How to use this thesaurus Word Power
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Thesaurus A-Z
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Writing Wizard
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How to use this thesaurus definite defend (1) VERB
1
If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.
a
fortify
b
The manor house was fortified by the addition of a large wall around it.
c
guard
d
Brushing your teeth helps guard against decay and keeps your breath fresh.
e
protect
2
f
King Edward protected the castle with no fewer than six main gates!
g
3
safeguard h
The sentries safeguarded the palace. ‘ See shelter (1)
i
defend (2) VERB
j
If you defend a person or their ideas, you argue in support of them.
k
The guide word on a left-hand page tells you the first word you will find on the page. On a righthand page, the guide word tells you the last word on the page. The alphabet line shows you which letter you are in. The headword is the word in blue, listed in alphabetical order. Some headwords have a number in brackets. This tells you that this headword can have different meanings, so you need to find the right one.
justify The woman justified her actions by pleading that it was in self-defence.
l
speak up for
m
Amal spoke up for his friend, despite the bully’s threats.
n
4
stick up for (informal) “Thank you for sticking up for me,” said Lisa gratefully. support
o p
5
q
Dad supported me when our neighbour complained about the noise.
r
definite ADJECTIVE
6
s
Something that is definite is clear and unlikely to be changed.
t
certain u
“It is certain that I will be having a birthday party,” Molly told us.
v
guaranteed My uncle secured us guaranteed seats for the big game.
w
positive
x
The contestant gave a very positive answer. Sadly, it was the wrong one.
y
sure
z
Being sulky is a sure way to lose friends. ANTONYM: uncertain
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The word class tells you if the headword is, for example, a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or pronoun. The definition tells you what the word means. Synonyms are words that you can use instead of the headword. Sometimes synonyms have a label, for example, formal or informal. Formal tells you that a word is used in serious writing and speech. Informal tells you that a word is used between family and friends. The most informal words are marked slang. Each synonym has an example to show how the word is used. You will find antonyms, which are words that have the opposite meaning, for some words.
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Shades of blue: aquamarine azure navy sky blue
indigo turquoise
boast VERB 9
Blue boxes contain words for different ‘types of’ something, or more specific words for certain things.
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.
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Sometimes illustrations are included to show you different types of something. These appear throughout the thesaurus so that you can compare things which are similar but not quite the same. This will help you to extend your vocabulary and choose the most appropriate word for what you want to say.
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. ‘ Have a look at the Illustration page!
body NOUN Your body is all of you, from your head to your feet. 1 11
A language tip helps you with the spelling of words or the way they are used. A pronunciation tip shows you how to say a difficult word.
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. LANGUAGE TIP The upper body is the trunk or torso.
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Word Power There are special pages throughout this thesaurus called Word Power. These pages help you find more precise or interesting words to replace words that are used too often. Imagine, for example, that you want to say We had a nice day, but you don’t want to use the word ‘nice’ too often, or you just want to use a better word! Look at the Word Power page for ‘nice’. You will find it in its alphabetical position in letter N. As you would with any entry, use the word class and definition to help you choose exactly which meaning of ‘nice’ you want: (2) ADJECTIVE A nice event is pleasant and enjoyable. delightful “What a delightful evening,” said Pete. enjoyable We spent an enjoyable hour chatting on the phone. pleasant The sun shone and the whole barbecue was a pleasant event. Then you can choose a synonym from the list to use instead of ‘nice’: We had an enjoyable day.
There are Word Power pages for these over-used words: bad
eat
laugh
sad
big
good
look
say
cold
happy
nice
small
cry
hot
run
walk
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above regarding Parents were sent a letter regarding half term.
a
to do with Mum had a long phone conversation to do with our holiday plans.
b c
about (2) ADVERB
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
You say about in front of a number to show it is not exact.
d
approximately
e
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
Brackford United played with enthusiasm but little skill in Saturday’s match.
About can mean in different directions.
talent
“Stop dancing around while I’m talking to you,” Mum said irritably.
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
around 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
“I’m allowed to play for half an hour, but then I have to go home,” Ron complained.
If you are about to do something, you are just going to do it.
available
on the point of
f g h i j k l m n o p q r
Rhys said he was available to swim for the team on Saturday.
I was on the point of closing the front door, when the phone rang.
s
capable
ready to
t
The pilot was ready to turn back, when he saw the missing boat.
u
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
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.
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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.
v w x y
over A cloud of smoke hung ominously over the grumbling volcano. ANTONYM: below
z
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above above (2) PREPOSITION
ill-treat
A
Above can mean greater than something in level or amount.
People who ill-treat their animals should face heavy fines.
B
beyond
mistreat
C
The dancer’s skill was beyond anything we could have imagined.
Cinderella was constantly mistreated by her two ugly sisters.
greater than
misuse
D E F G H
The number of visitors to the museum this year is greater than last year.
The dictator misused his power by giving jobs to his relatives.
higher than
PRONUNCIATION TIP When it is a verb, abuse is pronounced ab-yooz.
The cost of the repairs was higher than Mum had expected. ANTONYM: below
absolutely ADVERB
I
If you are absolutely sure about something, you are completely sure of it.
J
completely
K
Anoop was completely satisfied with his new computer.
L M
thoroughly We were thoroughly fed up of waiting for the train to arrive.
totally
N
We sat totally enthralled by the magician’s amazing tricks.
O
utterly
P Q
The instructions to the board game left me utterly confused.
abuse (1) NOUN Abuse is the cruel treatment of someone.
R
cruelty
S
Sadly, many animals are injured through cruelty or neglect.
T U V W X Y Z
8
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
harm
“I didn’t mean to stand on the flowers. It was quite unintentional,” I apologised.
Fortunately, the two lost children were found with no harm done to them.
unplanned
ill-treatment Oliver Twist suffered much ill-treatment in the workhouse. PRONUNCIATION TIP When it is a noun, abuse is pronounced ab-yooss.
abuse (2) VERB
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
To abuse someone is to treat them cruelly.
In order to set my watch, I need to know the exact time.
harm
factual
Now the animal was at the rescue kennels, no one could harm it any more.
Non-fiction books are factual accounts of real people and events.
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add faithful
movement
The French version of the book is a faithful translation of the English original.
The movements of the conductor’s baton guided the orchestra.
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.
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a b
actual ADJECTIVE Actual can mean something is real, rather than imaginary or guessed at.
c d
genuine “This table is a genuine antique,” said Gran.
e
real f
The film is based on a real story.
true
g
“Is this a true record of what you said?” the judge demanded to know.
h
very The guide told us Ann Boleyn was beheaded on the very spot where we stood.
add (1) VERB
i j k
If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things.
l
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. LANGUAGE TIP Remember that you add something to something else, but combine something with something else.
m n o p q r s
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
t u v w x y z
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adjust adjust VERB
feat
A
If you adjust something, you change its position or alter it in some other way.
To abseil down a skyscraper would certainly be a daring feat.
B
change
venture
C
I changed the time on my new watch so that it was correct.
D E
correct Fortunately, the pilot corrected the plane’s course before it hit the storm clouds.
modify
F
The racing car’s tyres had been specially modified for wet weather.
G
tune Dad tuned the radio to a different station.
H I J K L M N
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
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
Good drivers acknowledge when they have made a mistake.
If you advise someone to do something, you tell them you think they should do it.
confess
recommend
The prisoner confessed that she had lied.
grant
Mrs Singh recommended that I should sit nearer the front of the classroom.
O
“I grant that it’s not a great meal,” my brother said, “but at least I cooked it myself.”
suggest
P
own up
urge
Q
The head teacher asked whoever had broken the window to own up to it.
R S
adult ADJECTIVE An adult is a mature and fully developed person.
grown-up T U V W X Y Z
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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.
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“I suggest we go home,” said Mum. 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. LANGUAGE TIP Be careful not to confuse the verb affect with the noun effect.
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aim 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
after (2) PREPOSITION If you come after someone or something, you are behind them and following them.
a
behind
b
Behind the royal procession came the jester, prancing about and waving some sort of wand.
c
Off went the removal van, with Dad following it at a distance.
I was quite timid on my first day at school. ANTONYM: unafraid
h
The couple moved abroad to start life afresh.
a second time
once more
timid
g
afresh
scared
I used to be terrified of injections, but now that I’ve had one I’m not scared any more.
f
Again can mean happening one more time.
The traveller waited before knocking at the door a second time.
terrified
e
again ADVERB
My brother is petrified of going to the dentist. I told my brother there was nothing to be scared of.
d
following
i j k
Once more Dad tried to put up the deckchair, and once more it collapsed.
l
against PREPOSITION Something that is against something else is in opposition to it.
m
anti (informal) Our entire family is anti hunting. We think it’s cruel.
n o
opposed to LANGUAGE TIP 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.
p
I was opposed to the idea of moving house.
versus In our playground game, it was Rachel and me versus the rest of the class. LANGUAGE TIP If something is against the law, it is illegal.
q r s t
aim (1) VERB If you aim to do something, you are planning to do it.
u
following
intend
v
Following the professor’s talk on birds, we had the chance to ask her questions.
One day, I intend to own a chocolate factory.
mean
w
later than
The player meant to hit the ball down the line, but it flew into the crowd.
x
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
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plan Dad had planned to work abroad, but then he was offered a job in Britain.
propose Mr Potter proposes to put on a school play this year.
y z
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aim
A B C
set your sights on
average
Louis had set his sights on becoming an artist, but became a photographer instead.
“My exam marks were average, but I’m sure I can do better,” said Ron.
aim (2) NOUN Your aim is what you intend to achieve.
goal
D
Cassandra’s goal is to make a million pounds before she is 25.
E
object
F
The object of the game is to throw the ball in your opponents’ basket.
G H
objective “Men,” barked the Major, “our objective is to cross that river before the enemy sees us.”
purpose
I
The purpose of the meeting was to decide what our class would do for the school concert.
J
target
K L M N O
The target for this year’s bring-and-buy sale is to raise a thousand pounds.
aircraft NOUN An aircraft is any vehicle that can fly. ‘ Have a look at the Illustration page!
alike ADJECTIVE Things that are alike are very similar in some way.
comparable
P
The two boys had had comparable experiences at primary school.
Q
identical
R
The twins were identical except for the way they styled their hair.
S T U V W X Y Z
12
indistinguishable The forgery and the original painting were indistinguishable.
similar Phoebe’s house is like ours, and Justin’s is similar too. ANTONYMS: different, unlike
all right (1) ADJECTIVE If something is all right, it is satisfactory, but not especially good.
acceptable
fair Leo made a fair attempt at the test, considering he had felt so ill earlier.
satisfactory The car was in a satisfactory condition to pass the safety test.
all right (2) ADJECTIVE If someone is all right, they are safe and not harmed.
safe “You’ll be quite safe provided that you wait here,” the police officer said.
unharmed After getting lost in the hills, the boys were returned unharmed to their parents.
unhurt The stunt rider escaped unhurt after his bike cartwheeled into the air.
uninjured I was shaken but uninjured after falling during the race.
almost ADVERB Almost can mean very nearly.
just about We were just about ready to go, when Mum’s phone bleeped.
nearly It was nearly five years since Hanif had seen his aunt and uncle.
not quite I had not quite finished the test when Mr Halliday said the time was up.
practically Practically all the sandwiches had been eaten.
virtually Despite having virtually no time to practise, Darius played the piano piece perfectly.
alone (1) ADJECTIVE Someone or something that is alone is not with other people or things.
Your work is acceptable, Watts, but by no means outstanding.
detached
adequate
isolated
The nurse thought her temporary bandage would be adequate to stop the bleeding.
The old man lived in a cottage on the cliff top. He felt quite isolated.
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The elephant was detached from the herd.
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