Collins Primary Thesaurus

It is important to have faith in your own ability, Grandad says.

trust

I trust my sister, even if she is rotten to me sometimes.

ANTONYMS: disbelieve or doubt

Something that you cannot believe is unbelievable or incredible.

believe (2) VERB

If you believe that something is true, you think that it is true.

feel

“How do you feel the match will go?” asked the interviewer.

presume

Mr Jackson said, “I presume you will all be handing in your homework tomorrow.”

suppose

I suppose that the school sports day will be in July as usual.

bell NOUN

A bell is a cup-shaped metal object with a piece inside it called a clapper that hits the side and makes a ringing sound.

Verbs that express the sound of bells:

chime

clang

jingle

peal

ring

sound

strike

tinkle

toll

belongings NOUN

Your belongings are all the things that you own.

possessions

Almost all their possessions were destroyed in the fire.

property

“Make sure your property is labelled,” insisted Miss Carter.

stuff

The firefighters grabbed their stuff and jumped in the cab.

below PREPOSITION OR ADVERB

If something is below something else, it is in a lower position.

beneath

Beneath the trees, bluebells were waving in the breeze.

under

With the help of a torch, I could read secretly under my duvet.

underneath

Underneath the streets are hundreds of miles of sewers.

ANTONYM: above

bend (1) VERB

When something bends, it becomes curved or crooked.

buckle

The car buckled when the elephant sat on it.

curve

After the village, the road curves to the left.

twist

The ornament was made of glass twisted into patterns.

warp

My DVD warped when I left it in the sun.

ANTONYM: straighten

bend (2) VERB

When you bend, you move your head and shoulders forwards and downwards.

crouch

Lyra crouched behind the bushes, waiting for the policeman to turn away.

duck

Duck, or you’ll hit your head on the beam!

stoop

Farouk stooped to pick up a coin from the path.

beside PREPOSITION

If one thing is beside another, it is next to it.

adjacent to

Adjacent to the station was an old signal box.

alongside

The lifeboat rowed up alongside the stricken yacht, and the crew jumped across.

next to

The boy sitting next to me kept prodding me with a ruler.

besides PREPOSITION

Besides can mean in addition to.

apart from

Apart from some shorts and a T-shirt, I’m taking very little with me.

other than

Other than our family, there was hardly anybody on the beach.

best ADJECTIVE

Best is the superlative of good and well.

finest

Wuffles is the finest dog food money can buy.

foremost

“This is the foremost house in the area,” the agent began.

leading

The operation will be performed by the world’s leading surgeon.

outstanding

Our birthday presents from Grandma are always outstanding.

supreme

The judges thought that our dog Crumpet was the supreme entrant in the competition.

ANTONYM: worst

better (1) ADJECTIVE

Better is the comparative of good and well.

higher quality

Steak is usually higher quality than other cuts of meat.

more suitable

The lightweight tent proved more suitable for the expedition.

preferable

Of the two designs, I think the red is preferable.

superior

Usually, superior products cost more than inferior ones.

ANTONYM: worse

better (2) ADJECTIVE

If you are better after an illness, you are no longer ill.

healed

The doctor told Sheila that her broken leg was completely healed.

improved

Gran was much improved after her operation.

recovered

Ali is now recovered after a bout of flu.

beware VERB

If you tell someone to beware of something, you are warning them that it might be dangerous or harmful.

be careful

“Be careful, child, for there are wolves in the forest!” said Red Riding Hood’s mother.

guard against

With exams, it’s important to guard against being over-confident.

look out

Look out! Here comes another avalanche.

watch out

Watch out, or that sail will hit you when the boat turns!

bicycle NOUN

A bicycle is a vehicle with two wheels that you ride by using your legs to make the wheels turn.

Parts of a bicycle:

bell

chain

crossbar

handlebars

mudguard

pedal

saddle

wheel

big (1) ADJECTIVE

Something or someone big is large.

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.

colossal

To an ant, an elephant must seem colossal.

enormous

Why do singers always get presented with enormous bunches of flowers?

extensive

View our extensive range of furniture today!

giant

Get the new giant pack of Whizzo miracle washing liquid.

gigantic

The section of bridge required a gigantic crane to lift it.

huge

Gran gave me a huge hug.

immense

The floods had covered an immense area of the county.

infinite

Outer space is infinite, with no known limits.

mammoth

Barnum and Bailey’s mammoth circus had two separate rings.

massive

“Astronomers believe a massive asteroid is heading for earth,” said the newsreader.

mighty

Mighty Tarzan flexed his muscles, then swung off through the trees.

roomy

“You’ll find this is a roomy loft,” the estate agent said.

sizable

Our house has a sizable garden.

spacious

The living room is spacious, but the kitchen is cramped.

vast

The Sahara Desert is a vast area of rolling sand dunes.

big (2) ADJECTIVE

Something big is important.

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.

important

It was an important day in Sophie’s life – her first at her new school.

momentous

The Prime Minister made the momentous decision – the country was going to war.

serious

A serious accident had blocked the road.

significant

Having an injured soldier to carry made a significant difference to their progress.

bird NOUN

A bird is an animal with feathers and wings.

Some birds:

blackbird

crane

crow

cuckoo

dove

duck

emu

finch

flamingo

goose

heron

hummingbird

jackdaw

kingfisher

kiwi

kookaburra

lark

magpie

nightingale

ostrich

owl

parrot

peacock

pelican

penguin

pigeon

puffin

raven

robin

rook

sparrow

starling

stork

swallow

swan

thrush

woodpecker

bit NOUN

A bit of something is a small amount of it.

chunk

Sam broke off a chunk of chocolate and gobbled it up.

fraction

I arrived a fraction of a moment too late. The bus was just leaving.

fragment

Fragments of the wrecked aircraft were found all over the field.

morsel

“Kind sir, please spare me a morsel of food,” begged Oliver.

part

A part of me wanted to stay and yet I was also desperate to leave.

piece

Marina cut the cake into pieces and took the largest one for herself.

scrap

My dad writes reminders to himself on scraps of paper.

bite VERB

If you bite something, you use your teeth to hold, cut or tear it.

champ

The horse champed at the bit as it waited impatiently for the race to begin.

chomp

Dad says that I chomp my food like a waste-disposal unit.

gnaw

Mice had gnawed through the electric wires.

nibble

Some creature had nibbled at the chair leg.

bitter ADJECTIVE

A bitter taste is sharp and unpleasant.

sour

If you leave milk in the sun, it turns sour.

tart

The lemon cake was slightly tart.

blame VERB

If someone blames a person for something bad that has happened, they believe that person caused it to happen.

accuse

The woman was accused of kidnapping the young child.

charge

Police charged the man with being drunk and disorderly.

hold responsible

At the enquiry, the bus company was held responsible for the accident.

block (1) VERB

If someone or something blocks a road or channel, they put something across it so that nothing can get through.

bar

Access to the back road was barred by a police checkpoint.

bung up INFORMAL

I could hardly breathe, my nose was so bunged up.

choke

The traffic jam choked the road into town for many hours.

clog up

Don’t pour liquid fat down the sink as it clogs up the drains when it sets.

dam

Beavers dam streams with logs to create a pool which will not freeze solid in winter.

obstruct

Uncle Pete tried to obstruct the door as I went through, but I ducked under his arm!

block (2) VERB

If someone tries to block something, they try to stop it happening.

hinder

Our dog, Jim, hinders Mum by attacking the vacuum cleaner.

impede

The walkers’ progress was impeded by an angry goat on the path.

obstruct

The protesters were arrested for obstructing the police.

prevent

Residents prevented a nightclub from being built near their houses.

thwart

The wicked baron was thwarted in his evil plans by a quick-thinking boy.

block (3) NOUN

A block is something put across a road or channel so that nothing can get through.

barrier

For the parade, barriers were erected to keep the crowds back.

blockage

“There’s a blockage in the drain under the sink,” the plumber said.

obstacle

Alpa had to overcome many obstacles on his road to success.

obstruction

If you swallow chewing gum, it may cause an obstruction in your stomach.

block (4) NOUN

A block is a large, rectangular, three-dimensional piece of something.

bar

The robbers put the gold bars in the back of the getaway van.

chunk

A chunk of metal fell off the back of the truck as it left the scrap yard.

lump

With the help of a wheel, the potter formed the shapeless lump of clay into a vase.

blue ADJECTIVE

If something is blue, it has the colour of the sky on a sunny day.

Shades of blue:

aquamarine

azure

indigo

navy

sky blue

turquoise

boast VERB

If you boast, you talk proudly about what you have or what you can do.

brag

Alison couldn’t resist bragging about her new DVD player.

blow your own trumpet

I prefer modest people to those who blow their own trumpet.

crow

Paulo was so busy crowing about his marks, that he didn’t see Mrs Walker behind him.

show off

Brian is always showing off about the amount of pocket money he gets.

boat NOUN

A boat is a floating vehicle for travelling across water.

craft

At that distance, it was hard for the coastguard to identify the craft.

ship

Sir Francis Drake sailed in a ship he named the Golden Hind.

vessel

The tiny tug was nevertheless a sturdy vessel, capable of pulling much larger boats.

Leisure boats:

canoe

catamaran

dinghy

kayak

powerboat

raft

rowing boat

sailing boat

speedboat

yacht

Working boats:

barge

ferry

galleon OLD-FASHIONED

hovercraft

hydrofoil

liner

steamboat

tanker

trawler

tug

Boats used in war:

aircraft carrier

cruiser

destroyer

frigate

galleon OLD-FASHIONED

submarine

body NOUN

Your body is all of you, from your head to your feet.

build

Although flyweight boxers only have a slight build, they are powerful for their size.

figure

My sister maintains her figure by practising yoga regularly.

form

A shadowy form hovered at the end of Nikki’s bed, but it was only her mum, tucking her in!

physique

Most sportspeople lift weights in the gym to improve their physique.

The upper body is the trunk or torso.

Some parts of the body:

ankle

arm

calf

chest

elbow

eye

eyelash

finger

foot

genitals

head

hip

knee

leg

lips

mouth

neck

shin

shoulder

teeth

thigh

toe

tongue

wrist

bog NOUN

A bog is an area of land that is always wet and spongy.

marsh

The marsh is full of wild flowers at this time of year.

morass

After the agricultural show had finished, the field was a morass.

quagmire

Thanks to the pouring rain, the fairground became a quagmire.

swamp

“Be careful of that swamp,” Holmes warned.

boil VERB

When a liquid boils, or when you boil it, it starts to bubble and give off steam.

bubble

The witch cackled as she stirred the potion bubbling in the cauldron.

steam

The geyser steamed for an hour before erupting violently.

bone NOUN

A bone is one of the hard white parts inside your body.

Some bones:

backbone

cheekbone

jawbone

kneecap

rib

skull

book NOUN

A book is a number of pages held together inside a cover.

A word for all books is literature.

Some other words for a book:

edition

hardback

paperback

publication

volume

work

Some types of book:

address book

album

annual

anthology

atlas

brochure

catalogue

cookbook

diary

dictionary

directory

encyclopedia

exercise book

guidebook

hymnbook

jotter

manual

notebook

novel

reference book

scrapbook

storybook

textbook

thesaurus

boring ADJECTIVE

Something boring is dull and uninteresting.

dreary

“That’s a dreary picture,” said Dad. “Who painted it?”

monotonous

The professor’s monotonous voice droned on through the hot afternoon.

tedious

Waiting in traffic jams is a tedious business.

ANTONYM: interesting

boss NOUN

Someone’s boss is the person in charge of the place where they work.

employer

My Dad’s employer is an American.

head

The shop assistant worked so hard, she soon became head of her department.

leader

The party leader hoped one day to be elected Prime Minister.

manager

Dad is manager of a supermarket. Mum is manager of a shoe shop.

supervisor

Carol’s supervisor let her have the afternoon off work to go to the doctor.

bossy ADJECTIVE

If you are bossy, you like to order other people around.

arrogant

The arrogant boss had a rather unfriendly management style.

domineering

The timid husband had a domineering wife.

overbearing

My Uncle Ted can be overbearing.

bother (1) NOUN

A bother is a trouble, fuss or difficulty.

inconvenience

We apologize for any inconvenience our repair work may cause you.

nuisance

“Toddlers can be a real nuisance – always getting in the way!” said Nurse Adams.

trouble

Miss Pollard apologized on arrival. “I don’t want to be any trouble to you,” she said.

bother (2) VERB

If something bothers you, you are worried about it.

concern

The pilot was clearly concerned about the poor weather.

disturb

The Kemps were disturbed by the disappearance of their dog.

fluster

My sister is easily flustered, especially if she’s in a hurry.

trouble

This latest news from Egypt troubles me greatly.

worry

“Don’t worry, you won’t forget your lines,” said Ajay.

bottom (1) NOUN

The bottom of something is the lowest part of it.

base

The base of the iceberg is hidden beneath the surface of the water.

foot

The chest of gold lay at the foot of a long, winding flight of stairs.

ANTONYM: top

bottom (2) NOUN

The bottom is the lowest part of an ocean, sea or river.

bed

To his utter delight, the prospector saw gold nuggets glinting on the river bed.

depths

The depths of the ocean are darker than we can imagine.

floor

The Titanic lay unseen and undisturbed on the sea floor for 70 years.

ANTONYM: surface

bottom (3) NOUN

Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

backside

“Ashraf, get off your backside and give me a hand!” Dad said.

behind

My behind ached for days after the injection.

buttocks

Horse riding develops the muscles in one’s buttocks and thighs.

posterior

The toddler fell on his posterior.

rear end

“Get lost, Alfie!” said Olly, and aimed a tennis ball at Alfie’s rear end.

bounce VERB

When an object bounces, it springs back from something after hitting it.

bound

The ball bounded off the post, straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.

ricochet Said “rik-osh-ay”

During the gun battle, bullets ricocheted off the walls in a terrifying fashion.

box NOUN

A box is a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid.

Types of box:

carton

case

casket

chest

container

crate

package

packet

trunk

brainy ADJECTIVE INFORMAL

Someone who is brainy is clever and good at learning things.

bright

“We’re looking for someone bright for the job,” the interviewer said.

brilliant

You could tell Narinder was brilliant from the start. He could read fluently at the age of two.

clever

My sister was always a lot cleverer than I was.

intelligent

Air-traffic controllers have to be intelligent and alert.

smart

“As you’re so smart, Rumpold, I’m promoting you!” the manager said.

brave ADJECTIVE

A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.

bold

I’m not bold enough to ride that rollercoaster.

courageous

Many ordinary situations demand courageous behaviour.

daring

The daring stuntwoman jumped across ten cars on her motorbike.

fearless

The fearless St George rode straight towards the dragon.

intrepid

The intrepid explorer risked death to reach the Pole.

break (1) VERB

When an object breaks, or when it is broken, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.

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.

crack

The giant egg cracked, and a pink beak pushed its way out.

fracture

“You have fractured your leg in three places,” said the doctor.

shatter

The windscreen shattered as the car careered into the barrier.

smash

At the fête, there’s a chance to smash plates by throwing balls at them.

snap

Sanjiv snapped the bar of chocolate in half and gave some to Kelly.

splinter

The boat’s hull splintered as the novice yachtsman rammed the pier.

break (2) NOUN

A break is a short period during which you rest or do something different.

breather INFORMAL

“Let’s stop for a breather,” suggested Josie.

interval

Between the two acts of the play there will be an interval of 15 minutes.

pause

There was a pause of several seconds before the audience started to applaud.

rest

“What you need is a long rest,” said the head teacher to the exhausted teacher.

breakable ADJECTIVE

Something that is breakable is easy to break.

brittle

Dry earth is brittle and crumbles easily.

delicate

“Handle that antique vase gently. It’s delicate,” the auctioneer shouted.

easily broken

Pottery is easily broken.

flimsy

In traditional Japanese houses the interior walls are often flimsy, almost see-through.

fragile

The label on the box read “Fragile”, but the camera within was damaged beyond repair.

break down VERB

When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

conk out INFORMAL

The motorcyclist looked helpless. “Give us a push please, mate. My bike’s conked out.”

fail

When the steam train failed, a diesel had to tow it back to the depot.

go wrong

“I just knew that fancy vacuum cleaner would go wrong,” Mum sighed.

seize up

Our lawn mower seized up when a twig got jammed in the blades.

If someone’s car has a breakdown, it stops working during a journey.

break up VERB