Copyright

Published by Collins

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Westerhill Road

Bishopbriggs

Glasgow G64 2QT

Second Edition 2015

© HarperCollins Publishers 2010, 2015

eBook Edition © March 2015 ISBN 978-0-00-758366-9

Version: 2015-01-19

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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

Copyright

Using this thesaurus

Aa

Bb

Cc

Dd

Ee

Ff

Gg

Hh

Ii

Jj

Kk

Ll

Mm

Nn

Oo

Pp

Qq

Rr

Ss

Tt

Uu

Vv

Ww

Yy

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

Aa

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.

opposed to

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.

If something is against the law, it is illegal.

aim (1) VERB

If you aim to do something, you are planning to do it.

intend

One day, I intend to own a chocolate factory.

mean

The player meant to hit the ball down the line, but it flew into the crowd.

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.

set your sights on

Louis had set his sights on becoming an artist, but became a photographer instead.

aim (2) NOUN

Your aim is what you intend to achieve.

goal

Cassandra’s goal is to make a million dollars before she is 25.

object

The object of the game is to throw the ball in your opponents’ basket.

objective

“Men,” barked the Major, “our objective is to cross that river before the enemy sees us.”

purpose

The purpose of the meeting was to decide what our class would do for the school concert.

target

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.

Types of aircraft:

aeroplane

glider

hang-glider

helicopter

hot-air balloon

microlite

alike ADJECTIVE

Things that are alike are very similar in some way.

comparable

The two boys had had comparable experiences at primary school.

identical

The twins were identical except for the way they styled their hair.

indistinguishable

The forgery and the original painting were indistinguishable.

similar

Phoebe’s house is like ours, and Justin’s is similar too.

ANTONYMS: different or unlike

all right (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is all right, it is satisfactory, but not especially good.

acceptable

Your work is acceptable, Watts, but by no means outstanding.

adequate

The nurse thought her temporary bandage would be adequate to stop the bleeding.

average

“My exam marks were average, but I’m sure I can do better,” said Ron.

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.

detached

The elephant was detached from the herd.

isolated

The old man lived in a cottage on the cliff top. He felt quite isolated.

solitary

Robinson Crusoe was solitary on his desert island home.

alone (2) ADVERB

Something that happens alone, happens without other people or things.

independently

Sian did her homework independently.

separately

The teachers came with us on the bus, except for the head who came later, separately.

solo INFORMAL

The pilot now flew solo for the first time.

also ADVERB

Also can mean in addition to something that has just been mentioned.

as well

Mum had just bought the lettuce when she remembered to get some tomatoes as well.

besides

The competition winner received a sports bag, and a signed bat to go in it besides.

furthermore FORMAL

“You’ve worked well,” the teacher said, “and furthermore you’ve worked quietly.”

in addition

My prize was free tickets to the show. In addition, it included a meal afterwards.

moreover FORMAL

It was cold, and moreover it was getting dark.

too

William is nine, and Rina is too.

although CONJUNCTION

Although can mean in spite of the fact that.

even though

Jessica managed to win the marathon, even though she’d had flu earlier that week.

while

While the work on an oil rig is tough, the pay is good.

altogether ADVERB

Altogether can mean in total and is used when talking about amounts.

all told

There were over two thousand people at the show, all told.

everything included

Everything included, the fête raised enough money for the new equipment.

in total

In total, the auction raised well over five thousand pounds.

always (1) ADVERB

Always can mean all the time.

consistently

Andy is consistently the best player on our hockey team.

constantly

We are constantly receiving junk e-mails.

continually

My mum is continually nagging me to keep my room tidy.

continuously

The generator chugged away continuously throughout the night.

invariably

Aissa is invariably late for school.

regularly

Stars are regularly asked for their autographs.

repeatedly

“I’m repeatedly telling you not to speak with your mouth full!” Dad said crossly.

time after time

Time after time, my little brother asked me to play with him.

ANTONYM: never

always (2) ADVERB

Always can mean forever.

endlessly

I shall be endlessly grateful to the woman who saved my life.

forever

“Madam, I am forever in your debt,” the musketeer said as he swept from the room.

perpetually

The Olympic flame burns perpetually.

ANTONYM: never

amazing ADJECTIVE

If something is amazing, it is very surprising.

astonishing

It is astonishing that we breathe, on average, 500 million times in our lives.

astounding

The marathon runner kept up an astounding pace for the whole 26 miles.

breathtaking

Seeing Niagara Falls was a breathtaking experience.

sensational

The show was sensational, with superb music and dancing.

staggering

It is staggering to realize that 60 per cent of our body is water.

among or amongst PREPOSITION

Among or amongst can mean surrounded by.

amid

Workers searched amid the wreckage for any sign of survivors.

amidst

Amidst all the weeds, a single rose bloomed.

in the middle of

In the middle of the herd of cows was a newborn calf.

surrounded by

Mum and I found ourselves surrounded by inquisitive sheep.

If there are more than two things, you should use among(st). If there are only two things, you should use between.

amount NOUN

An amount is how much there is of something.

mass

There was a great mass of tadpoles in our garden pond.

quantity

“For sale: a quantity of unused garden tools,” read the advert.

sum

The house was sold for an undisclosed sum of money.

total

Our little sideshow raised quite a total at our school fête.

volume

A huge volume of water cascades over the waterfall every minute.

amphibian NOUN

An amphibian is one of a group of animals that live both on land and in water.

Some amphibians:

frog

newt

salamander

toad

anger NOUN

Anger is the strong feeling you get about something unfair or cruel.

annoyance

You could see the annoyance on the little boy’s face when he couldn’t have any sweets.

fury

Her face purple with fury, the duchess stormed from the room.

indignation

Our dog, Jim, stared in indignation as I ate the last biscuit.

irritation

Sissy stormed out in irritation.

rage

The wizard flew into a rage and instantly turned the king and queen into toads.

temper

In a fit of temper, I flung my sister’s hairbrush into the garden.

wrath Said “roth”

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

angry ADJECTIVE

Someone who is angry is very annoyed.

annoyed

Mr Danesh was annoyed that Anna hadn’t handed in her homework.

apoplectic

The team manager was apoplectic, dancing with rage when the referee disallowed the goal.

beside yourself with anger

The head teacher was beside herself with anger when the money was stolen.

cross

You could tell Mum was cross. Her forehead had turned red and wrinkly.

displeased

“Smithers, I’m displeased with the poor spelling in this report,” Sir Hector boomed.

enraged

The bull, enraged, came charging, head down, towards the matador.

fuming

Mrs Stevenson was fuming when she realized Peter was absent yet again.

furious

Furious at such a messy piece of work, Mr Ross flung my book back on my desk.

hot under the collar INFORMAL

Many motorists were getting hot under the collar as the traffic jam built up.

indignant

You could see by her face that our terrier, Tess, was indignant that we had left her behind.

infuriated

The stressed commuter was infuriated to find that the train had left seconds earlier.

irate

It made Mrs Mawdsley irate to find the staffroom key missing.

irritated

I was irritated to find that Alex had borrowed my pencil.

livid

Father was livid that I had broken his favourite fishing rod.

outraged

Many townsfolk were outraged that the lovely old cinema was to be torn down.

seething

I knew from his gritted teeth that the boss was seething.

animal NOUN

An animal is any living being that is not a plant.

beast

The thoroughbred horse was a beautiful but temperamental beast.

creature

The platypus is a strange-looking creature.

General names for animals are fauna and wildlife.

Types of animal:

amphibian

bird

fish

insect

mammal

reptile

annoy VERB

If someone or something annoys you, they make you angry or impatient.

aggravate

My gran is often aggravated by noisy motorbikes late at night.

bother

“Please don’t bother me now. I’m really very busy,” said Dad.

drive someone up the wall INFORMAL

“Some of these stupid TV adverts drive me up the wall!” said Grandad.

get on someone’s nerves INFORMAL

Mitchi’s whiny voice really gets on my nerves.

harass

Many famous people are harassed by reporters and photographers.

irritate

My mum was irritated by the constant dripping of the tap in the night.

needle INFORMAL

The soccer player tried to needle his opponent by muttering insults.

provoke

My sister provoked me into an argument by saying I was no good at singing.

answer (1) VERB

If you answer someone, you reply to them in speech or writing.

answer back

When spoken to by the judge, the defendant was foolish enough to answer back rudely.

reply

If you receive an invitation, it’s polite to reply promptly.

respond

The captain asked for volunteers, and two crewmen responded.

retort

“I’d love to go to the ball,” said Cinderella. “No chance!” retorted her ugly sister.

return

“Yes, I’d love to come to the theatre,” Genevieve returned.

answer (2) NOUN

An answer is the reply you give when you answer someone.

acknowledgment

The palace sent a brief letter as an acknowledgment to my request.

reaction

The mayor received an angry reaction to his scheme to sell off the sports field.

reply

The salesman rang the door bell, but there was no reply.

response

There was a terrific response to the famine appeal.

retort

“Ouch, that hurt!” I said. “Serves you right!” came the retort.

appear VERB

When something appears, it moves from somewhere you could not see it to somewhere you can see it.

come into sight

A woolly mammoth came into sight, lumbering from behind the rock.

come into view

A triceratops came into view, its serrated back appearing over the ridge.

emerge

Emerging from his bedroom, my lazy brother rubbed his eyes.

loom

The gigantic airship blotted out the sun as it loomed nearer.

➔ See arrive

area (1) NOUN

An area is a particular part of a place, country or the world.

community

We live in a friendly community, with lots going on.

district

It was a poor district, where litter and street crime were a problem.

neighbourhood

In our neighbourhood, everybody helps one another.

region

This region of Italy is famous for its pizzas.

zone

That zone is open only to airport staff.

area (2) NOUN

Area can mean the measurement of a flat surface.

extent

From the top of the tower, Jamie could see the extent of the city.

size

“What size of paper shall I use?” Dani asked.

area (3) NOUN

The area of a piece of ground or surface is the amount of space it covers.

expanse

When Noah looked from his ark, all he saw was a huge expanse of water.

patch INFORMAL

The police officer said he would miss the people in his patch when he retired.

plot

My parents bought a plot of land, hoping to build a house there.

stretch

You can see otters on this stretch of the river.

argue (1) VERB

If you argue with someone about something, you disagree with them about it, sometimes in an angry way.

bicker

My sisters are always bickering at the table.

disagree

Simon and Sanjiv disagreed passionately about which team would win.

fall out

Hazel and I fell out when she broke her promise to keep my secret.

have a difference of opinion

The two neighbours had a difference of opinion over who owned the fence.

have an argument

Dad and Mum had an argument about whose turn it was to get up and see to the baby.

quarrel

Jack and Wilbur quarrelled over land, and their two families have not spoken since.

row Rhymes with “cow”

The couple next door were always rowing. Now they’ve gone we’ll get some peace!

squabble

“Stop squabbling, you two!” Mum said, exasperated. “You’ll both get a turn.”

argue (2) VERB

If you argue that something is true, you give reasons why you think that it is.

assert

The prisoner continues to assert his innocence.

claim

Mervyn claimed he was the lost King of Albania, but nobody believed him.

debate

“I think we’ll be debating this issue forever!” joked Mrs Evans.

hold

Before 1492, many people held that the earth was flat.

maintain

Columbus always maintained that the earth was round, and proceeded to prove it.

put the case

In the debate, Scarlet put the case for hunting and I opposed it.

reason

Mum tried to reason with my little brother, but it was a waste of time.

argument (1) NOUN

An argument is a talk between people who do not agree.

barney INFORMAL

Kayla and I had a bit of a barney, but we soon made up.

difference of opinion

Panna and Liz had a difference of opinion over which team would win.

disagreement

The tennis players had a disagreement about whether the service was in or out.

dispute

The long-running dispute between the two neighbours ended in a court case.

feud

Occasionally, the feud between the Campbell clan and the MacDonald clan erupted into violence.

fight

Two girls in our class got into a fight over a missing purse.

quarrel

The quarrel started when Colin was left out of the team in favour of Barry.

row Rhymes with “cow”

I was upstairs in my room when the row between Dad and Grandad started.

squabble

It was a silly squabble over who would sleep in the top bunk.

A formal talk between people who do not agree is a debate.

argument (2) NOUN

An argument is a point or set of reasons you use to convince people about something.

case

The barrister set out the case for the prosecution.

grounds

The judge decided there were no grounds on which to find the defendant guilty.

reason

Guy Fawkes was asked to give his reasons for wishing to blow up Parliament.

armour NOUN

Armour is special metal clothing that soldiers wore in the past for protection.

Pieces of armour:

breastplate

gauntlet

helmet

visor

army NOUN

An army is a large group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land.

Military means “connected with an army”.

Here are some more words associated with the military, or armed forces:

air force

battalion

brigade

cavalry

commando

company

garrison

legion

marine

navy

paratrooper

platoon

regiment

reinforcements

squad

squadron

around (1) PREPOSITION

You can use around when something is surrounding or encircling a place or object.

on all sides of

On all sides of the camp, a barbed-wire fence rose menacingly towards grim watchtowers.

on every side of

The word “Fragile” was written on every side of the box.

around (2) PREPOSITION

Around can mean at approximately the time or place mentioned.

about

“I’ll meet you at about three o’clock,” Kamilah whispered.

approximately

“The train will be approximately five minutes late,” said the announcer.

in the region of

The government spent in the region of 30 billion pounds on new roads.

roughly

The new garage will be roughly ten metres in length.

around (3) PREPOSITION OR ADVERB

You say around when things are in various places.

all over

Papers were scattered all over Mum’s office.

everywhere

In the wind, fallen leaves flew everywhere.

here and there

“I always find the odd bargain here and there,” said Gran cheerfully.

arrange (1) VERB

If you arrange to do something, or arrange something for someone, you make plans for it or make it possible.

fix

Mr Pearson fixed our soccer game for next Tuesday afternoon.

organize

Mum said she would organize a trip to the zoo during the holidays.

plan

Dad planned a secret birthday surprise for Mum.

prepare

Most good chefs prepare their menu well in advance.

settle

The old lady settled her affairs before she left town.

arrange (2) VERB

If you arrange objects, you set them out in a particular way.

group

For the photograph, all the wedding guests were grouped in front of the hall door.

organize

For the tournament, players were organized into teams of five.

place

The artist carefully placed the objects she was going to paint.

position

Guards were positioned outside the palace.

arrest VERB

If the police arrest someone, they take them to a police station because they believe they may have committed a crime.

capture

A search party captured the escaped prisoner in an isolated shack.

nick INFORMAL

The bloke next door got nicked for burglary the other day.

take someone into custody

Police officers cautioned the suspect and took her into custody.

arrive VERB

When you arrive at a place, you reach it at the end of your journey.

appear

The film star finally appeared, an hour late.

show up INFORMAL

Jeremy showed up just in time.

turn up

“If you turn up late, the coach will have gone,” warned the driver.

ANTONYM: depart

artist NOUN

An artist is a person who draws or paints, or produces other works of art such as novels or music.

Types of artist:

artist

film director

musician

novelist

painter

playwright

poet

potter

sculptor

writer

ashamed ADJECTIVE

If you are ashamed, you feel embarrassed or guilty.

embarrassed

Karen was embarrassed to find that the rain had streaked her make-up.

guilty

I hadn’t done anything, but I still felt guilty about the missing money.

humiliated

Jade felt humiliated after the coach had publicly blamed her for losing the game.

sorry

Misha was sorry that his stupid comment had caused so much upset.

ask (1) VERB

If you ask someone something, you put a question to them.

enquire or inquire

“If you want more information, enquire at the desk over there,” the woman said.

interrogate

Secret police interrogated the spy about his mission, but he told them nothing.

query

Mr Blake queried the bill, saying he’d been overcharged.

question

The suspicious-looking stranger was stopped and questioned about what she was doing.

quiz

My mum quizzed me about where I was going, and who with.

ask (2) VERB

If you ask for something, you say you would like to have it.

appeal

Our church appealed for money to help repair the roof.

apply

If you are travelling abroad, you must apply for a passport.

beg

I begged Mum to let me go to the party, but she said no.

beseech

“Have mercy on me, I beseech you!” the frog prince cried to the princess.

demand

The angry diner demanded to know what a beetle was doing in his pudding.

implore

“I implore you to think twice before running away,” said Emma.

plead

The princess pleaded to be set free by the wicked witch.

request

The soccer player requested a transfer to another club.

ask (3) VERB

If you ask someone to come or go somewhere, you invite them there.

ask someone round

The vicar asked us round for a cup of tea.

bid OLD-FASHIONED

His lordship bade me enter and enquired if I would drink wine with him.

invite

Whoopee! Della has invited me to her party.

summon

King Arthur summoned his knights to an assembly at the Round Table.

asleep ADJECTIVE

If you are asleep, your eyes are closed and your whole body is resting.

dead to the world INFORMAL

Dad was dead to the world in the armchair.

fast asleep

Jim, our dog, was fast asleep with his legs in the air.

sound asleep

I was so sound asleep that my little brother had to sit on me to wake me up.

ANTONYM: awake

➔ See sleep (1)

Animals that hibernate spend the winter in a state like a deep sleep.

attack (1) VERB

If a person or an animal attacks another person or animal, they use violence in order to hurt or kill them.

assault

The muggers assaulted the man, then tried to steal his wallet.

charge

The Light Brigade charged the enemy’s guns at full tilt.

mug

Unfortunately, some people are mugged on dark city streets.

raid

Police raided the house where the escaped criminal was living.

storm

Troops stormed the cliffs and succeeded in silencing the machine guns above.

ANTONYM: defend

In sport, to attack is to move forward.

attack (2) NOUN

An attack is a violent, physical action against someone or something.

assault

“This was a serious assault, for which you must pay,” said the judge grimly.

charge

The Light Brigade’s charge was brave but doomed.

invasion

The 1944 D-Day landings in France formed the biggest invasion in world history.

raid

The air raids continued night after night.

strike

The missile strike destroyed the buildings.

ANTONYM: defence

automatic ADJECTIVE

An automatic machine is programmed to do a task without needing a person to operate it.

automated

The new automated answering service kept Dad waiting for half an hour.

computerized

Most photocopiers are computerized these days.

robotic

In car factories, robotic arms put most of the parts together.

self-propelling

My self-propelling model glider worked by twisting an elastic band.

avoid (1) VERB

If you avoid someone or something, you keep away from them.

dodge

We dodged our nosy neighbour by hiding behind a tree as she went past.

elude

By going out of the back door, the celebrity eluded the photographers.

evade

The criminal managed to evade the police for several days, but was eventually caught.

shun

The shy film star shunned publicity, preferring a quiet family life.

steer clear of INFORMAL

“If I were you I’d steer clear of that quarry,” my dad said sternly.

avoid (2) VERB

If you avoid doing something, you make an effort not to do it.

dodge INFORMAL

My lazy brother tried to dodge cleaning the car, but Dad made him do it.

duck out of INFORMAL

I tried to duck out of unpacking the dishwasher, with no success.

escape

The prisoner tried to escape, but the police officer stopped him.

get out of

“It’s no use trying to get out of it. You’ll have to mow the lawn,” said Dad.

shirk

The farmer tried to shirk responsibility for the pollution in the river.

away ADVERB

If you are away from somewhere, you are not in that place.

absent

With such a high temperature, Edward was forced to be absent from school.

elsewhere

I searched the house for my gran, but she was obviously elsewhere.

on holiday

Our family is going on holiday to Florida this summer.

To be away from school when you should be there is to play truant.

awful ADJECTIVE

Something awful is very unpleasant or very bad.

appalling

The karaoke singer’s voice was appalling – he sounded like a dog howling!

dreadful

We had a dreadful time in Venice. All the streets were flooded.

fearful INFORMAL

Mr Bellamy had a fearful cold and sneezed all the way to London.

frightful

The house was in a frightful state after it had been burgled.

ghastly INFORMAL

Mum made a ghastly mistake, and put salt in the cake mixture instead of sugar.

gruesome

The room where the murder had taken place was a gruesome sight.

harrowing

The film was harrowing to watch.

hideous

The monster’s head was truly hideous: bloated, scarred and covered in scales.

horrendous

It was a horrendous meal, with half of the food burnt and the other half undercooked.

horrible

For one horrible moment, I thought my wallet had been stolen.

horrid

“William, that was a perfectly horrid thing to say,” said Mrs Brown.

horrific

“Unless this fog goes, I’m afraid there’ll be a horrific accident,” the police officer said.

shocking

“I think it’s shocking,” put in Dad, “that those refugees should be left without shelter.”

terrible

The sun rose on the scene of the earthquake, a terrible sight to behold.

unpleasant

Shingles is a very unpleasant disease to have.

ANTONYM: lovely

awkward (1) ADJECTIVE

If a situation is awkward, it is difficult to deal with.

delicate

It was a delicate situation: to ask Julie about her exams or not to mention the subject.

embarrassing

It was very embarrassing to be stuck outside in my pyjamas in the pouring rain!

tricky

“Now this bit could be tricky,” muttered Bond coolly. “Which wire should I cut?”

uncomfortable

The spy had an uncomfortable moment when the guards stared in through the car window.

awkward (2) ADJECTIVE

If a person or animal is awkward, they are difficult to deal with.

hard to handle

Donkeys have a reputation for being hard to handle.

stubborn

My brother can be very stubborn when it comes to helping me wash up.

troublesome

On the journey to Scotland, the car proved troublesome, but eventually we got there.

uncooperative

The lady at the enquiries desk was uncooperative and didn’t help at all.

Bb

baby NOUN

A baby is a child in the first year or two of its life.

infant

The shepherds found the infant in a stable, lying in a manger.

newborn child

The mother proudly gazed at her tiny newborn child.

toddler

Waddling on bandy legs, the toddler was off round the corner in a flash.

tot INFORMAL

“Don’t tease your brother,” said Mum. “He’s only a tot.”

The babies of animals and humans are their offspring. Together, the babies of an animal are sometimes called a litter.

back NOUN

The back of something is the part behind the front.

end

At the end of the queue, people were setting up tents for the night.

rear

I could see smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle in front.

reverse

Genevieve wrote her answers on the reverse of the worksheet.

ANTONYM: front

The back part of an animal is its rear, rump or hindquarters. The back end of a ship is the stern.

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.

appalling

The weather for our sports day was appalling.

damaging

The fumes emitted by jet aircraft can be highly damaging to the environment.

dangerous

Building sites are dangerous places which should be avoided.

distressing

Melinda found it distressing to see pictures of starving children.

dreadful

It was a dreadful shame: all Barak’s hard work disappeared as the blaze took hold.

grave

A spokesperson announced the grave news that the king was dying.

serious

The artist’s illness was too serious for him to continue painting.

terrible

Our goalkeeper was terrible today. She let in four easy shots!

ANTONYM: good

bad (2) ADJECTIVE

A bad person is naughty or unkind.

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.

corrupt

The corrupt politician had taken money from all sorts of people.

cruel

I can’t stand people being cruel to children or animals.

disobedient

The disobedient boy ignored the warning notice and fell into the quarry.

evil

The evil villain plotted how to ensnare the handsome knight.

mischievous

Tying Kerry’s shoelaces together was a mischievous prank.

naughty

“You’re a naughty girl, Cassandra,” said her mother angrily.

wicked

The wicked witch lived alone.

ANTONYM: good

Names for bad people include rogue, villain and scoundrel.

bad (3) ADJECTIVE

Bad can also mean of poor quality.

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.

abysmal

“Such abysmal work will have to be redone,” said Mr Malone severely.

atrocious

The reporter admitted that his spelling was atrocious.

faulty

Engineers soon fixed the faulty telephone line.

inferior

The paint Dad bought was of inferior quality – it was hard to use and didn’t last long.

shoddy

Owing to shoddy workmanship, the house had to be redecorated.

unsatisfactory

The head teacher wrote that my school report was unsatisfactory.

ANTONYM: excellent

badly (1) ADVERB

If you do something badly, you do it in an inferior way.

inadequately

He had been inadequately trained for the job.

poorly

The event was poorly organized.

shoddily

This house has been shoddily built.

unsatisfactorily

I feel the whole business has been handled unsatisfactorily.

ANTONYM: well

badly (2) ADVERB

If something affects you badly, it affects you in a serious way.

deeply

I am deeply hurt by these remarks.

gravely

He was gravely ill following a heart operation.

seriously

Four people have been seriously injured.

bad-mannered ADJECTIVE

Bad-mannered people are rude and thoughtless.

disrespectful

It is disrespectful to interrupt people when they are speaking.

inconsiderate

It was inconsiderate of Meg to take a second helping when others had not had their first.

rude

We decided not to leave a tip for the rude waiter.

bad-tempered ADJECTIVE

Bad-tempered people often lose their temper.

grumpy

Dad is always cheerful in the mornings. It’s me that is grumpy.

irritable

Some people get irritable when you read over their shoulder.

moody

When people are moody, you never quite know how they will greet you.

quarrelsome

The two quarrelsome brothers were always looking for a fight.

sulky

“If you’re going to be sulky, miss, you can go to your room,” Dad replied.

sullen

The sullen waiter snatched my plate and stalked off to the kitchen.

bag NOUN

A bag is a container for carrying things in.

Some types of bag:

backpack

briefcase

carrier bag

duffel bag

handbag

holdall

rucksack

sack

satchel

shopping bag

shoulder bag

suitcase

ban VERB

If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.

make illegal

The government proposes to make illegal the sale of imitation guns.

prohibit

Using all sorts of barricades, the landowner prohibited walkers from crossing his land.

bang (1) NOUN

A bang is a hard, painful bump against something.

blow

Kirstin suffered a blow to her head when the door opened suddenly.

knock

When I slipped on the stairs, I got a sharp knock on my funny bone.

bang (2) NOUN

A bang is a sudden, short, loud noise.

blast

The blast echoed round the quarry.

thud

With a thud, the encyclopedia hit the floor.

bare (1) ADJECTIVE

If your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing.

in your birthday suit INFORMAL

I dreamt I was walking down the high street in my birthday suit.

naked

Lady Godiva rode naked on a horse through the middle of town.

nude

For many centuries, the nude body has been a popular subject for artists.

undressed

The nurse asked me to get undressed, ready for the medical examination.

without a stitch on INFORMAL

“And there I was, without a stitch on,” Mrs Lee, our neighbour, told me.

bare (2) ADJECTIVE

If something is bare, it is not covered with anything.

barren

The Grand Canyon, although magnificent, is a barren wilderness.

bleak

The Brontë sisters lived on the edge of a bleak, windswept moor.

desolate

The abandoned town was desolate.

➔ See empty (1)

barrier NOUN

A barrier is a fence or wall that prevents people or animals getting from one area to another.

barricade

The protesters erected a barricade across the main street.

obstacle

There are lots of obstacles to get over and under in an obstacle race.

obstruction

The roadworks were an obstruction and drivers had to be diverted around them.

base (1) NOUN

The base is the lowest part of something.

bottom

The lost cat mewed at the bottom of the well.

foot

“Please would you stand on the foot of my ladder to stop it slipping?” Dad asked.

foundation

The foundations of New York’s skyscrapers rest on solid rock.

base (2) NOUN

A base is the headquarters of an organization.

centre

A humble office in a run-down district was the unlikely centre of a huge corporation.

headquarters

We arranged to meet at our scout headquarters at four o’clock.

HQ

“HQ calling Tank 5,” the colonel snapped.

bat NOUN

A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood with a handle, used for hitting a ball in some games.

You play with…

a bat in baseball, cricket, rounders, softball and table tennis.

a club in golf.

a cue in pool and snooker.

a racket in badminton, squash and tennis.

a stick in hockey.

battle NOUN

A battle is a fight between armed forces, or a struggle between two people or groups with different aims.

action

It was the first time that the young soldier had seen action.

conflict

There was a conflict of opinions: the red party on one side, the greens on the other.

struggle

The struggle for power between the king and the government was a long one.

beach NOUN

The beach is an area of sand or pebbles beside the sea.

sands

The lifeguards sprinted down the sands and plunged into the waves.

seashore

After the tanker disaster, much of the seashore was coated in an oily sludge.

seaside

Aaron loved to spend his holidays at the seaside.

shore

We walked along the shore, looking for attractive shells.

water’s edge

The water’s edge was a seething mass of turtles.

beat (1) VERB

If someone or something beats someone or something else, they hit them hard and repeatedly.

batter

The burglar had battered down the door.

flog

In Nelson’s day, sailors who stole would be flogged with a whip called a cat-o’-nine-tails.

pound

Waves pounded the shore as the wind rose to screaming pitch.

thrash

The bully threatened, “Tom Brown, I shall thrash the living daylights out of you.”

beat (2) VERB

If you beat someone in a race or game, you defeat them or do better than them.

conquer

William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England in 1066.

lick INFORMAL

Abdel really licked me in the 100 metres sprint race.

run rings round INFORMAL

Our speedy attackers ran rings round their lumbering defenders.

thrash INFORMAL

“It’s a safe bet that we’ll get thrashed when we play you,” said Tim.

wipe the floor with INFORMAL

Our school team wiped the floor with kids much bigger than they were.

beautiful ADJECTIVE

You say someone or something is beautiful if they are very pleasing to look at.

attractive

People say my sister is attractive.

gorgeous

I overheard Dad telling Mum she looked gorgeous.

lovely

The photograph, I had to admit, even made my aunt look lovely.

pretty

Even some garden weeds can look pretty at certain times.

stunning INFORMAL

The sunset over the mountains was nothing less than stunning.

ANTONYMS: ugly or unattractive

beauty (1) NOUN

If a person has beauty, they have the quality of being beautiful.

elegance

Every movement the duchess made had an elegance about it.

good looks

The actor possessed rugged good looks.

loveliness

The opera singer’s loveliness was not matched by her selfish behaviour.

beauty (2) NOUN

If a place has beauty, it has the quality of being beautiful.

charm

This country cottage has tremendous charm and character.

loveliness

I think the loveliness of Athens is somewhat spoilt by the pollution.

splendour

Rome is famous for the splendour of its ancient buildings.

ANTONYM: ugliness

because CONJUNCTION

Because is used with other words to give a reason for something.

as

As you’ve been so helpful, I’ll treat you to an ice cream.

owing to

Owing to work on the track this Sunday, trains will be delayed.

since

“Since Fred is here, why don’t we build a tree house?” my sister suggested.

thanks to

I got no pocket money, thanks to my brother telling tales on me.

bed NOUN

A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.

Some types of bed:

bunk beds

cot

cradle

double bed

futon

hammock

inflatable bed

single bed

sofa bed

water bed

Some things that are put on a bed:

bedspread

blanket

duvet

eiderdown

mattress

pillow

pillowcase

quilt

sheet

sleeping bag

before ADVERB

If something happens before, it happens earlier than something else.

formerly

Formerly, Mrs Patterson was a teacher at my dad’s old school.

previously

Previously, Mr Cruickshank had always let us off homework, but not today.

sooner

If I had got the invitation sooner, I would have come to the party.

Something that goes before something else precedes it.

begin VERB

If you begin something, you start it.

commence

The king shouted “Let battle commence!” and the two knights thundered towards each other.

embark on

As soon as we’d embarked on our journey to the park, it started to rain.

set about

We set about digging the vegetable garden.

start

Dad told me to start my homework soon.

ANTONYM: end

beginner NOUN

A beginner is someone who has just started to learn something.

learner

Swimmers use the big pool, while learners use the shallower pool.

novice

Although a complete novice, Britney showed a flair for ski jumping.

ANTONYM: veteran

beginning NOUN

The beginning of something is when or where it starts.

introduction

In the introduction, the author explains how she came to write the book.

opening

The band played at the opening of the fête.

origin

The origin of the universe is still a mystery.

ANTONYM: end

behave VERB

If you behave in a particular way, you act that way.

act

Emir is acting like a spoilt child.

function

“The girls are finally functioning as a team!” exclaimed the coach.

operate

Sally operates in a certain way to get what she wants.

work

Anoup worked methodically in order to get the work done.

believe (1) VERB

If you believe someone, you accept that they are telling the truth.

accept

It took some people a long time to accept that the world was round.

be certain of

“We have to be certain of your story before we can take action,” warned the sergeant.

have faith in

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

If something breaks up, it comes apart.

disintegrate

Because of the explosion, the plane disintegrated in midair.

fall apart

My wonderful go-kart fell apart during its maiden trip.

When a married couple break up, they separate or get a divorce.

breathless ADJECTIVE

If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty.

gasping

By the time we reached the ridge of the hill, we were gasping.

out of breath

My gran gets out of breath even when she bends down.

puffed out INFORMAL

After running for the train I was puffed out.

puffing and panting INFORMAL

By the end of the fathers’ race Dad was puffing and panting.

wheezing

The poor asthmatic girl was still wheezing even after using her inhaler.

bright (1) ADJECTIVE

Bright colours or things are strong and startling.

brilliant

The brilliant diamond glittered in the light.

dazzling

We stepped out into dazzling sunshine.

gleaming

I polished Dad’s car until it was gleaming.

glistening

The glistening dewdrop sat like a jewel on the leaf.

glittering

For the show, Mum made me a glittering dress with sequins all over.

glowing

The glowing fire lit the old cottage kitchen far into the night.

shimmering

The sun rose as the ship sailed out onto the shimmering sea.

shining

The shining stars lit up the night.

twinkling

From the opposite shore we could see the twinkling lights of the town.

vivid

The parrot’s feathers were vivid shades of red, green and blue.

ANTONYMS: dim or dull

bright (2) ADJECTIVE

Someone who is bright is clever.

clever

My aunt is clever. At antique fairs, she never misses a bargain.

intelligent

Collies are intelligent dogs and can understand many commands.

quick-witted

Reginald’s quick-witted action saved his house from burning down.

smart

People say I’m smart because I’m as quick as lightning at identifying pop songs.

bright (3) ADJECTIVE

Someone who is bright is cheerful.

cheerful

A cheerful manner is important if you are dealing with the public.

jolly

My grandpa is a jolly man who always seems to be smiling.

light-hearted

In our class, discussions are always light-hearted, never too serious.

lively

Mrs Fenkle is a lively teacher, who always makes lessons interesting.

brilliant (1) ADJECTIVE

A brilliant colour or light is extremely bright.

bright

The dentist shone a bright light into my mouth so he could see my teeth clearly.

dazzling

The magnificent ruby was a dazzling red.

sparkling

As the plane came in to land, we could see the sparkling city lights below.

brilliant (2) ADJECTIVE

Someone who is brilliant is extremely clever or skilful.

exceptional

Parvinder is an exceptional pupil and is certain to go to university.

gifted

The Russian was a gifted pianist before he became a conductor.

talented

Nicole is a talented actress who would like to go to stage school.

bring VERB

If you bring something with you when you go to a place, you take it with you.

carry

A hotel porter’s job is to carry people’s luggage to their rooms.

convey

The minibus conveyed people out to the waiting aircraft.

transport

Cable cars transport sightseers to the top of the mountain.

bubbles PLURAL NOUN

Bubbles are balls of gas in a liquid.

fizz

“My cola has lost its fizz,” Wayne complained.

foam

As the tap kept running, the foam spilt over the sides of the bath.

froth

As we added the lemonade to the orange juice, froth started to appear on top.

suds

The washing-up bowl was full of suds.

bug NOUN INFORMAL

A bug is an infection or virus that makes you ill.

disease

The disease spread rapidly, and soon thousands were infected.

germ

Lydia must have caught some sort of germ, because she’s very poorly.

infection

Hospitals have to fight a constant battle against infection.

virus

Antibiotics are not effective in curing a virus.

build VERB

If you build something, you make it from all its parts.

assemble

“Assembling a bookcase from a kit is easy,” Dad said. Ours collapsed two days later.

construct

Grandad helped me construct a tree house in our back garden.

erect

The monument was erected within a week.

ANTONYM: demolish

building NOUN

A building is a structure with walls and a roof.

construction

The huge construction on the edge of town is going to be the new sports centre.

structure

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is perhaps the world’s best-known structure.

Buildings to live in:

bungalow

cabin

castle

cottage

flat

house

maisonette

mansion

palace

semidetached house

terraced house

tower block

Buildings to work in or visit:

barn

college

factory

fire station

gallery

garage

hospital

laboratory

library

lighthouse

museum

office block

police station

post office

power station

restaurant

school

shop

skyscraper

store

supermarket

theatre

warehouse

windmill

Buildings to worship in:

cathedral

chapel

church

gurdwara

mosque

synagogue

temple

build up VERB

If something builds up, it becomes greater.

accumulate

Snow accumulated on the snowball as it rolled downhill.

amass

Old Mr Godber amassed a fortune through dealing in scrap metal.

collect

A layer of dust and dead flies had collected on top of my wardrobe.

bully VERB

If someone bullies you into doing something, they make you do it by using force or threats.

frighten

The boys who frightened me by calling me names got into trouble.

intimidate

“Don’t try to intimidate me,” the old lady called. “I’m not afraid of you!”

terrorize

Some fanatics try to terrorize others by setting off bombs.

threaten

When the bully threatened me, I used my judo skills to stop him in his tracks.

bump (1) VERB

If you bump into something, you knock into it accidentally.

collide with

My bike collided with a tree at top speed.

knock

Julian knocked his knee against the table leg.

strike

Allegra fell downstairs, striking her head on the banister.

To bump into someone is to meet them by chance.

bump (2) NOUN

A bump is a sound like something knocking into something else.

thud

I heard a thud from upstairs – my sister had fallen out of bed.

thump

The apple landed with a thump on the ground beneath the tree.

bump (3) NOUN

A bump is a raised, uneven part of a surface.

bulge

The bulge under the shoplifter’s coat proved to be a clock radio.

lump

I couldn’t sleep last night because of a lump in my mattress.

swelling

When I banged my head I got a swelling over my eye, but it soon went down.

bumpy ADJECTIVE

Something that is bumpy has a rough, uneven surface.

rough

The pirate’s chin was rough, as though he had shaved with a knife and fork.

uneven

Our soccer pitch is uneven, which makes the ball’s bounce unpredictable.

bunch (1) NOUN

A bunch is a group of things together.

bundle

The servant gathered a bundle of twigs.

cluster

Clusters of grapes hung from the vine.

A bunch of flowers is a bouquet, posy or spray. A bunch of flowers for a funeral is a wreath.

bunch (2) NOUN

A bunch is a group of people.

crowd

The crowd grew restless as the floodlights stayed off.

gang

In the old days, gangs of sailors would use force to persuade men to join the navy.

party

A party of people from each school turned up for the tug-of-war.

burglar NOUN

A burglar is someone who breaks into buildings and steals things.

intruder

Dad woke up and realized that there was an intruder downstairs.

robber

The traveller was set upon by robbers, who stole his money.

thief

Thieves broke into the warehouse and stole 100 televisions.

burn (1) VERB

If something is burning, it is on fire.

be alight

The stove was still alight when we came down in the morning.

blaze

A fire blazed merrily in Mole’s sitting room.

flame

The barbecue flamed up around the burgers.

flicker

The fire flickered and crackled.

Something burning is said to be ablaze.

burn (2) VERB

To burn something can mean to damage or destroy it with fire.

char

The barbecue was too hot and charred the sausages.

scorch

The baking sun had scorched the dry grass on the prairies.

shrivel

The heat of the desert had shrivelled even the toughest of the plants.

singe

I leaned too close to the bonfire and singed my hair.

burst VERB

When something bursts, or you burst it, it splits open suddenly.

break

The coffin broke open and the zombie’s hands grasped the fractured lid.

explode

Shells were exploding just behind the enemy trenches.

rupture

A water pipe had ruptured.

split

With the force of the player’s shot, the leather ball had split.

bury VERB

If something is buried under something, it is covered by it.

conceal

The secret door was concealed behind the bookshelves in the library.

cover

I couldn’t find my homework as I had accidentally covered it with my dirty socks!

hide

Sometimes Dad hides a bone in the garden so that our dog Sadie can find it and dig it up.

secrete

The thief secreted the stolen jewels in a box under the floorboards.

➔ See hide (2)

business (1) NOUN

A business is an organization that produces or sells goods, or provides a service.

company

My mum runs her own company.

corporation

Whizzo Fireworks is part of a big corporation making flares and explosives for quarries.

firm

My uncle’s firm deals in electrical supplies.

organization

“Grappo Inc,” boasted the president, “is a big organization full of high achievers.”

business (2) NOUN

Business is work relating to buying and selling goods and services.

industry

The steel industry requires plenty of water for cooling the metal.

trade

The clothing business is sometimes called the rag trade.

business (3) NOUN

Business is a general word for any event, situation or activity.

affair

“That Baskerville murder was a strange affair,” said Sherlock Holmes.

issue

Who owned the buried treasure? It was a complex issue!

matter

“Stop waffling and stick to the matter in hand,” the chairman cut in.

busy (1) ADJECTIVE

If you are busy, you are doing something.

employed

Amal would clearly be employed for the next half hour, dealing with a difficult customer.

hard at work

My brother was hard at work revising when his friends came round.

occupied

I was occupied looking after my baby brother.

working

I was working on my school project when I was interrupted by the phone ringing.

ANTONYMS: idle or unoccupied

busy (2) ADJECTIVE

A busy place is full of people doing things or moving about.

bustling

Trafalgar Square is the bustling heart of London.

hectic

The streets of Rome were hectic and noisy.

lively

There is a lively market in the town centre every Saturday.

but CONJUNCTION

But is used to introduce an idea that is opposite to what has gone before.

however

The games were about to start. However, I felt poorly and sat in the corner.

nevertheless

In my opinion, Sunita had the best fancy dress. Nevertheless, Emma got the prize.

on the other hand

My sister said she’d had a good time. On the other hand, she always says things like that.

yet

Back home, Mum ordered us to bed, yet I wasn’t really tired.

buy VERB

If you buy something, you get it by paying money for it.

acquire

The school acquired a piece of land to extend the playing field.

obtain

Dad obtained tickets for the match.

pay for

We saved up our pocket money and used it to pay for a new CD player.

purchase

“My good man, where in your emporium can I purchase a handbag?” sniffed Lady Bracknell.

Cc

café NOUN

A café is a place where you can buy light meals and drinks.

coffee shop

My sister took me into her favourite coffee shop for a treat.

snack bar

Dad remembers when that expensive restaurant was a simple snack bar.

teashop

On holiday, we had tea and scones in an old-fashioned teashop.

call (1) VERB

If you call someone or something a particular name, that is their name.

christen

My mum has christened her little soft-top car William.

name

My parents wanted to name me Humphrey, but changed their minds.

call (2) VERB

If you call someone, you telephone them.

phone

“Dad just phoned to say he’ll be home shortly,” I told Mum.

ring

Lisa rang the hospital to see how her brother was doing.

telephone

“If you telephone between twelve and one o’clock, you’ll catch me,” the salesman said.

call off VERB

If something is called off, it is cancelled.

abandon

When the heavy rain turned to snow, the referee decided that the match should be abandoned.

cancel

Owing to lack of support, the dance had to be cancelled.

postpone

Because of building repairs, we had to postpone our bowling until Tuesday.

calm (1) ADJECTIVE

Someone who is calm is quiet and does not show any worry or excitement.

composed

Mrs Yamamoto is a very composed, businesslike woman.

level-headed

Sanjay is a level-headed individual who would never panic in a crisis.

relaxed

Cameron was so relaxed about his exam, he fell asleep on the first page.

unflappable INFORMAL

The lifeboat crew were selected for being unflappable as well as skilled sailors.

ANTONYM: excitable

calm (2) ADJECTIVE

If the sea is calm, the water is not moving very much.

peaceful

The sea was peaceful as we walked along the beach in the early morning.

quiet

After the storm the sea became quiet again.

still

The lake was absolutely still, reflecting the mountains behind.

tranquil

It was a hot, sunny day and the children enjoyed swimming in the tranquil bay.

ANTONYM: rough

calm down VERB

If you calm someone down, you help make them less upset or excited.

quieten

A lollipop helped to quieten the squealing toddler.

soothe

Some farmers turn on the radio to soothe pigs in their pens.

cancel VERB

If you cancel something that has been arranged, you stop it from happening.

abandon

The match was abandoned at half-time when the floodlights failed.

abort

Mission Control decided to abort the mission and bring the shuttle back.

call off

When I caught chickenpox, Mum and Dad called off the party.

scrap INFORMAL

“Let’s scrap the idea of Paris, and go to Rome instead,” Dad suggested.

capable ADJECTIVE

Someone who is capable is able to do something well.

able

My dad is an able businessman.

accomplished

Rajesh is an accomplished violinist.

competent

Sir Winston Churchill was a surprisingly competent artist.

efficient

Mrs Kemp was very efficient; everything was done to a tight schedule.

skilful

My sister is a skilful horsewoman, with several medals to her name.

ANTONYM: incompetent

captain NOUN

A captain is the officer in charge of a ship or aeroplane.

commander

Uncertain what to do, Lieutenant Zarg called the spacecraft commander to the bridge.

master

The master of the oil tanker reluctantly gave the order to abandon ship.

pilot

“It looks as if we’re in for some turbulence,” the pilot announced.

skipper

Trawler skippers and their crews have to endure awful weather conditions.

capture VERB

If someone captures someone or something, they take them prisoner.

arrest

Police arrested the woman on suspicion of blackmail.

kidnap

The villains kidnapped the wealthy businessman’s son and held him hostage.

nab INFORMAL

Sergeant Philpot nabbed the burglar as he tried to make his escape.

take captive

After being taken captive, the explorer was imprisoned in a hut.

ANTONYM: release

car NOUN

A car is a four-wheeled road vehicle with an engine and room to carry a few passengers.

automobile

“This motorcar,” boasted Mr Toad, “is the finest automobile ever built.”

banger INFORMAL

Our new teacher drives a real old banger.

motorcar

The sign read, “This road is unsuitable for motorcars”.

The word vehicle can be used for a car, but also for other forms of transport, especially those with wheels.

Some kinds of car:

4×4 (four by four or four-wheel drive)

convertible

coupé

estate car

hatchback

Jeep™

Land Rover™

limousine

Mini™

off-road vehicle

people carrier

racing car

saloon

sedan

soft top

sports car

vintage car

care (1) VERB

If you care about something or someone, you are concerned about them and interested in them.

be concerned

Yolanda didn’t seem to be concerned about next week’s test.

bother

“If you don’t care about the state of your room, why should I bother?” my mother snapped.

mind

Graham didn’t mind if Sanjiv borrowed some of his pens.

care (2) NOUN

A care is a worry or trouble.

anxiety

The twins hadn’t returned, and Dad was showing signs of anxiety.

concern

Our concern is that Midori will miss too much school while she’s off with mumps.

trouble

I don’t like to burden other people with my troubles.

worry

One worry for the head teacher was what to do if several teachers were ill at once.

care (3) NOUN

If you do something with care, you concentrate very hard on it so that you don’t make any mistakes.

attention

Attention to detail is an important aspect of an architect’s work.

caution

You must always exercise caution when you cross a road.

ANTONYM: carelessness

care for VERB

If you care for a person or animal, you look after them.

look after

Connor and I looked after Mum when she was ill.

nurse

Mrs Nelson nursed her sick husband for some months before he recovered.

tend

We take it in turns to tend the three class guinea pigs.

ANTONYM: neglect

careful (1) ADJECTIVE

If someone is careful, they act sensibly and with care.

alert

“Be alert at all times,” the major warned. “You don’t know who’s out there!”

attentive

The nurse was very attentive when she stitched up Paul’s cut forehead.

cautious

I have learnt always to be cautious about so-called “free” offers.

sensible

My gran is very sensible and always takes a coat if the weather looks doubtful.

wary

The barons were right to be wary of King John’s cunning schemes.

careful (2) ADJECTIVE

Something that is careful shows a concern for detail.

accurate

If you work in a shop, it’s important to be accurate in giving change.

meticulous

Alyssa produces meticulous work. She gets very upset if the slightest detail is criticized.

painstaking

I admired Nicholas for his painstaking work. His painting took weeks to finish.

precise

“Be very precise in your workings,” said Mr Matthews, our maths teacher.

thorough

Mrs Chan is very thorough; she always cleans behind her furniture.

ANTONYM: careless

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

careless ADJECTIVE

If you are careless, you do not pay enough attention to what you are doing.

inaccurate

The clerk’s inaccurate adding up cost the company thousands of pounds.

slapdash

“This is slapdash work, Rachel,” snapped Miss Greer. “Do it again slowly!”

slipshod

Slipshod tiling by the builders caused our roof to leak.

sloppy INFORMAL

Mr Ismail told me off for my sloppy handwriting.

ANTONYM: careful

carry VERB

When you carry something, you hold it and take it somewhere.

convey

The robot arm conveyed the large nut to the bolt, and screwed them together.

lug

It was hard work lugging the case upstairs.

transport

Mrs Bartlett transported the table to her home by car.

carry on VERB

If you carry on with something, you continue doing it.

continue

“Please continue with what you were doing,” the head teacher said when she came in.

persevere

It pays off, in the end, to persevere with a job.

persist

“If you persist in talking, you’ll lose your playtime,” Mrs Rasheed warned.

proceed

Grandad took a sip of his tea and then proceeded with his story.

castle NOUN

A castle is a large building with walls or ditches round it to protect it from attack.

fort

The cavalry rode out from their fort, trumpets blaring and guns blazing.

fortress

On the very peak of the mountain stood the enemy fortress.

stronghold

King Edward I built strongholds in Wales.

Parts of a castle:

drawbridge

dungeon

keep

hall

moat

portcullis

tower

cat NOUN

A cat is a small animal covered with fur that people in some countries keep as a pet.

Some types of cat:

Abyssinian

Manx

Persian

Siamese

tabby

tortoiseshell

Some wild cats:

cheetah

jaguar

leopard

lion

panther

puma

tiger

catch (1) VERB

If you catch a person or animal, you capture them.

arrest

Navy police arrested the drunken sailor.

capture

By luck, the cowboys managed to capture the runaway horse.

ensnare

The unfortunate trespasser found herself ensnared in barbed wire.

trap

In the forests of Russia, hunters trap animals for their skins.

catch (2) NOUN

A catch is a hidden difficulty.

disadvantage

One of the disadvantages of having long hair is that it can get very tangled.

drawback

There is a drawback to eating too much chocolate. It can make you feel sick!

snag

When putting the shelves up we came across a snag – we didn’t have enough screws.

cause (1) VERB

If someone or something causes something, they make it happen.

bring about

The curse of the Baskervilles brought about the family’s doom.

create

Last night some lads created a disturbance in our street.

lead to

More policemen on the beat led to a drop in the crime rate.

produce

Who would have thought that a small baby would produce so much noise?

cause (2) NOUN

The cause of something is the thing that makes it happen.

origin

The origin of the tradition was a mystery.

source

Gambling was the source of all the earl’s troubles.

cautious ADJECTIVE

Someone who is cautious acts carefully to avoid possible danger or disappointment.

careful

Ashley was careful about handling the precious eggs.

wary

The sparrows were wary of the nearby cat.

ANTONYM: reckless

celebration NOUN

A celebration is an occasion to mark a happy day or event.

Types of celebration:

anniversary party

banquet

birthday party

carnival

feast

festival

fête

gala

jubilee

party

reunion

wedding

centre NOUN

The centre of an object or area is the middle of it.

core

The earth’s core consists of molten rock.

heart

In the heart of the city, a musician played on a street corner.

hub

At the hub of operations was my brother, with his walkie-talkie set.

middle

The bull’s-eye is in the middle of a dartboard.

certain (1) ADJECTIVE

If you are certain about something, you are sure it is true.

confident

Shula was confident that the rumour she had heard was true.

convinced

Al was convinced that he would pass his exam.

positive

“Are you positive that’s what you want for your birthday?” Mum asked.

sure

“I’m sure I put my homework in my bag, but I can’t find it,” I said.

ANTONYM: uncertain

certain (2) ADJECTIVE

If something is certain to happen, it is likely to happen.

inevitable

It was inevitable that the bully would meet his match before long.

likely

According to the weather forecast, it’s likely to be a sunny afternoon.

unavoidable

When its brakes failed, the lorry faced an unavoidable collision.

ANTONYM: unlikely

certainly ADVERB

Certainly can mean without any doubt.

definitely

“Put me down for a ticket,” Dad said. “I’m definitely going to the game.”

undoubtedly

The horse was undoubtedly the fastest that Jo had ridden.

without doubt

Without doubt, geography was John’s favourite subject.

chair NOUN

A chair is a seat for one person to sit on, with a back and legs.

Types of chair:

armchair

deckchair

dining chair

highchair

office chair

rocking chair

chance (1) NOUN

If there is a chance that something will happen, it might happen.

danger

At oil refineries, there is always a danger of fire breaking out.

likelihood

With those clouds, there was a likelihood of rain before long.

possibility

“Is there any possibility of a lift, please?” Hamal asked.

probability

It is a probability that humans will one day walk on Mars.

chance (2) NOUN

Something that happens by chance happens unexpectedly, without being planned.

accident

It was totally by accident that Mum bumped into her old friend.

coincidence

“What a coincidence!” Grandad gasped. “I went to that school too!”

fortune

By good fortune, a passer-by heard the calls of the stricken climber.

luck

The tennis player’s injury was just bad luck.

stroke of luck

By a stroke of luck, the massive doors were unguarded.

change (1) VERB

When something changes, or you change it, it becomes different.

alter

Gavin has really altered since he won the “Be a Pop Star” competition.

convert

Dad converted the old shed into a play hut.

mutate

Before Kirk’s eyes, the handsome crewman mutated into a fanged, drooling monster.

transform

Bond’s car transformed into a boat.

change (2) VERB

If you change something, you swap or replace it.

exchange

We had to take my new shoes back and exchange them for a larger size.

replace

Today Mr Woo replaced his old banger with a smooth sports car.

substitute

“What happens if you substitute milk for water?” the teacher asked.

swap

Dylan swapped his cards for Salman’s.

trade

Mum joked that she wanted to trade my dad for a newer model!

change (3) NOUN

A change is a difference or alteration in something.

difference

Mum and I noticed the difference in Gran after her illness.

metamorphosis

Caterpillars undergo an amazing metamorphosis into butterflies.

transformation

When Mum emerged from the hairdresser’s, what a transformation!

character NOUN

Someone’s character is all the qualities which combine to form their personality.

nature

It was not in Abigail’s nature to be rude.

personality

Gran had a bubbly personality, and was always making friends.

temperament

A dog’s temperament depends largely on how it is treated.

charge VERB

If something or someone charges, they rush forward.

attack

The infantry attacked the fortress at dawn.

rampage

Boadicea’s angry tribesmen rampaged through the streets, yelling and whooping.

run wild

Leaving their longships, the Viking marauders ran wild in the Saxon village.

rush

When the bell went, Boris rushed for the door, only to be hauled back.

storm

On D-Day 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches and cliffs of Normandy.

chase VERB

If you chase someone, you run after them or follow them in order to catch them.

follow

Fans followed the pop idol wherever he went.

hound

Reporters hounded the star until she gave them an interview.

hunt

Lions hunt antelope as their prey.

pursue

Detectives pursued the gangster to South America.

track

Sniffer dogs tracked the thief to a disused dockside warehouse.

cheap ADJECTIVE

Something that is cheap costs very little money.

bargain

My bargain laptop computer cost half of what most people pay.

economical

My old car is very economical on fuel, but costs more in repairs.

inexpensive

The jacket was inexpensive but looked very smart.

reasonable

Mum thought that it was a reasonable price for a second-hand mountain bike.

cheat (1) VERB

If someone cheats, they lie or do unfair things to win or get what they want.

con INFORMAL

The thief conned his way into the old woman’s house by asking if he could use her phone for an emergency.

deceive

“It’s no good trying to deceive me,” Mum said. “I know you’re up to something!”

double-cross INFORMAL

The thief double-crossed his accomplice and took all the cash.

dupe

The stamp collectors were duped into buying some very convincing fakes.

rip off INFORMAL

“We were ripped off there!” snorted my brother disgustedly, as we left the burger bar.

swindle

The cashier had systematically swindled the bank for years before she was caught.

trick

Trying to trick his pursuers, the getaway driver doubled back.

cheat (2) NOUN

A cheat is a person who lies or does unfair things to win or get what they want.

con man INFORMAL

The con man pretended to be from the electricity company.

double-crosser

The gangster snarled “You dirty double-crosser!” and pulled the trigger.

swindler

The swindler sold villas to his clients which did not really exist.

check (1) VERB

If you check something, you examine it to make sure that everything is all right.

assess

Miss Connolly assessed our term’s work before writing her report.

examine

Sherlock Holmes picked up the knife and examined it.

inspect

The council team inspected the food cupboards carefully.

test

To test our multiplication tables, Mr Murphy fires questions at us.

check (2) NOUN

A check is an inspection to make sure that everything is all right.

assessment

Every soldier has to do his PFA, or Physical Fitness Assessment.

check-up

After his fall, Grandad had to visit the doctor’s for a check-up.

examination

Detectives carried out a minute examination of the crime scene.

inspection

Even the best schools are subject to regular inspections.

test

Older vehicles have to go through a safety test to ensure that they are roadworthy.

cheeky ADJECTIVE

Someone who is cheeky is rude and disrespectful, often in an amusing way.

disrespectful

It’s a mistake to be disrespectful to teachers.

impertinent

What an impertinent thing to say to someone who has helped you!

impudent

The impudent waiter said the cheekiest things to his customers.

rude

“Try not to be rude to people, even if they are unpleasant to you,” said Mum.

ANTONYMS: respectful or polite

cheerful ADJECTIVE

A cheerful person is happy.

bright

I’m quite bright in the morning.

cheery

The postman gave us a cheery wave.

chirpy INFORMAL

Despite her aches, Gran is always chirpy.

jolly

The jolly poacher chuckled as he popped another salmon in his bag.

light-hearted

After Scrooge changed his character, he was light-hearted at Christmas.

merry

Mum and her friend had a merry time looking at old school photos.

chew VERB

When you chew something, you use your teeth to break it up in your mouth before swallowing it.

chomp

The horse chomped its way through a field of lettuces.

crunch

Some people crunch their lollipops. Others suck them.

gnaw

Beavers had gnawed away the bark of the tree.

munch

I hate it when people munch their lunch with their mouth open.

child NOUN

A child is a young person who is not yet an adult.

juvenile

In the eyes of the law, anyone under 18 is a juvenile.

kid INFORMAL

Mum takes several kids to school, not just us.

nipper INFORMAL

“When I was a nipper,” Grandad said, “I used to climb that oak tree.”

youngster

The youngster ran out into the road without even looking.

➔ See baby

A child whose parents are dead is an orphan.

childish ADJECTIVE

If someone is childish, they are not acting in an adult way.

immature

To lark around like that was immature for a man of his age.

infantile

Jafar’s temper tantrum was very infantile.

juvenile

“Such juvenile behaviour must be punished,” the head teacher said grimly.

choice (1) NOUN

A choice is a range of different things that are available to choose from.

selection

What a selection of chocolates greeted my eyes when I opened the box!

variety

There was a variety of films to choose from on the plane.

choice (2) NOUN

A choice is something that you choose.

option

We had no option but to accept a refund when our flights were cancelled.

preference

My preference is action movies rather than romances.

selection

To her disgust, the judges’ selection did not include Mrs Whipple’s fairy cakes.

If you have a choice whether or not to do something, it is optional.

choose VERB

If you choose something, you decide to have it or do it.

opt for

Mum and Dad couldn’t decide which holiday to opt for: Florida or France.

pick

My mean sister always picks the chocolates that I want.

select

The archer selected an arrow.

single out

The dog show judge singled out Wuffles as being especially intelligent.

church NOUN

A church is a building where Christians go to pray.

Some parts of a church:

aisle

altar

choir

font

lectern

nave

pew

pulpit

spire

steeple

tower

vestry

circle VERB

If someone or something circles an object, they move around it in a circle.

lap

The cyclist lapped the track for the final time.

orbit

The earth takes around 365 days, or one year, to orbit the sun.

➔ See go round (1)

To sail round the world is to circumnavigate it.

circumstances NOUN

The circumstances of a situation or event are the conditions that affect what happens.

background

Our history teacher explained the background of the American Civil War.

context

The police had to consider the context of the accident.

situation

The situation was difficult for everyone.

claim VERB

If you claim that something is the case, you say that it is so.

allege

The witness alleged that Jones had threatened several people.

argue

The boss argued that it was fair to sack someone who worked slowly.

declare

The smuggler declared that he had nothing illegal in his case.

insist

The arrested woman insisted that the officer had made a mistake.

maintain

Hal maintained that only Leroy was better than him at basketball.

class (1) NOUN

A class is a group of pupils or students who are taught together.

group

Mum’s quilting group meets on Tuesday.

set

My clever sister is in the top maths set.

stream

At the grammar school, children were put in streams according to their ability.

tutor group

Jennifer is in Mrs Burton’s tutor group.

class (2) NOUN

A class of people or things is a group of them that are alike in some way.

category

Nitesh entered the junior category of the poetry competition.

kind

Beavenutti is the best restaurant of its kind in the area.

sort

“What is your favourite sort of music?” Carly asked Hannah.

type

The market stall sold lots of different types of vegetables and fruits.

clean (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is clean, it is free from dirt or unwanted marks.

immaculate

The car was immaculate when Dad bought it, but filthy two days later.

spotless

“I want this cabin spotless,” rasped the captain, “or you’re for the high jump!”

ANTONYM: dirty

clean (2) VERB

If you clean something, you remove dirt from it.

Different ways to clean:

bathe

brush

dry-clean

dust

hoover

launder

mop

polish

rinse

scour

scrub

shampoo

sponge

sweep

swill

vacuum

wash

wipe

clear (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is clear, it is easy to understand, see or hear.

apparent

It was apparent we were going to lose, right from the start of the match.

definite

There were definite indications that the swallows were nesting in the eaves.

distinct

We could hear the distinct sound of church bells in the distance.

evident

It was evident from the wet roads that it had been raining.

obvious

The man showed obvious signs of having been in a fight.

plain

“It’s plain to see that you have learnt very little,” the head teacher said.

ANTONYM: unclear

clear (2) ADJECTIVE

A clear sky has no clouds in it.

bright

A very bright morning can mean rain later.

cloudless

Skylarks sang high in the cloudless sky.

moonlit

The UFO slid silently across the moonlit sky.

starlit

On that starlit night, I could have stayed for hours by the shore.

ANTONYM: cloudy

clear (3) ADJECTIVE

If something is clear, it is easy to see through.

see-through

My mum has a see-through plastic coat.

translucent

The dragonfly’s translucent wings beat against the sky.

transparent

Scott covered his book with transparent sticky-backed plastic.

ANTONYMS: murky or opaque

clever ADJECTIVE

Someone who is clever is intelligent and quick to understand things.

brainy

My brainy brother came top of his class.

bright

Jim was only three, but he was bright enough to understand what was going on.

intelligent

“It’s no good just being intelligent. You have to work hard too,” said my English teacher.

smart

He’s far too smart to get mixed up in anything illegal.

ANTONYM: unintelligent

climb VERB

When you climb, you move upwards.

ascend

Alice ascended the stairs, carrying a candle.

clamber up

Having locked himself out, Dad had to clamber up the drainpipe to an open window.

scale

The daring climber had to scale the overhanging rockface.

clock NOUN

A clock is an instrument that measures and shows the time.

Other instruments that measure the time:

alarm clock

digital clock

egg timer

grandfather clock

hourglass

stopwatch

sundial

timer

watch

wristwatch

close (1) Said “klohz” VERB

If you close something, you move it so that it is no longer open.

seal

The crewman sealed the hatch and the submarine was ready to dive.

secure

“Make sure you secure all the bolts on that cage,” the zookeeper warned.

shut

“Shut the door behind you, but first check you’ve got your key,” said Mum.

ANTONYM: open

close (2) Said “klohss” ADJECTIVE

If something is close to something else, it is near to it.

adjacent

The amusement arcade was adjacent to the holiday camp.

handy

Our chalet was handy for the camp shop.

nearby

Grabbing a towel that was nearby, Jacinth soaked it and threw it over the flaming pan.

neighbouring

The neighbouring woods are full of bluebells.

ANTONYM: far

cloth NOUN

Cloth is fabric made by a process such as weaving.

fabric

“This fabric will make lovely curtains for the spare room,” said Gran.

material

The tailor used only the best material for the suits he made.

textiles

Natural textiles such as wool are warmer than man-made ones.

Some types of cloth:

corduroy

cotton

denim

felt

lace

nylon

satin

silk

tweed

velvet

wool

clothes PLURAL NOUN

Clothes are the things people wear on their bodies.

clothing

“My son is in the clothing trade,” Manny told everyone proudly.

costume

At the open-air museum, the guides wore period costume.

dress

“Shorts and trainers are hardly suitable dress for a wedding,” Lady Etherington said.

garments

The notice read: “To try garments on, please use the changing room”.

gear INFORMAL

As the forecast was poor, Kayla took her wet weather gear with her.

Some clothes:

blouse

burqa

cardigan

coat

dress

glove

hat

hijab

jacket

jumper

pyjamas

robe

sari

scarf

shalwar-kameez

shirt

shoe

skirt

sock

stocking

tie

tights

trousers

T-shirt

underwear

vest

cloudy (1) ADJECTIVE

If the sky is cloudy, it is full of clouds.

dull

The weather was dull, but there was some sunshine forecast for later.

gloomy

It was a gloomy day for the start of our holiday.

overcast

The sky was overcast when the plane took off.

cloudy (2) ADJECTIVE

Cloudy can mean difficult to see through.

muddy

The scuba divers could not find the shipwreck in the muddy water.

murky

The travellers could see a faint light shining through the murky evening – shelter at last!

opaque

The bottle was made of opaque glass, so we could not see clearly what was in it.

club (1) NOUN

A club is an organization of people with a particular interest, who meet regularly.

association

Grandad belongs to an ex-servicemen’s association.

group

Mr Fanshaw runs a local pottery group.

society

Dad is a member of a society for the protection of wildlife.

club (2) NOUN

A club is a thick, heavy stick used as a weapon.

baton

Police carry batons in case they need to defend themselves.

truncheon

In Grandad’s day, all police officers were issued with truncheons.

clumsy ADJECTIVE

Someone who is clumsy moves awkwardly and carelessly.

accident-prone

Matt is accident-prone; he’s always hurting himself somehow.

awkward

There’s something awkward about the way Indira holds her cutlery.

blundering

The blundering chef clattered about in the kitchen.

butterfingered INFORMAL

Butterfingered people should not work in china shops!

lumbering

Giant Grumbleweed was a lumbering hulk with a knack for breaking things.

uncoordinated

My Dad is a very uncoordinated dancer.

coat (1) NOUN

An animal’s coat is the fur or hair on its body.

fleece

In a blur of movement, the shearer had the sheep’s fleece off in seconds.

fur

Stephanie sobbed into her dog Cassie’s fur.

hide

The hide of cows is treated to make leather.

The fur from certain dead animals is called a pelt.

coat (2) NOUN

A coat is a piece of clothing with long sleeves, that you wear over other clothes.

A waistcoat is a sleeveless piece of clothing, often worn under a suit or jacket, which buttons up at the front.

Types of coat:

anorak

blazer

bomber jacket

duffel coat

jacket

kagoul

mackintosh

overcoat

raincoat

waterproof

cold ADJECTIVE

If something is cold, it has a very low temperature.

ANTONYMS: hot or warm

Words for cold weather:

arctic

biting

bitter

bleak

chilly

freezing

frosty

harsh

icy

nippy

perishing

raw

snowy

wintry

Words for feeling cold:

chilled to the bone

freezing

frozen

frozen to the marrow

numb

perished

shaking

shivering

collapse (1) VERB

If something such as a building collapses, it falls down suddenly.

cave in

The miners were trapped when the roof of the passage caved in.

crumple

As the charges exploded, the walls crumpled to the ground.

give way

In 1879, the poorly built Tay Bridge in Scotland gave way in a storm.

collapse (2) VERB

If a person collapses, they fall down suddenly because they are ill.

faint

I nearly fainted when I saw our angry neighbour brandishing my ball.

pass out

The parade ground was so hot that several soldiers passed out.

collect VERB

If you collect things, you gather them together for a special reason.

assemble

For the exhibition, the gallery assembled paintings from all over the world.

cluster

Interested buyers clustered around the beautiful bronze statue.

compile

The editor compiled an anthology of poems.

gather

“Gather your tools up before you run off,” Dad reminded me.

collection NOUN

A collection is a group of things brought together over a period of time.

array

The shelf held a dazzling array of trophies.

compilation

The book is a compilation of short stories by famous writers.

A collection of poems is an anthology.

colour NOUN

The colour of something is the way that it looks in the light.

Some colours:

black

blue

brown

green

grey

orange

pink

purple

red

violet

white

yellow

come VERB

If you come to a place, you move there or arrive there.

arrive

As soon as we arrived, my auntie started hugging people.

materialize

In no time at all, thanks to Ratty, a splendid tea had materialized.

show up INFORMAL

Josh showed up at the very last minute, just when we had started to panic.

turn up

Sarah and I weren’t expecting Faith to turn up, but she did.

come about VERB

If something comes about, it happens.

happen

Mr Abiola was walking past the shop when the robbery happened.

occur

The incident occurred at the swimming pool.

take place

The party will take place from three to five o’clock on Saturday afternoon.

comfortable (1) ADJECTIVE

Something that is comfortable makes you feel relaxed.

comfy INFORMAL

Our sofa is comfy – at least our dog Wuffles thinks so!

cosy

The hobbit was extremely reluctant to leave his cosy home.

relaxing

On holiday, Mum loves a relaxing sauna.

restful

The seaside resort had a restful atmosphere.

comfortable (2) ADJECTIVE

If you are comfortable, you are at ease and relaxed.

at ease

Sir George was the sort of person to make you feel at ease straight away.

contented

Gran was contented in her little flat.

relaxed

After a week of her holiday, Mrs Archer felt completely relaxed.

ANTONYM: uncomfortable

common ADJECTIVE

Something that is common exists in large numbers or happens often.

average

The average person doesn’t know much about nuclear physics.

everyday

In a quarry, explosions are an everyday occurrence.

normal

It was normal for Harry to take his granny up a morning cup of tea.

ordinary

It started off like any ordinary day at work.

standard

“A standard-class ticket, please,” I said to the train guard.

usual

The usual lunch on Friday is fish.

ANTONYM: uncommon

company NOUN

A company is a business that sells goods or provides a service.

business

My father runs an electrical business.

corporation

Mrs Fletcher’s tiny company belongs to a huge global corporation.

firm

Mum’s firm is paying for her to go on a management course.

competition NOUN

A competition is an event in which people take part to find out who is the best at something.

championship

Wimbledon is a famous tennis championship.

contest

The two villages faced each other in a tug-of-war contest.

event

The Olympic Games is the world’s leading sporting event.

tournament

Our school entered two teams in the Under-11 netball tournament.

complain VERB

If you complain, you say that you are not happy about something.

bleat

Sam kept bleating that he had lost his pen.

fuss

The customer was fussing over a minute mark on the desk.

grouse

“It’s no good grousing now. You had your chance and didn’t take it,” said Gran.

grumble

Mum always grumbles about the dreadful state of my room.

moan

All my big sister ever does is moan!

whinge

The millionaire rock star was always whingeing about how unfair life is.

complete (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is complete, none of it is missing.

entire

At the end, the entire cast took a bow.

full

“Pay me the full amount now,” the greedy landlord insisted.

whole

“I swear to tell the whole truth,” the witness declared to the court.

complete (2) ADJECTIVE

Complete can mean to the greatest degree possible.

absolute

“You’re talking absolute rubbish,” the major replied to the private.

sheer

The winning jockey leapt off his horse in sheer joy.

thorough

The disobedient little girl made a thorough nuisance of herself.

utter

Chander felt an utter fool dressed as a clown.

complete (3) VERB

If you complete something, you finish it.

conclude

Professor Boffin concluded his talk and then asked if there were any questions.

end

The crowd was in tears as he ended his speech.

finalize

The airline staff finalized arrangements for the plane to take off.

finish

When Gran had finished her tea she turned on the radio.

round off

We rounded off our day out with a delicious meal in a steakhouse.

wrap up INFORMAL

“OK, darlings, we’ll wrap it up for today,” the film director announced.

ANTONYM: begin

completely ADVERB

Completely can mean totally, absolutely and utterly.

absolutely

By the end of the sponsored swim, Kalil was absolutely exhausted.

entirely

“I entirely agree with you,” put in Kaylee.

fully

The new manager said he was fully committed to the club and the team.

totally

Fire totally destroyed the pier buildings.

utterly

You could see by the expression on her face that Isha was utterly fed up.

complicated ADJECTIVE

Something that is complicated has so many parts or aspects that it is difficult to understand or deal with.

complex

It was a complex engine, which my brother struggled to understand.

elaborate

Blofeld had spent years on an elaborate plan for world domination.

intricate

Clock mechanisms are too intricate for you or me to tamper with.

ANTONYMS: simple or straightforward

computer NOUN

A computer is an electronic machine that can store and deal with large amounts of information.

Some types of computer:

desktop

iPad™

laptop

Mac™

notebook

PC (personal computer)

tablet

concentrate VERB

If you concentrate on something, you give it all your attention.

apply yourself to

Previously lazy, Watkins now applied himself to his work and did well in the exam.

be engrossed in

My sister was so engrossed in some telly programme, she failed to see me sneaking up.

focus on

“Today, we are going to focus on fractions,” Mrs Abrahams said, to a chorus of groans.

pay attention to

“Pay attention to what I’m saying, Jamie,” said Dani. “It’s important.”

condition NOUN

The condition of someone or something is the state they are in.

fitness

Army doctors examine the fitness of soldiers each year.

order

The television was in good working order when we sold it.

shape

My grandad is in pretty good shape for a man of 75 – he still goes for a run every morning.

state

“Just look at the state of your trousers!” my stepmum sighed.

confess VERB

If you confess to something, you admit that you did it.

admit

After questioning, the suspect admitted she had stolen the bag.

come clean INFORMAL

“Now come clean, David,” Auntie Julie said. “I know you’ve been at the chocolates.”

own up

The head teacher demanded that the person responsible for the damage should own up.

confused ADJECTIVE

If you are confused, you are uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

baffled

Lyra was baffled. What on earth was the significance of the dust?

bewildered

Bewildered by his sudden fame, Robbie went completely off the rails.

muddled

The useless new parking scheme was a prime example of muddled thinking.

perplexed

Frank stood at the crossroads, totally perplexed by the map he’d been given.

puzzled

“Then I’m puzzled,” Mum said. “How did the biscuit tin fly to your room?”

confusing ADJECTIVE

If something is confusing, it makes you uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

baffling

No body. No weapon. No witnesses. The whole thing was baffling.

bewildering

There was a bewildering choice of stereos.

perplexing

The mystery got more perplexing. Where on earth had the shoe gone?

puzzling

Sergeant Assad found it puzzling that everyone had volunteered for the job.

connect (1) VERB

If you connect two things, you join them together.

attach

When Mum receives nice postcards, she attaches them to the fridge with magnets.

couple

The man in the overalls dropped from the platform to couple the engine to the coaches.

fasten

Phil fastened the papers together with a clip.

join

The plumber joined the two pipes underneath the sink.

link

“This deal,” said the chairman, “will link two fine companies.”

unite

On their wedding day, the couple were united in marriage.

connect (2) VERB

If one thing or person is connected with another, there is a link between them.

associate

He claims that he no longer associates with any of those people.

relate

In good non-fiction writing, each sentence should relate to the one before.

connection NOUN

A connection is a link or relationship between two things.

association

Dad has always had a close association with the school. He attended as a pupil when he was a boy and is now a governor.

bond

There was a bond between the two brothers that could not be broken.

link

There are strong historical links between Britain and India.

relationship

Luis’ relationship with his stepfather was not always an easy one.

contact VERB

If you contact someone, you telephone them or write to them.

communicate with

Television reporters often communicate with the studio by satellite phone.

get in touch with

Message for Mr Sample: please urgently get in touch with your son.

make contact

Joe wants me to make contact when I arrive in New York.

Different ways to make contact:

card

e-mail

fax

letter

postcard

telegram

telephone

text message

contain VERB

The things that something contains are the things in it.

accommodate

The narrowboat could accommodate up to nine people.

comprise

Our cottage comprises six rooms: three upstairs and three down.

consist of

Pancake mix mainly consists of flour, eggs and milk.

hold

An average household bucket will hold ten litres of liquid.

include

The holiday package includes all flights, accommodation and meals.

container NOUN

A container is something that you keep things in, such as a box or a jar.

receptacle

“What we need,” said Mr Vanstone, “is some sort of receptacle for these tadpoles.”

vessel

A pitcher is a vessel for carrying liquids.

contest NOUN

A contest is a competition or game.

battle

The Cup Final was a battle between a giant club and one of the league’s minnows.

bout

The wrestling announcer began, “This is a bout of eight rounds of three minutes each.”

competition

Mum is a fanatic for entering competitions. She’s always thinking up catchy slogans.

head-to-head INFORMAL

The finish of the sack race was a close-run head-to-head between Mrs Robinson and Miss Penn.

match

The match against Holcombe was played in pouring rain.

tournament

The chess tournament featured players from all over the country.

continue VERB

If you continue to do something, you keep doing it.

carry on

“If you carry on prodding me, I’ll prod you back,” I said to Barry.

keep on

“If you keep on forgetting your homework, you’ll get detention,” I told Anita.

persevere

Although she was tired, Jamilah persevered with her drawing.

persist

Although I hate it, Dad persists in calling me by my nickname.

continuous ADJECTIVE

Something that is continuous goes on without stopping.

ceaseless

The ceaseless noise of drilling was driving me mad.

constant

Bill and Ben were constant companions. You never saw them apart.

incessant

After a few minutes, Mrs Snell’s incessant chatter became annoying.

nonstop

The disco played nonstop music throughout the evening.

uninterrupted

Good weather meant uninterrupted play at Wimbledon for the whole fortnight.

➔ See endless

control (1) VERB

To control something is to have power over it.

be in charge of

Our dad is in charge of our local Under-11s soccer team.

command

Captain Hardy commanded HMS Victory, the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson.

direct

The fire chief directed operations from a mobile control centre.

manage

Mum’s sister manages a supermarket down the road.

control (2) NOUN

Control is the power over something.

authority

The mayor had authority over the city’s transport system.

command

The conductor was in complete command of the orchestra.

direction

The team is playing well under the direction of the new manager.

power

“The Wizard of Oz has the power to give you courage, Lion,” said Dorothy.

convenient (1) ADJECTIVE

If a time to do a particular thing is convenient, it is suitable for those concerned.

agreeable

“Is three o’clock agreeable to you, Mrs Williams?” the receptionist enquired.

appropriate

Max felt it was an appropriate moment to ask the question.

suitable

“Eight o’clock would be a suitable time for me to pick you up,” my stepdad said.

ANTONYM: inconvenient

convenient (2) ADJECTIVE

If something is convenient, it is easy to use, do or go to.

handy

The store is really handy for Grandma to pop down to.

helpful

Mrs Hakim handed out a helpful fact sheet at the end of the lesson.

useful

Tin-openers are a useful invention which we couldn’t do without!

ANTONYM: inconvenient

conversation NOUN

When people have a conversation, they talk to each other.

chat

Auntie Doris often pops in for a chat on her way home from work.

dialogue

The opening scene of Macbeth consists of a dialogue between three witches.

discussion

Our discussion centred on whether to play indoors or outdoors.

cook VERB

When you cook food, you prepare it for eating by boiling, baking or frying it.

Some ways to cook food:

bake

barbecue

blanch

boil

braise

fry

grill

microwave

poach

roast

simmer

steam

stew

stir-fry

toast

cool (1) ADJECTIVE

Something cool has a low temperature but is not cold.

chilly

It was chilly outside, so we stayed by the fire.

fresh

A fresh breeze blew off the estuary, flapping the flag on the church tower.

nippy

“It’s rather nippy,” Mum said. “I’d take a pullover if I were you.”

refreshing

In summer there’s nothing to beat refreshing orange juice.

ANTONYM: warm

➔ See cold

cool (2) ADJECTIVE

If you are cool in a difficult situation, you stay calm.

calm

“Now everybody keep calm,” the captain said. “There is no need for panic.”

laid back INFORMAL

My friend Chris was totally laid back about the exam. “If I fail, I fail,” he said.

relaxed

Despite the tension in those around him, the sub’s commander looked relaxed.

ANTONYM: nervous

cope VERB

If you cope with a task or problem, you deal with it successfully.

carry on

Despite the rain, the team carried on and eventually won the game.

get by

Although money was tight, Mum got by doing all sorts of odd jobs for people.

manage

“That piano’s heavy. Can you manage?” a kind passer-by enquired.

survive

During the exams, Liam survived by drinking cups of coffee and going to bed early.

cope with VERB

If you have to cope with a difficult situation, you have to deal with it.

contend with

Apart from blizzards, Captain Scott had to contend with a growing shortage of food.

deal with

I don’t know how teachers deal with 30 kids like my little brother.

copy (1) NOUN

A copy is something made to look like something else.

duplicate

As the new car came with only one key, Dad had a duplicate made.

forgery

The banknotes were such good forgeries that only an expert could tell they weren’t the real thing.

imitation

“If that diamond is an imitation, it’s very like the real thing,” I thought.

replica

The miniature locomotive was an exact replica of the real train.

reproduction

As the real painting is worth millions, our family was quite happy with a reproduction.

ANTONYM: original

copy (2) VERB

If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.

follow

If you set a good example, others may follow.

imitate

Jordan sits behind me, imitating Mr Heaney’s funny voice.

impersonate

To gain access to the jewels, the thief impersonated the head porter.

copy (3) VERB

If you copy something, you make a copy of it.

counterfeit

The criminals tried to counterfeit passports with false names.

duplicate

Before you mail the completed form, duplicate it so we have a copy for the files.

forge

The sly couple forged tickets and then tried to sell them outside the stadium.

replicate

The artist replicated paintings and passed them off as originals.

cost NOUN

The cost is the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something.

charge

“You know, sir, there’ll be a charge for any phone calls,” the hotel clerk said smoothly.

expense

My father didn’t want the expense of a new roof, but the leaks changed his mind.

price

The money I made from errands was just about the price of the model I wanted.

The cost of travelling on transport is the fare.

cosy ADJECTIVE

Somewhere cosy is warm and comfortable.

comfortable

Gramps finds his new reclining armchair very comfortable.

comfy INFORMAL

I was very comfy in my little room right up in the loft.

snug

The two dogs were snug in their baskets when Peter foolishly mentioned “walkies”.

ANTONYM: uncomfortable

count (1) VERB

If you count, or count up, all the things in a group, you add them up to see how many there are.

add up

Irina added up the number of times Mr Reid clapped his hands.

calculate

The salesman calculated the money he would make that week.

reckon up

If you reckon up the rainy days we’ve had recently, you’ll get a surprise.

tot up INFORMAL

My friend Ainsley and I totted up the number of cakes our dads had eaten.

count (2) VERB

If something counts in a situation, it is important or valuable.

carry weight

The politician assured people that their opinions did carry weight.

make a difference

The crook’s previous crimes certainly made a difference to the length of his jail sentence.

matter

The goals you scored before don’t matter. It’s the ones you get now that are important.

count (3) VERB

If you can count on someone or something, you can rely on them.

bank

We were banking on good weather for the school fête.

depend

“I’m depending on you, Smithers. Don’t let me down,” the lieutenant said.

rely

“Can I rely on you to check that all doors are locked?” my mother asked.

country (1) NOUN

A country is one of the political areas the world is divided into.

kingdom

Beyond the barren plains of Kremmen lay the kingdom of the Wargs.

land

“We’re very proud of our land,” said the large Welshman.

nation

Napoleon once said that England was a nation of shopkeepers.

state

After the war a new state was created which united the people.

country (2) NOUN

The country is land away from towns and cities.

bush NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIAN AND AFRICAN

The Pritchards’ farm is right out in the bush.

countryside

The countryside was a patchwork of fields.

outback AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND

A lot of the outback in Australia is really very wild.

wilds

The gamekeeper lived out in the wilds in a small cottage.

The adjective used to describe things in the country is rural.

courage NOUN

Courage is the quality shown by people who do things that they know are dangerous or difficult.

bravery

His bravery in saving the child brought him letters from all over the world.

daring

The daring of King Arthur’s knights is recorded in legend.

guts INFORMAL

The timid girl showed real guts when she went down the rope slide.

heroism

For her heroism in an enemy country, the undercover agent received a secret award.

ANTONYM: cowardice

course NOUN

A course is the route something such as an aircraft, river or ship takes.

path

The plane’s flight path brought it close to the enemy coast.

route

Our quickest route to the Far East is, surprisingly, over the North Pole.

trajectory

The stone’s trajectory was a graceful arc from my catapult to our greenhouse.

way

“Which way do you go home?” I asked Sunil.

of course PHRASE

If you say of course, you are showing that you are absolutely sure about something.

certainly

School meals are certainly tastier than they used to be.

definitely

“I’m definitely coming to camp,” Vadim confirmed.

undoubtedly

I bragged that my team was undoubtedly the best in the world.

crack NOUN

A crack is a narrow gap.

cranny

In a tiny cranny in the cupboard lay the key that they sought.

crevice

Climbers use crevices in the rock to hold the pieces of equipment that support them.

nook

The birds lay their eggs in nooks in the sheer cliffs above the sea.

crafty ADJECTIVE

Someone who is crafty gets what they want by tricking people in a clever way.

cunning

Bond’s cunning trick was to hide above the door.

sly

The sly fox hid behind the henhouse.

wily

The wily coyote was no match for the even cleverer roadrunner.

crash (1) NOUN

A crash is an accident in which a moving vehicle hits something and is damaged.

accident

Queues built up, as the accident had blocked both sides of the road.

collision

The collision took place at a busy road intersection.

pile-up

Pile-ups often occur during fog, when vehicles collide with one another.

smash

It was a bad smash, with two people injured.

crash (2) VERB

If a vehicle crashes, it hits something and is badly damaged.

bump

The motorbike bumped into the back of the car.

collide

My dad’s car collided with a quarry truck on a narrow bend.

plough into

The runaway lorry ploughed into the wall.

crazy ADJECTIVE INFORMAL

Someone or something crazy is very strange or foolish.

absurd

How absurd that you should think that baked beans grow on trees!

bizarre

To see my brother on a bike dressed as a teddy bear was a bizarre experience.

insane

I reckon that bungee jumping is an insane thing to do.

outrageous

Uncle Will is aways doing outrageous things.

ridiculous

Dad thought the idea was ridiculous.

strange

The cowboy had a strange look in his eye.

creep VERB

If you creep somewhere, you move there quietly and slowly.

edge

I edged towards the door, hoping that no one would notice me leave.

slink

“Don’t try to slink off. I haven’t finished yet!” snapped the irritable countess.

sneak

The cat sneaked up the fire escape and crept in through the back door.

tiptoe

I heard my big brother tiptoe past my room.

creepy ADJECTIVE

Someone or something creepy is strange and frightening.

eerie

Eerie noises floated down from the moor.

mysterious

The mysterious stranger disappeared into the mist with a flourish of his cloak.

sinister

With his eyepatch and wooden leg, Long John looked a truly sinister character.

spooky INFORMAL

The film was so spooky Hailey had to cover her eyes.

criminal NOUN

A criminal is someone who has committed a crime.

crook INFORMAL

Two crooks called at our door pretending to be from the water company.

offender

As a young offender, the 15-year-old was not sent to prison.

villain

“Have nothing to do with him. He’s a total villain,” Mum warned.

Types of criminal:

assassin

bandit

blackmailer

burglar

gangster

highwayman

hijacker

kidnapper

mugger

murderer

pickpocket

pirate

robber

shoplifter

smuggler

terrorist

thief

vandal

Types of crime committed by criminals:

abduction

assassination

blackmail

burglary

hijacking

kidnapping

mugging

murder

robbery

shoplifting

smuggling

terrorism

theft

vandalism

crisp ADJECTIVE

Food that is crisp is pleasantly fresh and firm.

crispy

To really be enjoyed, lettuce needs to be fresh and crispy.

crunchy

The apples were crunchy and juicy.

ANTONYM: soft

criticize VERB

If you criticize someone or something, you say what you think is wrong with them.

disapprove of

My parents disapprove of expensive fast food which is full of chemicals.

find fault with

The duchess managed to find fault with everyone in the room.

crooked (1) Said “kroo-kid” ADJECTIVE

Something that is crooked is bent or twisted.

deformed

Gran’s hands are deformed with arthritis.

distorted

The distorted shape of the trees was caused by the onshore wind.

twisted

The wreckage of the car was twisted beyond all recognition.

ANTONYM: straight

crooked (2) Said “kroo-kid” ADJECTIVE

A crooked person is dishonest.

corrupt

The corrupt police officer accepted bribes.

criminal

“You have committed a criminal offence,” intoned the judge.

dishonest

Something made me suspect that the salesman was dishonest.

shady INFORMAL

“He looks a shady customer,” said Carlos, nodding towards a surly man across the street.

ANTONYMS: law-abiding or honest

cross ADJECTIVE

Someone who is cross is rather angry.

angry

My friend Anna was rather angry when I lost her favourite CD.

annoyed

Dad was annoyed that I hadn’t washed up as I’d promised.

cantankerous

The cantankerous old farmer used to shout at anyone who walked past his farm.

crotchety

Gran sometimes gets crotchety when her arthritis is painful.

grumpy

My brother is always grumpy when it comes to having a bath.

irritable

Mum was rather irritable because she had a bad headache.

snappy

“There’s no need to get snappy,” Lynn retorted. “Here’s your wretched comb.”

crowd (1) NOUN

A crowd is a large group of people gathered together.

mass

The whole square was a seething mass of red, white and blue flags.

mob

Enraged, the mob surged through the streets like a human tide.

multitude

The prophet spoke to the multitude, foretelling the great events to come.

swarm

A swarm of demonstrators headed for the parliament building.

crowd (2) NOUN

A crowd is a large number of people watching an event.

audience

The concert audience clapped when the conductor took the stage.

gate

Fifty thousand were there – the biggest gate that United had had all season.

spectators

In the past, the spectators cheered as people were publicly executed.

cruel ADJECTIVE

Cruel people deliberately cause pain or distress to other people or to animals.

callous

The callous emperor made his slaves work their fingers to the bone.

hard-hearted

Hard-hearted Scrooge begrudged giving Cratchit a day off at Christmas.

heartless

The heartless landlord threw the poor widow into the street.

merciless

The merciless sniper picked off his victims one by one with precision.

ruthless

Anyone who disagreed with the ruthless dictator disappeared.

vicious

The vicious crocodile clamped its jaws on the unfortunate swimmer.

crumble VERB

When something crumbles, or you crumble it, it breaks into small pieces.

collapse

Weak foundations caused the apartment block to collapse.

decay

The beam had decayed, bringing the floor above it crashing down.

decompose

Plants, animals and humans begin to decompose when they die.

disintegrate

The agent disintegrated as Morpheus fired his phaser weapon.

cry (1) VERB

When you cry, tears come from your eyes because you are unhappy or hurt.

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.

bawl

The moment the baby’s bottle was put in its mouth it stopped bawling.

blubber

After being refused an ice cream, the toddler blubbered for the next half hour.

shed tears

Dad’s advice is not to shed tears over something that is in the past.

snivel

“Stop snivelling and you might get a lolly,” the girl’s mother snapped.

sob

Milly sobbed her heart out to think that her dog was dead.

weep

After her sisters had left for the ball, Cinderella wept silently as she swept.

cry (2) VERB

If you cry something, you shout it or say it loudly.

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.

bawl

Everyone came running when the camp cook bawled “Dinner’s ready!”

bellow

“Time to go to school,” Dad bellowed up the stairs to us.

boom

“Attention!” boomed the sergeant major to the new recruits.

call

When I saw my friend on the other side of the street I called out her name.

shout

Ben shouted for help when he saw the child fall into the pond.

yell

“Watch out!” yelled Yanni as he saw the cricket ball flying in Aidan’s direction.

cry (3) NOUN

A cry is a shout or other sound made with your voice.

bellow

A loud bellow came from the bull at the end of the field.

howl

The wolf let out a howl as he prowled through the moonlit night.

shout

The crowd gave a shout of joy as another goal hit the back of the net.

shriek

My silly brother gave a shriek when he saw the spider in the bath.

yell

With a yell, Aidan jumped out of the way of the speeding cricket ball.

cupboard NOUN

A cupboard is a piece of furniture with doors and shelves.

Some types of cupboard:

cabinet

larder

locker

safe

sideboard

wardrobe

cure NOUN

A cure is something that heals or helps someone to get better.

antidote

There is no known antidote to the bite of that particular snake.

medicine

Dad took some medicine for his stomach ache.

remedy

The remedy for boredom is simple. You need to get out more!

treatment

Fortunately, the treatment helped and my ankle soon felt better.

curious ADJECTIVE

Someone who is curious wants to know more about something.

inquiring

“Dad, it said on my report that I’ve an inquiring mind. What does that mean?”

inquisitive

Inquisitive about anything mechanical, Fiona dismantled the cuckoo clock.

interested

If it’s anything about trains, then my brother is interested.

nosy

Our nosy neighbour was anxious to hear any gossip she could.

curl VERB

If something curls, it moves in a curve or spiral.

coil

The boa constrictor coiled its body slowly round the hapless victim.

entwine

Climbing clematis plants entwined themselves with the telephone wire.

spiral

Smoke spiralled up from the cottage chimney.

twist

The string from the kite twisted as it came tumbling down.

wind

The country road wound round in a series of bends.

curly ADJECTIVE

Curly hair has many curls in it.

curled

My sister’s hair was all curled when she came out of the hairdresser’s.

frizzy

In the Afro look of the 1970s, people had a mop of bushy, frizzy hair.

kinky

If your hair is naturally straight, you can make it kinky by having it permed.

wavy

I would love to have wavy hair, but mine’s dead straight.

cut (1) NOUN

A cut is a mark made with a knife or other sharp tool.

gash

The nasty gash in Billy’s knee needed to have several stitches.

groove

Uncle Ken chiselled a groove in the shelf for plates to stand up in.

nick

I was clumsy with the knife and made a nick in the desk.

slit

To make the pocket, Mum cut a slit in the fabric.

cut (2) VERB

If you cut something, you use a pair of scissors, a knife or another sharp tool to mark it or remove parts of it.

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.

cut a little:

chip

When she fell, Vanessa chipped her tooth.

chisel

I tried to chisel out a hole for the lock, but I split the wood.

clip

Ross clipped the hedge for his auntie.

prune

When you prune roses in winter, you cut them right back near the base.

shave

Kay shaved a little off the shelf to make it fit.

snip

For a practical joke, I snipped a bit off Dad’s tie, but he didn’t find it funny.

trim

Grandad has his hair trimmed each month – what’s left of it, that is.

cut hard at something:

chop

The karate expert chopped the brick in half with a single blow.

hack

Hacking her way through the jungle, the botanist searched for the rare plant.

slash

Bluebeard slashed downward with his cutlass, through the rope.

cut something down:

chop

Dad had to chop the old tree down after it was damaged in the storm.

fell

The stupid lumberjack proceeded to fell the wrong tree.

mow

It’s useless to mow the lawn in wet weather.

cut something in two:

bisect

With one swing of the axe the man bisected the thick log.

divide

Using a sharp knife, Mum divided the last piece of pie for my brother and me.

halve

“If I halve this apple, will you share it with me?” I asked Helen.

Tools you can use to cut things:

axe

carving knife

chisel

cleaver

clippers

guillotine

knife

mower

razor

saw

scalpel

scissors

secateurs

shears

Dd

damage (1) VERB

If you damage something, you harm or spoil it.

deface

The teacher turned purple when she saw Craig had defaced his language book.

harm

Fortunately, no one was harmed in the crash.

spoil

My painting was spoilt when I spilt water on it.

vandalize

It’s very sad when people vandalize buildings.

➔ See destroy

Someone who damages something useful or beautiful on purpose and for no good reason is a vandal.

damage (2) NOUN

Damage is injury or harm done to something.

destruction

“The destruction of rainforests should worry everyone on earth,” said my sister.

harm

The stolen painting was returned with no harm done to it.

vandalism

Owing to vandalism, the public lavatory had to be closed.

damp ADJECTIVE

Something that is damp is slightly wet.

clammy

Beneath her jungle gear, the explorer’s skin felt clammy.

drizzly

All day the weather had been dull and drizzly.

humid

In tropical places, the weather is hot and humid.

moist

As its soil was still moist, Sophie didn’t water the plant.

muggy

We all expected thunder as the air was muggy.

dance (1) VERB

When you dance, you move around in time to music.

caper

The clown capered about to the music.

cavort

The party guests cavorted to the loud music on the dance floor.

dance (2) NOUN

A dance is a series of rhythmic movements that you do in time to music.

Types of dance:

ballet

ballroom dancing

belly dancing

break-dancing

disco dancing

jive

line dancing

mambo

salsa

tap dancing

danger NOUN

Danger is the possibility that someone may be harmed or killed.

hazard

That raised paving stone is a hazard. Someone might trip over it.

menace

Pollution from farm fertilizers is a menace to fish in the rivers.

peril

Ivan put himself in peril by walking near the cliff edge.

risk

Despite the risks, the medic crawled out to help the wounded soldier.

threat

The prime minister tried to avert the threat of war by having meetings with other leaders.

ANTONYM: safety

dangerous ADJECTIVE

If something is dangerous, it is likely to cause hurt or harm.

hazardous

Road tankers have signs to show if their liquid cargo is hazardous.

perilous

Captain Scott set out on his perilous trek to the South Pole.

risky

Jenny knew that climbing the cliff was risky, but she had to escape the waves.

treacherous

“Keep away from those mud flats. They’re treacherous,” warned the boatman.

unsafe

The derelict buildings were unsafe, and about to be demolished.

ANTONYMS: safe or harmless

dare (1) VERB

If you dare to do something, you have the courage to do it.

brave

Ray decided to brave a visit to the dentist’s.

have the courage

The airman had the courage to go back to the burning plane.

risk

The athlete was not willing to risk getting an injury.

venture

Dad ventured to ask his boss for a pay rise.

dare (2) VERB

If you dare someone to do something, you challenge them to do it.

challenge

Yoshi challenged Tim to climb the wall.

defy

I defied my sister to race me.

daring ADJECTIVE

A daring person is bold and willing to take risks.

adventurous

“Rihana is the adventurous type,” her dad said. “She’s always getting into scrapes.”

brave

It was a brave and unexpected move by the submarine captain.

fearless

Even as a young midshipman, Nelson displayed a fearless character.

dark (1) ADJECTIVE

If it is dark, there is not enough light to see properly.

dim

In the dim light of the cave, Crusoe could make out a heap of bones.

dingy

With the shutters closed, the villa was dingy after the bright sunlight outside.

gloomy

On every gloomy landing, paintings of the baron’s ancestors stared out from the walls.

murky

The divers could not see anything in the murky depths of the lake.

shadowy

A sinister figure appeared from a shadowy side street.

ANTONYM: light

dark (2) NOUN

The dark is the lack of light in a place.

dusk

Street lights began to twinkle in the dusk.

gloom

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

A dead body is called a corpse or the remains. A person who has recently died is often referred to as the deceased.

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.

A country’s defences are its armed forces and its weapons.

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

One thing is different from another thing. Some people think that different to is wrong. Different than is used in American English.

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

If something is different from everything else in the world, it is unique.

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.

foul

The player was sent off for using foul language.

rude

Rude words offend many people.

vulgar

“There’s no need to be vulgar,” Mum told my big sister.

disadvantage NOUN

A disadvantage is something that makes things difficult.

drawback

The drawback of being late for school was that I missed out on Nicky’s birthday cake.

handicap

My brother’s broken leg was a handicap to him for a couple of months.

inconvenience

Mum doesn’t find walking to work an inconvenience. It helps keep her slim.

snag

The only snag with the hotel was that it was a long way from the beach.

ANTONYM: advantage

disagree (1) VERB

If you disagree with someone, you have a different opinion or view from them.

argue with

“If you argue with me,” Mum said stiffly, “you will go to your room!”

differ

Dad and Mum differed in their attitude to bedtimes.

disagree (2) VERB

If you disagree with an action or proposal, you believe it is wrong.

dispute

The player disputed the umpire’s decision and was disqualified.

object to

Fran objected to what I’d said about her.

oppose

The mayor opposed the government’s policy on city traffic.

disappear VERB

If someone or something disappears, they go where they cannot be seen or found.

drop out of sight

The toddler had dropped out of sight before his mother realized he was not at her side.

evaporate

The wizard uttered his spell and evaporated into thin air.

fade

The flight of geese faded into the twilight.

melt away

The crowd melted away, taking their memories of the music with them.

vanish

Without a second thought, Hermione made herself vanish in an instant.

ANTONYMS: appear or reappear

disaster NOUN

A disaster is a very bad accident, such as an earthquake or a plane crash.

calamity

Mr and Mrs Hassan suffered a calamity when they lost all their savings.

catastrophe

The earthquake killed 1500 people – a catastrophe on a huge scale.

tragedy

The fire in the old couple’s home was a tragedy for them.

discuss VERB

When people discuss something, they talk about it in detail.

chat about

Lisa and I chatted about our favourite movie.

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