Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Thesaurus

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Contents What does a thesaurus do? A thesaurus gives you a choice of words you can use in place of an overused word like good or say . Imagine you are writing a description of a meal you have really enjoyed. You might say that the soup was tasty but you dont want to use the same word to describe the chocolate cake you had for pudding. You can use the thesaurus to find another word that means the same thing. A word that means the same as another word is called a synonym . So you can describe the cake as delicious or mouthwatering or scrumptious .

Using wow words! This thesaurus is perfect for helping you find wow words to use in your writing. A wow word is one which you dont use all the time in your vocabulary so, when you do use it, it stands out and really brings your writing to life. Its good to use wow words instead of everyday words. For example, instead of saying that the man was happy because his football team had won the cup, you could describe him as being ecstatic or jubilant . If the boy in your story says something quietly, you could use muttered , mumbled , or murmured . Rather than saying the girl is always late for school, try consistently or invariably .

Here are some words that are used a lot in writing. These are just the kind of words that could be replaced by a wow word from your thesaurus: bad break cry cut eat fat feel good happy hit laugh look move nice old run say short small thin walk 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 at the back of the ebook which lists the 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 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. Read the example sentences to understand how each synonym can be used. Finding your way around the thesaurus The headword is the word that you want to find a synonym for. If the headword has a number in brackets after it, then the word has different meanings in the thesaurus.

The part of speech tells you what type of word the headword is, such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or pronoun. If you are looking for a verb, make sure the headword you look at is also a verb. The definition tells you what the headword means so you can be sure you are looking at the correct entry. Each headword has a list of synonyms . Choose the one which is closest in meaning to the word you want to replace. A usage tip gives extra information about the headword or its synonyms. A usage tip gives extra information about the headword or its synonyms.

Some entries have a list of useful words connected to the headword. Other features of this thesaurus Some headwords can be spelt in more than one way. among or amongst PREPOSITION Some synonyms have a pronunciation to show you how to say the word. wrath Said roth The player incurred the wrath of the referee for committing a foul. Sometimes a label, such as FORMAL , INFORMAL , or OLD-FASHIONED , tells you a little more about how the word is used. scrumptious INFORMAL My sister and I reckon that olives are scrumptious .

Some definitions tell you where to find more information at another headword. home NOUN Your home is the building or place in which you live. dwelling Welcome to my humble dwelling , said Rat. residence The ambassadors residence was an impressive villa among palm trees. See The entries for some very overused words are marked clearly. WORD POWER: This word tends to be used a lot. WORD POWER: This word tends to be used a lot.

To make your writing more varied, try to use some of the alternative words suggested here instead. Some entries show words that mean the opposite of the headword. These words are called antonyms . careful (3) ADJECTIVE If you are careful in what you say, you think before you speak. discreet Jamila was discreet in not mentioning the party, in case Tanya hadnt been invited. tactful Shopkeepers have to be tactful , for some customers are easily offended.

ANTONYM: careless ability NOUN If you have ability , you have the intelligence and skill to do things. competence Sunita showed competence in most school subjects, particularly science. gift Jack had a gift for remembering long and complicated equations. skill Brackford United played with enthusiasm but little skill in Saturdays match. talent Seamus has a talent for cooking delicious seafood dishes. allowed Im allowed to play for half an hour, but then I have to go home, Ron complained. available Rhys said he was available to swim for the team on Saturday. capable Mrs Diss said that my twin brother was a capable pupil, but rather lazy. free My big sister is free to take me bowling now. free My big sister is free to take me bowling now.