Collins Primary Thesaurus. Collins Dictionaries

      Mum was bewildered by the huge range of mobile phones on offer.

      confused

      Granny sometimes gets confused and says odd things.

      light-headed

      The paint smell was so strong that I began to feel light-headed.

      shocked

      After the bomb, shocked, dusty people wandered hopelessly around.

      stunned

      I felt stunned by the unexpected news about James’s accident.

      dead ADJECTIVE

      A person, animal or plant that is dead is no longer alive.

      deceased

      It was thought that the deceased man came originally from Ireland.

      extinct

      The extinct moa of New Zealand was a flightless bird like an ostrich.

      late

      Many people paid tribute to Mrs Suleiman’s late husband.

      ANTONYM: alive

       A dead body is called a corpse or the remains. A person who has recently died is often referred to as the deceased.

      deadly ADJECTIVE

      Something deadly is likely or able to cause death.

      lethal

      The machine guns dispensed a lethal curtain of fire across the muddy wilderness.

      mortal

      Frodo suddenly came face to face with his mortal enemy.

      deal NOUN

      A deal is an agreement or arrangement, especially in business.

      agreement

      The countries formed an agreement about imports and exports.

      arrangement

      Dad made an arrangement to pick the car up on Tuesday.

      contract

      The player’s contract with his club will expire in a year’s time.

      deal with VERB

      If you deal with something, you do what is necessary to sort it out.

      attend to

      The receptionist has promised to attend to me in a moment.

      handle

      Mum handled all the holiday arrangements.

      see to

      “Please would you see to that customer,” the manager said to the sales assistant.

      sort out

      Thank heavens Mrs Ito was there to sort out the problem.

      take care of

      “I’ll take care of the flowers if you buy the chocolates,” my sister said on Mother’s Day.

      ➔ See cope with

      dear (1) ADJECTIVE

      Something or someone dear is much loved.

      beloved

      The card read, “To my beloved wife”.

      cherished

      Grandad has cherished memories of his time in Italy.

      treasured

      His gran’s rocking chair was a treasured possession.

      dear (2) ADJECTIVE

      Something that is dear is very expensive.

      costly

      The furniture was costly but superbly made.

      pricey INFORMAL

      “That computer game’s a bit pricey,” my friend Sean muttered.

      ANTONYM: cheap

      decay VERB

      When things decay, they rot or go bad.

      biodegrade

      Most plastic does not biodegrade, which is a problem for the environment.

      decompose

      I had a sinking feeling that my sandwiches were decomposing in my locker.

      perish

      The hot-water bottle leaked, as its rubber stopper had perished.

      rot

      Most softwood will rot if it is not painted.

      decide VERB

      If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.

      commit yourself

      In signing up for the course, my brother committed himself to do a year’s study.

      make a decision

      The hobbit made a decision to cross the river before camping.

      make up your mind

      “Ted, will you make up your mind!” Dad demanded impatiently.

      reach a decision

      My parents reached a decision: we were going to move house.

      decision NOUN

      A decision is a choice or judgment that is made about something.

      choice

      Daniel faced a choice – to continue and risk getting lost, or to go back the way he had come.

      conclusion

      I came to the conclusion that I hadn’t been working hard enough.

      judgment

      The panel’s judgment was that Mrs Flaherty had been fairly treated.

      verdict

      The courtroom fell silent as the jury’s verdict was announced.

      decorate VERB

      If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.

      adorn

      For the wedding, the gate to the churchyard was adorned with flowers.

      festoon

      The whole of Wall Street was festooned with tickertape streamers.

      trim

      The Christmas tree was trimmed with tinsel.

      decrease VERB

      If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less.

      decline

      Bird-lovers are worried that the number of house sparrows is declining.

      diminish

      The glow from the fire diminished as the dogs slumbered on.

      dwindle

      Once the mines closed, the valley population began to dwindle.

      lessen

      The driver decided to lessen his speed, as the engine was overheating.

      reduce

      Reducing your salt intake will help you to stay healthy.

      ANTONYM: increase

      deep (1) ADJECTIVE

      If something is deep, it goes a long way down from the surface.

      bottomless

      “The