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POSITIVE VERBS STARTING WITH O

Oblige to do a favor or service for; to please; to gratify; to attach or bind.
Observe to watch attentively or carefully; notice; remark; to celebrate or
keep; show respect towards.
Obtain to succeed in gaining something of as the result of endeavor or
planning; to be accepted; established or customary; to keep; to possess;
to prevail.
Occasion to bring about or cause something.
Occur to take place or happen; to offer or present itself; to come into
mind.
Offer to present for rejection or acceptance; make accessible or available;
provide.
Officer to manage or command as an officer.
Oil o coat, impregnate or lubricate (especially with oil); to administer an
ointment or oil to.
OK to agree to or approve of; authorize.
Okay same as OK.
Ooze to flow, progress or leak slowly; exude; to give off.
Open to give access; make possible to passage through; to remove or
undo the cover, lid or fastening; to be unfolded or unfold; to start or get
going; to begin; to become or make formally ready for business,
customers or visitors; make more widely known or available; make more
sympathetic or receptive (especially to new ideas); become more
confiding or communicative; clear.
Operate to perform or work; to produce a proper or desired effect;
manage.
Optate to choose; to desire; to wish for.
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Order to arrange; request to be made, served or supplied.
Organize to arrange in an orderly manner; to cause to have a coherent,
functional or orderly structure; to prepare and/or make arrangements
(especially for an event or activity); to coordinate the activities or event
efficiently; to establish or start as an organization.
Orient to familiarize with new circumstances, surroundings or the like; to
guide in a specified direction; to bring into or adjust with relation to
circumstance, facts, surroundings etc.; to provide with primary focus or
purpose of attention.
Originate to give a beginning or an origin to; to bring into existence; start;
create.
Oscillate to move back and forth with a steady uninterrupted rhythm.
Osculate to kiss; to touch; to make contact; to come together.
Outbrave to defy or stand out courageously; to be more courageous or
brave than; to surpass or excel in audacity, comeliness or magnificence.
Outclass to do or be much better than someone or something.
Outshine to be brighter, beautiful or splendid than; to surpass something
or someone in something.
Overjoy to give or fill with great delight, joy or pleasure.
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 Transitive Verbs Starting with O
Obduce (v. t.) To draw over, as a covering.

Obduct (v. t.) To draw over; to cover.

Obdurate (v. t.) To harden.

Obdure (v. t.) To harden.

Obelisk (v. t.) To mark or designate with an obelisk.

Obelize (v. t.) To designate with an obelus; to mark as doubtful or

spirituous.

Obey (v. t.) To give ear to; to execute the commands of; to yield
submission to; to comply with the orders of.

Obey (v. t.) To submit to the authority of; to be ruled by.

Obey (v. t.) To yield to the impulse, power, or operation of; as, a ship
obeys her helm.

Obfirm (v. t.) Alt. of Obfirmate

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Obfirmate (v. t.) To make firm; to harden in resolution.

Obfuscate (v. t.) To darken; to obscure; to becloud; hence, to confuse; to

bewilder.

Object (v. t.) To set before or against; to bring into opposition; to oppose.

Object (v. t.) To offer in opposition as a criminal charge or by way of

accusation or reproach; to adduce as an objection or adverse reason.

Object (v. t.) That which is put, or which may be regarded as put, in the
way of some of the senses; something visible or tangible; as, he observed
an object in the distance; all the objects in sight; he touched a strange
object in the dark.

Object (v. t.) That which is set, or which may be regarded as set, before
the mind so as to be apprehended or known; that of which the mind by
any of its activities takes cognizance, whether a thing external in space or
a conception formed by the mind itself; as, an object of knowledge,
wonder, fear, thought, study, etc.

Object (v. t.) That by which the mind, or any of its activities, is directed;
that on which the purpose are fixed as the end of action or effort; that
which is sought for; end; aim; motive; final cause.
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Object (v. t.) Sight; show; appearance; aspect.

Object (v. t.) A word, phrase, or clause toward which an action is directed,
or is considered to be directed; as, the object of a transitive verb.

Objectify (v. t.) To cause to become an object; to cause to assume the

character of an object; to render objective.

Objectivate (v. t.) To objectify.

Obectize (v. t.) To make an object of; to regard as an object; to place in

the position of an object.

Objurgate (v. t.) To chide; to reprove.

Oblectate (v. t.) To delight; to please greatly.

Obligate (v. t.) To bring or place under obligation, moral or legal; to hold
by a constraining motive.

Obligate (v. t.) To bind or firmly hold to an act; to compel; to constrain; to

bind to any act of duty or courtesy by a formal pledge.

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Oblige (v. t.) To attach, as by a bond.

Oblige (v. t.) To constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to put under
obligation to do or forbear something.

Oblige (v. t.) To bind by some favor rendered; to place under a debt;
hence, to do a favor to; to please; to gratify; to accommodate.

Obliterate (v. t.) To erase or blot out; to efface; to render undecipherable,

as a writing.

Obliterate (v. t.) To wear out; to remove or destroy utterly by any means;
to render imperceptible; as. to obliterate ideas; to obliterate the
monuments of antiquity.

Obnubilate (v. t.) To cloud; to obscure.

Obolize (v. t.) See Obelize.

Obrogate (v. t.) To annul indirectly by enacting a new and contrary law,
instead of by expressly abrogating or repealing the old one.

Obscuration (v. t.) The act or operation of obscuring; the state of being
obscured; as, the obscuration of the moon in an eclipse.
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Obsecrate (v. t.) To beseech; to supplicate; to implore.

Observe (v. t.) To take notice of by appropriate conduct; to conform one's

action or practice to; to keep; to heed; to obey; to comply with; as, to
observe rules or commands; to observe civility.

Observe (v. t.) To be on the watch respecting; to pay attention to; to

notice with care; to see; to perceive; to discover; as, to observe an
eclipse; to observe the color or fashion of a dress; to observe the
movements of an army.

Observe (v. t.) To express as what has been noticed; to utter as a remark;
to say in a casual or incidental way; to remark.

Obsess (v. t.) To besiege; to beset.

Obsign (v. t.) To seal; to confirm, as by a seal or stamp.

Obsignate (v. t.) To seal; to ratify.

Obstetricate (v. t.) To assist as a midwife.

Obstringe (v. t.) To constrain; to put under obligation.

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Obstruct (v. t.) To block up; to stop up or close, as a way or passage; to
place an obstacle in, or fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent or
hinder passing; as, to obstruct a street; to obstruct the channels of the
body.

Obstruct (v. t.) To be, or come, in the way of; to hinder from passing; to
stop; to impede; to retard; as, the bar in the harbor obstructs the passage
of ships; clouds obstruct the light of the sun; unwise rules obstruct
legislation.

Obstupefy (v. t.) See Stupefy.

Obtain (v. t.) To hold; to keep; to possess.

Obtain (v. t.) To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to
acquire, in any way.

Obtemperate (v. t.) To obey.

Obtend (v. t.) To oppose; to hold out in opposition.

Obtend (v. t.) To offer as the reason of anything; to pretend.

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Obtest (v. t.) To call to witness; to invoke as a witness.

Obtest (v. t.) To beseech; to supplicate; to beg for.

Obtrude (v. t.) To thrust impertinently; to present without warrant or

solicitation; as, to obtrude one's self upon a company.

Obtrude (v. t.) To offer with unreasonable importunity; to urge unduly or

against the will.

Obtruncate (v. t.) To deprive of a limb; to lop.

Obtund (v. t.) To reduce the edge, pungency, or violent action of; to dull;
to blunt; to deaden; to quell; as, to obtund the acrimony of the gall.

Obumbrate (v. t.) To shade; to darken; to cloud.

Obvert (v. t.) To turn toward.

Obviate (v. t.) To meet in the way.

Obviate (v. t.) To anticipate; to prevent by interception; to remove from the

way or path; to make unnecessary; as, to obviate the necessity of going.

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Occasion (v. t.) To give occasion to; to cause; to produce; to induce; as,
to occasion anxiety.

Occasionate (v. t.) To occasion.

Occlude (v. t.) To shut up; to close.

Occlude (v. t.) To take in and retain; to absorb; -- said especially with
respect to gases; as iron, platinum, and palladium occlude large volumes
of hydrogen.

Occrustate (v. t.) To incrust; to harden.

Occult (v. t.) To eclipse; to hide from sight.

Occupate (v. t.) To occupy.

Occupy (v. t.) To take or hold possession of; to hold or keep for use; to
possess.

Occupy (v. t.) To hold, or fill, the dimensions of; to take up the room or
space of; to cover or fill; as, the camp occupies five acres of ground.

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Occupy (v. t.) To possess or use the time or capacity of; to engage the
service of; to employ; to busy.

Occupy (v. t.) To do business in; to busy one's self with.

Occupy (v. t.) To use; to expend; to make use of.

Occupy (v. t.) To have sexual intercourse with.

Odize (v. t.) To charge with od. See Od.

Offend (v. t.) To strike against; to attack; to assail.

Offend (v. t.) To displease; to make angry; to affront.

Offend (v. t.) To be offensive to; to harm; to pain; to annoy; as, strong light
offends the eye; to offend the conscience.

Offend (v. t.) To transgress; to violate; to sin against.

Offend (v. t.) To oppose or obstruct in duty; to cause to stumble; to cause

to sin or to fall.

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Offer (v. t.) To present, as an act of worship; to immolate; to sacrifice; to
present in prayer or devotion; -- often with up.

Offer (v. t.) To bring to or before; to hold out to; to present for acceptance
or rejection; as, to offer a present, or a bribe; to offer one's self in
marriage.

Offer (v. t.) To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of; to

suggest; as, to offer an opinion. With the infinitive as an objective: To
make an offer; to declare one's willingness; as, he offered to help me.

Offer (v. t.) To attempt; to undertake.

Offer (v. t.) To bid, as a price, reward, or wages; as, to offer a guinea for a
ring; to offer a salary or reward.

Offer (v. t.) To put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive way; to

threaten; as, to offer violence, attack, etc.

Offer (v. t.) The act of offering, bringing forward, proposing, or bidding; a
proffer; a first advance.

Offer (v. t.) That which is offered or brought forward; a proposal to be

accepted or rejected; a sum offered; a bid.

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Offer (v. t.) Attempt; endeavor; essay; as, he made an offer to catch the
ball.

Office (v. t.) To perform, as the duties of an office; to discharge.

Officer (v. t.) To furnish with officers; to appoint officers over.

Officer (v. t.) To command as an officer; as, veterans from old regiments
officered the recruits.

Officiate (v. t.) To discharge, perform, or supply, as an official duty or

function.

Offset (v. t.) To set off; to place over against; to balance; as, to offset one
account or charge against another.

Offset (v. t.) To form an offset in, as in a wall, rod, pipe, etc.

Ogle (v. t.) To view or look at with side glances, as in fondness, or with a
design to attract notice.

Oil (v. t.) To smear or rub over with oil; to lubricate with oil; to anoint with
oil.
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Oint (v. t.) To anoint.

Omen (v. t.) To divine or to foreshow by signs or portents; to have omens

or premonitions regarding; to predict; to augur; as, to omen ill of an
enterprise.

Omit (v. t.) To let go; to leave unmentioned; not to insert or name; to drop.

Omit (v. t.) To pass by; to forbear or fail to perform or to make use of; to
leave undone; to neglect.

Omnify (v. t.) To render universal; to enlarge.

One (v. t.) To cause to become one; to gather into a single whole; to
unite; to assimilite.

Onerate (v. t.) To load; to burden.

Onset (v. t.) To assault; to set upon.

Onset (v. t.) To set about; to begin.

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Oop (v. t.) To bind with a thread or cord; to join; to unite.

Ooze (v. t.) To cause to ooze.

Opacate (v. t.) To darken; to cloud.

Opalize (v. t.) To convert into opal, or a substance like opal.

Open (v. t.) To make or set open; to render free of access; to unclose; to
unbar; to unlock; to remove any fastening or covering from; as, to open a
door; to open a box; to open a room; to open a letter.

Open (v. t.) To spread; to expand; as, to open the hand.

Open (v. t.) To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain.

Open (v. t.) To make known; to discover; also, to render available or

accessible for settlements, trade, etc.

Open (v. t.) To enter upon; to begin; as, to open a discussion; to open fire
upon an enemy; to open trade, or correspondence; to open a case in
court, or a meeting.

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Open (v. t.) To loosen or make less compact; as, to open matted cotton
by separating the fibers.

Operate (v. t.) To produce, as an effect; to cause.

Operate (v. t.) To put into, or to continue in, operation or activity; to work;
as, to operate a machine.

Opiate (v. t.) To subject to the influence of an opiate; to put to sleep.

Opinlate (v. t.) To hold or maintain persistently.

Opinion (v. t.) To opine.

Oppilate (v. t.) To crowd together; to fill with obstructions; to block up.

Oppone (v. t.) To oppose.

Opportune (v. t.) To suit.

Oppress (v. t.) To impose excessive burdens upon; to overload; hence, to

treat with unjust rigor or with cruelty.

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Oppress (v. t.) To ravish; to violate.

Oppress (v. t.) To put down; to crush out; to suppress.

Oppress (v. t.) To produce a sensation of weight in (some part of the

body); as, my lungs are oppressed by the damp air; excess of food
oppresses the stomach.

Oppugn (v. t.) To fight against; to attack; to be in conflict with; to oppose;

to resist.

Orb (v. t.) To form into an orb or circle.

Orb (v. t.) To encircle; to surround; to inclose.

Ordain (v. t.) To set in order; to arrange according to rule; to regulate; to

set; to establish.

Ordain (v. t.) To regulate, or establish, by appointment, decree, or law; to

constitute; to decree; to appoint; to institute.

Ordain (v. t.) To set apart for an office; to appoint.

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Ordain (v. t.) To invest with ministerial or sacerdotal functions; to
introduce into the office of the Christian ministry, by the laying on of
hands, or other forms; to set apart by the ceremony of ordination.

Ordinate (v. t.) To appoint, to regulate; to harmonize.

Organ (v. t.) To supply with an organ or organs; to fit with organs; to
organize.

Organize (v. t.) To furnish with organs; to give an organic structure to; to
endow with capacity for the functions of life; as, an organized being;
organized matter; -- in this sense used chiefly in the past participle.

Organize (v. t.) To arrange or constitute in parts, each having a special

function, act, office, or relation; to systematize; to get into working order; --
applied to products of the human intellect, or to human institutions and
undertakings, as a science, a government, an army, a war, etc.

Organize (v. t.) To sing in parts; as, to organize an anthem.

Orient (v. t.) To define the position of, in relation to the orient or east;
hence, to ascertain the bearings of.

Orient (v. t.) Fig.: To correct or set right by recurring to first principles; to
arrange in order; to orientate.
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Orientalize (v. t.) to render Oriental; to cause to conform to Oriental
manners or conditions.

Orientate (v. t.) To place or turn toward the east; to cause to assume an
easterly direction, or to veer eastward.

Orientate (v. t.) To arrange in order; to dispose or place (a body) so as to

show its relation to other bodies, or the relation of its parts among
themselves.

Originate (v. t.) To give an origin or beginning to; to cause to be; to bring
into existence; to produce as new.

Orn (v. t.) To ornament; to adorn.

Ornament (v. t.) To adorn; to deck; to embellish; to beautify; as, to

ornament a room, or a city.

Ornate (v. t.) To adorn; to honor.

Orphan (v. t.) To cause to become an orphan; to deprive of parents.

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Orthographize (v. t.) To spell correctly or according to usage; to correct in
regard to spelling.

Osculate (v. t.) To kiss.

Osculate (v. t.) To touch closely, so as to have a common curvature at the

point of contact. See Osculation, 2.

Ossify (v. t.) To form into bone; to change from a soft animal substance
into bone, as by the deposition of lime salts.

Ossify (v. t.) Fig.: To harden; as, to ossify the heart.

Ostend (v. t.) To exhibit; to manifest.

Ostentate (v. t.) To make an ambitious display of; to show or exhibit

boastingly.

Ostracize (v. t.) To exile by ostracism; to banish by a popular vote, as at

Athens.

Ostracize (v. t.) To banish from society; to put under the ban; to cast out
from social, political, or private favor; as, he was ostracized by his former
friends.
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Oust (v. t.) To take away; to remove.

Oust (v. t.) To eject; to turn out.

Out (v. t.) To cause to be out; to eject; to expel.

Out (v. t.) To come out with; to make known.

Out (v. t.) To give out; to dispose of; to sell.

Outact (v. t.) To do or beyond; to exceed in acting.

Outargue (v. t.) To surpass or conquer in argument.

Outbabble (v. t.) To utter foolishly or excessively; to surpass in babbling.

Outbalance (v. t.) To outweight; to exceed in weight or effect.

Outbar (v. t.) To bar out.

Outbeg (v. t.) To surpass in begging.

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Outbid (v. t.) To exceed or surpass in bidding.

Outbleat (v. t.) To surpass in bleating.

Outblush (v. t.) To exceed in blushing; to surpass in rosy color.

Outbow (v. t.) To excel in bowing.

Outbrag (v. t.) To surpass in bragging; hence, to make appear inferior.

Outbrave (v. t.) To excel in bravery o/ in insolence; to defy with superior

courage or audacity

Outbrave (v. t.) To excel in magnificence or come

Outbray (v. t.) To exceed in braying.

Outbray (v. t.) To emit with great noise.

Outbrazen (v. t.) To bear down with a brazen face; to surpass in

impudence.

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Outbreast (v. t.) To surpass in singing. See Breast, n., 6.

Outbreathe (v. t.) To breathe forth.

Outbreathe (v. t.) To cause to be out of breath; to exhaust.

Outbribe (v. t.) To surpass in bribing.

Outbring (v. t.) To bring or bear out.

Outbuild (v. t.) To exceed in building, or in durability of building.

Outcant (v. t.) To surpass in canting.

Outcheat (v. t.) To exceed in cheating.

Outclimb (v. t.) To climb bevond; to surpass in climbing.

Outcompass (v. t.) To exceed the compass or limits of.

Outcrafty (v. t.) To exceed in cunning.

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Outdare (v. t.) To surpass in daring; to overcome by courage; to brave.

Outdazzle (v. t.) To surpass in dazzing.

Outdo (v. t.) To go beyond in performance; to excel; to surpass.

Outdraw (v. t.) To draw out; to extract.

Outdream (v. t.) To pass, or escape, while dreaming.

Outdrink (v. t.) To exceed in drinking.

Outdure (v. t.) To outlast.

Outdwell (v. t.) To dwell or stay beyond.

Outface (v. t.) To face or look (one) out of countenance; to resist or bear
down by bold looks or effrontery; to brave.

Outfangthef (v. t.) A thief from without or abroad, taken within a lord's fee
or liberty.

Outfangthef (v. t.) The privilege of trying such a thief.

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Outfawn (v. t.) To exceed in fawning.

Outfeast (v. t.) To exceed in feasting.

Outfeat (v. t.) To surpass in feats.

Outflank (v. t.) To go beyond, or be superior to, on the flank; to pass

around or turn the flank or flanks of.

Outflatter (v. t.) To exceed in flattering.

Outfly (v. t.) To surpass in flying; to fly beyond or faster than.

Outfool (v. t.) To exceed in folly.

Outfrown (v. t.) To frown down; to overbear by frowning.

Outgaze (v. t.) To gaze beyond; to exceed in sharpness or persistence of

seeing or of looking; hence, to stare out of countenance.

Outgeneral (v. t.) To exceed in generalship; to gain advantage over by

superior military skill or executive ability; to outmaneuver.
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Outgive (v. t.) To surpass in giving.

Outgo (v. t.) To go beyond; to exceed in swiftness; to surpass; to outdo.

Outgo (v. t.) To circumvent; to overreach.

Outgrow (v. t.) To surpass in growing; to grow more than.

Outgrow (v. t.) To grow out of or away from; to grow too large, or too
aged, for; as, to outgrow clothing; to outgrow usefulness; to outgrow an
infirmity.

Out-Herod (v. t.) To surpass (Herod) in violence or wickedness; to exceed

in any vicious or offensive particular.

Outhire (v. t.) To hire out.

Outjest (v. t.) To surpass in jesting; to drive out, or away, by jesting.

Outjuggle (v. t.) To surpass in juggling.

Outknave (v. t.) To surpass in knavery.

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Outlabor (v. t.) To surpass in laboring.

Outlast (v. t.) To exceed in duration; to survive; to endure longer than.

Outlaugh (v. t.) To surpass or outdo in laughing.

Outlaugh (v. t.) To laugh (one) out of a purpose, principle, etc.; to

discourage or discomfit by laughing; to laugh down.

Outlaw (v. t.) To deprive of the benefit and protection of law; to declare to
be an outlaw; to proscribe.

Outlaw (v. t.) To remove from legal jurisdiction or enforcement; as, to

outlaw a debt or claim; to deprive of legal force.

Outlay (v. t.) To lay out; to spread out; to display.

Outleap (v. t.) To surpass in leaping.

Outlearn (v. t.) To excel or surpass in learing.

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Outlearn (v. t.) To learn out [i. e., completely, utterly]; to exhaust
knowledge of.

Outlet (v. t.) To let out; to emit.

Outlie (v. t.) To exceed in lying.

Out

Out

Outlive (v. t.) To live beyond, or longer than; to survive.

Outlook (v. t.) To face down; to outstare.

Outlook (v. t.) To inspect throughly; to select.

Outluster (v. t.) Alt. of Outlustre

Outlustre (v. t.) To excel in brightness or luster.

Outmaneuver (v. t.) Alt. of Outmanoeuvre

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Outmanoeuvre (v. t.) To surpass, or get an advantage of, in maneuvering;
to outgeneral.

Outmantle (v. t.) To excel in mantling; hence, to excel in splendor, as of

dress.

Outmarch (v. t.) To surpass in marching; to march faster than, or so as to

leave behind.

Outmeasure (v. t.) To exceed in measure or extent; to measure more

than.

Outmount (v. t.) To mount above.

Outname (v. t.) To exceed in naming or describing.

Outname (v. t.) To exceed in name, fame, or degree.

Outnoise (v. t.) To exceed in noise; to surpass in noisiness.

Outnumber (v. t.) To exceed in number.

Outpace (v. t.) To outgo; to move faster than; to leave behind.

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Outparamour (v. t.) To exceed in the number of mistresses.

Outpass (v. t.) To pass beyond; to exceed in progress.

Outpassion (v. t.) To exceed in passion.

Outpeer (v. t.) To excel.

Outplay (v. t.) To excel or defeat in a game; to play better than; as, to be
outplayed in tennis or ball.

Outpoise (v. t.) To outweigh.

Outpour (v. t.) To pour out.

Outpower (v. t.) To excel in power; to overpover.

Outpray (v. t.) To exceed or excel in prayer.

Outpreach (v. t.) To surpass in preaching.

Outprize (v. t.) To prize beyong value, or in excess; to exceed in value.

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Outquench (v. t.) To quench entirely; to extinguish.

Outrage (v. t.) To rage in excess of.

Outrage (v. t.) To be guilty of an outrage; to act outrageously.

Outrank (v. t.) To exceed in rank; hence, to take precedence of.

Outray (v. t.) To outshine.

Outraze (v. t.) To obliterate.

Outreach (v. t.) To reach beyond.

Outreason (v. t.) To excel or surpass in reasoning; to reason better than.

Outreckon (v. t.) To exceed in reckoning or computation.

Outrede (v. t.) To surpass in giving rede, or counsel.

Outreign (v. t.) To go beyond in reigning; to reign through the whole of, or
longer than.
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Outride (v. t.) To surpass in speed of riding; to ride beyond or faster than.

Outring (v. t.) To excel in volume of ringing sound; to ring louder than.

Outrival (v. t.) To surpass in a rivalry.

Outrive (v. t.) To river; to sever.

Outroar (v. t.) To exceed in roaring.

Outromance (v. t.) To exceed in romantic character.

Outroot (v. t.) To eradicate; to extirpate.

Outrun (v. t.) To exceed, or leave behind, in running; to run faster than; to
outstrip; to go beyond.

Outsail (v. t.) To excel, or to leave behind, in sailing; to sail faster than.

Outscent (v. t.) To exceed in odor.

Outscold (v. t.) To exceed in scolding.

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Outscorn (v. t.) To confront, or subdue, with greater scorn.

Outscout (v. t.) To overpower by disdain; to outface.

Outsee (v. t.) To see beyond; to excel in cer/ainty of seeing; to surpass in

foresight.

Outsell (v. t.) To exceed in amount of sales; to sell more than.

Outsell (v. t.) To exceed in the price of selling; to fetch more than; to
exceed in value.

Outshine (v. t.) To excel in splendor.

Outshoot (v. t.) To exceed or excel in shooting; to shoot beyond.

Outshut (v. t.) To shut out.

Outsing (v. t.) To surpass in singing.

Outsit (v. t.) To remain sitting, or in session, longer than, or beyond the
time of; to outstay.
34
Outsleep (v. t.) To exceed in sleeping.

Outsoar (v. t.) To soar beyond or above.

Outsound (v. t.) To surpass in sounding.

Outsparkle (v. t.) To exceed in sparkling.

Outspeak (v. t.) To exceed in speaking.

Outspeak (v. t.) To speak openly or boldly.

Outspeak (v. t.) To express more than.

Outspeed (v. t.) To excel in speed.

Outspin (v. t.) To spin out; to finish.

Outsport (v. t.) To exceed in sporting.

Outspread (v. t.) To spread out; to expand; -- usually as a past part. / adj.

35
Outstand (v. t.) To resist effectually; to withstand; to sustain without
yielding.

Outstand (v. t.) To stay beyond.

Outstare (v. t.) To excel or overcome in staring; to face down.

Outstay (v. t.) To stay beyond or longer than.

Outstep (v. t.) To exceed in stepping.

Outstorm (v. t.) To exceed in storming.

Outstretch (v. t.) To stretch out.

Outstride (v. t.) To surpass in striding.

Outstrike (v. t.) To strike out; to strike faster than.

Outstrip (v. t.) To go faster than; to outrun; to advance beyond; to leave

behing.

36
Outsuffer (v. t.) To exceed in suffering.

Outswear (v. t.) To exceed in swearing.

Outsweeten (v. t.) To surpass in sweetness.

Outswell (v. t.) To exceed in swelling.

Outswell (v. t.) To swell beyond; to overflow.

Outtalk (v. t.) To overpower by talking; to exceed in talking; to talk down.

Outtell (v. t.) To surpass in telling, counting, or reckoning.

Outthrow (v. t.) To throw out.

Outthrow (v. t.) To excel in throwing, as in ball playing.

Outtoil (v. t.) To exceed in toiling.

Outtongue (v. t.) To silence by talk, clamor, or noise.

37
Outtop (v. t.) To overtop.

Outtravel (v. t.) To exceed in speed o/ distance traveled.

Outtwine (v. t.) To disentangle.

Outvalue (v. t.) To exceed in value.

Outvenom (v. t.) To exceed in venom.

Outvie (v. t.) To exceed in vying.

Outvillain (v. t.) To exceed in villainy.

Outvoice (v. t.) To exceed in noise.

Outvote (v. t.) To exceed in the number of votes given; to defeat by votes.

Outwalk (v. t.) To excel in walking; to leave behind in walking.

Outwatch (v. t.) To exceed in watching.

38
Outwear (v. t.) To wear out; to consume or destroy by wearing.

Outwear (v. t.) To last longer than; to outlast; as, this cloth will outwear the
other.

Outweary (v. t.) To weary out.

Outweed (v. t.) To weed out.

Outweep (v. t.) To exceed in weeping.

Outweigh (v. t.) To exceed in weight or value.

Outwell (v. t.) To pour out.

Outwhore (v. t.) To exceed in lewdness.

Outwin (v. t.) To win a way out of.

Outwind (v. t.) To extricate by winding; to unloose.

Outwing (v. t.) To surpass, exceed, or outstrip in flying.

39
Outwit (v. t.) To surpass in wisdom, esp. in cunning; to defeat or
overreach by superior craft.

Outwoe (v. t.) To exceed in woe.

Outwork (v. t.) To exceed in working; to work more or faster than.

Outworth (v. t.) To exceed in worth.

Outwrest (v. t.) To extort; to draw from or forth by violence.

Outwrite (v. t.) To exceed or excel in writing.

Outzany (v. t.) To exceed in buffoonery.

Overact (v. t.) To act or perform to excess; to exaggerate in acting; as, he

overacted his part.

Overact (v. t.) To act upon, or influence, unduly.

Overaffect (v. t.) To affect or care for unduly.

Overagitate (v. t.) To agitate or discuss beyond what is expedient.

40
Overawe (v. t.) To awe exceedingly; to subjugate or restrain by awe or
great fear.

Overbalance (v. t.) To exceed equality with; to outweigh.

Overbalance (v. t.) To cause to lose balance or equilibrium.

Overbear (v. t.) To bear down or carry down, as by excess of weight,

power, force, etc.; to overcome; to suppress.

Overbear (v. t.) To domineer over; to overcome by insolence.

Overbend (v. t.) To bend to excess.

Overbid (v. t.) To bid or offer beyond, or in excess of.

Overbide (v. t.) To outlive.

Overblow (v. t.) To blow away; to dissipate by wind, or as by wind.

Overbow (v. t.) To bend or bow over; to bend in a contrary direction.

41
Overbreed (v. t.) To breed to excess.

Overbrow (v. t.) To hang over like a brow; to impend over.

Overbuild (v. t.) To build over.

Overbuild (v. t.) To build too much; to build beyond the demand.

Overbulk (v. t.) To oppress by bulk; to overtower.

Overburden (v. t.) To load with too great weight or too much care, etc.

Overbuy (v. t.) To buy too much.

Overbuy (v. t.) To buy at too dear a rate.

Overcanopy (v. t.) To cover as with a canopy.

Overcast (v. t.) To cast or cover over; hence, to cloud; to darken.

Overcast (v. t.) To compute or rate too high.

42
Overcast (v. t.) To take long, loose stitches over (the raw edges of a
seam) to prevent raveling.

Overcatch (v. t.) To overtake.

Overcharge (v. t.) To charge or load too heavily; to burden; to oppress; to

cloy.

Overcharge (v. t.) To fill too full; to crowd.

Overcharge (v. t.) To charge excessively; to charge beyond a fair rate or

price.

Overcharge (v. t.) To exaggerate; as, to overcharge a description.

Overclimb (v. t.) To climb over.

Overcloud (v. t.) To cover or overspread with clouds; to becloud; to

overcast.

Overcloy (v. t.) To fill beyond satiety.

Overcolor (v. t.) To color too highly.

43
Overcome (v. t.) To get the better of; to surmount; to conquer; to subdue;
as, to overcome enemies in battle.

Overcome (v. t.) To overflow; to surcharge.

Overcome (v. t.) To come or pass over; to spreads over.

Overcount (v. t.) To rate too high; to outnumber.

Overcover (v. t.) To cover up.

Overcrow (v. t.) To crow, exult, or boast, over; to overpower.

Overcrowd (v. t.) To crowd too much.

Overdate (v. t.) To date later than the true or proper period.

Overdo (v. t.) To do too much; to exceed what is proper or true in doing;
to exaggerate; to carry too far.

Overdo (v. t.) To overtask. or overtax; to fatigue; to exhaust; as, to overdo

one's strength.
44
Overdo (v. t.) To surpass; to excel.

Overdo (v. t.) To cook too much; as, to overdo the meat.

Overdose (v. t.) To dose to excess; to give an overdose, or too many

doses, to.

Overdraw (v. t.) To exaggerate; to overdo.

Overdraw (v. t.) To make drafts upon or against, in excess of the proper
amount or limit.

Overdress (v. t.) To dress or adorn to excess; to dress too much.

Overdrown (v. t.) To wet or drench to excess.

Overdry (v. t.) To dry too much.

Overdye (v. t.) To dye with excess of color; to put one color over
(another).

Overempty (v. t.) To make too empty; to exhaust.

45
Overestimate (v. t.) To estimate too highly; to overvalue.

Overexcite (v. t.) To excite too much.

Overexert (v. t.) To exert too much.

Overeye (v. t.) To superintend; to oversee; to inspect.

Overeye (v. t.) To see; to observe.

Overfatigue (v. t.) To fatigue to excess; to tire out.

overfill (v. t.) To fill to excess; to surcharge.

Overfish (v. t.) To fish to excess.

Overfloat (v. t.) To overflow.

Overflourish (v. t.) To make excessive display or flourish of.

Overflourish (v. t.) To embellish with outward ornaments or flourishes; to

varnish over.
46
Overflow (v. t.) To flow over; to cover woth, or as with, water or other fluid;
to spread over; to inundate; to overwhelm.

Overflow (v. t.) To flow over the brim of; to fill more than full.

Overflush (v. t.) To flush to excess.

Overflutter (v. t.) To flutter over.

Overfly (v. t.) To cross or pass over by flight.

Overfreight (v. t.) To put too much freight in or upon; to load too full, or too
heavily; to overload.

Overfrieze (v. t.) To cover with a frieze, or as with a frieze.

Overfront (v. t.) To confront; to oppose; to withstand.

Overgarrison (v. t.) To garrison to excess.

Overgaze (v. t.) To gaze; to overlook.

47
Overget (v. t.) To reach; to overtake; to pass.

Overget (v. t.) To get beyond; to get over or recover from.

Overgild (v. t.) To gild over; to varnish.

Overgird (v. t.) To gird too closely.

Overgive (v. t.) To give over; to surrender; to yield.

Overglance (v. t.) To glance over.

Overglide (v. t.) To glide over.

Overgloom (v. t.) To spread gloom over; to make gloomy; to overshadow.

Overgo (v. t.) To travel over.

Overgo (v. t.) To exceed; to surpass.

Overgo (v. t.) To cover.

48
Overgo (v. t.) To oppress; to weigh down.

Overgorge (v. t.) To gorge to excess.

Overgrace (v. t.) To grace or honor exceedingly or beyond desert.

Overgrow (v. t.) To grow over; to cover with growth or herbage, esp. that
which is rank.

Overgrow (v. t.) To grow beyond; to rise above; hence, to overcome; to

oppress.

Overhall (v. t.) See Overhaul.

Overhale (v. t.) See Overhaul.

Overhandle (v. t.) To handle, or use, too much; to mention too often.

Overhang (v. t.) To impend or hang over.

Overhang (v. t.) To hang over; to jut or project over.

Overharden (v. t.) To harden too much; to make too hard.

49
Overhaul (v. t.) To haul or drag over; hence, to turn over for examination;
to inspect; to examine thoroughly with a view to corrections or repairs.

Overhaul (v. t.) To gain upon in a chase; to overtake.

Overhear (v. t.) To hear more of (anything) than was intended to be

heard; to hear by accident or artifice.

Overhear (v. t.) To hear again.

Overheat (v. t.) To heat to excess; to superheat.

Overhele (v. t.) To hele or cover over.

Overhent (v. t.) To overtake.

Overhip (v. t.) To pass over by, or as by a hop; to skip over; hence, to
overpass.

Overhold (v. t.) To hold or value too highly; to estimate at too dear a rate.

50
Overinfluence (v. t.) To influence in an excessive degree; to have undue
influence over.

Overinform (v. t.) To inform, fill, or animate, excessively.

Overissue (v. t.) To issue in excess.

Overjoy (v. t.) To make excessively joyful; to gratify extremely.

Overjump (v. t.) To jump over; hence, to omit; to ignore.

Overlabor (v. t.) To cause to labor excessively; to overwork.

Overlabor (v. t.) To labor upon excessively; to refine unduly.

Overlade (v. t.) To load with too great a cargo; to overburden; to overload.

Overlave (v. t.) To lave or bathe over.

Overlay (v. t.) To lay, or spread, something over or across; hence, to

cover; to overwhelm; to press excessively upon.

Overlay (v. t.) To smother with a close covering, or by lying upon.

51
Overlay (v. t.) To put an overlay on.

Overlead (v. t.) To domineer over; to affront; to treat with indignity.

Overleap (v. t.) To leap over or across; hence, to omit; to ignore.

Overleaven (v. t.) To leaven too much; hence, to change excessively; to

spoil.

Overlick (v. t.) To lick over.

Overlie (v. t.) To lie over or upon; specifically, to suffocate by lying upon;
as, to overlie an infant.

Overlinger (v. t.) To cause to linger; to detain too long.

Overlive (v. t.) To outlive.

Overload (v. t.) To load or fill to excess; to load too heavily.

52
Overlook (v. t.) To look down upon from a place that is over or above; to
look over or view from a higher position; to rise above, so as to command
a view of; as, to overlook a valley from a hill.

Overlook (v. t.) Hence: To supervise; to watch over; sometimes, to

observe secretly; as, to overlook a gang of laborers; to overlook one who
is writing a letter.

Overlook (v. t.) To inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or

repeatedly.

Overlook (v. t.) To look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon;
to fascinate.

Overlook (v. t.) To look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it; to
miss or omit in looking; hence, to refrain from bestowing notice or
attention upon; to neglect; to pass over without censure or punishment; to
excuse.

Overlove (v. t.) To love to excess.

Overmagnify (v. t.) To magnify too much.

Overmast (v. t.) To furnish (a vessel) with too long or too heavy a mast or
masts.
53
Overmaster (v. t.) To overpower; to subdue; to vanquish; to govern.

Overmatch (v. t.) To be more than equal to or a match for; hence, to

vanquish.

Overmatch (v. t.) To marry (one) to a superior.

Overmeasure (v. t.) To measure or estimate too largely.

Overmeddle (v. t.) To meddle unduly.

Overmix (v. t.) To mix with too much.

Overmount (v. t.) To mount over; to go higher than; to rise above.

Overmultitude (v. t.) To outnumber.

Overname (v. t.) To name over or in a series; to recount.

Overnoise (v. t.) To overpower by noise.

Overoffice (v. t.) To domineer over by virtue of office.

54
Overpaint (v. t.) To color or describe too strongly.

Overpamper (v. t.) To pamper excessively; to feed or dress too much.

Overpart (v. t.) To give too important or difficult a part to.

Overpass (v. t.) To go over or beyond; to cross; as, to overpass a river; to

overpass limits.

Overpass (v. t.) To pass over; to omit; to overlook; to disregard.

Overpass (v. t.) To surpass; to excel.

Overpay (v. t.) To pay too much to; to reward too highly.

Overpeer (v. t.) To peer over; to rise above.

Overpeople (v. t.) To people too densely.

Overperch (v. t.) To perch upon; to fly over.

55
Overpersuade (v. t.) To persuade or influence against one's inclination or
judgment.

Overpester (v. t.) To pester exceedingly or excessively.

Overpicture (v. t.) To surpass nature in the picture or representation of.

Overplease (v. t.) To please excessively.

Overply (v. t.) To ply to excess; to exert with too much vigor; to overwork.

Overpoise (v. t.) To outweigh; to overbalance.

Overpolish (v. t.) To polish too much.

Overpost (v. t.) To post over; to pass over swiftly, as by post.

Overpower (v. t.) To excel or exceed in power; to cause to yield; to

vanquish; to subdue; as, the light overpowers the eyes.

Overpraise (v. t.) To praise excessively or unduly.

56
Overpress (v. t.) To bear upon with irresistible force; to crush; to
overwhelm.

Overpress (v. t.) To overcome by importunity.

Overprize (v. t.) Toprize excessively; to overvalue.

Overproportion (v. t.) To make of too great proportion.

Overprovoke (v. t.) To provoke excessively.

Overquell (v. t.) To quell or subdue completely.

Overrake (v. t.) To rake over, or sweep across, from end to end, as waves
that break over a vessel anchored with head to the sea.

Overrate (v. t.) To rate or value too highly.

Overreach (v. t.) To reach above or beyond in any direction.

Overreach (v. t.) To deceive, or get the better of, by artifice or cunning; to
outwit; to cheat.

57
Overread (v. t.) To read over, or peruse.

Overreckon (v. t.) To reckon too highly.

Overred (v. t.) To smear with red.

Overrefine (v. t.) To refine too much.

Overrent (v. t.) To rent for too much.

Override (v. t.) To ride over or across; to ride upon; to trample down.

Override (v. t.) To suppress; to destroy; to supersede; to annul; as, one

low overrides another; to override a veto.

Override (v. t.) To ride beyond; to pass; to outride.

Override (v. t.) To ride too much; to ride, as a horse, beyond its strength.

Overripen (v. t.) To make too ripe.

Overroast (v. t.) To roast too much.

58
Overrule (v. t.) To rule over; to govern or determine by superior authority.

Overrule (v. t.) To rule or determine in a contrary way; to decide against;

to abrogate or alter; as, God overrules the purposes of men; the chairman
overruled the point of order.

Overrule (v. t.) To supersede, reject, annul, or rule against; as, the plea,
or the decision, was overruled by the court.

Overrun (v. t.) To run over; to grow or spread over in excess; to invade
and occupy; to take possession of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm
is overrun with witch grass.

Overrun (v. t.) To exceed in distance or speed of running; to go beyond or

pass in running.

Overrun (v. t.) To go beyond; to extend in part beyond; as, one

Overrun (v. t.) To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon.

Overrun (v. t.) To carry over, or back, as type, from one

Overrun (v. t.) To extend the contents of (a

59
Oversaturate (v. t.) To saturate to excess.

Oversay (v. t.) To say over; to repeat.

Oversearch (v. t.) To search all over.

Overseason (v. t.) To season too highly.

Oversee (v. t.) To superintend; to watch over; to direct; to look or see

after; to overlook.

Oversee (v. t.) To omit or neglect seeing.

Oversell (v. t.) To sell for a higher price than; to exceed in selling price.

Oversell (v. t.) To sell beyond means of delivery.

Overset (v. t.) To turn or tip (anything) over from an upright, or a proper,
position so that it lies upon its side or bottom upwards; to upset; as, to
overset a chair, a coach, a ship, or a building.

Overset (v. t.) To cause to fall, or to tail; to subvert; to overthrow; as, to

overset a government or a plot.

60
Overset (v. t.) To fill too full.

Overshade (v. t.) To cover with shade; to render dark or gloomy; to

overshadow.

Overshadow (v. t.) To throw a shadow, or shade, over; to darken; to

obscure.

Overshadow (v. t.) Fig.: To cover with a superior influence.

Overshake (v. t.) To shake over or away; to drive away; to disperse.

Overshine (v. t.) To shine over or upon; to illumine.

Overshine (v. t.) To excel in shining; to outshine.

Overshoot (v. t.) To shoot over or beyond.

Overshoot (v. t.) To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond.

Overshoot (v. t.) To exceed; as, to overshoot the truth.

61
Oversize (v. t.) To surpass in size.

Oversize (v. t.) To cover with viscid matter.

Overskip (v. t.) To skip or leap over; to treat with indifference.

Overslaugh (v. t.) To hinder or stop, as by an overslaugh or an

impediment; as, to overslaugh a bill in a legislative body; to overslaugh a
military officer, that is, to hinder his promotion or employment.

Oversleep (v. t.) To sleep beyond; as, to oversleep one's self or one's
usual hour of rising.

Overslide (v. t.) To slide over or by.

Overslip (v. t.) To slip or slide over; to pass easily or carelessly beyond; to
omit; to neglect; as, to overslip time or opportunity.

Overslow (v. t.) To render slow; to check; to curb.

Oversnow (v. t.) To cover with snow, or as with snow.

Oversorrow (v. t.) To grieve or afflict to excess.

62
Oversow (v. t.) To sow where something has already been sown.

Overspan (v. t.) To reach or extend over.

Overspin (v. t.) To spin out to too great length; to protract unduly.

Overspread (v. t.) To spread over; to cover; as, the deluge overspread the
earth.

Overspring (v. t.) To spring or leap over.

Overstand (v. t.) To stand on the price or conditions of, so as to lose a

sale; to lose by an extravagant price or hard conditions.

Overstare (v. t.) To outstare.

Overstate (v. t.) To state in too strong terms; to exaggerate.

Overstay (v. t.) To stay beyond the time or the limits of; as, to overstay the
appointed time.

Overstep (v. t.) To step over or beyond; to transgress.

63
Overstock (v. t.) To fill too full; to supply in excess; as, to overstock a
market with goods, or a farm with cattle.

Overstore (v. t.) To overstock.

Overstrain (v. t.) To stretch or strain too much; as to overstrain one's

nerves.

Overstraw (v. t.) To overstrew.

Overstrew (v. t.) To strew or scatter over.

Overstride (v. t.) To stride over or beyond.

Overstrike (v. t.) To strike beyond.

Overstrow (v. t.) See Overstrew.

Oversupply (v. t.) To supply in excess.

Oversway (v. t.) To bear sway over.

64
Overtake (v. t.) To come up with in a course, pursuit, progress, or motion;
to catch up with.

Overtake (v. t.) To come upon from behind; to discover; to surprise; to

capture; to overcome.

Overtake (v. t.) Hence, figuratively, in the past participle (overtaken),

drunken.

Overtask (v. t.) To task too heavily.

Overtax (v. t.) To tax or to task too heavily.

Overtempt (v. t.) To tempt exceedingly, or beyond the power of

resistance.

Overthrow (v. t.) To throw over; to overturn; to upset; to turn upside down.

Overthrow (v. t.) To cause to fall or to fail; to subvert; to defeat; to make a

ruin of; to destroy.

Overthwart (v. t.) To cross; to oppose.

Overtilt (v. t.) To tilt over; to overturn.

65
Overtire (v. t.) To tire to excess; to exhaust.

Overtire (v. t.) To become too tired.

Overtitle (v. t.) To give too high a title to.

Overtoil (v. t.) To overwork.

Overtoil (v. t.) To weary excessively; to exhaust.

Overtop (v. t.) To rise above the top of; to exceed in height; to tower
above.

Overtop (v. t.) To go beyond; to transcend; to transgress.

Overtop (v. t.) To make of less importance, or throw into the background,
by superior excellence; to dwarf; to obscure.

Overtower (v. t.) To tower over or above.

Overtread (v. t.) To tread over or upon.

66
Overtrip (v. t.) To trip over nimbly.

Overture (v. t.) To make an overture to; as, to overture a religious body on
some subject.

Overturn (v. t.) To turn or throw from a basis, foundation, or position; to

overset; as, to overturn a carriage or a building.

Overturn (v. t.) To subvert; to destroy; to overthrow.

Overturn (v. t.) To overpower; to conquer.

Overvail (v. t.) See Overveil.

Overvalue (v. t.) To value excessively; to rate at too high a price.

Overvalue (v. t.) To exceed in value.

Overveil (v. t.) To veil or cover.

Overvote (v. t.) To outvote; to outnumber in votes given.

Overwalk (v. t.) To walk over or upon.

67
Overwar (v. t.) To defeat.

Overwash (v. t.) To overflow.

Overwatch (v. t.) To watch too much.

Overwatch (v. t.) To weary or exhaust by watching.

Overwear (v. t.) To wear too much; to wear out.

Overweary (v. t.) To weary too much; to tire out.

Overweather (v. t.) To expose too long to the influence of the weather.

Overween (v. t.) To think too highly or arrogantly; to regard one's own
thinking or conclusions too highly; hence, to egotistic, arrogant, or rash, in
opinion; to think conceitedly; to presume.

Overweigh (v. t.) To exceed in weight; to overbalance; to weigh down.

Overwell (v. t.) To overflow.

68
Overwhelm (v. t.) To cover over completely, as by a great wave; to
overflow and bury beneath; to ingulf; hence, figuratively, to immerse and
bear down; to overpower; to crush; to bury; to oppress, etc.,
overpoweringly.

Overwhelm (v. t.) To project or impend over threateningly.

Overwhelm (v. t.) To cause to surround, to cover.

Overwind (v. t.) To wind too tightly, as a spring, or too far, as a hoisting
rope on a drum.

Overwing (v. t.) To outflank.

Overwit (v. t.) To outwit.

Overword (v. t.) To say in too many words; to express verbosely.

Overwork (v. t.) To work beyond the strength; to cause to labor too much
or too long; to tire excessively; as, to overwork a horse.

Overwork (v. t.) To fill too full of work; to crowd with labor.

Overwork (v. t.) To decorate all over.

69
Overwork (v. t.) To work too much, or beyond one's strength.

Overworn (v. t.) Worn out or subdued by toil; worn out so as to be trite.

Overwrest (v. t.) To wrest or force from the natural or proper position.

Overwrestle (v. t.) To subdue by wrestling.

Oviposit (v. t.) To deposit or lay (an egg).

Own (v. t.) To grant; to acknowledge; to admit to be true; to confess; to

recognize in a particular character; as, we own that we have forfeited your
love.

Oxidate (v. t.) To oxidize.

Oxidize (v. t.) To combine with oxygen, or subject to the action of oxygen,
or of an oxidizing agent.

Oxidize (v. t.) To combine with oxygen or with more oxygen; to add
oxygen to; as, to oxidize nitrous acid so as to form nitric acid.

70
Oxidize (v. t.) To remove hydrogen from (anything), as by the action of
oxygen; as, to oxidize alcohol so as to form aldehyde.

Oxidize (v. t.) To subject to the action of oxygen or of an oxidizing agent,

so as to bring to a higher grade, as an -ous compound to an -ic
compound; as, to oxidize mercurous chloride to mercuric chloride.

Oxygenate (v. t.) To unite, or cause to combine, with oxygen; to treat with
oxygen; to oxidize; as, oxygenated water (hydrogen dioxide).

Oxygenize (v. t.) To oxidize.

Ozonize (v. t.) To convert into ozone, as oxygen.

Ozonize (v. t.) To treat with ozone.

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71
 Intransitive Verbs Starting with O

Obequitate (v. i.) To ride about.

Obey (v. i.) To give obedience.

Object (v. i.) To make opposition in words or argument; -- usually followed

by to.

Oblatrate (v. i.) To bark or snarl, as a dog.

Oblique (v. i.) To deviate from a perpendicular

Oblique (v. i.) To march in a direction oblique to the

Obscure (v. i.) To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark.

Observe (v. i.) To take notice; to give attention to what one sees or hears;
to attend.

Observe (v. i.) To make a remark; to comment; -- generally with on or

upon.

72
Obsolesce (v. i.) To become obsolescent.

Obsolete (v. i.) To become obsolete; to go out of use.

Obstetricate (v. i.) To perform the office of midwife.

Obtain (v. i.) To become held; to gain or have a firm footing; to be

recognized or established; to subsist; to become prevalent or general; to
prevail; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.

Obtain (v. i.) To prevail; to succeed.

Obtest (v. i.) To protest.

Obtrude (v. i.) To thrust one's self upon a company or upon attention; to
intrude.

Occupy (v. i.) To hold possession; to be an occupant.

Occupy (v. i.) To follow business; to traffic.

Occur (v. i.) To meet; to clash.

73
Occur (v. i.) To go in order to meet; to make reply.

Occur (v. i.) To meet one's eye; to be found or met with; to present itself;
to offer; to appear; to happen; to take place; as, I will write if opportunity
occurs.

Occur (v. i.) To meet or come to the mind; to suggest itself; to be

presented to the imagination or memory.

Odfend (v. i.) To transgress the moral or divine law; to commit a crime; to
stumble; to sin.

Odfend (v. i.) To cause dislike, anger, or vexation; to displease.

Offer (v. i.) To present itself; to be at hand.

Offer (v. i.) To make an attempt; to make an essay or a trial; -- used with
at.

Officiate (v. i.) To act as an officer in performing a duty; to transact the

business of an office or public trust; to conduct a public service.

Offset (v. i.) To make an offset.

74
Olden (v. i.) To grow old; to age.

Opalesce (v. i.) To give forth a play of colors, like the opal.

Open (v. i.) To unclose; to form a hole, breach, or gap; to be unclosed; to

be parted.

Open (v. i.) To expand; to spread out; to be disclosed; as, the harbor
opened to our view.

Open (v. i.) To begin; to commence; as, the stock opened at par; the
battery opened upon the enemy.

Open (v. i.) To bark on scent or view of the game.

Operate (v. i.) To perform a work or labor; to exert power or strengh,

physical or mechanical; to act.

Operate (v. i.) To produce an appropriate physical effect; to issue in the

result designed by nature; especially (Med.), to take appropriate effect on
the human system.

Operate (v. i.) To act or produce effect on the mind; to exert moral power
or influence.
75
Operate (v. i.) To perform some manual act upon a human body in a
methodical manner, and usually with instruments, with a view to restore
soundness or health, as in amputation, lithotomy, etc.

Operate (v. i.) To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to

speculative profits.

Oppignerate (v. i.) To pledge; to pawn.

Oppose (v. i.) To be set opposite.

Oppose (v. i.) To act adversely or in opposition; -- with against or to; as, a
servant opposed against the act.

Oppose (v. i.) To make objection or opposition in controversy.

Optate (v. i.) To choose; to wish for; to desire.

Oracle (v. i.) To utter oracles.

Oration (v. i.) To deliver an oration.

76
Oratorize (v. i.) To play the orator.

Orb (v. i.) To become round like an orb.

Order (v. i.) To give orders; to issue commands.

Orientate (v. i.) To move or turn toward the east; to veer from the north or
south toward the east.

Originate (v. i.) To take first existence; to have origin or beginning; to

begin to exist or act; as, the scheme originated with the governor and
council.

Oscillate (v. i.) To move backward and forward; to vibrate like a

pendulum; to swing; to sway.

Oscillate (v. i.) To vary or fluctuate between fixed limits; to act or move in
a fickle or fluctuating manner; to change repeatedly, back and forth.

Oscitate (v. i.) To gape; to yawn.

Osculate (v. i.) To kiss one another; to kiss.

Osculate (v. i.) To touch closely. See Osculation, 2.

77
Osculate (v. i.) To have characters in common with two genera or
families, so as to form a connecting link between them; to interosculate.
See Osculant.

Ossify (v. i.) To become bone; to change from a soft tissue to a hard bony
tissue.

Out (v. i.) To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public.

Outbreathe (v. i.) To issue, as breath; to be breathed out; to exhale.

Outbud (v. i.) To sprout.

Outcrop (v. i.) To come out to the surface of the ground; -- said of strata.

Outflow (v. i.) To flow out.

Outgush (v. i.) To gush out; to flow forth.

Outray (v. i.) To spread out in array.

Outraye (v. i.) See Outrage, v. i.

78
Outrush (v. i.) To rush out; to issue, or ru/ out, forcibly.

Outshine (v. i.) To shine forth.

Outslide (v. i.) To slide outward, onward, or forward; to advance by

sliding.

Outspring (v. i.) To spring out; to issue.

Outstand (v. i.) To stand out, or project, from a surface or mass; hence, to
remain standing out.

Outstart (v. i.) To start out or up.

Outwell (v. i.) To issue forth.

Overabound (v. i.) To be exceedingly plenty or superabundant.

Overact (v. i.) To act more than is necessary; to go to excess in action.

Overbear (v. i.) To bear fruit or offspring to excess; to be too prolific.

79
Overbend (v. i.) To bend over.

Overblow (v. i.) To blow over, or be subdued.

Overblow (v. i.) To force so much wind into a pipe that it produces an
overtone, or a note higher than the natural note; thus, the upper octaves
of a flute are produced by overblowing.

Overboil (v. i.) To boil over or unduly.

Overbrim (v. i.) To flow over the brim; to be so full as to overflow.

Overcharge (v. i.) To make excessive charges.

Overcome (v. i.) To gain the superiority; to be victorious.

Overdo (v. i.) To labor too hard; to do too much.

Overflow (v. i.) To run over the bounds.

Overflow (v. i.) To be superabundant; to abound.

80
Overgrow (v. i.) To grow beyond the fit or natural size; as, a huge,
overgrown ox.

Overhang (v. i.) To jut over.

Overlash (v. i.) To drive on rashly; to go to excess; hence, to exaggerate;

to boast.

Overlive (v. i.) To live too long, too luxuriously, or too actively.

Overpass (v. i.) To pass over, away, or off.

Overreach (v. i.) To reach too far

Overreach (v. i.) To strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or shoe
of the forefoot; -- said of horses.

Overreach (v. i.) To sail on one tack farther than is necessary.

Overreach (v. i.) To cheat by cunning or deception.

Overrule (v. i.) To be superior or supreme in rulling or controlling; as, God

rules and overrules.

81
Overrun (v. i.) To run, pass, spread, or flow over or by something; to be
beyond, or in excess.

Overrun (v. i.) To extend beyond its due or desired length; as, a

Oversee (v. i.) To see too or too much; hence, to be deceived.

Overset (v. i.) To turn, or to be turned, over; to be upset.

Overshoot (v. i.) To fly beyond the mark.

Oversleep (v. i.) To sleep too long.

Overspread (v. i.) To be spread or scattered over.

Overstare (v. i.) To stare wildly.

Overstrain (v. i.) To strain one's self to excess.

Overtalk (v. i.) To talk to excess.

Overtower (v. i.) To soar too high.

82
Overtrade (v. i.) To trade beyond one's capital; to buy goods beyond the
means of paying for or seleng them; to overstock the market.

Overtrow (v. i.) To be too trustful or confident; to trust too much.

Overwax (v. i.) To wax or grow too rapindly or too much.

Oviposit (v. i.) To lay or deposit eggs; -- said esp. of insects.

Owl (v. i.) To pry about; to prowl.

Owl (v. i.) To carry wool or sheep out of England.

Owl (v. i.) Hence, to carry on any contraband trade.

Owler (v. i.) One who owls; esp., one who conveys contraband goods.
See Owling, n.

Owling (v. i.) The offense of transporting wool or sheep out of England
contrary to the statute formerly existing.
========================================================
www.tfd.com
83
 260 Verbs
o.d. ~ dose too heavily; "The rock star overdosed and was found dead in
his hotel room"
O.K. ~ give sanction to; "I approve of his educational policies"
obey ~ be obedient to
obfuscate ~ make obscure or unclear
object ~ be averse to or express disapproval of; "My wife objects to
modern furniture"
object ~ express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express
dissent; "She never objected to the amount of work her boss charged her
with"; "When asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have
a driver's license"
objectify ~ make external or objective, or give reality to; "language
externalizes our thoughts"
objectify ~ make impersonal or present as an object; "Will computers
depersonalize human interactions?"; "Pornography objectifies women"
objurgate ~ censure severely; "She chastised him for his insensitive
remarks"
objurgate ~ express strong disapproval of; "We condemn the racism in
South Africa"; "These ideas were reprobated"
obligate ~ force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to
fill out this form"
obligate ~ bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a
contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise"

84
obligate ~ commit in order to fulfill an obligation; "obligate money"
oblige ~ bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a
contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise"
oblige ~ provide a service or favor for someone; "We had to oblige him"
oblige ~ force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill
out this form"
obliterate ~ mark for deletion, rub off, or erase; "kill these lines in the
President's speech"
obliterate ~ do away with completely, without leaving a trace
obliterate ~ remove completely from recognition or memory; "efface the
memory of the time in the camps"
obliterate ~ make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or
concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"
obnubilate ~ make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused
the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"
obnubilate ~ make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the
clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"
obscure ~ make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the
debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"
obscure ~ make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the
clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"
obscure ~ make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured"
obscure ~ reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa
obscure ~ make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or
concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"
85
observe ~ follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby,
please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with
the binoculars"
observe ~ show respect towards; "honor your parents!"
observe ~ observe with care or pay close attention to; "Take note of this
chemical reaction"
observe ~ behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the
commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur"
observe ~ stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the
metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees"
observe ~ conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she
never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the
contract"
observe ~ discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of; "She
detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"; "We found traces of
lead in the paint"
observe ~ watch attentively; "Please observe the reaction of these two
chemicals"
observe ~ make mention of; "She observed that his presentation took up
too much time"; "They noted that it was a fine day to go sailing"
obsess ~ be preoccupied with something; "She is obsessing over her
weight"
obsess ~ haunt like a ghost; pursue; "Fear of illness haunts her"
obsolesce ~ become obsolete, fall into disuse; "This word has not
obsolesced, although it is rarely used"

86
obstinate ~ persist stubbornly; "he obstinates himself against all rational
arguments"
obstipate ~ constipate severely
obstruct ~ hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of; "His
brother blocked him at every turn"
obstruct ~ block passage through; "obstruct the path"
obstruct ~ shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight;
"The thick curtain blocked the action on the stage"; "The trees obstruct my
view of the mountains"
obtain ~ receive a specified treatment (abstract); "These aspects of
civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation"; "His movie
received a good review"; "I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions"
obtain ~ be valid, applicable, or true; "This theory still holds"
obtain ~ come into possession of; "How did you obtain the visa?"
obtrude ~ thrust oneself in as if by force; "The colors don't intrude on the
viewer"
obtrude ~ push to thrust outward
obtund ~ reduce the edge or violence of; "obtunded reflexes"
obturate ~ block passage through; "obstruct the path"
obviate ~ prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's avoid
a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"
obviate ~ do away with
occasion ~ give occasion to

87
occidentalise ~ make western in character; "The country was
Westernized after it opened up"
occidentalize ~ make western in character; "The country was
Westernized after it opened up"
occlude ~ block passage through; "obstruct the path"
occult ~ cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention; "The Sun
eclipses the moon today"; "Planets and stars often are occulted by other
celestial bodies"
occult ~ become concealed or hidden from view or have its light
extinguished; "The beam of light occults every so often"
occult ~ hide from view; "The lids were occulting her eyes"
occupy ~ live (in a certain place); "She resides in Princeton"; "he
occupies two rooms on the top floor"
occupy ~ require (time or space); "It took three hours to get to work this
morning"; "This event occupied a very short time"
occupy ~ occupy the whole of; "The liquid fills the container"
occupy ~ be on the mind of; "I worry about the second Germanic
consonant shift"
occupy ~ consume all of one's attention or time; "Her interest in
butterflies absorbs her completely"
occupy ~ keep busy with; "She busies herself with her butterfly collection"
occupy ~ assume, as of positions or roles; "She took the job as director
of development"; "he occupies the position of manager"; "the young prince
will soon occupy the throne"

88
occupy ~ march aggressively into another's territory by military force for
the purposes of conquest and occupation; "Hitler invaded Poland on
September 1, 1939"
occur ~ come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off
without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
occur ~ come to one's mind; suggest itself; "It occurred to me that we
should hire another secretary"; "A great idea then came to her"
occur ~ to be found to exist; "sexism occurs in many workplaces";
"precious stones occur in a large area in Brazil"
odorize ~ cause to smell or be smelly
odourise ~ cause to smell or be smelly
off ~ kill intentionally and with premeditation; "The mafia boss ordered his
enemies murdered"
offend ~ hurt the feelings of; "She hurt me when she did not include me
among her guests"; "This remark really bruised my ego"
offend ~ cause to feel resentment or indignation; "Her tactless remark
offended me"
offend ~ act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all
laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a
law"; "break a promise"
offend ~ strike with disgust or revulsion; "The scandalous behavior of this
married woman shocked her friends"
offer ~ mount or put up; "put up a good fight"; "offer resistance"
offer ~ put forward for consideration; "He offered his opinion"

89
offer ~ agree freely; "She volunteered to drive the old lady home"; "I
offered to help with the dishes but the hostess would not hear of it"
offer ~ threaten to do something; "I offered to leave the committee if they
did not accept my proposal"
offer ~ offer verbally; "extend my greetings"; "He offered his sympathy"
offer ~ propose a payment; "The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the
painting"
offer ~ make available; provide; "extend a loan"; "The bank offers a good
deal on new mortgages"
offer ~ present as an act of worship; "offer prayers to the gods"
offer ~ ask (someone) to marry you; "he popped the question on Sunday
night"; "she proposed marriage to the man she had known for only two
months"; "The old bachelor finally declared himself to the young woman"
offer ~ produce or introduce on the stage; "The Shakespeare Company is
offering `King Lear' this month"
offer ~ make available or accessible, provide or furnish; "The conference
center offers a health spa"; "The hotel offers private meeting rooms"
offer ~ make available for sale; "The stores are offering specials on
sweaters this week"
offer ~ present for acceptance or rejection; "She offered us all a cold
drink"
officer ~ direct or command as an officer
officialise ~ make official; "We officialized our relationship"
officialize ~ make official; "We officialized our relationship"

90
officiate ~ perform duties attached to a particular office or place or
function; "His wife officiated as his private secretary"
officiate ~ act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such
as a wedding; "Who officiated at your wedding?"
offload ~ transfer to a peripheral device, of computer data
offload ~ remove the load from (a container or vehicle); "unload the
truck"; "offload the van"
offsaddle ~ remove the saddle from; "They unsaddled their mounts"
offset ~ produce by offset printing; "offset the conference proceedings"
offset ~ create an offset in; "offset a wall"
offset ~ make up for; "His skills offset his opponent's superior strength"
offset ~ compensate for or counterbalance; "offset deposits and
withdrawals"
offset ~ cause (printed matter) to transfer or smear onto another surface
ogle ~ look at with amorous intentions
oil ~ cover with oil, as if by rubbing; "oil the wooden surface"
oil ~ administer an oil or ointment to; often in a religious ceremony of
blessing
oink ~ utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs
okay ~ give sanction to; "I approve of his educational policies"
omen ~ indicate, as with a sign or an omen; "These signs bode bad
news"
omit ~ prevent from being included or considered or accepted; "The bad
results were excluded from the report"; "Leave off the top piece"
91
omit ~ leave undone or leave out; "How could I miss that typo?"; "The
workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten"
ooh ~ express admiration and pleasure by uttering `ooh' or `aah'; "They
oohed and aahed when they unwrapped the presents"
ooze ~ pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings
ooze ~ release (a liquid) in drops or small quantities; "exude sweat
through the pores"
opacify ~ make opaque; "The glass was opacified more greater privacy"
opacify ~ become opaque; "the tissue in the eye's cornea may opacify
and the patient may go blind"
opalesce ~ reflect light or colors like an opal; "Distant clouds opalesce
like pale brocade"; "raindrops caught in a sunbeam seem to opalesce"
opalesce ~ exhibit a play of colors like that of an opal; "This nitrate
opalesces under certain conditions"
opalise ~ replace or convert into opal; "opalized tree trunks"
opalise ~ make opalescent
opalize ~ make opalescent
opalize ~ replace or convert into opal; "opalized tree trunks"
open fire ~ start firing a weapon
open ~ start to operate or function or cause to start operating or
functioning; "open a business"
open ~ become open; "The door opened"
open ~ make available; "This opens up new possibilities"

92
open ~ begin or set in action, of meetings, speeches, recitals, etc.; "He
opened the meeting with a long speech"
open ~ spread out or open from a closed or folded state; "open the map";
"spread your arms"
open ~ have an opening or passage or outlet; "The bedrooms open into
the hall"
open ~ afford access to; "the door opens to the patio"; "The French doors
give onto a terrace"
open ~ make the opening move; "Kasparov opened with a standard
opening"
open ~ become available; "an opportunity opened up"
open ~ display the contents of a file or start an application as on a
computer
open ~ cause to open or to become open; "Mary opened the car door"
operate on ~ perform surgery on; "The doctors operated on the patient
but failed to save his life"
operate ~ handle and cause to function; "do not operate machinery after
imbibing alcohol"; "control the lever"
operate ~ direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.; "She is running a
relief operation in the Sudan"
operate ~ perform surgery on; "The doctors operated on the patient but
failed to save his life"
operate ~ perform as expected when applied; "The washing machine
won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old
radio doesn't work anymore"

93
operate ~ keep engaged; "engaged the gears"
operate ~ perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to
secure an advantage in attack or defense
opine ~ expect, believe, or suppose; "I imagine she earned a lot of
money with her new novel"; "I thought to find her in a bad state"; "he didn't
think to find her in the kitchen"; "I guess she is angry at me for standing
her up"
opine ~ express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation;
"John spoke up at the meeting"
oppose ~ be against; express opposition to; "We oppose the ban on
abortion"
oppose ~ act against or in opposition to; "She reacts negatively to
everything I say"
oppose ~ be resistant to; "The board opposed his motion"
oppose ~ fight against or resist strongly; "The senator said he would
oppose the bill"; "Don't fight it!"
oppose ~ set into opposition or rivalry; "let them match their best athletes
against ours"; "pit a chess player against the Russian champion"; "He
plays his two children off against each other"
oppose ~ contrast with equal weight or force
oppress ~ cause to suffer; "Some religious groups are persecuted in
some countries"
oppress ~ come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority;
"The government oppresses political activists"

94
oppugn ~ challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of; "We must
question your judgment in this matter"
opsonize ~ make (cells) more susceptible to the action of phagocytes
opt ~ select as an alternative over another; "I always choose the fish over
the meat courses in this restaurant"; "She opted for the job on the East
coast"
optimise ~ act as an optimist and take a sunny view of the world
optimise ~ modify to achieve maximum efficiency in storage capacity or
time or cost; "optimize a computer program"
optimise ~ make optimal; get the most out of; use best; "optimize your
resources"
optimize ~ modify to achieve maximum efficiency in storage capacity or
time or cost; "optimize a computer program"
optimize ~ make optimal; get the most out of; use best; "optimize your
resources"
optimize ~ act as an optimist and take a sunny view of the world
orate ~ talk pompously
orb ~ move in an orbit; "The moon orbits around the Earth"; "The planets
are orbiting the sun"; "electrons orbit the nucleus"
orbit ~ move in an orbit; "The moon orbits around the Earth"; "The planets
are orbiting the sun"; "electrons orbit the nucleus"
orchestrate ~ write an orchestra score for
orchestrate ~ plan and direct (a complex undertaking); "he masterminded
the robbery"

95
ordain ~ order by virtue of superior authority; decree; "The King ordained
the persecution and expulsion of the Jews"; "the legislature enacted this
law in 1985"
ordain ~ appoint to a clerical posts; "he was ordained in the Church"
ordain ~ invest with ministerial or priestly authority; "The minister was
ordained only last month"
ordain ~ issue an order
order ~ assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?";
"The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"
order ~ arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events; "arrange my schedule";
"set up one's life"; "I put these memories with those of bygone times"
order ~ bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose
regulations; "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes
to regulate"
order ~ bring order to or into; "Order these files"
order ~ appoint to a clerical posts; "he was ordained in the Church"
order ~ place in a certain order; "order the photos chronologically"
order ~ issue commands or orders for
order ~ give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with
authority; "I said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the
shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"
order ~ make a request for something; "Order me some flowers"; "order a
work stoppage"

96
ordinate ~ bring (components or parts) into proper or desirable
coordination correlation; "align the wheels of my car"; "ordinate similar
parts"
ordinate ~ appoint to a clerical posts; "he was ordained in the Church"
organise ~ create (as an entity); "social groups form everywhere"; "They
formed a company"
organise ~ form or join a union; "The auto workers decided to unionize"
organise ~ bring order and organization to; "Can you help me organize
my files?"
organise ~ plan and direct (a complex undertaking); "he masterminded
the robbery"
organise ~ cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to
some principle or idea
organise ~ arrange by systematic planning and united effort; "machinate
a plot"; "organize a strike"; "devise a plan to take over the director's office"
organize ~ create (as an entity); "social groups form everywhere"; "They
formed a company"
organize ~ cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to
some principle or idea
organize ~ plan and direct (a complex undertaking); "he masterminded
the robbery"
organize ~ arrange by systematic planning and united effort; "machinate
a plot"; "organize a strike"; "devise a plan to take over the director's office"
organize ~ bring order and organization to; "Can you help me organize
my files?"

97
organize ~ form or join a union; "The auto workers decided to unionize"
orient ~ familiarize (someone) with new surroundings or circumstances;
"The dean of students tries to orient the freshmen"
orient ~ cause to point; "Orient the house towards the West"
orient ~ be oriented; "The weather vane points North"; "the dancers toes
pointed outward"
orient ~ determine one's position with reference to another point; "We
had to orient ourselves in the forest"
orient ~ adjust to a specific need or market; "a magazine oriented
towards young people"; "tailor your needs to your surroundings"
orientalise ~ make oriental in character; "orientalize your garden"
orientalize ~ make oriental in character; "orientalize your garden"
orientate ~ determine one's position with reference to another point; "We
had to orient ourselves in the forest"
originate ~ bring into being; "He initiated a new program"; "Start a
foundation"
originate ~ begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.;
"The flight originates in Calcutta"
originate ~ come into existence; take on form or shape; "A new religious
movement originated in that country"; "a love that sprang up from
friendship"; "the idea for the book grew out of a short story"; "An
interesting phenomenon uprose"
originate in ~ come from
ornament ~ be an ornament to; "stars ornamented the Christmas tree"

98
ornament ~ make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.;
"Decorate the room for the party"; "beautify yourself for the special day"
orphan ~ deprive of parents
oscillate ~ be undecided about something; waver between conflicting
positions or courses of action; "He oscillates between accepting the new
position and retirement"
oscillate ~ move or swing from side to side regularly; "the needle on the
meter was oscillating"
osculate ~ touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth
or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.; "The newly
married couple kissed"; "She kissed her grandfather on the forehead
when she entered the room"
osculate ~ have at least three points in common with; "one curve
osculates the other"; "these two surfaces osculate"
osculate ~ be intermediate between two taxonomic groups; "These
species osculate"
ossify ~ cause to become hard and bony; "The disease ossified the
tissue"
ossify ~ become bony; "The tissue ossified"
ossify ~ make rigid and set into a conventional pattern; "rigidify the
training schedule"; "ossified teaching methods"; "slogans petrify our
thinking"
ostentate ~ display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously; "he
showed off his new sports car"
ostracise ~ expel from a community or group

99
ostracise ~ avoid speaking to or dealing with; "Ever since I spoke up, my
colleagues ostracize me"
ostracize ~ expel from a community or group
ostracize ~ avoid speaking to or dealing with; "Ever since I spoke up, my
colleagues ostracize me"
oust ~ remove and replace; "The word processor has ousted the
typewriter"
oust ~ remove from a position or office; "The chairman was ousted after
he misappropriated funds"
out ~ be made known; be disclosed or revealed; "The truth will out"
out ~ to state openly and publicly one's homosexuality; "This actor outed
last year"
out in ~ enter a harbor; "the ship called in Athens"
out-herod ~ surpass someone in cruelty or evil
opt out ~ choose not to do something, as out of fear of failing; "She
copped out when she was supposed to get into the hang glider"
ooze out ~ release (a liquid) in drops or small quantities; "exude sweat
through the pores"
out ~ reveal (something) about somebody's identity or lifestyle; "The gay
actor was outed last week"; "Someone outed a CIA agent"
outbalance ~ weigh more heavily; "these considerations outweigh our
wishes"
outbid ~ bid higher than others
outbid ~ bid over an opponent's bid when one's partner has not bid or
doubled
100
outbrave ~ be braver than
outbrave ~ resist bravely; "He outbraved the enemy"
outcall ~ make a higher bid than (the previous bid or player); in a card
game
outclass ~ cause to appear in a lower class; "The Yankees outclassed
Cincinnati"
outcrop ~ appear on the surface, come to the surface on the ground; "Big
boulders outcropped"
outcry ~ utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy; "`I won!' he
exclaimed"; "`Help!' she cried"; "`I'm here,' the mother shouted when she
saw her child looking lost"
outcry ~ shout louder than
outdistance ~ go far ahead of; "He outdistanced the other runners"
outdo ~ be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other
athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all
others in its class"
outdo ~ get the better of; "the goal was to best the competition"
outflank ~ get the better of; "the goal was to best the competition"
outflank ~ go around the flank of (an opposing army)
outfox ~ beat through cleverness and wit; "I beat the traffic"; "She
outfoxed her competitors"
outfox ~ outdo someone in trickery
outgeneral ~ surpass in generalship

101
outgo ~ be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other
athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all
others in its class"
outgrow ~ grow too large or too mature for; "I have outgrown these
clothes"; "She outgrew her childish habits"
outgrow ~ grow faster than
outguess ~ attempt to anticipate or predict
outlast ~ live longer than; "She outlived her husband by many years"
outlaw ~ declare illegal; outlaw; "Marijuana is criminalized in the U.S."
outline ~ trace the shape of
outline ~ describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary
of; "sketch the outline of the book"; "outline his ideas"
outline ~ draw up an outline or sketch for something; "draft a speech"
outlive ~ live longer than; "She outlived her husband by many years"
outmarch ~ march longer distances and for a longer time than; "This guy
can outmarch anyone!"
outmatch ~ be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other
athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all
others in its class"
outmode ~ make unfashionable, outdated, or obsolete; "Modern ways of
cooking have outmoded the hearth"
outnumber ~ be larger in number

102
outpace ~ surpass in speed; "Malthus believed that population increase
would outpace increases in the means of subsistence"
outperform ~ be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other
athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all
others in its class"
outplay ~ excel or defeat in a game; "The Knicks outplayed the Lakers"
outpoint ~ score more points than one's opponents
outpoint ~ sail closer to the wind than
outrange ~ have a greater range than (another gun)
outrank ~ take precedence or surpass others in rank
outride ~ ride better, faster, or further than; "The champion bicyclist
outrode all his competitors"
outride ~ hang on during a trial of endurance; "ride out the storm"
outrival ~ be more of a rival than
outroar ~ roar louder than
outrun ~ run faster than; "in this race, I managed to outran everybody
else"
outsail ~ sail faster or better than; "They outsailed the Roman fleet"
outscore ~ score more points than one's opponents
outsell ~ be sold more often than other, similar products; "The new
Toyota outsells the Honda by a wide margin"
outsell ~ sell more than others; "This salesman outsells his colleagues"
outshine ~ shine brighter than; "What star outshines the sun?"
103
outshine ~ attract more attention and praise than others; "This film
outshone all the others in quality"
outshout ~ shout louder than
outsmart ~ defeat by more skillful maneuvering; "The English troops
outmaneuvered the Germans"; "My new supervisor knows how to
outmaneuver the boss in most situations"
outsmart ~ beat through cleverness and wit; "I beat the traffic"; "She
outfoxed her competitors"
outsource ~ obtain goods or services from an outside supplier; to contract
work out; "Many companies outsource and hire consultants in order to
maintain a flexible workforce"
outspan ~ remove the yoke or harness from; "outspan the draft animals"
outstare ~ overcome or cause to waver or submit by (or as if by) staring;
"He simply stared down his opponent"
outstay ~ surpass in staying power; "They outstayed their competitors"
outstay ~ stay too long; "overstay or outstay one's welcome"
outstrip ~ be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other
athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all
others in its class"
outstrip ~ go far ahead of; "He outdistanced the other runners"
outvie ~ be more of a rival than
outvote ~ defeat by a majority of votes; "The Democrats outvoted the
Republicans"
outwear ~ last longer than others; "This material outwears all others"
104
outwear ~ exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress;
"We wore ourselves out on this hike"
outweigh ~ weigh more heavily; "these considerations outweigh our
wishes"
outweigh ~ be heavier than
outwit ~ beat through cleverness and wit; "I beat the traffic"; "She
outfoxed her competitors"
oven broil ~ cook under a broiler; "broil fish"
ovenbake ~ bake in an oven; "ovenbake this chicken"
over-correct ~ make excessive corrections for fear of making an error
overachieve ~ perform better or achieve a greater degree of success
than expected; "His daughter always overachieves"
overact ~ exaggerate one's acting
overarch ~ be central or dominant; "This scene overarches the entire first
act"
overarch ~ form an arch over; "Big rocks overarch the stream"
overawe ~ subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of
awe; frighten (as with threats)
overbalance ~ cause to be off balance; "It is not desirable to overbalance
the budget"
overbalance ~ weigh more heavily; "these considerations outweigh our
wishes"
overbear ~ bear too much

105
overbear ~ contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease
delivery
overbear ~ overcome; "overbear criticism, protest, or arguments"
overbid ~ to bid for more tricks than one can expect to win,
overbid ~ bid more than the object is worth
overboil ~ boil excessively; "The peas are overboiled"
overboil ~ overflow or cause to overflow while boiling; "The milk is boiling
over"
overburden ~ load with excessive weight
overburden ~ burden with too much work or responsibility
overcapitalise ~ estimate the capital value of (a company) at an
unreasonably or unlawfully high level
overcapitalise ~ capitalize beyond what the business or the profit-making
prospects warrant
overcapitalise ~ overestimate the market value of; "overcapitalize a
property"
overcapitalize ~ capitalize beyond what the business or the profit-making
prospects warrant
overcapitalize ~ estimate the capital value of (a company) at an
unreasonably or unlawfully high level
overcapitalize ~ overestimate the market value of; "overcapitalize a
property"
overcast ~ sew over the edge of with long slanting wide stitches

106
overcast ~ make overcast or cloudy; "Fall weather often overcasts our
beaches"
overcast ~ sew with an overcast stitch from one section to the next;
"overcast books"
overcharge ~ rip off; ask an unreasonable price
overcharge ~ place too much a load on; "don't overload the car"
overclothe ~ dress too warmly; "You should not overclothe the child--she
will be too hot"
overcloud ~ make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured"
overcloud ~ become covered with clouds; "The sky clouded over"
overcome ~ overcome, usually through no fault or weakness of the
person that is overcome; "Heart disease can get the best of us"
overcome ~ get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his
shyness"
overcome ~ win a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties";
"defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He overcame his
infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her and she blew up"
overcome ~ overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
overcompensate ~ make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by
exaggerating good qualities; "he is compensating for being a bad father"
overcompensate ~ make excessive corrections for fear of making an
error
overcook ~ cook too long; "The vegetables were completely overcooked"
overcrop ~ to exhaust by excessive cultivation; "the farmers overcropped
the land"
107
overcrowd ~ crowd together too much
overcrowd ~ cause to crowd together too much; "The students
overcrowded the cafeteria"
overcultivate ~ to exhaust by excessive cultivation; "the farmers
overcropped the land"
overdo ~ do something to an excessive degree; "He overdid it last night
when he did 100 pushups"
overdose ~ dose too heavily; "The rock star overdosed and was found
dead in his hotel room"
overdramatise ~ present in an overly dramatic manner; "She is
overdramatizing her child's failure in the physics class"
overdramatize ~ present in an overly dramatic manner; "She is
overdramatizing her child's failure in the physics class"
overdraw ~ draw more money from than is available; "She overdrew her
account"
overdraw ~ to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; "tended to romanticize
and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery"
overdress ~ put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and
attractive; "She never dresses up, even when she goes to the opera";
"The young girls were all fancied up for the

party"
overdress ~ dress too warmly; "You should not overclothe the child--she
will be too hot"
overdrive ~ make use of too often or too extensively

108
overdrive ~ drive or work too hard; "The teacher is overworking his
students"; "Overdriving people often suffer stress"
overeat ~ overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself; "She stuffed
herself at the dinner"; "The kids binged on ice cream"
overemphasise ~ place special or excessive emphasis on; "I cannot
overemphasize the importance of this book"
overemphasize ~ place special or excessive emphasis on; "I cannot
overemphasize the importance of this book"
overestimate ~ assign too high a value to; "You are overestimating the
value of your old car"
overestimate ~ make too high an estimate of; "He overestimated his own
powers"
overexert oneself ~ strain oneself more than is healthy
overexert ~ exert (oneself) excessively and go beyond one's strength;
"don't overexert yourself when exercising!"
overexploit ~ exploit excessively; "We should not overexploit our natural
resources"
overexpose ~ expose to too much light; "the photographic film was
overexposed and there is no image"
overexpose ~ expose excessively; "As a child, I was overexposed to
French movies"
overextend ~ strain excessively; "He overextended himself when he
accepted the additional assignment"
overfatigue ~ tire excessively
overfeed ~ feed excessively
109
overfill ~ fill beyond capacity; "overfill the baskets"
overflow ~ overflow with a certain feeling; "The children bubbled over with
joy"; "My boss was bubbling over with anger"
overflow ~ flow or run over (a limit or brim)
overfly ~ fly over; "The plane passed over Damascus"
overgeneralise ~ draw too general a conclusion; "It is dangerous to
overgeneralize"
overgeneralize ~ draw too general a conclusion; "It is dangerous to
overgeneralize"
overgorge ~ overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself; "She
stuffed herself at the dinner"; "The kids binged on ice cream"
overgrow ~ become overgrown; "The patio overgrew with ivy"
overgrow ~ grow beyond or across; "The ivy overgrew the patio"
overgrow ~ grow too large
overhang ~ project over
overhang ~ be suspended over or hang over; "This huge rock beetles
over the edge of the town"
overhaul ~ make repairs, renovations, revisions or adjustments to; "You
should overhaul your car engine"; "overhaul the health care system"
overhaul ~ travel past; "The sports car passed all the trucks"
overhear ~ hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers; "We
overheard the conversation at the next table"
overheat ~ get excessively and undesirably hot; "The car engines
overheated"

110
overheat ~ make excessively or undesirably hot; "The room was
overheated"
overindulge ~ overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself; "She
stuffed herself at the dinner"; "The kids binged on ice cream"
overjoy ~ cause to feel extremely joyful or happy; "the economic growth
overjoyed the German industry"
overlap ~ extend over and cover a part of; "The roofs of the houses
overlap in this crowded city"
overlap ~ coincide partially or wholly; "Our vacations overlap"
overlay ~ kill by lying on; "The sow overlay her piglets"
overlay ~ put something on top of something else; "cover the meat with a
lot of gravy"
overleap ~ jump across or leap over (an obstacle)
overleap ~ leave undone or leave out; "How could I miss that typo?";
"The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten"
overleap ~ defeat (oneself) by going too far
overlie ~ lie upon; lie on top of; "the granite overlies the older rocks"
overlie ~ kill by lying on; "The sow overlay her piglets"
overload ~ become overloaded; "The aerator overloaded"
overload ~ place too much a load on; "don't overload the car"
overload ~ fill to excess so that function is impaired; "Fear clogged her
mind"; "The story was clogged with too many details"
overlook ~ be oriented in a certain direction; "The house looks out on a
tennis court"; "The apartment overlooks the Hudson"

111
overlook ~ look down on; "The villa dominates the town"
overlook ~ look past, fail to notice
overlook ~ watch over; "I am overlooking her work"
overlook ~ leave undone or leave out; "How could I miss that typo?"; "The
workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten"
overmaster ~ overcome by superior force
overpay ~ pay too much
overplay ~ exaggerate one's acting
overpopulate ~ cause to have too great a population; "Some towns in
New Jersey are becoming overpopulated"
overpower ~ overcome by superior force
overpower ~ overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
overpraise ~ praise excessively
overprice ~ price excessively high
overprint ~ print (additional text or colors) onto an already imprinted
paper
overproduce ~ produce in excess; produce more than needed or wanted
overproduce ~ produce in excess; "The country overproduces cars"
overprotect ~ care for like a mother; "She fusses over her husband"
overprotect ~ protect excessively; "Don't overprotect your son--he is an
adult now!"
overrate ~ make too high an estimate of; "He overestimated his own
powers"
overreach ~ fail by aiming too high or trying too hard
112
overreach ~ beat through cleverness and wit; "I beat the traffic"; "She
outfoxed her competitors"
overreact ~ show an exaggerated response to something; "Don't
overreact to the bad news--take it easy"
overrefine ~ refine too much or with excess of subtlety; "He is
overrefining this matter"
override ~ rule against; "The Republicans were overruled when the
House voted on the bill"
override ~ prevail over; "health considerations override financial
concerns"
override ~ counteract the normal operation of (an automatic gear shift in
a vehicle)
override ~ ride (a horse) too hard
overrule ~ rule against; "The Republicans were overruled when the
House voted on the bill"
overrun ~ seize the position of and defeat; "the Crusaders overran much
of the Holy Land"
overrun ~ invade in great numbers; "the roaches infested our kitchen"
overrun ~ occupy in large numbers or live on a host; "the Kudzu plant
infests much of the South and is spreading to the North"
overrun ~ flow or run over (a limit or brim)
overrun ~ run beyond or past; "The plane overran the runway"
oversee ~ watch and direct; "Who is overseeing this project?"
oversew ~ sew (two edges) with close stitches that pass over them both

113
overshadow ~ cast a shadow upon; "The tall tree overshadowed the
house"
overshadow ~ make appear small by comparison; "This year's debt
dwarfs that of last year"
overshadow ~ be greater in significance than; "the tragedy
overshadowed the couple's happiness"
overshoot ~ shoot beyond or over (a target)
overshoot ~ aim too high; "The plan overshoots its aim"
oversimplify ~ make too simple; "Don't oversimplify the instructions"
oversimplify ~ simplify to an excessive degree; "Don't oversimplify the
problem"
oversleep ~ sleep longer than intended
overspecialise ~ become overly specialized; "She overspecialized when
she concentrated on verbs in Fijian"
overspecialize ~ become overly specialized; "She overspecialized when
she concentrated on verbs in Fijian"
overspend ~ spend more than available of (a budget)
overspend ~ spend at a high rate
overspread ~ spread across or over; "A big oil spot spread across the
water"
overstate ~ to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; "tended to romanticize
and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery"
overstay ~ stay too long; "overstay or outstay one's welcome"

114
overstep ~ be superior or better than some standard; "She exceeded our
expectations"; "She topped her performance of last year"
overstep ~ pass beyond (limits or boundaries)
overstock ~ stock excessively
overstrain ~ strain excessively; "He overextended himself when he
accepted the additional assignment"
overstress ~ place special or excessive emphasis on; "I cannot
overemphasize the importance of this book"
overstretch ~ strain abnormally; "I pulled a muscle in my leg when I
jumped up"; "The athlete pulled a tendon in the competition"
overstuff ~ stuff too much; "The pillow was overstuffed"
oversupply ~ supply with an excess of; "flood the market with tennis
shoes"; "Glut the country with cheap imports from the Orient"
overtake ~ travel past; "The sports car passed all the trucks"
overtake ~ catch up with and possibly overtake; "The Rolls Royce caught
us near the exit ramp"
overtake ~ overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
overtax ~ tax excessively; "Don't overtax my constituents!"
overthrow ~ cause the downfall of; of rulers; "The Czar was overthrown";
"subvert the ruling class"
overthrow ~ rule against; "The Republicans were overruled when the
House voted on the bill"
overtire ~ tire excessively
overtop ~ look down on; "The villa dominates the town"

115
overtrump ~ play a trump higher than (one previously played) to the trick
overturn ~ cause the downfall of; of rulers; "The Czar was overthrown";
"subvert the ruling class"
overturn ~ cancel officially; "He revoked the ban on smoking"; "lift an
embargo"; "vacate a death sentence"
overturn ~ cause to overturn from an upright or normal position; "The cat
knocked over the flower vase"; "the clumsy customer turned over the
vase"; "he tumped over his beer"
overturn ~ change radically; "E-mail revolutionized communication in
academe"
overturn ~ turn from an upright or normal position; "The big vase
overturned"; "The canoe tumped over"
overturn ~ rule against; "The Republicans were overruled when the
House voted on the bill"
overuse ~ make use of too often or too extensively
overvalue ~ assign too high a value to; "You are overestimating the value
of your old car"
overweary ~ tire excessively
overwhelm ~ cover completely or make imperceptible; "I was drowned in
work"; "The noise drowned out her speech"
overwhelm ~ overcome by superior force
overwhelm ~ overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
overwhelm ~ charge someone with too many tasks
overwinter ~ spend the winter; "We wintered on the Riviera";
"Shackleton's men overwintered on Elephant Island"
116
overwork ~ work excessively hard; "he is exploiting the students"
overwork ~ use too much; "This play has been overworked"
overwrite ~ write new data on top of existing data and thus erase the
previously existing data; "overwrite that file"
ovulate ~ produce and discharge eggs; "women ovulate about once
every month"
owe ~ be in debt; "She owes me $200"; "I still owe for the car"; "The
thesis owes much to his adviser"
owe ~ be indebted to, in an abstract or intellectual sense; "This new
theory owes much to Einstein's Relativity Theory"
owe ~ be obliged to pay or repay
own ~ have ownership or possession of; "He owns three houses in
Florida"; "How many cars does she have?"
oxidate ~ enter into a combination with oxygen or become converted into
an oxide; "This metal oxidizes easily"
oxidate ~ add oxygen to or combine with oxygen
oxidise ~ enter into a combination with oxygen or become converted into
an oxide; "This metal oxidizes easily"
oxidise ~ add oxygen to or combine with oxygen
oxidize ~ enter into a combination with oxygen or become converted into
an oxide; "This metal oxidizes easily"
oxidize ~ add oxygen to or combine with oxygen
oxygenate ~ impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen; "oxygenate
blood"

117
oxygenise ~ dehydrogenate with oxygen
oxygenise ~ change (a compound) by increasing the proportion of the
electronegative part; or change (an element or ion) from a lower to a
higher positive valence: remove one or more

electrons from (an atom, ion, or molecule)

oxygenise ~ impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen; "oxygenate
blood"
oxygenize ~ change (a compound) by increasing the proportion of the
electronegative part; or change (an element or ion) from a lower to a
higher positive valence: remove one or more electrons from (an atom, ion,
or molecule)
oxygenize ~ impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen; "oxygenate
blood"
oxygenize ~ dehydrogenate with oxygen
oyster ~ gather oysters, dig oysters
ozonise ~ convert (oxygen) into ozone
ozonize ~ convert (oxygen) into ozone
over-refine ~ refine too much or with excess of subtlety; "He is
overrefining this matter"
one-step ~ dance the one-step
ooze through ~ run slowly and gradually; "Blood oozed through the
bandage"
open up ~ make available; "This opens up new possibilities"
offer up ~ present as an act of worship; "offer prayers to the gods"
118
open up ~ talk freely and without inhibition
open up ~ become open; "The door opened"
open up ~ become available; "an opportunity opened up"
open up ~ cause to open or to become open; "Mary opened the car door"
open up ~ start to operate or function or cause to start operating or
functioning; "open a business"
open up ~ open up an area or prepare a way; "She pioneered a graduate
program for women students"
own up ~ admit or acknowledge a wrongdoing or error; "the writer of the
anonymous letter owned up after they identified his handwriting"
obtrude upon ~ to intrude upon, infringe, encroach on, violate; "This new
colleague invades my territory"; "The neighbors intrude on your privacy"
========================================================

119
 Phrasal Verbs 1
Occur to : Enter one's mind

Didn't it OCCUR TO you to help me when you saw how

much trouble I was in?

Open up :

1. Start to talk freely about something

She hates to OPEN UP and discuss her feelings.

2. Open a shop or business for the day

They OPEN UP at seven in the morning.

3. Allow goods into a market

Before they joined the WTO, they had to OPEN UP their

markets.

Opt for : Choose

I OPTED FOR an endowment mortgage and lost a lot of

money.

120
Opt out : Choose not to be part of something

The UK OPTED OUT of a lot of EU legislation on working

hours and conditions.

Owe to : Be the reason for something

She OWES her success TO hard work and determination.

Own up : Confess

Nobody OWNED UP to breaking the window.

========================================================
Phrasal Verbs 2

object to
If you object to something, you don't think it's a good thing
or a good idea, so you oppose it or you are against it.
occur to
If a thought or an idea occurs to you, it comes to you.
offer up
to give thanks, praise or prayers to God or gods
open out
to unfold and spread a folded map or newspaper in order to
read it

121
open up (1)
If you open up to somebody, you share your feelings with
them.
open up (2)
If a country opens up, it becomes easier to travel there and
do business.
open up (3)
If you open up a new business, you set it up and start
trading.
opposed to
If you are opposed to something, you're against it or you
don't support it.
opt for
If you opt for something, you choose it from a range of
possible options.
opt in
If you opt in, you choose to accept something, or do
something, that is offered to you as an option.
opt out
If you opt out of something, you choose not to be involved in
it.
order about
If you order people about, you tell them what to do in a bossy
way.
order around
If you order people around, you tell them what to do in a
bossy way.
122
order in
If you order in, you order food from a take-away restaurant
and have it delivered to your home or office.
order off
to tell a player to leave the field of play, or the court, usually
because they have committed a foul or broken a rule
order out
If you order out, you order food from a take-away restaurant
and have it delivered to you.
order up (1)
to issue an order for something to be done, usually in
relation to the government or the military
order up (2)
to have food or drinks delivered to your room in a hotel
overcome with
to be strongly affected by an emotion or a feeling
owe to (1)
If you owe something to someone, you feel that you only
have it because of the person's help or support.
owe to (2)
If something happens owing to something else, it happens as
a result of it.
own up
If you own up to something, you admit that you've done
something wrong or made a mistake.
========================================================
123
 Idioms 1
Object lesson
An object lesson serves as a warning to others. (In some varieties of
English 'abject lesson' is used.)
Odds and ends
Odds and ends are small, remnant articles and things- the same as 'bits
and bobs'.
Off colour
If someone looks off colour/color, they look ill.
Off like a dirty shirt
(USA) If someone is off like a dirty shirt, they leave quickly.
Off like a shot
If someone is off like a shot, they leave or get going very quickly
indeed.
Off on one
(UK) If someone goes off on one, they get extremely angry indeed.
Off the beaten track
Somewhere that's off the beaten track is in a remote location.
Off the chart
If something goes off the chart, it far exceeds the normal standards,
good or bad, for something.
Off the cuff
If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation.
Off the grid
Someone who is off the grid lives outside society and chooses not to
follow its rules and conventions.
Off the hook
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 If someone is off the hook, they have avoided punishment or criticism
for something they have done.
Off the leash
If someone is off the leash, they are no longer restricted or controlled.
Off the mark
If something is off the mark, it is inaccurate or incorrect.
Off the rails
If someone has gone off the rails, they have lost track of reality.
Off the record
Something off the record is said in confidence because the speaker
doesn't want it attributed to them, especially when talking to the
media.
Off the scale
If something goes off the scale, it far exceeds the normal standards,
good or bad, for something.
Off the shelf
If a product is off the shelf, it can be used straightaway without any
setting-up.
Off the top of your head
If you say something off the top of your head, you don't think about it
beforehand.
Off the track
If something puts or throws you off your track, it distracts you or
keeps you from achieving what you want.
Off the wall
Something that is off the wall is unconventional.
Off your chump
(UK) If someone is off their chump, they are crazy or irrational.
125
Off your guard
If you catch someone off their guard, they are not ready or prepared
when you do or say something.('Take somoene off their guard' is also
used.)
Off your rocker
(UK) Someone who is off their rocker is crazy.
Off-hand
Off-hand means without preparation. People say that they don't know
the answer off-hand, meaning that they don't know it at that time.
Oh, my goodness!
An expression of surprise.
Old chestnut
An old chestnut is something that has been repeated so many times
that it has lost its impact.
Old flames die hard
It's very difficult to forget old things, especially the first love.
Old friends and old wine are best
This idiom means that the things and people that we know well are
better than the unfamiliar.
Old hat
If something's old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated.
Old wives' tale
A proverb or piece of advice that is commonly accepted as truth and is
handed down the generations, but is sometimes false.
Older than dirt
Something or someone's that's older than the dirt is extremely old.
Older than dirt
Something or someone that's older than dirt is very old indeed.
126
Older than the hills
Something or someone's that's older than the hills is extremely old.
Oldest trick in the book
The oldest trick in the book is a well-known way of deceiving
someone, though still effective.
Olive branch
If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate
that you want peace.
On a fishing expedition
If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to get
information, often using incorrect or improper ways to find things out.
On a mission
Being on a mission refers to acting in a determined way and so focus
in doing something that he/she is oblivious of anything else around
him/her.
On a razor edge
If something is on a razor edge, it it is in a risky situation and the
outcome is very uncertain.
On a roll
If you're on a roll, you're moving from success to success.
On a shoogly peg
(Scot) Something, like a person's job, that's on a shoogly peg is
insecure.
On a silver platter
If you hand or give something on a silver platter to someone, you let
them have it too easily.
On all fours
If someone is on all fours, they crawl.
127
On board
If someone is on board, they support or are working for or with a
company, person, etc.
On Carey Street
(UK) If someone is on Carey Street, they are heavily in debt or have
gone bankrupt.
On edge
If someone is worried or nervous, they are on edge.
On fire
If you're on fire, you're doing really well at something.
On good terms
If people are on good terms, they have a good relationship.
On hold
If something is on hold, no action is being taken.
On ice
If plans are put on ice, they are delayed and no action will be taken for
the foreseeable future.
On my back
If people are on your back, they are bothering or nagging you.
On my watch
If someoething happens on your watch, you are responsible for it as
you were in charge.
On pins and needles
If you are on pins and needles, you are very worried about something.
On speaking terms
If you are on speaking terms with someone, your relationship may be
strained, but you are still talking and negotiating.
On tenterhooks
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 This means that she is waiting impatiently and excitedly for
something.
On The Anvil
If something is on the anvil, it is being discussed or prepared but is not
yet ready.
On the ball
If someone's on the ball, they are well-informed and know what's
going on in their area of responsibility or interest.
On the blink
(UK) Is a machine is on the blink, it isn't working properly or is out of
order.
On the blower
(UK) If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone.
On the cards
(UK) If something is in the cards, it is almost certain to happen.
On the carpet
When you are called to the bosses office (since supposedly, they are
the only ones who have carpet) and its definitely not for a good
reason, i.e., you are in trouble, something has not gone according to
plan and either maybe you are responsible and/or have some
explaining to do.
On the case
If someone is on the case, they are dealing with a problem.
On the cheap
If you do something on the cheap, you spend as little as possible to do
it.
On the chopping block

129
 A person who's on the chopping block is in danger of losing their job
or getting into serious trouble. A project that's on the chopping block
is likely to be terminated.
On the dole
(UK) Someone receiving financial assistance when unemployed is on
the dole.
On the dot
If someone says that they're leaving at seven on the dot, don't be late;
they mean at exactly seven o'clock.
On the double
If someone tells you to do something on the double, they want you to
do it immediately and quickly.
On the face of it
This idiom is used when describing the way a situation appears, while
allowing for the possibility that things may be different: On the face of
it, the company looks very profitable. (The company appears to be
very profitable, but this may not be the case.)
On the factory floor
On the factory floor means the place where things are actually
produced.
On the fiddle
(UK) Someone who is stealing money from work is on the fiddle,
especially if they are doing it by fraud.
On the flip side
On the reverse or the other side
On the fly
If you do things on the fly, you do things without preparation,
responding to events as they happen.
130
On the game
(UK) A person who is on the game works as a prostitute.
On the ground
Events on the ground are where things are actually happening, not at a
distance.
On the hoof
If you decide something on the hoof, you do it without planning,
responding to events as they happen.
On the hook
If someone is on the hook, they are responsible for something.
On the house
If you get something for free that would normally have to be bought,
especially in a bar or restaurant, it is on the house.
On the knock
(UK) If you buy something on the knock, you pay for it in instalments.
On the knocker
(UK) If someone is on the knocker, they are going from house to
house trying to buy or sell things or get support.
On the knocker
(AU) If you do something on the knocker, you do it immediately or
promptly.
On the lam
If someone is on the lam, they are hiding from the police or
authorities, especially to avoid arrest or prison.
On the level
If someone is honest and trustworthy, they are on the level.
On the line

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 If somebody's job is on the line, they stand a very good chance of
losing it.
On the make
If someone is on the make, they are trying to make a lot of money,
usually illegally.
On the map
If a place becomes widely known, it is put on the map. A place that
remains unknown is off the map.
On the money
If you are on the money, you are right about something.
On the mound
(USA) If you're on the mound, you're on the mound back at your
game, back in control.
On the never-never
(UK) If you buy something on the never-never, you buy it on long-
term credit.
On the nod
(UK) If something is accepted by parliament or a committee majority,
it is on the nod.
On the nod
(UK) Someone who's on the nod is either asleep or falling asleep,
especially when the shouldn't or are are in a position unusual for sleep,
like sitting or standing.
On the nod
(UK) When a horse runs, its head moves backwards and forwards
alternately - in horse racing, if 2 horses cross the line together the one
whose head happens to be going forward often wins and is said to win
'on the nod'.
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On the nose
This means right on time.
On the off-chance
If you do something on the off-chance, you do it in case it works, even
though the chance of success may be small.
On the rack
If someone is on the rack, they are suffering greatly.
On the rebound
If someone is on the rebound, their relationship has recently ended and
they are emotionally unstable.
On the right foot
If you start something or set off on the right foot, you get off to a good
start.
On the rocks
If something, like a relationship, is on the rocks, it is in trouble and
may come to an end.
On the ropes
When something or someone is on the ropes, it or they are doing badly
and likely to fail.
On the run
If someone is on the run, they are avoiding arrest and hiding from the
police.
On the same page
If people are on the same page, they have the same information and
are thinking the same way.
On the same wavelength
If people are on the same wavelength, they have the same ideas and
opinions about something.
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On the shelf
If something like a project is on the shelf, nothing is being done about
it at the moment.
On the skids
When things or people are on the skids, they are in serious decline and
trouble.
On the sly
If someone does something on the sly, they do it furtively or secretly.
On the stroke
If you arrive somewhere on the stroke of 2 o'clock, you arrive at
exactly that time.(At the stroke is also used.)
On the stump
When politicians are campaigning for support and votes, they are on
the stump.
On the table
If a plan or proposal is on the table, it is being discussed.
On the take
(UK) Someone who is stealing from work is on the take.
On the take
This is used as a term to describe someone in a position of authority
who is corrupt, someone who will take money in exchange for doing
something for the person paying that may be illegal.
On the tip of your tongue
If a word is on the tip of your tongue, you know you know the word,
but you just can't quite remember it at the moment.
On the trot
(UK) This idiom means 'consecutively'; I'd saw them three days on the
trot, which means that I saw them on three consecutive days.
134
On the up and up
If you are on the up and up, you are making very good progress in life
and doing well.
On the up and up
To say that something or someone is on the up and up means that the
thing or person is legitimate, honest, respectable.
On the uptake
If someone is quick on the uptake, they understand something quickly,
but if they're slow on the uptake, it takes them a long time to get it.
On the wagon
If someone is on the wagon, they have stopped drinking alcohol.
On the wallaby track
(AU) In Australian English, if you're on the wallaby track, you are
unemployed.
On top of the world
If you are on top of the world, everything is going well for you.
On track
If you are on track, you are on schedule to achieve something as
planned.
On your high horse
When someone is on their high horse, they are being inflexible,
arrogant and will not make any compromises.
On your last legs
If someone's on their last legs, they're close to dying.
On your soapbox
If someone is up on their soapbox about something, they are very
overtly and verbally passionate about the topic.
On your tod
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 If you are on your tod, you are alone.
On your toes
Someone on his or her toes is alert and ready to go.
Once bitten, twice shy
If somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that someone
who has been hurt or who has had something go wrong will be far
more careful the next time.
Once in a blue moon
If something happens once in a blue moon, it happens very rarely
indeed.
One bad apple
The full form of this proverb is 'one bad apple spoils the barrel',
meaning that a bad person, policy, etc, can ruin everything around it.
One fell swoop
If something is done at one fell swoop, it is done in a single period of
activity, usually swiftly and ruthlessly.
One for the road
A last drink before leaving a pub or bar is one for the road.
One good turn deserves another
This means that when people do something good, something good will
happen to them.
One hand washes the other
This idiom means that we need other people to get on as cooperation
benefits us all.
One in the eye
If you achieve something that will irritate someone because they did
not think that you were capable it is one in the eye for them.
One man's loss is another man's gain
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 This means thato ne person's setback benefits someone else.
One man's meat is another man's poison
This idiom means that one person can like something very much, but
another can hate it.
One man's trash is another man's treasure
What is useless to one person might be valuable to another.
One nail drives out another
A new pain or problem will stop you worrying or feeling bad about
something else.
One over the eight
(UK) Someone who is one over the eight is drunk.
One over the eight
(UK) Someone who has had one over the eight is very drunk indeed. It
refers to the standard eight pints that most people drink and feel is
enough.
One swallow does not make a summer
This means that one good or positive event does not mean that
everything is all right.
One-man band
If one person does all the work or has all the responsibility
somewhere, then they are a one-man band.
One-off
A one-off event only happens once and will not be repeated.
One-off
A one-off occurence is a unique or exceptional event.
One-trick pony
A one-trick pony is someone who does one thing well, but has limited
skills in other areas.
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Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches
This means that it's hard to know how much someone else is
suffering..
Oops a daisy
An expression used to indicate surprise.
Open all hours
If a shop or suchlike is open all hours, it only closes, if at all, terribly
late.
Open book
If a person is an open book, it is easy to know what they think or how
they feel about things.
Open old sores
When a sore is almost healed, and if a person rips or tears it open, it is
way of preventing the healing process and further aggravating the
pain. This phrase, metaphorically suggests, to revive or reopen a
quarrel or enmity which was almost forgotten.
Open old wounds
If you open old wounds, you revive a quarrel or problem that caused a
lot of trouble in the past.
Open secret
An open secret is something that is supposed to be secret but is
common knowledge.
Open the floodgates
If you open the floodgates, you make something possible to happen
that had been difficult, illegal or impossible.
Open-and-shut
A question or issue that is open-and-shut is easily proved or settled.
Opening a can of worms
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 If you open a can of worms, you do something that will cause a lot of
problems and is, on balance, probably going to cause more trouble
than it's worth.
Opportunity knocks but once
This idiom means that you only get one chance to achieve what you
really want to do.
Other fish to fry
If you have other fish to fry, it doesn't matter if one opportunity fails
to materialise as you have plenty of others.
Other side of the coin
The other side of the coin is a different, usually opposing, view of a
situation. ('Flip side of the coin' is an alternative.)
Out and about
If someone is out and about, they have left their home and are getting
things done that they need to do.
Out in the sticks
(UK) If someone lives out in the sticks, they live out in the country, a
long way from any metropolitan area.
Out like a light
If you are out like a light, you fall fast asleep.
Out of both sides of your mouth
If you talk or speak out of both sides of your mouth, you say different
and contradictory things to different people, so that people are left
unsure or confused.
Out of hand
If something gets out of hand, it gets out of control.
Out of my league

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 If someone or something is out of your league, you aren't good enough
or rich enough, etc, for it or them.
Out of pocket
If you are out of pocket on a deal, you have lost money.
Out of sight, out of mind
Out of sight, out of mind is used to suggest that someone will not
think or worry about something if it isn't directly visible or available
to them.
Out of sorts
If you are feeling a bit upset and depressed, you are out of sorts.
Out of the blue
If something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and
unexpectedly.
Out of the box
Thinking out of the box is thinking in a creative way. However, it can
also be used for a ready-made product that requires no specialist
knowledge to set it up.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
If you get out of one problem, but find yourself in a worse situation,
you are out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Out of the gate running
If someone comes out of the gate running, they start something at a
fast pace, without any build-up.
Out of the goodness of your heart
If you do something out of the kindess of your heart, you do because
you are kind, not for any benefit or out of duty.('Out of the kindness of
your heart' is also used.)
Out of the left field
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 (USA) If something comes out of the left field, it is beside the point
and has nothing to do with the matter being discussed.
Out of the mouths of babes
People say this when children unexpectedly say something very
intelligent or wise.
Out of the woods
If you are out of the woods, you have emerged safely from a
dangerous situation, though the idiom is often used in the negative.
Out of this world
If something is out of this world, it is fantastic.
Out of Whack
If something is out of whack, it is not working correctly or not in the
correct order.
Out of your hair
If you get someone out of your hair, you get them to stop bothering or
annoying you. ('Stay/keep/get out of my hair!' can be used as
imperatives)
Out of your mind
If someone is out of the mind, they are so emotional about something
that they are no longer rational.
Out of your own pocket
If someone does something out of their own pocket, they pay all the
expenses involved.
Out on a limb
If somebody's out on a limb, they are in a very exposed position and
could get into difficulties.
Out to lunch
If someone's out to lunch, they are crazy or out of touch.
141
Out-and-out
This means complete or total; an out-and-out lie is completey false.
Over a barrel
If someone has you over a barrel, they have you in a position where
you have no choice but to accept what they want.
Over and over
If something happens over and over, it happens repeatedly.
Over my dead body
If you say that something will happen over your dead body, you will
not let it happen.
Over the counter
Medicines and drugs that can be sold without a doctor's prescription
are sold over the counter.
Over the hill
If someone is over the hill they have reached an age at which they can
longer perform as well as they used to.
Over the moon
If you are over the moon about something, you are overjoyed.
Over the top
If something is over the top, it is excessive or unnecessary. It refers to
the moment a soldier leaves the trenches.
Over your head
If something is over your head, or goes over your head, it is too
complex or difficult for you to understand.
Over-egg the pudding
(UK) If you over-egg the pudding, you spoil something by trying to
improve it excessively. It is also used nowadays with the meaning of

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 making something look bigger or more important than it really is.
('Over-egg' alone is often used in this sense.)
========================================================

Idioms 2
oceans of
A large amount of something.

Oceans of guests were at the party.

Category | nature

odd duck
An unusual person, especially an individual with an idiosyncratic
personality or peculiar behavioral characteristics.

This boy is an odd duck in many ways. Unlike his peers, he has no
hobbies.

Category | animals

odds and ends

various often worthless small items.

143
I have to get rid of a few odds and ends before moving to the new house.

Category | general

of a certain age
Said about people who are not young.

This shop sells clothes for women of a certain age.

Category | age

of advanced age
The phrase of advanced age or advanced years describes someone as
old.

The conference is about the effect of advanced age on fertility and

pregnancy in women.

Category | age

of age
Old enough to be considered an adult.

He's of age now, he can buy his own car.

144
Category | age

of the first water

of the best.

She is of the first water, a fine lady indeed.

Category | nature

off the beaten track

To a place or places not commonly visited.

His trip was altogether off the beaten track which had never been
traversed any European.

Category | travel

off the shelf

ready made for purchase; in a form that is ready to be used.

It is often cheaper to buy off the shelf goods.

145
Category | furniture

off the wagon

The phrase off the wagon is an idiomatic expression that refers to
someone who no longer abstains from a habit or an addiction like
alcoholic drinks.

The opposite of this expression is "to be on the wagon", meaning

maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some
undesirable habits.

The origin of the idiom "off the wagon"

The expression probably comes from the early 20th-century American

idiom on the water-wagon. This expression referred to someone who
was drinking water instead of alcoholic drinks as an attempt to stop
drinking. The expression likely preceded its opposite to fall off the
wagon.

1. In spite of falling off the wagon several times, he eventually succeeded

in quitting.
2. John is trying to stop drinking. Would he be able to resist or would he
fall off the wagon?

Category | travel

146
old wives' tale
a wrong traditional theory or belief, often about health.

The idea of drinking alcohol to relieve you from flu is an old wives' tale.

Category | men and women

on a shoestring
The phrase on a shoestring is an idiomatic expression.

If you do something on a shoestring, you do it with a very small amount of

money.

1. The property was bought on a shoestring budget.

2. They lived on a shoestring for years.
3. John started his new business on a shoestring budget.

Category | clothes

on all fours
On all fours mean on one's hands and knees.

He was on all fours, with his daughter on his back.

147
Category | numbers

on in years
Old; advanced in age.

My wife is dead and I am getting on in years.

Category | age

on the face of it
on the surface.

On the face of it, she seems innocent. But when the police investigated
her case, they discovered that she was guilty.

Category | parts of the body

on the horns of a dilemma

To face a choice between two equally undesirable alternatives.

I found myself on the horns of dilemma and I didn't know which direction
to choose.

Category | music
148
on the run
Fleeing or running from the police.

The murderer is still on the run.

Category | crime

on the same wavelength

thinking in the same pattern or in agreement.

They've done a good job because they were on the same wavelength.

Category | technology and science

on the table
being discussed or considered.

Everybody agreed to leave the plan to build a new school in our town on
the table.

Category | furniture

149
on the take
This idiom is used to describe a person who is in a position of authority
and takes or seeks to take bribes or illegal income.

This is a country where many officials are on the take.

Category | crime

on the wagon
To abstain from drinking any alcoholic drink, usually in the sense of
having given it up

No, thank you! No alcohol for me I am on the wagon.

Category | travel

once bitten, twice shy

If someone is said to be once bitten, twice shy, it means that once
someone was hurt by something or someone, they will be afraid to try it
again.

Since Leila broke up with her boyfriend, she has become very cautious
about starting any new relationship. Once bitten, twice shy, you know!

150
Category | numbers

once in a blue moon

The phrase once in a blue moon is an idiomatic expression that
means not very often or very rarely.

Blue moon refers to an additional full moon that appears very rarely
during a year.

The phrase has nothing to do with the actual color of the moon. It just
means that something happens very rarely.

Once in a blue moon, her husband brings her a gift.

She sees him once in a blue moon.

Category | time

one go
If you do something at/in one go, you do it in one attempt.

Chiefly British.

I managed to do the job that was assigned to me at one go.

She wrote the report in one go although she was so tired.

151
Category | numbers

one of a kind
The phrase to be one of a kind is an idiomatic expression that means to
be unique or special.
She was an extraordinary woman. She was really one of a kind.
Category | numbers

one's word is law

The idiom one's word is law means that what someone says must be
obeyed.

There's no point trying to do things differently. The manager's word is law

around here. Just do what he asks you to do.
Category | law

one-day wonder
The phrase one-day wonder refers to something or someone that
attracts great interest for a short time but is subsequently forgotten.

Variations of this idiom include:

nine-day/seven-day/one-day wonder

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1. The news of his sudden resignation was only a nine-day wonder.
2. Their performance was just a one-day wonder.

Category | time

one-off
Occurring once; one-time.

It is a one-off event.
Category | numbers

out of the blue

something which is totally unexpected.
She sent him a letter, out of the blue, telling him that she was in love with
another guy.

Category | colors

over my dead body

If you say something will happen over your dead body, you mean that you
will not allow it to happen.

He says he will become our boss. Over my dead body!

153
Category | parts of the body

over my dead body

Under no circumstances; absolutely not.

He wants to get all the money for himself. Well, it will be over my dead
body!

Category | death

over the hill

too old to perform as well as before.

You say you are over the hill, but see how you run as fast as your son!

Category | age
========================================================

154
 Proverbs
Out of sight, out of mind
We cease to worry about anything that can no longer be seen. This
includes people. Absent friends are soon forgotten. This is the opposite
of ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER.
Out of debt, out of danger
There are considerable risks attached to being in debt, for a man without
money is so defenceless. Once he has paid off his debts and has begun
to build up a balance at the bank, he is in a much safer position.
An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit
Don't try to be too funny at other people's expense. Your jokes make pain
them or give offence.
Other times, other manners
Each succeeding generation has its own way of life and standard of
behaviour.
Opportunity seldom knocks twice
Another proverb tells us that FORTUNE KNOCKS AT LEAST ONCE AT EVERY
MAN‟S GATE, but that does not necessarily mean that it will knock a second
time, so when an opportunity to do a thing on which you have set your
heart does suddenly arise you should take full advantage of it, for you
may never get another chance.
Opportunity makes the thief
If you leave articles of value lying about, you are asking for them to be
stolen. The temptation may be too great for a person who would not
otherwise have thought to steal, so your carelessness has brought
another thief into the world.

155
Open confession is good for the soul
A guilty secret is hard to bear; it has a bed effect on us. The more we try
to forget it, the more we are reminded of it. But once we have openly
confessed it and brought it out into the open, we are happy again and
mentally at peace. Confession can be described as a medicine that heals
the mind.
Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches
No one except he who is experiencing it knows the cause of a trouble or
difficulty. His behaviour is not understood by other because they are
unaware of the motive behind it. For example, a man resigned from a
highly paid post in a business organisation for no apparent reason, and
everyone wondered why. The truth was that the managing director‟s wife
had fallen in love with him, which had caused him so much
embarrassment that the only way to avoid her was to seek employment
elsewhere.
One volunteer is worth two pressed men
Here „pressed‟ means „compelled to serve in the armed forces.‟ The
modern term is „conscripted‟ or „called up‟. A volunteer joins of his own
free will and so is much more likely than a pressed man to be an efficient
sailor or soldier.
The same applies in a wider sense. Mr James, Mr Turner, and Mr Roberts
were all members of the committee of Tennis Club. Mr Turner had offered
his services; the other two had been „talked into it‟, persuaded against
their wishes. What happened? Mr Turner did more useful work for the
Tennis Club than the other two put together.
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin
In general usage this proverb means that the show of a fundamental
human emotion, or even human weakness, often has the effect of
bringing people closer together.
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The quotation comes from Shakespeare‟s tragedy, Troilus and Cressida.
One swallow does not make a summer
The swallow is a migratory bird, visiting Great Britain in April and leaving
for warmer climes in September. As far as Great Britain is concerned,
„spring‟ is more accurate than „summer‟. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher,
wrote: „One swallow does not make spring, nor does one fine day‟.
The proverb reminds us that winter is not necessarily over just because
we have seen one swallow. By extension we are reminded also, that any
single piece of evidence is not enough to prove anything. It may even be
an exception.
An Albanian proverb on with the same meaning goes: „One flower does
not make spring.‟
One pair of heels is often worth two pairs of hands
Usage associates heels with running. To take to one‟s heels is to make a
hasty departure. This proverb, therefore, means that it is often better to
run away than to stop and fight.
One of these days is none of these days
„I‟ll do one of these days.‟ This means that you propose to do whatever it
is later on. The result is that it is never done at all. PROCRASTINATION IS
THE THIEF OF TIME.

One must draw the line somewhere

To draw the line is to lay down a definite limit of action beyond which one
refuses to go. The decision depends on ourselves, but it must be taken
sooner or later.
„My wife and I were getting so many invitations to dinner parties that we
never had an evening to ourselves. We had to draw the line

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somewhere, so now we turn down all invitations for Tuesdays and
Thursdays.‟
One must draw back in order to leap better
This teaches prudence. It is a quotation from an essay by Montaigne („Il
faut reculer pour mieux sauter‟) and has much the same meaning
as LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, except that the stress is not on looking but on
making previous preparations. For example, a stream may be too wide for
us to clear in one leap from a standing position on the bank. We therefore
withdraw several paces so that a preliminary run will give us the
necessary impetus to reach the other side. In the same way, it is not wise,
even though we are in a hurry, to embark on something without previous
thought and planning, which may seem to be slowing us down, but in fact
hastens our progress.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison
Food that agrees with one person may have an injurious effect on
another. In a wider sense one person may like what another hates.
„My sister loves cowboy films on TV, but I can‟t stand them.‟
„Don‟t forget the old saying, “One man‟s meat is another man‟s poison.” „
One man sows and another reaps
One men does the work and another gets the benefit. A similar proverb is
One beats the bush, and another catches the birds.
One lie makes many
The telling of the one lie forces us to tell more lies, and so we become
more and more deeply involved.
One is never too old to learn
However much you know, there is always more to learn, and whatever
your age, you can still increase your knowledge. Cicero refers to „a zeal of
learning, which, in the case of wise and well-trained men, advances in
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every pace with age‟. The favourite saying of Michelangelo, the great
Italian sculptor and painter, was: „I am learning.‟
One good turn deserves another
If someone has done you a kindness, you should do him a kindness in
return.
A boy was once able to help a circus elephant by stopping another boy
from throwing stones as it. A year later the circus elephant was doing his
tricks and the ring he caught sight of his benefactor sitting on a hard form.
He immediately broke off his performance, lifted the buy up in his trunk
and placed him carefully down in a plush-covered seat in the most
expensive part of the marquee.
An elephant never forgets, and one good turn deserves another.
One foot is better than two crutches
We should be thankful for what we have, even though it is less than than
we would like. The proverb means the same as HALF A LOAF IS BETTER
THAN NO BREAD.

One cannot put back the clock

This is a reminder to the reactionary who dreams of the 'good old days'
and would like to see them again. He should realize that TIMES
CHANGE.
One cannot be in two places at once
When you are asked why something is not done and you were doing
something else, you would say this proverb. It is often use as an excuse
for not doing something.
One beats the bush, and another catches the birds
One man does all the hard work, and another reaps the benefits. The
reference is to the beater, whose job is to strike the bushes and rouse the
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birds or other game so that the sportsman with a gun can take a shot at
them.
Once bitten, twice shy
If we have had an unpleasant experience, we are very anxious to avoid a
repetition.
„Mr Saunders,‟ said the schoolmistress, „we are talking another party of
children up to see the sights of London next Saturday. Would you like to
help up as you so kindly did last time?‟
„I‟m sorry, Miss Osborne, but I‟d much rather not,‟ he replied. „Those
infernal kids nearly drove me mad. “once bitten, twice shy” is my motto
from now on.‟
An old poacher makes the best gamekeeper
A poacher illegally kills and steals animals on someone else‟s land, and a
gamekeeper‟s job is to stop this from happening. He knows all the tricks
of poaching, so is best fitted to deal with other poachers.
Of two evils choose the lesser
Choose the less bad thing of a pair of bad things.
„When compelled to chose one of two evils,‟ wrote Socrates, „no one will
chose the greater when he may choose the lesser.‟ Charles H. Spurgeon,
the great Baptist minister, took a stronger view: „Of two evils, choose
neither.‟
Current usage of the proverb is fairly light-heated.
I either had to walk the two miles to the station or ask old Joseph to give
me a lift. As he‟s the worst driver I‟ve ever met, I chose the lesser of two
evils and I walked.
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 270 Verbs: O Past
Main Verbs Past Tense s / es/ ies
Participles ing-forms (5)
(1) forms (2) forms (4)
(3)
oar oared oared oars oaring
obey obeyed obeyed obeys obeying
obfuscate obfuscated obfuscated obfuscates obfuscating
object objected objected objects objecting
objectify objectified objectified objectifies objectifying
objurgate objurgated objurgated objurgates objurgating
obligate obligated obligated obligates obligating
oblige obliged obliged obliges obliging
obliterate obliterated obliterated obliterates obliterating
obscure obscured obscured obscures obscuring
observe observed observed observes observing
obsess obsessed obsessed obsesses obsessing
obsolesce obsolesced obsolesced obsolesces obsolescing
obstruct obstructed obstructed obstructs obstructing
obtain obtained obtained obtains obtaining
obtrude obtruded obtruded obtrudes obtruding
obvert obverted obverted obverts obverting
obviate obviated obviated obviates obviating
occasion occasioned occasioned occasions occasioning
occlude occluded occluded occludes occluding
occult occulted occulted occults occulting
occupy occupied occupied occupies occupying
occur occurred occurred occurs occurring
odorize odorized odorized odorizes odorizing
offend offended offended offends offending
offer offered offered offers offering
officer officered officered officers officering
officiate officiated officiated officiates officiating
offload offloaded offloaded offloads offloading
offset offset offset offsets offsetting
ogle ogled ogled ogles ogling
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oil oiled oiled oils oiling
okay okayed okayed okays okaying
omit omitted omitted omits omitting
onset onset onset onsets onsetting
ooze oozed oozed oozes oozing
open opened opened opens opening
operate operated operated operates operating
opine opined opined opines opining
oppose opposed opposed opposes opposing
oppress oppressed oppressed oppresses oppressing
oppugn oppugned oppugned oppugns oppugning
opt opted opted opts opting
optimise optimised optimised optimises optimising
optimize optimized optimized optimizes optimizing
orate orated orated orates orating
orbit orbited orbited orbits orbiting
orchestrate orchestrated orchestrated orchestrates orchestrating
ordain ordained ordained ordains ordaining
order ordered ordered orders ordering
organise organised organised organises organising
organize organized organized organizes organizing
orient oriented oriented orients orienting
orientate orientated orientated orientates orientating
originate originated originated originates originating
ornament ornamented ornamented ornaments ornamenting
orphan orphaned orphaned orphans orphaning
oscillate oscillated oscillated oscillates oscillating
osculate osculated osculated osculates osculating
ossify ossified ossified ossifies ossifying
ostracise ostracised ostracised ostracises ostracising
ostracize ostracized ostracized ostracizes ostracizing
oust ousted ousted ousts ousting
outbalance outbalanced outbalanced outbalances outbalancing
outbid outbid outbid outbids outbidding
outbreed outbred outbred outbreeds outbreeding
outclass outclassed outclassed outclasses outclassing
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outcrop outcropped outcropped outcrops outcropping
outcry outcried outcried outcries outcrying
outdistance outdistanced outdistanced outdistances outdistancing
outdo outdid outdone outdoes outdoing
outdraw outdrew outdrawn outdraws outdrawing
outdrink outdrank outdrunk outdrinks outdrinking
outdrive outdrove outdriven outdrives outdriving
outface outfaced outfaced outfaces outfacing
outfight outfought outfought outfights outfighting
outfit outfitted outfitted outfits outfitting
outflank outflanked outflanked outflanks outflanking
outflow outflowed outflowed outflows outflowing
outfly outflew outflown outflies outflying
outfox outfoxed outfoxed outfoxes outfoxing
outgo outwent outgone outgoes outgoing
outgrow outgrew outgrown outgrows outgrowing
outguess outguessed outguessed outguesses outguessing
outlast outlasted outlasted outlasts outlasting
outlaw outlawed outlawed outlaws outlawing
outlay outlaid outlaid outlays outlaying
outleap outleapt outleapt outleaps outleaping
outline outlined outlined outlines outlining
outlive outlived outlived outlives outliving
outlook outlooked outlooked outlooks outlooking
outmarch outmarched outmarched outmarches outmarching
outmatch outmatched outmatched outmatches outmatching
outmode outmoded outmoded outmodes outmoding
outnumber outnumbered outnumbered outnumbers outnumbering
outpace outpaced outpaced outpaces outpacing
outperform outperformed outperformed outperforms outperforming
outplay outplayed outplayed outplays outplaying
outpoint outpointed outpointed outpoints outpointing
outpour outpoured outpoured outpours outpouring
output output output outputs outputting
outrage outraged outraged outrages outraging
outrange outranged outranged outranges outranging
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outrank outranked outranked outranks outranking
outreach outreached outreached outreaches outreaching
outride outrode outridden outrides outriding
outrival outrivaled outrivaled outrivals outrivaling
outrun outran outrun outruns outrunning
outrush outrushed outrushed outrushes outrushing
outscore outscored outscored outscores outscoring
outsee outsaw outseen outsees outseeing
outsell outsold outsold outsells outselling
outshine outshone outshone outshines outshining
outshoot outshot outshot outshoots outshooting
outshout outshouted outshouted outshouts outshouting
outsing outsang outsung outsings outsinging
outsit outsat outsat outsits outsitting
outsleep outslept outslept outsleeps outsleeping
outsmart outsmarted outsmarted outsmarts outsmarting
outsmell outsmelt outleapt outsmells outsmelling
outsoar outsoared outsoared outsoars outsoaring
outsource outsourced outsourced outsources outsourcing
outspeak outspoke outspoken outspeaks outspeaking
outspeed outsped outsped outspeeds outspeeding
outspend outspent outspent outspends outspending
outspin outspun outspun outspins outspinning
outspread outspreaded outspreaded outspreads outspreading
outspring outsprang outsprung outsprings outspringing
outstand outstood outstood outstands outstanding
outstare outstared outstared outstares outstaring
outstay outstayed outstayed outstays outstaying
outstretch outstretched outstretched outstretches outstretching
outstrip outstripped outstripped outstrips outstripping
outswear outswore outsworn outswears outswearing
outswim outswam outswum outswims outswiming
outtalk outtalked outtalked outtalks outtalking
outtell outtold outtold outtells outtelling
outthink outthought outthought outthinks outthinking
outthrow outthrew outthrown outthrows outthrowing
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outvote outvoted outvoted outvotes outvoting
outwear outwore outworn outwears outwearing
outweigh outweighed outweighed outweighs outweighing
outwind outwound outwound outwinds outwinding
outwit outwitted outwitted outwits outwitting
outwork outworked outworked outworks outworking
outwrite outwrote outwritten outwrites outwriting
overachieve overachieved overachieved overachieves overachieving
overact overacted overacted overacts overacting
overarch overarched overarched overarches overarching
overawe overawed overawed overawes overawing
overbalance overbalanced overbalanced overbalances overbalancing
overbear overbore overborne overbears overbearing
overbid overbid overbid overbids overbidding
overblow overblew overblown overblows overblowing
overbreed overbred overbred overbreeds overbreeding
overbuild overbuilt overbuilt overbuilds overbuilding
overburden overburdened overburdened overburdens overburdening
overbuy overbought overbought overbuys overbuying
overcapitalize overcapitalized overcapitalized overcapitalizes overcapitalizing
overcast overcast overcast overcasts overcasting
overcharge overcharged overcharged overcharges overcharging
overcome overcame overcome overcomes overcoming
overcook overcooked overcooked overcooks overcooking
overcrowd overcrowded overcrowded overcrowds overcrowding
overcut overcut overcut overcuts overcutting
overdo overdid overdone overdoes overdoing
overdose overdosed overdosed overdoses overdosing
overdramatize overdramatized overdramatized overdramatizes overdramatizing
overdraw overdrew overdrawn overdraws overdrawing
overdress overdressed overdressed overdresses overdressing
overdrink overdrank overdrunk overdrinks overdrinking
overdrive overdrove overdriven overdrives overdriving
overeat overate overeaten overeats overeating
overestimate overestimated overestimated overestimates overestimating
overexcite overexcited overexcited overexcites overexciting
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overexert overexerted overexerted overexerts overexerting
overexploit overexploited overexploited overexploits overexploiting
overexpose overexposed overexposed overexposes overexposing
overextend overextended overextended overextends overextending
overfeed overfed overfed overfeeds overfeeding
overfill overfilled overfilled overfills overfilling
overfish overfished overfished overfishes overfishing
overflow overflowed overflowed overflows overflowing
overfly overflew overflown overflies overflying
overgrow overgrew overgrown overgrows overgrowing
overhang overhung overhung overhangs overhanging
overhaul overhauled overhauled overhauls overhauling
overhear overheard overheard overhears overhearing
overheat overheated overheated overheats overheating
overindulge overindulged overindulged overindulges overindulging
overlade overladed overladen overlades overlading
overlap overlapped overlapped overlaps overlapping
overlay overlaid overlaid overlays overlaying
overleap overleapt overleapt overleaps overleaping
overlearn overlearnt overlearnt overlearns overlearning
overlie overlay overlain overlies overlying
overload overloaded overloaded overloads overloading
overlook overlooked overlooked overlooks overlooking
overmaster overmastered overmastered overmasters overmastering
overmatch overmatched overmatched overmatches overmatching
overpass overpassed overpassed overpasses overpassing
overpay overpaid overpaid overpays overpaying
overplay overplayed overplayed overplays overplaying
overpopulate overpopulated overpopulated overpopulates overpopulating
overpower overpowered overpowered overpowers overpowering
overprice overpriced overpriced overprices overpricing
overprint overprinted overprinted overprints overprinting
overprize overprized overprized overprizes overprizing
overproduce overproduced overproduced overproduces overproducing
overprotect overprotected overprotected overprotects overprotecting
overrate overrated overrated overrates overrating
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overreach overreached overreached overreaches overreaching
overreact overreacted overreacted overreacts overreacting
override overrode overridden overrides overriding
overrule overruled overruled overrules overruling
overrun overran overrun overruns overrunning
oversee oversaw overseen oversees overseeing
oversell oversold oversold oversells overselling
overset overset overset oversets oversetting
oversew oversewed oversewn oversews oversewing
overshadow overshadowed overshadowed overshadows overshadowing
overshoot overshot overshot overshoots overshooting
oversimplify oversimplified oversimplified oversimplifies oversimplifying
oversize oversized oversized oversizes oversizing
oversleep overslept overslept oversleeps oversleeping
oversow oversowed oversown oversows oversowing
overspeak overspoke overspoken overspeaks overspeaking
overspend overspent overspent overspends overspending
overspill overspilt overspilt overspills overspilling
overspin overspun overspun overspins overspinning
overspread overspread overspread overspreads overspreading
overspring oversprang oversprung oversprings overspringing
overstand overstood overstood overstands overstanding
overstate overstated overstated overstates overstating
overstay overstayed overstayed overstays overstaying
overstep overstepped overstepped oversteps overstepping
overstock overstocked overstocked overstocks overstocking
overstore overstored overstored overstores overstoring
overstrain overstrained overstrained overstrains overstraining
overstress overstressed overstressed overstresses overstressing
overstretch overstretched overstretched overstretches overstretching
overstride overstrode overstridden overstrides overstriding
overstuff overstuffed overstuffed overstuffs overstuffing
oversupply oversupplied oversupplied oversupplies oversupplying
overtake overtook overtaken overtakes overtaking
overtax overtaxed overtaxed overtaxes overtaxing
overthink overthought overthought overthinks overthinking
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overthrow overthrew overthrown overthrows overthrowing
overtire overtired overtired overtires overtiring
overtop overtopped overtopped overtops overtopping
overtrade overtraded overtraded overtrades overtrading
overtrump overtrumped overtrumped overtrumps overtrumping
overturn overturned overturned overturns overturning
overuse overused overused overuses overusing
overvalue overvalued overvalued overvalues overvaluing
overwear overwore overworn overwears overwearing
overweigh overweighed overweighed overweighs overweighing
overwhelm overwhelmed overwhelmed overwhelms overwhelming
overwind overwound overwound overwinds overwinding
overwinter overwintered overwintered overwinters overwintering
overwithhold overwithheld overwithheld overwithholds overwithholding
overwork overworked overworked overworks overworking
overwrite overwrote overwritten overwrites overwriting
ovulate ovulated ovulated ovulates ovulating
owe owed owed owes owing
own owned owned owns owning
oxidise oxidised oxidised oxidises oxidising
oxidize oxidized oxidized oxidizes oxidizing
oxygenate oxygenated oxygenated oxygenates oxygenating
oxygenize oxygenized oxygenized oxygenizes oxygenizing
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 irregular verbs
Past Tense forms Past Participles
Main Verbs (1)
(2) (3)
offset offset offset
outbid outbid outbid
outbreed outbred outbred
outdo outdid outdone
outdraw outdrew outdrawn
outdrink outdrank outdrunk
outdrive outdrove outdriven
outfight outfought outfought
outfly outflew outflown
outgrow outgrew outgrown
outlay outlaid outlaid
outleap outleapt outleapt
outlie outlied outlied
output output output
outride outrode outridden
outrun outran outrun
outsee outsaw outseen
outsell outsold outsold
outshine outshone outshone
outshoot outshot outshot
outsing outsang outsung
outsit outsat outsat
outsleep outslept outslept
outsmell outsmelt outleapt
outspeak outspoke outspoken
outspeed outsped outsped
outspend outspent outspent
outspin outspun outspun
outspring outsprang outsprung
outstand outstood outstood
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outswear outswore outsworn
outswim outswam outswum
outtell outtold outtold
outthink outthought outthought
outthrow outthrew outthrown
outwear outwore outworn
outwind outwound outwound
outwrite outwrote outwritten
overbear overbore overborne
overbid overbid overbid
overblow overblew overblown
overbreed overbred overbred
overbuild overbuilt overbuilt
overbuy overbought overbought
overcast overcast overcast
overcome overcame overcome
overcut overcut overcut
overdo overdid overdone
overdraw overdrew overdrawn
overdrink overdrank overdrunk
overdrive overdrove overdriven
overeat overate overeaten
overfeed overfed overfed
overfly overflew overflown
overgrow overgrew overgrown
overhang overhung overhung
overhear overheard overheard
overlay overlaid overlaid
overleap overleapt overleapt
overlearn overlearnt overlearnt
overlie overlay overlain
overpay overpaid overpaid
override overrode overridden
overrun overran overrun
oversee oversaw overseen
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 oversell oversold oversold
overset overset overset
oversew oversewed oversewn
overshoot overshot overshot
oversleep overslept overslept
oversow oversowed oversown
overspeak overspoke overspoken
overspend overspent overspent
overspill overspilt overspilt
overspin overspun overspun
overspread overspread overspread
overspring oversprang oversprung
overstand overstood overstood
overstride overstrode overstridden
overtake overtook overtaken
overthink overthought overthought
overthrow overthrew overthrown
overwear overwore overworn
overwind overwound overwound
overwithhold overwithheld overwithheld
overwrite overwrote overwritten
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