by Damon Suede
BEDEVIL (/): afflict, aggravate, agitate, agonize, anguish, annoy, assail, assault, attack, badger, beset, besiege, bother, bug, chafe, confound, crush, curse, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, dog, exasperate, excruciate, fluster, fret, frustrate, gall, get, gravel, grieve, hagride, harass, harm, harrow, harry, hound, hurt, impugn, injure, irk, irritate, lynch, martyr, menace, molest, nettle, oppress, overpower, overwhelm, pain, peeve, persecute, perturb, pester, pique, plague, prick, pursue, rack, rasp, ride, rile, smite, stab, sting, strain, stress, strike, tease, threaten, torment, torture, trouble, try, tyrannize, upset, vex, victimize, worry, wring, wrong (≠ abet, aid, assist, assuage, calm, comfort, console, content, delight, deliver, encourage, gladden, heal, hearten, help, nurture, pacify, pity, please, protect, quiet, reassure, release, relieve, reprieve, shield, solace, soothe, succor)
BEFRIEND (←): abet, acknowledge, acquaint, advise, aid, ally, assist, back, benefit, bolster, boost, cheer, comfort, commend, defend, encourage, favor, give, hearten, help, include, ingratiate, inspire, invite, offer, patronize, promote, protect, reassure, respect, satisfy, succor, support, sustain, uphold, welcome (≠ abuse, assault, block, counteract, discourage, dissuade, harm, hinder, hurt, -ignore, injure, insult, -neglect, obstruct, oppose, -reject, resist, -shun, -snub, -spurn, -thwart, torment, vex, withstand, wrong)
BEFUDDLE (/): abash, addle, agitate, amaze, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, bemuse, bewilder, bother, buffalo, bug, chagrin, cloud, confound, confuse, daze, deceive, delude, discombobulate, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, dismay, disorient, distract, distress, disturb, dizzy, dumbfound, dupe, embarrass, faze, floor, flummox, fluster, foil, fool, fox, gaslight, harass, hobble, hocus-pocus, inebriate, intoxicate, misguide, mislead, mismatch, mortify, muddle, muddy, mystify, nonplus, obscure, perplex, perturb, preoccupy, puzzle, rattle, shake, shock, snow, stick, stump, stun, stupefy, tangle, throw, trick, trouble, unhinge, unsettle, upset, vex (≠ assure, clarify, contextualize, decipher, deduce, educate, enlighten, explain, floodlight, illuminate, inform, reassure, satisfy, school, simplify, teach, train, tutor)
BEG (←): advocate, ask, beseech, besiege, canvass, claim, coerce, command, compel, conjure, covet, crave, demand, desire, entreat, force, implore, importune, insist, invoke, nag, petition, plead, pray, press, request, require, requisition, resent, solicit, sue, urge, woo, worry (≠ appease, comfort, command, console, content, -deny, grace, gratify, hint, intimate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, provide, quiet, -refuse, satisfy)
BEG (←): bilk, bite, borrow, bum, burn, buzz, cadge, chisel, ding, hustle, milk, mooch, nick, panhandle, scavenge, schnorr, score, scrounge, sponge, tap, touch (≠ bequeath, bestow, comp, -disown, donate, endow, -forsake, furnish, give, junk, lend, -reject, relinquish, -renounce, -spurn, supply, tender, tithe, yield)
BEGRUDGE (/): badmouth, blackguard, covet, crave, -deny, deprecate, deprive, desire, diminish, disallow, -discount, disparage, disrespect, drizzle, envy, fetishize, grudge, hoard, hog, hold, keep, mind, minimize, misallocate, mock, monopolize, -neglect, pinch, -refuse, -reject, remove, resent, ridicule, scant, skimp, starve, stint, trickle, want, wish, withdraw, withhold, yank (≠ accord, administer, allocate, allow, apportion, bestow, celebrate, congratulate, contribute, deliver, dispense, disperse, donate, encourage, endow, extend, fuel, furnish, grant, invite, offer, pledge, praise, provide, share, spare, spitball, supply, tender, volunteer, welcome, wish)
BEGUILE (←): allure, amuse, arrest, attract, beckon, bed, bewitch, blandish, cajole, candy-coat, captivate, charm, cheer, court, delight, disarm, distract, divert, draw, enamor, enchant, engage, engross, enliven, enrapture, entertain, enthrall, entrance, fascinate, flatter, fox, gratify, hypnotize, interest, intrigue, invite, kid, kill, lure, magnetize, mesmerize, occupy, please, pull, razzle-dazzle, seduce, solicit, spellbind, tempt, thrill, tickle, vamp, woo, wow (≠ abuse, aggravate, anger, annoy, attack, bore, depress, disappoint, disgust, displease, disturb, drain, exhaust, fatigue, gall, harass, heckle, irk, menace, needle, nettle, nitpick, noodge, offend, pain, pester, repel, repulse, revolt, sorrow, tire, traumatize, upset, vex, victimize, weary, wound, wrong)
BEGUILE (←): actuate, attract, bait, betray, bribe, capture, catch, coax, convince, decoy, draw, encourage, enmesh, ensnare, entice, entrap, induce, influence, inspire, inveigle, lasso, lead, lure, mesh, motivate, move, oblige, persuade, press, rope, seduce, seize, snare, snooker, snow, solicit, suborn, sway, tangle, target, tempt, trap, urge (≠ alert, anguish, annoy, bother, browbeat, bug, bully, caution, coerce, compel, covet, crave, daunt, demand, demotivate, desire, -deter, discourage, dissuade, distract, fancy, favor, fetishize, force, forewarn, niggle, nobble, repulse, restrain, sandbag, threaten, -thwart, torment, ward, warn)
BEGUILE (←): bamboozle, betray, bleed, bluff, buffalo, bullshit, burn, catch, cheat, chisel, con, convince, cozen, deceive, defraud, delude, diddle, double-cross, dupe, entice, euchre, exploit, fake, finesse, fleece, flimflam, fool, gull, gyp, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, hustle, induce, inveigle, jockey, juggle, lure, manipulate, misguide, misinform, mislead, mulct, outthink, outwit, play, pretend, rook, scam, schmooze, seduce, shave, shortchange, skin, snooker, snow, spoof, squeeze, stick, sting, sucker, swindle, tease, trick, victimize (≠ admit, assume, believe, blab, blurt, confess, confide, confront, debunk, detect, disabuse, disclose, disenchant, disillusion, divulge, expose, help, investigate, offer, protect, prove, respect, reveal, show, tell, trust, uncloak, uncover, undeceive, unmask, unveil, verify, wrong)
BEJEWEL (+): accessorize, adorn, array, beautify, bedazzle, bedeck, bedizen, bestow, blazon, brighten, deck, decorate, elaborate, embellish, emblaze, enhance, enrich, fancify, festoon, flatter, garnish, gem, gild, glamorize, glitter, glitz, grace, gussy, hang, illuminate, impearl, improve, jewel, ornament, pearl, prettify, pretty, provide, redecorate, redo, revamp, set, stud, swag, tinsel, transfigure, transform, trim, upgrade (≠ bare, befoul, blemish, blot, blotch, damage, darken, deface, denude, dirty, disfigure, disgrace, distort, divest, dull, efface, expose, harm, harshen, mar, muddy, obscure, roughen, scar, shame, simplify, smear, smudge, soil, spoil, stain, streamline, strip, sully, tarnish, uncover, vandalize)
BELABOR (→): abuse, assail, assault, attack, bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belt, beset, birch, blackjack, bludgeon, box, buffet, bust, cane, chop, clobber, clout, club, cowhide, crack, cudgel, cuff, curry, drub, flagellate, flay, flog, gore, hammer, hide, hit, horsewhip, jump, knock, lace, lacerate, lash, lather, lick, maim, mangle, maul, mutilate, paddle, paste, pelt, pistol-whip, pommel, pound, pummel, punch, raid, rawhide, rough, rush, sauce, scourge, slam, slap, slate, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, strap, strike, swat, swipe, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, wham, whip, whomp, whup, wound (≠ assist, benefit, bless, buffer, cherish, conserve, consider, defend, favor, guard, heal, help, nurture, please, pleasure, preserve, protect, rescue, respect, safeguard, save, shield, sustain, tend)
BELABOR (→): accent, accentuate, amplify, assert, deepen, emphasize, enforce, escalate, exaggerate, explain, flag, foreground, hammer, heighten, highlight, increase, insist, intensify, magnify, mark, outweigh, overemphasize, overestimate, overstate, punctuate, reiterate, sharpen, spotlight, stress, underline, underscore, weight (≠ belittle, blur, bury, cloak, conceal, decrease, deemphasize, -deny, diminish, -discount, disguise, dismiss, disparage, -disregard, downplay, forget, hide, -ignore, lessen, marginalize, mask, minimize, -neglect, obscure, -omit, -overlook, pass, reduce, -slight, slur, subdue, trivialize, undercut, underemphasize, understate, weaken)
BELABOR (/): abuse, affront, assail, attack, badmouth, bash, belittle, berate, blackguard, blaspheme, blast, boo, castigate, chastise, chide, criticize, curse, disparage, excoriate, execrate, fulminate, harangue, harass, harry, imprecate, insult, jump, lambaste, lash, libel, profane, rebuke, reprimand, reprove, resent, revile, savage, scathe, scold, slam, slander, slur, traduce, trash, vilify, vituperate, whip (≠ acclaim, applaud, cheer, comfort, commend, compliment, congratulate, defend, de
light, desire, encourage, esteem, flatter, gratify, hail, honor, idolize, inspire, laud, lionize, praise, prize, revere, treasure, uphold, venerate, vindicate)
BELIEVE (+): accept, account, accredit, anticipate, assume, await, buy, conclude, conjecture, consider, consult, credit, decide, deduce, expect, fancy, gather, guess, imagine, infer, judge, predetermine, presume, reason, reckon, suppose, surmise, suspect, swallow, take, trust, understand (≠ challenge, cross-examine, debate, debunk, disbelieve, discredit, dispute, distrust, double-deal, doubt, dread, fear, grill, imply, insinuate, interrogate, interview, mistrust, question, -reject, scruple, suspect) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
BELITTLE (/): abase, abuse, badmouth, bastardize, beguile, belittle, blister, boo, censure, cheapen, condemn, contaminate, corrupt, criticize, critique, debase, debauch, decry, deemphasize, defame, defile, degrade, demean, demote, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, deride, desecrate, devalue, diminish, -discount, discredit, disfavor, disgrace, dishonor, dismiss, disparage, disrespect, downgrade, downplay, humble, humiliate, insult, knock, lower, malign, minimize, mortify, neg, pan, patronize, pooh-pooh, reduce, rip, roast, scold, scorch, -scorn, shame, slam, slander, slur, smear, soil, squelch, stain, sully, taint, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, vilipend, violate, wrong (≠ accentuate, acclaim, acknowledge, advance, affirm, aggrandize, apotheosize, applaud, approve, blandish, boost, brave, brook, canonize, celebrate, commend, compliment, congratulate, countenance, deify, dignify, elevate, encourage, endorse, ennoble, enshrine, eulogize, exalt, extol, face, favor, flannel, flatter, glorify, gratify, hail, heroicize, heroize, highlight, honor, idealize, idolize, ingratiate, laud, magnify, praise, prioritize, promote, raise, recognize, recommend, romanticize, salute, sanction, sentimentalize, spotlight, tout, uplift, venerate)
BEND (←): affect, alter, bribe, compel, convince, direct, incline, induce, influence, maneuver, manipulate, modify, mold, persuade, predetermine, prejudice, shape, subdue, sway (≠ allow, -deter, discourage, dissuade, enable, follow, hamper, hamstring, hinder, honor, impede, inhibit, mind, obey, permit, repel, restrain)
BEND (/): adapt, adjust, angle, arch, bend, bow, break, buckle, circle, contort, crimp, crinkle, crook, crumple, curl, dangle, deflect, deform, distort, divert, double, flex, fold, hang, hook, incline, lean, loop, pervert, refract, ripple, roll, round, spiral, swerve, tilt, turn, twist, unsmooth, warp, wiggle, wilt, wind, wriggle, wrinkle, zigzag (≠ align, correct, flatten, iron, level, realign, rectify, right, smooth, straighten, unbend, uncoil, uncrumple, uncurl, unfold, unroll, untwist)
BENEFIT (+): advance, advantage, aid, ameliorate, assist, better, build, content, delight, enhance, enrich, favor, flavor, further, gain, gladden, grace, gratify, help, improve, optimize, outlay, overhaul, overpay, pay, please, profit, promote, rarefy, rectify, refine, relieve, satisfy, season, serve, spice, strengthen, succor (≠ afflict, cheat, condemn, cripple, damage, deceive, destroy, discredit, disfavor, disgrace, distress, doom, hamper, handicap, harm, hinder, hurt, impair, impede, inhibit, injure, paralyze, ruin, short-circuit, underpay, upset, wound, wreck)
BEQUEATH (→): allot, allow, assign, assist, attribute, award, bankroll, bestow, commit, consign, contribute, deed, deliver, devise, devote, disburse, dispense, dole, donate, dower, endow, entrust, expend, extend, fund, furnish, give, grant, help, impart, lavish, leave, legate, lend, mete, offer, outlay, overpay, pass, pay, pledge, present, provide, ration, render, send, serve, share, shower, submit, supply, tender, tithe, transfer, transmit, volunteer, will (≠ accept, acquire, attain, bogart, cheat, claim, -deny, deprive, disinherit, -disown, earn, extract, find, gain, harvest, hoard, inherit, keep, make, obtain, pilfer, poach, procure, purloin, receive, remove, rob, secure, steal, swipe, take, win, withdraw, withhold)
BERATE (/): abuse, admonish, advise, assail, attack, badmouth, belittle, blame, blast, browbeat, bully, castigate, caution, censure, chastise, chide, condemn, correct, counsel, criticize, crucify, demean, demonize, denigrate, denounce, discipline, disparage, diss, excoriate, exhort, fault, flay, fulminate, hammer, harangue, impugn, jeer, keelhaul, knock, lambaste, lash, lecture, mock, pan, persecute, pillory, punish, rag, rail, rate, ream, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revile, ridicule, scold, score, -scorn, scourge, slam, slate, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, warn, wrong, zap (≠ approve, blandish, cajole, coax, compliment, congratulate, endorse, extol, flannel, flatter, gratify, honor, idolize, ingratiate, lionize, pacify, placate, praise, revere, sanction, sweet-talk, venerate)
BESEECH (←): accost, address, approach, ask, beg, besiege, bilk, buttonhole, cadge, claim, coerce, command, compel, covet, crave, demand, desire, entreat, exhort, extort, force, implore, importune, insist, invoke, mooch, panhandle, petition, plead, pray, request, require, scrounge, seek, solicit, sponge, sue, supplicate, target, urge (≠ answer, appease, comfort, conciliate, console, content, -deny, fulfill, grace, gratify, hint, imply, intimate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, quiet, -refuse, satisfy, -scorn, -spurn, suggest)
BESIEGE (→): assail, assault, attack, badger, barrage, barricade, beleaguer, beset, block, blockade, bombard, bother, bug, buttonhole, confine, congregate, crowd, encircle, encompass, envelop, harass, harry, hassle, hound, importune, insulate, invest, isolate, mortar, nag, oppress, outlast, overload, overwhelm, pester, plague, quarantine, sandbag, sap, surround, swamp, torment, trouble, worry (≠ aid, armor, befriend, comfort, defend, deliver, emancipate, free, help, liberate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, protect, quiet, release, rescue, resist, shelter, shield, withstand)
BESMIRCH (/): abase, abuse, bait, bastardize, belittle, besmear, besmirch, blackguard, boo, canker, contaminate, corrupt, debase, debauch, defame, defile, deflower, degrade, demean, demote, desecrate, devalue, diminish, disgrace, dishonor, embarrass, humble, humiliate, hurt, incriminate, injure, insult, libel, lower, malign, mortify, offend, outrage, pervert, -rebuff, reduce, ridicule, shame, -shun, slander, -slight, slur, -snub, soil, spoil, stain, suborn, sully, taint, taunt, trample, violate, wound, wrong (≠ admire, applaud, benefit, bless, clean, cleanse, clear, commend, compliment, congratulate, dignify, elevate, enhance, enshrine, exalt, flannel, flatter, gratify, hallow, honor, improve, launder, lionize, moralize, praise, purify, revere, sanctify, treasure, worship)
BESMIRCH (/): bedraggle, befoul, begrime, blacken, confuse, contaminate, daub, defile, dirty, disarrange, disarray, discolor, dishevel, disorder, draggle, foul, grime, jumble, mess, mire, muck, muddle, muddy, pollute, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully, taint, untidy (≠ brighten, brush, clean, cleanse, decontaminate, delouse, deodorize, disinfect, dry-clean, dust, freshen, launder, mop, purge, purify, renew, rinse, sanitize, scour, scrub, spruce, straighten, sweep, tidy, wash, wipe)
BEST (→): ace, annihilate, beat, better, blast, bomb, break, bulldoze, bury, cap, checkmate, clobber, conquer, cream, crush, deck, defeat, dispatch, drub, dwarf, eclipse, exceed, finish, flatten, floor, hammer, lambaste, lick, master, one-up, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outguess, outgun, outlast, outmaneuver, outpace, outperform, outplay, outrace, outrank, outreach, outrun, outsell, outshine, outslick, outsmart, outstrip, outthink, outweigh, outwit, overcome, overpower, overshadow, overtake, overthrow, overwhelm, pass, rout, ruin, score, shame, shellac, skin, skunk, slaughter, smoke, steamroller, stop, subdue, subjugate, surmount, surpass, sweep, take, thrash, top, topple, total, transcend, trash, trim, trounce, trump, unhorse, unseat, upend, upset, upstage, vanquish, wallop, waste, wax, whip, whomp, win, wipe, wrack, wreck, zap (≠ aggrandize, aid, amplify, assist, augment, -avoid, back, bolster, bomb, boost, botch, brave, bungle, cede, coach, comfort, concede, defend, defer, develop, elevate, encourage, enhance, enlarge, exalt, expand, extend, extol, face, fail, flub, flunk, follow, forfeit, fumble, glorify, guard, heighten, help, highlight, hype, improve, increase, instruct, magnify, maximize, mind, nurture, obey, plug, promote, protect, publicize, -quit, raise, release, relinquish, -renounce, serve, showcase, stomach, submit, suffer, support, surrender, survive, train, uplift, weather, yield)
&nbs
p; BESTOW (→): accord, administer, aid, allot, apportion, assist, award, benefit, bequeath, commit, communicate, comp, confer, contribute, devote, dish, dispense, dispose, dole, donate, dower, endow, entrust, extend, feed, fuel, furnish, give, grant, hand, help, impart, issue, lavish, legate, mete, offer, overfeed, present, provide, regale, render, sacrifice, spare, tender, tithe, transmit, unspool, victual, volunteer, wreak (≠ advance, -deny, deprive, disinherit, hoard, hold, inherit, keep, lend, leverage, loan, monetize, pocket, preserve, receive, retain, save, sell, take, withhold)
BET (→): bid, chance, compromise, endanger, gamble, game, hazard, imperil, jeopardize, lay, offer, play, pledge, punt, risk, stake, trust, venture, wager (≠ bank, conceal, defend, guard, hide, hoard, invest, lose, protect, restore, save, shield, win, withhold)
BETRAY (→): advertise, air, announce, bare, bellow, blab, blaze, blurt, broadcast, circulate, communicate, concede, confess, confide, confirm, convince, declare, demonstrate, develop, disclose, discover, display, disseminate, divulge, evince, evolve, exhibit, expose, hype, impart, inform, leak, manifest, out, placard, plug, proclaim, project, publicize, publish, relate, represent, reveal, shout, show, showcase, signal, sound, spell, spill, squeal, suss, telegraph, tell, trumpet, uncloak, uncover, unfold, unlock, unmask, unveil (≠ belie, bleep, camouflage, clothe, conceal, confront, costume, counterfeit, cover, disguise, distort, falsify, garble, gild, gloss, hide, hush, mask, misrepresent, obscure, quiet, rephrase, twist, varnish, veil, whitewash, withhold)