English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 36

Synonyms:

clash, concussion, contact, impact, opposition, clas.h.i.+ng, conflict, encounter, meeting, shock.

_Collision_, the act or fact of striking violently together, is the result of motion or action, and is sudden and momentary; _contact_ may be a condition of rest, and be continuous and permanent; _collision_ is sudden and violent _contact_. _Concussion_ is often by transmitted force rather than by direct _impact_; two railway-trains come into _collision_; an explosion of dynamite shatters neighboring windows by _concussion_. _Impact_ is the blow given by the striking body; as, the _impact_ of the cannon-shot upon the target. An _encounter_ is always violent, and generally hostile. _Meeting_ is neutral, and may be of the dearest friends or of the bitterest foes; of objects, of persons, or of opinions; of two or of a mult.i.tude. _Shock_ is the result of _collision_. In the figurative use, we speak of _clas.h.i.+ng_ of views, _collision_ of persons. _Opposition_ is used chiefly of persons, more rarely of opinions or interests; _conflict_ is used indifferently of all.

Antonyms:

agreement, coincidence, concord, conformity, unison, amity, concert, concurrence, harmony, unity.

Prepositions:

Collision _of_ one object _with_ another; _of_ or _between_ opposing objects.

COMFORTABLE.

Synonyms:

agreeable, cheery, genial, snug, at ease, commodious, pleasant, well-off, at rest, contented, satisfactory, well-provided, cheerful, convenient, satisfied, well-to-do.

A person is _comfortable_ in mind when _contented_ and measurably _satisfied_. A little additional brightness makes him _cheerful_. He is _comfortable_ in body when free from pain, quiet, _at ease_, _at rest_.

He is _comfortable_ in circ.u.mstances, or in _comfortable_ circ.u.mstances, when things about him are generally _agreeable_ and _satisfactory_, usually with the suggestion of sufficient means to secure that result.

Antonyms:

cheerless, discontented, distressed, forlorn, uncomfortable, disagreeable, dissatisfied, dreary, miserable, wretched.

COMMIT.

Synonyms:

a.s.sign, confide, consign, entrust, relegate, trust.

_Commit_, in the sense here considered, is to give in charge, put into care or keeping; to _confide_ or _entrust_ is to _commit_ especially to one's fidelity, _confide_ being used chiefly of mental or spiritual, _entrust_ also of material things; we _a.s.sign_ a duty, _confide_ a secret, _entrust_ a treasure; we _commit_ thoughts to writing; _commit_ a paper to the flames, a body to the earth; a prisoner is _committed_ to jail. _Consign_ is a formal word in mercantile use; as, to _consign_ goods to an agent. Religiously, we _consign_ the body to the grave, _commit_ the soul to G.o.d. Compare DO.

Prepositions:

Commit _to_ a friend _for_ safe-keeping; in law, commit _to_ prison; _for_ trial; _without_ bail; in default _of_ bail; _on_ suspicion.

COMPANY.

Synonyms:

a.s.semblage, concourse, convocation, host, a.s.sembly, conference, crowd, meeting, collection, congregation, gathering, mult.i.tude, conclave, convention, group, throng.

_Company_, from the Latin _c.u.m_, with, and _panis_, bread, denotes primarily the a.s.sociation of those who eat at a common table, or the persons so a.s.sociated, table-companions, messmates, friends, and hence is widely extended to include any a.s.sociation of those united permanently or temporarily, for business, pleasure, festivity, travel, etc., or by sorrow, misfortune, or wrong; _company_ may denote an indefinite number (ordinarily more than two), but less than a _mult.i.tude_; in the military sense a _company_ is a limited and definite number of men; _company_ implies more unity of feeling and purpose than _crowd_, and is a less formal and more familiar word than _a.s.semblage_ or _a.s.sembly_. An _a.s.semblage_ may be of persons or of objects; an _a.s.sembly_ is always of persons. An _a.s.semblage_ is promiscuous and unorganized; an _a.s.sembly_ is organized and united in some common purpose. A _conclave_ is a secret _a.s.sembly_. A _convocation_ is an _a.s.sembly_ called by authority for a special purpose; the term _convention_ suggests less dependence upon any superior authority or summons. A _group_ is small in number and distinct in outline, clearly marked off from all else in s.p.a.ce or time. _Collection_, _crowd_, _gathering_, _group_, and _mult.i.tude_ have the unorganized and promiscuous character of the _a.s.semblage_; the other terms come under the general idea of _a.s.sembly_. _Congregation_ is now almost exclusively religious; _meeting_ is often so used, but is less restricted, as we may speak of a _meeting_ of armed men. _Gathering_ refers to a coming together, commonly of numbers, from far and near; as, the _gathering_ of the Scottish clans.

Antonyms:

dispersion, loneliness, privacy, retirement, seclusion, solitude.

COMPEL.

Synonyms:

coerce, drive, make, oblige.

constrain, force, necessitate,

To _compel_ one to an act is to secure its performance by the use of irresistible physical or moral force. _Force_ implies primarily an actual physical process, absolutely subduing all resistance. _Coerce_ implies the actual or potential use of so much force as may be necessary to secure the surrender of the will; the American secessionists contended that the Federal government had no right to _coerce_ a State.

_Constrain_ implies the yielding of judgment and will, and in some cases of inclination or affection, to an overmastering power; as, "the love of Christ _constraineth_ us," _2 Cor._ v, 14. Compare DRIVE; INFLUENCE.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for HINDER.

Prepositions:

The soldiers were compelled _to_ desertion: preferably with the infinitive, compelled _to_ desert.

COMPLAIN.

Synonyms:

croak, growl, grunt, remonstrate, find fault, grumble, murmur, repine.

To _complain_ is to give utterance to dissatisfaction or objection, express a sense of wrong or ill treatment. One _complains_ of a real or a.s.sumed grievance; he may _murmur_ through mere peevishness or ill temper; he _repines_, with vain distress, at the irrevocable or the inevitable. _Complaining_ is by speech or writing; _murmuring_ is commonly said of half-repressed utterance; _repining_ of the mental act alone. One may _complain_ of an offense to the offender or to others; he _remonstrates_ with the offender only. _Complain_ has a formal and legal meaning, which the other words have not, signifying to make a formal accusation, present a specific charge; the same is true of the noun _complaint_.