Adv. insufficiently &c adj.; in default of, for want of; failing. Phr

accumulation &c (store) 636; heap &c 72; drug, drug in the market; glut; crowd; burden.

excess; surplus, overplus^†; epact^†; margin; remainder &c 40; duplicate; surplusage^†, expletive; work of supererogation; bonus, bonanza.

luxury; intemperance &c 954; extravagance &c (prodigality) 818; exorbitance, lavishment^†.

pleonasm &c (diffuseness) 573; too many irons in the fire; embarras de richesses [Fr.].

V. superabound, overabound^†; know no bounds, swarm; meet one at every turn; creep with, crawl with, bristle with; overflow; run over, flow over, well over, brim over; run riot; overrun, overstock, overlay, overcharge, overdose, overfeed, overburden, overload, overdo, overwhelm, overshoot the mark &c (go beyond) 303; surcharge, supersaturate, gorge, glut, load, drench, whelm, inundate, deluge, flood; drug, drug the market; hepatize^†.

choke, cloy, accloy^†, suffocate; pile up, lay on thick; impregnate with; lavish &c (squander) 818.

send coals to Newcastle, carry coals to Newcastle, carry owls to Athens^†; teach one's grandmother to suck eggs; pisces natare docere [Lat.]; kill the slain, gild refined gold, gild the lily, butter one's bread on both sides, put butter upon bacon; employ a steam engine to crack a nut &c (waste) 638.

exaggerate &c 549; wallow in roll in &c (plenty) 639; remain on one's hands, hang heavy on hand, go a begging.

crammed to overflowing, filled to overflowing; gorged, ready to burst; dropsical, turgid, plethoric; obese &c 194.

superfluous, unnecessary, needless, supervacaneous^†, uncalled for, to spare, in excess; over and above &c (remainder) 40; de trop [Fr.]; adscititious &c (additional) 37; supernumerary &c (reserve) 636; on one's hands, spare, duplicate, supererogatory, expletive; un peu fort [Fr.].

Adv. over, too, over and above; overmuch, too much; too far; without measure, beyond measure, out of measure; with a to spare; over head and ears; up to one's eyes, up to one's ears; extra; beyond the mark &c (transcursion) 303; acervatim [Lat.].

Phr. it never rains but it pours; fortuna multis dat nimium nulli satis [Lat.].

2. Degree of Subservience

642. Importance -- N. importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness.

import, significance, concern; emphasis, interest.

greatness &c 31; superiority &c 33; notability &c (repute) 873; weight &c (influence) 175; value &c (goodness) 648; usefulness &c 644.

gravity, seriousness, solemnity; no joke, no laughing matter; pressure, urgency, stress; matter of life and death.

memorabilia, notabilia^†, great doings; red-letter day.

great thing, great point; main chance, the be all and the end all [Macbeth]; cardinal point; substance, gist &c (essence) 5; sum and substance, gravamen, head and front; important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part; half the battle; sine qua non; breath of one's nostrils &c (life) 359; cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus; keynote, keystone; corner stone; trump card &c (device) 626; salient points.

top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna [Sp.], chief; triton among the minnows; 'it' [U.S.].

V. be important &c adj., be somebody, be something; import, signify, matter, boot, be an object; carry weight &c (influence) 175; make a figure &c (repute) 873; be in the ascendant, come to the front, lead the way, take the lead, play first fiddle, throw all else into the shade; lie at the root of; deserve notice, merit notice, be worthy of notice, be worthy of regard, be worthy of consideration.

attach importance to, ascribe importance to, give importance to &c n.; value, care for, set store upon, set store by; mark &c 550; mark with a white stone, underline; write in italics, put in italics, print in italics, print in capitals, print in large letters, put in large type, put in letters.

of gold; accentuate, emphasize, lay stress on.

make a fuss about, make a fuss over, make a stir about, make a piece of work about [Fr.], make much ado about; make much ado of, make much of.

grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing.

urgent, pressing, critical, instant.

paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling; of vital importance &c in the front rank, first-rate; superior &c 33; considerable &c (great) 31; marked &c v.; rare &c 137.

significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant; tanti [Lat.].

Adv. materially &c adj.; in the main; above all, kat' exochin [Gr.], par excellence, to crown all, to beat all.

Phr. expende Hannibalem! [Lat.] [Juvenal].
643. Unimportance -- N. unimportance, insignificance, nothingness, immateriality.

triviality, levity, frivolity; paltriness &c adj.; poverty; smallness &c 32; vanity &c (uselessness) 645; matter of indifference &c 866; no object.

nothing, nothing to signify, nothing worth speaking of, nothing particular, nothing to boast of, nothing to speak of; small matter, no great matter, trifling matter &c adj.; mere joke, mere nothing; hardly anything; scarcely anything; nonentity, small beer, cipher; no great shakes, peu de chose [Fr.]; child's play, kinderspiel.

toy, plaything, popgun, paper pellet, gimcrack, gewgaw, bauble, trinket, bagatelle, Rickshaw, knickknack, whim-wham, trifle, trifles light as air; yankee notions [U.S.].

trumpery, trash, rubbish, stuff, fatras^†, frippery; leather or prunello; chaff, drug, froth bubble smoke, cobweb; weed; refuse &c (inutility) 645; scum &c (dirt) 653.

joke, jest, snap of the fingers; fudge &c (unmeaning) 517; fiddlestick^†, fiddlestick end^†; pack of nonsense, mere farce.

straw, pin, fig, button, rush; bulrush, feather, halfpenny, farthing, brass farthing, doit^†, peppercorn, jot, rap, pinch of snuff, old son; cent, mill, picayune, pistareen^†, red cent [U.S.].

minutiae, details, minor details, small fry; dust in the balance, feather in the scale, drop in the ocean, flea-bite, molehill.

nine days' wonder, ridiculus mus [Lat.]; flash in the pan &c (impotence) 158; much ado about nothing &c (overestimation) 482.

V. be unimportant &c adj.; not matter &c 642; go for nothing, matter nothing, signify nothing, matter little, matter little or nothing; not matter a straw &c n.. make light of &c (underestimate) 483; catch at straws &c (overestimate) 482.

Adj. unimportant; of little account, of small account, of no account, of little importance, of no importance &c 642; immaterial; unessential, nonessential; indifferent.

subordinate &c (inferior) 34; mediocre &c (average) 29; passable, fair, respectable, tolerable, commonplace; uneventful, mere, common; ordinary &c (habitual) 613; inconsiderable, so-so, insignificant, inappreciable.

trifling, trivial; slight, slender, light, flimsy, frothy, idle; puerile &c (foolish) 499; airy, shallow; weak &c 160; powerless &c 158; frivolous, petty, niggling; piddling, peddling; fribble^†, inane, ridiculous, farcical; finical, finikin^†; fiddle-faddle, fingle-fangle^†, namby-pamby, wishy-washy, milk and water.

poor, paltry, pitiful; contemptible &c (contempt) 930; sorry, mean, meager, shabby, miserable, wretched, vile, scrubby, scrannel^†, weedy, niggardly, scurvy, putid^†, beggarly, worthless, twopennyhalfpenny, cheap, trashy, catchpenny, gimcrack, trumpery; one-horse [U.S.].

not worth the pains, not worth while, not worth mentioning, not worth speaking of, not worth a thought, not worth a curse, not worth a straw &c n.; beneath notice, unworthy of notice, beneath regard, unworthy of regard, beneath consideration, unworthy of consideration; de lana caprina [It]; vain &c (useless) 645.

Adv. slightly &c adj.; rather, somewhat, pretty well, tolerably.

for aught one cares.

common weal; commonwealth public good, public interest; utilitarianism &c (philanthropy) 910.

act a part &c (action) 680; perform a function, discharge a function &c; render a service, render good service, render yeoman's service; bestead^†, stand one in good stead be the making of; help &c 707.

bear fruit &c (produce) 161; bring grist to the mill; profit, remunerate; benefit &c (do good) 648.

find one's account in, find one's advantage in; reap the benefit of &c (be better for) 658.

render useful &c (use) 677.

Adj. useful; of use &c n.; serviceable, proficuous^†, good for; subservient &c (instrumental) 631; conducive &c (tending) 176; subsidiary &c (helping) 707.

advantageous &c (beneficial) 648; profitable, gainful, remunerative, worth one's salt; valuable; prolific &c (productive) 168.

adequate; efficient, efficacious; effective, effectual; expedient &c 646.

applicable, available, ready, handy, at hand, tangible; commodious, adaptable; of all work.

tautology &c (repetition) 104; supererogation &c (redundancy) 641.

vanitas vanitatum [Lat.], vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity^†; triviality &c (unimportance) 643.

caput mortuum [Lat.], waste paper, dead letter; blunt tool.

litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes; button top; shoddy; rags, orts^†, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings^†, waste, rubble, debris, detritus; stubble, leavings; broken meat; dregs &c (dirt) 653; weeds, tares; rubbish heap, dust hole; rudera^†, deads^†.

fruges consumere natus [Lat.] [Horace].

&c (drone) 683

V. be useless &c adj.; go a begging &c (redundant) 641; fail &c 732.

seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton [Fr.], donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau [Fr.], fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins [Fr.]; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen &c (too late) 135; hold a farthing candle to the sun; cast pearls before swine &c (waste) 638; carry coals to Newcastle &c (redundancy) 641; wash a blackamoor white &c (impossible) 471.

render useless &c adj.; dismantle, dismast, dismount, disqualify, disable; unrig; cripple, lame &c (injure) 659; spike guns, clip the wings; put out of gear.

Adj. useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless; inoperative &c 158; inadequate &c (insufficient) 640; inservient^†, unsubservient; inept, inefficient &c (impotent) 158; of no avail &c (use) 644; ineffectual &c (failure) 732; incompetent &c (unskillful) 699; stale, flat and unprofitable; superfluous &c (redundant) 641; dispensable; thrown away &c (wasted) 638; abortive &c (immature) 674.

worthless, valueless, priceless; unsalable; not worth a straw &c (trifling) 643, dear at any price.

vain, empty, inane; gainless^†, profitless, fruitless; unserviceable, unprofitable; ill-spent; unproductive &c 169; hors de combat [Fr.]; effete, past work &c (impaired) 659; obsolete &c (old) 124; fit for the dust hole; good for nothing; of no earthly use; not worth having, not worth powder and shot; leading to no end, uncalled for; unnecessary, unneeded.

Adv. uselessly &c adj.; to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose.

Int. cui bono? [Lat.]; what's the good!,

Phr. actum ne agas [Lat.]; chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin [Fr.]; tanto buon che val niente [It].
646. [Specific subservience.] Expedience -- N. expedience, expediency; desirableness, desirability &c adj.; fitness &c (agreement) 23; utility &c 644; propriety; opportunism; advantage.

high time &c (occasion) 134.

conform &c 82.

ill-contrived, ill-advised; unsatisfactory; unprofitable &c; unsubservient &c (useless) 645; inopportune &c (unseasonable) 135; out of place, in the wrong place; improper, unseemly.

clumsy, awkward; cumbrous, cumbersome; lumbering, unwieldy, hulky^†; unmanageable &c (impracticable) 704; impedient &c (in the way) 706 [Obs.].

unnecessary &c (redundant) 641.

super-excellence, supereminence; superiority &c 33; perfection &c 650; coup de maitre [Fr.]; masterpiece, chef d'ouvre [Fr.], prime, flower, cream, elite, pick, A 1, nonesuch, nonpareil, creme de la creme, flower of the flock, cock of the roost, salt of the earth; champion; prodigy.

tidbit; gem, gem of the first water; bijou, precious stone, jewel, pearl, diamond, ruby, brilliant, treasure; good thing; rara avis [Lat.], one in a thousand.

beneficence &c 906; good man &c 948.

be the making of, do a world of good, make a man of.

produce a good effect; do a good turn, confer an obligation; improve &c 658.

do no harm, break no bones.

be good &c adj.; excel, transcend &c (be superior) 33; bear away the bell.

stand the proof, stand the test; pass muster, pass an examination.

challenge comparison, vie, emulate, rival.

Adj. harmless, hurtless^†; unobnoxious^†, innocuous, innocent, inoffensive.

beneficial, valuable, of value; serviceable &c (useful) 644; advantageous, edifying, profitable; salutary &c (healthful) 656.

favorable; propitious &c (hope-giving) 858; fair.

good, good as gold; excellent; better; superior &c 33; above par; nice, fine; genuine &c (true) 494.

best, choice, select, picked, elect, recherche, rare, priceless; unparagoned^†, unparalleled &c (supreme) 33; superlatively &c 33; good; bully [Slang], crackajack [Slang], giltedged; superfine, superexcellent^†; of the first water; first-rate, first-class; high-wrought, exquisite, very best, crack, prime, tiptop, capital, cardinal; standard &c (perfect) 650; inimitable.

admirable, estimable; praiseworthy &c (approve) 931; pleasing &c 829; couleur de rose [Fr.], precious, of great price; costly &c (dear) 814; worth its weight in gold, worth a Jew's eye; priceless, invaluable, inestimable, precious as the apple of the eye.

tolerable &c (not very good) 651; up to the mark, unexceptionable, unobjectionable; satisfactory, tidy.

in good condition, in fair condition; fresh; sound &c (perfect) 650.

evil doer &c 913; bane &c 663; plague spot &c (insalubrity) 657; evil star, ill wind; hoodoo; Jonah; snake in the grass, skeleton in the closet; amari aliquid [Lat.], thorn in the side.

malignity; malevolence &c 907; tender mercies [Iron.].

ill-treatment, annoyance, molestation, abuse, oppression, persecution, outrage; misusage &c 679; injury &c (damage) 659; knockout drops [U.S.].

badness &c adj.; peccancy^†, abomination; painfulness &c 830; pestilence &c (disease) 655; guilt &c 947; depravity &c 945.

V. be hurtful &c adj.; cause evil, produce evil, inflict evil, work evil, do evil &c 619; damnify^†, endamage^†, hurt, harm; injure &c (damage) 659; pain &c 830.

wrong, aggrieve, oppress, persecute; trample upon, tread upon, bear hard upon, put upon; overburden; weigh down, weigh heavy on; victimize; run down; molest &c 830.

maltreat, abuse; ill-use, ill-treat; buffet, bruise, scratch, maul; smite &c (scourge) 972; do violence, do harm, do a mischief; stab, pierce, outrage.

do mischief, make mischief; bring into trouble.

destroy &c 162.

Adj. hurtful, harmful, scathful^†, baneful, baleful; injurious, deleterious, detrimental, noxious, pernicious, mischievous, full of mischief, mischief-making, malefic, malignant, nocuous, noisome; prejudicial; disserviceable^†, disadvantageous; wide-wasting.

unlucky, sinister; obnoxious; untoward, disastrous.

oppressive, burdensome, onerous; malign &c (malevolent) 907.

corrupting &c (corrupt) &c 659; virulent, venomous, envenomed, corrosive; poisonous &c (morbific) 657 [Obs.]; deadly &c (killing) 361; destructive &c (destroying) 162; inauspicious &c 859.

bad, ill, arrant, as bad as bad can be, dreadful; horrid, horrible; dire; rank, peccant, foul, fulsome; rotten, rotten at the core.

vile, base, villainous; mean &c (paltry) 643; injured &c; deteriorated &c 659; unsatisfactory, exceptionable indifferent; below par &c (imperfect) 651; illcontrived, ill-conditioned; wretched, sad, grievous, deplorable, lamentable; pitiful, pitiable, woeful &c (painful) 830.

evil, wrong; depraved &c 945; shocking; reprehensible &c (disapprove) 932.

hateful, hateful as a toad; abominable, detestable, execrable, cursed, accursed, confounded; damned, damnable; infernal; diabolic &c (malevolent) 907.

unadvisable &c (inexpedient) 647; unprofitable &c (useless) 645; incompetent &c (unskillful) 699; irremediable &c (hopeless) 859.

Adv. badly &c adj.; wrong, ill; to one's cost; where the shoe pinches.

Phr. bad is the best: the worst come to the worst; herba mala presto cresco [Lat.]; wrongs unredressed or insults unavenged [Wordsworth].
650. Perfection -- N. perfection; perfectness &c adj.; indefectibility^†; impeccancy^†, impeccability.

pink, beau ideal, phenix, paragon; pink of perfection, acme of perfection; ne plus ultra [Lat.]; summit &c 210.

cygne noir [Fr.]; philosopher's stone; chrysolite, Koh-i-noor.

model, standard, pattern, mirror, admirable Crichton; trump, very prince of.

masterpiece, superexcellence &c (goodness) 648 [Obs.]; transcendence &c (superiority) 33.