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English Synonyms and Antonyms

<h3>INHERENT.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>congenital,</td><td>indispensable,</td><td>innate,</td><td>native,</td></tr> <tr><td>essential,</td><td>indwelling,</td><td>inseparable,</td><td>natural,</td></tr> <tr><td>immanent,</td><td>infixed,</td><td>internal,</td><td rowspan="3">subjective.</td></tr> <tr><td>inborn,</td><td>ingrained,</td><td>intrinsic,</td></tr> <tr><td>inbred,</td><td>inhering,</td><td>inwrought,</td></tr> </table> Inherent signifies permanently united as an element or original quality, naturally existent or incorporated in something so as to have become an integral part. Immanent is a philosophic word, to denote that which dwells in or pervades any substance or spirit without necessarily being a part of it, and without reference to any working out (compare SUBJECTIVE). That which is inherent is an inseparable part of that in which it inheres, and is usually thought of with reference to some outworking or effect; as, an inherent difficulty. God is said to be immanent (not inherent) in the universe. Frequently intrinsic and inherent can be interchanged, but inherent applies to qualities, while intrinsic applies to essence, so that to speak of intrinsic excellence conveys higher praise than if we say inherent excellence. Inherent and intrinsic may be said of persons or things; congenital, inborn, inbred, innate, apply to living beings. Congenital is frequent in medical and legal use with special application to defects; as, congenital idiocy. Innate and inborn are almost identical, but innate is preferred in philosophic use, as when we speak of innate ideas; that which is inborn, congenital, or innate may be original with the individual, but that which is inbred is inherited. Ingrained signifies dyed in the grain, and denotes that which is deeply wrought into substance or character. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>accidental,</td><td>extrinsic,</td><td>outward,</td><td>superficial,</td><td>supplemental,</td></tr> <tr><td>casual,</td><td>fortuitous,</td><td>subsidiary,</td><td>superfluous,</td><td>transient,</td></tr> <tr><td>external,</td><td>incidental,</td><td>superadded,</td><td>superimposed,</td><td>unconnected.</td></tr> </table> <hr /> <h3>INJURY.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>blemish,</td><td>disadvantage,</td><td>hurt,</td><td>loss,</td><td>prejudice,</td></tr> <tr><td>damage,</td><td>evil,</td><td>impairment,</td><td>mischief,</td><td>wrong.</td></tr> <tr><td>detriment,</td><td>harm,</td><td>injustice,</td><td colspan="2">outrage,</td></tr> </table> Injury (L. in, not, and jus, juris, right, law) signifies primarily something done contrary to law or right; hence, something contrary to some standard of right or good; whatever reduces the value, utility, beauty, or desirableness of anything is an injury to that thing; of persons, whatever is so done as to operate adversely to one in his person, rights, property, or reputation is an injury; the word is especially used of whatever mars the integrity of the body or causes pain; as, when rescued from the wreck his injuries were found to be very slight. Injury is the general term including all the rest. Damage (L. damnum, loss) is that which occasions loss to the possessor; hence, any impairment of value, often with the suggestion of fault on the part of the one causing it; damage reduces value, utility, or beauty; detriment (L. deterere, to rub or wear away) is similar in meaning, but far milder. Detriment may affect value only; damage always affects real worth or utility; as a rule, the slightest use of an article by a purchaser operates to its detriment if again offered for sale, tho the article may have received not the slightest damage. Damage is partial; loss is properly absolute as far as it is predicated at all; the loss of a ship implies that it is gone beyond recovery; the loss of the rudder is a damage to the ship; but since the loss of a part still leaves a part, we may speak of a partial or a total loss. Evil commonly suggests suffering or sin, or both; as, the evils of poverty, the social evil. Harm is closely synonymous with injury; it may apply to body, mind, or estate, but always affects real worth, while injury may concern only estimated value. A hurt is an injury that causes pain, physical or mental; a slight hurt may be no real harm. Mischief is disarrangement, trouble, or harm usually caused by some voluntary agent, with or without injurious intent; a child's thoughtless sport may do great mischief; wrong is harm done with evil intent. An outrage combines insult and injury. Compare synonyms for BLEMISH; CRIMINAL; INJUSTICE. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>advantage,</td><td>benefit,</td><td>boon,</td><td>improvement,</td><td>service,</td></tr> <tr><td>amelioration,</td><td>blessing,</td><td>help,</td><td>remedy,</td><td>utility.</td></tr> </table> <h4>Prepositions:</h4> The injury of the cause; an injury to the structure; injury by fire; by or from collision, interference, etc. <hr /> <h3>INJUSTICE.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>grievance,</td><td>injury,</td><td>unfairness,</td><td>unrighteousness,</td><td>wrong.</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="5">iniquity,</td></tr> </table> Injustice is a violation or denial of justice, an act or omission that is contrary to equity or justice; as, the injustice of unequal taxes. In legal usage a wrong involves injury to person, property, or reputation, as the result of evil intent; injustice applies to civil damage or loss, not necessarily involving injury to person or property, as by misrepresentation of goods which does not amount to a legal warranty. In popular usage, injustice may involve no direct injury to person, property, interest, or character, and no harmful intent, while wrong always involves both; one who attributes another's truly generous act to a selfish motive does him an injustice. Iniquity, in the original sense, is a want of or a deviation from equity; but it is now applied in the widest sense to any form of ill-doing. Compare synonyms for CRIMINAL; SIN. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>equity,</td><td>faithfulness,</td><td>impartiality,</td><td>lawfulness,</td><td>righteousness,</td></tr> <tr><td>fairness,</td><td>honesty,</td><td>integrity,</td><td>rectitude,</td><td>uprightness.</td></tr> <tr><td>fair play,</td><td>honor,</td><td>justice,</td><td colspan="2">right,</td></tr> </table> <hr /> <h3>INNOCENT.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>blameless,</td><td>guiltless,</td><td>inoffensive,</td><td>spotless,</td></tr> <tr><td>clean,</td><td>harmless,</td><td>pure,</td><td>stainless,</td></tr> <tr><td>clear,</td><td>immaculate,</td><td>right,</td><td>upright,</td></tr> <tr><td>faultless,</td><td>innocuous,</td><td>righteous,</td><td rowspan="2">virtuous.</td></tr> <tr><td>guileless,</td><td>innoxious,</td><td>sinless,</td></tr> </table> Innocent, in the full sense, signifies not tainted with sin; not having done wrong or violated legal or moral precept or duty; as, an innocent babe. Innocent is a negative word, expressing less than righteous, upright, or virtuous, which imply knowledge of good and evil, with free choice of the good. A little child or a lamb is innocent; a tried and faithful man is righteous, upright, virtuous. Immaculate, pure, and sinless may be used either of one who has never known the possibility of evil or of one who has perfectly and triumphantly resisted it. Innocent is used of inanimate substances in the sense of harmless; as, an innocent remedy, that is, one not dangerous, even if not helpful. Innocent, in a specific case, signifies free from the guilt of a particular act, even tho the total character may be very evil; as, the thief was found to be innocent of the murder. See CANDID; PURE. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> Compare synonyms for CRIMINAL. <hr /> <h3>INQUISITIVE.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>curious,</td><td>meddlesome,</td><td>peeping,</td><td>scrutinizing,</td></tr> <tr><td>inquiring,</td><td>meddling,</td><td>prying,</td><td>searching.</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="4">intrusive,</td></tr> </table> An inquisitive person is one who is bent on finding out all that can be found out by inquiry, especially of little and personal matters, and hence is generally meddlesome and prying. Inquisitive may be used in a good sense, tho in such connection inquiring is to be preferred; as, an inquiring mind. As applied to a state of mind, curious denotes a keen and rather pleasurable desire to know fully something to which one's attention has been called, but without the active tendency that inquisitive implies; a well-bred person may be curious to know, but will not be inquisitive in trying to ascertain, what is of interest in the affairs of another. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>apathetic,</td><td>heedless,</td><td rowspan="2">indifferent,</td><td rowspan="2">unconcerned,</td><td rowspan="2">uninterested.</td></tr> <tr><td>careless,</td><td>inattentive,</td></tr> </table> <h4>Prepositions:</h4> Inquisitive about, concerning, in regard to, regarding trifles. <hr /> <h3>INSANITY.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>aberration,</td><td>delirium,</td><td>frenzy,</td><td>madness,</td></tr> <tr><td>alienation,</td><td>dementia,</td><td>hallucination,</td><td>mania,</td></tr> <tr><td>craziness,</td><td>derangement,</td><td>lunacy,</td><td>monomania.</td></tr> </table> Of these terms insanity is the most exact and comprehensive, including in its widest sense all morbid conditions of mind due to diseased action of the brain or nervous system, but in its more frequent restricted use applied to those forms in which the mental disorder is persistent, as distinguished from those in which it is temporary or transient. Craziness is a vague popular term for any sort of disordered mental action, or for conduct suggesting it. Lunacy originally denoted intermittent insanity, supposed to be dependent on the changes of the moon (L. luna): the term is now applied in general and legal use to any form of mental unsoundness except idiocy. Madness is the old popular term, now less common, for insanity in its widest sense, but with suggestion of excitement, akin to mania. In the derived sense, lunacy denotes what is insanely foolish, madness what is insanely desperate. Derangement is a common euphemism for insanity. Delirium is always temporary, and is specifically the insanity of disease, as in acute fevers. Dementia is a general weakening of the mental powers: the word is specifically applied to senile insanity, dotage. Aberration is eccentricity of mental action due to an abnormal state of the perceptive faculties, and is manifested by error in perceptions and rambling thought. Hallucination is the apparent perception of that which does not exist or is not present to the senses, as the seeing of specters or of reptiles in delirium tremens. Monomania is mental derangement as to one subject or object. Frenzy and mania are forms of raving and furious insanity. Compare synonyms for DELUSION; IDIOCY. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>clearness,</td><td>good sense,</td><td>lucidity,</td><td>rationality,</td><td>sanity.</td></tr> </table> <hr /> <h3>INTERPOSE.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>arbitrate,</td><td>intercept,</td><td>intermeddle,</td><td>meddle,</td></tr> <tr><td>intercede,</td><td>interfere,</td><td>interrupt,</td><td>mediate.</td></tr> </table> To interpose is to place or come between other things or persons, usually as a means of obstruction or prevention of some effect or result that would otherwise occur, or be expected to take place. Intercede and interpose are used in a good sense; intermeddle always in a bad sense, and interfere frequently so. To intercede is to come between persons who are at variance, and plead with the stronger in behalf of the weaker. One may interpose with authority; he intercedes by petition. To intermeddle is to thrust oneself into the concerns of others with a petty officiousness; meddling commonly arises from idle curiosity; "every fool will be meddling," Prov. xx, 3; to interfere is to intrude into others' affairs with more serious purpose, with or without acknowledged right or propriety. Intercept is applied to an object that may be seized or stopped while in transit; as, to intercept a letter or a messenger; interrupt is applied to an action which might or should be continuous, but is broken in upon (L. rumpere, to break) by some disturbing power; as, the conversation was interrupted. One who arbitrates or mediates must do so by the request or at least with the consent of the contending parties; the other words of the group imply that he steps in of his own accord. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>avoid,</td><td>keep aloof,</td><td>keep out,</td><td>retire,</td><td>stand back,</td></tr> <tr><td>hold aloof,</td><td>keep away,</td><td>let alone,</td><td>stand aside,</td><td>stand off,</td></tr> <tr><td>hold off,</td><td>keep clear,</td><td>let be,</td><td>stand away,</td><td>withdraw.</td></tr> </table> <h4>Prepositions:</h4> Interpose between the combatants; in the matter. <hr /> <h3>INVOLVE.</h3> <h4>Synonyms:</h4> <table class="tbs" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>complicate,</td><td>embroil,</td><td>implicate,</td><td>include,</td></tr> <tr><td>embarrass,</td><td>entangle,</td><td>imply,</td><td>overwhelm.</td></tr> </table> To involve (L. in, in, and volvo, roll) is to roll or wind up with or in so as to combine inextricably or inseparably, or nearly so; as, the nation is involved in war; the bookkeeper's accounts, or the writer's sentences are involved. Involve is a stronger word than implicate, denoting more complete entanglement. As applied to persons, implicate is always used in an unfavorable sense, and involve ordinarily so; but implicate applies only to that which is wrong, while involve is more commonly used of that which is unfortunate; one is implicated in a crime, involved in embarrassments, misfortunes, or perplexities. As regards logical connection that which is included is usually expressly stated; that which is implied is not stated, but is naturally to be inferred; that which is involved is necessarily to be inferred; as, a slate roof is included in the contract; that the roof shall be water-tight is implied; the contrary supposition involves an absurdity. See COMPLEX. <h4>Antonyms:</h4> <table class="tba" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> <tr><td>disconnect,</td><td>disentangle,</td><td>distinguish,</td><td>explicate,</td><td>extricate,</td><td>remove,</td><td>separate.</td></tr> </table> <hr /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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