English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 63

Antonyms:

deceitful, faithless, hypocritical, perfidious, unfaithful, dishonest, false, lying, traitorous, unscrupulous, disingenuous, fraudulent, mendacious, treacherous, untrue.

HORIZONTAL.

Synonyms:

even, flat, level, plain, plane.

_Horizontal_ signifies in the direction of or parallel to the horizon.

For practical purposes _level_ and _horizontal_ are identical, tho _level_, as the more popular word, is more loosely used of that which has no especially noticeable elevations or inequalities; as, a _level_ road. _Flat_, according to its derivation from the Anglo-Saxon _flet_, a floor, applies to a surface only, and, in the first and most usual sense, to a surface that is _horizontal_ or _level_ in all directions; a line may be _level_, a floor is _flat_; _flat_ is also applied in a derived sense to any _plane_ surface without irregularities or elevations, as a picture may be painted on the _flat_ surface of a perpendicular wall. _Plane_ applies only to a surface, and is used with more mathematical exactness than _flat_. The adjective _plain_, originally the same word as _plane_, is now rarely used except in the figurative senses, but the original sense appears in the noun, as we speak of "a wide _plain_." We speak of a _horizontal_ line, a _flat_ mora.s.s, a _level_ road, a _plain_ country, a _plane_ surface (especially in the scientific sense). That which is _level_ may not be _even_, and that which is _even_ may not be _level_; a _level_ road may be very rough; a slope may be _even_.

Antonyms:

broken, inclined, rolling, rugged, sloping, hilly, irregular, rough, slanting, uneven.

HUMANE.

Synonyms:

benevolent, compa.s.sionate, human, pitying, benignant, forgiving, kind, sympathetic, charitable, gentle, kind-hearted, tender, clement, gracious, merciful, tender-hearted.

_Human_ denotes what pertains to mankind, with no suggestion as to its being good or evil; as, the _human_ race; _human_ qualities; we speak of _human_ achievements, virtues, or excellences, _human_ follies, vices, or crimes. _Humane_ denotes what may rightly be expected of mankind at its best in the treatment of sentient beings; a _humane_ enterprise or endeavor is one that is intended to prevent or relieve suffering. The _humane_ man will not needlessly inflict pain upon the meanest thing that lives; a _merciful_ man is disposed to withhold or mitigate the suffering even of the guilty. The _compa.s.sionate_ man sympathizes with and desires to relieve actual suffering, while one who is _humane_ would forestall and prevent the suffering which he sees to be possible.

Compare MERCY; PITIFUL; PITY.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for BARBAROUS.

HUNT.

Synonyms:

chase, hunting, inquisition, pursuit, search.

A _hunt_ may be either the act of pursuing or the act of seeking, or a combination of the two. A _chase_ or _pursuit_ is after that which is fleeing or departing; a _search_ is for that which is hidden; a _hunt_ may be for that which is either hidden or fleeing; a _search_ is a minute and careful seeking, and is especially applied to a locality; we make a _search_ of or through a house, for an object, in which connection it would be colloquial to say a _hunt_. _Hunt_ never quite loses its a.s.sociation with field-sports, where it includes both _search_ and _chase_; the _search_ till the game is hunted out, and the _chase_ till it is hunted down. Figuratively, we speak of literary _pursuits_, or of the _pursuit_ of knowledge; a _search_ for reasons; the _chase_ of fame or honor; _hunt_, in figurative use, inclines to the unfavorable sense of _inquisition_, but with more of dash and aggressiveness; as, a _hunt_ for heresy.

HYPOCRISY.

Synonyms:

affectation, formalism, pretense, sanctimony, cant, pharisaism, sanctimoniousness, sham.

dissimulation, pietism,

_Pretense_ (L. _praetendo_) primarily signifies the holding something forward as having certain rights or claims, whether truly or falsely; in the good sense, it is now rarely used except with a negative; as, there can be no _pretense_ that this is due; a false _pretense_ implies the possibility of a true _pretense_; but, alone and unlimited, _pretense_ commonly signifies the offering of something for what it is not.

_Hypocrisy_ is the false _pretense_ of moral excellence, either as a cover for actual wrong, or for the sake of the credit and advantage attaching to virtue. _Cant_ (L. _cantus_, a song), primarily the singsong iteration of the language of any party, school, or sect, denotes the mechanical and pretentious use of religious phraseology, without corresponding feeling or character; _sanctimoniousness_ is the a.s.sumption of a saintly manner without a saintly character. As _cant_ is _hypocrisy_ in utterance, so _sanctimoniousness_ is _hypocrisy_ in appearance, as in looks, tones, etc. _Pietism_, originally a word of good import, is now chiefly used for an unregulated emotionalism; _formalism_ is an exaggerated devotion to forms, rites, and ceremonies, without corresponding earnestness of heart; _sham_ (identical in origin with _shame_) is a trick or device that puts one to shame, or that shamefully disappoints expectation or falsifies appearance.

_Affectation_ is in matters of intellect, taste, etc., much what _hypocrisy_ is in morals and religion; _affectation_ might be termed petty _hypocrisy_. Compare DECEPTION.

Antonyms:

candor, genuineness, ingenuousness, sincerity, truth, frankness, honesty, openness, transparency, truthfulness.

HYPOCRITE.

Synonyms:

cheat, deceiver, dissembler, impostor, pretender.

A _hypocrite_ (Gr. _hypokrites_, one who answers on the stage, an actor, especially a mimic actor) is one who acts a false part, or a.s.sumes a character other than the real. _Deceiver_ is the most comprehensive term, including all the other words of the group. The _deceiver_ seeks to give false impressions of any matter where he has an end to gain; the _dissembler_ or _hypocrite_ seeks to give false impressions in regard to himself. The _dissembler_ is content if he can keep some base conduct or evil purpose from being discovered; the _hypocrite_ seeks not merely to cover his vices, but to gain credit for virtue. The _cheat_ and _impostor_ endeavor to make something out of those they may deceive. The _cheat_ is the inferior and more mercenary, as the thimble-rig gambler; the _impostor_ may aspire to a fortune or a throne. Compare HYPOCRISY.

Antonyms:

The antonyms of _hypocrite_ are to be found only in phrases embodying the adjectives candid, honest, ingenuous, sincere, true, etc.

HYPOTHESIS.

Synonyms:

conjecture, scheme, supposition, system, guess, speculation, surmise, theory.

A _hypothesis_ is a statement of what is deemed possibly true, a.s.sumed and reasoned upon as if certainly true, with a view of reaching truth not yet surely known; especially, in the sciences, a _hypothesis_ is a comprehensive tentative explanation of certain phenomena, which is meant to include all other facts of the same cla.s.s, and which is a.s.sumed as true till there has been opportunity to bring all related facts into comparison; if the _hypothesis_ explains all the facts, it is regarded as verified; till then it is regarded as a working _hypothesis_, that is, one that may answer for present practical purposes. A _hypothesis_ may be termed a comprehensive _guess_. A _guess_ is a swift conclusion from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while one confessedly lacks material for absolute certainty. A _conjecture_ is more methodical than a _guess_, while a _supposition_ is still slower and more settled; a _conjecture_, like a _guess_, is preliminary and tentative; a _supposition_ is more nearly final; a _surmise_ is more floating and visionary, and often sinister; as, a _surmise_ that a stranger may be a pickpocket. _Theory_ is used of the mental coordination of facts and principles, that may or may not prove correct; a machine may be perfect in _theory_, but useless in fact. _Scheme_ may be used as nearly equivalent to _theory_, but is more frequently applied to proposed action, and in the sense of a somewhat visionary plan. A _speculation_ may be wholly of the brain, resting upon no facts worthy of consideration; _system_ is the highest of these terms, having most of a.s.surance and fixity; a _system_ unites many facts, phenomena, or doctrines into an orderly and consistent whole; we speak of a _system_ of theology, of the Copernican _system_ of the universe. Compare SYSTEM.

Antonyms: