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Putnam’s Word Book is a systematic reference work that lists English words alphabetically, pairing each entry with a concise definition, a selection of synonyms, and often a set of antonyms or related terms. The opening pages begin with “abandon,” giving its verb forms, noun forms, and opposites, then move through “abase,” “abash,” “abate,” and so on, illustrating the book’s pattern of offering precise meanings and lexical families. The entries are brief yet dense, providing the kind of exact vocabulary a writer might need when searching for a more nuanced alternative to a common term. The structure is purely lexical; there is no narrative, only a steady progression from one headword to the next, each entry standing on its own as a self‑contained mini‑lesson in word choice.
The style is that of a late‑19th‑century scholarly compendium, marked by formal diction, exhaustive synonym lists, and a didactic tone that assumes a reader eager to refine his or her language. It will appeal to students of rhetoric, editors, and anyone who enjoys the meticulous craft of expanding a personal lexicon, as well as to historians of linguistics who appreciate the period’s approach to synonymy and antonymy.
The opening · free to read
Abandon, v. desert, forsake, forego, discard, relinquish, repudiate, waive, renounce, abdicate. Antonyms: retain, maintain, continue, cherish.
abandon, n. unrestraint, wantonness.
abandoned, a. forsaken, deserted, derelict, castaway, rejected; depraved, reprobate, incorrigible, arrant, graceless, irreformable.
abandonment, n. desertion, relinquishment, dereliction, reprobation, surrender, evacuation, rejection, abdication. Antonyms: retention, continuance, maintenance, persistence.
abase, v. humble, degrade, dishonor, reduce, humiliate.
abasement, n. humiliation, reduction, dishonor, degradation, ignominy.
abash, v. disconcert, confuse, discomfit, discompose, chagrin, mortify, embarrass.
abashment, n. discomfiture, confusion, mortification, chagrin, embarrassment.
abate, v. moderate, assuage, subside, diminish, intermit. Antonyms: See increase.
abatement, n. moderation, diminution, reduction, subsidence, decrease.
a b c. alphabet, symbols; rudiments, elements, first principles.
a b c book. primer, hornbook.
abdomen, n. belly, paunch. Associated words: abdominal, ventral, paunchy, abdominous, peritoneum, peritonitis, celiac, laparotomy, groin, eventration, abdominoscopy, hypogastric, hypogastrium.
abduction, n. kidnapping, child-stealing, man-stealing, defiliation. Associated words: abduct, abductor.
aberration, n. wandering, deviation; abnormity, irregularity; madness, mania.
abet, v. instigate, encourage, incite, egg on, foment, uphold.
abetment, n. instigation, incitement, encouragement.
abeyance, n. suspension, indetermination.
abhor, v. abominate, loathe, hate, detest.
abhorrence, n. detestation, loathing, repugnance, abomination.
abhorrent, a. repugnant, detestable, loathsome, repulsive.
abide, v. dwell, stay, sojourn, continue, remain; acquiesce, conform to.
abiding, a. continuing, lasting, stable.
ability, n. competence, efficiency, aptitude, capacity, skill, proficiency, capability. Antonyms: inability, incapability.
abject, a. degraded, groveling, servile, ignoble, contemptible base. Antonyms: noble, lofty, dignified, exalted.
able, a. competent, qualified, capable, talented, clever, gifted, efficient; effective, cogent, telling, potent. Antonyms: unable, incompetent, incapable, inefficient ineffective, impotent.
able-bodied, a. stalwart, brawny, robust, sturdy, strapping muscular.
abnormal, a. anomalous, irregular, exceptional, aberrant, erratic, unusual. Antonyms: See normal.
abnormality, n. variation, irregularity, anomaly, abnormity. Antonyms: regularity, naturalness.
abnormity, n. irregularity, abnormality, monstrosity, anomaly.
abode, n. residence, habitation, dwelling, domicile, sojourn.
abolish, v. annul, nullify, abrogate, invalidate, repeal, revoke, rescind, disannul, set aside, destroy. Antonyms: confirm, establish.
abolition, n. annulling, abrogation, destruction, abolishment, disestablishment, cancellation, extinction, nullification, rescission, revocation.
abominable, a. odious, execrable, detestable, loathsome, abhorrent, offensive.
abomination, n. detestation, execration, abhorrence, loathing, aversion, odiousness.
abortion, n. miscarriage, failure, frustration; castling, mooncalf, monster.
abortive, a. unsuccessful, unavailing, miscarrying, frustrate, ineffectual; rudimentary, undeveloped, sterile, imperfect.
abound, v. be plentiful, teem, swarm.
abounding, a. rife, plentiful, abundant, galore.
about, prep. concerning, anent, relative to, with regard to.
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