English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 68

INQUISITIVE.

Synonyms:

curious, meddlesome, peeping, scrutinizing, inquiring, meddling, prying, searching.

intrusive,

An _inquisitive_ person is one who is bent on finding out all that can be found out by inquiry, especially of little and personal matters, and hence is generally _meddlesome_ and _prying_. _Inquisitive_ may be used in a good sense, tho in such connection _inquiring_ is to be preferred; as, an _inquiring_ mind. As applied to a state of mind, _curious_ denotes a keen and rather pleasurable desire to know fully something to which one's attention has been called, but without the active tendency that _inquisitive_ implies; a well-bred person may be _curious_ to know, but will not be _inquisitive_ in trying to ascertain, what is of interest in the affairs of another.

Antonyms:

apathetic, heedless, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested.

careless, inattentive,

Prepositions:

Inquisitive _about_, _concerning_, _in regard to_, _regarding_ trifles.

INSANITY.

Synonyms:

aberration, delirium, frenzy, madness, alienation, dementia, hallucination, mania, craziness, derangement, lunacy, monomania.

Of these terms _insanity_ is the most exact and comprehensive, including in its widest sense all morbid conditions of mind due to diseased action of the brain or nervous system, but in its more frequent restricted use applied to those forms in which the mental disorder is persistent, as distinguished from those in which it is temporary or transient.

_Craziness_ is a vague popular term for any sort of disordered mental action, or for conduct suggesting it. _Lunacy_ originally denoted intermittent _insanity_, supposed to be dependent on the changes of the moon (L. _luna_): the term is now applied in general and legal use to any form of mental unsoundness except idiocy. _Madness_ is the old popular term, now less common, for _insanity_ in its widest sense, but with suggestion of excitement, akin to _mania_. In the derived sense, _lunacy_ denotes what is insanely foolish, _madness_ what is insanely desperate. _Derangement_ is a common euphemism for _insanity_.

_Delirium_ is always temporary, and is specifically the _insanity_ of disease, as in acute fevers. _Dementia_ is a general weakening of the mental powers: the word is specifically applied to senile _insanity_, dotage. _Aberration_ is eccentricity of mental action due to an abnormal state of the perceptive faculties, and is manifested by error in perceptions and rambling thought. _Hallucination_ is the apparent perception of that which does not exist or is not present to the senses, as the seeing of specters or of reptiles in delirium tremens.

_Monomania_ is mental _derangement_ as to one subject or object.

_Frenzy_ and _mania_ are forms of raving and furious _insanity_. Compare synonyms for DELUSION; IDIOCY.

Antonyms:

clearness, good sense, lucidity, rationality, sanity.

INTERPOSE.

Synonyms:

arbitrate, intercept, intermeddle, meddle, intercede, interfere, interrupt, mediate.

To _interpose_ is to place or come between other things or persons, usually as a means of obstruction or prevention of some effect or result that would otherwise occur, or be expected to take place. _Intercede_ and _interpose_ are used in a good sense; _intermeddle_ always in a bad sense, and _interfere_ frequently so. To _intercede_ is to come between persons who are at variance, and plead with the stronger in behalf of the weaker. One may _interpose_ with authority; he _intercedes_ by pet.i.tion. To _intermeddle_ is to thrust oneself into the concerns of others with a petty officiousness; _meddling_ commonly arises from idle curiosity; "every fool will be _meddling_," _Prov._ xx, 3; to _interfere_ is to intrude into others' affairs with more serious purpose, with or without acknowledged right or propriety. _Intercept_ is applied to an object that may be seized or stopped while in transit; as, to _intercept_ a letter or a messenger; _interrupt_ is applied to an action which might or should be continuous, but is broken in upon (L.

_rumpere_, to break) by some disturbing power; as, the conversation was _interrupted_. One who _arbitrates_ or _mediates_ must do so by the request or at least with the consent of the contending parties; the other words of the group imply that he steps in of his own accord.

Antonyms:

avoid, keep aloof, keep out, retire, stand back, hold aloof, keep away, let alone, stand aside, stand off, hold off, keep clear, let be, stand away, withdraw.

Prepositions:

Interpose _between_ the combatants; _in_ the matter.

INVOLVE.

Synonyms:

complicate, embroil, implicate, include, embarra.s.s, entangle, imply, overwhelm.

To _involve_ (L. _in_, in, and _volvo_, roll) is to roll or wind up with or in so as to combine inextricably or inseparably, or nearly so; as, the nation is _involved_ in war; the bookkeeper's accounts, or the writer's sentences are _involved_. _Involve_ is a stronger word than _implicate_, denoting more complete entanglement. As applied to persons, _implicate_ is always used in an unfavorable sense, and _involve_ ordinarily so; but _implicate_ applies only to that which is wrong, while _involve_ is more commonly used of that which is unfortunate; one is _implicated_ in a crime, _involved_ in embarra.s.sments, misfortunes, or perplexities. As regards logical connection that which is _included_ is usually expressly stated; that which is _implied_ is not stated, but is naturally to be inferred; that which is _involved_ is necessarily to be inferred; as, a slate roof is _included_ in the contract; that the roof shall be water-tight is _implied_; the contrary supposition _involves_ an absurdity. See COMPLEX.

Antonyms:

disconnect, distinguish, explicate, extricate, remove, separate.

disentangle,

JOURNEY.

Synonyms:

excursion, pilgrimage, transit, trip, expedition, tour, travel, voyage.

A _journey_ (F. _journee_, from L. _diurnus_, daily) was primarily a day's work; hence, a movement from place to place within one day, which we now describe as "a day's _journey_;" in its extended modern use a _journey_ is a direct going from a starting-point to a destination, ordinarily over a considerable distance; we speak of a day's _journey_, or the _journey_ of life. _Travel_ is a pa.s.sing from place to place, not necessarily in a direct line or with fixed destination; a _journey_ through Europe would be a pa.s.sage to some destination beyond or at the farther boundary; _travel_ in Europe may be in no direct course, but may include many _journeys_ in different directions. A _voyage_, which was formerly a _journey_ of any kind, is now a going to a considerable distance by water, especially by sea; as, a _voyage_ to India. A _trip_ is a short and direct _journey_. A _tour_ is a _journey_ that returns to the starting-point, generally over a considerable distance; as, a bridal _tour_, or business _tour_. An _excursion_ is a brief _tour_ or _journey_, taken for pleasure, often by many persons at once; as, an _excursion_ to Chautauqua. _Pa.s.sage_ is a general word for a _journey_ by any conveyance, especially by water; as, a rough _pa.s.sage_ across the Atlantic; _transit_, literally the act of pa.s.sing over or through, is used specifically of the conveyance of pa.s.sengers or merchandise; rapid _transit_ is demanded for suburban residents or perishable goods.

_Pilgrimage_, once always of a sacred character, retains in derived uses something of that sense; as, a _pilgrimage_ to Stratford-on-Avon.

Prepositions:

A journey _from_ Naples _to_ Rome; _through_ Mexico; _across_ the continent; _over_ the sea; a journey _into_ Asia; _among_ savages; _by_ land, _by_ rail, _for_ health, _on_ foot, _on_ the cars, etc.