: Martin H Manser
: Student's Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
: BookBaby
: 9781483533810
: 1
: CHF 3.90
:
: Sonstiges
: English
: 352
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
As a student of English, you may sometimes find it difficult to know which word to use in a particular context. Or you may have used a particular word several times already in what you are writing, and so you want to use a different expression. Most thesauruses or dictionaries of synonyms are not as helpful as they might first appear: to read a list of synonyms for a certain word is helpful only as far as it goes. This dictionary, however, goes beyond a mere listing of words with a similar meaning and helps distinguish them. The differences between similar words are shown by giving each one a definition and an example.

B

BACKverb to give help and encouragement to someone, or to show approval and support for something:If you decided to oppose the management on this issue, we’d back you all the way.

advocate to argue in favour of a course of action or a cause:an MP who advocates capital punishment.

champion to support and defend a person or a cause:He championed the Cubist movement.

encourage to give someone emotional support and boost their confidence:He could always depend on his wife to encourage him when he felt low.

endorse to show strong approval of someone’s course of action or opinion:I heartily endorse your views on complementary medicine.

promote to speak or take action in order to encourage other people to adopt a particular course of action or to support a cause:The local authority promotes recycling by providing households with separate containers for different types of refuse.

second to speak in support of a motion made by a previous speaker in a meeting or debate:Kathy proposed that we accept the company’s offer, and Paul seconded the motion.

support to take action to help someone or something that you approve of:We support various charities, not only by giving money, but also by taking part in fund-raising events.

uphold to defend a belief or a decision, often against opposition:She always upheld the cause of women’s rights.

ANTONYMS:DISAPPROVE,DISCOURAGE,OPPOSE.

back SeeSUPPORT.

backpack SeeTRAVEL.

BADadjective

1 doing things that are wicked or harmful:The bad fairy cast a spell on the princess.

corrupt committing acts that are morally wrong, usually for money:a corrupt police officer who accepts bribes.

criminal committing acts that are against the law:He is known to have criminal tendencies.

evil capable of committing extremely wicked acts, such as murder:an evil dictator.

immoral committing acts that are generally considered morally wrong:Many people consider prostitution immoral.

malicious intending to cause people harm:malicious gossip.

mischievous deliberately causing trouble, but not of a serious nature:The mischievous child rang the doorbell and