| 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: | 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: | bruise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | break blood vessel; discolor |
Synonyms: |
bang up, batter, beat, black, blacken, blemish, bung up, contuse, crush, damage, deface, do a number on, injure, mar, mark, pound, pulverize, wound, zing |
| Main Entry: | cheat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defraud, fool |
Synonyms: |
bamboozle*, beat, beguile, bilk, bleed, bunco, burn, caboodle, chisel, con, cozen, crib, cross, deceive, defraud, delude, diddle, do a number on, do*, double-cross, double-deal, dupe, fast talk, finagle, fleece, flimflam, fudge, give bum steer, gouge, gyp, hoodwink, hose, jerk around, milk, mislead, pull one's leg, ream, rip off, rook, rope in, sandbag, scam, screw, shaft, short, shuck, skin, snow, stiff, sucker, swindle, take, take for a ride, take in, take out, trick, trim, two-time, victimize |
| Main Entry: | criticize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disapprove, judge as bad |
Synonyms: |
animadvert on, bash, blame, blast, blister, carp, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, clobber, come down on, condemn, cut down, cut to bits, cut up, denounce, denunciate, disparage, do a number on, dress down, excoriate, find fault, fluff, fulminate against, fustigate, give bad press, hit, jump on, knock*, lambaste*, nag at, nit-pick, pan, pick at, rap, reprehend, reprimand, reprobate, reprove, rip*, roast, scathe, scorch*, skin alive, skin*, slam*, slog, slug, take down, trash*, trim*, zap |
Antonyms: |
approve, compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | decry |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, blame |
Synonyms: |
abuse, asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, calumniate, censure, condemn, cry down, defame, denounce, depreciate, derogate, detract, devalue, diminish, discount, discredit, disgrace, disparage, do a number on, downgrade, dump on, hit*, knock*, lower, malign, mark down, minimize, opprobriate, pan, poor-mouth, put down, rail against, rap, reprehend, reprobate, run down, slam*, take away, take swipe at, throw stones at, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off |
Antonyms: |
applaud, compliment, exalt, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | defame |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | inflict libel or slander |
Synonyms: |
asperse, bad-mouth, belie, besmirch, blacken, blister, calumniate, cast aspersions on, cast slur on, denigrate, detract, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, do a number on, knock, malign, pan, put zingers on, roast, scandalize, scorch, slam, smear, speak evil of, stigmatize, throw mud at, traduce, vilify, villainize, vituperate |
Antonyms: |
approve, commend, compliment, exalt, praise |
| Main Entry: | delude |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deceive, fool |
Synonyms: |
beguile, betray, bluff, caboodle, cheat, con, cozen, disinform, do a number on, double-cross, dupe*, gull, hoax*, hoodwink*, illude, impose on, jive, juggle, lead up garden path, misguide, mislead, mousetrap, outfox, play trick on, snow*, string along, sucker, take in, trick |
Antonyms: |
be truthful |
| Main Entry: | deride |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make fun of; insult |
Synonyms: |
banter, chaff, contemn, detract, dis, disdain, disparage, do a number on, dump on, flout, gibe, jeer, jolly, kid, knock, laugh at, lout, mock, pan, pooh-pooh, put down*, quiz, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, roast, scoff, scorn, slam, sneer, taunt, twit |
Antonyms: |
commend, compliment, flatter, praise, revere |
| Main Entry: | distress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | worry, upset |
Synonyms: |
afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, be on one's case, bother, break, bug, burn up, depress, desolate, discombobulate, disquiet, disturb, do a number on, dog*, eat*, get to, get*, give a hard time, grieve, harass, harry, hound, hurt, injure, irk, irritate, make it tough for, miff, nag, needle, nit-pick, oppress, pain, peeve, perplex, pester, pick on, plague, push, push buttons, rack, sadden, strain, strap, stress, tick off, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, weigh, wound |
Antonyms: |
assist, calm, comfort, help, soothe |