Back Aa

English Synonyms and Antonyms

<h3>HABIT.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>custom,</td><td>habitude,</td><td>routine,</td><td>system,</td><td>use,</td></tr> <tr><td>fashion,</td><td>practise,</td><td>rule,</td><td>usage,</td><td>wont.</td></tr> </table> Habit is a tendency or inclination toward an action or condition, which by repetition has become easy, spontaneous, or even unconscious, or an action or regular series of actions, or a condition so induced. Custom is the uniform doing of the same act in the same circumstance for a definite reason; routine is the doing of customary acts in a regular and uniform sequence and is more mechanical than custom. It is the custom of tradesmen to open at a uniform hour, and to follow a regular routine of business until closing-time. Habit always includes an involuntary tendency, natural or acquired, greatly strengthened by frequent repetition of the act, and may be uncontrollable, or even unconscious. Habitude is habitual relation or association. Custom is chiefly used of the action of many; habit of the action of one; we speak of the customs of society, the habits of an individual. Fashion is the generally recognized custom in the smaller matters, especially in dress. A rule is prescribed either by some external authority or by one's own will; as, it is the rule of the house; or, I make it my invariable rule. System is the coordination of many acts or things into a unity, and is more and better than routine. Use and usage denote the manner of using something; we speak of one person's use of language, but of the usage of many; a use or usage is almost always a habit. Practise is the active doing of something in a systematic way; we do not speak of the practise, but of the habit of going to sleep; we speak of a tradesman's custom, a lawyer's or a physician's practise. Educationally, practise is the voluntary and persistent attempt to make skill a habit; as, practise in penmanship. Wont is blind and instinctive habit like that which attaches an animal to a locality: the word is now almost wholly poetic. Compare DRESS. <hr /> <h3>HAPPEN.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>bechance,</td><td>chance,</td><td>fall out,</td><td>supervene,</td></tr> <tr><td>befall,</td><td>come to pass,</td><td>occur,</td><td>take place.</td></tr> <tr><td>betide,</td><td colspan="3">fall,</td></tr> </table> A thing is said to happen when no design is manifest, or none especially thought of; it is said to chance when it appears to be the result of accident (compare synonyms for ACCIDENT). An incident happens or occurs; something external or actual happens to one; a thought or fancy occurs to him. Befall and betide are transitive; happen is intransitive; something befalls or betides a person or happens to him. Betide is especially used for anticipated evil, thought of as waiting and coming at its appointed time; as, wo betide him! One event supervenes upon another event, one disease upon another, etc. ["Transpire," in the sense of happen, is not authorized by good usage: a thing that has happened is properly said to transpire when it becomes known.] <h4>Prepositions:</h4> An event happens to a person; a person happens on or upon a fact, discovery, etc. <hr /> <h3>HAPPINESS.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>blessedness,</td><td>delight,</td><td>gladness,</td><td>pleasure,</td></tr> <tr><td>bliss,</td><td>ecstasy,</td><td>gratification,</td><td>rapture,</td></tr> <tr><td>cheer,</td><td>enjoyment,</td><td>joy,</td><td>rejoicing,</td></tr> <tr><td>comfort,</td><td>felicity,</td><td>merriment,</td><td>satisfaction,</td></tr> <tr><td>contentment,</td><td>gaiety,</td><td>mirth,</td><td>triumph.</td></tr> </table> Gratification is the giving any mental or physical desire something that it craves; satisfaction is the giving such a desire all that it craves. Happiness is the positively agreeable experience that springs from the possession of good, the gratification or satisfaction of the desires or the relief from pain and evil. Comfort may be almost wholly negative, being found in security or relief from that which pains or annoys; there is comfort by a warm fireside on a wintry night; the sympathy of a true friend affords comfort in sorrow. Enjoyment is more positive, always implying something to be definitely and consciously delighted in; a sick person finds comfort in relief from pain, while he may be far from a state of enjoyment. Pleasure is still more vivid, being an arousing of the faculties to an intensely agreeable activity; satisfaction is more tranquil than pleasure, being the agreeable consciousness of having all that our faculties demand or crave; when a worthy pleasure is past, a worthy satisfaction remains. As referring to a mental state, gratification is used to denote a mild form of happiness resulting from some incident not of very great importance; satisfaction should properly express a happiness deeper, more complete, and more abiding; but as intellect or sensibilities of a low order may find satisfaction in that which is very poor or unworthy, the word has come to be feeble and tame in ordinary use. Happiness is more positive than comfort, enjoyment, or satisfaction, more serene and rational than pleasure; pleasure is of necessity transient; happiness is abiding, and may be eternal; thus, we speak of pleasures, but the plural of happiness is scarcely used. Happiness, in the full sense, is mental or spiritual or both, and is viewed as resulting from some worthy gratification or satisfaction; we may speak of a brute as experiencing comfort or pleasure, but scarcely as in possession of happiness; we speak of vicious pleasure, delight, or joy, but not of vicious happiness. Felicity is a philosophical term, colder and more formal than happiness. Gladness is happiness that overflows, expressing itself in countenance, voice, manner, and action. Joy is more intense than happiness, deeper than gladness, to which it is akin, nobler and more enduring than pleasure. Gaiety is more superficial than joy, more demonstrative than gladness. Rejoicing is happiness or joy that finds utterance in word, song, festivity, etc. Delight is vivid, overflowing happiness of a somewhat transient kind; ecstasy is a state of extreme or extravagant delight so that the one affected by it seems almost beside himself with joy; rapture is closely allied to ecstasy, but is more serene, exalted, and enduring. Triumph is such joy as results from victory, success, achievement. Blessedness is at once the state and the sense of being divinely blessed; as, the blessedness of the righteous. Bliss is ecstatic, perfected happiness; as, the bliss of heaven. Compare COMFORT. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> See synonyms for GRIEF. <hr /> <h3>HAPPY.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>blessed,</td><td>cheering,</td><td>gay,</td><td>lucky,</td><td>rejoiced,</td></tr> <tr><td>blissful,</td><td>cheery,</td><td>glad,</td><td>merry,</td><td>rejoicing,</td></tr> <tr><td>blithe,</td><td>delighted,</td><td>jocund,</td><td>mirthful,</td><td>smiling,</td></tr> <tr><td>blithesome,</td><td>delightful,</td><td>jolly,</td><td>pleased,</td><td>sprightly,</td></tr> <tr><td>bright,</td><td>dexterous,</td><td>joyful,</td><td>prosperous,</td><td>successful,</td></tr> <tr><td>buoyant,</td><td>felicitous,</td><td>joyous,</td><td>rapturous,</td><td>sunny.</td></tr> <tr><td>cheerful,</td><td colspan="4">fortunate,</td></tr> </table> Happy primarily refers to something that comes "by good hap," a chance that brings prosperity, benefit, or success. <div class="bq1">And grasps the skirts of happy chance. Tennyson In Memoriam lxiii, st. 2. </div> In this sense happy is closely allied to fortunate and lucky. (See FORTUNATE.) Happy has, however, so far diverged from this original sense as to apply to advantages where chance is not recognized, or is even excluded by direct reference to the divine will, when it becomes almost equivalent to blessed. <div class="bq1">Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth. Job v, 17. </div> Happy is also applied to the ready dexterity or skill by which favorable results (usually in minor matters) are secured, when it becomes a synonym for dexterous, felicitous, and the associated words; as, he has a happy wit; happy at retort (compare CLEVER). In its most frequent present use, happy is applied to the state of one enjoying happiness, or to that by which happiness is expressed; as, a happy heart; a happy face; happy laughter; happy tears (compare synonyms for HAPPINESS). Cheerful applies to the possession or expression of a moderate and tranquil happiness. A cheery word spontaneously gives cheer to others; a cheering word is more distinctly planned to cheer and encourage. Gay applies to an effusive and superficial happiness (often not really worthy of that name) perhaps resulting largely from abundant animal spirits: we speak of gay revelers or a gay horse. A buoyant spirit is, as it were, borne up by joy and hope. A sunny disposition has a constant tranquil brightness that irradiates all who come within its influence. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> Compare synonyms for GRIEF. <h4>Prepositions:</h4> A happy event for him; happy at a reply; happy in his home, with his friends, among his children; happy at the discovery, over his success. <hr /> <h3>HARMONY.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>accord,</td><td>concurrence,</td><td>consistency,</td><td>uniformity,</td></tr> <tr><td>accordance,</td><td>conformity,</td><td>consonance,</td><td>union,</td></tr> <tr><td>agreement,</td><td>congruity,</td><td>symmetry,</td><td>unison,</td></tr> <tr><td>amity,</td><td>consent,</td><td>unanimity,</td><td>unity.</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="4">concord,</td></tr> </table> When tones, thoughts, or feelings, individually different, combine to form a consistent and pleasing whole, there is harmony. Harmony is deeper and more essential than agreement; we may have a superficial, forced, or patched-up agreement, but never a superficial, forced, or patched-up harmony. Concord is less full and spiritual than harmony. Concord implies more volition than accord; as, their views were found to be in perfect accord; or, by conference concord was secured; we do not secure accord, but discover it. We may speak of being in accord with a person on one point, but harmony is wider in range. Conformity is correspondence in form, manner, or use; the word often signifies submission to authority or necessity, and may be as far as possible from harmony; as, the attempt to secure conformity to an established religion. Congruity involves the element of suitableness; consistency implies the absence of conflict or contradiction in views, statements, or acts which are brought into comparison, as in the different statements of the same person or the different periods of one man's life; unanimity is the complete hearty agreement of many; consent and concurrence refer to decision or action, but consent is more passive than concurrence; one speaks by general consent when no one in the assembly cares to make formal objection; a decision of the Supreme Court depends upon the concurrence of a majority of the judges. Compare AGREE; FRIENDSHIP; MELODY. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>antagonism,</td><td>contest,</td><td>discord,</td><td>hostility,</td><td>schism,</td></tr> <tr><td>battle,</td><td>controversy,</td><td>disproportion,</td><td>incongruity,</td><td>separation,</td></tr> <tr><td>conflict,</td><td>difference,</td><td>dissension,</td><td>inconsistency,</td><td>variance,</td></tr> <tr><td>contention,</td><td>disagreement,</td><td>disunion,</td><td>opposition,</td><td>warfare.</td></tr> </table> <hr /> <h3>HARVEST.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>crop,</td><td>harvest-home,</td><td>ingathering,</td><td>result,</td></tr> <tr><td>fruit,</td><td>harvesting,</td><td>proceeds,</td><td>return,</td></tr> <tr><td>growth,</td><td>harvest-tide,</td><td>produce,</td><td rowspan="3">yield.</td></tr> <tr><td>harvest-feast,</td><td>harvest-time,</td><td>product,</td></tr> <tr><td>harvest-festival,</td><td>increase,</td><td>reaping,</td></tr> </table> Harvest, from the Anglo-Saxon, signified originally "autumn," and as that is the usual season of gathering ripened crops in Northern lands, the word came to its present meaning of the season of gathering ripened grain or fruits, whether summer or autumn, and hence a crop gathered or ready for gathering; also, the act or process of gathering a crop or crops. "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few," Luke x, 2. "Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest," John iv, 35. Harvest is the elegant and literary word; crop is the common and commercial expression; we say a man sells his crop, but we should not speak of his selling his harvest; we speak of an ample or abundant harvest, a good crop. Harvest is applied almost wholly to grain; crop applies to almost anything that is gathered in; we speak of the potato-crop, not the potato-harvest; we may say either the wheat-crop or the wheat-harvest. Produce is a collective word for all that is produced in farming or gardening, and is, in modern usage, almost wholly restricted to this sense; we speak of produce collectively, but of a product or various products; vegetables, fruits, eggs, butter, etc., may be termed farm-produce, or the products of the farm. Product is a word of wider application than produce; we speak of the products of manufacturing, the products of thought, or the product obtained by multiplying one number by another. The word proceeds is chiefly used of the return from an investment: we speak of the produce of a farm, but of the proceeds of the money invested in farming. The yield is what the land gives up to the farmer's demand; we speak of the return from an expenditure of money or labor, but of the yield of corn or oats. Harvest has also a figurative use, such as crop more rarely permits; we term a religious revival a harvest of souls; the result of lax enforcement of law is a harvest of crime. As regards time, harvest, harvest-tide, and harvest-time alike denote the period or season when the crops are or should be gathered (tide being simply the old Saxon word for time). Harvest-home ordinarily denotes the festival of harvest, and when used to denote simply the season always gives a suggestion of festivity and rejoicing, such as harvest and harvest-time by themselves do not express. <hr /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

1 of 2

2 of 2

Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.