| Main Entry: | encompass |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | surround, circumscribe |
Synonyms: |
beset, circle, compass, encircle, enclose, envelop, environ, gird, girdle, hem in, ring |
| Main Entry: | encompass |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | include, contain |
Synonyms: |
admit, comprehend, comprise, cover, embody, embrace, have, hold, incorporate, involve, subsume, take in |
Antonyms: |
exclude |
| Main Entry: | beset |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | plague; hem in |
Synonyms: |
aggress, assail, attack, badger, bedevil, beleaguer, besiege, bug*, circle*, compass, dog*, drive up the wall, embarrass, encircle, enclose, encompass, entangle, environ, fall on, fall upon, girdle, give a bad time, give a hard time, give one the business, give the needle, harass, harry, hassle, infest, invade, jump on one's case, nag, nudge, overrun, perplex, pester, pick on, put the squeeze on, ride, ring, start in on, storm, strike, surround |
| Main Entry: | besiege |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | surround; assault |
Synonyms: |
assail, attack, beleaguer, beset, blockade, come at from all sides, confine, congregate, encircle, encompass, environ, hem in, invest, lay siege to, shut in, trap, work on, work over |
Antonyms: |
leave alone |
| Main Entry: | circle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go around, circumnavigate |
Synonyms: |
begird, belt, cincture, circuit, circulate, circumduct, circumscribe, coil, compass, curve, embrace, encircle, enclose, encompass, ensphere, envelop, gird, girdle, gyrate, gyre, hem in, loop, mill around, pivot, revolve, ring, roll, rotate, round, spiral, surround, tour, wheel, whirl, wind about |
| Main Entry: | circumscribe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mark off, delimit |
Synonyms: |
bar, bound, confine, define, delineate, demarcate, encircle, enclose, encompass, environ, girdle, hamper, hem in, limit, nail down, outline, prelimit, restrain, restrict, surround, trammel |
Antonyms: |
free, loose, open |
| Main Entry: | compass |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | enclose |
Synonyms: |
beset, besiege, blockade, circle, circumscribe, encircle, encompass, environ, gird, girdle, hem in, ring, round, surround |
| Main Entry: | comprehend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | include |
Synonyms: |
comprise, contain, embody, embrace, enclose, encompass, have, involve, subsume, take in |
Antonyms: |
exclude, not include |
| Main Entry: | comprise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make up, consist of |
Synonyms: |
add up to, amount to, be composed of, be contained in, compass, compose, comprehend, constitute, contain, cover, embody, embrace, encircle, enclose, encompass, engross, form, hold, include, incorporate, involve, span, subsume, sum up, take in |
| Notes: | compose is preferred when the parts of the whole being assembled are regarded as nonconcrete and more general; when the parts are concrete and specific, then constitute is more appropriate, and then there is comprise, which can mean 'comprehending or encompassing certain parts' comprise means literally 'embrace': a zoo comprises mammals, reptiles, and birds (because it 'embraces' or includes them), but animals do not comprise ('embrace') a zoo, they constitute a zoo |
Antonyms: |
except, exclude, fail, fall short, lack, need, want |
| Main Entry: | contain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | include, hold |
Synonyms: |
accommodate, be composed of, comprehend, comprise, consist of, embody, embrace, enclose, encompass, have, have capacity for, hold, incorporate, involve, seat, subsume, take in |
Antonyms: |
exclude |