| Main Entry: | paramount |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | principal, superior |
Synonyms: |
ascendant, capital, cardinal, chief, commanding, controlling, crowning, dominant, eminent, first, foremost, headmost, leading, main, outstanding, overbearing, predominant, predominate, preeminent, premier, preponderant, prevalent, primary, prime, regnant, sovereign, supreme |
| Notes: | paramount means 'primary, top'; tantamount means 'equivalent to, same as'; paramount first meant 'highest in jurisdiction' |
Antonyms: |
inferior, last, least, less, lesser, lowest, minor, secondary, smallest, trivial |
| Main Entry: | best |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | most excellent |
Synonyms: |
10, A-1, ace, bad*, beyond compare, boss*, capital, champion, chief, choicest, cool*, culminating, finest, first, first-class, first-rate, foremost, greatest, highest, incomparable, inimitable, leading, matchless, nonpareil, number 1, optimum, out-of-sight, outstanding, paramount, peerless, perfect, preeminent, premium, prime, primo, principal, sans pareil, second to none, super, superlative, supreme, terrific, tops, tough, transcendent, unequaled, unparalleled, unrivaled, unsurpassed |
Antonyms: |
worst |
| Main Entry: | big |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | important |
Synonyms: |
big league, big-time, consequential, considerable, eminent, heavy-duty, heavyweight, influential, leading, main, major league, material, meaningful, momentous, paramount, popular, powerful, prime, principal, prominent, serious, significant, substantial, super, super colossal, valuable, weighty |
Antonyms: |
blah, bland, dull, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | capital |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | main, essential |
Synonyms: |
basic, cardinal, central, chief, controlling, dominant, first, foremost, fundamental, important, leading, major, number one, outstanding, overruling, paramount, predominant, preeminent, primary, prime, principal, prominent, underlying, vital |
| Notes: | the word capitol is from the Roman Capitoline Hill and the similarity between capitol and capital is purely coincidental; capitol applies to the building and capital to the seat of a government |
Antonyms: |
extra, minor, nonessential, secondary, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | cardinal |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | important, key |
Synonyms: |
basal, basic, central, chief, constitutive, essential, first, foremost, fundamental, greatest, highest, indispensable, leading, main, overriding, overruling, paramount, pivotal, preeminent, primary, prime, principal, ruling, vital |
Antonyms: |
inessential, insignificant, minor, negligible, secondary, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | central |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | main, principal; in the middle |
Synonyms: |
axial, basic, cardinal, center, centric, centroidal, chief, dominant, equidistant, essential, focal, foremost, fundamental, important, inmost, inner, interior, intermediate, key, leading, master, mean, median, mid, middle, middlemost, midmost, midway, nuclear, omphalic, outstanding, overriding, paramount, pivotal, predominant, primary, prime, radical, ruling, salient, significant, umbilical |
Antonyms: |
exterior, minor, outside, peripheral, secondary |
| Main Entry: | chief |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | most important, essential |
Synonyms: |
arch, capital, cardinal, central, champion, consequential, controlling, crucial, effective, especial, first, foremost, grand, head, highest, key, leading, main, major, momentous, number one, outstanding, paramount, potent, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, prime, principal, ruling, significant, star, stellar, superior, supreme, telling, uppermost, vital, weighty |
Antonyms: |
inessential, minor, secondary, subordinate, unimportant, unnecessary |
| Main Entry: | classic/classical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | best, model |
Synonyms: |
archetypal, capital, champion, consummate, definitive, distinguished, esthetic, excellent, exemplary, famous, fine, finest, first-rate, flawless, ideal, master, masterly, paradigmatic, paramount, perfect, prime, quintessential, ranking, standard, superior, top, top-notch, vintage, well-known |
Antonyms: |
inferior, worst |
| Main Entry: | climactic/climacteric |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | decisive |
Synonyms: |
acute, climactical, critical, crucial, desperate, dire, paramount, peak |
Antonyms: |
anticlimacteric, anticlimactic, bathetic, indecisive, trivial, undecided |
| Main Entry: | crowning |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | climactic |
Synonyms: |
consummate, culminating, excellent, final, paramount, principal, sovereign, supreme, ultimate |