Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
discrete, inquisitive, interpretive, studious, interpretative, expositoryanarchic ADJECTIVE = lawless, rioting, confused, disordered, revolutionary, chaotic, rebellious, riotous, disorganized, misruled, ungoverned, misgoverned ◼ OPPOSITE: law-abidinganarchist NOUN = revolutionary, rebel, terrorist, insurgent, nihilistanarchy NOUN = lawlessness, revolution, riot, disorder, confusion, chaos, rebellion, misrule, disorganization, misgovernment ◼ OPPOSITE: orderanathema NOUN = abomination, bête noire, enemy, pariah, bane, bugbearanatomy NOUN 1 He had worked extensively on the anatomy of living animals. = structure, build, make-up, frame, framework, composition 2 a troubling essay on the anatomy of nationhood = examination, study, division, inquiry, investigation, analysis, dismemberment, dissectionancestor NOUN = forefather, predecessor, precursor, forerunner, forebear, antecedent, progenitor, tupuna or tipuna (N.Z.) ◼ OPPOSITE: descendantancestral ADJECTIVE = inherited, hereditary, patriarchal, antecedent, forefatherly, genealogical, lineal, ancestorialancestry NOUN = origin, house, family, line, race, stock, blood, ancestors, descent, pedigree, extraction, lineage, forebears, antecedents, parentage, forefathers, genealogy, derivation, progenitorsanchor NOUN We lost our anchor, which caused the boat to drift. = mooring, hook (Nautical), bower (Nautical), kedge, drogue, sheet anchor ▸ VERB 1 The ship was anchored by the pier. = moor, harbour, dock, tie up, kedge 2 We anchored off the beach. = dock, moor, harbour, drop anchor, kedge, cast anchor, drop the hook, let go the anchor, lay anchor, come to anchor 3 The driver's seatbelt was not properly anchored in the car. = secure, tie, fix, bind, chain, attach, bolt, fasten, affixanchorage NOUN = berth, haven, port, harbour, dock, quay, dockage, moorage, harbourageancient ADJECTIVE 1 They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning. = classical, old, former, past, bygone, primordial, primeval, olden 2 ancient rites = very old, early, aged, antique, obsolete, archaic, age-old, bygone, antiquated, hoary, olden, superannuated, antediluvian, timeworn, old as the hills 3 = old-fashioned, dated, outdated, obsolete, out of date, unfashionable, outmoded, passé ◼ OPPOSITE: up-to-dateancillary ADJECTIVE = supplementary, supporting, extra, additional, secondary, subsidiary, accessory, subordinate, auxiliary, contributory ◼ OPPOSITE: majorand CONJUNCTION 1 When he returned, she and her sister had already gone. = also, including, along with, together with, in addition to, as well as 2 These airlines fly to isolated places. And business travellers use them. = moreover, plus, furthermore
| USAGE The forms try and do something and wait and do something should only be used in informal or spoken English. In more formal writing, use try to and wait to, for example: we must try to prevent this happening (not try and prevent). |
android NOUN = robot, automaton, humanoid, cyborg, mechanical man or woman, bionic man or womananecdote NOUN = story, tale, sketch, short story, yarn (informal), reminiscence, urban myth, urban legendanew ADVERB = again, once again, once more, over again, from the beginning, from scratch, another time, afreshangel NOUN 1 a choir of angels = divine messenger, spirit, cherub, archangel, seraph, spiritual being, guardian spirit 2 Thank you. You're an angel. = dear, ideal, beauty, saint, treasure, darling, dream, jewel, gem, paragonangelic ADJECTIVE 1 an angelic little face = pure, beautiful, lovely, innocent, entrancing, virtuous, saintly, adorable, beatific 2 angelic choirs = heavenly, celestial, ethereal, cherubic, seraphic ◼ OPPOSITE: demonicanger NOUN He cried with anger and frustration. = rage, passion, outrage, temper, fury, resentment, irritation, wrath, indignation, annoyance, agitation, ire, antagonism, displeasure, exasperation, irritability, spleen, pique, ill temper, vehemence, vexation, high dudgeon, ill humour, choler ◼ OPPOSITE: calmness ▸ VERB The decision to allow more construction angered the residents. = enrage, provoke, outrage, annoy, offend, excite, irritate, infuriate, hassle (informal), aggravate (informal), incense, fret, gall, madden, exasperate, nettle, vex, affront, displease, rile, pique, get on someone's nerves (informal), antagonize, get someone's back up, put someone's back up, nark (Brit. & Austral. & N.Z. slang), make someone's blood boil, get in someone's hair (informal), get someone's dander up (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: sootheangle NOUN 1 The boat was leaning at a 30-degree angle. = gradient, bank, slope, incline, inclination 2 brackets to adjust the steering wheel's angle = intersection, point, edge, corner, knee, bend, elbow, crook, crotch, nook, cusp 3 He was considering the idea from all angles. = point of view, position, approach, direction, aspect, perspective, outlook, viewpoint, slant, standpoint, take (informal), sideangler NOUN = fisherman or woman, fisher, piscator or piscatrixangry ADJECTIVE = furious, cross, heated, mad (informal), raging, provoked, outraged, annoyed, passionate, irritated, raving, hacked (off) (U.S. slang), choked, infuriated, hot, incensed, enraged, ranting, exasperated, irritable, resentful, nettled, snappy, indignant, irate, tumultuous, displeased, uptight (informal), riled, up in arms, incandescent, ill-tempered, irascible, antagonized, waspish, piqued, hot under the collar (informal), on the warpath, hopping mad (informal), foaming at the mouth, choleric, splenetic, wrathful, at daggers drawn, in high dudgeon, as black as thunder, ireful, tooshie (Austral. slang), off the air (Austral. slang), aerated ◼ OPPOSITE: calm
| USAGE Some people feel it is more correct to talk about being angry with someone than being angry at them. In British English, angry with is still more common than angry at, but angry at is used more commonly in American English. |
angst NOUN = anxiety, worry, distress, torment, unease, apprehension, agitation, malaise, perturbation, vexation, fretfulness, disquietude, inquietude (formal) ◼ OPPOSITE: peace of mindanguish NOUN = suffering, pain, torture, distress, grief, misery, agony, torment, sorrow, woe, heartache, heartbreak, pang, throeanguished ADJECTIVE = suffering, wounded, tortured, distressed, tormented, afflicted, agonized, grief-stricken, wretched, brokenheartedangular ADJECTIVE = skinny, spare, lean, gaunt, bony, lanky, scrawny, lank, rangy, rawboned, macilent (rare)animal NOUN 1 I was attacked by wild animals. = creature, beast, brute 2 Desperation can turn people into absolute animals. = brute, devil, monster, savage, beast, villain, barbarian, swine (informal), wild person ▸ ADJECTIVE the animal side of human nature = physical, gross, fleshly, bodily, sensual, carnal, brutish, bestial, animalistic ◼ RELATED WORD: prefix zoo-animate ADJECTIVE the study of animate and inanimate aspects of the natural world = living, live, moving, alive, breathing, alive and kicking ▸ VERB There was little about the game to animate the crowd. = enliven, encourage, excite, urge, inspire, stir, spark, move, fire, spur, stimulate, revive, activate, rouse, prod, quicken, incite, instigate, kick-start (informal), impel, energize, kindle, embolden, liven up, breathe life into, invigorate, gladden, gee up, vitalize, vivify, inspirit ◼ OPPOSITE: inhibitanimated ADJECTIVE = lively, spirited, quick, excited, active, vital, dynamic, enthusiastic, passionate, vivid, vigorous, energetic, vibrant, brisk, buoyant, ardent, airy, fervent, zealous, elated, ebullient, sparky, sprightly, vivacious, gay (old-fashioned), alive and kicking, full of beans (informal), zestful ◼ OPPOSITE: listlessanimation NOUN = liveliness, life, action, activity, energy, spirit, passion, enthusiasm, excitement, pep, sparkle, vitality, vigour, zeal, verve, zest, fervour, high spirits, dynamism, buoyancy, elation, exhilaration, gaiety, ardour (old-fashioned), vibrancy, brio, zing (informal), vivacity, ebullience, briskness, airiness, sprightliness, pizzazz or pizazz (informal)animosity NOUN = hostility, hate, hatred, resentment, bitterness, malice, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, acrimony, rancour, bad blood, ill will, animus, malevolence, virulence, malignity ◼ OPPOSITE: friendlinessanimus NOUN = ill will, hate, hostility, hatred, resentment, bitterness, malice, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, acrimony, rancour, bad blood, malevolence, virulence, malignityannals PLURAL