Collins Junior Illustrated Thesaurus

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.

flicker

He blew gently on the spark and the fire began to flicker.

burst VERB

When something like a balloon or tyre bursts, it splits apart suddenly.

explode

One of the bottles exploded in the heat.

pop

The baby laughed with delight when the bubbles popped.

puncture

A nail punctured one of my tyres.

Cc

call (1) VERB

If you call, you phone or visit someone.

phone

I’ll phone you as soon as I get there.

ring

Give me a ring one day next week.

visit

Grandpa wants us to visit tomorrow.

call (2) VERB

If you call someone, you shout for them.

cry

“Where are you hiding?” she cried.

cry out

Rashid cried out in delight when he saw the otter.

shout

“Come on Ben. You’ll be late for school,” Mum shouted.

yell

“Come on in!” Tracy yelled. “The water is great!”

calm (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is calm, it is still and peaceful.

peaceful

Everything seemed peaceful in the church.

still

That afternoon the breeze had dropped and the air was still.

calm (2) ADJECTIVE

If you are calm, you do not seem worried or excited.

cool

She was surprisingly cool about the exciting news.

quiet

The children were very quiet until they saw the mouse.

car NOUN

A car is a road vehicle with wheels and an engine. It needs a driver and usually has room for passengers.

KINDS OF CARS:

convertible

estate

four-wheel drive

hatchback

limousine

minicab

people carrier

racing car

saloon

sports car

taxi

vintage car

care VERB

If you care about something, you are concerned about it.

be bothered

I am bothered about missing my swimming lessons.

be concerned

My brother is concerned about the world’s endangered wildlife.

mind

Gavin said he didn’t mind who won the game of chess.

careful (1) ADJECTIVE

If you are careful, you try to do things well.

accurate

The soldier had to be accurate. He had only one chance to hit the target.

thorough

We made a thorough search of the room.

careful (2) ADJECTIVE

If you are careful, you try to do things safely.

alert

In Australia there is a danger of bush fires, and people have to be alert.

cautious

The lifeguard taught them to be cautious around the pool.

wary

Joe was wary of the elephant - it was very large.

watchful

With a toddler, you have to be watchful all the time.

careless (1) ADJECTIVE

If you are careless, you do not take enough care.

messy

My little sister is a messy eater.

sloppy

Her knitting was sloppy, with dropped stitches everywhere.

untidy

The professor was untidy. Now he couldn’t find his papers.

careless (2) ADJECTIVE

Careless can also mean not being sensible about things.

reckless

Sam took a reckless leap over the river.

thoughtless

Only thoughtless people went out in the storm without a jacket.

carry VERB

When you carry something, you pick it up and take it with you.

move

He moved the plant over to the window.

take

We’d better take an umbrella.

transport

We need a van to transport our furniture.

catch (1) VERB

If you catch something, like measles, you get that illness.

come down with

“Stay away from me or you’ll come down with chickenpox too,” said Beth.

get

I don’t want to get this cold.

go down with

It’s just like Ross to go down with something at the wrong moment.

catch (2) VERB

If you catch somebody or something, you capture them.

arrest

The police want to arrest a man they suspect of burglary.

capture

Prison guards set a trap to capture the escaped prisoner.

trap

“Trap that spider,” said Granny, “then put it outside.”

change (1) VERB

When you change something, it becomes different.

alter

The tailor said he could soon alter the length of the trouser legs.

modify

Let’s modify the plan. We’ll go this afternoon instead.

reorganize

“Oh no!” cried Mrs Jones. “I’m going to have to reorganize everything.”

revise

The teacher said my story was good, but I should revise the ending.

change (2) VERB

When something changes, it becomes different.

develop

Caterpillars develop into moths or butterflies.

shift

The wind shifted to the west.

turn

Tadpoles soon turn into frogs.

change (3) VERB

If you change something, you replace it with something else.

exchange

“Can I exchange this blue shirt for a green one?” asked the customer.

swap

Henry wanted to swap his pop music CD for one of Rosie’s.

switch

I didn’t see him switch his old pen for my new one.

chase VERB

If you chase someone, you try to catch them.

follow

The boys followed the man they suspected of stealing a bike.

hunt

Our cat was out all night, hunting mice and rats.

pursue

Police pursued the speeding car for miles along the motorway.

trail

It was easy to trail the robber by following his footprints in the snow.

check VERB

If you check something, you make sure it is correct and safe.

examine

The witch frowned and examined the contents of the cauldron.

inspect

The mechanic inspected the car’s brakes.

make sure

Before we set off, I made sure we’d remembered everything.

test

He tested the ground in case it was boggy.

choose VERB

When you choose, you decide what to have or do.

elect

They quickly elected a new leader.

name

Each one named the person they wanted.

pick

He picked the biggest cake he could find.

select

They were told to select a book and read for the rest of the lesson.

take

We took the shortest way.

clean (1) VERB

If you clean something, you remove dirt from it.

DIFFERENT WAYS OF CLEANING:

bathe

brush

dust

mop up

polish

rinse

scour

scrub

shampoo

sponge

sweep

vacuum

wash

wipe

clean (2) ADJECTIVE

If something is clean, it is free from dirt.

blank

She took a blank sheet and began to write.

sparkling

Penelope polished the glasses until they were sparkling.

spotless

The floor was spotless by the time they’d finished mopping it.

clear (1) ADJECTIVE

If something you say or write is clear, it is easy to understand.

evident

It was evident she didn’t like me.

obvious

It was obvious from the first sentence that this was a sad book.

plain

“I’ll make my idea plain, in words of one syllable,” his brother said.

simple

The instructions were really simple and easy to follow.

clear (2) ADJECTIVE

On a clear day there are no clouds in the sky.

bright

On a bright day there are strong shadows on the ground.

cloudless

After the storm the sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky.

fine

“If the weather’s fine we’ll go to the beach tomorrow,” said Dad.

sunny

It was sunny one minute and raining heavily the next.

clear (3) ADJECTIVE

If a space is clear, there is nothing in it or it is free from things you don’t want.

bare

The room was bare when we got it ready for decorating.

empty

For once, the car park was empty and Mum could park close to the shops.

clever ADJECTIVE

Someone who is clever can learn and understand things easily.

brainy

Matt is really brainy. He gets top marks for everything.

bright

The baby’s very bright. She’s saying lots of words already.

crafty

A crafty old fox sneaked into the kitchen and stole the sausages.

cunning

She disguised her scar with a cunning use of make-up.

gifted

Kamal is a gifted writer.

intelligent

Our cat’s quite intelligent. It understands ten words.

inventive

Matt was really inventive when it came to making up excuses.

sharp

That old man is still as sharp as ever.

skilful

Finches are skilful at getting the shells off sunflower seeds.

talented

He was a talented musician who could play any instrument well.

climb VERB

When you climb something, you move upwards.

ascend

The lift ascended so rapidly it took their breath away.

clamber

They clambered up the steep hill, clutching at bushes.

shin up

They shinned up the tree and looked at the view.

clothes PLURAL NOUN

Clothes are the things people wear, such as shirts, trousers and dresses.

clothing

You’ll need warm clothing if you want to watch the fireworks.

costume

The actors in the film wore wonderful bright costumes.

dress

We were asked to wear informal dress to the dance.

garments

The charity shop is always glad of garments we no longer need.

gear

Sebastian had to have all the right gear for skateboarding.

outfit