| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack with words |
Synonyms: |
backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, blow off, calumniate, cap, castigate, cuss out, cut down, cut to the quick, decry, defame, derogate, discount, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, insult, knock*, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down*, rag on, reproach, revile, ride*, rip up, run down, scold, signify, slam*, slap, sling mud, smear, sound*, swear at, tear apart, trash*, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
Antonyms: |
acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | back out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | withdraw |
Synonyms: |
avoid, back down, back pedal, beg off, blow it off, cancel, chicken out, cop out, get cold feet, give up, go back on, recant, renege, resign, scratch, shy from, surrender, throw in the towel, weasel out, welsh, wiggle out, worm out |
| Main Entry: | chicken out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | back down |
Synonyms: |
avoid, back down, back out, back pedal, beg off, beg off, blow it off, bow out, cancel, chicken out, cop out, cop out, funk out, get cold feet, get cold feet, give up, give way, go back on, have no stomach for, make concessions, pull out, recant, renege, resign, scratch, shy from, surrender, throw in the towel, turn yellow, weasel out, welsh, wiggle out, wimp out, withdraw, worm out, worm out, yield |
| Main Entry: | culmination |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | conclusion; climactic stage |
Synonyms: |
acme, all the way, apex, apogee, blow off, capper, climax, completion, consummation, critical mass, crown, crowning touch, finale, finish, height, limit, maximum, meridian, ne plus ultra, noon, payoff, peak, perfection, pinnacle, punch line, summit, top, zenith |
Antonyms: |
beginning, commencement, opening, start |
| Main Entry: | decoy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | bait, trap |
Synonyms: |
allurement, attraction, beard, blind, blow off, booster, camouflage, catch, chicane, chicanery, come-on, deception, drawing card, ensnarement, enticement, facade, fake, front, imitation, inducement, inveiglement, lure, nark, plant, pretense, seducement, shill, sitting duck, snare, stick, stool pigeon, stoolie, temptation, trick, trickery |
| Main Entry: | discontinue |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prevent activity from going on |
Synonyms: |
abandon, bag it, blow off, break off, call it quits, cease, close, desist, disconnect, disjoin, dissever, disunite, drop, end, finish, give over, give up, halt, interpose, interrupt, intervene, kill, knock off, leave off, part, pause, put an end to, quit, refrain from, scrub, separate, stop, surcease, suspend, terminate |
Antonyms: |
carry on, continue, restart, retry |
| Main Entry: | finale |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | ending of an event |
Synonyms: |
afterpiece, blow-off, button, cessation, chaser, climax, close, closer, conclusion, consummation, crowning glory, culmination, denouement, end, end piece, epilogue, finis, finish, last act, payoff, peroration, summation, swan song, termination, windup |
Antonyms: |
beginning, debut, first act, opening, start |
| Main Entry: | gripe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | complain |
Synonyms: |
bellyache, blow off, carp, crab, fuss, groan, grouch, grouse, grumble, kvetch, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, squawk, take on*, whine, yammer, yawp |
Antonyms: |
compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | slur |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | insult |
Synonyms: |
blacken, blemish, blister, blot, blow off, brand, calumniate, cap, chop*, cut to the quick, cut up, defame, denigrate, detract, discredit, disgrace, dump on, give a black eye, hit where one lives, insinuate, kick in the teeth, libel, malign, miff, offend, push, put down*, reproach, roast, scorch*, skin alive, slander, slap in the face, slight, smear, snub, spatter, stain, tear down, traduce, vilify, zing |
Antonyms: |
compliment, flatter, praise |
| Main Entry: | stop |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring or come to a halt or end |
Synonyms: |
be over, blow off, break, break off, call it a day, cease, close, cold turkey, come to a standstill, conclude, cool it, cut out, cut short, desist, discontinue, draw up, drop, end, finish, halt, hang it up, hold, kill, pause, pull up, put an end to, quit, quit cold, refrain, run its course, scrub, shut down, sign off, stall, stand, stay, tarry, terminate, wind up, wrap up |
Antonyms: |
advance, begin, continue, go, start |