English Synonyms and Antonyms — Attitude to Axiom

pose, position, posture.

_Position_ as applied to the arrangement or situation of the human body or limbs may denote that which is conscious or unconscious, of the living or the dead; but we do not speak of the _attitude_, _pose_, or _posture_ of a corpse; unless, in some rare case, we might say the body was found in a sitting _posture_, where the _posture_ is thought of as assumed in life, or as, at first glance, suggesting life.

A _posture_ is assumed without any special reference to expression of feeling; as, an erect _posture_, a reclining _posture_; _attitude_ is the _position_ appropriate to the expression of some feeling; the _attitude_ may be unconsciously taken through the strength of the feeling; as, an _attitude_ of defiance; or it may be consciously assumed in the attempt to express the feeling; as, he assumed an _attitude_ of humility.

A

_pose_ is a _position_ studied for artistic effect, or considered with reference to such effect; the unconscious _posture_ of a spectator or listener may be an admirable _pose_ from an artist's standpoint.

* * * * * ATTRIBUTE, _v.

_ Synonyms: ascribe, associate, connect, impute, refer.

assign, charge, We may _attribute_ to a person either that which belongs to him or that which we merely suppose to be his.

We _attribute_ to God infinite power.

We may _attribute_ a wrong intent to an innocent person.

We may _attribute_ a result, rightly or wrongly, to a certain cause; in such case, however, _attribute_ carries always a concession of uncertainty or possible error.

Where we are quite sure, we simply _refer_ a matter to the cause or class to which it belongs or _ascribe_ to one what is surely his, etc. Many diseases formerly _attributed_ to witchcraft are now _referred_ to the action of micro-organisms.

We may _attribute_ a matter in silent thought; we _ascribe_ anything openly in speech or writing; King Saul said of the singing women, "They have _ascribed_ unto David ten thousands, and to me they have _ascribed_ but thousands."

We _associate_ things which may have no necessary or causal relation; as, we may _associate_ the striking of a clock with the serving of dinner, tho the two are not necessarily connected.

We _charge_ a person with what we deem blameworthy.

We may _impute_ good or evil, but more commonly evil.

Antonyms: deny, disconnect, dissociate, separate, sever, sunder.

Prepositions: It is uncharitable to attribute evil motives _to_ (archaic _unto_) others.

* * * * * ATTRIBUTE, _n.

_ Synonyms: property, quality.

A _quality_ (L. _qualis_, such)--the "suchness" of anything, according to the German idiom--denotes what a thing really is in some one respect;

an _attribute_ is what we conceive a thing to be in some one respect;

thus, while _attribute_ may, _quality_ must, express something of the real nature of that to which it is ascribed; we speak of the _attributes_ of God, the _qualities_ of matter.

"Originally 'the _attributes_ of God' was preferred, probably, because men assumed no knowledge of the actual _qualities_ of the Deity, but only of those more or less fitly attributed to him."

J.

A.

H.

MURRAY.

[M.

] Holiness is an _attribute_ of God; the _attributes_ of many heathen deities have been only the _qualities_ of wicked men joined to superhuman power.

A

_property_ (L. _proprius_, one's own) is what belongs especially to one thing as its own peculiar possession, in distinction from all other things; when we speak of the _qualities_ or the _properties_ of matter, _quality_ is the more general, _property_ the more limited term.

A

_quality_ is inherent; a _property_ may be transient; physicists now, however, prefer to term those _qualities_ manifested by all bodies (such as impenetrability, extension, etc. ), _general properties_ of matter, while those peculiar to certain substances or to certain states of those substances (as fluidity, malleability, etc. ) are termed _specific properties_; in this wider use of the word _property_, it becomes strictly synonymous with _quality_.

Compare CHARACTERISTIC; EMBLEM.

Antonyms: being, essence, nature, substance.

* * * * * AUGUR.

Synonyms: betoken, divine, foretell, predict, prognosticate, bode, forebode, portend, presage, prophesy.

"Persons or things _augur_; persons only _forebode_ or _presage_; things only _betoken_ or _portend_."

CRABB _English Synonymes_.

We _augur_ well for a voyage from past good fortune and a good start; we _presage_ success from the stanchness of the ship and the skill of the captain.

We _forebode_ misfortune either from circumstances that _betoken_ failure, or from gloomy fancies for which we could not give a reason.

Dissipation among the officers and mutiny among the crew _portend_ disaster.

_Divine_ has reference to the ancient soothsayers' arts (as in _Gen.

_ xliv, 5, 15), and refers rather to reading hearts than to reading the future.

We say I could not _divine_ his motive, or his intention.

Antonyms: assure, demonstrate, establish, make sure, settle, calculate, determine, insure, prove, warrant.

Prepositions: I augur _from_ all circumstances a prosperous result; I augur ill _of_ the enterprise; "augurs ill _to_ the rights of the people," THOMAS JEFFERSON _Writings_ vol. ii, p. 506. [T.

& M.

'53. ] I augur well, or this augurs well, _for_ your cause.

* * * * * AUTHENTIC.

Synonyms: accepted, certain, original, sure, accredited, current, real, true, authoritative, genuine, received, trustworthy, authorized, legitimate, reliable, veritable.

That is _authentic_ which is true to the facts; that is _genuine_ which is true to its own claims; as, _authentic_ history; _genuine_ money.

A '_genuine_' work is one written by the author whose name it bears;

an '_authentic_' work is one which relates truthfully the matters of which it treats.

For example, the apocryphal Gospel of St. Thomas is neither '_genuine_' nor '_authentic_.'

It is not '_genuine_,' for St. Thomas did not write it; it is not '_authentic_,' for its contents are mainly fables and lies.

TRENCH _On the Study of Words_ lect.

vi, p. 189. [W.

J.

W.

] _Authentic_ is, however, used by reputable writers as synonymous with _genuine_, tho usually where genuineness carries a certain authority.

We speak of _accepted_ conclusions, _certain_ evidence, _current_ money, _genuine_ letters, a _legitimate_ conclusion or _legitimate_ authority, _original_ manuscripts, _real_ value, _received_ interpretation, _sure_ proof, a _true_ statement, a _trustworthy_ witness, a _veritable_ discovery.

Antonyms: apocryphal, counterfeit, exploded, false, spurious, baseless, disputed, fabulous, fictitious, unauthorized.

* * * * * AUXILIARY.

Synonyms: accessory, ally, coadjutor, helper, promoter, aid, assistant, confederate, mercenary, subordinate.

An _auxiliary_ is a person or thing that helps in a subordinate capacity.

_Allies_ unite as equals; _auxiliaries_ are, at least technically, inferiors or subordinates.

Yet the _auxiliary_ is more than a mere _assistant_.

The word is oftenest found in the plural, and in the military sense; _auxiliaries_ are troops of one nation uniting with the armies, and acting under the orders, of another.

_Mercenaries_ serve only for pay; _auxiliaries_ often for reasons of state, policy, or patriotism as well.

Compare ACCESSORY; APPENDAGE.

Antonyms: antagonist, hinderer, opponent, opposer.

Prepositions: The auxiliaries _of_ the Romans; an auxiliary _in_ a good cause; an auxiliary _to_ learning.

* * * * * AVARICIOUS.

Synonyms: close, greedy, niggardly, penurious, sordid, covetous, miserly, parsimonious, rapacious, stingy.

_Avaricious_ and _covetous_ refer especially to acquisition, _miserly_, _niggardly_, _parsimonious_, and _penurious_ to expenditure.

The _avaricious_ man has an eager craving for money, and ordinarily desires both to get and to keep, the _covetous_ man to get something away from its possessor; tho one may be made _avaricious_ by the pressure of great expenditures.

_Miserly_ and _niggardly_ persons seek to gain by mean and petty savings; the _miserly_ by stinting themselves, the _niggardly_ by stinting others.

_Parsimonious_ and _penurious_ may apply to one's outlay either for himself or for others; in the latter use, they are somewhat less harsh and reproachful terms than _niggardly_.

The _close_ man holds like a vise all that he gets.

_Near_ and _nigh_ are provincial words of similar import.

The _rapacious_ have the robber instinct, and put it in practise in some form, as far as they dare.

The _avaricious_ and _rapacious_ are ready to reach out for gain; the _parsimonious_, _miserly_, and _niggardly_ prefer the safer and less adventurous way of avoiding expenditure.

_Greedy_ and _stingy_ are used not only of money, but often of other things, as food, etc. The _greedy_ child wishes to enjoy everything himself; the _stingy_ child, to keep others from getting it.

Antonyms: bountiful, free, generous, liberal, munificent, prodigal, wasteful.

Preposition: The monarch was avaricious _of_ power.

* * * * * AVENGE.

Synonyms: punish, retaliate, revenge, vindicate, visit.

_Avenge_ and _revenge_, once close synonyms, are now far apart in meaning.

To _avenge_ is to _visit_ some offense with punishment, in order to _vindicate_ the righteous, or to uphold and illustrate the right by the suffering or destruction of the wicked.

"And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he _avenged_ him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian," _Acts_ vii, 24. To _revenge_ is to inflict harm or suffering upon another through personal anger and resentment at something done to ourselves.

_Avenge_ is unselfish; _revenge_ is selfish.

_Revenge_, according to present usage, could not be said of God.

To _retaliate_ may be necessary for self-defense, without the idea of _revenge_.

Compare REVENGE.

Prepositions: Avenge _on_ or _upon_ (rarely, avenge oneself _of_) a wrong-doer.

* * * * * AVOW.

Synonyms: knowledge, aver, confess, own, profess, testify, admit, avouch, declare, proclaim, protest, witness.

_Acknowledge_, _admit_, and _declare_ refer either to oneself or to others; all the other words refer only to one's own knowledge or action.

To _avow_ is to declare boldly and openly, commonly as something one is ready to justify, maintain, or defend.

A man _acknowledges_ another's claim or his own promise; he _admits_ an opponent's advantage or his own error; he _declares_ either what he has seen or experienced or what he has received from another; he _avers_ what he is sure of from his own knowledge or consciousness; he gives his assurance as the voucher for what he _avouches_; he _avows_ openly a belief or intention that he has silently held.

_Avow_ and _avouch_ take a direct object; _aver_ is followed by a conjunction: a man _avows_ his faith, _avouches_ a deed, _avers_ that he was present.

_Avow_ has usually a good sense; what a person _avows_ he at least does not treat as blameworthy, criminal, or shameful; if he did, he would be said to _confess_ it; yet there is always the suggestion that some will be ready to challenge or censure what one _avows_; as, the clergyman _avowed_ his dissent from the doctrine of his church.

_Own_ applies to all things, good or bad, great or small, which one takes as his own.

Compare CONFESS; STATE.

Antonyms: contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, ignore, repudiate.

* * * * * AWFUL.

Synonyms: alarming, direful, frightful, majestic, solemn, appalling, dread, grand, noble, stately, august, dreadful, horrible, portentous, terrible, dire, fearful, imposing, shocking, terrific.

_Awful_ should not be used of things which are merely disagreeable or annoying, nor of all that are _alarming_ and _terrible_, but only of such as bring a solemn awe upon the soul, as in the presence of a superior power; as, the _awful_ hush before the battle.

That which is _awful_ arouses an oppressive, that which is _august_ an admiring reverence; we speak of the _august_ presence of a mighty monarch, the _awful_ presence of death.

We speak of an _exalted_ station, a _grand_ mountain, an _imposing_ presence, a _majestic_ cathedral, a _noble_ mien, a _solemn_ litany, a _stately_ march, an _august_ assembly, the _awful_ scene of the Judgment Day.

Antonyms: base, contemptible, inferior, paltry, beggarly, despicable, lowly, undignified, commonplace, humble, mean, vulgar.

* * * * * AWKWARD.

Synonyms: boorish, clumsy, rough, unhandy, bungling, gawky, uncouth, unskilful.

clownish, maladroit, ungainly, _Awkward_, from _awk_ (kindred with _off_, from the Norwegian), is _off-ward_, turned the wrong way; it was anciently used of a back-handed or left-handed blow in battle, of squinting eyes, etc. _Clumsy_, on the other hand (from _clumse_, also through the Norwegian), signifies benumbed, stiffened with cold; this is the original meaning of _clumsy_ fingers, _clumsy_ limbs.

Thus, _awkward_ primarily refers to action, _clumsy_ to condition.

A tool, a vehicle, or the human frame may be _clumsy_ in shape or build, _awkward_ in motion.

The _clumsy_ man is almost of necessity _awkward_, but the _awkward_ man may not be naturally _clumsy_.

The finest untrained colt is _awkward_ in harness; a horse that is _clumsy_ in build can never be trained out of awkwardness.

An _awkward_ statement has an uncomfortable, and perhaps recoiling force; a statement that contains ill-assorted and incongruous material in ill-chosen language is _clumsy_.

We speak of an _awkward_ predicament, an _awkward_ scrape.

An _awkward_ excuse commonly reflects on the one who offers it.

We say the admitted facts have an _awkward_ appearance.

In none of these cases could _clumsy_ be used.

_Clumsy_ is, however, applied to movements that seem as unsuitable as those of benumbed and stiffened limbs.

A dancing bear is both _clumsy_ and _awkward_.

Antonyms: adroit, clever, dexterous, handy, skilful.

Prepositions: The raw recruit is awkward _in_ action; _at_ the business.

* * * * * AXIOM.

Synonym: truism.

Both the _axiom_ and the _truism_ are instantly seen to be true, and need no proof; but in an _axiom_ there is progress of thought, while the _truism_ simply says the same thing over again, or says what is too manifest to need saying.

The _axiom_ that "things which are equal to the same thing are equal to one another" unfolds in the latter part of the sentence the truth implied in the first part, which might have been overlooked if not stated.

In the _truism_ that "a man can do all he is capable of," the former and the latter part of the sentence are simply identical, and the mind is left just where it started.

Hence the _axiom_ is valuable and useful, while the _truism_ is weak and flat, unless the form of statement makes it striking or racy, as "all fools are out of their wits."

Compare PROVERB.

Antonyms: absurdity, contradiction, demonstration, nonsense, paradox, sophism.

* * * * * BABBLE.

Synonyms: