Collins Junior Illustrated Thesaurus

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Using this thesaurus

Aa

Bb

Cc

Dd

Ee

Ff

Gg

Hh

Ii

Jj

Kk

Ll

Mm

Nn

Oo

Pp

Qq

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.