| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
Synonyms: |
bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| 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: |
cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | adulterate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alter or debase, often for profit |
Synonyms: |
alloy, amalgamate, attenuate, blend, cheapen, commingle, contaminate, cook, corrupt, cut*, defile, degrade, denature, depreciate, deteriorate, devalue, dilute, dissolve, doctor up, doctor*, falsify, impair, infiltrate, intermix, irrigate, lace, make impure, mingle, mix, phony up, plant*, pollute, shave, spike*, taint, thin, transfuse, vitiate, water down, weaken |
Antonyms: |
clarify, clean, cleanse, distill, filter, free, purify, refine |
| Main Entry: | blacken |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | malign; smear |
Synonyms: |
asperse, attack, bad-mouth, blot, blotch, calumniate, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, dishonor, do a number on, give a black eye, knock*, libel, malign, rip up and down, rip*, slander, slur, smudge, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, vilify |
Antonyms: |
compliment, enhance, praise |
| Main Entry: | contaminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
alloy, befoul, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, deprave, desecrate, dirty, harm, infect, injure, muck up, pervert, poison, pollute, profane, radioactivate, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
clean, cure, heal, purify, sterilize |
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
Synonyms: |
abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste |
Antonyms: |
better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | damage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause injury, loss |
Synonyms: |
abuse, bang up, batter, bleach, blight, break, burn, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, crack, cripple, deface, defile, dirty, discolor, disfigure, disintegrate, dismantle, fade, gnaw, harm, hurt, impair, incapacitate, infect, injure, lacerate, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mutilate, pollute, ravage, rot, ruin, rust, scathe, scorch, scratch, smash, split, spoil, stab, stain, tamper with, tarnish, tear, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, wound, wreak havoc on, wreck, wrong |
Antonyms: |
benefit, bless, enhance, favor, fix, improve, mend, perfect, repair |
| Main Entry: | debase |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
abase, animalize, bastardize, bestialize, contaminate, corrupt, damage, defile, depreciate, doctor, dope up, impair, load, pervert, pollute, sophisticate, spoil, taint, vitiate, weight, worsen |
Antonyms: |
clean, clear, enhance, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | debauch |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deprave, corrupt |
Synonyms: |
abuse, bastardize, bestialize, betray, brutalize, debase, defile, deflower, demoralize, fornicate, fraternize, go bad, go to hell, intrigue, inveigle, lead astray, live in the gutter, lure, pervert, pollute, ravish, ruin, seduce, subvert, tempt, violate, vitiate, warp |
Antonyms: |
clean, cleanse, improve, purify, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | decay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate, crumble |
Synonyms: |
atrophy, be impaired, become contaminated, blight, break up, collapse, corrode, curdle, decline, decompose, defile, degenerate, depreciate, discolor, disintegrate, dissolve, dry-rot, dwindle, fade, fail, get worse, go bad, go to seed, go to the dogs, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, lessen, mildew, mold, molder, mortify, pejorate, perish, pollute, putrefy, putresce, reach depths, rot, sap, shrivel, sicken, sink, slump, spoil, suppurate, turn, wane, waste away, weaken, wear away, wither |
Antonyms: |
build, develop, flourish, germinate, grow, improve, ripen, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | defile |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | corrupt, violate |
Synonyms: |
abuse, adulterate, befoul, besmirch, contaminate, debase, deflower, degrade, desecrate, dirty, discolor, disgrace, dishonor, hurt, maculate, make foul, mess up*, molest, muck up, pollute, profane, rape, ravish, scuzz up, seduce, shame, smear, soil, stain, sully, taint, tar, tarnish, trash, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
clean, clease, hallow, honor, purify, sanctify |