Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Thesaurus

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.