| Main Entry: | facilitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assist the progress of |
Synonyms: |
aid, ease, expedite, forward, further, grease the wheels, hand-carry, help, make easy, open doors, promote, run interference for, simplify, smooth, speed, speed up, walk through |
Antonyms: |
block, check, delay, detain, hinder, prohibit, stop |
| Main Entry: | assist |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | help |
Synonyms: |
abet, aid, back, bail out, benefit, boost, collaborate, cooperate, do for, expedite, facilitate, further, give a boost, give a leg up, give a lift, go down the line for, go for, go to bat for, go with, grease the wheels, hype*, lend a hand, make a pitch for, open doors, plug*, puff, push*, put on the map, reinforce, relieve, ride shotgun, root for, run interference for, serve, stand up for, stump, support, sustain, take care of, thump, work for, work with |
Antonyms: |
hinder, hurt, stop, thwart |
| Main Entry: | ease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alleviate, help |
Synonyms: |
abate, aid, allay, ameliorate, anesthetize, appease, assist, assuage, attend to, calm, cheer, clear the way, comfort, cure, disburden, disengage, doctor, expedite, facilitate, forward, free, further, improve, lessen, let up on, lift, lighten, make easier, meliorate, mitigate, moderate, mollify, nurse, open the door, pacify, palliate, promote, quiet, relax, release, relent, relieve, run interference for, simplify, slacken, smooth, soften, soothe, speed, speed up, still, tranquilize, untighten |
Antonyms: |
annoy, increase, irritate, perplex, vex, worsen |
| Main Entry: | ease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | guide, move carefully |
Synonyms: |
disentangle, edge, extricate, facilitate, handle, inch, induce, insert, join, loose, loosen, maneuver, relax, remove, right, set right, slack, slacken, slide, slip, squeeze, steer, untighten |
Antonyms: |
make difficult, vex |
| Main Entry: | enable |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | allow, authorize |
Synonyms: |
accredit, approve, capacitate, commission, condition, empower, endow, facilitate, fit, give power, implement, invest, let, license, make possible, permit, prepare, provide the means, qualify, ready, sanction, set up, warrant |
Antonyms: |
block, disallow, halt, hinder, inhibit, oppose, prevent, stop |
| Main Entry: | expedite |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make happen faster |
Synonyms: |
accelerate, advance, assist, cut the red tape, dispatch, facilitate, fast track, forward, grease wheels, hand-carry, hand-walk, handle personally, hasten, hurry, precipitate, press, promote, quicken, railroad, run interference, run with the ball, rush, shoot through, speed, speed up, urge, walk it through |
Antonyms: |
block, cease, check, delay, halt, hinder, slow, stop |
| Main Entry: | favor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pamper, reward; help |
Synonyms: |
abet, accommodate, advance, aid, assist, be partial to, befriend, do a kindness, do right by, esteem, facilitate, further, gratify, humor, indulge, make exception, oblige, play favorites, promote, pull strings, show consideration, side with, smile upon, spare, spoil, treat well, value |
Antonyms: |
hinder, hurt, thwart |
| Main Entry: | further |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | advance, lend support |
Synonyms: |
aid, assist, back up, bail out, ballyhoo, champion, contribute, encourage, engender, expedite, facilitate, forward, foster, generate, give a boost to, go with, hasten, help, lend a hand, open doors, patronize, plug, promote, propagate, push, serve, speed, succor, take care of, work for |
| Notes: | farther is generally preferred over further when the context is distance in space or time; use farther when talking about physical distance and use further when talking about abstract ideas or extent/degree |
Antonyms: |
block, cease, check, curtail, delay, frustrate, halt, hinder, impede, obstruct, prevent, protest, stop |
| Main Entry: | help |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | improve |
Synonyms: |
alleviate, ameliorate, amend, attend, better, cure, doctor, ease, facilitate, heal, meliorate, mitigate, nourish, palliate, relieve, remedy, restore, revive, treat |
Antonyms: |
decrease, harm, hinder, hurt, injure, worsen |
| Main Entry: | lighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce weight, load |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, ameliorate, assuage, attenuate, buoy, change, comfort, cut down, decrease, dilute, disburden, disencumber, ease, empty, eradicate, extenuate, facilitate, free, jettison, lessen, levitate, make less, make lighter, mitigate, mollify, pour out, put off, reduce, relieve, remove, shift, take, take a load off, thin, throw out, unburden, unload, uplight, upraise |
Antonyms: |
burden, weigh down |