Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Thesaurus

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:

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.