Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Thesaurus

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