Collins Primary Thesaurus. Collins Dictionaries

      overbearing

      My Uncle Ted can be overbearing.

      bother (1) NOUN

      A bother is a trouble, fuss or difficulty.

      inconvenience

      We apologize for any inconvenience our repair work may cause you.

      nuisance

      “Toddlers can be a real nuisance – always getting in the way!” said Nurse Adams.

      trouble

      Miss Pollard apologized on arrival. “I don’t want to be any trouble to you,” she said.

      bother (2) VERB

      If something bothers you, you are worried about it.

      concern

      The pilot was clearly concerned about the poor weather.

      disturb

      The Kemps were disturbed by the disappearance of their dog.

      fluster

      My sister is easily flustered, especially if she’s in a hurry.

      trouble

      This latest news from Egypt troubles me greatly.

      worry

      “Don’t worry, you won’t forget your lines,” said Ajay.

      bottom (1) NOUN

      The bottom of something is the lowest part of it.

      base

      The base of the iceberg is hidden beneath the surface of the water.

      foot

      The chest of gold lay at the foot of a long, winding flight of stairs.

      ANTONYM: top

      bottom (2) NOUN

      The bottom is the lowest part of an ocean, sea or river.

      bed

      To his utter delight, the prospector saw gold nuggets glinting on the river bed.

      depths

      The depths of the ocean are darker than we can imagine.

      floor

      The Titanic lay unseen and undisturbed on the sea floor for 70 years.

      ANTONYM: surface

      bottom (3) NOUN

      Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

      backside

      “Ashraf, get off your backside and give me a hand!” Dad said.

      behind

      My behind ached for days after the injection.

      buttocks

      Horse riding develops the muscles in one’s buttocks and thighs.

      posterior

      The toddler fell on his posterior.

      rear end

      “Get lost, Alfie!” said Olly, and aimed a tennis ball at Alfie’s rear end.

      bounce VERB

      When an object bounces, it springs back from something after hitting it.

      bound

      The ball bounded off the post, straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.

      ricochet Said “rik-osh-ay”

      During the gun battle, bullets ricocheted off the walls in a terrifying fashion.

      box NOUN

      A box is a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid.

      Types of box:

      carton

      case

      casket

      chest

      container

      crate

      package

      packet

      trunk

      brainy ADJECTIVE INFORMAL

      Someone who is brainy is clever and good at learning things.

      bright

      “We’re looking for someone bright for the job,” the interviewer said.

      brilliant

      You could tell Narinder was brilliant from the start. He could read fluently at the age of two.

      clever

      My sister was always a lot cleverer than I was.

      intelligent

      Air-traffic controllers have to be intelligent and alert.

      smart

      “As you’re so smart, Rumpold, I’m promoting you!” the manager said.

      brave ADJECTIVE

      A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.

      bold

      I’m not bold enough to ride that rollercoaster.

      courageous

      Many ordinary situations demand courageous behaviour.

      daring

      The daring stuntwoman jumped across ten cars on her motorbike.

      fearless

      The fearless St George rode straight towards the dragon.

      intrepid

      The intrepid explorer risked death to reach the Pole.

      break (1) VERB

      When an object breaks, or when it is broken, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.

       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.

      crack

      The giant egg cracked, and a pink beak pushed its way out.

      fracture

      “You have fractured your leg in three places,” said the doctor.

      shatter

      The windscreen shattered as the car careered into the barrier.

      smash

      At the fête, there’s a chance to smash plates by throwing balls at them.

      snap

      Sanjiv snapped the bar of chocolate in half and gave some to Kelly.

      splinter

      The boat’s hull splintered as the novice yachtsman rammed the pier.

      break (2) NOUN

      A break is a short period during which you rest or do something different.

      breather INFORMAL

      “Let’s stop for a breather,” suggested Josie.

      interval

      Between the two acts of the play there will be an interval of 15 minutes.

      pause

      There was a pause of several seconds before the audience started to applaud.

      rest

      “What you need is a long rest,” said the head teacher to the exhausted teacher.

      breakable ADJECTIVE

      Something that is breakable is easy