English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 31

Synonyms:

chief city, metropolis, seat of government.

The _metropolis_ is the chief city in the commercial, the _capital_ in the political sense. The _capital_ of an American State is rarely its _metropolis_.

CARE.

Synonyms:

anxiety, concern, oversight, trouble, attention, direction, perplexity, vigilance, caution, forethought, precaution, wariness, charge, heed, prudence, watchfulness, circ.u.mspection, management, solicitude, worry.

_Care_ concerns what we possess; _anxiety_, often, what we do not; riches bring many _cares_; poverty brings many _anxieties_. _Care_ also signifies watchful _attention_, in view of possible harm; as, "This side up with _care_;" "Take _care_ of yourself;" or, as a sharp warning, "Take _care_!" _Caution_ has a sense of possible harm and risk only to be escaped, if at all, by careful deliberation and observation. _Care_ inclines to the positive, _caution_ to the negative; _care_ is shown in doing, _caution_ largely in not doing. _Precaution_ is allied with _care_, _prudence_ with _caution_; a man rides a dangerous horse with _care_; _caution_ will keep him from mounting the horse; _precaution_ looks to the saddle-girths, bit and bridle, and all that may make the rider secure. _Circ.u.mspection_ is watchful observation and calculation, but without the timidity implied in _caution_. _Concern_ denotes a serious interest, milder than _anxiety_; as, _concern_ for the safety of a ship at sea. _Heed_ implies _attention_ without disquiet; it is now largely displaced by _attention_ and _care_. _Solicitude_ involves especially the element of desire, not expressed in _anxiety_, and of hopefulness, not implied in _care_. A parent feels constant _solicitude_ for his children's welfare, _anxiety_ as to dangers that threaten it, with _care_ to guard against them. _Watchfulness_ recognizes the possibility of danger, _wariness_ the probability. A man who is not influenced by _caution_ to keep out of danger may display great _wariness_ in the midst of it. _Care_ has also the sense of responsibility, with possible control, as expressed in _charge_, _management_, _oversight_; as, these children are under my _care_; send the money to me in _care_ of the firm. Compare ALARM; ANXIETY; PRUDENCE.

Antonyms:

carelessness, inattention, negligence, oversight, remissness, disregard, indifference, omission, recklessness, slight.

heedlessness, neglect,

Prepositions:

Take care _of_ the house; _for_ the future; _about_ the matter.

CAREER.

Synonyms:

charge, flight, pa.s.sage, race, course, line of achievement, public life, rush.

A _career_ was originally the ground for a race, or, especially, for a knight's _charge_ in tournament or battle; whence _career_ was early applied to the _charge_ itself.

If you will use the lance, take ground for your _career_.... The four hors.e.m.e.n met in full _career_.

SCOTT _Quentin Durward_ ch. 14, p. 194. [D. F. & CO.]

In its figurative use _career_ signifies some continuous and conspicuous work, usually a life-work, and most frequently one of honorable achievement. Compare BUSINESS.

CARESS.

Synonyms:

coddle, embrace, fondle, pamper, court, flatter, kiss, pet.

To _caress_ is less than to _embrace_; more dignified and less familiar than to _fondle_. A visitor _caresses_ a friend's child; a mother _fondles_ her babe. _Fondling_ is always by touch; _caressing_ may be also by words, or other tender and pleasing attentions.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for AFFRONT.

Prepositions:

Caressed _by_ or _with_ the hand; caressed _by_ admirers, _at_ court.

CARICATURE.

Synonyms:

burlesque, extravaganza, mimicry, take-off, exaggeration, imitation, parody, travesty.

A _caricature_ is a grotesque _exaggeration_ of striking features or peculiarities, generally of a person; a _burlesque_ treats any subject in an absurd or incongruous manner. A _burlesque_ is written or acted; a _caricature_ is more commonly in sketch or picture. A _parody_ changes the subject, but keeps the style; a _travesty_ keeps the subject, but changes the style; a _burlesque_ does not hold itself to either subject or style; but is content with a general resemblance to what it may imitate. A _caricature_, _parody_, or _travesty_ must have an original; a _burlesque_ may be an independent composition. An account of a schoolboys' quarrel after the general manner of Homer's Iliad would be a _burlesque_; the real story of the Iliad told in newspaper style would be a _travesty_. An _extravaganza_ is a fantastic composition, musical, dramatic, or narrative. _Imitation_ is serious; _mimicry_ is either intentionally or unintentionally comical.

CARRY.

Synonyms:

bear, convey, move, sustain, transmit, bring, lift, remove, take, transport.

A person may _bear_ a load either when in motion or at rest; he _carries_ it only when in motion. The stooping Atlas _bears_ the world on his shoulders; swiftly moving Time _carries_ the hour-gla.s.s and scythe; a person may be said either to _bear_ or to _carry_ a scar, since it is upon him whether in motion or at rest. If an object is to be _moved_ from the place we occupy, we say _carry_; if to the place we occupy, we say _bring_. A messenger _carries_ a letter to a correspondent, and _brings_ an answer. _Take_ is often used in this sense in place of _carry_; as, _take_ that letter to the office. _Carry_ often signifies to _transport_ by personal strength, without reference to the direction; as, that is more than he can _carry_; yet, even so, it would not be admissible to say _carry_ it to me, or _carry_ it here; in such case we must say _bring_. To _lift_ is simply to raise from the ground, tho but for an instant, with no reference to holding or moving; one may be able to _lift_ what he could not _carry_. The figurative uses of _carry_ are very numerous; as, to _carry_ an election, _carry_ the country, _carry_ (in the sense of _capture_) a fort, _carry_ an audience, _carry_ a stock of goods, etc. Compare CONVEY; KEEP; SUPPORT.

Antonyms:

drop, fall under, give up, let go, shake off, throw down, throw off.

Prepositions:

To carry coals _to_ Newcastle; carry nothing _from_, or _out of_, this house; he carried these qualities _into_ all he did; carry _across_ the street, _over_ the bridge, _through_ the woods, _around_ or _round_ the corner; _beyond_ the river; the cable was carried _under_ the sea.