persistent, a. contumacious, persevering, insistent, pertinacious, tenacious, importunate, constant.

personality, n. individuality; reflection, stricture, animadversion, criticism.

personally, adv. individually.

personate, v. impersonate.

personation, n. impersonation.

perspiration, n. See sweat.

perspire, v. sweat.

persuade, v. induce.

persuasion, n. inducement, suasion, incitement; creed, belief.

Antonyms: dissuasion, coercion, constraint.

persuasive, a. persuasory.

pert, a. sprightly, dapper, nimble; forward, bold, saucy, malapert.

pertain, v. appertain.

pertinacious, a. resolute, determined, stubborn.

pertinacity, n. resoluteness, persistence, doggedness, stubbornness.

pertinence, n. relevancy, applicability, propriety. Antonyms: impertinence, irrelevance.

pertinent, a. relevant, apposite, applicable, proper. Antonyms: impertinent, irrelevant.

perturb, v. disquiet, excite, disturb, agitate, discompose, distress.

perturbation, n. excitement, agitation, discomposure, distress, disconcertion, worry. Antonyms: composure, imperturbation, calmness.

perturbed, a. excited, distressed, worried, discomposed, agitated.

perusal, n. reading.

peruse, v. read.

perverse, a. perverted, misdirected, erring, depraved, vitiated; intractable, obstinate, stubborn, contrary, headstrong, indocile.

Antonyms: See obedient.

perversion, n. debas.e.m.e.nt, vitiation, corruption, falsification.

pervert, v. lead astray, corrupt, debase, vitiate; misuse, misapply, misinterpret, distort, falsify.

pervious, a. permeable, penetrable. Antonym: impervious.

pesky, a. (Colloq.) vexatious, troublesome.

pessimistic, a. gloomy, foreboding, hopeless.

pest, n. pestilence, plague, scourge; curse, nuisance, annoyance, infliction, bane.

pester, v. plague, badger, hara.s.s, harry, tease, torment, hector, disturb, molest.

pest house, n. lazaretto, lazar-house.

pestiferous, a. infectious, contagious, pestilential; noxious, noisome.

pestilence, n. plague, scourge, fatal epidemic.

pestilent, a. pestiferous.

pet, n. fondling, darling, favorite; cosset; tiff.

pet, v. humor, coddle, fondle, cosset, caress, indulge.

pet, a. favorite, petted, cade.

peter out. (Slang) dwindle.

pet.i.tion, n. entreaty, supplication, prayer.

pet.i.tion, v. entreat, supplicate, pray.

pet.i.tioner, n. suppliant, applicant, solicitor.

petrifaction, n. lapidification, petrescence, lapidescence; fossil, stone.

petrify, v. lapidify, fossilize.

petticoat, n. underskirt; balmoral.

petty, a. small, insignificant, trivial, trifling.

petulant, a. See cross.

pew, n. slip.

phantom, n. spectre, apparition, ghost.

phantomlike, a. spectral, ghostly.

pharmaceutist, n. apothecary, druggist.