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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Using this thesaurus

Index

About the Publisher

Using this thesaurus

What does a thesaurus do?

A thesaurus gives you a choice of words you can use in place of an overused word like good or say.

Imagine you are writing a description of a meal you have really enjoyed. You might say that the soup was tasty but you don’t want to use the same word to describe the chocolate cake you had for pudding. You can use the thesaurus to find another word that means the same thing. A word that means the same as another word is called a synonym. So you can describe the cake as delicious or mouthwatering or scrumptious.

Using wow words!

This thesaurus is perfect for helping you find wow words to use in your writing. A wow word is one which you don’t use all the time in your vocabulary so, when you do use it, it stands out and really brings your writing to life. It’s good to use wow words instead of everyday words. For example, instead of saying that the man was happy because his football team had won the cup, you could describe him as being ecstatic or jubilant. If the boy in your story says something quietly, you could use muttered, mumbled, or murmured. Rather than saying the girl is always late for school, try consistently or invariably.

Here are some words that are used a lot in writing. These are just the kind of words that could be replaced by a wow word from your thesaurus:

bad

break

cry

cut

eat

fat

feel

good

happy

hit

laugh

look

move

nice

old

run

say

short

small

thin

walk

How to find a word

If you want to find a different way of saying a word, think of its first letter. Once you know this, there is more than one way to find your word in the thesaurus:

• You can use the Index at the back of the ebook which lists the words in alphabetical order. Scroll through the Index until you find the letter your word begins with, then look down the words until you find the one you are looking for. You can then follow the link to the entry in the thesaurus.

• You can use the Contents page at the front of the book, which has a link to every letter in the thesaurus. Follow the link to the letter your word begins with, then look through the entries in this letter until you find the word you are looking for. The entries are in alphabetical order.

Once you have found your word in the thesaurus, you can choose the synonym that suits your writing. Read the example sentences to understand how each synonym can be used.

Finding your way around the thesaurus

1. The headword is the word that you want to find a synonym for.

2. If the headword has a number in brackets after it, then the word has different meanings in the thesaurus.

3. The part of speech tells you what type of word the headword is, such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or pronoun. If you are looking for a verb, make sure the headword you look at is also a verb.

4. The definition tells you what the headword means so you can be sure you are looking at the correct entry.

5. Each headword has a list of synonyms. Choose the one which is closest in meaning to the word you want to replace.

6. An example sentence is given for every synonym, showing how the word might be used in speech or writing.

7. A usage tip gives extra information about the headword or its synonyms.

8. Some entries have a list of useful words connected to the headword.

Other features of this thesaurus

• Some headwords can be spelt in more than one way.

among or amongst PREPOSITION

• Some synonyms have a pronunciation to show you how to say the word.

wrath Said “roth”

The player incurred the wrath of the referee for committing a foul.

• Sometimes a label, such as FORMAL, INFORMAL, or OLD-FASHIONED, tells you a little more about how the word is used.

scrumptious INFORMAL

My sister and I reckon that olives are scrumptious.

• Some definitions tell you where to find more information at another headword.

home NOUN

Your home is the building or place in which you live.

dwelling

“Welcome to my humble dwelling,” said Rat.

residence

The ambassador’s residence was an impressive villa among palm trees.

➔ See house

• The entries for some very overused words are marked clearly. Give yourself word power by using the synonyms!

bad (1) ADJECTIVE

Bad things are harmful or upsetting.

WORD POWER: This word tends to be used a lot. To make your writing more varied, try to use some of the alternative words suggested here instead.

• Some entries show words that mean the opposite of the headword. These words are called antonyms.

careful (3) ADJECTIVE

If you are careful in what you say, you think before you speak.

discreet

Jamila was discreet in not mentioning the party, in case Tanya hadn’t been invited.

tactful

Shopkeepers have to be tactful, for some customers are easily offended.

ANTONYM: careless

ability NOUN

If you have ability, you have the intelligence and skill to do things.

competence

Sunita showed competence in most school subjects, particularly science.

gift

Jack had a gift for remembering long and complicated equations.

skill

Brackford United played with enthusiasm but little skill in Saturday’s match.

talent

Seamus has a talent for cooking delicious seafood dishes.

ANTONYM: inability

able ADJECTIVE

If you are able to do something, you can do it.

allowed

“I’m allowed to play for half an hour, but then I have to go home,” Ron complained.

available

Rhys said he was available to swim for the team on Saturday.

capable

Mrs Diss said that my twin brother was a capable pupil, but rather lazy.

free

My big sister is free to take me bowling now.

ANTONYM: unable

Other adjectives related to able:

able… …to be dissolved soluble …to be easily fooled gullible …to be eaten safely edible …to be heard audible …to be seen visible, noticeable …to catch fire flammable

about (1) PREPOSITION

If you talk or write about a particular thing, you say things that are to do with that subject.

concerning

The police interviewed the bank manager concerning the robbery.

regarding

Parents were sent a letter regarding half term.

to do with

Mum had a long phone conversation to do with our holiday plans.

about (2) ADVERB

You say about in front of a number to show it is not exact.

approximately

The theatre held approximately 800 people.

around

Around 50 000 people attended the big game.

in the region of

The bike cost in the region of £100.

more or less

Each jar holds more or less five litres.

roughly

We had to wait for roughly three hours.

about (3) ADVERB

About can mean in different directions.

around

“Stop dancing around while I’m talking to you,” Mum said irritably.

here and there

My sister’s clothes were scattered here and there in her room.

hither and thither OLD-FASHIONED

The bee flew hither and thither collecting pollen from the flowers.

about to PREPOSITION

If you are about to do something, you are just going to do it.

on the point of

I was on the point of closing the front door, when the phone rang.

ready to

The pilot was ready to turn back, when he saw the missing boat.

above (1) PREPOSITION

If one thing is above another, it is directly over or higher than it.

on top of

Ali balanced the bag of flour on top of the door, so that it would fall on Craig when he came in.

over

A cloud of smoke hung ominously over the grumbling volcano.

ANTONYM: below

above (2) PREPOSITION

Above can mean greater than something in level or amount.

beyond

The dancer’s skill was beyond anything we could have imagined.

greater than

The number of visitors to the museum this year is greater than last year.

higher than

The cost of the repairs was higher than Mum had expected.

ANTONYM: below

absolutely ADVERB

If you are absolutely sure about something, you are completely sure of it.

completely

Anoop was completely satisfied with his new computer.

thoroughly

“I am thoroughly fed up of washing dishes,” moaned Cinderella.

totally

We sat totally enthralled by the magician’s amazing tricks.

utterly

The instructions to the board game left me utterly confused.

abuse (1) Said “ab-yooss” NOUN

Abuse is the cruel treatment of someone.

cruelty

Sadly, many animals are injured through cruelty or neglect.

harm

Fortunately, the two lost children were found with no harm done to them.

ill-treatment

Oliver Twist suffered much ill-treatment in the workhouse.

abuse (2) Said “ab-yooz” VERB

To abuse someone is to treat them cruelly.

harm

Now the dog was at the rescue kennels, no one could harm it any more.

ill-treat

People who ill-treat their animals should face heavy fines.

mistreat

Cinderella was constantly mistreated by her two ugly sisters.

misuse

The dictator misused his power by giving jobs to his relatives.

accident NOUN

An accident is something that happens suddenly or unexpectedly, causing people to be hurt or killed.

collision

Eight vehicles were involved in a collision during the heavy rain.

crash

The police advised that the airport should be closed because of the plane crash.

mishap

Falling off my bike was a minor mishap, but luckily I wasn’t hurt.

➔ See disaster

accidental ADJECTIVE

Something that is accidental has not been planned.

unexpected

The sail’s tearing in the wind was a totally unexpected problem.

unintentional

“I didn’t mean to stand on the flowers. It was quite unintentional,” I apologized.

unplanned

Although our beach volleyball tournament was unplanned, it was a great success.

ANTONYM: deliberate

accurate ADJECTIVE

If something is accurate, it is absolutely correct.

exact

In order to set my watch, I need to know the exact time.

factual

Non-fiction books are factual accounts of real people and events.

faithful

The French version of the book is a faithful translation of the English original.

precise

Tightrope walkers must be very precise in their movements.

spot-on INFORMAL

Your guess about the train’s arrival time was spot-on.

true

“Is this statement a true record of where you were?” queried the police officer.

ANTONYM: inaccurate

ache VERB

If a part of your body aches, you feel a continuous, dull pain there.

be sore

Jane’s leg muscles were sore after aerobics.

hurt

“Ouch!” said Devendra as the nurse cleaned his cut knee. “That hurts!”

throb

My knee really throbbed after I fell over on the uneven pavement.

action (1) NOUN

An action is something you do for a particular purpose.

act

Rescuing the baby from the burning house was an act of great courage.

deed

Theseus’s bravest deed was the slaying of the dreaded Minotaur.

exploit

The explorer, Sir Archie Pounder, told the school of his exploits in the jungle.

feat

To build Stonehenge without modern equipment was a great feat.

move

I think resting after dinner is a sensible move.

action (2) NOUN

An action is a physical movement, such as jumping.

activity

Our classroom was a hive of activity as we got ready for the concert.

motion

The up-and-down motion of the boat made me feel queasy.

movement

The movements of the conductor’s baton guided the orchestra.

actual ADJECTIVE

Actual can mean something is real, rather than imaginary or guessed at.

genuine

“This table is a genuine antique,” said Gran.

real

The film is based on a real story.

true

“Is this a true record of what you said?” the judge demanded to know.

very

The guide told us Ann Boleyn was beheaded on the very spot where we stood.

add (1) VERB

If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things.

combine

Orange juice combined with lemonade makes a refreshing drink.

include

“Don’t forget to include a sentence about what your friends think,” Mr Bishop reminded us.

Remember that you add something to something else, but combine something with something else.

add (2) VERB

If you add numbers together, or add them up, you work out the total.

count up

I counted up the spoons, and found there were three missing.

total

Miss Dobson told us to total the figures at the bottom of each column.

tot up INFORMAL

It took me ages to tot up how many hours I had worked that week.

ANTONYM: subtract

adjust VERB

If you adjust something, you change its position or alter it in some other way.

change

I changed the time on my new watch so that it was correct.

correct

Fortunately, the pilot corrected the plane’s course before it hit the storm clouds.

modify

The racing car’s tyres had been specially modified for wet weather.

tune

Dad tuned the radio to a different station.

tweak INFORMAL

Mrs Tordoff asked me to tweak my story to include more dialogue.

admit VERB

If you admit something, you agree that it is true.

acknowledge

Good drivers acknowledge when they have made a mistake.

confess

The prisoner confessed that she had lied.

grant

“I grant that it’s not a great meal,” my brother said, “but at least I cooked it myself.”

own up

The head teacher asked whoever had broken the window to own up to it.

adult ADJECTIVE

An adult is a mature and fully developed person.

grown-up

Dad asked another grown-up for directions.

man

Jim is now a man of 42.

woman

A woman was seen leaving the building.

adventure NOUN

An adventure is something that is exciting, and perhaps even dangerous.

escapade

Entering the Sheriff of Nottingham’s chamber was perhaps Robin Hood’s boldest escapade.

exploit

Several films have been made of the brave exploits of the Three Musketeers.

feat

To abseil down a skyscraper would certainly be a daring feat.

venture

The expedition proved a dangerous venture.

advice NOUN

Advice is a suggestion from someone about what you should do.

guidance

Larissa needed guidance from her teachers about which college to apply for.

recommendation

Mum followed the doctor’s recommendation, and gave up smoking.

suggestion

My friend’s suggestion was to do our work first and play later.

tip INFORMAL

A good tip is to test the water with your toe before you jump in.

advise VERB

If you advise someone to do something, you tell them you think they should do it.

recommend

Mrs Singh recommended that I should sit nearer the front of the classroom.

suggest

“I suggest we go home,” said Mum.

urge

In his speech, the MP urged people to vote for him in the election.

affect VERB

If something affects someone or something else, it influences or changes them.

concern

The issue of global warming concerns everybody on the planet.

have an effect on

The moon’s gravity has an effect on the oceans, creating high and low tides.

influence

The judge’s sentence was influenced by the prisoner’s previous good behaviour.

involve

The accident happened nearby, but fortunately our car was not involved.

Be careful not to confuse the verb affect with the noun effect.

afraid ADJECTIVE

If you are afraid, you are frightened.

alarmed

“Don’t be alarmed,” Mum said calmly. “It’s only the wind rattling the windows.”

anxious

As I had not revised my spellings, I was anxious about the test the next morning.

fearful

Faiza is fearful of the dark.

frightened

“Don’t be frightened,” said the giant. “I won’t hurt you.”

nervous

Alim was nervous before his driving test.

petrified

My brother is petrified of going to the dentist.

scared

I told my brother there was nothing to be scared of.

terrified

I used to be terrified of injections, but now that I’ve had one I’m not scared any more.

timid

I was quite timid on my first day at school.

ANTONYM: unafraid

To be afraid of something is to fear or dread it.

after (1) ADVERB

After can mean later than a particular time, date or event.

afterwards

We had our lunch and afterwards went out to the school field.

following

Following the professor’s talk on birds, we had the chance to ask her questions.

later than

It was later than six o’clock when we finally finished shopping.

subsequently

The injured driver was taken to hospital, but was allowed to go home subsequently.

ANTONYM: before

after (2) PREPOSITION

If you come after someone or something, you are behind them and following them.

behind

Behind the royal procession came the jester, prancing about and waving some sort of wand.

following

Off went the removal van, with Dad following.

again ADVERB

Again can mean happening one more time.

afresh

The couple moved abroad to start life afresh.

a second time

The traveller waited before knocking at the door a second time.

once more

Once more Dad tried to put up the deckchair, and once more it collapsed.

against PREPOSITION

Something that is against something else is in opposition to it.

anti INFORMAL

Our entire family is anti hunting. We think it’s cruel.

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