Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
the countryside. = explode, burst, go off, shatter, erupt, detonate 2 (informal) I'm sorry I blew up at you. = lose your temper, rage, erupt, lose it (informal), crack up (informal), see red (informal), lose the plot (informal), become angry, go ballistic (slang), hit the roof (informal), blow a fuse (slang), fly off the handle (informal), become enraged, go off the deep end (informal), wig out (slang), go up the wall (slang), go crook (Austral. & N.Z. slang), flip your lid (slang), blow your top 3 The scandal blew up into a major political furore. = flare up, widen, heighten, enlarge, broaden, magnify ● blow your top I just asked him why he was late and he blew his top. = lose your temper, explode, blow up (informal), lose it (informal), see red (informal), lose the plot (informal), have a fit (informal), throw a tantrum, fly off the handle (informal), go spare (Brit. slang), fly into a temper, flip your lid (slang), do your nut (Brit. slang)blow2 NOUN 1 He went off to hospital after a blow to the face. = knock, stroke, punch, belt (informal), bang, rap, bash (informal), sock (slang), smack, thump, buffet, clout (informal), whack (informal), wallop (informal), slosh (Brit. slang), tonk (informal), clump (slang), clomp (slang) 2 The ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists. = setback, shock, upset, disaster, reverse, disappointment, catastrophe, misfortune, jolt, bombshell, calamity, affliction, whammy (informal), choker (informal), sucker punch, bummer (slang), bolt from the blue, comedown (informal)blowout NOUN 1 Once in a while we had a major blow-out. = binge (informal), party, feast, rave (Brit. slang), spree, beano (Brit. slang), rave-up (Brit. slang), carousal, carouse, hooley or hoolie (chiefly Irish & N.Z.) 2 A lorry travelling south had a blow-out and crashed. = puncture, burst, flat, flat tyre, flattie (N.Z.)bludge VERB = slack, skive (Brit. informal), idle, shirk, gold-brick (U.S. slang), bob off (Brit. slang), scrimshank (Brit., Military, slang)bludgeon VERB 1 He got into a fight and was badly bludgeoned. = club, batter, beat, strike, belt (informal), clobber (slang), pound, cosh (Brit.), cudgel, beat or knock seven bells out of (informal) 2 His relentless aggression bludgeons you into seeing his point. = bully, force, cow, intimidate, railroad (informal), hector, coerce, bulldoze (informal), dragoon, steamroller, browbeat, tyrannize ▸ NOUN They beat the poisonous creature with a bludgeon. = club, stick, baton, truncheon (Brit.), cosh (Brit.), cudgel, shillelagh, bastinado, mere (N.Z.), patu (N.Z.)blue ADJECTIVE 1 There's no earthly reason for me to feel so blue. = depressed, low, sad, unhappy, fed up, gloomy, dismal, melancholy, glum, dejected, despondent, downcast, down in the dumps (informal), down in the mouth, low-spirited, down-hearted ◼ OPPOSITE: happy 2 (old-fashioned) blue movies = smutty, dirty, naughty, obscene, indecent, vulgar, lewd, risqué, X-rated (informal), bawdy, near the knuckle (informal) ▸ PLURAL NOUN My friend has moved away and it's given me the blues. = depression, gloom, melancholy, unhappiness, despondency, the hump (Brit. informal), dejection, moodiness, low spirits, the dumps (informal), the doldrums, gloominess, glumnessblue-collar ADJECTIVE The plant employed more than a thousand blue-collar workers. = manual, industrial, physical, manufacturing, labouringblueprint NOUN 1 the blueprint of a new plan of economic reform = scheme, plan, design, system, idea, programme, proposal, strategy, pattern, suggestion, procedure, plot, draft, outline, sketch, proposition, prototype, layout, pilot scheme 2 The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device. = plan, scheme, project, pattern, draft, outline, sketch, layoutbluff1 NOUN The letter was a bluff. = deception, show, lie, fraud, fake, sham, pretence, deceit, bravado, bluster, humbug, subterfuge, feint, mere show ▸ VERB She tried to bluff her way through the test. = deceive, lie, trick, fool, pretend, cheat, con, fake, mislead, sham, dupe, feign, delude, humbug, bamboozle (informal), hoodwink, double-cross (informal), pull the wool over someone's eyesbluff2 NOUN a high bluff over the Congaree River = precipice, bank, peak, cliff, ridge, crag, escarpment, promontory, scarp ▸ ADJECTIVE a man with a bluff exterior = hearty, open, frank, blunt, sincere, outspoken, honest, downright, cordial, genial, affable, ebullient, jovial, plain-spoken, good-natured, unreserved, back-slapping ◼ OPPOSITE: tactfulblunder NOUN I think we have made a tactical blunder. = mistake, slip, fault, error, boob (Brit. slang), oversight, gaffe, slip-up (informal), indiscretion, impropriety, howler (informal), bloomer (Brit. informal), clanger (informal), faux pas, boo-boo (informal), gaucherie, barry or Barry Crocker (Austral. slang) ◼ OPPOSITE: correctness ▸ VERB 1 No doubt I had blundered again. = make a mistake, blow it (slang), err, slip up (informal), cock up (Brit. slang), miscalculate, foul up, drop a clanger (informal), put your foot in it (informal), drop a brick (Brit. informal), screw up (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: be correct 2 He had blundered into the table, upsetting the flowers. = stumble, fall, reel, stagger, flounder, lurch, lose your balanceblunt ADJECTIVE 1 She is blunt about her personal life. = frank, forthright, straightforward, explicit, rude, outspoken, bluff, downright, upfront (informal), trenchant, brusque, plain-spoken, tactless, impolite, discourteous, unpolished, uncivil, straight from the shoulder ◼ OPPOSITE: tactful 2 a blunt object = dull, rounded, dulled, edgeless, unsharpened ◼ OPPOSITE: sharp ▸ VERB Our appetite was blunted by the snacks. = dull, weaken, soften, numb, dampen, water down, deaden, take the edge off ◼ OPPOSITE: stimulateblur NOUN Her face is a blur. = haze, confusion, fog, obscurity, dimness, cloudiness, blear, blurredness, indistinctness ▸ VERB 1 If you move your eyes and your head, the picture will blur. = become indistinct, soften, become vague, become hazy, become fuzzy 2 Scientists are trying to blur the distinction between these questions. = obscure, make indistinct, mask, soften, muddy, obfuscate (formal), make vague, befog, make hazyblurred ADJECTIVE = indistinct, faint, vague, unclear, dim, fuzzy, misty, hazy, foggy, blurry, out of focus, ill-defined, lacking definitionblush VERB I blushed scarlet at my stupidity. = turn red, colour, burn, flame, glow, flush, crimson, redden, go red (as a beetroot), turn scarlet ◼ OPPOSITE: turn pale ▸ NOUN A blush spread over Brenda's cheeks. = reddening, colour, glow, flush, pink tinge, rosiness, ruddiness, rosy tintbluster VERB He was still blustering, but there was panic in his eyes. = boast, swagger, talk big (slang) ▸ NOUN the bluster of their campaign = hot air, boasting, bluff, swagger, swaggering (informal), swag (slang), bravado, bombastblustery ADJECTIVE = gusty, wild, violent, stormy, windy, tempestuous, inclement, squally, blusterousboard NOUN 1 The floor was draughty bare boards. = plank, panel, timber, slat, piece of timber 2 the US National Transportation Safety Board = council, directors, committee, congress, ministry, advisers, panel, assembly, chamber, trustees, governing body, synod, directorate, quango, advisory group, conclave 3 Free room and board are provided for all hotel staff. = meals, provisions, victuals, daily meals ▸ VERB I boarded the plane bound for England. = get on, enter, mount, embark, entrain, embus, enplane ◼ OPPOSITE: get offboast VERB 1 She boasted about her achievements. = brag, crow, vaunt, bluster, talk big (slang), blow your own trumpet, show off, be proud of, flaunt, congratulate yourself on, flatter yourself, pride yourself on, skite (Austral. & N.Z. informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: cover up 2 The houses boast the latest energy-saving technology. = possess, offer, present, exhibit ▸ NOUN He was asked about earlier boasts of a quick victory. = bragging, vaunting, rodomontade (literary), gasconade (rare) ◼ OPPOSITE: disclaimerboat NOUN One of the best ways to see the area is in a small boat. = vessel, ship, craft, barge (informal), barque (poetic) ● in the same boat The police and I were in the same boat. = in the same situation, alike, even, together, equal, on a par, on equal or even terms, on the same or equal footing ● miss the boat Big name companies have missed the boat. = miss your chance or opportunity, miss out, be too late, lose out, blow your chance (informal) ● rock the boat I said I didn't want to rock the boat in any way. = cause trouble, protest, object, dissent, make waves (informal), throw a spanner in the works, upset the apple cartbob VERB