Collins English Thesaurus Essential. Collins Dictionaries
I met him quite by chance. = accident, fortune, luck, fate, destiny, coincidence, misfortune, providence ◼ OPPOSITE: design 4 I certainly think it's worth taking a chance. = risk, speculation, gamble, hazard ▸ ADJECTIVE He describes their chance meeting as intense. = accidental, random, casual, incidental, unforeseen, unintentional, fortuitous, inadvertent, serendipitous, unforeseeable, unlooked-for ◼ OPPOSITE: planned ▸ VERB 1 A man I chanced to meet proved to be a most unusual character. = happen 2 No sniper would chance a shot from amongst that crowd. = risk, try, stake, venture, gamble, hazard, wager ◼ RELATED WORD: adjective fortuitouschange NOUN 1 They are going to have to make some drastic changes. = alteration, innovation, transformation, modification, mutation, metamorphosis, permutation, transmutation, difference, revolution, transition 2 It makes a nice change to see you in a good mood for once. = variety, break (informal), departure, variation, novelty, diversion (Brit.), whole new ball game (informal) ◼ OPPOSITE: monotony 3 He stuffed a bag with a few changes of clothing. = exchange, trade, conversion, swap, substitution, interchange ▸ VERB 1 They should change the law to make it illegal to own replica weapons. = alter, reform, transform, adjust, moderate, revise, modify, remodel, reorganize, restyle, convert ◼ OPPOSITE: keep 2 We are trying to detect and understand how the climate changes. = shift, vary, transform, alter, modify, diversify, fluctuate, mutate, metamorphose, transmute ◼ OPPOSITE: stay 3 Can we change it for another if it doesn't work properly? = exchange, trade, replace, substitute, swap, interchangechangeable ADJECTIVE = variable, shifting, mobile, uncertain, volatile, unsettled, unpredictable, versatile, unstable, irregular, erratic, wavering, uneven, unreliable, fickle, temperamental, whimsical, mercurial, capricious, unsteady, protean, vacillating, fitful, mutable, inconstant ◼ OPPOSITE: constantchannel NOUN 1 We'll be lodging a complaint through the official channels. = means, way, course, approach, medium, route, path, avenue 2 Oil spilled into the channel following a collision between a tanker and a trawler. = strait, sound, route, passage, canal, waterway, main 3 Keep the drainage channel clear. = duct, chamber, artery, groove, gutter, furrow, conduit ▸ VERB Stefan is channelling all his energies into his novel. = direct, guide, conduct, transmit, conveychant NOUN We were listening to a sublime Gregorian chant. = song, carol, chorus, melody, psalm ▸ VERB Flowers were strewn on the ground as monks chanted and prayed. = sing, chorus, recite, intone, carolchaos NOUN = disorder, confusion, mayhem, havoc (informal), anarchy, lawlessness, pandemonium, entropy, bedlam, tumult, disorganization ◼ OPPOSITE: orderlinesschaotic ADJECTIVE = disordered, confused, uncontrolled, anarchic, tumultuous, lawless, riotous, topsy-turvy, disorganized, purposelesschap NOUN = fellow (old-fashioned), man, person, individual, type, sort, customer (informal), character, guy (informal), bloke (Brit. informal), cove (slang), dude (informal), boykie (S. African informal)chapter NOUN 1 I took the title of this chapter from one of my favorite songs. = section, part, stage, division, episode, topic, segment, instalment 2 It was one of the most dramatic chapters of recent British politics. = period, time, stage, phasechar VERB = scorch, sear, singecharacter NOUN 1 There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet. = personality, nature, make-up, cast, constitution, bent, attributes, temper, temperament, complexion, disposition, individuality, marked traits 2 Moscow's reforms were socialist in character. = nature, kind, quality, constitution, calibre 3 What an unpleasant character he is! = person, sort, individual, type, guy (informal), fellow (old-fashioned) 4 He's begun a series of attacks on my character. = reputation, honour, integrity, good name, rectitude 5 He plays the film's central character. = role, part, persona 6 He'll be sadly missed. He was a real character. = eccentric, card (informal), original, nut (slang), flake (slang, chiefly U.S.), oddity, oddball (informal), odd bod (informal), queer fish (Brit. informal) 7 Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque = symbol, mark, sign, letter, figure, type, device, logo, emblem, rune, cipher, hieroglyphcharacteristic NOUN Genes determine the characteristics of every living thing. = feature, mark, quality, property, attribute, faculty, trait, quirk, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy ▸ ADJECTIVE Windmills are a characteristic feature of the landscape. = typical, special, individual, specific, representative, distinguishing, distinctive, peculiar, singular, idiosyncratic, symptomatic ◼ OPPOSITE: rarecharacterize VERB = distinguish, mark, identify, brand, inform, stamp, typifycharade NOUN = pretence, farce, parody, pantomime, fakecharge VERB 1 They have all the evidence required to charge him. = accuse, indict, impeach, incriminate, arraign ◼ OPPOSITE: acquit 2 Our general ordered us to charge the enemy. = attack, assault, assail ◼ OPPOSITE: retreat 3 He charged into the room. = rush, storm, stampede 4 a performance that was charged with energy = fill, load, instil, suffuse, lade ▸ NOUN 1 We can arrange this for a small charge. = price, rate, cost, amount, payment, expense, toll, expenditure, outlay, damage (informal) 2 They appeared at court to deny charges of murder. = accusation, allegation, indictment, imputation ◼ OPPOSITE: acquittal 3 I have been given charge of this class. = care, trust, responsibility, custody, safekeeping 4 I did not consider it any part of my charge to come up with marketing ideas. = duty, office, concern, responsibility, remit 5 The coach tried to get his charges motivated. = ward, pupil, protégé, dependant 6 He led the cavalry charge from the front. = attack, rush, assault, onset, onslaught, stampede, sortie ◼ OPPOSITE: retreatcharisma NOUN = charm, appeal, personality, attraction, lure, allure, magnetism, force of personality, mojo (slang)charismatic ADJECTIVE = charming, appealing, attractive, influential, magnetic, enticing, alluringcharitable ADJECTIVE 1 He made large donations to numerous charitable organizations. = benevolent, liberal, generous, lavish, philanthropic, bountiful, beneficent ◼ OPPOSITE: mean 2 Some people take a less charitable view of his behaviour. = kind, understanding, forgiving, sympathetic, favourable, tolerant, indulgent, lenient, considerate, magnanimous, broad-minded ◼ OPPOSITE: unkindcharity NOUN 1 The National Trust is a registered charity. = charitable organization, fund, movement, trust, endowment 2 My mum was very proud. She wouldn't accept charity. = donations, help, relief, gift, contributions, assistance, hand-out, philanthropy, alms-giving, benefaction, largesse or largess, koha (N.Z.) ◼ OPPOSITE: meanness 3 He had no sense of right and wrong, no charity, no humanity. = kindness, love, pity, humanity, affection, goodness, goodwill, compassion, generosity, indulgence, bounty, altruism, benevolence, fellow feeling, bountifulness, tenderheartedness, aroha (N.Z.) ◼ OPPOSITE: ill willcharlatan NOUN = fraud (informal), cheat, fake, sham, pretender, quack, conman or woman (informal), con artist (informal), impostor, fraudster, swindler, mountebank, grifter (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), phoney or phony (informal), rorter (Austral. slang), rogue tradercharm NOUN 1 He was a man of great distinction and charm. = attraction, appeal, fascination, allure, magnetism, desirability, allurement ◼ OPPOSITE: repulsiveness 2 She wore a silver bracelet hung with charms. = trinket 3 He carried a rabbit's foot as a good luck charm. = talisman, amulet, lucky piece, good-luck piece, fetish 4 They cross their fingers and spit over their shoulders as a charm against the evil eye. = spell, magic, enchantment, sorcery, makutu (N.Z.) ▸ VERB 1 My sister charms everyone she meets. = attract, win, please, delight, fascinate, absorb, entrance, win over, enchant, captivate, beguile, allure, bewitch, ravish, mesmerize, enrapture, enamour ◼ OPPOSITE: repel 2 I'm sure you'll be able to charm him into taking you. = persuade,