Contents
Cover
Title Page
Using this thesaurus
Aa
Bb
Cc
Dd
Ee
Ff
Gg
Hh
Ii
Jj
Kk
Ll
Mm
Nn
Oo
Pp
Rr
Ss
Tt
Uu
Vv
Ww
Xx
Yy
Zz
Word list pages
Amphibians
Animals
Birds
Body
Books
Buildings
Cars
Clean
Cold
Colours
Cooking
Crimes
Criminals
Dance
Drinks
Flowers
Fruit
Groups
Insects
Jobs
Magic
Mammals
Music
Pictures
Poetry
Reptiles
Shapes
Sounds
Space
Sports
Stories
Time
Trees
Vegetables
Water
Weather
Young animals
Index
Picture Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
Using this thesaurus
A thesaurus helps you choose exactly the right word to make your writing more interesting. In your writing, do you find you use words like good, bad and nice too often? A thesaurus will help you find other words with the same meaning.
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 all of the thesaurus 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. A synonym is a word or phrase that has a similar meaning to the headword. Read the example sentences to understand how each synonym can be used.
Choosing the right synonym
1. The headword is the word that you want to find a synonym for.
2. Some headwords also have a number in brackets. This tells you that this headword can have different meanings.
3. Next you will see the part of speech. This tells you what type of word the headword is, such as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or pronoun. If the word you want to find is a verb, make sure the headword you look at is also a verb.
4. Underneath the headword, you will find the definition. The definition tells you what the headword means.
5. The synonyms are listed below the definition of each headword. Synonyms have similar meanings to the headword.
6. Every synonym in the Collins Junior Thesaurus has an example sentence. This shows you how the word might be used in speech or writing.
7. Some headwords and synonyms have an illustration or photo to help you read the word and understand its meaning.
Other features of this thesaurus
This arrow ➔ points to a booster. Boosters are lively words and phrases that can be used to replace a headword. Boosters are usually words that are used in speech as slang, in proverbs and in mottos. For example:
noisy ADJECTIVE
Someone or something noisy makes loud or unpleasant sounds.
boisterous
Dad complained the party was getting far too boisterous.
deafening
Suddenly there was a deafening clap of thunder.
loud
The boys’ game was much too loud.
piercing
She was a nice girl, but they couldn’t stand her piercing laugh.
➔ ear-splitting
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another. When a headword has an antonym, the antonym is shown at the end of the entry.
hot (2) ADJECTIVE
You say food is hot if it has a strong spicy taste.
peppery
The meal was a bit too peppery for me.
spicy
Dad likes his curries really spicy.
ANTONYM: mild
Word list entries
There are special themed entries throughout this thesaurus to support your writing.
At these entries you will find lists of things, such as parts of the body, colours and different types of animal. You might also find labelled illustrations to help you understand the words in the list. The word list pages are listed on the Contents page.
Online resources
Explore further at www.collins.co.uk/homeworkhelp for games, activities and extra support for parents and children.
Aa
accident (1) NOUN
An accident is something nasty that happens by chance.
calamity
The flooding river caused a calamity and the house was wrecked.
catastrophe
That plane crash was a catastrophe.
collision
Mark damaged his bike in a collision with the gatepost.
crash
There was a bad crash on the motorway.
disaster
Tom’s walk ended with a disaster when he fell in the canal.
mishap
“Just a mishap,” said Dad, after his keys fell down the drain.
accident (2) NOUN
If something happens by accident, it was not planned.
chance
The friends met by chance at the disco.
coincidence
Ben and Rosie got the same answers by coincidence.
afraid ADJECTIVE
Someone who is afraid thinks that something nasty might happen.
anxious
Mole felt anxious in the wild wood.
nervous
“You don’t need to be nervous,” said the dentist. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
panic-stricken
They were panic-stricken when they heard the ice crack.
petrified
Emma was petrified during her ride on the big dipper.
scared
Goldilocks was scared when the three bears found her.
worried
Our cat was worried when the pet-shop owner picked up her kittens.
➔ numb with fear; scared to death
amphibian NOUN
An amphibian is an animal that can live on land and in water.
TYPES OF AMPHIBIANS:
anger NOUN
Anger is the strong feeling you have about something that is unfair.
fury
My little brother stamped his foot in fury when I wouldn’t play with him.
outrage
There was outrage among farmers when the plans were announced.
rage
Nobody dared annoy the ogre, because his rage was terrible to see.
angry ADJECTIVE
If you feel angry, you are very cross.
annoyed
Alice was annoyed with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
cross
Steven was cross when his sister finished his jigsaw.
enraged
Michael was enraged when thieves stole his new bike.
furious
His sister was furious about the broken window.
infuriated
Grandpa was infuriated because squirrels had dug up his flower bulbs.
mad
I made my best friend mad by shouting at her.
wild
Sarah was really wild when her little brother scribbled on her work.
➔ climbing the walls; fuming; going ballistic; livid
ANTONYM: pleased
animal NOUN
Animals are living things that are not plants. Humans, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and insects are all animals.
beast
Fabulous beasts roamed wild in the enchanted forest.
creature
Mice are timid creatures.
KINDS OF ANIMALS:
amphibian
bird
fish
insect
mammal
reptile
annoy VERB
If you do something that annoys someone, you make them cross.
bother
The horse lashed its tail at flies that were bothering it.
hassle INFORMAL
Stop hassling me or we won’t go at all.
irritate
It irritates Thomas when people treat him like a child.
pester
The cubs would not stop pestering the old lion.
➔ drive someone crazy; get on someone’s nerves
appear (1) VERB
If something appears, it moves into a place where you can see it.
come into view
At last the train came into view round the bend.
emerge
A mouse emerged from a small hole in the skirting board.
turn up
They waited ages for the bus to turn up.
appear (2) VERB
If someone appears in a show or play, they take part in it.
act
Our drama teacher is looking for people to act in Peter Pan.
perform
I’ve been asked to perform in the school concert tonight.
argument NOUN
An argument is a talk between people who do not agree.
disagreement
There was a disagreement about the new kitten’s name.
fight
We had a bit of a fight over whose turn it was to wash up.
quarrel
Sophie was unhappy after the quarrel with her friend.
squabble
“I don’t want the usual squabble about this,” said Mary.
arrange (1) VERB
If you arrange something like a party, you make plans and organize it.
fix
We’d better fix the date soon or there won’t be any seats left.
organize
My mum’s great at organizing things, but she won’t do any cooking.
plan
William’s sister is planning a wedding at the end of the year.
arrange (2) VERB
If you arrange things like flowers, you group them in a special way.
group
Harry grouped the rocks according to size.
set out
The books were set out on the shelves.
sort
Dad sorted his files in alphabetical order to make them easy to find.
arrive VERB
When you arrive at a place, you reach it at the end of your journey.
come
What time’s Jeremy coming?
turn up
Chloe could turn up any minute now.
ask (1) VERB
You ask for something when you want to be given it.
beg
James begged his dad for a mountain bike for his birthday.
demand
“Who’s been playing with my camera?” demanded Dad.
order
The highwayman ordered them to hand over their jewels.
plead
Holly pleaded to be allowed to stay up late and read her book.
request
The sign read, “Parents are requested to control their children.”
ask (2) VERB
If you ask someone a question, you are trying to find something out.
enquire
“May I enquire,” said the teacher, “why that mouse is in your pocket?”
find out
I’ll find out what time the train goes from the station.
interrogate
“You don’t have to interrogate me,” said Nina. “I’ll tell you anyway.”
question
The police said they were questioning a number of people.
ask (3) VERB
If you ask someone somewhere, you want them to come.
invite
I invited all my friends to my birthday party at the pool.
summon
Christopher was summoned to the head teacher’s office.
attractive ADJECTIVE
If someone or something is attractive, they are nice to look at.
beautiful
The car stopped and a beautiful woman got out.
charming
We had tea in the garden of a charming little cottage.
handsome
“I’ll turn into a handsome prince if you kiss me,” said the frog.
lovely
There was a lovely view from the window.
pretty
On the way, we passed through several pretty villages.
awful ADJECTIVE
Something awful is very unpleasant or bad.
bad
The weather was so bad we had to cancel the picnic.
dreadful
Sarah had a dreadful cold and found it hard to breathe.
horrible
A horrible smell came wafting from the witch’s cauldron.
terrible
Rosetta’s writing is so terrible nobody can read it.
unpleasant
They’ve painted the walls an unpleasant shade of green.
Bb
bad (1) ADJECTIVE
You say somebody is bad if they are naughty or wicked.
criminal
The police arrested four of the men for criminal behaviour.
disobedient
I have a very disobedient dog. He doesn’t come when I call him.
evil
Stories often tell of the fight between good and evil forces.
vile
“You’re vile!” she screamed. “Go away!”
wicked
The wicked queen gave Snow White a poisoned apple.
ANTONYM: good
bad (2) ADJECTIVE
If something is bad, it is harmful, unpleasant or upsetting.
appalling
Conditions on the road were appalling. There were several accidents.
disgusting
A disgusting smell came from the cave. An ogre was washing his underpants.
dreadful
The kitchen was in a dreadful state when Sanjay had finished making a cake.
harmful
Pollution is harmful for the environment.
hazardous
There is thick fog on the motorway and driving conditions are hazardous.
horrid
Amy stood in the doorway. “I’ve just had a horrid dream,” she said.
nasty
The medicine tasted really nasty.
severe
Darren the dragon had a severe coughing fit and set light to the furniture.
terrible
The weathermen were forecasting terrible floods for the weekend.
unpleasant
Walking to school was really unpleasant. Slush was everywhere.
bad (3) ADJECTIVE
You say something is bad if it is of poor quality.
careless
Your answers are right, but your presentation is careless.
faulty
Robert’s handling of the cricket bat was faulty so he couldn’t hit the ball.
poor
The lighting was so poor nobody could see the steps properly.
shoddy
The cupboard was so shoddy that it fell apart when I opened it.
wrong
The instructions were wrong so we couldn’t see how to assemble the kit.
ban VERB
If someone bans something, you are not allowed to do it.
forbid
Our teacher has forbidden sweets and crisps in the classroom.
prohibit
The council has prohibited skateboarding in the shopping centre.
band (1) NOUN
A band is a small number of people, like a group of musicians.
group
Five of us have formed a pop group.
orchestra
Our school has its own orchestra.
band (2) NOUN
A band can be a strip of material such as iron, cloth or rubber.
hoop
Metal hoops held the barrel together.
strap
Strong straps keep the luggage safe on the roof rack.
strip
Strips of gold round the sailor’s sleeve showed he was in charge.
bang NOUN
A bang is a sudden loud noise.
blast
They heard a blast from the rocket as it launched.
boom
A boom from the explosive echoed round the quarry.
explosion
There was a deafening explosion and the ground shook.
knock
Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the front door.
bare (1) ADJECTIVE
If something is bare, it has nothing in it or on it.
empty
She looked for food in the cupboard, but it was empty.
unfurnished
The place was unfurnished except for a table and one chair.
bare (2) ADJECTIVE
If part of your body is bare, it is not covered by clothes.
naked
The baby lay naked, kicking her legs.
nude
The painting showed a nude woman holding a towel.
undressed
“You can’t come in!” she shrieked. “I’m undressed!”
basic ADJECTIVE
Basic means the simplest things you need, or need to know.
chief
The chief thing to remember when hiking is to shut gates behind you.
essential
Water is an essential requirement for all living creatures.
important
An important rule is to check the traffic before you cross a road.
main
The main thing is not to panic if the fire alarm goes off.
standard
Our car is a standard model.
beautiful (1) ADJECTIVE
You say something is beautiful if it gives you great pleasure to look at or listen to.
amazing
There’s an amazing view of the countryside from here.
attractive
It’s an attractive village with a very old church in the centre.
enchanting
The castle has an enchanting garden.
fine
It was a fine day so Finlay went for a paddle at the beach.
glorious
“Summer weather here is absolutely glorious,” exclaimed Gran.
gorgeous
Princess Jane wore a gorgeous dress sparkling with jewels.
graceful
The ballerina performed a graceful curtsey for the audience.
incredible
It was an incredible building with dozens of turrets.
magnificent
The king wore magnificent robes.
pretty
There’s a pretty cottage round the corner.
spectacular
The fireworks were spectacular.
splendid
The singer had a splendid voice.
stunning
“Wow! Your new hairstyle is absolutely stunning!” said Fiona.
beautiful (2) ADJECTIVE
You say someone is beautiful if they are lovely to look at.
good
Mum looked really good in her new outfit.
good-looking
The girl next door’s really good-looking.
lovely
The princess looked lovely on her wedding day.
believe VERB
If you believe someone or something, you think what is said is true.
accept
She can’t accept that she is wrong.
trust
I trusted him, but it seems he was not telling the truth.
bend (1) VERB
When something bends, it becomes curved or crooked.
buckle
Her bike hit a rock that badly buckled the front wheel.
fold
The blacksmith heated a strip of iron and folded it in half.
twist
A man twisted long balloons into the shape of an animal.
bend (2) NOUN
A bend is a curve in something.
corner
The house you are looking for is round the next corner.
curve
Round a curve in the river was the waterfall where we ate our picnic.
loop
Loops in the mountain road made the drive scary.
bend (3) VERB
When you bend, you move your body forwards and downwards.
bow
The farmer bowed his back under a heavy sack of oats.
crouch
The girl crouched down in a field during a game of hide and seek.
lean
Sam leaned over and stroked the kitten.
stoop
Stooping down, she touched the track made by the deer.
better (1) ADJECTIVE
Something that is better than something else is of a higher standard or quality.
finer
I couldn’t have had a finer teacher.
greater
After all his study, he had a greater understanding of the subject.
better (2) ADJECTIVE
If you are feeling better after an illness, you are not feeling so ill.
healthier
Sean certainly looks much healthier now.
recovering
Grandma had a nasty fall but she is now recovering.
stronger
I felt really weak, but I’m getting stronger every day.
big (1) ADJECTIVE
Something or somebody big is large in size.
bulky
The parcel was too bulky to fit through the letterbox.
enormous
Lionel got squashed when an enormous dog sat on him.
giant
At the end of the party Uncle Simon set off a giant firework.
grand
The concert was in a very grand house.
great
There was a great gasp from the audience.
huge
Elephants are huge animals.
immense
This money will be an immense help to the new hospital.
large
Matt took a large bite of chocolate cake and grinned contentedly.
massive
A massive rock crashed to the ground in front of them.
mighty
There was a mighty roar from the crowd when we scored the winning goal.
vast
A vast mountain rose before them, its top lost in mist.
➔ colossal; gigantic; mammoth
big (2) ADJECTIVE
Sometimes big can mean important, or having a lot of influence.
important
“Hey, I think we’ve found something important,” said Carter.
serious
Burglary is a serious problem in this area.
bin VERB
If you bin something, you throw it away.
discard
Mum tried to persuade Dad to discard his old jacket.
scrap
She decided to scrap everything she’d written so far.
bind VERB
If you bind something, you tie something like string or cloth tightly round it so that it is held in place.
attach
In our first-aid class, we were taught to attach splints to a damaged limb.
fasten
The woodcutter always fastens the firewood with twine.
join
Simon used extra-strong tape to join the broken struts together.
tie
“I’ll tie a handkerchief round your leg to stop the bleeding,” said Mum.
bird NOUN
A bird is an animal with two legs, two wings and feathers.
PET BIRDS:
budgerigar
cockatiel
FARM BIRDS:
chicken
duck
goose
turkey
BIRDS THAT LIVE NEAR WATER:
coot
curlew
duck
flamingo
goose
gull
kingfisher
moorhen
pelican
penguin
puffin
stork
swan
BRITISH GARDEN BIRDS:
blackbird
blue tit
chaffinch
robin
sparrow
thrush
wren
BIRDS OF PREY:
buzzard
eagle
falcon
kestrel
owl
OTHER BIRDS:
emu
kiwi
kookaburra
ostrich
parrot
peacock
vulture
bit NOUN
A bit of something is a small piece of it.
chip
We found a chip of Roman pottery in the garden.
chunk
Henry broke off a chunk of chocolate.
crumb
Under the table, birds were pecking at leftover crumbs.
fragment
They were looking for fossils but found only a small fragment of bone.
morsel
Oliver was so hungry he ate up every last morsel of pie.
part
Julia liked the part in the film where owls brought messages.
piece
She couldn’t finish the jigsaw. There was one piece missing.
portion
Every guest had a portion of cheese.
scrap
There was an interesting scrap of paper at the crime scene.
shred
The kitten tore the curtains to shreds.
slab
A slab of white stone covered the mouth of the tomb.
speck
If there was a speck of dust my mum would find it.
body NOUN
Your body is every part of you.
boil VERB
When liquid boils, it bubbles.
bubble
Stew bubbled furiously on the stove.
foam
Warm the butter until it foams.
froth
Hot milk rose in the pan and frothed over the top.
heat
Heat the mixture for five minutes.
book NOUN
A book is a number of pages held together inside a cover.
KINDS OF BOOKS:
album
atlas
diary
dictionary
encyclopedia
jotter
manual
notebook
novel
storybook
textbook
thesaurus
boring ADJECTIVE
Something boring is so dull that you have no interest in it.
dreary
We spent a dreary afternoon queuing for concert tickets.
dull
The film was so dull that William fell asleep in the middle of it.
monotonous
The television presenter droned on in a monotonous voice.
➔ mind-numbing
ANTONYM: exciting
bottom (1) NOUN
The bottom of something is the lowest part of it.
base
There were lots of fallen rocks at the base of the cliff.
bed
The bed of the river was sandy.
foot
They stopped at the foot of the mountain and looked up.
foundation
It was an old pillar. The foundation was crumbling.
bottom (2) NOUN
Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.
behind
Llewelyn sat there so long that his behind went numb.
bum INFORMAL
“Does my bum look big in this?” Abdul’s teenage sister asked.
buttocks
A fall on the ice bruised his buttocks.
rear
While Tom was looking round the farm, a goat butted him in the rear.
box NOUN
A box is a container with straight sides, made from something stiff, like cardboard, wood or plastic.
carton
They took a carton of strawberries with them on the picnic.
case
When we moved, all our books were packed in cases.
chest
Tommy keeps his toys in a chest.
packet
Sarah wanted her own small packet of cereal for breakfast.
brave ADJECTIVE
If you are brave, you show you can do something even if it is frightening.
adventurous
Jack was adventurous and liked to explore new places.
bold
The kitten was bold enough to tap the dog on its nose.
courageous
The courageous dentist agreed to check the lion’s teeth.
daring
King Arthur’s knights did all sorts of daring deeds.
fearless
People doing extreme sports seem fearless.
➔ heroic; intrepid
ANTONYM: cowardly
break (1) VERB
If you break something, it splits into pieces or stops working.
chip
“Don’t bang that plate down or you’ll chip it,” said Mum.
crack
The ogre gazed at his reflection. This made the mirror crack.
crumble
She sat anxiously crumbling a piece of bread in her fingers.
fall apart
Jeremy gloomily watched his bookshelves fall apart.
shatter
Her voice is so loud it could shatter glass.
smash
There was a smash as the stereo hit the floor.
snap
Simone heard a twig snap behind her. She spun round in alarm.
splinter
The Snow Queen made the glass splinter into a thousand fragments.
break (2) NOUN
A break is a short rest or change.
interval
In the play there’s a short interval between two acts.
pause
There was a pause while the teacher hunted for her notes.
rest
“I’m exhausted,” said Daniel. “Let’s have a rest before we go out.”
bright (1) ADJECTIVE
Someone who is bright is quick at learning or noticing things.
brainy
My brother’s really brainy. He wants to go to university.
clever
“If you’re clever, you’ll put the watch together again,” said Jessie.
intelligent
Guide dogs have to be very intelligent.
sharp
“You’re very sharp,” said the old lady, “but you still haven’t solved the puzzle.”
smart
Some people think squirrels are smart, but they often can’t find nuts they’ve buried.
bright (2) ADJECTIVE
Bright lights and colours are strong and startling.
brilliant
Parrots’ brilliant colours make them easy to see.
colourful
The magician produced a colourful string of knotted scarves.
dazzling
They shaded their eyes against his dazzling white shirt.
glaring
Glaring headlights blinded Dad and he had to stop the car.
glowing
The bonfire was glowing in the dark.
bright (3) ADJECTIVE
Someone who is bright is cheerful and lively.
cheerful
I like Alex. He’s always so cheerful and jolly in class.
lively
Kamal felt lively and refreshed when he woke up.
bring VERB
If you bring something or someone, you have them with you when you arrive.
carry
He arrived carrying presents for everyone.
guide
You’ll need someone to guide you back if it’s dark.
lead
Firemen often have to lead people out of burning buildings.
take
Taxis were used to take guests to the wedding reception.
build VERB
If you build something, you make it by joining things together.
create
Dad created a wonderful tree house for us.
make
The children made an igloo with small blocks of snow.
put up
We put up a fence round the guinea pigs to keep them safe.
building NOUN
A building is a place, such as a house, that has walls and a roof.
BUILDINGS TO LIVE IN:
apartment
bungalow
castle
cottage
detached house
flat
semi-detached house
terraced house
BUILDINGS TO WORK IN:
factory
fire station
garage
hospital
laboratory
library
lighthouse
police station
shop
skyscraper
studio
windmill
BUILDINGS TO WORSHIP IN:
cathedral
chapel
church
mosque
synagogue
temple
bully VERB
Someone who bullies people hurts or frightens them.
frighten
The witch frightened him into helping her gather mushrooms.
threaten
One of the big boys threatened us.
torment
Stop tormenting your little sister.
bump NOUN
A bump is a raised, uneven part on a surface.
bulge
A bag of sweets made a bulge in his jacket pocket.
hump
There are humps here to slow down traffic.
lump
Our old mattress is full of lumps.
swelling
Chloe had a nasty swelling on her finger.
bump into VERB
If you bump into something, you hit it while you are moving.
bang into
The brakes on his bike failed and he banged into the fence.
collide with
In the dark our car collided with a tree.
hit
He ran into the road without looking and hit a cyclist.
strike
She struck a litter bin when she lost control of her skateboard.
bunch NOUN
A bunch is a group of things together, like flowers or grapes.
bouquet
The bride carried a bouquet of roses.
posy
Emma gave her mum a lovely posy of bright flowers.
spray
Sprays of holly brightened the hall.
bundle NOUN
A bundle is a number of small things gathered together.
batch
The first batch of letters arrived the next day.
collection
We put a collection of newspapers out for recycling.
heap
On the table was a heap of clothes for the charity shop.
pile
A pile of dirty washing was waiting to go to the launderette.
burn VERB
If something is burning, it is on fire.
blaze
A bonfire blazed in the garden.
flame
The fire began to flame green as it caught the ink.
flare
Suddenly a match flared in the darkness.
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