Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Thesaurus

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.