English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

sweets

noun

British informal term for candy or confectionery.

sweetshop

noun

A shop that sells sweets, especially one that sells mostly sweets.

sweetsome

adj

Having a pleasant, sweet quality.

sweetums

noun

An affectionate, informal nickname used for a loved one, child, or pet.

Sweetwater

name

The name of several towns and small communities across the United States.

swell

verb

To grow bigger, especially by filling with fluid or gas.

swellfish

noun

A fish, such as the pufferfish, that can puff itself up.

swellhead

noun

Someone who thinks too highly of themselves.

swelling

noun

An area of the body that has become puffy or enlarged, usually from injury or illness.

sweltering

adj

Uncomfortably hot and humid.

Swenson

name

A surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Sven."

swept

verb

Past tense and past participle of sweep — cleaned or cleared using a brush, or carried along by force.

swerve

verb

To turn suddenly away from a straight path, often to avoid hitting something.

swerving

noun

A sudden or repeated change of direction.

swift

adj

Moving or happening very quickly.

swiftly

adv

In a fast or quick manner.

swiftness

noun

The quality of moving very fast.

swig

verb

To drink something in large gulps, often straight from the bottle or can.

swike

verb

To trick or betray someone.

swill

noun

Kitchen scraps and liquid waste fed to pigs, or by extension, any low-quality food or drink.

swim

verb

To move through water by moving the arms, legs, fins, or tail.

swimmer

noun

A person or animal that swims.

swimming

noun

The activity or sport of moving through water using the body.

Swims

name

A surname, an uncommon variant form found in English-speaking families.

swimsuit

noun

A garment designed to be worn for swimming.

swimwear

noun

Clothes worn for swimming.

swindle

verb

To cheat someone out of money or property through deception.

swindler

noun

A person who cheats others out of money through deception.

swindling

noun

The act of cheating someone out of money through deception.

Swindon

name

A town in Wiltshire, England, known historically as a major railway engineering center.

swine

noun

A pig, especially a domesticated one raised for farming.

swing

verb

To move back and forth or in a circular path while hanging from a fixed point.

swinge

verb

To move suddenly and sharply, like a whip.

swinger

noun

Someone who practices swinging — casual sexual activity with different partners, often within a couple relationship.

swinging

adj

Moving back and forth in a rhythmic way.

swink

verb

To work very hard.

swipe

verb

To steal something, often quickly and casually.

swirl

verb

To move in a twisting, circular pattern.

swirling

adj

Moving in a twisting, circular pattern.

swirly

adj

Having a pattern of swirls or curves.

swish

noun

A soft rustling or hissing sound, often caused by quick movement through the air.

swishing

noun

A soft rustling sound produced by movement, such as fabric or fur.

Swiss

adj

Relating to Switzerland or its people.

switch

noun

A device used to turn an electrical circuit on or off.

switchback

noun

A zigzagging railway line on a steep hill, where the train reverses direction at each turn.

switchblade

noun

A folding knife whose blade springs open automatically when a button is pressed.

switchboard

noun

A panel or system used to connect and route telephone calls.

switcheroo

noun

A sudden, sneaky, or surprising swap.

switching

noun

The act or process of changing from one thing, state, or connection to another.

swith

adv

In a fast and prompt way.

swither

verb

To burn or scorch something slightly.

Switzerland

name

A landlocked country in Western and Central Europe, known for its neutrality, mountains, and banking industry.

swive

verb

To have sexual intercourse with someone.

swivel

noun

A joint or fitting that allows something attached to it to rotate freely.

swiving

noun

The act of having sexual intercourse.

swole

adj

Swollen or bigger than usual.

swollen

adj

Enlarged or puffed up beyond the normal size, usually from injury, illness, or fluid buildup.

swollenness

noun

The condition of being puffed up or enlarged.

swoon

verb

To faint or become lightheaded, especially from strong emotion.

swoonsome

adj

So sexually attractive as to be overwhelming.

swoop

verb

To dive or sweep downward suddenly through the air.

swooping

adj

Making a sudden sweeping or diving movement.

swoosh

verb

To move quickly, making a rushing or swirling sound.

swop

noun

A dance style that blends swing dancing with hip-hop.

sword

noun

A long-bladed weapon with a hilt, used for cutting or stabbing.

swordfish

noun

A large ocean fish with a long, flat, sword-like bill, prized as a food fish.

swordplay

noun

Fighting, fencing, or dueling with swords.

swordsman

noun

A person skilled at fighting or fencing with a sword.

swordsmanship

noun

Skill in using a sword.

sworn

adj

Made or declared formally under oath.

swot

verb

(informal) To study very hard and with great effort.

Sy

name

A surname found in West African and Chinese communities; also used as a short given name.

sybaritic

adj

Devoted to luxury, comfort and pleasure, often to excess.

Sybil

name

A feminine given name derived from the ancient Greek "Sibyl," a prophetess figure.

sycamore

noun

A North American shade tree with mottled, flaking bark, or a related large maple grown in Europe.

sycophancy

noun

Behaviour that flatters people excessively in order to gain favour.

sycophant

noun

Someone who flatters a powerful person constantly in order to gain favour from them.

sycophantic

adj

Behaving in a flattering way to please someone, usually for your own benefit.

syd

name

A diminutive of the unisex given name Sydney.

Sydney

name

The largest city in Australia; also used as a given name for both men and women.

Sykes

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near a small stream or marsh.

syllabary

noun

A list or chart of the symbols used to represent syllables.

syllable

noun

A unit of pronunciation formed around a single vowel sound, often making up part of a word.

syllabus

noun

An outline of the topics to be covered in a course of study.

syllogism

noun

A logical argument made up of two premises and a conclusion, where a term shared by the premises links them but is left out of the conclusion.

sylph

noun

A spirit believed to live in the air, invisible to human eyes.

sylphlike

adj

Looking like a sylph; thin and elegant.

sylvan

adj

Relating to woods or forests.

Sylvester

name

A male first name of Latin used in English since the sixteenth century origin.

sylvestrine

noun

A monk belonging to a Benedictine order that Sylvester Gozzolini set up in 1231.

sylvia

name

A female first name of Latin, a popular spelling variant of Silvia origin.

Sylvie

name

A feminine given name of French origin, derived from Latin "silva," meaning "forest."

sylvite

noun

A mineral made of potassium chloride, formed as salt deposits dry out, and also present in fumaroles.

symbiont

noun

A living thing that exists in a close relationship with another species.

symbiosis

noun

A close, long-term relationship between different species that benefits at least one, and often both.

symbiote

noun

An organism living in a close, mutual relationship with another organism; also used loosely for any dependent partner.

symbiotic

adj

Describing a relationship in which two different organisms, groups, or things live together and benefit from each other.

symbol

noun

A written character or image that stands for an idea, object, or sound.

symbolic

adj

Serving as a symbol; representing something beyond its literal meaning.

symbolically

adv

In a way that represents or stands for something else, rather than literally.

symbolism

noun

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

symbolist

adj

Relating to the Symbolist movement in European art and literature of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

symbolization

noun

The use of symbols to stand for something else, or the process of giving something a symbolic meaning.

symbolize

verb

To be a symbol of; to represent something beyond its literal meaning.

symes

name

A family name that came from a first name.

symmetric

adj

Having symmetry; balanced in proportion and arrangement on either side.

symmetrical

adj

Having matching parts on either side of a dividing line or centre; balanced in shape or arrangement.

symmetricalness

noun

The state of having symmetry.

symmetrophobia

noun

A dislike of symmetry, especially as seen in ancient Egyptian buildings and Japanese design.

symmetry

noun

The quality of having matching, balanced parts on either side of a line, plane, or centre.

symonds

name

An English surname derived patronymically from the given name Simon.

sympathetic

adj

Showing understanding, care, or compassion for someone else's feelings or situation.

sympathise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of sympathize.

sympathiser

noun

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of sympathizer.

sympathize

verb

To feel or express understanding and care for someone else's suffering or situation.

sympathizer

noun

A person who supports or shares understanding with a cause, side, or movement.

sympathy

noun

A feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else's suffering or misfortune.

symphonic

adjective

Having the qualities or form of a symphony.

symphony

noun

A large-scale orchestral piece of music, usually in several movements.

symposium

noun

A formal meeting or conference where experts give presentations and discuss a topic.

symptom

noun

A physical or mental sign felt by a person that indicates illness or disorder, such as pain or fatigue.

symptomatic

adj

Showing the signs or symptoms of a condition.

syn

adj

Describes a molecule with a torsion angle of between 0 and 90 degrees.

synagogue

noun

A building used as a place of worship and study by Jewish communities.

synapse

noun

A synapse is the junction between the end of a nerve cell and another nerve cell, or a muscle or gland cell, across which nerve signals pass.

synaptic

adj

Relating to a synapse, the junction where signals pass between two nerve cells.

sync

verb

To make two or more things happen or update together at the same time.

synced

adj

Updated or coordinated to match another device, file, or schedule.

synchro

noun

A synchronized event or activity, especially synchronized swimming.

synchronal

adj

Happening at the same time as something else.

synchroneity

noun

The fact of things occurring together at the same time.

synchronical

adj

Occurring at the same moment as something else.

synchronicity

noun

The quality of happening at the same time; simultaneity.

synchronise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of synchronize.

synchronization

noun

The act or state of making things happen at the same time or run at matching rates.

synchronize

verb

To make two or more things happen at the same time or the same rate.

synchronized

adj

Made to happen together, coordinated in time.

synchronous

adjective

Happening or done at the same time as something else.

synchronously

adv

At the same time as something else; together in time.

synclinal

adjective

In geology, describing rock layers that slope downward from both sides towards a shared line.

syncope

noun

The dropping of a sound, often a vowel, from the middle of a word, sometimes losing a whole syllable.

syncretism

noun

The blending together of different beliefs or systems, such as religious or cultural ones, into one.

syndactyly

noun

In some animals and birds, the natural state of having toes or fingers joined together.

syndicalist

adj

Connected with or in favour of syndicalism.

syndicate

noun

A group of people or companies who join together to run a business venture or pursue a shared interest.

syndicated

adj

Sold or broadcast to many different newspapers, stations, or channels at the same time rather than produced by just one.

syndication

noun

The practice of syndicating a news item, that is, releasing it in several newspapers and similar outlets at the same time.

syndicator

noun

A person or thing that syndicates.

syndrome

noun

A recognizable group of symptoms or signs that together point to a particular medical or psychological condition.

syne

adv

Afterward; then (chiefly Scots and archaic).