frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

skirts. 4 US up to date, in the know, informed, advised, in
touch, aware, posted, au courant, au fait, on the qui vive: The
Financial Journal keeps me current on stock prices.
--n. 5 stream, flow, undercurrent: The canoe was caught in the
current and carried away. 6 course, progress, tendency, tenor,
drift, trend, inclination, mainstream: The current of public
opinion is turning in favour of policies that are more
environmentally responsible.
curse n. 1 malediction, imprecation, denunciation, damnation,
execration, oath: He heaped curses on all those who opposed
him. 2 evil, bane, misfortune, affliction, torment, harm,
scourge, cross to bear: The curse of our generation is that so
few of us deeply believe anything. 3 profanity, oath, blasphemy,
obscenity, bad language, dirty word, swear-word, curse-word: A
stream of curses issued from the bathroom when Joe cut himself
shaving.
--v. 4 damn, execrate, blast, denounce, anathematize,
excommunicate: He was cursed by the priests and forbidden ever
to enter a temple again. 5 swear at, blaspheme at: The muleteer
was cursing his team. 6 burden, saddle, weigh down, handicap:
She was cursed with bad eyesight and had to wear thick glasses.
cursory adj. superficial, hasty, hurried, passing, quick, slapdash,
perfunctory, rapid, summary: She gave the note a cursory glance
and threw it away.
curt adj. abrupt, short, terse, brief, laconic, concise; blunt,
gruff, harsh, brusque, unceremonious, snappish, crusty, rude:
His answer was a curt 'No', without any explanation.
curtail v. shorten, abbreviate, cut short, abridge, diminish, reduce,
cut, cut back, cut down: Both our working week and our salaries
were curtailed.
cushion n. 1 pillow, bolster, pad: The women of the harem sat on
cushions on the floor.
--v. 2 soften, absorb, mitigate, reduce, buffer, insulate,
mollify, lessen: They offered me a month's paid holiday to help
cushion the blow of being transferred.