English Synonyms and Antonyms by James Champlin Fernald (best ebook reader for laptop TXT) 📕

or profession. Labor and pains refer to the exertions of the worker and the tax upon him, while assiduity, perseverance, etc., refer to his continuance in the work. Antonyms: changeableness, idleness, inconstancy, neglect, remissness, fickleness, inattention, indolence, negligence, sloth. INFINITE. Synonyms: absolute, illimitable, limitless, unconditioned, boundless, immeasurable, measureless, unfathomable, countless, innumerable, numberless, unlimited, eternal, interminable, unbounded, unmeasured.

Infinite (L. in, not, and finis, limit) signifies without bounds or limits in any way, and may be applied to space, time, quantity, or number. Countless, innumerable, and numberless, which should[217] be the same as infinite, are in common usage vaguely employed to denote what it is difficult or practically impossible to count or number, tho perhaps falling far short of infinite; as, countless leaves, the countless sands on the seashore, numberless battles, innumerable delays. So, too, boundless, illimitable, limitless, measureless, and unlimited are loosely used in reference to what has no apparent or readily determinable limits in space or time; as, we speak of the boundless ocean. Infinite space is without bounds, not only in fact, but in thought; infinite time is truly eternal. Compare synonyms for ETERNAL.

Antonyms: bounded, finite, measurable, restricted, small, brief, limited, moderate, shallow, transient, circumscribed, little, narrow, short, transitory. evanescent, INFLUENCE. Synonyms: actuate, draw, impel, induce, move, stir, compel, drive, incite, instigate, persuade, sway, dispose, excite, incline, lead, prompt, urge.

To influence (L. in, in or into, and fluo, flow) is to affect, modify, or act upon by physical, mental, or moral power, especially in some gentle, subtle, and gradual way; as, vegetation is influenced by light; every one is influenced to some extent by public opinion; influence is chiefly used of power acting from without, tho it may be used of motives regarded as forces acting upon the will. Actuate refers solely to mental or moral power impelling one from within. One may influence, but can not directly actuate another; but one may be actuated to cruelty by hatred which another's misrepresentation has aroused. Prompt and stir are words of mere suggestion toward some course of action; dispose, draw, incline, influence, and lead refer to the use of mild means to awaken in another a purpose or disposition to act. To excite is to arouse one from lethargy or indifference to action. Incite and instigate, to spur or goad one to action, differ in the fact that incite may be to good, while instigate is always to evil (compare ABET). To urge and impel signify to produce strong excitation toward some act. We are urged from without, impelled from within. Drive and compel imply irresistible influence accomplishing its object. One may be driven either by his own passions or by external force or urgency; one is compelled only by some external power; as, the[218] owner was compelled by his misfortunes to sell his estate. Compare COMPEL; DRIVE.

Antonyms: deter, dissuade, impede, prevent, restrain, retard. discourage, hinder, inhibit, Prepositions:

Actuated to crime by revenge.

INHERENT. Synonyms: congenital, indispensable, innate, native, essential, indwelling, inseparable, natural, immanent, infixed, internal, subjective. inborn, ingrained, intrinsic, inbred, inhering, inwrought,

Inherent signifies permanently united as an element or original quality, naturally existent or incorporated in something so as to have become an integral part. Immanent is a philosophic word, to denote that which dwells in or pervades any substance or spirit without necessarily being a part of it, and without reference to any working out (compare SUBJECTIVE). That which is inherent is an inseparable part of that in which it inheres, and is usually thought of with reference to some outworking or effect; as, an inherent difficulty. God is said to be immanent (not inherent) in the universe. Frequently intrinsic and inherent can be interchanged, but inherent applies to qualities, while intrinsic applies to essence, so that to speak of intrinsic excellence conveys higher praise than if we say inherent excellence. Inherent and intrinsic may be said of persons or things; congenital, inborn, inbred, innate, apply to living beings. Congenital is frequent in medical and legal use with special application to defects; as, congenital idiocy. Innate and inborn are almost identical, but innate is preferred in philosophic use, as when we speak of innate ideas; that which is inborn, congenital, or innate may be original with the individual, but that which is inbred is inherited. Ingrained signifies dyed in the grain, and denotes that which is deeply wrought into substance or character.

Antonyms: accidental, extrinsic, outward, superficial, supplemental, casual, fortuitous, subsidiary, superfluous, transient, external, incidental, superadded, superimposed, unconnected.

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INJURY. Synonyms: blemish, disadvantage, hurt, loss, prejudice, damage, evil, impairment, mischief, wrong. detriment, harm, injustice, outrage,

Injury (L. in, not, and jus, juris, right, law) signifies primarily something done contrary to law or right; hence, something contrary to some standard of right or good; whatever reduces the value, utility, beauty, or desirableness of anything is an injury to that thing; of persons, whatever is so done as to operate adversely to one in his person, rights, property, or reputation is an injury; the word is especially used of whatever mars the integrity of the body or causes pain; as, when rescued from the wreck his injuries were found to be very slight. Injury is the general term including all the rest. Damage (L. damnum, loss) is that which occasions loss to the possessor; hence, any impairment of value, often with the suggestion of fault on the part of the one causing it; damage reduces value, utility, or beauty; detriment (L. deterere, to rub or wear away) is similar in meaning, but far milder. Detriment may affect value only; damage always affects real worth or utility; as a rule, the slightest use of an article by a purchaser operates to its detriment if again offered for sale, tho the article may have received not the slightest damage. Damage is partial; loss is properly absolute as far as it is predicated at all; the loss of a ship implies that it is gone beyond recovery; the loss of the rudder is a damage to the ship; but since the loss of a part still leaves a part, we may speak of a partial or a total loss. Evil commonly suggests suffering or sin, or both; as, the evils of poverty, the social evil. Harm is closely synonymous with injury; it may apply to body, mind, or estate, but always affects real worth, while injury may concern only estimated value. A hurt is an injury that causes pain, physical or mental; a slight hurt may be no real harm. Mischief is disarrangement, trouble, or harm usually caused by some voluntary agent, with or without injurious intent; a child's thoughtless sport may do great mischief; wrong is harm done with evil intent. An outrage combines insult and injury. Compare synonyms for BLEMISH; CRIMINAL; INJUSTICE.

Antonyms: advantage, benefit, boon, improvement, service, amelioration, blessing, help, remedy, utility. Prepositions:

The injury of the cause; an injury to the structure; injury by fire; by or from collision, interference, etc.

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INJUSTICE. Synonyms: grievance, injury, unfairness, unrighteousness, wrong. iniquity,

Injustice is a violation or denial of justice, an act or omission that is contrary to equity or justice; as, the injustice of unequal taxes. In legal usage a wrong involves injury to person, property, or reputation, as the result of evil intent; injustice applies to civil damage or loss, not necessarily involving injury to person or property, as by misrepresentation of goods which does not amount to a legal warranty. In popular usage, injustice may involve no direct injury to person, property, interest, or character, and no harmful intent, while wrong always involves both; one who attributes another's truly generous act to a selfish motive does him an injustice. Iniquity, in the original sense, is a want of or a deviation from equity; but it is now applied in the widest sense to any form of ill-doing. Compare synonyms for CRIMINAL; SIN.

Antonyms: equity, faithfulness, impartiality, lawfulness, righteousness, fairness, honesty, integrity, rectitude, uprightness. fair play, honor, justice, right, INNOCENT. Synonyms: blameless, guiltless, inoffensive, spotless, clean, harmless, pure, stainless, clear, immaculate, right, upright, faultless, innocuous, righteous, virtuous. guileless, innoxious, sinless,

Innocent, in the full sense, signifies not tainted with sin; not having done wrong or violated legal or moral precept or duty; as, an innocent babe. Innocent is a negative word, expressing less than righteous, upright, or virtuous, which imply knowledge of good and evil, with free choice of the good. A little child or a lamb is innocent; a tried and faithful man is righteous, upright, virtuous. Immaculate, pure, and sinless may be used either of one who has never known the possibility of evil or of one who has perfectly and triumphantly resisted it. Innocent is used of inanimate substances in the sense of harmless; as, an innocent remedy, that is, one not dangerous, even if not helpful. Innocent, in a specific case, signifies free from the guilt of a particular act, even tho the total character may be very evil; as, the thief was found to be innocent of the murder. See CANDID; PURE.

Antonyms:

Compare synonyms for CRIMINAL.

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INQUISITIVE. Synonyms: curious, meddlesome, peeping, scrutinizing, inquiring, meddling, prying, searching. intrusive,

An inquisitive person is one who is bent on finding out all that can be found out by inquiry, especially of little and personal matters, and hence is generally meddlesome and prying. Inquisitive may be used in a good sense, tho in such connection inquiring is to be preferred; as, an inquiring mind. As applied to a state of mind, curious denotes a keen and rather pleasurable desire to know fully something to which one's attention has been called, but without the active tendency that inquisitive implies; a well-bred person may be curious to know, but will not be inquisitive in trying to ascertain, what is of interest in the affairs of another.

Antonyms: apathetic, heedless, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested. careless, inattentive, Prepositions:

Inquisitive about, concerning, in regard to, regarding trifles.

INSANITY. Synonyms: aberration, delirium, frenzy, madness, alienation, dementia, hallucination, mania, craziness, derangement, lunacy, monomania.

Of these terms insanity is the most exact and comprehensive, including in its widest sense all morbid conditions of mind due to diseased action of the brain or nervous system, but in its more frequent restricted use applied to those forms in which the mental disorder is persistent, as distinguished from those in which it is temporary or transient. Craziness is a vague popular term for any sort of disordered mental action, or for conduct suggesting it. Lunacy originally denoted intermittent insanity, supposed to be dependent on the changes of the moon (L. luna): the term is now applied in general and legal use to any form of mental unsoundness except idiocy. Madness is the old popular term, now less common, for insanity in its widest sense, but with suggestion of excitement, akin to mania. In the derived sense, lunacy denotes what is insanely foolish, madness what is insanely desperate. Derangement is a common euphemism for insanity. Delirium is always temporary, and is specifically the insanity of disease, as in acute fevers. Dementia is a general weakening of the mental[222] powers: the word is specifically applied to senile insanity, dotage. Aberration is eccentricity of mental action due to an abnormal state of the perceptive faculties, and is manifested by error in perceptions and rambling thought. Hallucination is the apparent perception of that which does not exist or is not present to the senses, as the seeing of specters or of reptiles in delirium tremens. Monomania is mental derangement as to one subject or object. Frenzy and mania are forms of raving and furious insanity. Compare synonyms for DELUSION; IDIOCY.

Antonyms: clearness, good sense, lucidity, rationality, sanity. INTERPOSE. Synonyms: arbitrate, intercept, intermeddle, meddle, intercede, interfere, interrupt, mediate.

To interpose is to place or come between other things or persons, usually as a means of obstruction or prevention of some effect or result that would otherwise occur, or be expected to take place. Intercede and interpose are used in a good sense; intermeddle always in a bad sense, and interfere frequently so. To intercede is to come between persons who are at variance, and plead with the stronger in behalf of the weaker. One may interpose with authority; he intercedes by petition. To intermeddle is to thrust oneself into the concerns of others