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

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is one of the most common of errors, and one of the most difficult to avoid, while their right use gives to style cohesion, firmness, and compactness, and is an important aid to perspicuity. To the text of the synonyms is appended a set of Questions and Examples to adapt the work for use as a text-book. Aside from the purposes of the class-room, this portion will be found of value to the individual student. Excepting those who have made a thorough study of language most persons will discover with surprise how difficult it is to answer any set of the Questions or to fill the blanks in the Examples without referring to the synonym treatment in Part I., or to a dictionary, and how rarely they can give any intelligent reason for preference even among familiar words. There are few who can study such a work without finding occasion to correct some errors into which they have unconsciously fallen, and without coming to a new delight in the use of language from a fuller knowledge of its resources and a clearer sense

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to wrong, his —— is superior to loss or change. CHOOSE (page 104). QUESTIONS.

1. What are the shades of difference between choose, cull, elect, pick, prefer, and[413] select? 2. Also between the antonyms cast away, decline, dismiss, refuse, repudiate? 3. Does select imply more care or judgment than choose?

EXAMPLES.

The prettiest flowers had all been ——.

Jacob was —— to Esau, tho he was the younger.

When a man deliberately —— to do wrong, there is little hope for him.

CIRCUMSTANCE (page 105). QUESTIONS.

1. To what classes of things do we apply accompaniment? concomitant? circumstance? event? fact? incident? occurrence? situation? 2. Can you give some instances of the use of circumstance? 3. Is it a word of broader meaning than incident?

EXAMPLES.

The —— that there had been a fire was proved by the smoke-blackened walls.

Extreme provocation may be a mitigating —— in a case of homicide.

CLASS (page 106). QUESTIONS.

1. How does a class differ from a caste? 2. In what connection is rank used? order? 3. What is a coterie? How does it differ from a clique?

EXAMPLES.

An —— was formed for the relief of the poor and needy of the city.

A select —— met at the residence of one of the leading men of the city.

There is a struggle of the masses against the ——.

CLEAR (page 107). QUESTIONS.

1. What does clear originally signify? 2. How does clear differ from transparent as regards a substance that may be a medium of vision? 3. With what meaning is clear used of an object apprehended by the senses, as an object of sight or hearing? 4. What does distinct signify? 5. What is plain? 6. What special sense does this word always retain? How does transparent differ from translucent? 7. What do lucid and pellucid signify? 8. What is the special force of limpid?

CLEVER (page 109). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the meaning of clever as used in England? 2. What was the early New England usage? 3. What is to be said of the use of smart and sharp? 4. What other words of this group are preferable to clever in many of its uses?[414]

EXAMPLES.

His brief experience in the department had made him very —— in the work now assigned him.

She was especially —— in song.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be ——;
Do noble things, not dream them, all day long;
And so make life, death, and the vast forever
One grand, sweet song.
COMPANY (page 110). QUESTIONS.

1. From what is company derived? What is its primary meaning? 2. For what are those associated who constitute a company? Is their association temporary or permanent? 3. What is the difference between assemblage and assembly? 4. What is a conclave? a convocation? a convention? 5. What are the characteristics of a group? 6. To what use is congregation restricted? How does meeting agree with and differ from it?

EXAMPLES.

Far from the madding ——'s ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learned to stray.

The room contained a large —— of miscellaneous objects.

A fellow that makes no figure in ——.

A great —— had met, but without organization or officers.

If ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful ——.

COMPEL (page 111). QUESTIONS.

1. What is it to compel? 2. What does force imply? 3. What is the especial significance of coerce? 4. What does constrain imply? In what favorable sense is it used?

EXAMPLES.

Even if we were not willing, they possessed the power of —— us to do justice.

Employers may —— their employees into voting as they demand, but for the secret ballot.

These considerations —— us to aid them to the utmost of our power.

COMPLAIN (page 112). QUESTIONS.

1. By what is complaining prompted? murmuring? repining? 2. Which finds outward expression, and which is limited to the mental act? 3. To whom does one complain, in the formal sense of the word? 4. With whom does one remonstrate?

EXAMPLES.

It is not pleasant to live with one who is constantly ——ing.

The dog gave a low —— which frightened the tramp away.

[415]

COMPLEX (page 112). QUESTIONS.

1. How does complex differ from compound? from composite? 2. What is heterogeneous? conglomerate? 3. How does complicated differ from intricate? from involved?

CONSCIOUS (page 116). QUESTIONS.

1. Of what things is one aware? of what is he conscious? 2. How does sensible compare with the above-mentioned words? 3. What does sensible indicate regarding the emotions, that would not be expressed by conscious?

EXAMPLES.

To be —— that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.

They are now —— it would have been better to resist the first temptation.

He was —— of a stealthy step and a bulk dimly visible through the darkness.

CONSEQUENCE (page 116). QUESTIONS.

1. How does consequence differ from effect? both from result? 2. How do result and issue compare? 3. In what sense is consequent used?

CONTAGION (page 117). QUESTIONS.

1. To what is contagion now limited by the best medical usage? 2. To what is the term infection applied?

EXAMPLES.

During the plague in London persons walked in the middle of the streets for fear of the —— from the houses.

The mob thinks by —— for the most part, catching an opinion like a cold.

No pestilence is so much to be dreaded as the —— of bad example.

CONTINUAL (page 117). QUESTIONS.

1. How does continuous differ from continual? incessant from ceaseless? Give examples.

CONTRAST (page 118). QUESTIONS.

1. How is contrast related to compare? 2. What are the special senses of differentiate, discriminate and distinguish?

CONVERSATION (page 118). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the essential meaning of conversation? 2. How does conversation differ[416] from talk? 3. How is discourse related to conversation? 4. What are the special senses of dialogue and colloquy?

EXAMPLES.

There can be no —— with a great genius, who does all the ——ing.

Nor wanted sweet ——, the banquet of the mind.

CONVEY (page 119). QUESTIONS.

1. In what do convey, transmit, and transport agree? What is the distinctive sense of convey? 2. To what class of objects does transport refer? 3. To what class of objects do transfer, transmit, and convey apply? 4. Which is the predominant sense of the latter words?

CRIMINAL (page 120). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the distinctive meaning of criminal? How does it differ from illegal or unlawful? 2. What is felonious? flagitious? 3. What is the primary meaning of iniquitous? 4. Is an iniquitous act necessarily criminal?

DANGER (page 121). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the distinctive meaning of danger? 2. Does danger or peril suggest the more immediate evil? 3. How are jeopardy and risk distinguished from danger and peril?

EXAMPLES.

Delay always breeds ——.

The careful rider avoids running ——.

Stir, at your ——!

DECAY (page 122). QUESTIONS.

1. What sort of things decay? putrefy? rot? 2. What is the essential difference between decay and decompose?

EXAMPLES.

The flowers wither, the tree's trunk ——.

The water was —— by the electric current.

DECEPTION (page 123). QUESTIONS.

1. How is deceit distinguished from deception? from guile? fraud? lying? hypocrisy? 2. Do all of these apply to conduct as well as to speech? 3. Is deception ever innocent? 4. Have craft and cunning always a moral element? 5. How is dissimulation distinguished from duplicity?[417]

EXAMPLES.

The —— of his conduct was patent to all.

It was a matter of self-——.

The judge decided it to be a case of ——.

DEFINITION (page 124). QUESTIONS.

1. Which is the more exact, a definition or a description? 2. What must a definition include, and what must it exclude? 3. What must a description include? 4. In what respect has interpretation a wider meaning than translation? 5. How does an explanation compare with an exposition?

EXAMPLES.

A prompt —— of the difficulty prevented a quarrel.

The —— of scenery was admirable.

The seer gave an —— of the dream.

Many a controversy may be instantly ended by a clear —— of terms.

DELIBERATE (page 125). QUESTIONS.

1. What are the chief distinctions between deliberate? consult? consider? meditate? reflect? 2. Do large gatherings of people consult, or meditate, or deliberate? 3. Do we reflect on things past or things to come? 4. How many persons are necessarily implied in consult, confer, and debate as commonly used? in deliberate, consider, ponder, reflect? in meditate? 5. What idea of time is implied in deliberate?

EXAMPLES.

The matter was carefully —— in all its bearings.

The legislature —— for several days.

DELUSION (page 127). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the essential difference between illusion and delusion? How does hallucination differ from both? 2. Which word is used especially of objects of sight?

EXAMPLES.

The —— of the sick are sometimes pitiful.

In the soft light the —— was complete.

DEMONSTRATION (page 127). QUESTIONS.

1. To what kind of reasoning does demonstration in the strict sense apply? 2. What is evidence? proof? 3. Which is the stronger term? 4. Which is the more comprehensive?

EXAMPLES.

The —— of the witness was so complete that no further —— was required.

A mathematical —— must be final and conclusive.

[418]

DESIGN (page 128). QUESTIONS.

1. What is the distinctive meaning of design? 2. What element is prominent in intention? purpose? plan? 3. Does purpose suggest more power to execute than design? 4. How does intent specifically differ from purpose? Which term do we use with reference to the Divine Being?

EXAMPLES.

The architect's —— involved much detail.

Hell is paved with good ——.

It is the —— of the voter that decides how his ballot shall be counted.

The —— of the Almighty can not be thwarted.

The adaption of means to ends in nature clearly indicates a ——, and so proves a ——er.

DESPAIR (page 129). QUESTIONS.

1. In what order might despair, desperation, discouragement, and hopelessness follow, each as the result of the previous condition? 2. How does despondency especially differ from despair?

EXAMPLES.

The utter —— of their condition was apparent.

In weak —— he abandoned all endeavor.

DEXTERITY (page 129). QUESTIONS.

1. From what is adroitness derived? From what dexterity? How might each be rendered? 2. How does adroitness differ in use from dexterity? 3. From what is aptitude derived, and what does it signify? 4. How does skill differ from dexterity? Which can and which can not be communicated?

EXAMPLES.

He had a natural —— for scientific investigation, and by long practise gained an inimitable —— of manipulation.

His —— in debate enabled him to evade or parry arguments or attacks which he could not answer.

The —— of the best trained workman can not equal the precision of a machine.

DICTION (page 130). QUESTIONS.

1. Which is the more comprehensive word, diction, language, or phraseology? 2. What is the true meaning of verbiage? Should it ever be used as the equivalent of language or diction? 3. What is style? How does it compare with diction or language?

EXAMPLES.

The —— of the discourse was plain and emphatic.

The —— of a written contract should be such as to prevent misunderstandings.

The poetic —— of Milton is so exquisitely perfect that another word can scarcely ever be substituted for the one he has chosen without marring the line.

[419]

DIFFERENCE (page 131). QUESTIONS.

1. Which pertain mostly to realities, and which are matters of judgment—difference, disparity, distinction, or inconsistency? 2. What do we mean by "a distinction without a difference"?

EXAMPLES.

The proper —— should be carefully observed in the use of "shall" and "will."

The —— between black and white is self-evident.

The —— of our representatives' conduct with their promises is unpardonable.

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