English words and phrases

homage, fealty, obeisance, genuflection, kneeling prostration; obsequiousness &c 886; salaam, kowtow, bow, presenting arms, salute.

respects, regards, duty, devoirs, egards.

devotion &c (piety) 987.

keep one's distance, make room, observe due decorum, stand upon ceremony.

command respect, inspire respect; awe, inspire awe, impose, overawe, dazzle.

Adj. respecting &c v.; respectful, deferential, decorous, reverential, obsequious, ceremonious, bareheaded, cap in hand, on one's knees; prostrate &c (servile) 886.

respected &c v.; in high esteem, in high estimation; time-honored, venerable, emeritus.

saving your grace, saving your presence; salva sit reverentia [Lat.]; pace tanti nominis [Lat.].

irreverence; slight, neglect, spretae injuria formae [Lat.] [Vergil], superciliousness &c (contempt) 930.

vilipendency^†, vilification, contumely, affront, dishonor, insult, indignity, outrage, discourtesy &c 895; practical joking; scurrility, scoffing, sibilance, hissing, sibilation; irrision^†; derision; mockery; irony &c (ridicule) 856; sarcasm.

hiss, hoot, boo, gibe, flout, jeer, scoff, gleek^†, taunt, sneer, quip, fling, wipe, slap in the face.

dishonor, desecrate; insult, affront, outrage.

speak slightingly of; disparage &c (dispraise) 932; vilipend^†, vilify, call names; throw dirt, fling dirt; drag through the mud, point at, indulge in personalities; make mouths, make faces; bite the thumb; take by the beard; pluck by the beard; toss in a blanket, tar and feather.

have in derision; hold in derision; deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, snigger, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle^†, gleek^†, gird, flout, fleer^†; roast, turn into ridicule; burlesque &c 856; laugh to scorn &c (contempt) 930; smoke; fool; make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of^†; play a practical joke; lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout; mob.

unrespected^†, unworshiped^†, unenvied^†, unsaluted^†; unregarded^†, disregarded.

contemptuousness &c adj.; scornful eye; smile of contempt; derision &c (disrespect) 929.

despisedness [State of being despised].

V. despise, contemn, scorn, disdain, feel contempt for, view with a scornful eye; disregard, slight, not mind; pass by &c (neglect) 460.

look down upon; hold cheap, hold in contempt, hold in disrespect; think nothing of, think small beer of; make light of; underestimate &c 483; esteem slightly, esteem of small or no account; take no account of, care nothing for; set no store by; not care a straw, sneeze at &c (unimportance) 643; set at naught, laugh in one's sleeve, laugh up one's sleeve, snap one's fingers at, shrug one's shoulders, turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh, damn with faint praise [Pope]; whistle at, sneer at; curl up one's lip, toss the head, traiter de haut enbas [Fr.]; laugh at &c (be disrespectful) 929.

point the finger of scorn, hold up to scorn, laugh to scorn; scout, hoot, flout, hiss, scoff at.

turn one's back upon, turn a cold shoulder upon; tread upon, trample upon, trample under foot; spurn, kick; fling to the winds &c (repudiate) 610; send away with a flea in the ear.

contemptible, despicable; pitiable; pitiful &c (unimportant) 643; despised &c v.; downtrodden; unenvied^†.

unrespectable (unworthy) 874.

Adv. contemptuously &c adj..

Int. a fig for &c (unimportant) 643; bah!, never mind!, away with!, hang it!, fiddlededee!,

Phr. a dismal universal hiss, the sound of public scorn [Paradise Lost]; I had rather be a dog and bay the moon than such a Roman [Julius Caesar].
931. Approbation -- N. approbation; approval, approvement^†; sanction, advocacy; nod of approbation; esteem, estimation, good opinion, golden opinions, admiration; love &c 897; appreciation, regard, account, popularity, kudos, credit; repute &c 873; best seller.

commendation, praise; laud, laudation; good word; meed of praise, tribute of praise; encomium; eulogy, eulogium^†; eloge [Fr.], panegyric; homage, hero worship; benediction, blessing, benison.

applause, plaudit, clap; clapping, clapping of hands; acclaim, acclamation; cheer; paean, hosannah; shout of applause, peal of applause, chorus of applause, chorus of praise &c; Prytaneum.

V. approve; approbate, think good, think much of, think well of, think highly of; esteem, value, prize; set great store by, set great store on.

do justice to, appreciate; honor, hold in esteem, look up to, admire; like &c 897; be in favor of, wish Godspeed; hail, hail with satisfaction.

stand up for, stick up for; uphold, hold up, countenance, sanction; clap on the back, pat on the back; keep in countenance, indorse; give credit, recommend; mark with a white mark, mark with a stone.

commend, belaud^†, praise, laud, compliment; pay a tribute, bepraise^†; clap the hands; applaud, cheer, acclamate^†, encore; panegyrize^†, eulogize, cry up, proner [Fr.], puff; extol, extol to the skies; magnify, glorify, exalt, swell, make much of; flatter &c 933; bless, give a blessing to; have a good word for, say a good word for; speak well of, speak highly of, speak in high terms of; sing the praises of, sound the praises of, chaunt the praises of; resound the praises of; sing praises to; cheer to the echo, applaud to the echo, applaud to the very echo, cheer to the very echo.

redound to the honor, redound to the praise, redound to the credit of; do credit to; deserve praise &c n.; recommend itself; pass muster.

be praised &c; receive honorable mention; be in favor with, be in high favor with; ring with the praises of, win golden opinions, gain credit, find favor with, stand well in the opinion of; laudari a laudato viro [Lat.].

commendatory, complimentary, benedictory^†, laudatory, panegyrical, eulogistic, encomiastic, lavish of praise, uncritical.

approved, praised &c v.; uncensured, unimpeached; popular, in good odor; in high esteem &c (respected) 928; in favor, in high favor.

deserving of praise, worthy of praise &c n.; praiseworthy, commendable, of estimation; good &c 648; meritorious, estimable, creditable, plausible, unimpeachable; beyond all praise.

dispraise, discommendation^†; blame, censure, obloquy; detraction &c 934; disparagement, depreciation; denunciation; condemnation &c 971; ostracism; black list.

animadversion, reflection, stricture, objection, exception, criticism; sardonic grin, sardonic laugh; sarcasm, insinuation, innuendo; bad compliment, poor compliment, left-handed compliment.

satire; sneer &c (contempt) 930; taunt &c (disrespect) 929; cavil, carping, censoriousness; hypercriticism &c (fastidiousness) 868.

reprehension, remonstrance, expostulation, reproof, reprobation, admonition, increpation^†, reproach; rebuke, reprimand, castigation, jobation^†, lecture, curtain lecture, blow up, wigging, dressing, rating, scolding, trimming; correction, set down, rap on the knuckles, coup de bec [Fr.], rebuff; slap, slap on the face; home thrust, hit; frown, scowl, black look.

diatribe; jeremiad, jeremiade; tirade, philippic.

clamor, outcry, hue and cry; hiss, hissing; sibilance, sibilation, catcall; execration &c 908.

chiding, upbraiding &c v.; exprobation^†, abuse, vituperation, invective, objurgation, contumely; hard words, cutting words, bitter words.

evil-speaking; bad language &c 908; personality.

V. disapprove; dislike &c 867; lament &c 839; object to, take exception to; be scandalized at, think ill of; view with disfavor, view with dark eyes, view with jaundiced eyes; nil admirari [Lat.], disvalue^†; improbate^†.

frown upon, look grave; bend the brows, knit the brows; shake the head at, shrug the shoulders; turn up the nose &c (contempt) 930; look askance, look black upon; look with an evil eye; make a wry face, make a wry mouth at; set one's face against.

dispraise, discommend^†, disparage; deprecate, speak ill of, not speak well of; condemn &c (find guilty) 971.

blame; lay blame upon, cast blame upon; censure, fronder [Fr.], reproach, pass censure on, reprobate, impugn.

remonstrate, expostulate, recriminate.

reprehend, chide, admonish; berate, betongue^†; bring to account, call to account, call over the coals, rake over the coals, call to order; take to task, reprove, lecture, bring to book; read a lesson, read a lecture to; rebuke, correct.

reprimand, chastise, castigate, lash, blow up, trounce, trim, laver la tete [Fr.], overhaul; give it one, give it one finely; gibbet.

accuse &c 938; impeach, denounce; hold up to reprobation, hold up to execration; expose, brand, gibbet, stigmatize; show up, pull up, take up; cry 'shame' upon; be outspoken; raise a hue and cry against.

execrate &c 908; exprobate^†, speak daggers, vituperate; abuse, abuse like a pickpocket; scold, rate, objurgate, upbraid, fall foul of; jaw; rail, rail at, rail in good set terms; bark at; anathematize, call names; call by hard names, call by ugly names; avile^†, revile; vilify, vilipend^†; bespatter; backbite; clapperclaw^†; rave against, thunder against, fulminate against; load with reproaches.

exclaim against, protest against, inveigh against, declaim against, cry out against, raise one's voice against.

decry; cry down, run down, frown down; clamor, hiss, hoot, mob, ostracize, blacklist; draw up a round robin, sign a round robin.

animadvert upon, reflect upon; glance at; cast reflection, cast reproach, cast a slur upon; insinuate, damn with faint praise; hint a fault and hesitate dislike; not to be able to say much for.

scoff at, point at; twit, taunt &c (disrespect) 929; sneer at &c (despise) 230; satirize, lampoon; defame &c (detract) 934; depreciate, find fault with, criticize, cut up; pull to pieces, pick to pieces; take exception; cavil; peck at, nibble at, carp at; be censorious &c adj.; pick holes, pick a hole, pick a hole in one's coat; make a fuss about.

take down, take down a peg, set down; snub, snap one up, give a rap on the knuckles; throw a stone at, throw a stone in one's garden; have a fling, have a snap at; have words with, pluck a crow with; give one a wipe, give one a lick with the rough side of the tongue.

incur blame, excite disapprobation, scandalize, shock, revolt; get a bad name, forfeit one's good opinion, be under a cloud, come under the ferule, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears.

take blame, stand corrected; have to answer for.

disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory^†, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory^†, clamorous, vituperative; defamatory &c 934.

satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon; censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical; fastidious &c 868; sparing of praise, grudging praise.

disapproved, chid &c v.; in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved; unblest^†; at a discount, exploded; weighed in the balance and found wanting.

blameworthy, reprehensible &c (guilt) 947; to blame, worthy of blame; answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of; bad &c 649; vicious &c 945.

unlamented, unbewailed^†, unpitied^†.

incense, honeyed words, flummery; bunkum, buncombe; blarney, placebo, butter; soft soap, soft sawder^†; rose water.

voice of the charmer, mouth honor; lip homage; euphemism; unctuousness &c adj..

V. flatter, praise to the skies, puff; wheedle, cajole, glaver^†, coax; fawn upon, faun upon; humor, gloze, soothe, pet, coquet, slaver, butter; jolly [U.S.]; bespatter, beslubber^†, beplaster^†, beslaver^†; lay it on thick, overpraise; earwig, cog, collogue^†; truckle to, pander to, pandar to^†, suck up to, kiss the ass of [Vulg.], pay court to; court; creep into the good graces of, curry favor with, hang on the sleeve of; fool to the top of one's bent; lick the dust.

lay the flattering unction to one's soul, gild the pill, make things pleasant.

overestimate &c 482; exaggerate &c 549.

Adj. flattering &c v.; adulatory; mealy-mouthed, honey-mouthed; honeyed; smooth, smooth-tongued; soapy, oily, unctuous, blandiloquent^†, specious; fine-spoken, fair spoken; plausible, servile, sycophantic, fulsome; courtierly^†, courtier-like.

Adv. ad captandum [Lat.].
934. Detraction -- N. detraction, disparagement, depreciation, vilification, obloquy, scurrility, scandal, defamation, aspersion, traducement, slander, calumny, obtrectation^†, evil-speaking, backbiting, scandalum magnatum [Lat.].

personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade; chronique scandaleuse [Fr.]; roorback [U.S.].

sarcasm, cynicism; criticism (disapprobation) 932; invective &c 932; envenomed tongue; spretae injuria formae [Lat.].

personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade; chronique scandaleuse [Fr.]; roorback [U.S.].

detractor &c 936.

V. detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage; run down, cry down; backcap [U.S.]; belittle; sneer at &c (contempt) 930; criticize, pull to pieces, pick a hole in one's coat, asperse, cast aspersions, blow upon, bespatter, blacken, vilify, vilipend^†; avile^†; give a dog a bad name, brand, malign; muckrake; backbite, libel, lampoon, traduce, slander, defame, calumniate, bear false witness against; speak ill of behind one's back.

fling dirt &c (disrespect) 929; anathematize &c 932; dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light.

impugn (disparage the motives of); assail, attack &c 716; oppose &c 708; denounce, accuse &c 938.

Adj. detracting &c v.; defamatory, detractory^†, derogatory, deprecatory; catty; disparaging, libelous; scurrile, scurrilous; abusive; foul-spoken, foul-tongued, foul-mouthed; slanderous; calumnious, calumniatory^†; sarcastic, sardonic; sarcastic, satirical, cynical.

critical &c 932.

Jonson]; foul whisperings are abroad [Macbeth]; soft-buzzing slander [Thomson]; virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes [Hamlet].

toady, toadeater^†; sycophant, courtier, Sir Pertinax MacSycophant; flaneur [Fr.], proneur [Fr.]; puffer, touter^†, claqueur [Fr.]; clawback^†, earwig, doer of dirty work; parasite, hanger-on &c (servility) 886.

yes-man, suckup, ass-kisser [Vulg.], brown-noser [Vulg.], teacher's pet.

Phr. pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes [Lat.] [Tacitus].
936. Detractor -- N. detractor, reprover; censor, censurer; cynic, critic, caviler, carper, word-catcher, frondeur; barracker^†.

defamer, backbiter, slanderer, Sir Benjamin Backbite, lampooner, satirist, traducer, libeler, calumniator, dawplucker^†, Thersites^†; Zoilus; good-natured friend [Iron.]; reviler, vituperator, castigator; shrew &c 901; muckraker.

disapprover, laudator temporis acti [Lat.] [Horace].

Adj. black-mouthed, abusive &c 934.
937. Vindication -- N. vindication, justification, warrant; exoneration, exculpation; acquittal &c 970; whitewashing.

extenuation; palliation, palliative; softening, mitigation.

reply, defense; recrimination &c 938.

apology, gloss, varnish; plea &c 617; salvo; excuse, extenuating circumstances; allowance, allowance to be made; locus paenitentiae [Lat.].

apologist, vindicator, justifier; defendant &c 938.

justifiable charge, true bill.

extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze; put a gloss, put a good face upon; mince; gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile.

advocate, defend, plead one's cause; stand up for, stick up for, speak up for; contend for, speak for; bear out, keep in countenance, support; plead &c, 617; say in defense; plead ignorance; confess and avoid, propugn^†, put in a good word for.

take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to; give one his due, give the Devil his due.

make good; prove the truth of, prove one's case; be justified by the event.

Adj. vindicated, vindicating &c v.; exculpatory; apologetic.

excusable, defensible, pardonable; venial, veniable^†; specious, plausible, justifiable.

denunciation, denouncement; libel, challenge, citation, arraignment; impeachment, appeachment^†; indictment, bill of indictment, true bill; lawsuit &c 969; condemnation &c 971.

gravamen of a charge, head and front of one's offending, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.]; scandal &c (detraction) 934; scandalum magnatum [Lat.].

accuser, prosecutor, plaintiff; relator, informer; appellant.

accused, defendant, prisoner, perpetrator, panel, respondent; litigant.

V. accuse, charge, tax, impute, twit, taunt with, reproach.

brand with reproach; stigmatize, slur; cast a stone at, cast a slur on; incriminate, criminate; inculpate, implicate; call to account &c (censure) 932; take to blame, take to task; put in the black book.

inform against, indict, denounce, arraign; impeach, appeach^†; have up, show up, pull up; challenge, cite, lodge a complaint; prosecute, bring an action against &c 969; blow upon.

charge with, saddle with; lay to one's door, lay charge; lay the blame on, bring home to; cast in one's teeth, throw in one's teeth; cast the first stone at.

have a rod in pickle for, keep a rod in pickle for; have a crow to pluck with.

trump up a charge.