arch

1 coming before all others in importance since the start of her acting career her parents have steadfastly remained her arch supporters Synonyms foremost, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least

2 displaying or marked by rude boldness was so arch as to ask him outright if he was wearing a toupee Synonyms nervy, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wiseRelated Words assertive, forward, obtrusive; audacious, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthyNear Antonyms demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusiveAntonyms meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid

3 tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the arch look on the girl's face betrayed her as the one who had tricked the babysitter into believing that the house was haunted Synonyms mischievous, devilish, elvish, espiègle, impish, knavish, leprechaunish, pixie (also pixy), pixieish, prankish, puckish, rascally, roguish, scampish, sly, tricksy, waggish, wickedRelated Words antic, coltish, coy, frisky, frolicsome, kittenish, playful, sportful, sportive; gay, happy, lighthearted, whimsical; energetic, lively, spirited, sprightly; artful, crafty, cunning, trickish, tricky, wily; misbehaving, naughty, troublemaking; pestering, riling, teasingNear Antonyms grave, grim, sedate, sober, solemn, staid, stern

something that curves or is curved the limestone arch is a natural formation that is the product of many years of erosion Synonyms angle, arc, bend, bow, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, windRelated Words kink, warp; circle, ring, ringlet, round; coil, curl, curlicue (also curlycue); buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding; incurvature, reflection; decline, inclination, incline, slope; corner, turnoff; dogleg, hairpin

1 to cause to turn away from a straight line the cat arched her back whenever she was stroked Synonyms bend, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerveRelated Words arc, round; incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect; deflect, divert; entwine, kink, swirl, turn, twine, twist, veer, warp; coil, curl, enroll (also enrol), loop, spiral; dent, dimple; meander, wave, weave, wind; decline, incline, slopeAntonyms straighten, unbend, uncurl

2 to turn away from a straight line or course the path gradually arches off into the woods Synonyms arc, curve, bend, bow, crook, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheelRelated Words circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral; turn, twist, wind; deviate, veerAntonyms straighten