English Synonyms and Antonyms — Entertain to Esteem, n.

Synonyms: amuse, cheer, disport, enliven, interest, please, beguile, delight, divert, gratify, occupy, recreate.

To _entertain_, in the sense here considered, is to engage and pleasantly occupy the attention; to _amuse_ is to occupy the attention in an especially bright and cheerful way, often with that which excites merriment or laughter; as, he _entertained_ us with an _amusing_ story.

To _divert_ is to turn from serious thoughts or laborious pursuits to something that lightly and agreeably occupies the mind; one may be _entertained_ or _amused_ who has nothing serious or laborious from which to be _diverted_.

To _recreate_, literally to re-create, is to engage mind or body in some pleasing activity that restores strength and energy for serious work.

To _beguile_ is, as it were, to cheat into cheer and comfort by something that insensibly draws thought or feeling away from pain or disquiet.

We _beguile_ a weary hour, _cheer_ the despondent, _divert_ the preoccupied, _enliven_ a dull evening or company, _gratify_ our friends' wishes, _entertain_, _interest_, _please_ a listening audience, _occupy_ idle time, _disport_ ourselves when merry, _recreate_ when worn with toil; we _amuse_ ourselves or others with whatever pleasantly passes the time without special exertion, each according to his taste.

Antonyms: annoy, bore, busy, disquiet, distract, disturb, tire, weary.

* * * * * ENTERTAINMENT.

Synonyms: amusement, diversion, fun, pleasure, cheer, enjoyment, merriment, recreation, delight, frolic, pastime, sport.

_Entertainment_ and _recreation_ imply thought and mental occupation, tho in an agreeable, refreshing way; they are therefore words of a high order.

_Entertainment_, apart from its special senses of a public performance or a social party, and predominantly even there, is used of somewhat mirthful mental delight; _recreation_ may, and usually does, combine the mental with the physical.

_Amusement_ and _pastime_ are nearly equivalent, the latter probably the lighter word; many slight things may be _pastimes_ which we should hardly dignify by the name of _amusements_.

_Sports_ are almost wholly on the physical plane, tho involving a certain grade of mental action; fox-hunting, horse-racing, and baseball are _sports_.

Certain _sports_ may afford _entertainment_ or _recreation_ to certain persons, according to their individual tastes; but _entertainment_ and _recreation_ are capable of a meaning so high as never to be approached by any meaning of _sport_.

_Cheer_ may be very quiet, as the _cheer_ of a bright fire to an aged traveler;

_merriment_ is with liveliness and laughter; _fun_ and _frolic_ are apt to be boisterous.

_Amusement_ is a form of _enjoyment_, but _enjoyment_ may be too keen to be called _amusement_.

Compare synonyms for ENTERTAIN.

Antonyms: ennui, fatigue, labor, lassitude, toil, weariness, work.

* * * * * ENTHUSIASM.

Synonyms: ardor, excitement, frenzy, transport, devotion, extravagance, inspiration, vehemence, eagerness, fanaticism, intensity, warmth, earnestness, fervency, passion, zeal.

ecstasy, fervor, rapture, The old meaning of _enthusiasm_ implies a pseudo-_inspiration_, an almost frantic _extravagance_ in behalf of something supposed to be an expression of the divine will.

This sense remains as the controlling one in the kindred noun _enthusiast_.

_Enthusiasm_ has now chiefly the meaning of an earnest and commendable _devotion_, an intense and eager interest.

Against the hindrances of the world, nothing great and good can be carried without a certain _fervor_, _intensity_, and _vehemence_;

these joined with faith, courage, and hopefulness make _enthusiasm_.

_Zeal_ is burning _earnestness_, always tending to vigorous action with all the _devotion_ of _enthusiasm_, tho often without its hopefulness.

Compare EAGER.

Antonyms: calculation, caution, deadness, indifference, policy, timidity, calmness, coldness, dulness, lukewarmness, prudence, wariness.

* * * * * ENTRANCE.

Synonyms: access, approach, gate, introduction, accession, door, gateway, opening, adit, doorway, ingress, penetration, admission, entrée, inlet, portal.

admittance, entry, _Entrance_, the act of entering, refers merely to the fact of passing from without to within some enclosure; _admission_ and _admittance_ refer to entering by or with some one's consent, or at least to opportunity afforded by some one's act or neglect.

We may effect or force an _entrance_, but not _admittance_ or _admission_; those we gain, procure, obtain, secure, win.

_Admittance_ refers to place, _admission_ refers also to position, privilege, favor, friendship, etc. An intruder may gain _admittance_ to the hall of a society who would not be allowed _admission_ to its membership.

_Approach_ is a movement toward another;

_access_ is coming all the way to his presence, recognition, and consideration.

An unworthy favorite may prevent even those who gain _admittance_ to a king's audience from obtaining any real _access_ to the king.

_Entrance_ is also used figuratively for setting out upon some career, or becoming a member of some organization; as, we speak of one's _entrance_ upon college life, or of _entrance_ into the ministry.

Antonyms: departure, ejection, exit, refusal, withdrawal.

egress, exclusion, expulsion, rejection, Prepositions: Entrance _into_ a place; _on_ or _upon_ a work or course of action;

_into_ or _upon_ office; _into_ battle; _by_ or _through_ the door;

_within_ the gates; _into_ or _among_ the company.

* * * * * ENVIOUS.

Synonyms: jealous, suspicious.

One is _envious_ who cherishes selfish ill will toward another because of his superior success, endowments, possessions, or the like.

A person is _envious_ of that which is another's, and to which he himself has no right or claim; he is _jealous_ of intrusion upon that which is his own, or to which he maintains a right or claim.

An _envious_ spirit is always bad; a _jealous_ spirit may be good or bad, according to its object and tendency.

A free people must be _jealous_ of their liberties if they would retain them.

One is _suspicious_ of another from unfavorable indications or from a knowledge of wrong in his previous conduct, or even without reason.

Compare DOUBT.

Antonyms: contented, friendly, kindly, satisfied, trustful, well-disposed.

Prepositions: Envious _of_ (formerly _at_ or _against_) a person; envious _of_ his wealth or power; envious _of_ him _for_, _because of_, _on account of_ his wealth or power.

* * * * * EQUIVOCAL.

Synonyms: ambiguous, enigmatical, indistinct, questionable, doubtful, indefinite, obscure, suspicious, dubious, indeterminate, perplexing, uncertain.

enigmatic, _Equivocal_ (L. _equus_, equal, and _vox_, voice, word) denotes that which may equally well be understood in either of two or more ways.

_Ambiguous_ (L. _ambi_, around, and _ago_, drive, lead) signifies lacking in distinctness or certainty, obscure or doubtful through indefiniteness of expression.

_Ambiguous_ is applied only to spoken or written statements; _equivocal_ has other applications.

A statement is _ambiguous_ when it leaves the mind of the reader or hearer to fluctuate between two meanings, which would fit the language equally well; it is _equivocal_ when it would naturally be understood in one way, but is capable of a different interpretation; an _equivocal_ expression is, as a rule, intentionally deceptive, while an _ambiguous_ utterance may be simply the result of a want either of clear thought or of adequate expression.

That which is _enigmatical_ must be guessed like a riddle; a statement may be purposely made _enigmatical_ in order to provoke thought and study.

That is _doubtful_ which is fairly open to doubt;

that is _dubious_ which has become the subject of doubts so grave as scarcely to fall short of condemnation; as, a _dubious_ reputation.

_Questionable_ may be used nearly in the sense either of _dubious_ or of _doubtful_; a _questionable_ statement is one that must be proved before it can be accepted.

To say that one's honesty is _questionable_ is a mild way of saying that in the opinion of the speaker he is likely to prove dishonest.

_Equivocal_ is sometimes, tho more rarely, used in this sense.

A _suspicious_ character gives manifest reason to be suspected; a _suspicious_ temper is inclined to suspect the motives and intentions of others, with or without reason.

Compare CLEAR.

Antonyms: certain, evident, lucid, perspicuous, unequivocal, clear, indisputable, manifest, plain, unquestionable, distinct, indubitable, obvious, unambiguous, unquestioned.

* * * * * ESTEEM, _v.

_ Synonyms: appreciate, consider, estimate, prize, think, calculate, deem, hold, regard, value.

_Esteem_ and _estimate_ alike imply to set a certain mental value upon, but _esteem_ is less precise and mercantile than _calculate_ or _estimate_.

We _esteem_ a jewel precious; we _estimate_ it to be worth so much money.

This sense of _esteem_ is now chiefly found in literary or oratorical style, and in certain conventional phrases; as, I _esteem_ it an honor, a favor.

In popular usage _esteem_, as said of persons, denotes a union of respect and kindly feeling and, in the highest sense, of moral approbation; as, one whom I highly _esteem_; the word may be used in a similar sense of material things or abstractions; as, one whose friendship I _esteem_; a shell greatly _esteemed_ for inlaid work.

To _appreciate_ anything is to be deeply or keenly sensible of or sensitive to its qualities or influence, to see its full import, be alive to its value, importance, or worth; as, to _appreciate_ beauty or harmony; to _appreciate_ one's services in a cause; the word is similarly, tho rarely, used of persons.

To _prize_ is to set a high value on for something more than merely commercial reasons.

One may _value_ some object, as a picture, beyond all price, as a family heirloom, or may _prize_ it as the gift of an _esteemed_ friend, without at all _appreciating_ its artistic merit or commercial value.

To _regard_ (F. _regarder_, look at, observe) is to have a certain mental view favorable or unfavorable; as, I _regard_ him as a friend; or, I _regard_ him as a villain; _regard_ has a distinctively favorable sense as applied to institutions, proprieties, duties, etc. , but does not share the use of the noun _regard_ as applied to persons; we _regard_ the Sabbath; we _regard_ a person's feelings; we have a _regard_ for the person.

Compare ESTEEM, _n.

_ * * * * * ESTEEM, _n.

_ Synonyms: estimate, estimation, favor, regard, respect.

_Esteem_ for a person is a favorable opinion on the basis of worth, especially of moral worth, joined with a feeling of interest in and attraction toward the person.

_Regard_ for a person is the mental view or feeling that springs from a sense of his value, excellence, or superiority, with a cordial and hearty friendliness.

_Regard_ is more personal and less distant than _esteem_, and adds a special kindliness;

_respect_ is a more distant word than _esteem_.

_Respect_ may be wholly on one side, while _regard_ is more often mutual; _respect_ in the fullest sense is given to what is lofty, worthy, and honorable, or to a person of such qualities; we may pay an external _respect_ to one of lofty station, regardless of personal qualities, showing _respect_ for the office.

_Estimate_ has more of calculation; as, my _estimate_ of the man, or of his abilities, is very high.

_Estimation_ involves the idea of calculation or appraisal with that of _esteem_ or _regard_, and is especially used of the feeling entertained by numbers of people; as, he stood high in public _estimation_.

Compare ESTEEM, _v.

_; FRIENDSHIP;

LOVE.

Antonyms: abhorrence, aversion, dislike, loathing, antipathy, contempt, hatred, repugnance.

* * * * * ETERNAL.

Synonyms: