English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 14

An amateur _in_ art.

AMAZEMENT.

Synonyms:

admiration, awe, confusion, surprise, astonishment, bewilderment, perplexity, wonder.

_Amazement_ and _astonishment_ both express the momentary overwhelming of the mind by that which is beyond expectation. _Astonishment_ especially affects the emotions, _amazement_ the intellect. _Awe_ is the yielding of the mind to something supremely grand in character or formidable in power, and ranges from apprehension or dread to reverent worship. _Admiration_ includes delight and regard. _Surprise_ lies midway between _astonishment_ and _amazement_, and usually respects matters of lighter consequence or such as are less startling in character. _Amazement_ may be either pleasing or painful, as when induced by the grandeur of the mountains, or by the fury of the storm.

We can say pleased _surprise_, but scarcely pleased _astonishment_.

_Amazement_ has in it something of _confusion_ or _bewilderment_; but _confusion_ and _bewilderment_ may occur without _amazement_, as when a mult.i.tude of details require instant attention. _Astonishment_ may be without _bewilderment_ or _confusion_. _Wonder_ is often pleasing, and may be continuous in view of that which surpa.s.ses our comprehension; as, the magnitude, order, and beauty of the heavens fill us with increasing _wonder_. Compare PERPLEXITY.

Antonyms:

antic.i.p.ation, composure, expectation, preparation, steadiness, calmness, coolness, indifference, self-possession, stoicism.

Preposition:

I was filled with amazement _at_ such reckless daring.

AMBITION.

Synonyms:

aspiration, compet.i.tion, emulation, opposition, rivalry.

_Aspiration_ is the desire for excellence, pure and simple. _Ambition_, literally a going around to solicit votes, has primary reference to the award or approval of others, and is the eager desire of power, fame, or something deemed great and eminent, and viewed as a worthy prize. The prizes of _aspiration_ are virtue, n.o.bility, skill, or other high qualities. The prizes of _ambition_ are advancement, fame, honor, and the like. There is a n.o.ble and wise or an ign.o.ble, selfish, and harmful _ambition_. _Emulation_ is not so much to win any excellence or success for itself as to equal or surpa.s.s other persons. There is such a thing as a n.o.ble _emulation_, when those we would equal or surpa.s.s are n.o.ble, and the means we would use worthy. But, at the highest, _emulation_ is inferior as a motive to _aspiration_, which seeks the high quality or character for its own sake, not with reference to another. _Compet.i.tion_ is the striving for something that is sought by another at the same time. _Emulation_ regards the abstract, _compet.i.tion_ the concrete; _rivalry_ is the same in essential meaning with _compet.i.tion_, but differs in the nature of the objects contested for, which, in the case of _rivalry_, are usually of the n.o.bler sort and less subject to direct gaging, measurement, and rule. We speak of _compet.i.tion_ in business, _emulation_ in scholarship, _rivalry_ in love, politics, etc.; _emulation_ of excellence, success, achievement; _compet.i.tion_ for a prize; _rivalry_ between persons or nations. _Compet.i.tion_ may be friendly, _rivalry_ is commonly hostile. _Opposition_ is becoming a frequent subst.i.tute for _compet.i.tion_ in business language; it implies that the compet.i.tor is an opponent and hinderer.

Antonyms:

carelessness, contentment, humility, indifference, satisfaction.

AMEND.

Synonyms:

advance, correct, meliorate, rectify, ameliorate, emend, mend, reform, better, improve, mitigate, repair.

cleanse, make better, purify,

To _amend_ is to change for the better by removing faults, errors, or defects, and always refers to that which at some point falls short of a standard of excellence. _Advance_, _better_, and _improve_ may refer either to what is quite imperfect or to what has reached a high degree of excellence; we _advance_ the kingdom of G.o.d, _improve_ the minds of our children, _better_ the morals of the people. But for matters below the point of ordinary approval we seldom use these words; we do not speak of _bettering_ a wretched alley, or _improving_ a foul sewer.

There we use _cleanse_, _purify_, or similar words. We _correct_ evils, _reform_ abuses, _rectify_ incidental conditions of evil or error; we _ameliorate_ poverty and misery, which we can not wholly remove. We _mend_ a tool, _repair_ a building, _correct_ proof; we _amend_ character or conduct that is faulty, or a statement or law that is defective. A text, writing, or statement is _amended_ by the author or by some adequate authority; it is often _emended_ by conjecture. A motion is _amended_ by the mover or by the a.s.sembly; a const.i.tution is _amended_ by the people; an ancient text is _emended_ by a critic who believes that what seems to him the better reading is what the author wrote. Compare ALLEVIATE.

Antonyms:

aggravate, debase, harm, mar, tarnish, blemish, depress, impair, spoil, vitiate.

corrupt, deteriorate, injure,

AMIABLE.

Synonyms:

agreeable, engaging, lovable, pleasing, attractive, gentle, lovely, sweet, benignant, good-natured, loving, winning, harming, kind, pleasant, winsome.

_Amiable_ combines the senses of _lovable_ or _lovely_ and _loving_; the _amiable_ character has ready affection and kindliness for others, with the qualities that are adapted to win their love; _amiable_ is a higher and stronger word than _good-natured_ or _agreeable_. _Lovely_ is often applied to externals; as, a _lovely_ face. _Amiable_ denotes a disposition desirous to cheer, please, and make happy. A selfish man of the world may have the art to be _agreeable_; a handsome, brilliant, and witty person may be _charming_ or even _attractive_, while by no means _amiable_. The _engaging_, _winning_, and _winsome_ add to amiability something of beauty, accomplishments, and grace. The _benignant_ are calmly kind, as from a height and a distance. _Kind_, _good-natured_ people may be coa.r.s.e and rude, and so fail to be _agreeable_ or _pleasing_; the really _amiable_ are likely to avoid such faults by their earnest desire to please. The _good-natured_ have an easy disposition to get along comfortably with every one in all circ.u.mstances. A _sweet_ disposition is very sure to be _amiable_, the _loving_ heart bringing out all that is _lovable_ and _lovely_ in character.

Antonyms:

acrimonious, crusty, hateful, ill-tempered, surly, churlish, disagreeable, ill-conditioned, morose, unamiable, crabbed, dogged, ill-humored, sour, unlovely, cruel, gruff, ill-natured, sullen,

AMID.

Synonyms:

amidst, amongst, betwixt, mingled with, among, between, in the midst of, surrounded by.

_Amid_ or _amidst_ denotes _surrounded by_; _among_ or _amongst_ denotes _mingled with_. _Between_ (archaic or poetic, _betwixt_) is said of two persons or objects, or of two groups of persons or objects. "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, _between_ me and thee, and _between_ my herdmen and thy herdmen," _Gen._ xiii, 9; the reference being to two bodies of herdmen. _Amid_ denotes mere position; _among_, some active relation, as of companionship, hostility, etc. Lowell's "_Among_ my Books" regards the books as companions; _amid_ my books would suggest packing, storing, or some other incidental circ.u.mstance. We say _among_ friends, or _among_ enemies, _amidst_ the woods, _amid_ the shadows. _In the midst of_ may have merely the local meaning; as, I found myself _in the midst of_ a crowd; or it may express even closer a.s.sociation than _among_; as, "I found myself _in the midst of_ friends" suggests their pressing up on every side, oneself the central object; so, "where two or three are met together in my name, there am I _in the midst of_ them,"

_Matt._ xviii, 20; in which case it would be feebler to say "_among_ them," impossible to say "_amid_ them," not so well to say "_amidst_ them."

Antonyms:

afar from, away from, beyond, far from, outside, without.

AMPLIFY.

Synonyms: