Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
seize, hijack, confiscate, wrest, usurp, lay claim to, pre-empt, commandeer, requisition, expropriate (formal), arrogate ◼ OPPOSITE: give upassumed ADJECTIVE = false, affected, made-up, pretended, fake, imitation, bogus, simulated, sham, counterfeit, feigned, spurious, fictitious, make-believe, pseudonymous, phoney or phony (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: realassumption NOUN 1 They are wrong in their assumption that we are all alike. = presumption, theory, opinion, belief, guess, expectation, fancy, suspicion, premise, acceptance, hypothesis, anticipation, inference, conjecture, surmise, supposition, presupposition, premise, postulation 2 = taking on, managing, handling, shouldering, putting on, taking up, takeover, acquisition 3 the government's assumption of power = seizure, taking, takeover, acquisition, appropriation, wresting, confiscation, commandeering, expropriation (formal), pre-empting, usurpation, arrogationassurance NOUN 1 an assurance that other forces will not move into the territory = promise, statement, guarantee, commitment, pledge, profession, vow, declaration, assertion, oath, affirmation, protestation (formal), word, word of honour ◼ OPPOSITE: lie 2 He led the orchestra with assurance. = confidence, conviction, courage, certainty, self-confidence, poise, assertiveness, security, faith, coolness, nerve, aplomb, boldness, self-reliance, firmness, self-assurance, certitude, sureness, self-possession, positiveness, assuredness ◼ OPPOSITE: self-doubtassure VERB 1 'Everything's going to be okay,' he assured me. = convince, encourage, persuade, satisfy, comfort, prove to, reassure, soothe, hearten, embolden, win someone over, bring someone round 2 Last night's victory has assured their promotion. = make certain, ensure, confirm, guarantee, secure, make sure, complete, seal, clinch 3 We can assure you of our best service at all times. = promise to, pledge to, vow to, guarantee to, swear to, attest to, confirm to, certify to, affirm to, give your word to, declare confidently toassured ADJECTIVE 1 He was much more assured than in recent appearances. = confident, certain, positive, bold, poised, assertive, complacent, fearless, audacious, pushy (informal), brazen, self-confident, self-assured, self-possessed, overconfident, dauntless, sure of yourself ◼ OPPOSITE: self-conscious 2 Our victory is assured; nothing can stop us. = certain, sure, ensured, confirmed, settled, guaranteed, fixed, secure, sealed, clinched, made certain, sound, in the bag (slang), dependable, beyond doubt, irrefutable, unquestionable, indubitable, nailed-on (slang) ◼ OPPOSITE: doubtfulastonish VERB = amaze, surprise, stun, stagger, bewilder, astound, daze, confound, stupefy, boggle the mind, dumbfound, flabbergast (informal)astonished ADJECTIVE = amazed, surprised, staggered, bewildered, astounded, dazed, stunned, confounded, perplexed, gobsmacked (informal), dumbfounded, flabbergasted (informal), stupefiedastonishing ADJECTIVE = amazing, striking, surprising, brilliant, stunning, impressive, overwhelming, staggering, startling, sensational (informal), bewildering, breathtaking, astounding, eye-opening, wondrous (archaic, literary), jaw-dropping, stupefyingastonishment NOUN = amazement, surprise, wonder, confusion, awe, consternation, bewilderment, wonderment, stupefactionastound VERB = amaze, surprise, overwhelm, astonish, stagger, bewilder, daze, confound, stupefy, stun, take your breath away, boggle the mind, dumbfound, flabbergast (informal)astounding ADJECTIVE = amazing, striking, surprising, brilliant, impressive, astonishing, staggering, sensational (informal), bewildering, stunning, breathtaking, wondrous (archaic, literary), jaw-dropping, eye-popping (informal), stupefyingastray ADJECTIVE or ADVERB Many items of mail being sent to her have gone astray. = off the right track, adrift, off course, off the mark, amiss ● lead someone astray The judge thought he'd been led astray by others. = lead into sin, lead into error, lead into bad ways, lead into wrongastringent ADJECTIVE 1 an astringent lotion = contractive, contractile, styptic 2 an astringent satire on Hollywood = severe, strict, exacting, harsh, grim, stern, hard, rigid, rigorous, stringent, austere, caustic, acerbicastrology NOUN = stargazing, astromancy, horoscopyastronaut NOUN = space traveller, cosmonaut, spaceman, spacewoman, space pilotastronomical or astronomic ADJECTIVE = huge, great, giant, massive, vast, enormous, immense, titanic, infinite, gigantic, monumental (informal), colossal, boundless, galactic, Gargantuan, immeasurableastute ADJECTIVE = intelligent, politic, bright, sharp, keen, calculating, clever, subtle, penetrating, knowing, shrewd, cunning, discerning, sly, on the ball (informal), canny, perceptive, wily, crafty, artful, insightful, foxy, adroit, sagacious (formal)asunder ADVERB or ADJECTIVE (literary) = to pieces, apart, torn, rent, to bits, to shreds, in pieces, into piecesasylum NOUN 1 They applied for asylum after fleeing their home country. = refuge, security, haven, safety, protection, preserve, shelter, retreat, harbour, sanctuary 2 He spent the rest of his life in an asylum. = psychiatric hospital, hospital, institutionatheism NOUN = nonbelief, disbelief, scepticism, infidelity, paganism, unbelief, freethinking, godlessness, irreligion, heathenismatheist NOUN = nonbeliever, pagan, sceptic, disbeliever, heathen (old-fashioned), infidel, unbeliever, freethinker, irreligionistathlete NOUN = sportsperson, player, runner, competitor, contender, sportsman, contestant, gymnast, games player, sportswomanathletic ADJECTIVE She was tall, with an athletic build. = fit, strong, powerful, healthy, active, trim, strapping, robust, vigorous, energetic, muscular, swole (slang), hench (informal), two-fisted, sturdy, husky (informal), lusty, herculean, sinewy, brawny, able-bodied, well-proportioned ◼ OPPOSITE: feebleathletics PLURAL NOUN intercollegiate athletics = sports, games, races, exercises, contests, sporting events, gymnastics, track and field events, games of strengthatmosphere NOUN 1 These gases pollute the atmosphere of towns and cities. = air, sky, heavens, aerosphere 2 The muted decor adds to the relaxed atmosphere. = feeling, feel, air, quality, character, environment, spirit, surroundings, tone, mood, climate, flavour, aura, ambience, vibes (slang)atom NOUN = particle, bit, spot, trace, scrap, molecule, grain, dot, fragment, fraction, shred, crumb, mite, jot, speck, morsel, mote, whit, tittle, iota, scintilla (rare)atone VERB = make amends, pay, do penance, make reparation, make redressatonement NOUN = amends, payment, compensation, satisfaction, redress, reparation, restitution, penance, recompense, expiation (formal), propitiationatrocious ADJECTIVE 1 The food here is atrocious. = shocking, terrible (informal), appalling, horrible, godawful (slang), hellacious (U.S. slang), execrable, detestable ◼ OPPOSITE: fine 2 The treatment of the prisoners was atrocious. = cruel, savage, brutal, vicious, ruthless, infamous, monstrous, wicked, barbaric, inhuman, diabolical, heinous, flagrant, infernal, fiendish, villainous, nefarious, horrifying, grievous ◼ OPPOSITE: kindatrocity NOUN 1 Those who committed this atrocity should be punished. = act of cruelty, wrong, crime, horror, offence, evil, outrage, cruelty, brutality, obscenity, wrongdoing, enormity, monstrosity, transgression, abomination, barbarity, villainy 2 stomach-churning tales of atrocity and massacre = cruelty, wrong, horror, brutality, wrongdoing, enormity, savagery, ruthlessness, wickedness, inhumanity, infamy, transgression, barbarity, viciousness, villainy, baseness, monstrousness, heinousness, nefariousness, shockingness, atrociousness, fiendishness, barbarousness, grievousness, villainousnessatrophy VERB 1 His muscle atrophied, and he had difficulty walking. = waste away, waste, shrink, diminish, deteriorate, decay, dwindle, wither, wilt, degenerate, shrivel 2 If you let your mind stagnate, this talent will atrophy. = decline, waste, fade, shrink, diminish, deteriorate, dwindle, wither, wilt, degenerate, shrivel, waste away ▸ NOUN 1 exercises to avoid atrophy of cartilage = wasting away, decline, wasting, decay, decaying, withering, deterioration, meltdown (informal), shrivelling, degeneration, diminution 2 levels of consciousness which are in danger of atrophy = wasting, decline, decay, decaying, withering, deterioration, meltdown (informal), shrivelling, degeneration, diminution, wasting awayattach VERB 1 Attach labels to things before you file them away. = affix, stick, secure, bind, unite, add, join, couple, link, tie, fix, connect, lash, glue, adhere, fasten, annex, truss, yoke, append (formal), make fast, cohere,