frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

Derek has been romancing some old bag for her money. 5
occupation, hobby, avocation, business, vocation, department,
concern, affair, Colloq lookout, worry, Slang thing: Peter's
bag at the moment is learning to play the violin.
--v. 6 catch, trap, ensnare, snare, entrap, capture, land;
kill, shoot: We bagged six pheasants and two partridges this
morning.
balance v. 1 weigh, estimate, ponder, consider, deliberate, assess,
compare, evaluate: We need to balance the advantages and the
disadvantages. 2 steady, poise; equalize, stabilize, level,
match, even out or up: The see-saw will balance better if both
of you get on the other end. 3 compensate (for), make up for,
counterbalance, offset, match, equal; counterpoise: The column
of mercury in the barometer balances the atmospheric pressure on
the surface of the bowl. The total of expenses seems to balance
the total of income.
--n. 4 scale(s), steelyard: According to the balance, the
package weighs two pounds. 5 control, command, authority,
weight, preponderance: Britain held the balance of power during
those decades. 6 equilibrium, stability, steadiness, footing;
equiponderance; equality, harmony: The acrobat almost lost his
balance on the high wire. It is important to maintain a balance
between presentation and content. 7 remainder, residue, rest;
excess, surplus, difference: You take these and I'll follow
with the balance. My bank balance is down to zero.
ban v. 1 prohibit, forbid, outlaw, proscribe, interdict, bar,
disallow, debar: They have banned smoking in all public places.
--n. 2 prohibition, taboo, proscription, interdiction,
interdict; embargo, boycott: They have put a ban on the sale of
alcoholic beverages. The ban against importing firearms is
strictly enforced.
banal adj. trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, clich‚d, stereotypical,
commonplace, old hat, stock, common, everyday, ordinary,
pedestrian, humdrum, tired, unoriginal, unimaginative,
platitudinous; trivial, petty, jejune, Slang corny: The book
was blasted as banal and boring. The plot of boy-meets-girl,
though banal, still brings in the audiences.