Useful Thesaurus of English

Aa

abandon

leave, desert, give up, forsake, leave behind

OPPOSITE: keep, retain

ability

capability, competence, expertise, skill, talent

OPPOSITE: inability, incompetence

about

1 a book about football concerning, regarding, relating to, referring to, connected with

2 about ten o’clock approximately, around, roughly, more or less

absent

away, missing, gone, elsewhere, out

OPPOSITE: present, here

absolutely

totally, completely, utterly, thoroughly, perfectly

accelerate

speed up, quicken, hurry

OPPOSITE: slow down, decelerate

accept

1 accept a gift take, receive, obtain OPPOSITE: reject, turn down, refuse

2 accept a fact acknowledge, recognize, admit, agree to, concede OPPOSITE: reject

accurate

correct, right, true, precise, exact

OPPOSITE: inaccurate, imprecise

achieve

accomplish, fulfil, carry out, complete, do

acknowledge

1 acknowledge a fact admit, accept, recognize, grant, agree OPPOSITE: deny, dispute

2 acknowledge a person greet, address, recognize OPPOSITE: ignore

act

action, deed, feat, operation

act, (to)

1 act sensibly behave, conduct oneself, perform

2 act as a lever function, operate, work

3 act in a play perform, play, portray

action

act, move, exploit, deed, feat

add

1 add the numbers tot up, count up, total, tally, compute OPPOSITE: subtract, deduct

2 add it to your collection join, combine, attach, mix OPPOSITE: remove, detach

additional

extra, more, other, supplementary

OPPOSITE: fewer, less

adequate

1 adequate food supplies enough, sufficient, ample OPPOSITE: inadequate, insufficient

2 an adequate standard of work satisfactory, acceptable, passable, good enough OPPOSITE: unsatisfactory, unacceptable

adjust

1 adjust the headrest change, alter, regulate, modify OPPOSITE: conserve

2 adjust to college life adapt, conform, acclimatize OPPOSITE: rebel

admit

1 admit new members allow in, let in, accept, welcome, receive OPPOSITE: exclude, keep out

2 admit to having lied confess, own up, acknowledge, concede, grant OPPOSITE: deny

advantage

1 have the advantage over someone upper hand, superiority, lead, edge OPPOSITE: disadvantage

2 to your advantage benefit, gain, good OPPOSITE: disadvantage, loss, drawback

advice

counselling, guidance, recommendation, suggestion

advise

counsel, guide, recommend, suggest, warn

OPPOSITE: deter, discourage

affect

1 it won’t affect my opinion influence, change, alter, sway

2 be affected by a sad film move, touch, reach, appeal to

afraid

1 afraid of the dark frightened, scared, fearful, terrified, petrified OPPOSITE: unafraid, fearless, bold

2 I’m afraid I can’t help sorry, regretful, concerned OPPOSITE: unapologetic, unconcerned

again

once more, over again, afresh, anew

against

opposing, versus, in opposition to

OPPOSITE: for, pro, in favour of

aggressive

hostile, violent, quarrelsome, argumentative

OPPOSITE: friendly, peaceable

agree

1 agree with someone concur, see eye to eye, be in agreement OPPOSITE: disagree, differ

2 agree to do something consent, assent, comply OPPOSITE: refuse

agreement

pact, settlement, deal, contract, treaty

aid

help, assistance, support

OPPOSITE: hindrance

aim

goal, target, objective, intention, purpose

alike

1 they are so alike similar, the same, identical, resembling OPPOSITE: different, dissimilar

2 we think alike similarly, the same, identically, equally OPPOSITE: differently

alive

1 dead or alive living, existing, live, breathing OPPOSITE: dead, lifeless

2 feel alive lively, vigorous, energetic, full of life, vital OPPOSITE: listless, lethargic

allow

permit, let, authorize, consent

OPPOSITE: forbid, prohibit

almost

nearly, practically, virtually, approaching, close to

alone

unaccompanied, solo, by oneself, solitary, single

OPPOSITE: accompanied, together

also

too, as well, moreover, in addition, besides

altogether

1 £45 altogether in all, in total, all told OPPOSITE: in part

2 not altogether surprised completely, entirely, totally, absolutely, wholly OPPOSITE: partly, partially

always

all the time, constantly, continually, perpetually, invariably

OPPOSITE: never, sometimes

amazing

astonishing, astounding, surprising, staggering, remarkable

amount

sum, total, quantity, volume

analyse

examine, investigate, study

angry

furious, enraged, mad, annoyed, riled

OPPOSITE: calm, unperturbed

annoy

irritate, anger, irk, harass, bother

OPPOSITE: please, soothe

answer

reply, response, retort, comeback

OPPOSITE: question, query

antique

old, ancient, vintage, antiquarian

OPPOSITE: modern, new

anxious

nervous, worried, stressed, tense, apprehensive

OPPOSITE: calm, relaxed, composed

appear

1 appear on the horizon come into sight, emerge, materialize

2 appear at the party arrive, turn up, come, show up

3 appear happy seem, look, give the impression

appointment

arrangement, date, engagement, rendezvous, meeting

appropriate

suitable, apt, fitting, proper, correct

OPPOSITE: inappropriate, unsuitable

approve

1 she doesn’t approve of smoking like, favour, appreciate, admire, esteem OPPOSITE: disapprove, condemn

2 approve a plan authorize, sanction, endorse, back, agree to OPPOSITE: oppose, reject

area

1 a wide area expanse, extent, stretch, range

2 a residential area region, district, zone, neighbourhood, locality

3 an area of knowledge field, sphere, domain, subject, topic

argument

1 a blazing argument quarrel, row, disagreement, dispute, fight

2 put forward an argument case, grounds, reasoning, defence, claim

around

1 a hedge around the garden surrounding, encircling, enclosing, about

2 around fifty people approximately, about, roughly, more or less, give or take

arrange

1 arrange an appointment organize, plan, schedule, fix

2 arrange your CDs order, tidy, organize, sort,