Collins Primary Thesaurus. Collins Dictionaries

sight.

      harrowing

      The film was harrowing to watch.

      hideous

      The monster’s head was truly hideous: bloated, scarred and covered in scales.

      horrendous

      It was a horrendous meal, with half of the food burnt and the other half undercooked.

      horrible

      For one horrible moment, I thought my wallet had been stolen.

      horrid

      “William, that was a perfectly horrid thing to say,” said Mrs Brown.

      horrific

      “Unless this fog goes, I’m afraid there’ll be a horrific accident,” the police officer said.

      shocking

      “I think it’s shocking,” put in Dad, “that those refugees should be left without shelter.”

      terrible

      The sun rose on the scene of the earthquake, a terrible sight to behold.

      unpleasant

      Shingles is a very unpleasant disease to have.

      ANTONYM: lovely

      awkward (1) ADJECTIVE

      If a situation is awkward, it is difficult to deal with.

      delicate

      It was a delicate situation: to ask Julie about her exams or not to mention the subject.

      embarrassing

      It was very embarrassing to be stuck outside in my pyjamas in the pouring rain!

      tricky

      “Now this bit could be tricky,” muttered Bond coolly. “Which wire should I cut?”

      uncomfortable

      The spy had an uncomfortable moment when the guards stared in through the car window.

      awkward (2) ADJECTIVE

      If a person or animal is awkward, they are difficult to deal with.

      hard to handle

      Donkeys have a reputation for being hard to handle.

      stubborn

      My brother can be very stubborn when it comes to helping me wash up.

      troublesome

      On the journey to Scotland, the car proved troublesome, but eventually we got there.

      uncooperative

      The lady at the enquiries desk was uncooperative and didn’t help at all.

Bb

baby NOUN

      A baby is a child in the first year or two of its life.

      infant

      The shepherds found the infant in a stable, lying in a manger.

      newborn child

      The mother proudly gazed at her tiny newborn child.

      toddler

      Waddling on bandy legs, the toddler was off round the corner in a flash.

      tot INFORMAL

      “Don’t tease your brother,” said Mum. “He’s only a tot.”

       The babies of animals and humans are their offspring. Together, the babies of an animal are sometimes called a litter.

      back NOUN

      The back of something is the part behind the front.

      end

      At the end of the queue, people were setting up tents for the night.

      rear

      I could see smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle in front.

      reverse

      Genevieve wrote her answers on the reverse of the worksheet.

      ANTONYM: front

       The back part of an animal is its rear, rump or hindquarters. The back end of a ship is the stern.

      bad (1) ADJECTIVE

      Bad things are harmful or upsetting.

       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.

      appalling

      The weather for our sports day was appalling.

      damaging

      The fumes emitted by jet aircraft can be highly damaging to the environment.

      dangerous

      Building sites are dangerous places which should be avoided.

      distressing

      Melinda found it distressing to see pictures of starving children.

      dreadful

      It was a dreadful shame: all Barak’s hard work disappeared as the blaze took hold.

      grave

      A spokesperson announced the grave news that the king was dying.

      serious

      The artist’s illness was too serious for him to continue painting.

      terrible

      Our goalkeeper was terrible today. She let in four easy shots!

      ANTONYM: good

      bad (2) ADJECTIVE

      A bad person is naughty or unkind.

       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.

      corrupt

      The corrupt politician had taken money from all sorts of people.

      cruel

      I can’t stand people being cruel to children or animals.

      disobedient

      The disobedient boy ignored the warning notice and fell into the quarry.

      evil

      The evil villain plotted how to ensnare the handsome knight.

      mischievous

      Tying Kerry’s shoelaces together was a mischievous prank.

      naughty

      “You’re a naughty girl, Cassandra,” said her mother angrily.

      wicked

      The wicked witch lived alone.

      ANTONYM: good

       Names for bad people include rogue, villain and scoundrel.

      bad (3) ADJECTIVE

      Bad can also mean of poor quality.

       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.