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Synonyms for lay it on thick
verb pretend, imitate

feign
bluff
assume
adopt
contrive

act
simulate
fake
counterfeit
sham

put on
take on
playact
aspire to
do a bit

make out like
put up a front

Antonyms for lay it on thick

tell truth

stop

Synonyms
verb attempt to coax; flatter

wheedle
entice
seduce
tantalize
dupe
deceive
tempt
entrap
delude
crowd
urge
influence
soften

beguile
decoy
snow
jolly
blandish
soap
maneuver
lure
oil
banter
induce
sweet-talk
inveigle

stroke
mislead
bootlick
push
massage
con
brownnose
build up
butter up
soft-soap
apple polish
argue into
get around

get next to
hand a line
make up to
play up to
rub the right way
spread it on
suck up to
sweeten up
work on
work over

Antonyms

dissuade
disgust
bully

repulse
turn off
disenchant

discourage
force
repel

Synonyms
verb overstate, embellish

overdo
magnify
fabricate
distort
emphasize
inflate
misrepresent
heighten
falsify
amplify
pyramid
scam

color
corrupt
fudge
lie
caricature
stretch
enlarge
romance
exalt
pad
embroider
boost

intensify
expand
boast
hike
up
hyperbolize
brag
puff
romanticize
build up
cook up
put on

overdraw
overestimate
overemphasize
misquote
blow out of proportion
go to extremes
loud talk
make too much of
misreport
pretty up

Antonyms

ignore
decrease
lessen
play down
compress

abridge
deprecate
minimize
understate
contract

lower
reduce
shrink
depreciate
be modest

Synonyms
verb compliment excessively

charm
fawn
salve
soften
stroke
wheedle
sweet-talk
toady
sell
court

snow
jolly
cajole
blandish
glorify
oil
adulate
humor
inveigle
grovel

praise
bootlick
massage
con
brownnose
build up
butter up
soft-soap
overpraise
beslaver

cater to
get next to
play up to
rub the right way
spread it on
suck up to
sweeten up
work on
work over

Antonyms

ignore
condemn
belittle

castigate
denounce
insult

offend
criticize
mismatch

Synonyms
verb entice, manipulate

bait
urge
ensnare
influence
honey
hook
stroke
oil
seduce
decoy

snow
jolly
cajole
toll
blandish
soap
bamboozle
maneuver
lure
wheedle

charm
tempt
entrap
butter
allure
coax
beguile
persuade
massage
con

egg on
string along
sweet talk
get around
lead on
overdo it
play up to
rope in
soften up
work over

Antonyms

dissuade
liberate
release
prevent
disgust

discourage
free
let go
disenchant
turn off

repel
repulse
be honest

Synonyms
verb be dramatic

overdo
exaggerate
overstate
magnify
stretch
dramatize

accent
overwork
mug
accentuate
hyperbolize
ham it up

show off
overuse
overemphasize
maximize
overdraw
overact

overstress
blow out of proportion
get carried away
labor at
point up

Antonyms

play down

Synonyms
verb exaggerate

overdo
magnify
emphasize
inflate
misrepresent
heighten
amplify

lie
boast
fabricate
boost
enlarge
embellish
hike

exalt
pad
expand
puff
brag
fudge
embroider

build up
play up
overestimate
overemphasize
misquote
blow out of proportion
misreport

Antonyms

ignore
decrease
lessen
play down
compress

deprecate
abridge
simplify
contract
tell truth

lower
reduce
shrink
be modest

Synonyms
verb charm someone with flattery

adulate
bootlick
brownnose
build up

cajole
flatter
inveigle
massage

soften
stroke
sweet-talk
play up to

spread it on
suck up to
work on

Synonyms
verb flatter

fawn
salve
inveigle
honey
stroke
oil
toady
sell
court
snow

jolly
cajole
blandish
wheedle
bootlick
adulate
charm
humor
soften
grovel

glorify
praise
slaver
massage
con
brownnose
build up
butter up
soft-soap
overpraise

beslaver
cater to
get next to
play up to
rub the right way
spread it on
suck up to
sweeten up
work on
work over

Antonyms

ignore
condemn

turn off
repel

irritate

Usage Notes

Lay1 and lie2 are often confused. Lay is most commonly a transitive verb and takes an object. Its forms are regular. If “place” or “put” can be substituted in a sentence, a form of lay is called for: Lay the folders on the desk. The mason is laying brick. She laid the baby in the crib. Lay also has many intransitive senses, among them “to lay eggs” (The hens have stopped laying), and it forms many phrasal verbs, such as lay off “to dismiss (from employment)” or “to stop annoying or teasing” and lay over “to make a stop.” Lie, with the overall senses “to be in a horizontal position, recline” and “to rest, remain, be situated, etc.,” is intransitive and takes no object. Its forms are irregular; its past tense form is identical with the present tense or infinitive form of lay: Lie down, children. Abandoned cars were lying along the road. The dog lay in the shade and watched the kittens play. The folders have lain on the desk since yesterday. In all but the most careful, formal speech, forms of lay are commonly heard in senses normally associated with lie. In edited written English such uses of lay are rare and are usually considered nonstandard: Lay down, children. The dog laid in the shade. Abandoned cars were laying along the road. The folders have laid on the desk since yesterday.