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Collins Primary Thesaurus
In the gloom of the attic, Nathan made out two staring eyes.
murk
Zora wished she was on the beach, not in the murk of a Manchester night.
ANTONYM: light
dawn NOUN
Dawn is the time in the morning when light first appears in the sky.
break of day
A chorus of hungry birds started up at the break of day.
daybreak
The search for the missing girl resumed at daybreak.
sunrise
By sunrise, the diver and his team were already at the pier.
ANTONYM: dusk
dazed ADJECTIVE
If you are dazed, you are confused and bewildered.
bewildered
Mum was bewildered by the huge range of mobile phones on offer.
confused
Granny sometimes gets confused and says odd things.
light-headed
The paint smell was so strong that I began to feel light-headed.
shocked
After the bomb, shocked, dusty people wandered hopelessly around.
stunned
I felt stunned by the unexpected news about James’s accident.
dead ADJECTIVE
A person, animal or plant that is dead is no longer alive.
deceased
It was thought that the deceased man came originally from Ireland.
extinct
The extinct moa of New Zealand was a flightless bird like an ostrich.
late
Many people paid tribute to Mrs Suleiman’s late husband.
ANTONYM: alive
deadly ADJECTIVE
Something deadly is likely or able to cause death.
lethal
The machine guns dispensed a lethal curtain of fire across the muddy wilderness.
mortal
Frodo suddenly came face to face with his mortal enemy.
deal NOUN
A deal is an agreement or arrangement, especially in business.
agreement
The countries formed an agreement about imports and exports.
arrangement
Dad made an arrangement to pick the car up on Tuesday.
contract
The player’s contract with his club will expire in a year’s time.
deal with VERB
If you deal with something, you do what is necessary to sort it out.
attend to
The receptionist has promised to attend to me in a moment.
handle
Mum handled all the holiday arrangements.
see to
“Please would you see to that customer,” the manager said to the sales assistant.
sort out
Thank heavens Mrs Ito was there to sort out the problem.
take care of
“I’ll take care of the flowers if you buy the chocolates,” my sister said on Mother’s Day.
➔ See cope with
dear (1) ADJECTIVE
Something or someone dear is much loved.
beloved
The card read, “To my beloved wife”.
cherished
Grandad has cherished memories of his time in Italy.
treasured
His gran’s rocking chair was a treasured possession.
dear (2) ADJECTIVE
Something that is dear is very expensive.
costly
The furniture was costly but superbly made.
pricey INFORMAL
“That computer game’s a bit pricey,” my friend Sean muttered.
ANTONYM: cheap
decay VERB
When things decay, they rot or go bad.
biodegrade
Most plastic does not biodegrade, which is a problem for the environment.
decompose
I had a sinking feeling that my sandwiches were decomposing in my locker.
perish
The hot-water bottle leaked, as its rubber stopper had perished.
rot
Most softwood will rot if it is not painted.
decide VERB
If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.
commit yourself
In signing up for the course, my brother committed himself to do a year’s study.
make a decision
The hobbit made a decision to cross the river before camping.
make up your mind
“Ted, will you make up your mind!” Dad demanded impatiently.
reach a decision
My parents reached a decision: we were going to move house.
decision NOUN
A decision is a choice or judgment that is made about something.
choice
Daniel faced a choice – to continue and risk getting lost, or to go back the way he had come.
conclusion
I came to the conclusion that I hadn’t been working hard enough.
judgment
The panel’s judgment was that Mrs Flaherty had been fairly treated.
verdict
The courtroom fell silent as the jury’s verdict was announced.
decorate VERB
If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.
adorn
For the wedding, the gate to the churchyard was adorned with flowers.
festoon
The whole of Wall Street was festooned with tickertape streamers.
trim
The Christmas tree was trimmed with tinsel.
decrease VERB
If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less.
decline
Bird-lovers are worried that the number of house sparrows is declining.
diminish
The glow from the fire diminished as the dogs slumbered on.
dwindle
Once the mines closed, the valley population began to dwindle.
lessen
The driver decided to lessen his speed, as the engine was overheating.
reduce
Reducing your salt intake will help you to stay healthy.
ANTONYM: increase
deep (1) ADJECTIVE
If something is deep, it goes a long way down from the surface.
bottomless
“The way you spend, you must think I’ve got bottomless pockets!” Dad grumbled.
yawning
The earth shook violently, and a yawning hole opened up in the street.
ANTONYM: shallow
deep (2) ADJECTIVE
Deep can mean great or intense.
intense
Van Gogh painted vibrant pictures with intense colour.
profound
The discovery of penicillin had a profound effect on medicine.
strong
A strong wind blew the sailing boat safely back on course.
deep (3) ADJECTIVE
A deep sound is a low one.
bass
The bass sound of the foghorn echoed through the mist.
low
Mrs Quail’s voice is so low that she is sometimes mistaken for a man on the telephone.
ANTONYM: high
defeat (1) VERB
If you defeat someone or something, you win a victory over them, or cause them to fail.
beat
“I hope my team beats yours,” Pete said cheekily to Smithy.
conquer
To conquer Wales was King Edward’s lifelong wish.
overcome
The girl overcame her disability to become a great champion.
overpower
Legions of screeching auks overpowered the tiny band of travellers.
rout
The forces of evil in Narnia were routed in the last battle.
defeat (2) NOUN
A defeat is the state of being beaten or of failing.
beating
Class 3a crowed that the team from 3b had taken a beating.
conquest
The conquest of England by the Normans in 1066 was a turning point in history.
downfall
The dictator’s downfall was sudden and spectacular.
pasting INFORMAL
Mighty Hawk took a severe pasting from the new wrestler.
trouncing INFORMAL
“What a trouncing,” Mitch moaned.
ANTONYM: victory
defence NOUN
Defence is the action that is taken to protect someone or something against attack.
immunity
The nurse assured me that the vaccination would give immunity from measles.
protection
“Our paint offers ten-year protection from the rain,” the advert boasted.
resistance
“Resistance is useless. Come out with your hands up!” bawled the loudspeaker.
safeguard
Taking out insurance acts as a safeguard against misfortune.
defend (1) VERB
If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.
fortify
The manor house was fortified by the addition of a large wall around it.
guard
Brushing your teeth helps guard against decay and keeps your breath fresh.
protect
King Edward protected the castle with no fewer than six main gates!
safeguard
The sentries safeguarded the palace.
➔ See shelter (1)
defend (2) VERB
If you defend a person or their ideas, you argue in support of them.
justify
Anita justified hitting the boy by claiming that he had hit her first.
speak up for
Amal spoke up for his friend, despite the bully’s threats.
stick up for INFORMAL
“Thank you for sticking up for me,” said Lisa gratefully.
support
Dad supported me when our neighbour complained about the noise.
definite ADJECTIVE
Something that is definite is clear and unlikely to be changed.
certain
“It is certain that I will be having a birthday party,” Molly told us.
guaranteed
My uncle secured us guaranteed seats for the big game.
positive
The contestant gave a very positive answer. Sadly, it was the wrong one.
sure
Being sulky is a sure way to lose friends.
ANTONYM: uncertain
definitely ADVERB OR INTERJECTION
Definitely can mean certainly and without doubt.
absolutely
“Are you able to play?” I asked. “Absolutely!” came Deepak’s reply.
beyond any doubt
Beyond any doubt, the German was the best racing driver in the world.
certainly
The coach admitted, “We’ve certainly got a good team this year.”
plainly
The witness was plainly going to say nothing.
unquestionably
The banquet was unquestionably the largest meal he had ever eaten.
delay (1) NOUN
If there is a delay, something does not happen until later than planned or expected.
hold-up
At the last minute, there was a hold-up in the live TV broadcast.
pause
After a pause, the mayor continued his speech.
postponement
Owing to the storms, there was a 24-hour postponement in the rocket launch.
setback
There were a few minor setbacks before the house was built.
wait
We had a slight wait before being ushered in to meet the prince.
delay (2) VERB
If something delays you, it makes you late or slows you down.
hinder
My baby brother did his best to hinder Mum’s vacuum cleaning.
hold up
Traffic was held up by a burst water main.
slow down
Our progress was slowed down by a crawling tractor in front.
deliberate ADJECTIVE
If you do something that is deliberate, you do it on purpose.
calculated
The head teacher took a calculated risk and told staff to put the stalls outdoors.
conscious
“I want you to make a conscious effort to get to school on time,” Mrs Lenster said.
intentional
The referee decided that the dangerous tackle was intentional, and sent the player off.
ANTONYM: unintentional
delicious ADJECTIVE
Delicious food or drink tastes very nice.
appetizing
The waiter brought round all sorts of appetizing titbits.
delectable
“Thank you, that was a delectable meal, Mrs Kean,” Marie said politely.
scrumptious INFORMAL
I think meringues are scrumptious. My sister hates them.
tasty
Some cheese is tasty. Some tastes like rubber.
ANTONYM: horrible
depend (1) VERB
If you depend on someone or something, you trust them and rely on them.
bank on
Mr Marshall said he was banking on me to score a few goals.
count on
I was counting on Dennis to give me some good passes.
rely on
Lyra knew she could rely on the huge bear to come to her aid.
trust
The owners trusted you to put the correct money in the box.
depend (2) VERB
If one thing depends on another, it is influenced by it.
be based on
“Our firm’s success is based on the hard work of the staff,” the boss stated.
hinge on
The battle hinged on whether the cavalry could break through the enemy line.
describe VERB
If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.
define
The supply teacher asked me to define what a hexagon is.
explain
Beatrice explained what she had done and her reasons for doing it.
relate
My pal Vadim was bursting to relate what had happened on the way to school.
report
On Monday, I was expected to report on our weekend camping trip.
description NOUN
A description is an account or picture of something in words.
account
The witness gave his account of the incident.
profile
Police assembled a profile of the burglar, making him easy to identify.
report
Class 6 gave a report on all the activities they had taken part in.
deserve VERB
If you deserve something, you earn it or have a right to it.
be worthy of
The girl’s bravery was worthy of the highest possible honour.
earn
The president’s forgiveness of his kidnappers earned him the respect of the world.
justify
The boy’s terrific courage justified his award.
merit
“Tidings of our great victory merit a celebration,” said the duke.
despair NOUN
Despair is a total loss of hope.
desperation
In desperation, the pilot ejected.
gloom
The team had been relegated and gloom filled the dressing room.
hopelessness
The hopelessness of the starving people made the reporter weep.
desperate ADJECTIVE
A desperate situation is extremely dangerous or serious.
critical
The sick woman’s condition was critical.
drastic
Sealing the city was a drastic action, but it stopped the spread of the plague.
grave
“We are in a grave predicament,” said the king. “We must fight for our lives.”
hopeless
The situation of the soldiers seemed hopeless.
despite PREPOSITION
If you do something despite some difficulty, you manage to do it anyway.
in spite of
In spite of her age, Granny is very fit.
regardless of
Regardless of the danger, the medic carried the injured man to safety.
destroy VERB
If you destroy something, you damage it so much that it is completely ruined.
annihilate
Scientists think that changes in the climate may have annihilated the dinosaurs.
demolish
Workmen demolished the disused factory.
devastate
In 1945, two Japanese cities were utterly devastated by atom bombs.
ruin
“They’ve ruined that park by chopping those trees down,” Grandad grumbled.
wreck
A lifetime playing loud music wrecked the guitarist’s hearing.
determination NOUN
Determination is a great strength and will to do something.
dedication
The nurse’s dedication earned her the thanks of all the soldiers.
drive
To get to the top, businesspeople need drive and imagination.
perseverance
The tortoise’s perseverance helped him beat the foolish hare in the race.
will
Matthew’s will to win saw him achieve Olympic gold.
determined ADJECTIVE
If you are determined to do something, you will not let anything stop you from doing it.
intent
She was so intent on doing well, she made herself ill with worry.
persistent
The salesman was so persistent that Mum shut the door on him.
single-minded
Sometimes you have to be single-minded to do a job properly.
die (1) VERB
When a person, animal or plant dies, they stop living.
expire
Tragically, the old man expired from the effort of the hill climb.
pass away
In memory of John Silver, who passed away this day in 1792.
perish
Around 700 seamen perished when the Mary Rose went down.
die (2) VERB
When something dies, dies away or dies down, it becomes less intense and disappears.
dwindle
Support for the team dwindled when they were relegated.
fade
As the fire brigade approached, the desperate hammering faded to a faint knocking.
peter out
Just before the finish line, the old car’s engine petered out.
difference NOUN
The difference between two things is the way in which they are unlike each other.
contrast
Although they look similar, there is a big contrast in the characters of the twins.
distinction
Colour-blind people often cannot see a distinction between red and green.
variation
We noticed a terrific variation in price between one shop and another.
ANTONYM: similarity
different (1) ADJECTIVE
If one thing is different from another, it is not like it.
contrasting
In the story, honest Cinderella is a contrasting character to her scheming stepsisters.
distinct
The taste of blue cheese is quite distinct from ordinary cheese.
opposed
The couple’s viewpoints were opposed.
ANTONYMS: similar or identical
different (2) ADJECTIVE
If several things are different from each other, they are not the same.
assorted
My pockets contained assorted coins, sweet wrappers, paperclips and fluff.
varied
The plants were of varied colours, including some lovely reds and purples.
ANTONYMS: similar or identical
difficult (1) ADJECTIVE
Difficult things are not easy to do, understand or solve.
difficult to work out or deal with:
awkward
The tap was in an awkward place for the plumber to get at.
challenging
“It’s the most challenging operation I’ve ever tackled,” the surgeon admitted.
demanding
Dad had a demanding week at work.
formidable
Rescuing thousands from the earthquake rubble was a formidable task.
knotty
It was a knotty problem: to cross the deep river without a bridge!
puzzling
Zara is puzzling. One minute she’s pleasant, the next she’s horrid.
tricky
The climbers were in a tricky situation, stuck on the ledge as night drew in.
physically difficult:
backbreaking
Digging the canals by hand was a backbreaking job for the navvies.
laborious
Archaeology is laborious work, digging slowly and sifting carefully.
strenuous
Marathon running is a strenuous business.
difficult (2) ADJECTIVE
Someone who is difficult behaves in an unreasonable way.
awkward
“That horse is awkward,” said the cowboy, “but I’ll ride him eventually.”
troublesome
The troublesome twins made their teacher’s life a hard one.
trying
Mrs Kray had a trying time with Class 6 and their spellings.
uncooperative
Uncooperative people never work well in a team.
difficulty NOUN
A difficulty is a problem.
complication
The biggest complication for Brunel was that his tunnel kept flooding.
dilemma
Karen faced a dilemma. Should she play with her friends or help her mum?
hitch
After a hitch with the curtains, the play began five minutes late.
obstacle
The star encountered many obstacles on the road to fame.
plight
“Your plight is indeed a sorry one,” said the knight to the damsel in the tower.
snag
Progress on the house was smooth, until they hit a snag when they found a hole in the roof.
dig VERB
If you dig, you make a hole in earth or sand, especially with a spade or shovel.
burrow
Rabbits create warrens by burrowing into hillsides.
delve
The diggers delved deeper, looking for a glimmer of gold.
excavate
Rescue workers excavated the rubble to free the trapped people.
hollow out
We hollowed out a dip in the sand in which to build our camp fire.
scoop out
The squirrel scooped out a hole in the early snow to reach the acorns beneath.
dim ADJECTIVE
Something that is dim is lacking in brightness and badly lit.
faint
As they neared Mordor, faint lights shone in the hills beyond.
gloomy
The gloomy passages of the castle were lit by flaming torches on the walls.
shadowy
I had trouble finding my way across the shadowy room to reach the light switch.
vague
Ben Nevis was just a vague outline seen through the morning mist.
ANTONYM: bright
dinosaur NOUN
Dinosaurs are large animals that lived millions of years ago.
Some types of dinosaur:
apatosaurus
diplodocus
iguanodon
pterodactyl
stegosaurus
triceratops
tyrannosaurus
velociraptor
dirt NOUN
Dirt is any unclean substance such as dust, mud or stains.
filth
Below the sink, the shelf was caked with filth.
grime
Grime from a thousand mill chimneys had blackened the local buildings.
muck
It took me hours to clean the muck from the wheels of my bike.
dirty (1) ADJECTIVE
Something that is dirty is marked or covered with dirt.
filthy
“Get rid of that filthy rag,” my dad ordered.
grimy
The windows were so grimy we could barely see out of them.
grubby
Mum suggested my little brother wash his grubby hands.
mucky
My father enjoys mucky jobs like gardening.
mud-caked
Everywhere in the wood, mud-caked motorcyclists roared like angry wasps.
soiled
The sign said, “Please place soiled nappies in the bin provided”.
stained
The penny was badly stained, but came up shining after it was polished.
ANTONYM: clean
dirty (2) ADJECTIVE
Water that is dirty is made unclean by poisonous substances.
contaminated
The contaminated stream was an ominous red colour.
polluted
Polluted lakes and waterways cannot support any wildlife.
dirty (3) ADJECTIVE
Dirty language is unpleasant and offensive.
crude
“That joke is very crude and not funny at all,” the girl snapped.
