22.03.2013 Views

The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

outpouring, spate, inundation, flow, overflow, tide, cascade:<br />

In minutes the brook became a rushing torrent. <strong>The</strong>y assailed us<br />

with a torrent <strong>of</strong> abuse.<br />

torrential<br />

adj. rushing, streaming, copious, pr<strong>of</strong>use, teeming, relentless,<br />

violent; fierce, vehement, vociferous, ferocious: <strong>The</strong><br />

torrential monsoons inundated the land. I had never heard such a<br />

torrential outpouring <strong>of</strong> oaths.<br />

torrid adj. 1 hot, fiery, sultry, stifling, sweltering, broiling,<br />

sizzling, roasting, blazing, burning, baking, cooking, boiling,<br />

blistering, blistery, scorching, scorched, parched, parching,<br />

arid; humid, steamy, steaming, muggy; tropical: It seemed<br />

impossible that any creature could survive in such a torrid<br />

climate. 2 fervent, fervid, passionate, intense, ardent,<br />

inflamed, impassioned, lustful, amorous, erotic, Colloq sexy,<br />

hot: <strong>The</strong> film was noted for its torrid love scenes.<br />

tortuous adj. 1 twisted, twisting, winding, wandering, serpentine,<br />

turning, crooked, sinuous, bent, curled, curling, curved, curvy,<br />

curvilinear, flexuous, anfractuous, convoluted, involuted,<br />

zigzag, maze-like, mazy, labyrinthine: <strong>The</strong>y followed a tortuous<br />

trail through the jungle. 2 roundabout, indirect, devious,<br />

intricate, involved, unstraightforward, complicated, ambiguous,<br />

ambagious, circuitous, warped, crooked, tricky, misleading,<br />

deceptive: We could not help being intrigued by the tortuous<br />

Machiavellianism <strong>of</strong> the scheme.<br />

toss v. 1 throw, cast, lob, pitch, fling, hurl, heave, shy, launch,<br />

send, let fly, propel, catapult, sling, bowl, Colloq chuck: <strong>The</strong><br />

goalkeeper tossed the ball into the middle <strong>of</strong> the field. 2<br />

shake, jerk, stir up, agitate, fling: Lucy disdainfully tossed<br />

her head. 3 shake (up), stir (up), agitate, jiggle, tumble,<br />

joggle; wave, lash, thrash: Don't you put the dressing on<br />

before you toss the salad? <strong>The</strong> branches <strong>of</strong> the huge oak were<br />

being tossed about in the storm. 4 writhe, wriggle, squirm, toss<br />

and turn, thrash: I tossed all night, unable to get a moment's<br />

sleep. 5 pitch, yaw, wallow, roll, lurch, undulate, plunge:<br />

Our little boat was tossed this way and that in the heavy seas.<br />

--n. 6 throw, lob, pitch, heave, shy: His toss went wild and<br />

the ball rolled over the cliff.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!