| Main Entry: | impair |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harm, hinder |
Synonyms: |
blemish, blunt, cheapen, damage, debase, debilitate, decrease, destroy, deteriorate, devaluate, devalue, diminish, ding, disqualify, enervate, enfeeble, hurt, injure, invalidate, lessen, lose strength, make useless, mar, prejudice, queer, reduce, rough up, spoil, tarnish, total, tweak, undermine, unfit, vitiate, weaken, worsen |
Antonyms: |
aid, assist, help |
| 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: | alloy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
debase, denature, devalue, diminish, impair, reduce |
Antonyms: |
clean, clear, purify |
| Main Entry: | blemish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | flaw, disfigure |
Synonyms: |
blot, blotch, blur, damage, deface, distort, harm, hurt, impair, injure, maim, mangle, mar, mark, mutilate, pervert, prejudice, scar, smudge, spoil, spot, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, twist, vitiate, wrench |
Antonyms: |
adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, ornament |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
Synonyms: |
bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
Antonyms: |
stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | chafe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rub, grind against |
Synonyms: |
abrade, bark, corrode, damage, erode, excoriate, gall, grate, graze, hurt, impair, inflame, irritate, peel, ruffle, scrape, scratch, skin, wear |
| Main Entry: | cloud |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse |
Synonyms: |
addle, becloud, befuddle, disorient, distort, distract, impair, muddle, muddy, obscure, perplex, puzzle |
Antonyms: |
clear up, explain, explicate |
| Main Entry: | corrode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wear away; eat away |
Synonyms: |
bite, canker, consume, corrupt, destroy, deteriorate, erode, gnaw, impair, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, waste |
Antonyms: |
aid, build, fortify, help |
| 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 |