Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget
541. Adj. learned &c. 490; brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. Phr. "he
1804 words | Chapter 89
was a scholar and a ripe and good one" [Henry VIII]; "the manifold
linguist" [All's Well That Ends Well].
#493. Ignoramus.—N. ignoramus, dunce; wooden spoon; no scholar.
#
[insulting terms for ignorant person: see also imbecility 499,
folly
501] moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole [vulgar].
[person with superficial knowledge] dilettante, sciolist[obs3],
smatterer, dabbler, half scholar; charlatan; wiseacre.
greenhorn, amateur &c (dupe) 547; novice, tyro &c (learner) 541;
numskull.
lubber &c (bungler) 701; fool &c. 501; pedant &c 492.
Adj. bookless[obs3], shallow; ignorant &c. 491.
Phr. "a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits" [Pope].
#494. [Object of knowledge.] Truth.—N. fact, reality &c.
(existence) 1; plain fact, plain matter of fact; nature &c. (principle)
5; truth, verity; gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth; orthodoxy
&c. 983a; authenticity; veracity &c. 543; correctness,
correctitude[obs3]. accuracy, exactitude; exactness, preciseness &c.
adj.; precision, delicacy; rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality;
clockwork precision &c. (regularity) 80; conformity to rule; nicety.
orthology[obs3]; ipsissima verba[Lat]; realism. plain truth, honest
truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth,
stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth; nuda veritas[Lat]; the very
thing; not an -illusion &c 495; real Simon Pure; unvarnished tale,
unvarnished truth; the truth the whole truth and nothing but the
truth; just the thing. V. be true &c. adj., be the case; sand the test;
have the true ring; hold good, hold true, hold water. render true,
prove true &c. adj.; substantiate &c. (evidence) 467. get at the truth
&c. (discover) 480a. Adj. real, actual &c. (existing) 1; veritable,
true; right, correct; certain &c. 474; substantially true,
categorically true, definitively true &c; true to the letter, true as
gospel; unimpeachable; veracious &c. 543; unreconfuted[obs3],
unconfuted[obs3]; unideal[obs3], unimagined; realistic. exact,
accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so; strict,
severe; close &c. (similar) 17; literal; rigid, rigorous; scrupulous
&c. (conscientious) 939; religiously exact, punctual, mathematical,
scientific; faithful, constant, unerring; curious, particular, nice,
delicate, fine; clean-cut, clear-cut. verified, empirically true,
experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated) 478.
rigorously true, unquestionably true. true by definition. genuine,
authentic, legitimate; orthodox &c. 983a; official, ex officio. pure,
natural, sound, sterling; unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished,
unalloyed, uncolored; in its true colors; pukka[obs3]. well-grounded,
well founded; solid, substantial, tangible, valid; undistorted,
undisguised; unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering. Adv.
truly &c. adj.; verily, indeed, really, in reality; with truth &c.
(veracity) 543; certainly &c. (certain) 474; actually &c. (existence)
1; in effect &c (intrinsically) 5. exactly &c. adj.; ad amussim[Lat];
verbatim, verbatim et literatim [Lat]; word for word, literally,
literatim[Lat], totidem vervis[Lat], sic, to the letter, chapter and
verse, ipsissimis verbis[Lat]; ad unguem[Lat]; to an inch; to a nicety,
to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T; au pied de la lettre [Fr];
neither more nor less; in every respect, in all respects; sous tous les
rapports[Fr]; at any rate, at all events; strictly speaking. Phr. the
truth is, the fact is; rem acu tetigisti[obs3][Lat]; en suivant la
verite [Fr]; ex facto jus oritur [Lat]; la verita e figlia del empo
[It]; locos y ninos dicen la verdad [Spanish: crazy people and children
tell the truth]; nihil est veritatis luce dulcius [Lat][Cicero];
veritas nunquam perit [Lat][Seneca]; veritatem dies aperit
[Lat][Seneca]; "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth";
"just the facts, ma'am, just the facts." [Dragnet].
#495. Error.—N. error, fallacy; misconception, misapprehension,
misstanding[obs3], misunderstanding; inexactness &c. adj.; laxity;
misconstruction &c. (misinterpretation) 523; miscomputation &c.
(misjudgment) 481; non sequitur &c. 477; mis-statement, mis-report;
mumpsimus[obs3]. mistake; miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross
purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw,
loose thread; trip, stumble &c. (failure) 732; botchery &c. (want of
skill) 699[obs3]; slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip;
slip of the pen; lapsus linguae[Lat], clerical error; bull &c.
(absurdity) 497; haplography[obs3]. illusion, delusion; snare; false
impression, false idea; bubble; self- decit, self-deception; mists of
error. heresy &c. (heterodoxy) 984; hallucination &c. (insanity) 503;
false light &c. (fallacy of vision) 443; dream &c. (fancy) 515; fable
&c. (untruth) 546; bias &c. (misjudgment) 481; misleading &c. v. V. be
erroneous &c. adj. cause error; mislead, misguide; lead astray, lead
into error; beguile, misinform &c. (misteach) 538[obs3]; delude; give a
false impression, give a false idea; falsify, misstate; deceive &c.
545; lie &c. 544. err; be -in error &c. adj., be mistaken &c. v.; be
deceived &c. (duped) 547; mistake, receive a false impression, deceive
oneself; fall into error, lie under error, labor under an error &c. n.;
be in the wrong, blunder; misapprehend, misconceive, misunderstand,
misreckon, miscount, miscalculate &c. (misjudge) 481. play at cross
purposes, be at cross purposes &c. (misinterpret) 523. trip, stumble;
lose oneself &c. (uncertainty) 475; go astray; fail &c. 732; be in the
wrong box; take the wrong sow by the ear &c. (mismanage) 699; put the
saddle on the wrong horse; reckon without one's host; take the shadow
for the substance &c (credulity) 486; dream &c (imagine) 515. Adj.
erroneous, untrue, false, devoid of truth, fallacious, apocryphal,
unreal, ungrounded, groundless; unsubstantial &c. 4; heretical &c.
(heterodox) 984; unsound; illogical &c. 477. inexact, unexact
inaccurate[obs3], incorrect; indefinite &c. (uncertain) 475. illusive,
illusory; delusive; mock, ideal &c (imaginary) 515; spurious &c. 545;
deceitful &c. 544; perverted. controvertible, unsustainable;
unauthenticated, untrustworthy. exploded, refuted; discarded. in error,
under an error &c. n.; mistaken &c. v.; tripping &c. v.; out, out in
one's reckoning; aberrant; beside the mark, wide of the mark, wide of
the truth, way off, far off; astray &c (at fault) 475; on a false
scent, on the wrong scent; in the wrong box, outside the ballpark; at
cross purposes, all in the wrong; all out. Adv. more or less. Phr.
errare est humanum[Lat]; mentis gratissimus error [Lat][Horace]; "on
the dubious waves of error tost" [Cowper]; "to err is human, to forgive
divine" [Pope]; "you lie—under a mistake" [Shelley].
#496. Maxim.—N. maxim, aphorism; apothegm, apophthegm[obs3];
#
dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb; sentence, mot[Fr], motto, word,
byword, moral, phylactery, protasis[obs3].
axiom, theorem, scholium[obs3], truism, postulate.
first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514.
reflection &c (idea) 453; conclusion &c (judgment) 480; golden
rule
&c. (precept) 697; principle, principia[Lat]; profession of faith &c.
(belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula.
accepted fact.
received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted
maxim, recognized maxim &c; true saying, common saying, hackneyed
saying,
trite saying, commonplace saying &c.
Adj. aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric[obs3]; axiomatic, gnomic.
Adv. as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.
#497. Absurdity.—N. absurdity, absurdness &c. adj.; imbecility &c.
499; alogy|, nonsense, utter nonsense; paradox, inconsistency;
stultiloquy[obs3], stultiloquence[obs3]; nugacity[obs3]. blunder,
muddle, bull; Irishism|!, Hibernicism|!; slipslop[obs3]; anticlimax,
bathos; sophism &c. 477. farce, galimathias[obs3], amphigouri[obs3],
rhapsody; farrago &c (disorder) 59; betise[Fr]; extravagance, romance;
sciamachy[obs3]. sell, pun, verbal quibble, macaronic[obs3]. jargon,
fustian, twaddle, gibberish &c (no meaning) 517; exaggeration &c 549;
moonshine, stuff; mare's nest, quibble, self-delusion. vagary,
tomfoolery, poppycock, mummery, monkey trick, boutade[Fr], escapade. V.
play the fool &c. 499; talk nonsense, parler a tort et a travess[Fr];
battre la campagne[Fr][obs3]; ἀνεμώλια βάζειν be -absurd &c. adj. Adj.
absurd, nonsensical, preposterous, egregious, senseless, inconsistent,
ridiculous, extravagant, quibbling; self-annulling, self-
contradictory; macaronic[obs3], punning. foolish &c. 499; sophistical
&c. 477; unmeaning &c. 517; without rhyme or reason; fantastic. Int.
fiddlededee! pish! pho[obs3]! "in the name of the Prophet—figs!"
[Horace Smith]. Phr. credat Judaeus Apella [Lat][Horace]; tell it to
the marines.
_Faculties_
#498. Intelligence. Wisdom.—N. intelligence, capacity,
comprehension, understanding; cuteness, sabe * [obs3][U.S.], savvy *
[U.S.]; intellect &c. 450; nous[Fr], parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit,
esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect; acuteness &c adj.;
acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy[obs3], perspicacity;
discernment, due sense of, good judgment; discrimination &c 465;
cunning &c. 702; refinement &c (taste) 850. head, brains, headpiece,
upper story, long head; eagle eye, eagle- glance; eye of a lynx, eye of
a hawk. wisdom, sapience, sense; good sense, common sense, horse sense
[U.S.], plain sense; rationality, reason; reasonableness &c. adj;
judgment; solidity, depth, profundity, caliber; enlarged views; reach
of thought, compass of thought; enlargement of mind. genius,
inspiration, geist[Ger], fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul;
talent &c. (aptitude) 698. [Wisdom in action] prudence &c. 864;
vigilance &c. 459; tact &c 698; foresight &c 510; sobriety,
self-possession, aplomb, ballast. a bright thought, not a bad idea.
Solomon-like wisdom. V. be -intelligent &c. adj.; have all one's wits
about one; understand &c. (intelligible) 518; catch an idea, take in an
idea; take a joke, take a hint. see through, see at a glance, see with
half an eye, see far into, see through a millstone; penetrate; discern
&c (descry) 441; foresee &c 510. discriminate &c. 465; know what's what
&c. 698; listen to reason. Adj. intelligent[Applied to persons], quick
of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick,
sharp; quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp- eyed, sharp
sighted, sharp witted; wide-awake; canny, shrewd, astute; clear-headed;
farsighted &c 510; discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing;
argute[obs3]; quick-witted, nimble- witted, needle-witted; sharp as a
needle, sharp as a tack; alive to &c (cognizant) 490; clever &c. (apt)
698; arch &c (cunning) 702; pas si bete[Fr]; acute &c 682. wise, sage,
sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind,
sensible, abnormis sapiens[Lat], judicious, strong-minded.
unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted[obs3], unprepossessed[obs3];
undazzled[obs3], unperplexed[obs3]; unwarped judgment[obs3], impartial,
equitable, fair. cool; cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded,
strong-headed; long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting;
solid, deep, profound. oracular; heaven-directed, heaven-born. prudent
&c (cautious) 864; sober, stand, solid; considerate, politic, wise in
one's generation; watchful &c. 459; provident &c (prepared) 673; in
advance of one' age; wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon.
[Applied to actions] wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious; well-
thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised; prudent, politic;
expedient &c. 646. Phr. aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet[Lat]; "but
with the morning cool reflection came" [Scott]; flosculi
sententiarum[Lat]; les affaires font les hommes[Fr]; mas vale saber que
haber[Sp]; mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit
[Lat][Plautus]; nosce te[Lat]; γνῶθι σεαυτόν[Grk]; nullum magnum
ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit [Lat][Seneca, from Aristotle];
sapere aude [Lat][Horace]; victrix fortunae sapientia [Lat][Juvenal].
#499. Imbecility. Folly—N. want of -intelligence &c. 498, want of -
intellect &c. 450; shadowness[obs3], silliness, foolishness &c. adj.;
imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness
of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let;
stupidity, stolidity; hebetude[obs3], dull understanding, meanest
capacity, shortsightedness; incompetence &c (unskillfulness) 699. one's
weak side, not one's strong point; bias &c 481; infatuation &c.
(insanity) 503. simplicity, puerility, babyhood; dotage, anility[obs3],
second childishness, fatuity; idiocy, idiotism[obs3]; driveling. folly,
frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity[obs3],
inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit; sophistry &c. 477; giddiness &c
(inattention) 458; eccentricity &c. 503; extravagance &c (absurdity)
497; rashness &c. 863. act of folly &c. 699. b. be - imbecile &c adj.;
have no -brains, have no sense &c. 498. trifle, drivel, radoter[obs3],
dote; ramble &c (madness) 503; play the fool, play the monkey, monkey
around, fool around; take leave of one's senses (insanity) 503; not see
an inch beyond one's nose; stultify oneself &c. 699; talk nonsense &c.
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