English Synonyms and Antonyms. James Champlin Fernald

is between the two, putting more thought, intelligence, and taste into his work than the artisan, but less of the idealizing, creative power than the artist. The sculptor, shaping his model in clay, is artificer, as well as artist; patient artisans, working simply by rule and scale, chisel and polish the stone. The man who constructs anything by mere routine and rule is a mechanic. The man whose work involves thought, skill, and constructive power is an artificer. The hod-carrier is a laborer; the bricklayer is a mechanic; the master mason is an artificer. Those who operate machinery nearly self-acting are operatives.

ASK.

       Table of Contents

      Synonyms:

beg,	crave,	entreat,	petition,	request,	solicit,
beseech,	demand,	implore,	pray,	require,	supplicate.

      One asks what he feels that he may fairly claim and reasonably expect; "if a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father," Luke xi, 11; he begs for that to which he advances no claim but pity. Demand is a determined and often an arrogant word; one may rightfully demand what is his own or his due, when it is withheld or denied; or he may wrongfully demand that to which he has no claim but power. Require is less arrogant and obtrusive than demand, but is exceedingly strenuous; as, the court requires the attendance of witnesses. Entreat implies a special earnestness of asking, and beseech, a still added and more humble intensity; beseech was formerly often used as a polite intensive for beg or pray; as, I beseech you to tell me. To implore is to ask with weeping and lamentation; to supplicate is to ask, as it were, on bended knees. Crave and request are somewhat formal terms; crave has almost disappeared from conversation; request would seem distant between parent and child. Pray is now used chiefly of address to the Supreme Being; petition is used of written request to persons in authority; as, to petition the legislature to pass an act, or the governor to pardon an offender.

      Antonyms:

claim,

command,

deny,

enforce,

exact,

extort,

insist,

refuse,

reject.

      [60]

      Prepositions:

      Ask a person for a thing; ask a thing of or from a person; ask after or about one's health, welfare, friends, etc.

ASSOCIATE.

       Table of Contents

      Synonyms:

accomplice,	coadjutor,	comrade,	fellow,	mate,
ally,	colleague,	confederate,	friend,	partner,
chum,	companion,	consort,	helpmate,	peer.

      An associate as used officially implies a chief, leader, or principal, to whom the associate is not fully equal in rank. Associate is popularly used of mere friendly relations, but oftener implies some work, enterprise, or pursuit in which the associated persons unite. We rarely speak of associates in crime or wrong, using confederates or accomplices instead. Companion gives itself with equal readiness to the good or evil sense, as also does comrade. One may be a companion in travel who would not readily become an associate at home. A lady advertises for a companion; she would not advertise for an associate. Peer implies equality rather than companionship; as, a jury of his peers. Comrade expresses more fellowship and good feeling than companion. Fellow has almost gone out of use in this connection, except in an inferior or patronizing sense. Consort is a word of equality and dignity, as applied especially to the marriage relation. Compare ACCESSORY; ACQUAINTANCE; FRIENDSHIP.

      Antonyms:

antagonist,

enemy,

foe,

hinderer,

opponent,

opposer,

rival,

stranger.

      Prepositions:

      These were the associates of the leader in the enterprise.

ASSOCIATION.

       Table of Contents

      Synonyms:

alliance,	confederacy,	familiarity,	lodge,
club,	confederation,	federation,	participation,
community,	conjunction,	fellowship,	partnership,
companionship,	connection,	fraternity,	society,
company,	corporation,	friendship,	union.

      We speak of an alliance of nations, a club of pleasure-seekers, a community of Shakers, a company of soldiers or of friends, a confederacy, confederation, federation, or union of separate states under one general government, a partnership or company of business men, a conjunction of planets. The whole body of Freemasons constitute a fraternity; one of their local organizations