English Synonyms and Antonyms

garnished with flowers. Deck and bedeck are commonly said of apparel; as, a mother bedecks her daughter
with silk and jewels. To adorn and to ornament alike signify to add that which makes anything beautiful and
attractive, but ornament is more exclusively on the material plane; as, the gateway was ornamented with
delicate carving. Adorn is more lofty and spiritual, referring to a beauty which is not material, and can not be
put on by ornaments or decorations, but seems in perfect harmony and unity with that to which it adds a grace;
if we say, the gateway was adorned with beautiful carving, we imply a unity and loftiness of design such as
ornamented can not express. We say of some admirable scholar or statesman, "he touched nothing that he did
not adorn."
At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks adorned the venerable place.
GOLDSMITH Deserted Village, l. 178.
Antonyms:
deface, deform, disfigure, mar, spoil.
Preposition:
Adorn his temples with a coronet.
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AFFRONT.
Synonyms:
aggravate, exasperate, offend, vex, annoy, insult, provoke, wound. displease, irritate, tease,
One may be annoyed by the well-meaning awkwardness of a servant, irritated by a tight shoe or a thoughtless
remark, vexed at some careless neglect or needless misfortune, wounded by the ingratitude of child or friend.
To tease is to give some slight and perhaps playful annoyance. Aggravate in the sense of offend is colloquial.
To provoke, literally to call out or challenge, is to begin a contest; one provokes another to violence. To
affront is to offer some defiant offense or indignity, as it were, to one's face; it is somewhat less than to insult.
Compare PIQUE.
Antonyms:
conciliate, content, gratify, honor, please.
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AGENT.
Synonyms:
actor, factor, means, operator, promoter. doer, instrument, mover, performer,
In strict philosophical usage, the prime mover or doer of an act is the agent. Thus we speak of man as a
Synonyms and Antonyms, by James Champlin Fernald
25

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voluntary agent, a free agent. But in common usage, especially in business, an agent is not the prime actor,
but only an instrument or factor, acting under orders or instructions. Compare CAUSE.
Antonyms:
chief, inventor, originator, principal.
Prepositions:
An agent of the company for selling, etc.
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AGREE.
Synonyms:
accede, admit, coincide, concur, accept, approve, combine, consent, accord, assent, comply, harmonize.
acquiesce,
Agree is the most general term of this group, signifying to have like qualities, proportions, views, or
inclinations, so as to be free from jar, conflict, or contradiction in a given relation. To concur is to agree in
general; to coincide is to agree in every particular. Whether in application to persons or things, concur tends
to expression in action more than coincide; we may either concur or coincide in an opinion, but concur in a
decision; views coincide, causes concur. One accepts another's terms, complies with his wishes, admits his
statement, approves his plan, conforms to his views of doctrine or duty, accedes or consents to his proposal.
Accede expresses the more formal agreement, consent the more complete. To assent is an act of the
understanding; to consent, of the will. We may concur or agree with others, either in opinion or decision. One
may silently acquiesce in that which does not meet his views, but which he does not care to contest. He