optional, a. discretional, elective. Antonyms: compulsory, coercive, obligatory.
oral, a. spoken, verbal, parole, vocal, nuncupative.
oration, n. declamation, rhetoric.
orator, n. declaimer, rhetorician.
oratorical, a. rhetorical, eloquent, declamatory.
ordeal, n. crucible.
order, n. mandate, command, precept, direction, decree, decretal, injunction; rule, regulation, law, canon, prescription; method, system, disposition, arrangement; succession, sequence; dictation, bidding, commission; grade, degree, class; tranquillity, quiet.
order, v. methodize, systematize, regulate; bid, command, dictate, enjoin.
ordering, n. distribution, disposition, regulation.
orderly, a. systematic, methodical, well-regulated, regular; peaceable.
ordinary, a. common, regular, conventional, commonplace, mediocre, average, usual.
organic, a. constitutional, vital, fundamental, essential, inherent, instrumental.
organization, n. organism; formation, construction, making.
organize, v. arrange, systematize, form.
orgies, n. pl. carousal, revels, debauch, wassail, saturnalia, bacchanals, riot.
origin, n. source, beginning, derivation, rise, origination.
original, a. first, primeval, aboriginal, primitive, archetypal, primordial, pristine; creative, productive, inventive, ingenious. Antonyms: derivative, copied.
original, n. origin, archetype, prototype, model, pattern.
Orkney Islands. Associated word: Orcadian.
ornament, n. decoration, embellishment, adornment, garniture, ornamentation; parure.
ornament, v. decorate, embellish, garnish, bedeck, grace, beautify.
ornamental, a. embellishing, beautifying, garnishing.
ornamentation, n. adornment, garniture, embellishment; arabesque, moresque; purfling; fret-work.
ornate, a. ornamented, decorated, embellished, florid, adorned.
orthodox, a. Antonym: heterodox.
orthodoxy, n. Antonym: heterodoxy.
oscillate, v. fluctuate, vacillate.
ostentatious, a. showy, pompous, spectacular, gaudy, pretentious.
ounce by ounce. unciatim.
oust, v. eject, evict, dispossess, dislodge, remove, displace, expel, depose.
ousting, n. ejection, eviction, expulsion, dispossession, ouster, removal, disseizin, deposition.
out, adv. away, absent, abroad; outright, aloud, audibly; wanting, lacking, deficient in; extinguished; at variance.
out and out. wholly, completely, openly.--a. absolute, unqualified, undisguised.
outbounds, n. pl. limits, boundaries, confines.
outbreak, n. eruption, outburst, uprising.
outburst, n. eruption, outbreak, paroxysm, access, ebullition.
outcast, n. pariah, castaway, reprobate, Ishmaelite.
outcome, n. consequence, outgrowth, result, issue, upshot, eventuation.
outdo, v. excel, surpass, outvie, outstrip, exceed.
outer, a. external, exterior.
outermost, a. extreme, uttermost, utmost.
outfit, n. equipment.
outflow, n. effusion, outpouring.
outgeneral, v. outmaneuver, circumvent.
outgrowth, n. excrescence; outcome.
outlandish, a. grotesque, bizarre, barbarous, unconventional, freakish.
outlast, v. outwear, survive.
outlaw, n. bandit, desperado.--v. proscribe.
outlawry, n. proscription.
outlay, n. expenditure, disbursement.
outlet, n. egress, vent, exit.
outline, n. contour, circumference, periphery, profile; sketch, draught, scenario.
outlive, v. survive.
outlook, n. prospect, view, vista; watch-tower; foresight.
outlying, a. remote, detached, distant, frontier.
out of joint. unhinged, dislocated.
out of order. disordered, disarranged, jumbled, chaotic, disorganized.
out of place. misplaced; improper, unbecoming.
out of reach. inaccessible, unattainable.
outrage, n. indignity, affront, insult, assault.
outrageous, a. atrocious, nefarious, wanton, flagrant, unwarrantable, furious, monstrous, villainous.
outright, adv. unconditionally, utterly.
outside, n. exterior.
outside, a. external.
outskirt, n. edge, border, purlieu, suburb, frontier.
outspoken, a. unreserved, frank, explicit, blunt, ingenuous.
outward, a. external, exterior, outer, superficial, surface, extrinsic.
outweigh, v. overweigh, overbalance, preponderate.
outweighing, n. preponderance, preponderation.--a. preponderant.
outwit, v. circumvent, outgeneral, defeat.
oval, a. elliptical.
oven mop. scovel.
over, adv. across, crosswise, athwart, transversely.
overawe, v. intimidate, daunt.
overbearing, a. haughty, arrogant, dictatorial, magisterial, lordly, dogmatical, supercilious, imperious, cavalier, overweening.
overcharge, n. extortion.
overcoat, n. great coat, topcoat, ulster, raglan, inverness, surtout, paletot.
overcome, v. surmount, conquer, subdue, master, vanquish, overpower, subjugate.
overcoming, a. conquering, overmastering, overwhelming, irresistible.
over-confident, a. rash, presumptuous, incautious.
overdo, v. overwork, overtask, overtax, exhaust; exaggerate.
overeat, v. gorge, glut, satiate.
overfeed, v. surfeit, stuff, satiate, gorge, pamper.
overfeeding, n. surfeit, superalimentation, pampering.
overfill, v. surcharge.
overflow, n. deluge, flood, inundation; exuberance, superabundance, profusion.
overflow, v. inundate, deluge, engulf.
overflowing, n. overflow, inundation; exuberance, copiousness, superabundance.
overfull, a. surcharged, plethoric, surfeited, gorged.
overfullness, n. plethora, surfeit, satiety, engorgement, congestion, repletion.
overhang, n. projection.
overhead, adv. aloft, above.
overlapping, a. obvolute, obvoluted, imbricate, imbricated.--n.imbrication.
overlook, v. supervise, oversee; inspect, overhaul, examine, neglect, disregard, skip, slight, ignore; condone, connive at, forgive.
overnice, a. fastidious, squeamish.
overplus, n. surplus, excess, surplusage, residue, rest.
overpower, v. vanquish, subdue, conquer, overcome, defeat, crush, overwhelm, rout, master, subjugate, overmatch.
overpowering, a. overwhelming, conquering, irresistible, overmastering.
overpowering, n. vanquishment, conquering, defeat, subjugation, overthrow.
overrate, v. overvalue, overestimate, overprize.
overreach, v. outwit, dupe, swindle. See cheat.
override, v. trample upon, supersede, annul, abrogate.
overrule, v. annul, rescind, abrogate, revoke, supersede, set aside.
overruling, a. predominant, prevailing, controlling.
overruling, n. abrogation, cancellation, rescission.
oversee, v. superintend, supervise.
overseer, n. superintendent, supervisor, inspector, taskmaster, foreman, monitor.
overshoe, n. galoshe, rubber, arctic.
oversight, n. superintendence, supervision, care, inspection, surveillance, control, charge; overlooking, connivance, omission, failure, inadvertence, default, inattention, lapse.
overstate, v. exaggerate.
overstep, v. exceed, trespass, infringe, intrench, encroach.
oversupply, n. excess, superabundance, surfeit, glut, repletion.
overt, a. public, apparent, unconcealed, patent.
overthrow, v. upset, overturn; demolish, prostrate, subvert, defeat, vanquish, rout, overpower, overcome, subjugate, raze, worst.
overthrow, n. overthrowing, demolition, subversion, undoing, reversal, prostration, defeat, bouleversement.
overtop, v. transcend, surpass, dwarf, overshadow.
overture, n. See offer.
overvalue, v. overrate, overestimate, overprize.
overweening, a. haughty, arrogant, cavalier, supercilious, lordly, conceited.
overweening, n. conceit, arrogance, superciliousness, lordliness.
overweight, n. preponderance.
overwhelm, v. overflow, submerge, ingulf, drown, overpower, crush.
overwhelming, a. irresistible, overpowering.
owing, n. indebtedness.
owing, a. due, payable, unpaid; ascribable, traceable, imputable, attributable, referable; indebted.
own, v. admit, acknowledge, confess, allow, concede, grant; possess. Antonyms: disown, deny.
owner, n. proprietor.
ownership, n. proprietorship, claim, title.
oysters, n. pl. Mollusca, Ostrea. Associated words: ostreaceous, ostreaculture, ostreophagist, ostreophagous, ostriferous, bivalve, spawn, cultch, spat.