by Damon Suede
COMMIT (+): affiance, betroth, bind, contract, covenant, decide, dedicate, engage, enlist, enroll, mortgage, obligate, overcommit, pledge, predetermine, promise, swear, vow (≠ betray, cheat, contradict, debate, -deny, discredit, disprove, dispute, distrust, doubt, gainsay, invalidate, mistrust, oppose, refute, -repudiate, retract, stiff, wait-list, waive)
COMMIT (/): admit, apprehend, arrest, assign, bar, bind, bust, capture, catch, confine, constrain, convict, detain, enchain, fetter, gate, handcuff, hold, immure, impound, impress, imprison, incarcerate, institutionalize, intern, jail, jug, keep, limit, manacle, nab, pinch, restrain, restrict, seize, send, shackle, shanghai, shut, straightjacket, trammel (≠ discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter)
COMPEL (→): badger, bind, blackjack, blackmail, bludgeon, bluff, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, coerce, command, constrain, cow, daunt, dictate, drag, dragoon, drive, enforce, entrance, exact, extort, fascinate, foment, force, frogmarch, galvanize, harass, hector, hijack, hound, hustle, impel, importune, impress, incite, insist, instruct, intimidate, make, mandate, march, menace, mesmerize, motivate, muscle, nag, nobble, obligate, oblige, overcommit, pester, press, press-gang, pressure, railroad, require, restrain, sandbag, shame, sic, spark, squeeze, steamroller, stimulate, stipulate, straightjacket, stress, strong-arm, terrorize, threaten, trammel, trash-talk, urge (≠ absolve, accord, acquit, allow, argue, ask, blandish, block, bribe, cajole, clear, coax, convince, curb, delay, discharge, exculpate, exempt, exonerate, forgive, free, -frustrate, hinder, impede, induce, liberate, move, obstruct, pardon, permit, persuade, release, satisfy, schmooze, shelve, shield, soft-sell, soft-soap, solicit, spare, sweet-talk, -thwart, wheedle, win)
COMPENSATE (→): balance, bankroll, bribe, -cancel, correct, counteract, counterbalance, countervail, defray, disburse, discharge, dole, expense, indemnify, neutralize, nobble, -nullify, offset, outlay, overpay, patronize, pay, -quit, realign, rebate, recompense, recoup, redress, refund, reimburse, remedy, remit, remunerate, repair, repay, reward, satisfy, set, settle, square, tune (≠ beggar, burgle, cheat, deprive, disinherit, -disown, divest, fine, forfeit, lose, relinquish, remove, rob, sacrifice, shortchange, steal, stiff, underpay, withhold)
COMPENSATE (+): abrogate, accommodate, adjust, allow, annul, appease, balance, better, calibrate, -cancel, compromise, concede, counteract, counterbalance, equalize, fix, improve, invalidate, mediate, -negate, neutralize, -nullify, offset, outweigh, reconcile, recoup, redeem, redress, repair, replace, restitute, restore (≠ burden, capsize, damage, deprive, encumber, exacerbate, hamstring, impair, injure, overbalance, overburden, overwhelm, penalize, tilt, topple, upset, wrong)
COMPILE (+): accumulate, amass, anthologize, arrange, assemble, collate, collect, compose, craft, cull, edit, garner, gather, glean, group, marshal, organize, recompile, redact, redraft, reedit, retool, revamp, revise, rework, scavenge (≠ delete, destroy, diffuse, disarrange, disassemble, discard, disorder, disorganize, disperse, distribute, divide, extract, forget, -ignore, miss, ransack, rummage, scatter, separate, spread)
COMPLEMENT (+): accompany, accomplish, achieve, approximate, benefit, cap, clinch, complete, conclude, consummate, contrast, crown, finalize, finish, fulfill, improve, integrate, juxtapose, match, perfect, satisfy, top (≠ degrade, deplete, diminish, downsize, fail, impair, lessen, mismatch, -neglect, reduce, subtract, vulgarize, worsen)
COMPLETE (+): accomplish, achieve, actualize, cap, claim, clinch, close, conclude, consummate, crest, crown, discharge, discover, end, execute, finalize, finish, fulfill, make, perfect, perform, plumb, realize, settle, terminate, win (≠ begin, commence, continue, delay, establish, extend, inaugurate, institute, introduce, open, prolong, resurrect, revive, shelve, stall, start, sustain)
COMPLICATE (/): churn, compound, confound, confuse, develop, elaborate, embarrass, embroider, entangle, expand, implicate, intensify, jumble, magnify, mix, muddle, perplex, scramble, snarl, sophisticate, tangle (≠ abbreviate, align, cut, disentangle, ease, facilitate, lubricate, midwife, organize, oversimplify, shorten, simplify, straighten, streamline, transact, unravel, untangle)
COMPLICATE (/): aggravate, amplify, compound, deepen, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, overdramatize, worsen (≠ allay, alleviate, ameliorate, assuage, better, ease, help, improve, lubricate, midwife, mitigate, relieve, simplify)
COMPLIMENT (+): acclaim, admire, adulate, applaud, blandish, boost, butter, cajole, celebrate, charm, cheer, commemorate, commend, congratulate, endorse, eulogize, exalt, extol, felicitate, flannel, flatter, glorify, greet, hail, high-five, honor, hype, idolize, ingratiate, laud, lionize, magnify, panegyrize, please, plug, praise, presell, recommend, salute, sanction, schmooze, soothe, toast, worship (≠ abuse, badmouth, belittle, blame, blast, boo, castigate, chasten, chide, condemn, criticize, critique, debase, decry, defame, demean, demonize, denounce, dishonor, disparage, disrespect, diss, fault, frame, fulminate, humiliate, insult, lambaste, libel, mock, pillory, ridicule, scold, -scorn, shame, slander, tease, vilify, wrong)
COMPOSE (+): arrange, assemble, author, brew, build, cast, choreograph, coin, conceive, concoct, construct, contour, contrive, cook, craft, create, design, devise, discover, draw, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, formulate, frame, fudge, ghostwrite, imagine, invent, make, orchestrate, originate, pen, plan, produce, score, script, sculpt, write (≠ annihilate, break, bulldoze, demolish, destroy, dismantle, disperse, forget, half-ass, improvise, inspire, instigate, motivate, obliterate, raze, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, shelve, spur, topple, undermine, wreck) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
COMPOSE (+): adjust, align, allay, appease, arrange, assuage, attune, balance, calibrate, calm, center, collect, comfort, compile, console, consolidate, contain, control, cool, coordinate, direct, ease, equalize, focus, gather, ground, harmonize, lull, mellow, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, pace, pacify, placate, poise, quell, quiet, reconcile, regiment, regulate, relax, repress, resolve, restrain, sculpt, sedate, settle, sober, soften, soothe, square, stabilize, steady, still, suppress, temper, tranquilize, tune, unify (≠ aggravate, agitate, alarm, anger, annoy, arouse, confuse, convulse, daze, disarrange, discombobulate, disconcert, disorganize, disquiet, distress, disturb, dizzy, excite, fan, foment, heckle, heighten, hurt, incense, incite, increase, intensify, irritate, kindle, mismatch, nag, needle, nitpick, provoke, rattle, rouse, scatter, shake, stir, troll, trouble, unsettle, upset, vex, worry, worsen)
COMPOUND (+): alloy, ally, amalgamate, blend, cement, chain, churn, coalesce, combine, concatenate, conjugate, connect, couple, dovetail, fuse, hitch, hook, hybridize, incorporate, integrate, interconnect, interlink, intermingle, intermix, join, link, merge, mingle, mix, reintegrate, string, synthesize, unify, unite, weld, wire, yoke (≠ cleave, detach, disconnect, disengage, disjoin, disjoint, distill, disunite, divide, part, rupture, separate, sever, split, sunder, unchain, uncouple, unhitch, unlink, unyoke)
COMPOUND (+): accelerate, accent, accentuate, accrue, accumulate, add, affirm, aggrandize, amass, amplify, animate, assert, augment, boost, build, bulge, bump, buttress, collect, complement, complicate, corroborate, cube, deepen, develop, dilate, distend, double, elaborate, elongate, embellish, emphasize, enhance, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, flavor, foster, heighten, hype, increase, inflate, inspire, intensify, lengthen, magnify, marinate, maximize, multiply, prioritize, prolong, protract, punctuate, raise, ratchet, reinforce, restore, season, spice, spike, strengthen, stretch, supersize, supplement, swell, treble, triple, unspool, up (≠ abate, abbreviate, abridge, balance, -cancel, compress, condense, constrict, contract, counteract, curtail, cut, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, edit, erase, lessen, lower, minimize, rarefy, reduce, shorten, subtract, truncate, underemphasize, undo)
COMPOUND (/): aggravate, complicate, embitter, enrage, exacerbate, exaggerate, expand, extend, heighten, impair, increase, inflame, inflate, infuriate, intensify, irritate, overdramatize, provoke, vex, worsen (≠ alle
viate, assuage, better, calm, correct, ease, help, improve, lull, mellow, minimize, mitigate, mollify, offset, outweigh, overcome, placate, rectify, redress, relieve, remedy, sedate, soothe, subdue)
COMPRESS (/): abbreviate, abridge, capsule, capsulize, collapse, compact, concentrate, condense, consolidate, constrict, contract, cram, crowd, crush, curtail, decrease, diminish, downsize, flatten, focus, generalize, impact, jam, jam-pack, lace, lessen, miniaturize, minimize, narrow, pack, pincer, pinch, press, pressurize, pump, reduce, sardine, screw, shoehorn, shorten, shrink, simplify, squash, squeeze, squoosh, strain, straiten, strangle, streamline, stuff, summarize, synopsize, tamp, telescope, wedge, wrinkle (≠ accrue, amplify, augment, balloon, broaden, bulge, decompress, diffuse, dilate, disperse, dissipate, distend, elaborate, expand, fatten, increase, inflate, magnify, maximize, open, scatter, spread, swell, unfold, unfurl)
COMPROMISE (/): blackjack, blackmail, blight, bludgeon, chance, cripple, endanger, explode, expose, gamble, harm, harshen, hazard, hobble, hurt, impair, impede, imperil, implicate, infect, inhibit, intimidate, jeopardize, mar, menace, poison, pollute, predetermine, prejudice, risk, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, spike, spoil, subject, target, threaten, undermine, venture, wager, weaken (≠ aid, armor, block, comfort, cure, defend, disinfect, guard, heal, help, immunize, imperil, inoculate, preserve, protect, quarantine, rescue, resume, safeguard, save, secure, shelter, shield, treat, vaccinate)
COMPROMISE (/): besmirch, blacken, blemish, coarsen, contaminate, damage, degrade, demean, diminish, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, embarrass, humiliate, implicate, incriminate, involve, malign, prejudice, shame, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, vulgarize (≠ aid, assist, beautify, benefit, brighten, clean, defend, dignify, elevate, enhance, freshen, glorify, honor, moralize, optimize, overhaul, polish, praise, purify, rarefy, rectify, refine, restore, sanitize, shine, spruce, straighten, tidy, upgrade, wash)
COMPUTE (+): add, appraise, ascertain, assess, benchmark, calculate, categorize, chart, cipher, conclude, consider, count, deduce, determine, discern, divide, enumerate, evaluate, examine, figure, gauge, grade, graph, hack, infer, jack, judge, measure, multiply, number, numerate, plan, plot, prove, quantify, rank, rate, rationalize, read, reckon, scan, study, subtract, sum, tally, test, time, total, triangulate, value, weigh (≠ approximate, assume, believe, challenge, cheat, claim, conjecture, contradict, deceive, distrust, doubt, estimate, fake, falsify, fancy, fudge, gainsay, guess, guesstimate, mistrust, question, refute, surmise, trick, wonder)
CON (←): bamboozle, beguile, bilk, bluff, bullshit, cajole, cheat, coax, deceive, defraud, delude, diddle, double-cross, dupe, entrap, exploit, fleece, flimflam, fool, fox, gammon, goldbrick, gull, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, inveigle, lure, manipulate, mislead, outslick, outwit, palaver, rook, scam, shortchange, snooker, snow, stiff, sweet-talk, swindle, trick, underpay, victimize, wheedle, wrong (≠ absolve, acquit, assume, assure, believe, blab, blurt, clear, confess, confide, confront, crosscheck, debunk, divulge, exonerate, expose, honor, pardon, protect, regret, remedy, shame, trust, validate, verify, vindicate)
CONCEAL (/): blanket, bury, cache, coffer, cover, -ditch, ensconce, entomb, harbor, hide, hoard, holster, inter, niche, palm, plant, secrete, sheathe, shelter, sneak, squirrel, stash, store, stow, submerge, tuck, wrap (≠ bare, brandish, disinter, display, exhibit, exhume, expose, exteriorize, externalize, flaunt, manifest, open, present, reveal, show, showcase, strip, uncover, unearth, unmask, unveil, unwrap)
CONCEAL (/): beard, -blank, blanket, bleep, block, blur, bury, camouflage, candy-coat, classify, cloak, clothe, cloud, costume, couch, cover, curtain, darken, -deny, disguise, -duck, eclipse, enshroud, gild, gloss, guard, hide, holster, hood, hush, kill, maintain, manage, mask, muddy, obfuscate, obscure, obstruct, occlude, occult, -omit, overshadow, plant, repress, screen, seclude, shade, sheathe, shroud, smother, spackle, stifle, subdue, sugarcoat, suppress, varnish, veil, whitewash (≠ accost, admit, advertise, air, bare, betray, brandish, broadcast, bulletin, clarify, concede, confess, confide, confirm, confront, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, flaunt, floodlight, herald, identify, illuminate, light, limelight, out, parade, plug, present, proclaim, publicize, reveal, showcase, sport, spread, telegraph, uncloud, uncover, unmask, volunteer, wag)
CONCEDE (+): accept, acknowledge, admit, affirm, allow, announce, avow, betray, blab, blurt, break, broadcast, caution, circulate, communicate, confess, confide, confirm, declare, disclose, disseminate, divulge, expose, give, grant, impart, inform, leak, own, proclaim, profess, publish, recognize, reveal, spill, telegraph, tell, unburden, unload, unveil, warn, yield (≠ conceal, confront, contradict, debate, -deny, disallow, disavow, disclaim, discredit, -disown, disprove, dispute, distrust, doubt, gainsay, hide, -negate, obscure, rebut, refute, -reject, -repudiate, scruple, veil) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
CONCEDE (/): -abandon, abnegate, bequeath, cede, commit, consign, deliver, -desert, discard, entrust, forfeit, -forsake, release, relinquish, render, -renounce, resign, sacrifice, shed, surrender, survive, transfer, waive, yield (≠ claim, colonize, conquer, defend, defy, -deny, deprive, hold, invade, keep, maintain, obtain, oppose, protect, retain, stint, vanquish, withhold)
CONCENTRATE (+): accumulate, aggregate, amass, assemble, bunch, center, centralize, cluster, collect, combine, compact, compile, compress, condense, congregate, consider, consolidate, crowd, direct, distill, evaporate, focus, gather, hoard, integrate, intensify, localize, mass, mind, muster, narrow, overcrowd, pile, reduce, rivet, stockpile, store, strengthen, swarm, thicken, unify (≠ adulterate, diffuse, dilute, disband, disintegrate, disperse, dissipate, dissolve, divide, enlarge, expand, extend, loosen, part, rarefy, release, scatter, segregate, separate, sever, spend, split, spread, squander, stretch, thin, waste, water, weaken)
CONCERN (+): abash, aggravate, agitate, ail, alarm, anger, annoy, appall, bedevil, bother, bug, chafe, chivy, 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, interest, involve, irk, irritate, jar, mortify, nettle, niggle, nitpick, nonplus, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, plague, rattle, rile, sadden, shake, touch, trouble, undo, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, upset, vex, worry (≠ allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, calm, comfort, compose, conciliate, console, delight, entertain, forget, hush, lull, mellow, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, quiet, sedate, settle, soothe, sugarcoat, thrill, tranquilize) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
CONCLUDE (+): accept, adjudge, affirm, ascertain, assume, believe, conjecture, construe, contemplate, credit, decide, declare, deduce, derive, detect, determine, draw, educe, extrapolate, figure, gather, guess, hold, infer, interpret, judge, maintain, presume, profess, profile, rationalize, read, reason, reckon, suppose, surmise, suss, think, trust, understand, wonder (≠ addle, baffle, conceal, confuse, disprove, -disregard, doubt, forget, hide, -ignore, invalidate, lose, mask, misplace, miss, mystify, -overlook, perplex, predetermine, puzzle, scruple, shroud, stun, trouble, unlearn, veil) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
CONCLUDE (+): accomplish, achieve, adjudge, adjudicate, arbitrate, arrange, ascertain, broker, chew, choose, claim, clinch, close, consider, consult, contemplate, crest, cull, decide, decree, deliberate, determine, effect, elect, entertain, establish, execute, figure, fill, finalize, find, fix, fulfill, handpick, integrate, judge, learn, meditate, mull, name, negotiate, pick, ponder, prefer, question, referee, resolve, rule, select, settle, study, umpire, weigh (≠ confuse, debate, -decline, delay, discourage, dissuade, -halt, hinder, mismanage, misplace, miss, muddle, muddy, -overlook, perplex, predetermine, -prevent, prolong, puzzle, -refuse, -reject, renegotiate, shelve, skirt, stall, stop, suppress, undershoot, unsettle) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
CONCLUDE (/): -abort, cap, cease, close,
complete, consummate, crown, -discontinue, end, finish, -halt, perfect, stop, suspend, terminate, wrap (≠ begin, brainstorm, commence, concoct, continue, create, extend, follow, inaugurate, initiate, inspire, instigate, launch, open, originate, spur, start)
CONCOCT (+): ad-lib, blend, brainstorm, brew, churn, coin, conceive, construct, contrive, cook, daydream, design, develop, devise, dream, envisage, envision, extemporize, fabricate, fantasize, fix, formulate, foster, half-ass, hallucinate, hatch, imagine, improvise, invent, machine, make, manufacture, mix, picture, plan, plot, prepare, produce, ready, script, visualize (≠ adopt, clone, copy, copycat, criticize, demolish, destroy, devastate, duplicate, emulate, ghostwrite, imitate, mangle, mimic, reduplicate, replicate, reproduce, ruin, terminate, wreck)
CONDEMN (/): abhor, abominate, admonish, assail, attack, badmouth, ban, bar, belittle, berate, blacklist, blame, blast, boo, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, coerce, compel, criticize, critique, crucify, curse, cuss, damn, decry, demean, demolish, demonize, denounce, denunciate, deplore, deprecate, deride, destroy, -detest, disparage, disrespect, diss, doom, drub, -excommunicate, excoriate, execrate, fault, flay, force, frame, fulminate, gibbet, hammer, -hate, imprecate, impugn, keelhaul, knock, lambaste, lash, lecture, -loathe, neg, ordain, -ostracize, pan, pillory, proscribe, rag, rake, rate, -rebuff, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, resent, revile, scalp, scapegoat, scold, skewer, skin, slam, slate, tweak, upbraid, vituperate (≠ acclaim, applaud, approve, bless, commend, congratulate, consecrate, endorse, eulogize, exalt, expiate, extol, glorify, hail, hallow, honor, laud, legalize, praise, recommend, revere, rubber-stamp, salute, sanctify, sanction, tout, venerate)