English Synonyms and Antonyms — Allot to Ambition

appoint, destine, give, portion out, apportion, distribute, grant, select, assign, divide, mete out, set apart.

award, _Allot_, originally to assign by lot, applies to the giving of a definite thing to a certain person.

A portion or extent of time is _allotted_; as, I expect to live out my _allotted_ time.

A definite period is _appointed_; as, the audience assembled at the _appointed_ hour.

_Allot_ may also refer to space; as, to _allot_ a plot of ground for a cemetery; but we now oftener use _select_, _set apart_, or _assign_.

_Allot_ is not now used of persons.

_Appoint_ may be used of time, space, or person; as, the _appointed_ day; the _appointed_ place;

an officer was _appointed_ to this station.

_Destine_ may also refer to time, place, or person, but it always has reference to what is considerably in the future; a man _appoints_ to meet his friend in five minutes; he _destines_ his son to follow his own profession.

_Assign_ is rarely used of time, but rather of places, persons, or things.

We _assign_ a work to be done and _assign_ a man to do it, who, if he fails, must _assign_ a reason for not doing it.

That which is _allotted_, _appointed_, or _assigned_ is more or less arbitrary; that which is _awarded_ is the due requital of something the receiver has done, and he has right and claim to it; as, the medal was _awarded_ for valor.

Compare APPORTION.

Antonyms: appropriate, deny, resume, seize, confiscate, refuse, retain, withhold.

Prepositions: Allot _to_ a company _for_ a purpose.

* * * * * ALLOW.

Synonyms: admit, consent to, let, sanction, tolerate, concede, grant, permit, suffer, yield.

We _allow_ that which we do not attempt to hinder; we _permit_ that to which we give some express authorization.

When this is given verbally it is called permission; when in writing it is commonly called a permit.

There are establishments that any one will be _allowed_ to visit without challenge or hindrance; there are others that no one is _allowed_ to visit without a permit from the manager; there are others to which visitors are _admitted_ at specified times, without a formal permit.

We _allow_ a child's innocent intrusion; we _concede_ a right; _grant_ a request; _consent_ to a sale of property; _permit_ an inspection of accounts; _sanction_ a marriage; _tolerate_ the rudeness of a well-meaning servant; _submit_ to a surgical operation; _yield_ to a demand or necessity against our wish or will, or _yield_ something under compulsion; as, the sheriff _yielded_ the keys at the muzzle of a revolver, and _allowed_ the mob to enter.

_Suffer_, in the sense of mild concession, is now becoming rare, its place being taken by _allow_, _permit_, or _tolerate_.

Compare PERMISSION.

Antonyms: deny, disapprove, protest, reject, withstand.

disallow, forbid, refuse, resist, See also synonyms for PROHIBIT.

Prepositions: To allow _of_ (in best recent usage, simply to _allow_) such an action;

allow one _in_ such a course; allow _for_ spending-money.

* * * * * ALLOY.

Synonyms: admixture, adulteration, debasement, deterioration.

_Alloy_ may be either some admixture of baser with precious metal, as for giving hardness to coin or the like, or it may be a compound or mixture of two or more metals.

_Adulteration_, _debasement_, and _deterioration_ are always used in the bad sense; _admixture_ is neutral, and may be good or bad; _alloy_ is commonly good in the literal sense.

An excess of _alloy_ virtually amounts to _adulteration_; but _adulteration_ is now mostly restricted to articles used for food, drink, medicine, and kindred uses.

In the figurative sense, as applied to character, etc. , _alloy_ is unfavorable, because there the only standard is perfection.

* * * * * ALLUDE.

Synonyms: advert, indicate, intimate, point, signify, hint, insinuate, mention, refer, suggest.

imply, _Advert_, _mention_, and _refer_ are used of language that more or less distinctly utters a certain thought; the others of language from which it may be inferred.

We _allude_ to a matter slightly, perhaps by a word or phrase, as it were in byplay; we _advert_ to it when we turn from our path to treat it; we _refer_ to it by any clear utterance that distinctly turns the mind or attention to it; as, marginal figures _refer_ to a parallel passage; we _mention_ a thing by explicit word, as by naming it.

The speaker _adverted_ to the recent disturbances and the remissness of certain public officers; tho he _mentioned_ no name, it was easy to see to whom he _alluded_.

One may _hint_ at a thing in a friendly way, but what is _insinuated_ is always unfavorable, generally both hostile and cowardly.

One may _indicate_ his wishes, _intimate_ his plans, _imply_ his opinion, _signify_ his will, _suggest_ a course of action.

Compare SUGGESTION.

Preposition: The passage evidently alludes _to_ the Jewish Passover.

* * * * * ALLURE.

Synonyms: attract, captivate, decoy, entice, lure, tempt, cajole, coax, draw, inveigle, seduce, win.

To _allure_ is to _draw_ as with a lure by some charm or some prospect of pleasure or advantage.

We may _attract_ others to a certain thing without intent; as, the good unconsciously _attract_ others to virtue.

We may _allure_ either to that which is evil or to that which is good and noble, by purpose and endeavor, as in the familiar line, "_Allured_ to brighter worlds, and led the way," GOLDSMITH _Deserted Village_, l. 170. _Lure_ is rather more akin to the physical nature.

It is the word we would use of drawing on an animal.

_Coax_ expresses the attraction of the person, not of the thing.

A man may be _coaxed_ to that which is by no means _alluring_.

_Cajole_ and _decoy_ carry the idea of deceiving and ensnaring.

To _inveigle_ is to lead one blindly in.

To _tempt_ is to endeavor to lead one wrong; to _seduce_ is to succeed in _winning_ one from good to ill.

_Win_ may be used in either a bad or a good sense, in which latter it surpasses the highest sense of _allure_, because it succeeds in that which _allure_ attempts; as, "He that _winneth_ souls is wise," _Prov.

_ xi, 30. Antonyms: chill, damp, deter, dissuade, drive away, repel, warn.

Prepositions: Allure _to_ a course; allure _by_ hopes; allure _from_ evil _to_ good.

* * * * * ALSO.

Synonyms: as well, in addition, likewise, too, as well as, in like manner, similarly, withal.

besides, While some distinctions between these words and phrases will appear to the careful student, yet in practise the choice between them is largely to secure euphony and avoid repetition.

The words fall into two groups;

_as well as_, _besides_, _in addition_, _too_, _withal_, simply add a fact or thought; _also_ (all so), _in like manner_, _likewise_, _similarly_, affirm that what is added is like that to which it is added.

_As well_ follows the word or phrase to which it is joined.

We can say the singers _as well as_ the players, or the players, and the singers _as well_.

Antonyms: but, nevertheless, on the contrary, yet.

in spite of, notwithstanding, on the other hand, * * * * * ALTERNATIVE.

Synonyms: choice, election, option, pick, preference, resource.

A _choice_ may be among many things; an _alternative_ is in the strictest sense a _choice_ between two things; oftener it is one of two things between which a _choice_ is to be made, and either of which is the _alternative_ of the other; as, the _alternative_ of surrender is death; or the two things between which there is a _choice_ may be called the _alternatives_; both Mill and Gladstone are quoted as extending the meaning of _alternative_ to include several particulars, Gladstone even speaking of "the fourth and last of these _alternatives_."

_Option_ is the right or privilege of choosing; _choice_ may be either the right to choose, the act of choosing, or the thing chosen.

A person of ability and readiness will commonly have many _resources_.

_Pick_, from the Saxon, and _election_, from the Latin, picture the objects before one, with freedom and power to choose which he will; as, there were twelve horses, among which I could take my _pick_.

A _choice_, _pick_, _election_, or _preference_ is that which suits one best; an _alternative_ is that to which one is restricted; a _resource_, that to which one is glad to betake oneself.

Antonyms: compulsion, necessity.

* * * * * AMASS.

Synonyms: accumulate, collect, heap up, hoard up, store up.

aggregate, gather, hoard, pile up, To _amass_ is to bring together materials that make a mass, a great bulk or quantity.

With some occasional exceptions, _accumulate_ is applied to the more gradual, _amass_ to the more rapid gathering of money or materials, _amass_ referring to the general result or bulk, _accumulate_ to the particular process or rate of gain.

We say interest is _accumulated_ (or _accumulates_) rather than is _amassed_; he _accumulated_ a fortune in the course of years; he rapidly _amassed_ a fortune by shrewd speculations.

Goods or money for immediate distribution are said to be _collected_ rather than _amassed_.

They may be _stored up_ for a longer or shorter time; but to _hoard_ is always with a view of permanent retention, generally selfish.

_Aggregate_ is now most commonly used of numbers and amounts; as, the expenses will _aggregate_ a round million.

Antonyms: disperse, divide, portion, spend, waste.

dissipate, parcel, scatter, squander, Prepositions: Amass _for_ oneself; _for_ a purpose; _from_ a distance; _with_ great labor; _by_ industry.

* * * * * AMATEUR.

Synonyms: connoisseur, critic, dilettante, novice, tyro.

Etymologically, the _amateur_ is one who loves, the _connoisseur_ one who knows.

In usage, the term _amateur_ is applied to one who pursues any study or art simply from the love of it; the word carries a natural implication of superficialness, tho marked excellence is at times attained by _amateurs_.

A _connoisseur_ is supposed to be so thoroughly informed regarding any art or work as to be able to criticize or select intelligently and authoritatively; there are many incompetent _critics_, but there can not, in the true sense, be an incompetent _connoisseur_.

The _amateur_ practises to some extent that in regard to which he may not be well informed; the _connoisseur_ is well informed in regard to that which he may not practise at all.

A _novice_ or _tyro_ may be a _professional_; an _amateur_ never is; the _amateur_ may be skilled and experienced as the _novice_ or _tyro_ never is.

_Dilettante_, which had originally the sense of _amateur_, has to some extent come to denote one who is superficial, pretentious, and affected, whether in theory or practise.

Preposition: An amateur _in_ art.

* * * * * AMAZEMENT.

Synonyms: admiration, awe, confusion, surprise, astonishment, bewilderment, perplexity, wonder.

_Amazement_ and _astonishment_ both express the momentary overwhelming of the mind by that which is beyond expectation.

_Astonishment_ especially affects the emotions, _amazement_ the intellect.

_Awe_ is the yielding of the mind to something supremely grand in character or formidable in power, and ranges from apprehension or dread to reverent worship.

_Admiration_ includes delight and regard.

_Surprise_ lies midway between _astonishment_ and _amazement_, and usually respects matters of lighter consequence or such as are less startling in character.

_Amazement_ may be either pleasing or painful, as when induced by the grandeur of the mountains, or by the fury of the storm.

We can say pleased _surprise_, but scarcely pleased _astonishment_.

_Amazement_ has in it something of _confusion_ or _bewilderment_; but _confusion_ and _bewilderment_ may occur without _amazement_, as when a multitude of details require instant attention.

_Astonishment_ may be without _bewilderment_ or _confusion_.

_Wonder_ is often pleasing, and may be continuous in view of that which surpasses our comprehension; as, the magnitude, order, and beauty of the heavens fill us with increasing _wonder_.

Compare PERPLEXITY.

Antonyms: anticipation, composure, expectation, preparation, steadiness, calmness, coolness, indifference, self-possession, stoicism.

Preposition: I was filled with amazement _at_ such reckless daring.

* * * * * AMBITION.

Synonyms: aspiration, competition, emulation, opposition, rivalry.

_Aspiration_ is the desire for excellence, pure and simple.

_Ambition_, literally a going around to solicit votes, has primary reference to the award or approval of others, and is the eager desire of power, fame, or something deemed great and eminent, and viewed as a worthy prize.

The prizes of _aspiration_ are virtue, nobility, skill, or other high qualities.

The prizes of _ambition_ are advancement, fame, honor, and the like.

There is a noble and wise or an ignoble, selfish, and harmful _ambition_.

_Emulation_ is not so much to win any excellence or success for itself as to equal or surpass other persons.

There is such a thing as a noble _emulation_, when those we would equal or surpass are noble, and the means we would use worthy.

But, at the highest, _emulation_ is inferior as a motive to _aspiration_, which seeks the high quality or character for its own sake, not with reference to another.

_Competition_ is the striving for something that is sought by another at the same time.

_Emulation_ regards the abstract, _competition_ the concrete;

_rivalry_ is the same in essential meaning with _competition_, but differs in the nature of the objects contested for, which, in the case of _rivalry_, are usually of the nobler sort and less subject to direct gaging, measurement, and rule.

We speak of _competition_ in business, _emulation_ in scholarship, _rivalry_ in love, politics, etc. ;

_emulation_ of excellence, success, achievement; _competition_ for a prize; _rivalry_ between persons or nations.

_Competition_ may be friendly, _rivalry_ is commonly hostile.

_Opposition_ is becoming a frequent substitute for _competition_ in business language; it implies that the competitor is an opponent and hinderer.

Antonyms: carelessness, contentment, humility, indifference, satisfaction.

* * * * * AMEND.

Synonyms: