English Synonyms and Antonyms — Doubt, v. to Duty

DOUBT, _v.

_ Synonyms: distrust, mistrust, surmise, suspect.

To _doubt_ is to lack conviction.

Incompleteness of evidence may compel one to _doubt_, or some perverse bias of mind may incline him to.

_Distrust_ may express simply a lack of confidence; as, I _distrust_ my own judgment; or it may be nearly equivalent to _suspect_; as, I _distrusted_ that man from the start.

_Mistrust_ and _suspect_ imply that one is almost assured of positive evil; one may _distrust_ himself or others; he _suspects_ others.

_Mistrust_ is now rarely, if ever, used of persons, but only of motives, intentions, etc. _Distrust_ is always serious; _mistrust_ is often used playfully.

Compare SUPPOSE.

Compare synonyms for DOUBT, _n.

_ Antonyms: believe, depend on, depend upon, rely on, rely upon, trust.

confide in, * * * * * DOUBT, _n.

_ Synonyms: disbelief, incredulity, perplexity, suspense, distrust, indecision, question, suspicion, hesitancy, irresolution, scruple, unbelief, hesitation, misgiving, skepticism, uncertainty.

_Doubt_ is a lack of conviction that may refer either to matters of belief or to matters of practise.

As regards belief, while _doubt_ is lack of conviction, _disbelief_ is conviction, to the contrary;

_unbelief_ refers to a settled state of mind, generally accompanied with opposition of heart.

_Perplexity_ is active and painful; _doubt_ may be quiescent.

_Perplexity_ presses toward a solution; _doubt_ may be content to linger unresolved.

Any improbable statement awakens _incredulity_.

In theological usage _unbelief_ and _skepticism_ have a condemnatory force, as implying wilful rejection of manifest truth.

As regards practical matters, _uncertainty_ applies to the unknown or undecided; _doubt_ implies some negative evidence.

_Suspense_ regards the future, and is eager and anxious; _uncertainty_ may relate to any period, and be quite indifferent.

_Misgiving_ is ordinarily in regard to the outcome of something already done or decided; _hesitation_, _indecision_, and _irresolution_ have reference to something that remains to be decided or done, and are due oftener to infirmity of will than to lack of knowledge.

_Distrust_ and _suspicion_ apply especially to the motives, character, etc. , of others, and are more decidedly adverse than _doubt_.

_Scruple_ relates to matters of conscience and duty.

Antonyms: assurance, certainty, conviction, determination, resolution, belief, confidence, decision, persuasion, resolve.

* * * * * DRAW.

Synonyms: allure, drag, haul, induce, lure, tow, attract, entice, incline, lead, pull, tug.

One object _draws_ another when it moves it toward itself or in the direction of its own motion by the exertion of adequate force, whether slight or powerful.

To _attract_ is to exert a force that tends to _draw_, tho it may produce no actual motion; all objects are _attracted_ toward the earth, tho they may be sustained from falling.

To _drag_ is to _draw_ against strong resistance; as, to _drag_ a sled over bare ground, or a carriage up a steep hill.

To _pull_ is to exert a _drawing_ force, whether adequate or inadequate; as, the fish _pulls_ on the line; a dentist _pulls_ a tooth.

To _tug_ is to _draw_, or try to _draw_, a resisting object with a continuous straining motion; as, to _tug_ at the oar.

To _haul_ is to _draw_ somewhat slowly a heavy object;

as, to _haul_ a seine; to _haul_ logs.

One vessel _tows_ another.

In the figurative sense, _attract_ is more nearly akin to _incline_, _draw_ to _induce_.

We are _attracted_ by one's appearance, _drawn_ to his side.

Compare ALLURE; ARRAY; INFLUENCE.

Antonyms: alienate, estrange, rebuff, reject, repel, repulse.

See synonyms for DRIVE.

Prepositions: To draw water _from_ or _out of_ the well; draw the boat _through_ the water, _to_ the shore; draw air _into_ the lungs; draw _with_ cords of love; the wagon is drawn _by_ horses, _along_ the road, _across_ the field, _over_ the stones, _through_ the woods, _to_ the barn.

* * * * * DREAM.

Synonyms: day-dream, fantasy, reverie, trance, fancy, hallucination, romance, vision.

A _dream_ is strictly a train of thoughts, fantasies, and images passing through the mind during sleep; a _vision_ may occur when one is awake, and in clear exercise of the senses and mental powers; _vision_ is often applied to something seen by the mind through supernatural agency, whether in sleep or wakefulness, conceived as more real and authoritative than a _dream_; a _trance_ is an abnormal state, which is different from normal sleep or wakefulness.

A _reverie_ is a purposeless drifting of the mind when awake, under the influence of mental images; a _day-dream_ that which passes before the mind in such condition.

A

_fancy_ is some image presented to the mind, often in the fullest exercise of its powers.

_Hallucination_ is the seeming perception of non-existent objects, as in insanity or delirium.

In the figurative sense, we speak of _dreams_ of fortune, _visions_ of glory, with little difference of meaning except that the _vision_ is thought of as fuller and more vivid.

We speak of a _trance_ of delight when the emotion almost sweeps one away from the normal exercise of the faculties.

Antonyms: certainty, fact, reality, realization, substance, verity.

* * * * * DRESS.

Synonyms: apparel, clothes, garb, habit, uniform, array, clothing, garments, raiment, vestments, attire, costume, habiliments, robes, vesture.

_Clothing_ denotes the entire covering of the body, taken as a whole;

_clothes_ and _garments_ view it as composed of separate parts.

_Clothes_, _clothing_, and _garments_ may be used of inner or outer covering; all the other words in the list (with possible rare exceptions in the case of _raiment_) refer to the outer _garments_.

_Array_, _raiment_, and _vesture_ are archaic or poetic; so, too, is _habit_, except in technical use to denote a lady's riding-_dress_.

The word _vestments_ is now rare, except in ecclesiastical use.

_Apparel_ and _attire_ are most frequently used of somewhat complete and elegant outer _clothing_, tho Shakespeare speaks of "poor and mean _attire_."

_Dress_ may be used, specifically, for a woman's gown, and in that sense may be either rich or shabby; but in the general sense it denotes outer _clothing_ which is meant to be elegant, complete, and appropriate to some social or public occasion; as, full _dress_, court _dress_, evening _dress_, etc. _Dress_ has now largely displaced _apparel_ and _attire_.

_Garb_ denotes the _clothing_ characteristic of some class, profession, or the like; as, the _garb_ of a priest.

_Costume_ is chiefly used for that which befits an assumed character; as, a theatrical _costume_; we sometimes speak of a national _costume_, etc. Antonyms: bareness, dishabille, exposure, nakedness, nudity, undress.

disarray, * * * * * DRIVE.

Synonyms: compel, propel, repel, resist, thrust, impel, push, repulse, ride, urge on.

To _drive_ is to move an object with some force or violence before or away from oneself; it is the direct reverse of _draw_, _lead_, etc. A

man leads a horse by the halter, _drives_ him with whip and rein.

One may be _driven_ to a thing or from it; hence, _drive_ is a synonym equally for _compel_ or for _repel_ or _repulse_.

_Repulse_ is stronger and more conclusive than _repel_; one may be _repelled_ by the very aspect of the person whose favor he seeks, but is not _repulsed_ except by the direct refusal or ignoring of his suit.

A certain conventional modern usage, especially in England, requires us to say that we _drive_ in a carriage, _ride_ upon a horse; tho in Scripture we read of _riding_ in a chariot (_2 Kings_ ix, 16; _Jer.

_ xvii, 25, etc. ); good examples of the same usage may be found abundantly in the older English.

The propriety of a person's saying that he is going to _drive_ when he is simply to be conveyed in a carriage, where some one else, as the coachman, does all the _driving_, is exceedingly questionable.

Many good authorities prefer to use _ride_ in the older and broader sense as signifying to be supported and borne along by any means of conveyance.

Compare BANISH; COMPEL; INFLUENCE.

Antonyms: See synonyms for DRAW.

Prepositions: Drive _to_ market; _to_ despair; drive _into_ exile; _from_ one's presence; _out of_ the city; drive _by_, _with_, or _under_ the lash;

drive _by_ or _past_ beautiful estates; _along_ the beach; _beside_ the river; _through_ the park; _across_ the field; _around_ the square; _to_ the door; _into_ the barn; _out of_ the sunshine.

* * * * * DUPLICATE.

Synonyms: copy, facsimile, likeness, reproduction, counterpart, imitation, replica, transcript.

A _copy_ is as nearly like the original as the copyist has power to make it; a _duplicate_ is exactly like the original; a carbon _copy_ of a typewritten document must be a _duplicate_; we may have an inaccurate _copy_, but never an inaccurate _duplicate_.

A _facsimile_ is like the original in appearance; a _duplicate_ is the same as the original in substance and effect; a _facsimile_ of the Declaration of Independence is not a _duplicate_.

A _facsimile_ of a key might be quite useless; a _duplicate_ will open the lock.

A _counterpart_ exactly corresponds to another object, but perhaps without design, while a _copy_ is intentional.

An _imitation_ is always thought of as inferior to the original; as, an _imitation_ of Milton.

A _replica_ is a _copy_ of a work of art by the maker of the original.

In law, a _copy_ of an instrument has in itself no authority; the signatures, as well as other matters, may be copied; a _duplicate_ is really an original, containing the same provisions and signed by the same persons, so that it may have in all respects the same force and effect; a _transcript_ is an official _copy_, authenticated by the signature of the proper officer, and by the seal of the appropriate court.

While strictly there could be but one _duplicate_, the word is now extended to an indefinite number of exact _copies_.

_Reproduction_ is chiefly applied to living organisms.

Antonyms: archetype, model, original, pattern, prototype.

* * * * * DUTY.

Synonyms: accountability, function, office, right, business, obligation, responsibility, righteousness.

Etymologically, _duty_ is that which is owed or due; _obligation_, that to or by which one is bound; _right_, that which is correct, straight, or in the direct line of truth and goodness; _responsibility_, that for which one must answer.

_Duty_ and _responsibility_ are thought of as to some person or persons; _right_ is impersonal.

One's _duty_ may be to others or to himself; his _obligations_ and _responsibilities_ are to others.

_Duty_ arises from the nature of things; _obligation_ and _responsibility_ may be created by circumstances, as by one's own promise, or by the acceptance of a trust, etc. We speak of a parent's _duty_, a debtor's _obligation_; or of a child's _duty_ of obedience, and a parent's _responsibility_ for the child's welfare.

_Right_ is that which accords with the moral system of the universe.

_Righteousness_ is _right_ incarnated in action.

In a more limited sense, _right_ may be used of what one may rightly claim, and so be the converse of _duty_.

It is the creditor's _right_ to demand payment, and the debtor's _duty_ to pay.

Compare BUSINESS.

* * * * * EAGER.