secular

  1. characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

    Synonyms : temporal, worldly

  2. characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy

    Synonyms : laic, lay

  3. someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person

    Synonyms : layman, layperson
    Type Of : common man, common person, commoner

  4. not concerned with or devoted to religion

    Synonyms : profane
    Examples :
    • secular drama
    • secular architecture

  5. of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows

    Antonyms : religious
    Examples :
    • the secular clergy

  6. of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

superstition

  1. an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear

    Synonyms : superstitious notion
    Type Of : belief

steady

  1. not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall

    Synonyms : firm, unfluctuating

  2. relating to a person who does something regularly

    Synonyms : regular
    Examples :
    • a steady drinker

  3. a person loved by another person

    Synonyms : sweetheart, sweetie, truelove
    Type Of : lover

  4. marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

    Synonyms : firm, steadfast, stiff, unbendable, unfaltering, unshakable, unwavering

  5. support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace

    Synonyms : brace, stabilise, stabilize
    Type Of : fortify, strengthen, beef up

  6. in a steady manner

    Synonyms : steadily

  7. make steady

    Synonyms : becalm, calm
    Type Of : stabilise, stabilize
    Examples :
    • steady yourself

  8. not easily excited or upset

    Examples :
    • steady nerves

  9. not subject to change or variation especially in behavior

    Antonyms : unsteady
    Examples :
    • a steady beat
    • a steady job
    • a steady breeze
    • a steady increase
    • a good steady ballplayer

  10. securely in position; not shaky

    Examples :
    • held the ladder steady

skeptical

  1. marked by or given to doubt

    Synonyms : doubting, questioning, sceptical
    Examples :
    • a skeptical attitude
    • a skeptical listener

  2. denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion

    Synonyms : disbelieving, sceptical, unbelieving
    Examples :
    • a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles

scare

  1. cause fear in

    Synonyms : affright, fright, frighten
    Type Of : shake, stir, excite, shake up, stimulate

  2. sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events

    Synonyms : panic
    Type Of : anxiousness, anxiety
    Examples :
    • a war scare
    • a bomb scare led them to evacuate the building

  3. a sudden attack of fear

    Synonyms : panic attack
    Type Of : fearfulness, fright, fear

  4. cause to lose courage

    Synonyms : dash, daunt, frighten away, frighten off, pall, scare away, scare off
    Type Of : intimidate

slump

  1. fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly

    Synonyms : fall off, sink
    Type Of : drop

  2. assume a drooping posture or carriage

    Synonyms : slouch
    Type Of : swag, droop, flag, sag

  3. a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality

    Synonyms : drop-off, falling off, falloff, slack
    Type Of : worsening, deterioration, declension, decline in quality
    Examples :
    • the team went into a slump

  4. go down in value

    Synonyms : correct, decline
    Type Of : come down, fall, go down, descend
    Examples :
    • prices slumped

  5. fall or sink heavily

    Synonyms : sink, slide down
    Type Of : fall in, founder, give, give way, cave in, collapse, break
    Examples :
    • He slumped onto the couch

  6. a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment

    Synonyms : depression, economic crisis
    Type Of : economic condition, crisis

shove

  1. come into rough contact with while moving

    Synonyms : jostle
    Type Of : push, force

  2. press or force

    Synonyms : squeeze, stuff, thrust
    Type Of : force, push

  3. push roughly

    Type Of : force, push
    Examples :
    • the people pushed and shoved to get in line

  4. the act of shoving (giving a push to someone or something)

    Type Of : pushing, push
    Examples :
    • he gave the door a shove

sobbing

  1. convulsive gasp made while weeping

    Synonyms : sob
    Type Of : crying, tears, weeping

sip

  1. a small drink

    Type Of : deglutition, drink, swallow

  2. drink in sips

    Type Of : drink, imbibe
    Examples :
    • She was sipping her tea

stray

  1. move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

    Synonyms : cast, drift, ramble, range, roam, roll, rove, swan, tramp, vagabond, wander
    Type Of : go, locomote, travel, move

  2. wander from a direct course or at random

    Synonyms : drift, err
    Type Of : locomote, move, travel, go
    Examples :
    • The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her

  3. not close together in time

    Synonyms : isolated
    Examples :
    • a few stray crumbs

  4. lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking

    Synonyms : digress, divagate, wander
    Type Of : tell

  5. an animal that has strayed (especially a domestic animal)

    Type Of : domestic animal, domesticated animal

  6. (of an animal) having no home or having wandered away from home

    Examples :
    • a stray calf
    • a stray dog