding adj. casual, slight, superficial, distant; incomplete: I know
Graham slightly - he's a nodding acquaintance. It was clear that
the violinist had only a nodding acquaintance with Mozart's
concerto.
noise n. 1 sound, clamour, crash, clap, clash, clangour, din,
thunder, thundering, rumble, rumbling, outcry, hubbub, uproar,
hullabaloo, racket, charivari or US and Canadian also shivaree,
rattle, caterwauling, rumpus, blare, blast, blasting, bawling,
babel; commotion, bedlam, fracas, tumult, pandemonium, turmoil;
discordance, dissonance, cacophony; Archaic alarms or alarums
and excursions, Colloq ruckus, ruction, ballyhoo: I couldn't
sleep because of the unbearable noise from the party next door.
You may call acid rock music, but she calls it noise. 2 sound,
disturbance: Did you just hear that strange noise? It's only
the noise of the crickets.
--v. 3 Often, noise about or around. circulate, spread, rumour,
bruit (about): It is being noised about that John and Marsha
are getting a divorce.
noiseless adj. muted, quiet, soft, hushed, muffled, deadened, dampened,
damped; silent, mute, still, inaudible, soundless: We watched
the noiseless boats gliding past.
noisy adj. loud, deafening, ear-splitting, jarring, grating, harsh,
piercing, shrill, discordant, unmusical, dissonant, cacophonous
or cacophonic, resounding, clarion, clamorous, clangorous,
thunderous, uproarious, blaring, blasting, obstreperous,
vociferous, boisterous, tumultuous, riotous: I could hear
nothing over the noisy aeroplane engines. When she arose to
speak, the noisy crowd fell silent.
nominal adj. 1 titular, in name only, formal, pretended, so-called,
self-styled, soi-disant, professed, purported, supposed,
would-be, representational, represented, supposititious;
proposed, propositional; puppet: Elliot is the nominal
chairman, but Foster actually runs the company. 2
insignificant, trivial, trifling, minor, minuscule, tiny, small,
insubstantial, minimal, inconsiderable, token: We charge a
nominal fee for the analysis if you refuse our recommendation.
nominate v. choose, select, name, appoint, designate, suggest, offer,
submit, recommend, propose, present, put up or forward; forward;
Formal put forth: Baker has been nominated for the presidency.
nominee n. candidate, office-seeker, designee, selectee, appointee,
assignee: We must choose a nominee to run in the next election.
non-aligned
adj. uncommitted, non-allied, non-affiliated, unaligned,
unaffiliated, unallied; neutral, impartial: There are several
non-aligned nations that remain independent of the influence of
the superpowers.
non-believer
n. unbeliever, disbeliever, cynic, doubting Thomas, doubter,
sceptic, freethinker, agnostic, atheist, nullifidian; infidel,
heathen, pagan: During his reign, thousands of non-believers
were put to the sword.
nonchalant
adj. cool, unexcited, unexcitable, unperturbed, imperturbable,
undisturbed, untroubled, unflappable, unruffled, dispassionate,
unemotional, detached, distant, unconcerned, indifferent,
pococurante, insouciant, uninterested, aloof, blas‚, offhand,
calm, collected, composed, easygoing, free and easy,
happy-go-lucky, casual, relaxed, at ease; unenthusiastic,
apathetic; Colloq laid-back, together: How can you be so
nonchalant about important issues that affect all our lives?!
noncommittal
adj. wary, cautious, careful, gingerly, guarded, (playing it)
safe, circumspect, watchful, prudent, canny, tentative, on
guard, reserved, cool; precautionary or precautional,
precautious; Colloq playing it cool, playing it safe, playing it
or one's cards close to the chest: The company is still
noncommittal about the take-over of the American company.
non-completion
n. non-fulfilment, unfulfilment, non-performance,
incompleteness, deficiency: We regret the non-completion of the
work on your house and will refund in full the amount already
paid.
non-compliance
n. disobedience, nonconformity, non-observance, disregard,
disregarding, failure, non-cooperation, uncooperativeness,
unresponsiveness, rejection, refusal, denial: If you fail to
provide the records requested by the tax inspector, you can be
charged with non-compliance.
nonconformist
n. 1 nonconformer, renegade, maverick, rebel, radical,
individualist, heretic, dissenter, dissident, iconoclast, loner,
exception, anomaly: In the 1960s, Alastair counted himself
among the nonconformists who wore unconventional clothes and
flouted conventional behaviour.
--adj. 2 nonconforming, renegade, maverick, rebellious,
radical, individualist(ic), heretical, dissentient, dissident,
iconoclastic: Suffragists were ridiculed for their
nonconformist ideas.
nondescript
adj. indescribable, unclassifiable, unclassified, ordinary,
common-or-garden variety, common, commonplace, unremarkable,
colourless, drab, everyday, bland, uninteresting, insipid,
characterless, undistinctive, unexceptional: He was wearing
nondescript clothing and blended into the crowd.
none pron. no one, not anyone, nobody, no person; not one; not any;
nil: Of all the people I met, none impressed me more than
Kathy. I'd give you a sweet if I had one, but I have none. I'd
even give you money, but I have none.
non-essential
adj. 1 non-vital, unessential, unneeded, unnecessary, needless,
inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, superfluous,
dispensable, expendable, gratuitous, uncalled-for, extraneous,
peripheral, extra, de trop, adventitious, additional,
supplemental, adscititious, redundant, accessory, subordinate,
secondary, subsidiary: The non-essential industries were
converted to the war effort during the 1940s.
--n. 2 unessential, inessential, nonentity, cipher, zero,
nobody; extra, supernumerary, spear-carrier, Colloq nothing,
Slang US nebbish: She used him as a lackey, a non-essential
whom she could dispose of at will.
nonetheless
adv. See nevertheless, above.
non-event n. anticlimax, Colloq non-starter, lead balloon, dud, Brit damp
squib: Jeremy's party turned out to be the non-event of the
year.
non-existent
adj. unreal, imaginary, imagined, fictional, fictive, fanciful,
fancied, mythical, fabulous, fabled, illusory, chimerical,
delusive: Although the entire Graeco-Roman pantheon became
non-existent overnight, its gods and goddesses continue to
pervade our culture.
non-flammable
adj. non-combustible, incombustible, non-inflammable,
unburnable; fire-retardant: The government recently passed
regulations requiring that non-flammable materials be used in
upholstered furniture.
no-nonsense
adj. serious, unfrivolous, businesslike, practical,
non-trivial, untrivial: Customs officials take a no-nonsense
approach to drug trafficking.
nonpareil n. paragon, model, standard, ne plus ultra, exemplar, ideal,
Literary nonsuch or nonesuch, Colloq oner, one in a million,
Brit one-off: Annabelle was a nonpareil among the artists of
her day.
non-partisan
adj. 1 non-partizan, non-aligned, unaligned, unaffiliated,
independent, non-committed, uncommitted, neutral, uninvolved,
free, (sitting) on the fence: Choose between non-partisan and
coalition candidates. 2 impartial, even-handed, fair, just,
objective, unbiased, unprejudiced, equitable, dispassionate,
disinterested: One could not find a more non-partisan judge
than Sir Ronald.
--n. 3 independent, neutral, mugwump: I am a non-partisan on
the subject of privatization of public utilities.
nonplus v. confound, perplex, puzzle, confuse, dismay, baffle, stop,
check, stun, shock, dumbfound or dumfound, take aback, astonish,
astound, US faze, Colloq bring up short, flummox, stump: She
was nonplussed to learn that Simpson had been arrested.
non-productive
adj. 1 unproductive, barren, sterile, infertile, unfertile,
unfruitful, infecund: Non-productive land was left
uncultivated. 2 ineffectual, bootless, ineffective,
impractical, unavailing, pointless, useless, worthless,
wasteful, time-consuming, time-wasting: Executives should spend
more time working and less in non-productive meetings discussing
the work to be done.
nonsense n. 1 rubbish, drivel, gibberish, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,
twaddle, trash, babble, balderdash, moonshine, bombast, fustian,
rodomontade, puffery, flummery, blather or blether, bunkum,
poppycock, stuff and nonsense, double-talk, jargon, mumbo-jumbo,
jabberwocky, cackle, gas, palaver, Colloq bunk, piffle, rot,
bosh, eyewash, hogwash, malarkey, bilge (water), boloney or
baloney, claptrap, hot air, Brit tosh, Old-fashioned Brit
gammon, waffle, US apple-sauce, horse feathers, garbage, bushwa;
Slang crap, tripe, bull, hooey, double Dutch, Taboo slang
bullshit, horseshit, Brit (a load of old) cobblers: Watson's
speech on the benefits of tobacco was unmitigated nonsense. 2
mischief, clowning, antics, capering, horseplay, pranks, tricks,
jokes, silliness, foolishness, inanity, frivolity, tomfoolery,
joking, jesting, waggishness, buffoonery, shenanigans, Colloq
monkey business, Brit monkey tricks, US monkeyshines: Keep up
this nonsense and you'll get into a lot of trouble!
nonsensical
adj. senseless, meaningless, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,
laughable, preposterous, irrational, warped, askew, crazy, mad,
silly, foolish, hare-brained, asinine, idiotic, moronic,
imbecilic, stupid, dumb, Colloq nutty, screwy, cock-eyed, fool,
screwball, Slang loony: What is your nonsensical excuse for
being late this time?
non-stop adj. 1 uninterrupted, continuous, unbroken, direct: Is this a
non-stop flight to New York? 2 unending, endless, interminable,
unceasing, ceaseless, continual, continuous, uninterrupted,
unbroken, persistent, relentless, constant, unremitting, steady,
round-the-clock, ongoing, continuing, unhesitating, unfaltering,
tireless,; regular, habitual: I told my neighbour that his
non-stop rock 'n' roll music was driving me mad.
--adv. 3 unendingly, endlessly, interminably, unceasingly,
ceaselessly, continually, continuously, uninterruptedly,
persistently, relentlessly, constantly, unremittingly, steadily,
round-the-clock, day in and day out, tirelessly; regularly,
habitually: He continues to play his hi-fi non-stop.
nook n. 1 cranny, recess, niche, alcove, corner, cavity, crevice,
crack, opening: Flowers grew from the nooks in the wall. 2
retreat, hide-out, hideaway, nest; inglenook: I curled up with
a book in my nook next to the fireplace.
noon n. twelve o'clock (noon), midday, 1200 hours, noontime, high
noon, Archaic noontide; noonday: We sit down to lunch promptly
at noon. The noon sun is terribly hot in the tropics.
norm n. 1 usual, average, mean, normal: The norm for the day is 12
degrees Celsius. 2 model, standard, type, pattern, criterion,
rule, measure, gauge, yardstick, benchmark: That style of
window became the norm for many years.
normal adj. 1 standard, regular, average, conventional, usual,
run-of-the-mill, ordinary, routine, universal, general, common,
customary, natural, typical, conformist, orthodox; healthy: If
living in this mess seems normal to you, we clearly have
different standards. His temperature and pulse are normal. 2
sane, stable, rational, reasonable, well-adjusted: After he had
set fire to his school, Julian's parents began to wonder if he
was quite normal.
normalize v. regularize, standardize, regulate, control; conform: The
program is directed at normalizing the codes used in keyboarding
text.
nosy adj. nosey, curious, inquisitive, prying, meddlesome, spying,
peeping, eavesdropping, Colloq snooping, snoopy: Mind your own
business and don't be so nosy.
notable adj. 1 noteworthy, noted, famous, famed, well-known, renowned,
illustrious, important, prominent, eminent, outstanding, great,
distinguished, celebrated, acclaimed: Many notable people
attended my college. 2 remarkable, different, distinctive,
singular, unusual, uncommon, pre-eminent, peerless, matchless,
unmatched, unequalled, unparalleled, extraordinary, conspicuous,
outstanding, memorable, unforgettable, striking: She enjoyed a
notable reputation as a cellist. Last night's notable
performance was enjoyed by a capacity audience.
--n. 3 dignitary, personage, worthy, VIP; celebrity, luminary,
Colloq (big) name, big shot: Many notables attended the charity
ball.
notably adv. 1 particularly, especially, markedly, noticeably,
signally, distinctly, remarkably, unusually, uncommonly,
outstandingly, conspicuously, clearly, obviously, evidently,
manifestly, specifically, distinctly, curiously, oddly,
uniquely, strangely, strikingly, shockingly, surprisingly,
stunningly: In the temperate zones, the seasons vary notably in
length. 2 meaningfully, significantly, importantly,
prominently: The viruses changed in notably different ways.
notation n. 1 note, memorandum, jotting, record, reminder, minute(s),
abstract, Colloq memo: I shall make a notation of that in my
diary. 2 symbols, signs, code, characters, symbolism: In
musical notation, a minim represents two beats.
notch n. 1 nick, cut, dent, indentation, groove, cleft, score, mark,
gouge, gash: For every man he killed, the gunfighter cut a
notch in the barrel of his gun. 2 step, grade, level, rung, peg,
degree, stage, gradation: Gillian's promotion moves her up
another notch towards the chairmanship.
--v. 3 nick, cut, dent, indent, groove, score, mark, gash,
gouge: You notch the end of the arrow to admit the bowstring.
4 notch up. gain, win, accomplish, achieve, score, register,
mark (up): The All-India cricket team has notched up another
win.
notched adj. serrate(d), sawtooth(ed), crenellate(d), crenate,
serriform, pinked, scalloped, zigzag, toothed, dentate,
denticulate(d), dentiform: The flower has notched yellow
petals. The vase was decorated with a notched pattern.
note n. 1 See notation, 1, above. 2 message, letter, communication,
(piece of) correspondence, memorandum, epistle, postcard or
(postal) card, fan letter, love-letter, billet doux,
bread-and-butter letter, word, line, thank-you note, Colloq
memo, US old-fashioned mash note: She sent Rob a note only last
week asking him to attend the meeting. 3 comment, commentary,
remark, observation, explanation, annotation, footnote,
side-note, marginalia (pl.), gloss, critique, criticism,
Literary scholium, exegesis, eisegesis, Technical shoulder-note:
Her notes on insect behaviour are of great interest. 4
banknote, money, bill, currency, treasury note; promissory note,
demand note, bill of exchange, letter of credit, (bank) draft,
note of hand; Colloq folding money: I found a packet of notes
dropped by the bank robbers. The bank is holding my note for
œ10,000. 5 theme, characteristic, motif, element, quality, mood,
tone, tenor: There is a note of angry frustration that runs
through her writing. 6 signal, cue, intimation, hint, inkling,
suspicion, clue, suggestion, idea, tip, Slang tip-off: Her
greeting, though warm, contained a note of suspicion. On that
note, I decided to leave. 7 heed, attention, notice, regard,
respect, thought, Colloq US mind: Note of the prosecutor's
objection to that line of questioning has been taken. 8 mark,
consequence, substance, importance, moment, weight, distinction,
merit, prestige, (high) rank or standing, eminence, prominence,
repute, reputation, renown: People of note have been
entertained at our table. 9 tone, sound; key: He knows the
music but gets the notes wrong. 10 notes. jottings,
impressions, record(s), report, (thumbnail) sketch, (rough)
draft, outline, synopsis: The entire account is based on the
notes she made during the trial.
--v. 11 notice, observe, perceive, see, mark, think about, give
thought to, consider, contemplate, study, pay attention to,
attend to; look into, investigate, check out: Have you ever
noted how people try to avoid you because of your bad temper?
Note how quickly the days seem to grow shorter towards the end
of summer. A detective has been assigned to note every move the
suspect makes. 12 record, register, write down, put or set down,
put on record, jot down, put in writing, chronicle: The traffic
warden noted down the number-plate of the car. 13 call
attention to, remark on or about, mention, report, touch on,
comment on or about: The report failed to note the
disappearance of the murder weapon.
noted adj. respected, eminent, distinguished, illustrious, esteemed,
acclaimed; well-known, famous, famed, prominent, celebrated,
notable, popular; notorious: We are pleased to welcome the
noted violinist, David Popov. Was it his aunt or his mother who
ran the noted house of ill repute near Brighton?
noteworthy
adj. notable, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary,
unusual, rare, uncommon, singular, unique, different: Miss
Byrne has made many a noteworthy contribution to our knowledge
of local Roman sites.
nothing n. 1 naught or nought, nothing at all or whatsoever, no thing,
not anything, Taboo slang Brit bugger-all, (sweet) Fanny Adams
or F.A., SFA: Nothing that you tell me can be held against you
in court. You may think it important, but I tell you it is
nothing. 2 cipher, zero, nobody, nonentity: If it weren't for
her, he would be nothing. 3 trifle, bagatelle, Colloq peanuts:
A million is nothing to him.
notice v. 1 note, take or make note (of), take notice (of), pay or
give attention to, attend (to), heed, take heed (of), give heed
to, mark, remark, mind, observe, perceive, see: Notice how
quickly he retracted his remarks when challenged. I waved to
them, but they didn't notice me. 2 mind, observe, perceive,
discern, see, detect, make out, identify, recognize, Colloq
spot: I noticed signs of illness when I visited her.
--n. 3 attention, awareness, consciousness, perception,
observation, cognizance: Let me bring to your notice the second
paragraph on page six. 4 regard, consideration, respect,
observation, attention, note, heed: They have published many
books worthy of notice. He considers matters of money beneath
his notice. 5 notification, announcement, information, advice;
warning, intimation: A notice showing the currency exchange
rates is posted in the bank. The company let Corbett go without
notice. 6 criticism, critique, review, comment, commentary: The
play has enjoyed excellent notices in the London newspapers. 7
give notice. warn, admonish, notify, announce, advise, inform:
British Rail gave notice of a curtailment of service to this
station. Barry gave notice today of his resignation.
noticeable
adj. 1 discernible, perceivable, observable, perceptible,
recognizable, distinguishable, visible, palpable, manifest,
distinct, evident, clear, clear-cut, conspicuous, obvious;
patent, unmistakable or unmistakeable, undisguised, unconcealed:
Is the scratch noticeable? Wrinkles around the eyes are one of
the first noticeable signs of ageing. 2 noteworthy, notable,
significant, signal, remarkable, important, singular,
exceptional, pronounced, distinct, especial, considerable,
major: After the reprimand, there was a noticeable improvement
in his work.
notify v. 1 inform, tell, advise, alert, apprise, warn: She notified
us that she might come in late today. They wrote to notify
shareholders of the new share offer. 2 announce, publish,
declare, proclaim, give notice of; intimate, hint: The arrival
of the first salmon notified to us the change of season.
notion n. 1 idea, thought, concept, conception, image, impression,
general idea, (mental) picture, inkling: She has a pretty good
notion of who did it. I haven't the slightest notion of what you
are talking about. 2 fancy, whim, crotchet, whimsy, caprice,
impulse, inclination, vagary, conceit, quirk, kink: She
suddenly took a notion to fly to New York and left.
notoriety n. notoriousness, disrepute, dishonour, disgrace, infamy,
shame, discredit, scandal, stain, blot, obloquy, ignominy,
opprobrium: The notoriety attending his latest escapades
displeased the prime minister.
notorious adj. 1 disreputable, dishonourable, disgraceful, infamous,
shameful, shaming, embarrassing, discreditable, scandalous,
naughty, flagrant, ignominious, opprobrious: Charles was yet
again seen in public with a notorious arms dealer. 2
celebrated, renowned, famous, well-known, fabled, legendary,
memorable: Annie was notorious for riding her horse to victory
in every event.
notwithstanding
adv. 1 nevertheless, nonetheless, despite that, in spite of
that, yet, anyway: He was refused permission to go but he left
notwithstanding.
--prep. 2 despite, in spite of, regardless of, in the face of,
against: Notwithstanding his mother's objections, George
married Marsha.
--conj. 3 although, though, even though, despite the fact that:
The product was almost totally unknown, notwithstanding it had
been on the market for years.
nourish v. 1 feed, sustain, support, maintain, keep, provide for, care
for, take care of, look after, nurture, nurse: The child seems
to be thriving and well nourished. 2 foster, cherish, nurse,
maintain, harbour, keep, nurture, sustain: Iago nourished a
terrible hatred for Othello. 3 strengthen, fortify, encourage,
promote, stimulate, cultivate, help, advance, aid: These
malcontents continue to nourish trouble in the party ranks.
nourishment
n. food, sustenance, nutriment, nutrition, victuals: You must
take nourishment to maintain your strength.
novel adj. 1 new, unusual, unfamiliar, unconventional, fresh,
different, original, creative; untested, untried: I have a
novel idea for the design of an ultralight aircraft.
--n. 2 story, tale, narrative, romance; novella, novelette,
best-seller, Colloq blockbuster: The members of our company
board behave like characters out of a novel.
novelty n. 1 originality, newness, uniqueness, freshness,
innovativeness: We are enthusiastic about the novelty of the
new sales campaign. 2 gimmick, gimcrack, trifle, gewgaw,
bauble, knick-knack, toy, trinket, ornament, plaything,
Brummagem, kickshaw: New subscribers receive as a premium some
novelty, like a ball-point pen or a cheap clock.
novice n. beginner, neophyte, newcomer, proselyte, tiro or tyro,
noviciate or novitiate, learner, amateur, initiate, apprentice,
trainee, probationer, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US
freshman, Colloq greenhorn, rookie: She is a mere novice at
parachuting.
now adv. 1 at present, just now, right now, at the present time or
moment, at this (very) moment or minute or second or instant:
He's in the shower and cannot come to the phone now. 2 these
days, nowadays, today, in these times, at the moment, in this
day and age, under or in the present circumstances or
conditions, in the present climate, things being what they are,
contemporarily, any more, any longer; for the time being, for
the nonce: What makes you say that the minimum wage is enough
to live on now? Selling now might bring the highest price. 3 at
once, immediately, right away, without delay, instantly,
promptly, Chiefly law instanter, Chiefly Brit straight away: I
want you here now - not in five minutes, but now! 4 now and
then or again. occasionally, from time to time, at times, on
occasion, sometimes, sporadically, once in a while, every now
and then or again, randomly, intermittently; infrequently,
seldom, rarely, once in a blue moon: There was a power cut now
and then. He visits his mother only now and then.
--adj. 5 contemporary, up to date, modern, stylish,
fashionable, trendy, Colloq in, with it: Advertisers must
appeal to the yuppies of the now generation.
nowadays adv. See now, 2, above.
14.5 nub...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
nub n. 1 projection, protuberance, knob, boss, lump, bump, knop,
protrusion, bulge, node, knot; excrescence, swelling,
tumescence: Press the small nub on the side to open the door.
2 essence, core, heart, nucleus, crux, point, gist, pith,
kernel, nucleus, meat, (sum and) substance, main issue,
gravamen: Let's get to the nub of the argument.
nuclear adj. atomic: He joined the protest march against nuclear
weapons.
nucleus n. core, heart, centre, kernel, pith, focus, nub: We already
have the nucleus of a very good team. The market square was the
nucleus around which many towns were built.
nude adj. unclothed, undressed, uncovered, au naturel, bare, naked,
in the nude, stark naked, undraped, without a stitch (on),
Colloq in the buff, in the altogether, in one's birthday suit,
Brit starkers, Brit and Australian in the nuddy: A nude man
streaked across the football pitch.
nudge v. 1 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, prompt, shove; prod,
push, US encourage: I had to nudge him to stay awake for the
film's thrilling climax.
--n. 2 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, shove; prod, push,
encouragement: Nigel just needs a nudge in the right direction.
nuisance n. 1 annoyance, inconvenience, trial, ordeal, burden,
irritation, irritant, thorn in the flesh or side, difficulty,
bother, US bur under the saddle, Colloq pain (in the neck or
rear), headache, hassle, Slang US and Canadian pain in the butt,
Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse, or US ass: Having to paint
the room again was a terrible nuisance. 2 bore, pest, nag,
tease, tormentor or tormenter: James has made a nuisance of
himself by telephoning every fifteen minutes.
numb adj. 1 numbed, benumbed, insensible, insensate, dead, deadened,
without feeling, sensationless, senseless; asleep: My feet are
numb from the cold.
--v. 2 benumb, anaesthetize, drug, deaden, dull, freeze,
paralyse, immobilize, stun: The doctor numbed my hand before
removing the wart. Fear numbed her, and she felt nothing as the
monster approached.
number n. 1 numeral, integer, figure, digit: The columns of numbers
were entered in a neat hand. 2 few, handful, crowd, slew, gang,
bunch, party, bevy, covey, troop, company, platoon, swarm,
horde, multitude, mob, host, army, mass, hundred, thousand,
million, billion; several, many, numbers, legions, US and
Canadian slew(s) or slue(s), Colloq loads, tons: A number of
people attended the meeting. An enormous number of viruses could
fit on the head of a pin. 3 issue; edition, copy: The fourth
number of the quarterly is published at the end of the year.
--v. 4 count, enumerate, compute, calculate, tally, figure
(up), add (up), include, total, tot (up), reckon, sum (up): Who
can number the stars?
numberless
adj. uncountable, uncounted, countless, innumerable,
incalculable, immeasurable, numerous, untold, myriad, infinite:
Although seemingly numberless, the number of grains of sand in
the universe is calculable.
nuptial adj. bridal, matrimonial, wedding, spousal, wedded, marital;
connubial, conjugal, Literary hymeneal: The nuptial
arrangements have been made.
nurse n. 1 angel of mercy, Florence Nightingale, Brit sister: I
awoke to see two nurses bending over me.
--v. 2 care for, look after, tend, attend, minister to, treat;
nurture, foster, coddle, baby, pamper, cherish, preserve, keep
alive, cultivate, develop: During his illness, she nursed him
night and day. We nursed the company along through the first
year. 3 wet-nurse, suckle, breast-feed, nourish: Nursing
mothers must be careful about what they eat. 4 preserve,
harbour, keep alive, nurture, foster: She has nursed a grudge
against him for ten years.
nutritious
adj. healthful, healthy, nutritive, wholesome, life-giving,
beneficial, salutary, nourishing, alimentary, nutrimental: Be
sure you eat a nutritious breakfast every day.
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