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A DICTIONARY

OF

ENGLISH SYNONYMES

AND

SYNONYMOUS OR PARALLEL EXPRESSIONS

DESIGNED AS A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO APTNESS AND VARIETY

OF PHRASEOLOGY

BY RICHARD SOULE

The exertion of clothing a thought in a completely new set of words increases both clearness of thought and mastery over words. It is the test of a solid thought that it will bear a change of clothing.--J. R. SEELEY.

BOSTON

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY

1871

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by

RICHARD SOULE,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

CAMBRIDGE:

PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON.

Transcriber's note:

Definitions which are synonyms in alphabetic order in the text (e.g. Afterward, Afterwards) are shown as connected by braces followed by the common description(s). In this text they have been separated and duplicated. Minor typos and numbering errors of descriptions have been corrected. All small caps have been converted to CAPITALS. Inconsistent hyphenation has been retained.

PREFACE.

The main design of this Dictionary is to provide a ready means of assistance when one is at a loss for a word or an expression that best suits a particular turn of thought or mood of the mind, or that may obviate an ungraceful repetition. Even practised and skilful writers are sometimes embarrassed in the endeavor to make a sentence more clear, simple, terse, or rhythmical, by the substitution of one form of diction for another. It is presumed that they, as well as novices in composition, will find the present work useful in overcoming difficulties of this sort.

As to the method of using it: Whenever a doubt arises in regard to the fitness of any word, and a better one is not readily suggested, let the writer turn to this word in its alphabetical place. Under it will be found the words and phrases, or some clew to the words and phrases, which, in any connection, have the same meaning as itself, or a meaning very nearly the same. That one of them, which comes nearest to expressing the exact shade of thought in the writer's mind, will be likely to arrest the attention and determine the choice.

In most cases, all the words that belong to any group will be found in that group. But in some instances, as when the same word falls into two or more groups that are near to each other, or when there are so many synonymes for a word that a repetition of every one of them under each in its alphabetical place would seem to be too formal and prolix, the inquirer is referred to some prominent word among them for a view of the whole. Under the word _Blockhead_, for example, reference is made to the word DUNCE,--printed, for this purpose, in capitals, as here,--under which will be found all the words that are synonymous with it. This example is given because it is the most marked one in our language of a multiplicity of terms for the same idea.

Many nouns ending in _ness_, and adverbs ending in _ly_, have been omitted in their alphabetical places, for the reason that their synonymes are sufficiently indicated by the corresponding adjectives.

The aim has been to present at a single glance the words or modes of speech which denote the same object, or which express the same general idea, with only slight shades of difference. There has been no attempt at elaborate discussion of the nice distinctions that obtain between words apparently synonymous; but hints of such distinctions have been given whenever it was practicable to give them briefly in a parenthetical remark.

In preparing this Dictionary, free use has been made of the following works: Roget's Thesaurus of Words and Phrases; the Quarto Dictionaries of Webster and of Worcester; Crabb's Synonymes; Graham's Synonymes; Whately's Synonymes; Platt's Synonymes; the Dictionaries of Synonymes by Fenby, Sherer, Mackenzie, and Smith; the Medical Dictionaries of Dunglison and of Thomas; and the United States Dispensatory by Wood and Bache. It contains much, however, that has been gathered from a wide field of miscellaneous reading during a long series of years.

The author is under special obligations to his friends Mr. JUSTIN WINSOR, Mr. WILLIAM A. WHEELER, and Mr. LOOMIS J. CAMPBELL, for the interest they have manifested in the progress of the work, and for their valuable suggestions and criticisms.

BROOKLINE, January 2d, 1871.

EXPLANATORY TABLE.

_a._ stands for Adjective. _ad._ Adverb. _Alg._ Algebra. _Anat._ Anatomy. _Arch._ Architecture. _Arith._ Arithmetic. _Astrol._ Astrology. _Astron._ Astronomy. _Bot._ Botany. _Chem._ Chemistry. _Com._ Commerce. _conj._ Conjunction. _Eccl._ Ecclesiastical. _Eng._ England, or English. _Ent._ Entomology. _Fort._ Fortification. Fr. French. _Geol._ Geology. _Geom._ Geometry. _Gram._ Grammar. Gr. Greek. _Her._ Heraldry. _Ich._ Ichthyology. _interj._ Interjection. It. Italian. L. Latin. _Math._ Mathematics. _Med._ Medicine. _Meteor._ Meteorology. _Mil._ Military. _Min._ Mineralogy. _Mythol._ Mythology. _Mus._ Music. _Naut._ Nautical. _n._ Noun. _Ornith._ Ornithology. _pl._ Plural. _prep._ Preposition. _Rhet._ Rhetoric. _Sculp._ Sculpture. _sing._ Singular. Sp. Spanish. _Surg._ Surgery. _Theol._ Theology. _U. S._ United States. _v. a._ Verb Active. _v. n._ Verb Neuter. _Zoöl._ Zoölogy.

A DICTIONARY

OF

ENGLISH SYNONYMES.

CAPITALS, in the printing of a word or a phrase, indicate a reference to that word in its alphabetical place, where additional synonymes, or some information in regard to it, may be found.

When a word has more than one signification, the separate groups of synonymes, corresponding to the several meanings, are designated by figures.

A

~Aback~, _ad._ Backwards, rearwards, regressively.

~Abaft~, _prep._ (_Naut._) Behind, back of, in the rear of.

~Abaft~, _ad._ (_Naut._) Aft, behind, astern, rearward, back, in the rear.

~Abalienate~, _v. a._ (_Law._) Alienate, transfer, convey, demise, make over, deliver over.

~Abalienation~, _n._ (_Law._) Alienation, transfer, demise, conveyance.

~Abandon~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Leave, relinquish, quit, forsake, desert, evacuate, drop, abjure, forswear, give over, cast off, retire from, withdraw from.

~2.~ Surrender, cede, yield, resign, forego, renounce, waive, vacate, ABDICATE, deliver up, give up, part with, let go, lay down.

~Abandoned~, _a._ ~1.~ Relinquished, deserted, forsaken, cast away, rejected, discarded, given up, given over, cast off.

~2.~ Depraved, corrupted, corrupt, profligate, vicious, sinful, wicked, dissolute, reprobate, graceless, shameless, unprincipled, lost, obdurate, hardened, impenitent, incorrigible, irreclaimable, demoralized, lost to shame, dead to honor.

~Abandonment~, _n._ ~1.~ Abandoning, relinquishment, desertion, dereliction.

~2.~ Renunciation, surrender, cession, resignation, abnegation, abjuration, rejection, ABDICATION.

~Abarticulation~, _n._ (_Med._) Diarthrosis.

~Abase~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Depress, lower, reduce, drop, sink, stoop, cast down, let down, let fall.

~2.~ Degrade, humble, disgrace, dishonor, humiliate, debase, bring low, take down.

~Abasement~, _n._ ~1.~ Depression, detrusion, reduction, lowering, fall, deterioration, degradation, debasement, degeneracy, vitiation, perversion, depravation.

~2.~ Abjectness, abjection, vileness, baseness, contemptibleness, despicableness.

~3.~ Humiliation, condescension, submission, submissiveness, resignation, humility, meekness, humbleness, lowliness, self-abasement.

~Abash~, _v. a._ Shame, mortify, confuse, confound, disconcert, discompose, DISCOUNTENANCE, humiliate, humble, snub, put to shame, make ashamed, put down, put out of countenance, take down, send away with a flea in one's ear.

~Abashment~, _n._ Confusion, shame, mortification, embarrassment.

~Abate~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Lessen, diminish, decrease, reduce, lower, relax, slacken.

~2.~ Remit, allow, bate, rebate, deduct.

~3.~ Moderate, assuage, mitigate, soothe, soften, qualify, alleviate, mollify, allay, appease, pacify, compose, tranquillize, temper, attempor, quiet, quell, calm, dull, blunt.

~4.~ (_Law._) Remove, suppress, terminate, put an end to.

~Abate~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Decrease, diminish, lessen, subside, wane, ebb, intermit, slacken.

~2.~ (_Law._) Be defeated, frustrated, or overthrown.

~Abatement~, _n._ ~1.~ Diminution, decrease, lessening, mitigation, assuagement, decrement, extenuation, remission.

~2.~ Subsidence, wane, ebb.

~3.~ Discount, allowance, rebate, deduction, reduction, drawback.

~Abbey~, _n._ Monastery, convent, cloister, priory, nunnery.

~Abbreviate~, _v. a._ Shorten (_by cutting off_), curtail, reduce, contract, retrench, abridge, condense, compress, epitomize, cut short, cut down.

~Abbreviation~, _n._ Shortening (_by cutting off_), curtailment, contraction, ABRIDGMENT, reduction, condensation, compression.

~Abdicate~, _v. a._ Resign (_an office or dignity_), surrender (_a right_), cede, forego, renounce, relinquish, abandon, quit, vacate, give up, part with, lay down, renounce all claim to.

~Abdicate~, _v. n._ Resign, relinquish office (_especially that of a king_), vacate the throne.

~Abdication~, _n._ Abdicating, resignation, surrender, renunciation, abandonment.

~Abdomen~, _n._ Belly, paunch.

~Abdominal~, _a._ Ventral.

~Abdominous~, _a._ Large-bellied, great-bellied, big-bellied, pot- bellied, tun-bellied.

~Abduce~, _v. a._ (_Anat._) Withdraw, draw away, pull back.

~Abduct~, _v. a._ Kidnap, carry off, run away with, run off with.

~Abduction~, _n._ ~1.~ Withdrawing, withdrawal, withdrawment, drawing away.

~2.~ Kidnapping.

~Aberdevine~, _n._ Siskin (_Carduelis spinus_).

~Aberrance~, _n._ Deviation, departure.

~Aberrant~, _a._ ~1.~ Deviating, wandering, rambling, diverging, divergent, devious, erratic, out of the way.

~2.~ Irregular, abnormal, unnatural, unusual, singular, peculiar, anomalous, unconformable, exceptional, strange, anomalistic, eccentric, monstrous, preternatural.

~Aberration~, _n._ ~1.~ Deviation, divergence, wandering, rambling, departure.

~2.~ Irregularity, eccentricity, singularity, peculiarity, strangeness, unconformity, anomaly, abnormity, monstrosity.

~3.~ Illusion, delusion, hallucination, monomania, self-deception.

~Abet~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Aid, assist, help, support, succor, second, sustain, uphold, back, co-operate with, take part with, give support to.

~2.~ Favor, encourage, sanction, countenance, advocate, connive at.

~3.~ (_Law._) Instigate (_to commit a crime_), stimulate, incite, foment.

~Abettor~, _n._ ~1.~ Assistant, helper, aider, coadjutor, co-operator, ally, auxiliary.

~2.~ Advocate, adviser, promoter, instigator.

~3.~ Confederate, accomplice, accessory, PARTICEPS CRIMINIS, SOCIUS CRIMINIS.

~Abeyance~, _n._ ~1.~ (_Law._) Expectation, prospect, expectancy, waiting, anticipation, calculation, contemplation.

~2.~ Suspense, reservation, intermission, remission, dormancy, quiescence.

~Abhor~, _v. a._ Hate, abominate, detest, loathe, nauseate, shrink from, recoil from, shudder at, view with horror.

~Abhorrence~, _n._ Abomination, horror, detestation, hatred, loathing, disgust, antipathy, aversion.

~Abhorrent~, _a._ ~1.~ Hating, detesting, abominating, loathing.

~2.~ Odious, offensive, shocking, repugnant, hateful, loathsome.

~Abide~, _v. n._ ~1.~ Stay, sojourn, tarry, lodge, rest, keep, take up one's quarters, pitch one's tent.

~2.~ Dwell, reside, live, inhabit, settle, plant one's self, get a footing, get a foothold.

~3.~ Remain, continue, persist, persevere, SUBSIST, go on, keep on, be steadfast, be constant.

~4.~ Endure, bear.

~Abide~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Await, attend, wait for, be in readiness for, be in store for.

~2.~ Endure, tolerate, bear, brook, suffer, bear with, put up with.

~Abide by.~ Act up to, conform to, persist in.

~Abiding~, _a._ Permanent, lasting, durable, constant, continuing, stable.

~Ability~, _n._ ~1.~ Power (_to execute any thing_), ableness, force, potency, might, efficiency, efficacy, strength, energy, skill, skilfulness, dexterity, address, cleverness, ingenuity, talent, aptitude, aptness, knack, expertness, facility, quickness, readiness.

~2.~ Qualification, competency, sufficiency.

~3.~ CAPACITY, capability, capableness, faculty, gift, parts, genius, endowment, calibre, forte, turn.

~Abject~, _a._ Base, vile, mean, low, despicable, contemptible, beggarly, paltry, dirty, squalid, grovelling, pitiful, ignoble, degraded, worthless, poor, servile, slavish, menial, sneaking, sordid, shabby, scurvy, miserable, wretched, low-minded, base-minded, earth- born, earth-bred.

~Abjection~, _n._ ~1.~ [_Rare._] Humbling, humiliation.

~2.~ Abasement, ABJECTNESS.

~Abjectness~, _n._ Meanness, servility, vileness, baseness, abasement, abjection, contemptibleness.

~Abjuration~, ~1.~ Renunciation (_upon oath_), relinquishment, rejection, abandonment, abnegation.

~2.~ Recantation, retraction, revocation, repeal, reversal, recall.

~Abjure~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Renounce (_upon oath_), relinquish, forego, reject, forswear, abandon, ABNEGATE, give up, cast off.

~2.~ Retract, revoke, recant, recall, withdraw, disavow, take back.

~Able~, _a._ ~1.~ Clever, accomplished, talented, adroit, ingenious, expert, dexterous, apt, quick, skilful, efficient, proficient, good, versed, practical, AU FAIT.

~2.~ Qualified, fitted, competent.

~3.~ Capable, gifted, powerful, strong, mighty, highly endowed.

~4.~ Masterly, effective, telling.

~Ableness~, _n._ ABILITY.

~Ablution~, _n._ Washing (_especially of the body, as a religious rite_), lavation, bathing, wash.

~Abnegate~, _v. a._ [_Rare._] Deny, reject, renounce, abjure.

~Abnegation~, _n._ Denial, renunciation, rejection, abandonment, abjuration, surrender.

~Abnormal~, _a._ Irregular, anomalous, anomalistic, unusual, unnatural, singular, peculiar, unconformable, exceptional, heteroclite, aberrant, eccentric, erratic, strange, monstrous, preternatural.

~Abnormity~, _n._ Irregularity, unconformity, anomaly, peculiarity, singularity, monstrosity.

~Aboard~, _ad._ On board, in the ship, in the vessel.

~Abode~, _n._ ~1.~ Habitation, dwelling, lodging, domicile, home, house, seat, place, quarters, head-quarters, place of residence.

~2.~ [_Rare._] Continuance (_in a place_), stay, residence.

~Abolish~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Abrogate, annul, disannul, repeal, rescind, revoke, cancel, nullify, quash, vacate, invalidate, set aside, make void.

~2.~ Destroy, overthrow, subvert, obliterate, extirpate, eradicate, annihilate, extinguish, suppress, DISESTABLISH, do away, put an end to.

~Abolition~, _n._ ~1.~ Abrogation, annulment, annulling, nullification, rescinding, revocation, cancelling, repeal, rescission.

~2.~ Destruction, overthrow, subversion, obliteration, extirpation, eradication, annihilation, extinction, extinguishment, suppression, DISESTABLISHMENT.

~Abominable~, _a._ ~1.~ Hateful, odious, detestable, horrid, horrible, execrable, nefarious, damnable, cursed, accursed, hellish.

~2.~ Loathsome, offensive, obnoxious, foul, nauseous, nauseating, disgusting, sickening, repulsive, revolting, shocking.

~3.~ Vile, wretched, sorry, scurvy, shabby, bad.

~Abominate~, _v. a._ Abhor, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, nauseate, shrink from, recoil from, shudder at, view with horror.

~Abomination~, _n._ ~1.~ Abhorrence, detestation, execration, hatred, loathing, disgust, antipathy.

~2.~ Contamination, pollution, defilement, taint, uncleanness, impurity, foulness.

~3.~ Nuisance, annoyance, plague, infliction, torment, curse, great evil, hateful thing.

~Aboriginal~, _a._ Primitive, primeval, primordial, pristine, primary, prime, original, first, native, indigenous, autochthonal.

~Abortion~, _n._ ~1.~ Miscarriage.

~2.~ Failure, disappointment, want of success, vain effort or attempt.

~Abortive~, _a._ ~1.~ Miscarrying, failing, untimely, immature.

~2.~ Unavailing, vain, fruitless, useless, bootless, ineffectual, ineffective, inoperative, unsuccessful, profitless, futile, unprofitable, idle, nugatory, in vain, of no account.

~Abound~, _v. n._ ~1.~ Teem, swarm, superabound, swell, flow, increase, multiply, be in great plenty, be numerous, be very prevalent.

~2.~ Exuberate, luxuriate, revel, wanton, be well furnished, be well supplied.

~About~, _prep._ ~1.~ Around, round, encircling, surrounding.

~2.~ Near, near to, not far from.

~3.~ Concerning, touching, respecting, relating to, relative to, with respect to, with reference to, in regard to, with regard to.

~4.~ Through, over.

~About~, _ad._ ~1.~ Around, here and there.

~2.~ Nearly, near, approximately, not far from.

~3.~ Ready, in a state of readiness, on the point.

~Above~, _prep._ ~1.~ Higher than.

~2.~ Over, exceeding, more than, greater than.

~3.~ Beyond, superior to.

~4.~ Too high for, too proud for.

~Above~, _ad._ ~1.~ Overhead, aloft, on high, in a high place.

~2.~ Before, in a former part.

~3.~ Of a higher rank or order.

~Above all.~ Chiefly, in the first place, before all other considerations.

~Above-board~, _ad._ Openly, candidly, ingenuously, frankly, sincerely, fairly, in open sight, without artifice, without equivocation, without guile, without disguise.

~Abrade~, _v. a._ SCRAPE, wear away, wear off, rub off.

~Abrasion~, _n._ Friction, attrition, rubbing, disintegration, CONFRICATION, wearing away, wearing off, rubbing off.

~Abreast~, _ad._ ~1.~ Along-side, side by side.

~2.~ Against, off, on a line with, opposite to.

~Abridge~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Shorten (_by compression_), epitomize, condense, compress, make an abstract of.

~2.~ Diminish, reduce, contract, curtail, lessen, ABBREVIATE, retrench, cut down.

~3.~ Deprive, dispossess, divest.

~Abridger~, _n._ Epitomizer, writer of an epitome.

~Abridgment~, _n._ ~1.~ Shortening (_by compression_), contraction, diminution, reduction, ABBREVIATION, curtailment, retrenchment.

~2.~ Compendium, compend, epitome, summary, abstract, digest, synopsis, syllabus, breviary, brief, conspectus, outline, sum and substance.

~3.~ Deprivation, dispossession.

~Abroach~, _ad._ ~1.~ Broached, tapped, on tap.

~2.~ A-going.

~Abroad~, _ad._ ~1.~ Widely, at large.

~2.~ Forth, out of the house, out of doors, in the open air.

~3.~ Extensively, before the public.

~4.~ Without (_as opposed to within_).

~Abrogate~, _v. a._ Annul, disannul, repeal, revoke, rescind, cancel, abolish, nullify, quash, vacate, invalidate, overrule, set aside, do away, make void.

~Abrogation~, _n._ Repeal, rescission, rescinding, abolition, annulment, annulling, revocation.

~Abrupt~, _a._ ~1.~ Broken, cragged, craggy, rough, rugged.

~2.~ Steep, precipitous.

~3.~ Sudden, unexpected, unanticipated, precipitate, hasty, unseasonable, ill-timed, unlooked for.

~4.~ Short, blunt, unceremonious, curt.

~5.~ Inelegant (_as style_), stiff, cramped, harsh, disconnected, unconnected.

~Abscess~, _n._ Sore, ulcer, fester, imposthume, pustule, gathering, boil.

~Abscond~, _v. n._ ~1.~ Withdraw, flee, fly, decamp, escape, elope, retreat, bolt, make off, steal away, slink away, slip away, run away, run off, sneak off, pack off, effect one's escape.

~2.~ Hide, secrete one's self.

~Absence~, _n._ ~1.~ Non-attendance, non-appearance.

~2.~ Inattention, abstraction, preoccupation, distraction, revery, musing, brown study, absence of mind.

~3.~ Want, deficiency, lack, default.

~4.~ Privation, negation.

~Absent~, _a._ ~1.~ Away, gone, not present.

~2.~ Abstracted, preoccupied, inattentive, dreaming, musing, lost, napping, absent-minded, in a brown study.

~Absent-minded~, _a._ Abstracted, ABSENT.

~Absent one's self~, Be not present, stay away.

~Absolute~, _a._ ~1.~ Independent, unrestricted, unqualified, unlimited, unconditional, unconditioned, complete, perfect.

~2.~ Despotic, arbitrary, tyrannical, tyrannous, imperious, imperative, authoritative, autocratic, dictatorial, irresponsible.

~3.~ Positive, actual, real, veritable, determinate, decided, genuine, categorical, unequivocal, certain.

~Absolutely~, _ad._ ~1.~ Completely, unconditionally, without limit.

~2.~ Truly, actually, positively, indeed, really, in fact, in reality, in truth.

~Absoluteness~, _n._ ~1.~ Despotism, ABSOLUTISM.

~2.~ Positiveness, reality, actuality.

~Absolution~, _n._ Acquittal, remission, discharge, release, liberation, deliverance, clearance, forgiveness, pardon, INDULGENCE, JUSTIFICATION.

~Absolutism~, _n._ Absoluteness, arbitrariness, despotism, tyranny, autocracy.

~Absolutory~, _a._ Clearing, acquitting, releasing, pardoning, forgiving, absolvatory.

~Absolvatory~, _a._ ABSOLUTORY.

~Absolve~, _v. a._ Acquit, clear, release, liberate, free, discharge, loose, deliver, exculpate, exonerate, excuse, forgive, pardon, JUSTIFY, set free.

~Absorb~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Imbibe, take in, take up, suck in, suck up, drink in.

~2.~ Consume, exhaust, destroy, engorge, devour, engulf, swallow up.

~3.~ Engross, engage, immerse, occupy, arrest, fix, rivet.

~Absorbent~, _a._ Absorbing, imbibing.

~Absorption~, _n._ ~1.~ Absorbing.

~2.~ Engrossment, occupation, engagement, immersion.

~Abstain~, _v. n._ Refrain, forbear, desist, deny one's self, hold or keep one's self back, stay one's hand, keep one's self from indulgence.

~Abstemious~, _a._ Abstinent (_by habit_), sober, moderate, habitually temperate, sparing in diet.

~Abstemiousness~, _n._ Temperance (_as a habit_), abstinence.

~Abstergent~, _a._ (_Med._) Cleansing, purifying, purgative, cathartic.

~Abstinence~, _n._ ~1.~ Abstaining, refraining.

~2.~ Abstemiousness, soberness, temperance, moderation.

~Abstinent~, _a._ ~1.~ Abstaining, fasting.

~2.~ Abstemious, sober, temperate.

~Abstract~, _v. a._ ~1.~ Separate, disunite, disjoin, dissociate, isolate, detach, disengage.

~2.~ Take, seize, appropriate, steal, purloin.

~3.~ Abridge, abbreviate, epitomize, make an abstract of.

~Abstract~, _a._ ~1.~ Separate, isolated, not concrete.

~2.~ Occult, recondite, subtile, refined, abstracted, ABSTRUSE.

~Abstract~, _n._ Abridgment, epitome, summary, conspectus, compend, compendium, synopsis, syllabus, outline, digest, brief, breviary, sum and substance, concise statement.

~Abstracted~, _a._ ~1.~ Subtile, refined, abstract, abstruse.

~2.~ Inattentive, preoccupied, lost, dreaming, musing, absent, absent- minded, in a revery, in a brown study.

~Abstraction~, _n._ ~1.~ Separation, disconnection, disjunction, isolation.

~2.~ Preoccupation, inattention, revery, musing, muse, absence, absence of mind, brown study.

~3.~ Taking, abduction, seizure, appropriation, stealing, purloining, pilfering.

~Abstruse~, _a._ Recondite, occult, profound, hidden, transcendental, obscure, difficult, dark, enigmatical, mysterious, mystic, mystical, high, abstract, abstracted, subtile, refined.

~Absurd~, _a._ Unreasonable, irrational, foolish, nonsensical, ridiculous, incongruous, senseless, unwise, silly, stupid, preposterous, PARADOXICAL, ill-judged, ill-advised, contrary to reason, contrary to the dictates of common sense.

~Absurdity~, _n._ ~1.~ Unreasonableness, irrationality, foolishness, folly, foolery, extravagance, absurdness.

~2.~ PARADOX, MARE'S NEST, CART BEFORE THE HORSE, absurd thing.

~Absurdness~, _n._ ABSURDITY.

~Absurd story~, Cock-and-bull-story, fiddle-faddle, neither rhyme nor reason.

~Abundance~, _n._ Flow, overflow, exuberance, luxuriance, fertility, copiousness, profusion, richness, largeness, ampleness, wealth, affluence, store, more than enough, great plenty.