English Synonyms and Antonyms

Human denotes what pertains to mankind, with no suggestion as to its being good or evil; as, the human race;
human qualities; we speak of human achievements, virtues, or excellences, human follies, vices, or crimes.
Humane denotes what may rightly be expected of mankind at its best in the treatment of sentient beings; a
humane enterprise or endeavor is one that is intended to prevent or relieve suffering. The humane man will
not needlessly inflict pain upon the meanest thing that lives; a merciful man is disposed to withhold or
mitigate the suffering even of the guilty. The compassionate man sympathizes with and desires to relieve
actual suffering, while one who is humane would forestall and prevent the suffering which he sees to be
possible. Compare MERCY; PITIFUL; PITY.
Antonyms:
See synonyms for BARBAROUS.
* * * * *
HUNT.
Synonyms:
chase, hunting, inquisition, pursuit, search.
A hunt may be either the act of pursuing or the act of seeking, or a combination of the two. A chase or pursuit
is after that which is fleeing or departing; a search is for that which is hidden; a hunt may be for that which is
either hidden or fleeing; a search is a minute and careful seeking, and is especially applied to a locality; we
make a search of or through a house, for an object, in which connection it would be colloquial to say a hunt.
Hunt never quite loses its association with field-sports, where it includes both search and chase; the search till
the game is hunted out, and the chase till it is hunted down. Figuratively, we speak of literary pursuits, or of
the pursuit of knowledge; a search for reasons; the chase of fame or honor; hunt, in figurative use, inclines to
the unfavorable sense of inquisition, but with more of dash and aggressiveness; as, a hunt for heresy.
* * * * *
HYPOCRISY.
Synonyms:
affectation, formalism, pretense, sanctimony, cant, pharisaism, sanctimoniousness, sham. dissimulation,
Synonyms and Antonyms, by James Champlin Fernald
168

---

pietism,
Pretense (L. prætendo) primarily signifies the holding something forward as having certain rights or claims,
whether truly or falsely; in the good sense, it is now rarely used except with a negative; as, there can be no
pretense that this is due; a false pretense implies the possibility of a true pretense; but, alone and unlimited,
pretense commonly signifies the offering of something for what it is not. Hypocrisy is the false pretense of
moral excellence, either as a cover for actual wrong, or for the sake of the credit and advantage attaching to
virtue. Cant (L. cantus, a song), primarily the singsong iteration of the language of any party, school, or sect,
denotes the mechanical and pretentious use of religious phraseology, without corresponding feeling or
character; sanctimoniousness is the assumption of a saintly manner without a saintly character. As cant is
hypocrisy in utterance, so sanctimoniousness is hypocrisy in appearance, as in looks, tones, etc. Pietism,
originally a word of good import, is now chiefly used for an unregulated emotionalism; formalism is an
exaggerated devotion to forms, rites, and ceremonies, without corresponding earnestness of heart; sham
(identical in origin with shame) is a trick or device that puts one to shame, or that shamefully disappoints
expectation or falsifies appearance. Affectation is in matters of intellect, taste, etc., much what hypocrisy is in
morals and religion; affectation might be termed petty hypocrisy. Compare DECEPTION.
Antonyms:
candor, genuineness, ingenuousness, sincerity, truth, frankness, honesty, openness, transparency, truthfulness.
* * * * *
HYPOCRITE.
Synonyms:
cheat, deceiver, dissembler, impostor, pretender.
A