by Damon Suede
AFFLICT (/): affect, aggravate, aggrieve, agitate, agonize, ail, anguish, annoy, assail, attack, badger, bedevil, besiege, bother, bug, burden, chafe, crucify, crush, curse, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, dizzy, dog, exasperate, fluster, gall, get, grieve, hagride, harass, harm, harrow, harry, hound, hurt, irk, irritate, lacerate, martyr, menace, molest, nettle, oppress, overpower, overwhelm, pain, peeve, persecute, perturb, pester, pique, plague, prick, punish, pursue, rasp, ride, rile, smite, sorrow, stab, sting, strain, stress, strike, torment, torture, trouble, try, tyrannize, unhinge, upset, vex, victimize, worry, wound, wring, wrong (≠ abet, aid, amuse, assist, comfort, console, content, deliver, doctor, ease, heal, help, nourish, nurse, nurture, pity, please, quiet, release, relieve, reprieve, solace, soothe, succor, support)
AFFRONT (/): abase, abuse, accost, anger, annoy, bait, belittle, besmear, besmirch, blame, boo, confront, criticize, -cut, debase, defame, degrade, demean, demote, devalue, diminish, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, displease, disrespect, distress, disturb, humble, humiliate, hurt, injure, insult, jeer, libel, lower, malign, miff, mock, mortify, offend, oppress, outrage, pain, persecute, pillory, provoke, -rebuff, reduce, revile, ridicule, shame, slander, slap, -slight, slur, smear, -snub, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, taunt, torment, torture, trample, trouble, upset, vex, violate, wound, wrong, zing (≠ acclaim, adulate, applaud, approve, assuage, blandish, commend, compliment, content, delight, eulogize, exalt, flannel, flatter, glorify, grace, gratify, hail, honor, please, praise, retort, satisfy, soothe, sweet-talk, thrill)
AGGRANDIZE (+): acclaim, apotheosize, applaud, boost, canonize, commend, congratulate, deify, dignify, distend, distinguish, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, enthrone, exalt, extol, glorify, heighten, heroicize, heroize, honor, hype, idealize, inflate, intensify, laud, lift, magnify, praise, promote, raise, romanticize, sanitize, sentimentalize, shill, sugarcoat, swell, upgrade, uplift (≠ abase, bastardize, belittle, bestialize, boo, condense, curtail, debase, decrease, decry, degrade, demean, diminish, disparage, erode, humble, humiliate, insult, lessen, minimize, reduce, shame, shrink, weaken)
AGGRAVATE (→): accelerate, amplify, catalyze, complicate, compound, deepen, enhance, escalate, exacerbate, exaggerate, expand, extend, fuel, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, lubricate, magnify, maximize, mount, overdramatize, rouse, worsen (≠ allay, ameliorate, assuage, better, ease, help, improve, lessen, minimize, mitigate, relieve, shrink, slow)
AGGRAVATE (/): affront, agitate, anger, annoy, antagonize, badger, bait, bother, bug, bullyrag, burn, chafe, chagrin, devil, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, dog, earbash, eat, enrage, exacerbate, exaggerate, exasperate, exercise, freak, fret, frost, frustrate, gall, get, hagride, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, hector, hurt, impair, incense, inflame, infuriate, insult, irk, irritate, madden, magnify, maltreat, miff, mistreat, nag, needle, nettle, noodge, offend, outrage, peeve, persecute, perturb, pester, pique, plague, provoke, rankle, rasp, rile, roil, rouse, ruffle, spite, tease, torment, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, vex, wig, worry (≠ allay, alleviate, amuse, appease, assuage, assure, calm, cheer, comfort, console, content, delight, gladden, gratify, lull, mitigate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, propitiate, quiet, reassure, satisfy, solace, soothe, sugarcoat, thrill)
AGITATE (→): addle, alarm, arouse, beat, bug, burn, churn, concuss, confuse, convulse, craze, debate, dement, derange, discompose, disconcert, dishevel, disorient, dispute, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, dizzy, excite, fan, faze, fluster, fret, froth, generate, harass, hassle, impel, incite, inflame, jumble, move, panic, perturb, press, psych, rattle, rock, rouse, ruffle, shake, shock, spook, startle, stimulate, stir, toss, trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, upset, vex, worry (≠ allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, calm, compose, conciliate, hypnotize, lull, mellow, mesmerize, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, quiet, quieten, sedate, settle, smooth, soothe, stabilize, steady, still, tranquilize)
AID (+): abet, accommodate, advance, advise, assist, attend, back, bail, befriend, benefit, bolster, boost, buttress, champion, comfort, condone, counsel, cultivate, deliver, ease, embolden, encourage, endorse, energize, facilitate, favor, forward, foster, further, guide, heal, hearten, help, improve, inspire, kindle, launch, mentor, midwife, motivate, nurse, nurture, oblige, patronize, profit, promote, prop, provoke, refresh, reinforce, reinvigorate, relieve, remedy, rescue, restimulate, restore, revive, sanction, save, school, second, serve, sponsor, spur, strengthen, subsidize, succor, support, sustain, teach, tutor (≠ baffle, -balk, bar, block, boobytrap, checkmate, constrain, counteract, damage, daunt, demotivate, -desert, disappoint, discourage, discredit, disfavor, disgrace, dishearten, fail, foil, -frustrate, gaslight, hamper, handicap, harm, hinder, hold, hurt, impede, incommode, inconvenience, inhibit, injure, lynch, menace, monkey-wrench, muzzle, obstruct, oppose, pause, -prevent, protest, repress, restrain, retard, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, shelve, stall, stifle, straiten, strangle, stunt, stymie, subvert, -thwart)
ALARM (→): abash, aggravate, agitate, ail, alert, amaze, anger, annoy, astonish, bedevil, blindside, bother, bug, caution, concern, confound, confuse, daunt, demoralize, demotivate, derail, discomfit, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, embarrass, exasperate, exercise, faze, fluster, frazzle, freak, fret, fuss, gall, get, harass, harry, haunt, irk, irritate, jar, jump, mortify, nettle, nonplus, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, plague, rattle, rile, shake, signal, surprise, threaten, undo, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, upset, vex, warn, worry, wow (≠ allay, alleviate, amuse, appease, assuage, calm, candy-coat, captivate, charm, compose, conciliate, content, delight, divert, entertain, flatter, gladden, gratify, help, humor, hush, indulge, lull, mollify, pacify, placate, please, propitiate, quiet, reassure, satisfy, sedate, settle, soothe, sugarcoat, suit, thrill, tranquilize)
ALARM (/): affright, amaze, appall, astound, awe, brutalize, chill, daunt, demoralize, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, dismay, dispirit, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, emasculate, floor, frighten, horrify, jolt, panic, perturb, petrify, rattle, rile, roil, savage, scare, shake, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, threaten, unman, unnerve, unsettle, unstring, upset, worry (≠ anchor, assure, balance, bolster, brace, buoy, center, cheer, comfort, console, embolden, encourage, favor, fortify, hearten, inspire, mellow, mollify, pacify, placate, reassure, root, settle, solace, soothe, stabilize, steady, steel, strengthen, subdue, toughen)
ALERT (→): admonish, adumbrate, advise, alarm, apprise, augur, awaken, bother, buzz, caution, clue, disconcert, dismay, enjoin, exhort, flag, forecast, foreshadow, foretell, forewarn, goad, harbinger, inform, nag, notify, predict, presage, prognosticate, prophesy, rattle, ring, signal, startle, surprise, threaten, tip, unsettle, wake, warn (≠ anesthetize, bore, buffer, coddle, compromise, conceal, deaden, deafen, disguise, -disregard, drug, dull, endanger, forget, hide, hypnotize, imperil, miss, muffle, numb, -omit, -overlook, risk, sedate, stifle, tranquilize)
ALIENATE (/): aggravate, anger, antagonize, arm, attack, disaffect, disenchant, disgruntle, disillusion, distance, disunite, divide, divorce, embitter, enrage, envenom, estrange, incense, inflame, infuriate, madden, outrage, poison, rankle, rile, roil, separate, sever, -shun, sour, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke (≠ appease, befriend, beguile, charm, connect, contact, disarm, endear, harbor, house, include, ingratiate, invite, marry, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, protect, reconcile, reunite, support, unite, welcome)
ALIGN (+): adapt, adjust, ally, arrange, array, assimilate, associate, calibrate, chain, combine, compose, concatenate, contemporize, coordinate, enlist, equalize, even, fix, follow, harmonize, incorporate, integrate, internalize, join, level, link, order, pace, plumb, progress, queue, range, rank, rectify, refine, regiment, regulate, right, sequence, sort, straighten, string, succeed, thread, tune, unite, unskew (≠ combat, confuse, contradict, crumple, derange, disarrange, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorder, di
sorganize, disrupt, disturb, jar, jolt, jumble, oppose, ruffle, rumple, scramble, scrunch, separate, shift, shove, shuffle, shunt, skew, spoil, tousle, upset, wrinkle)
ALLAY (+): abate, alleviate, ameliorate, amend, appease, assuage, better, blunt, calm, candy-coat, check, comfort, compose, correct, cure, decrease, defray, diminish, ease, emend, enhance, enrich, fix, heal, help, improve, lessen, lighten, lull, mend, mitigate, moderate, mollify, oil, pacify, palliate, perfect, placate, quell, quiet, rectify, reduce, refine, reform, relax, relieve, remedy, repair, right, settle, soften, soothe, square, still, sugarcoat, temper, tranquilize (≠ aggravate, agitate, arouse, compound, exacerbate, excite, fan, harm, heighten, hurt, impair, increase, inflame, injure, intensify, kindle, provoke, rouse, sharpen, stir, worsen)
ALLEGE (→): accuse, affirm, announce, argue, arraign, assert, attest, attribute, avow, blame, broadcast, charge, claim, condemn, confirm, contend, credit, criticize, declare, defend, denounce, fault, finger, frame, impeach, implicate, impugn, incriminate, insist, justify, maintain, plead, proclaim, profess, protest, purport, rationalize, reaffirm, reason, reassert, reproach, scold, support, telegraph, uphold, vindicate, warrant (≠ -abandon, challenge, confute, consult, contradict, convince, counter, debate, demonstrate, -deny, disavow, disclaim, -disown, disprove, dispute, distrust, doubt, establish, gainsay, grill, interrogate, interview, invalidate, -negate, prove, question, rebut, refute, -reject, -repudiate, retort, scruple, substantiate, validate)
ALLEVIATE (+): abate, aid, allay, anesthetize, appease, assuage, blunt, calm, candy-coat, check, comfort, compose, console, cool, cure, cushion, deaden, diminish, disencumber, dose, drug, dulcify, dull, ease, heal, help, lessen, lighten, lull, medicate, minimize, mitigate, moderate, mollify, narcotize, numb, pacify, palliate, quiet, reduce, relax, relieve, remedy, restore, restrain, sedate, soften, soft-pedal, soothe, still, subdue, sugarcoat, sweeten, syrup, temper, tranquilize (≠ accentuate, aggravate, agitate, amp, amplify, deepen, derail, discomfort, disturb, encumber, exacerbate, heighten, increase, intensify, load, magnify, maximize, persecute, perturb, redouble, strengthen, torment, torture, unhinge, unsettle, worsen, wound)
ALLOCATE (→): accord, administer, afford, allot, allow, apportion, assign, award, bequeath, bestow, budget, cede, chunk, comp, confer, contribute, convey, deal, deed, deliver, designate, dispense, distribute, divide, divvy, dole, dollop, donate, drizzle, earmark, endow, extend, furnish, give, grant, hand, impart, issue, measure, mete, meter, offer, parcel, part, place, portion, present, prioritize, proffer, prorate, provide, ration, reallocate, reapportion, reassign, redistribute, reserve, share, situate, slice, spare, split, supply, surrender, task, tender, time, tithe, transfer, transmit, trickle, volunteer, vouchsafe (≠ abrogate, accept, acquire, appropriate, arrogate, begrudge, charge, commandeer, confiscate, debit, -decline, -deny, deprive, disinherit, dispossess, divest, gain, gather, glean, grab, hoard, hog, impound, inherit, invalidate, keep, monopolize, obtain, procure, -rebuff, -refuse, -reject, remove, repel, -repudiate, -rescind, retain, revoke, rob, seize, snatch, starve, stash, steal, stint, swipe, take, withhold)
ALLURE (←): arrest, attract, bait, beckon, beguile, bewitch, cajole, candy-coat, captivate, charm, coax, decoy, delight, disarm, draw, enamor, enchant, engage, entice, entrance, entrap, fascinate, hook, induce, interest, inveigle, lure, magnetize, persuade, pull, seduce, tempt, win (≠ block, bore, chill, dampen, demotivate, -deter, discourage, disgust, dissuade, nauseate, needle, -prevent, protest, -refuse, -reject, repel, repulse, -shun, view, warn) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
ALTER (+): adapt, adjust, affect, amend, amputate, automate, calibrate, change, commute, computerize, convert, customize, deform, diversify, doctor, edit, embellish, embroider, equalize, eviscerate, exchange, fine-tune, geld, improve, juggle, metamorphose, modernize, modify, mold, mutate, overhaul, qualify, radicalize, recalibrate, recast, reconceive, reconceptualize, redo, refashion, reform, regenerate, reimagine, reinvent, rejigger, remake, remodel, rephrase, reshape, restore, restructure, rethink, retool, retrofit, revamp, revise, revolutionize, rework, sculpt, sew, shape, shift, shuffle, stitch, substitute, supplant, swap, switch, tailor, transfigure, transform, transmogrify, transmute, transpose, tune, turn, tweak, update, vary, weaponize (≠ abide, -abort, bolster, brace, complete, conclude, conserve, continue, destroy, endure, finalize, finish, fix, fortify, freeze, hamper, hamstring, harden, hinder, hold, immobilize, keep, leave, lock, maintain, paralyze, preserve, restrain, retain, set, settle, stabilize, steady, stop, strengthen, sustain, transfix, weather)
AMAZE (→): affect, alarm, appall, astonish, astound, baffle, befuddle, bewilder, boggle, confound, confuse, daze, dazzle, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, dumbfound, electrify, exhilarate, flabbergast, flatten, floor, flummox, galvanize, gobsmack, gravel, horrify, impress, inspire, jar, jolt, move, muckrake, muddle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, rock, scandalize, shake, shock, stagger, startle, stimulate, stir, strike, stun, stupefy, surprise, vex, wow (≠ annoy, -balk, bore, bother, buffer, bug, -bypass, cushion, dampen, deaden, depress, disappoint, disenchant, dull, exhaust, explain, irk, irritate, muffle, nag, needle, nettle, normalize, numb, sedate, stifle, tire, underwhelm, vex, weary, worry)
AMBUSH (→): accost, assail, assault, attack, blindside, bomb, boobytrap, bushwhack, capture, charge, compromise, corner, deceive, decoy, disguise, endanger, ensnare, entice, entrap, hide, hook, hunt, inveigle, jump, mug, net, sandbag, snare, stalk, storm, strike, surprise, surround, tackle, target, trap, trick, waylay (≠ alert, announce, bluff, broadcast, bully, caution, confront, defend, discourage, dissuade, expose, forewarn, guard, intimidate, notify, protect, reveal, telegraph, threaten, trash-talk, warn)
AMEND (+): adapt, adjust, alter, ameliorate, better, change, correct, enhance, fix, flavor, heal, improve, marinate, mend, modify, optimize, overhaul, patch, perfect, qualify, realign, reconceive, reconceptualize, rectify, redress, refine, reform, reinvent, remedy, repair, rephrase, restore, rethink, retool, revamp, revise, revolutionize, right, square, weaponize (≠ aggravate, blemish, blight, break, canker, corrupt, damage, deface, degrade, destroy, diminish, disfigure, efface, exacerbate, harm, harshen, impair, injure, mar, ruin, spoil, tarnish, worsen)
AMPLIFY (→): accelerate, accent, accentuate, accrue, accumulate, add, aggrandize, aggravate, amass, amp, assert, augment, beef, belabor, bolster, boost, breed, brighten, broaden, build, bump, buttress, catalyze, collect, color, complement, compound, concentrate, condense, consolidate, crank, darken, deepen, develop, dilate, distend, double, dramatize, elaborate, elevate, elongate, embellish, embroider, emphasize, enhance, enlarge, enliven, enrich, escalate, exacerbate, exaggerate, exalt, expand, extend, fan, fatten, feature, fill, fire, flavor, foreground, foster, fuel, further, glorify, grease, grow, hasten, heat, heighten, heroicize, heroize, highlight, hike, hype, hyperbolize, increase, inflame, inflate, intensify, lengthen, lighten, magnify, marinate, maximize, multiply, optimize, overdramatize, overemphasize, overhaul, overrate, overstate, pad, poeticize, prioritize, proliferate, prolong, propagate, protract, provoke, pump, punctuate, pyramid, quicken, raise, ratchet, redouble, reinforce, revolutionize, richen, rile, romanticize, satirize, scale, season, sentimentalize, sharpen, spice, spike, spotlight, spread, stoke, strengthen, stress, stretch, supersize, supplement, swell, treble, triple, trumpet, underline, underscore, unspool, up, upgrade, whet, widen, worsen (≠ abate, abbreviate, abridge, alleviate, attenuate, blunt, buffer, bury, calm, cheapen, conceal, constrict, contract, curb, curtail, cushion, cut, dampen, deaden, decrease, deemphasize, de-escalate, depress, devalue, diminish, dismiss, downplay, downsize, dull, ease, elide, hide, lessen, lowball, lower, lull, mask, mellow, miniaturize, minify, minimize, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, muffle, obscure, pacify, placate, postpone, rarefy, reduce, restrain, restrict, retrench, sedate, shorten, shrink, simplify, slow, smother, soothe, streamline, subdue, subtract, syncopate, taper, trim, truncate, underemphasize, understate, weaken)
AMPUTATE (/): axe, behead, castrate, chop, cleave, cut, decapitate, dismemb
er, dissect, eliminate, emasculate, excise, guillotine, hack, hew, lop, maim, mangle, maul, mutilate, razor, remove, separate, sever, slash, slice, split, sunder, truncate, vivisect (≠ add, affix, attach, bond, connect, fix, fuse, graft, heal, implant, join, marry, merge, nurse, reconstruct, regenerate, regrow, splice, stitch, suture, transplant, unite)
AMUSE (+): absorb, appease, beguile, bewitch, brighten, busy, captivate, chaff, charm, cheer, coddle, comfort, conciliate, console, content, convulse, delight, distract, divert, elate, enchant, encourage, engage, engross, enliven, entertain, enthrall, exhilarate, fascinate, gladden, grab, grace, gratify, grip, humor, hypnotize, immerse, indulge, interest, intrigue, involve, jolly, mesmerize, mollify, mollycoddle, oblige, occupy, overindulge, pacify, pamper, placate, please, pleasure, propitiate, razzle-dazzle, regale, solace, soothe, spoil, thrill, tickle, wow (≠ aggravate, annoy, bore, bother, bug, chafe, depress, dismay, distress, disturb, drain, enervate, enrage, exasperate, exhaust, fatigue, fret, gall, harass, harry, infuriate, irk, irritate, jade, nettle, overset, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, sadden, sorrow, tire, upset, vex, wear, weary)