frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

inflate, blow up; dilate, swell, bloat, expand, puff out or up:
If you don't repair the tyre, pumping it up will accomplish
nothing. b excite, inspire, stimulate, animate, inspirit,
electrify, galvanize, energize, motivate, Colloq enthuse: The
coach is talking to the team, trying to pump them up before the
big game. c intensify, concentrate, emphasize, stress, increase:
We ought to pump up our promotion campaign just before
Christmas.
pun n. play on words, quip, (bon) mot, witticism, double entendre,
Literary equivoque, Technical paronomasia: Dennis made some
awful pun on 'nose' and 'knows' that nobody got.
punch° v. 1 hit, clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, pummel,
strike, cuff, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop, thump, lambaste,
slam, Slang sock, biff, plug, belt, lace (into), US paste:
Anyone says anything about my girl, I'll punch him in the jaw!
--n. 2 clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, cuff,
upper-cut, left or right, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop,
thump, slam, Slang sock, belt, biff, haymaker, plug, paste: The
punch knocked him down. 3 effect, impact, effectiveness, force,
forcefulness, power, vitality, gusto, vigour, life, vim, zest,
ginger, Colloq it, oomph, what it takes, Slang zing, zip: These
advertisements are pretty, but they are lacking in punch.
punchý n. 1 awl, auger, bodkin, perforator; drill, brace and bit: Use
the punch to make another hole in your belt.
--v. 2 pierce, stab, puncture, perforate; bore, drill: She
uses a needle to punch a tiny hole in each end of the egg.
punctual adj. on time, timely, prompt, Colloq on the dot: Please be
punctual, as I don't fancy waiting about in the street.
punctuate v. 1 interrupt, break, intersperse; pepper, sprinkle: The
speeches were punctuated by frequent shouts from the audience.
2 accent, accentuate, underline, underscore, emphasize, stress,
mark: He punctuated each element of his argument with a sharp
rap of his pencil on the lectern.
puncture n. 1 hole, perforation, opening, leak; flat (tyre): I haven't
the tools needed to patch the puncture in the tyre. 2