English Synonyms and Antonyms

permit? 5. What is license? How does it compare with authority? with permission? 6. What does consent
involve?
EXAMPLES.
God is more there than thou; for thou art there Only by his ----.
Thieves for their robbery have ----, When judges steal themselves.
Very few of the Egyptians avail themselves of the ---- which their religion allows them, of having four wives.
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PERNICIOUS (page 270).
QUESTIONS.
1. From what is pernicious derived, and what does it signify? 2. How does pernicious compare with
injurious? 3. What does noisome denote? 4. What is the distinctive sense of noxious? 5. How does noxious
compare with noisome?
Synonyms and Antonyms, by James Champlin Fernald
424

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EXAMPLES.
Inflaming wine, ---- to mankind.
So bees with smoke, and doves with ---- stench, Are from their hives, and houses, driven away.
The strong smell of sulfur, and a choking sensation of the lungs indicated the presence of ---- gases.
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PERPLEXITY (page 270).
QUESTIONS.
1. What is perplexity? confusion? How do the two words compare? 2. How do bewilderment and confusion
compare? 3. From what does amazement result?
EXAMPLES.
CAIUS.--Vere is mine host de Jarterre? HOST.--Here, master doctor, in ---- and doubtful dilemma.
There is such ---- in my powers As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing, pleased multitude.
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PERSUADE (page 271).
QUESTIONS.
1. What does convince denote? How does it differ from the other words of the group? 2. What is it to
persuade? 3. How is convincing related to persuasion? 4. How does coax compare with persuade?
EXAMPLES.
A long train of these practises has at length unwillingly ---- me that there is something hid behind the throne
greater than the king himself.
He had a head to contrive, a tongue to ----, and a hand to execute any mischief.
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PERVERSE (page 272).
QUESTIONS.
1. What is the etymological meaning of perverse? What does it signify in common use? 2. What does petulant
signify? wayward?
EXAMPLES.
And you, my lords--methinks you do not well, To bear with their ---- objections.
Synonyms and Antonyms, by James Champlin Fernald
425

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Whining, purblind, ---- boy!
Good Lord! what madness rules in brainsick men When, for so slight and frivolous a cause, Such ----
emulations shall arise.
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PHYSICAL (page 272).
QUESTIONS.
1. What does material signify? 2. What idea does physical add to that contained in material? 3. To what do
bodily, corporal, and corporeal apply? 4. How do bodily and corporal differ from corporeal? 5. To what is
corporal now for the most part limited?
EXAMPLES.
---- punishment is practically abandoned in the greater number of American schools.
Man has two parts, the one ---- and earthly, the other immaterial and spiritual.
These races are all clearly differentiated by other ---- traits than the color of the skin.
We can not think of substance save in terms that imply ---- properties.
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PITIFUL (page 273).
QUESTIONS.
1. What was the original meaning of pitiful? What does it now signify? 2. How does pitiful differ in use from
pitiable? 3. What was the early and what is the present sense of piteous?
EXAMPLES.
There is something pleading and ---- in the simplicity of perfect ignorance.
The most ---- sight one ever sees is a young man doing nothing; the Furies early drag him to his doom.
O, the most ---- cry of the poor souls!
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PITY (page 273).
QUESTIONS.
1. What is pity? sympathy? 2. How does sympathy in its exercise differ from pity? 3. How does pity differ
from mercy? 4. How does compassion compare with mercy and pity? 5. How does commiseration differ from