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Dd

damage (1) VERB

If you damage something, you harm or spoil it.

deface

The teacher turned purple when she saw Craig had defaced his language book.

harm

Fortunately, no one was harmed in the crash.

spoil

My painting was spoilt when I spilt water on it.

vandalize

It’s very sad when people vandalize buildings.

➔ See destroy

Someone who damages something useful or beautiful on purpose and for no good reason is a vandal.

damage (2) NOUN

Damage is injury or harm done to something.

destruction

“The destruction of rainforests should worry everyone on earth,” said my sister.

harm

The stolen painting was returned with no harm done to it.

vandalism

Owing to vandalism, the public lavatory had to be closed.

damp ADJECTIVE

Something that is damp is slightly wet.

clammy

Beneath her jungle gear, the explorer’s skin felt clammy.

drizzly

All day the weather had been dull and drizzly.

humid

In tropical places, the weather is hot and humid.

moist

As its soil was still moist, Sophie didn’t water the plant.

muggy

We all expected thunder as the air was muggy.

dance (1) VERB

When you dance, you move around in time to music.

caper

The clown capered about to the music.

cavort

The party guests cavorted to the loud music on the dance floor.

dance (2) NOUN

A dance is a series of rhythmic movements that you do in time to music.

Types of dance:

ballet

ballroom dancing

belly dancing

break-dancing

disco dancing

jive

line dancing

mambo

salsa

tap dancing

danger NOUN

Danger is the possibility that someone may be harmed or killed.

hazard

That raised paving stone is a hazard. Someone might trip over it.

menace

Pollution from farm fertilizers is a menace to fish in the rivers.

peril

Ivan put himself in peril by walking near the cliff edge.

risk

Despite the risks, the medic crawled out to help the wounded soldier.

threat

The prime minister tried to avert the threat of war by having meetings with other leaders.

ANTONYM: safety

dangerous ADJECTIVE

If something is dangerous, it is likely to cause hurt or harm.

hazardous

Road tankers have signs to show if their liquid cargo is hazardous.

perilous

Captain Scott set out on his perilous trek to the South Pole.

risky

Jenny knew that climbing the cliff was risky, but she had to escape the waves.

treacherous

“Keep away from those mud flats. They’re treacherous,” warned the boatman.

unsafe

The derelict buildings were unsafe, and about to be demolished.

ANTONYMS: safe or harmless

dare (1) VERB

If you dare to do something, you have the courage to do it.

brave

Ray decided to brave a visit to the dentist’s.

have the courage

The airman had the courage to go back to the burning plane.

risk

The athlete was not willing to risk getting an injury.

venture

Dad ventured to ask his boss for a pay rise.

dare (2) VERB

If you dare someone to do something, you challenge them to do it.

challenge

Yoshi challenged Tim to climb the wall.

defy

I defied my sister to race me.

daring ADJECTIVE

A daring person is bold and willing to take risks.

adventurous

“Rihana is the adventurous type,” her dad said. “She’s always getting into scrapes.”

brave

It was a brave and unexpected move by the submarine captain.

fearless

Even as a young midshipman, Nelson displayed a fearless character.

dark (1) ADJECTIVE

If it is dark, there is not enough light to see properly.

dim

In the dim light of the cave, Crusoe could make out a heap of bones.

dingy

With the shutters closed, the villa was dingy after the bright sunlight outside.

gloomy

On every gloomy landing, paintings of the baron’s ancestors stared out from the walls.

murky

The divers could not see anything in the murky depths of the lake.

shadowy

A sinister figure appeared from a shadowy side street.

ANTONYM: light

dark (2) NOUN

The dark is the lack of light in a place.

dusk

Street lights began to twinkle in the dusk.

gloom

In the gloom of the attic, Nathan made out two staring eyes.

murk

Zora wished she was on the beach, not in the murk of a Manchester night.

ANTONYM: light

dawn NOUN

Dawn is the time in the morning when light first appears in the sky.

break of day

A chorus of hungry birds started up at the break of day.

daybreak

The search for the missing girl resumed at daybreak.

sunrise

By sunrise, the diver and his team were already at the pier.

ANTONYM: dusk

dazed ADJECTIVE

If you are dazed, you are confused and bewildered.

bewildered

Mum was bewildered by the huge range of mobile phones on offer.

confused

Granny sometimes gets confused and says odd things.

light-headed

The paint smell was so strong that I began to feel light-headed.

shocked

After the bomb, shocked, dusty people wandered hopelessly around.

stunned

I felt stunned by the unexpected news about James’s accident.

dead ADJECTIVE

A person, animal or plant that is dead is no longer alive.

deceased

It was thought that the deceased man came originally from Ireland.

extinct

The extinct moa of New Zealand was a flightless bird like an ostrich.

late

Many people paid tribute to Mrs Suleiman’s late husband.

ANTONYM: alive

A dead body is called a corpse or the remains. A person who has recently died is often referred to as the deceased.

deadly ADJECTIVE

Something deadly is likely or able to cause death.

lethal

The machine guns dispensed a lethal curtain of fire across the muddy wilderness.

mortal

Frodo suddenly came face to face with his mortal enemy.

deal NOUN

A deal is an agreement or arrangement, especially in business.

agreement

The countries formed an agreement about imports and exports.

arrangement

Dad made an arrangement to pick the car up on Tuesday.

contract

The player’s contract with his club will expire in a year’s time.

deal with VERB

If you deal with something, you do what is necessary to sort it out.

attend to

The receptionist has promised to attend to me in a moment.

handle

Mum handled all the holiday arrangements.

see to

“Please would you see to that customer,” the manager said to the sales assistant.

sort out

Thank heavens Mrs Ito was there to sort out the problem.

take care of

“I’ll take care of the flowers if you buy the chocolates,” my sister said on Mother’s Day.

➔ See cope with

dear (1) ADJECTIVE

Something or someone dear is much loved.

beloved

The card read, “To my beloved wife”.

cherished

Grandad has cherished memories of his time in Italy.

treasured

His gran’s rocking chair was a treasured possession.

dear (2) ADJECTIVE

Something that is dear is very expensive.

costly

The furniture was costly but superbly made.

pricey INFORMAL

“That computer game’s a bit pricey,” my friend Sean muttered.

ANTONYM: cheap

decay VERB

When things decay, they rot or go bad.

biodegrade

Most plastic does not biodegrade, which is a problem for the environment.

decompose

I had a sinking feeling that my sandwiches were decomposing in my locker.

perish

The hot-water bottle leaked, as its rubber stopper had perished.

rot

Most softwood will rot if it is not painted.

decide VERB

If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.

commit yourself

In signing up for the course, my brother committed himself to do a year’s study.

make a decision

The hobbit made a decision to cross the river before camping.

make up your mind

“Ted, will you make up your mind!” Dad demanded impatiently.

reach a decision

My parents reached a decision: we were going to move house.

decision NOUN

A decision is a choice or judgment that is made about something.

choice

Daniel faced a choice – to continue and risk getting lost, or to go back the way he had come.

conclusion

I came to the conclusion that I hadn’t been working hard enough.

judgment

The panel’s judgment was that Mrs Flaherty had been fairly treated.

verdict

The courtroom fell silent as the jury’s verdict was announced.

decorate VERB

If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.

adorn

For the wedding, the gate to the churchyard was adorned with flowers.

festoon

The whole of Wall Street was festooned with tickertape streamers.

trim

The Christmas tree was trimmed with tinsel.

decrease VERB

If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less.

decline

Bird-lovers are worried that the number of house sparrows is declining.

diminish

The glow from the fire diminished as the dogs slumbered on.

dwindle

Once the mines closed, the valley population began to dwindle.

lessen

The driver decided to lessen his speed, as the engine was overheating.

reduce

Reducing your salt intake will help you to stay healthy.

ANTONYM: increase

deep (1) ADJECTIVE

If something is deep, it goes a long way down from the surface.

bottomless

“The way you spend, you must think I’ve got bottomless pockets!” Dad grumbled.

yawning

The earth shook violently, and a yawning hole opened up in the street.

ANTONYM: shallow

deep (2) ADJECTIVE

Deep can mean great or intense.

intense

Van Gogh painted vibrant pictures with intense colour.

profound

The discovery of penicillin had a profound effect on medicine.

strong

A strong wind blew the sailing boat safely back on course.

deep (3) ADJECTIVE

A deep sound is a low one.

bass

The bass sound of the foghorn echoed through the mist.

low

Mrs Quail’s voice is so low that she is sometimes mistaken for a man on the telephone.

ANTONYM: high

defeat (1) VERB

If you defeat someone or something, you win a victory over them, or cause them to fail.

beat

“I hope my team beats yours,” Pete said cheekily to Smithy.

conquer

To conquer Wales was King Edward’s lifelong wish.

overcome

The girl overcame her disability to become a great champion.

overpower

Legions of screeching auks overpowered the tiny band of travellers.

rout

The forces of evil in Narnia were routed in the last battle.

defeat (2) NOUN

A defeat is the state of being beaten or of failing.

beating

Class 3a crowed that the team from 3b had taken a beating.

conquest

The conquest of England by the Normans in 1066 was a turning point in history.

downfall

The dictator’s downfall was sudden and spectacular.

pasting INFORMAL

Mighty Hawk took a severe pasting from the new wrestler.

trouncing INFORMAL

“What a trouncing,” Mitch moaned.

ANTONYM: victory

defence NOUN

Defence is the action that is taken to protect someone or something against attack.

immunity

The nurse assured me that the vaccination would give immunity from measles.

protection

“Our paint offers ten-year protection from the rain,” the advert boasted.

resistance

“Resistance is useless. Come out with your hands up!” bawled the loudspeaker.

safeguard

Taking out insurance acts as a safeguard against misfortune.

A country’s defences are its armed forces and its weapons.

defend (1) VERB

If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.

fortify

The manor house was fortified by the addition of a large wall around it.

guard

Brushing your teeth helps guard against decay and keeps your breath fresh.

protect

King Edward protected the castle with no fewer than six main gates!

safeguard

The sentries safeguarded the palace.

➔ See shelter (1)

defend (2) VERB

If you defend a person or their ideas, you argue in support of them.

justify

Anita justified hitting the boy by claiming that he had hit her first.

speak up for

Amal spoke up for his friend, despite the bully’s threats.

stick up for INFORMAL

“Thank you for sticking up for me,” said Lisa gratefully.

support

Dad supported me when our neighbour complained about the noise.

definite ADJECTIVE

Something that is definite is clear and unlikely to be changed.

certain

“It is certain that I will be having a birthday party,” Molly told us.

guaranteed

My uncle secured us guaranteed seats for the big game.

positive

The contestant gave a very positive answer. Sadly, it was the wrong one.

sure

Being sulky is a sure way to lose friends.

ANTONYM: uncertain

definitely ADVERB OR INTERJECTION

Definitely can mean certainly and without doubt.

absolutely

“Are you able to play?” I asked. “Absolutely!” came Deepak’s reply.

beyond any doubt

Beyond any doubt, the German was the best racing driver in the world.

certainly

The coach admitted, “We’ve certainly got a good team this year.”

plainly

The witness was plainly going to say nothing.

unquestionably

The banquet was unquestionably the largest meal he had ever eaten.

delay (1) NOUN

If there is a delay, something does not happen until later than planned or expected.

hold-up

At the last minute, there was a hold-up in the live TV broadcast.

pause

After a pause, the mayor continued his speech.

postponement

Owing to the storms, there was a 24-hour postponement in the rocket launch.

setback

There were a few minor setbacks before the house was built.

wait

We had a slight wait before being ushered in to meet the prince.

delay (2) VERB

If something delays you, it makes you late or slows you down.

hinder

My baby brother did his best to hinder Mum’s vacuum cleaning.

hold up

Traffic was held up by a burst water main.

slow down

Our progress was slowed down by a crawling tractor in front.

deliberate ADJECTIVE

If you do something that is deliberate, you do it on purpose.

calculated

The head teacher took a calculated risk and told staff to put the stalls outdoors.

conscious

“I want you to make a conscious effort to get to school on time,” Mrs Lenster said.

intentional

The referee decided that the dangerous tackle was intentional, and sent the player off.

ANTONYM: unintentional

delicious ADJECTIVE

Delicious food or drink tastes very nice.

appetizing

The waiter brought round all sorts of appetizing titbits.

delectable

“Thank you, that was a delectable meal, Mrs Kean,” Marie said politely.

scrumptious INFORMAL

I think meringues are scrumptious. My sister hates them.

tasty

Some cheese is tasty. Some tastes like rubber.

ANTONYM: horrible

depend (1) VERB

If you depend on someone or something, you trust them and rely on them.

bank on

Mr Marshall said he was banking on me to score a few goals.

count on

I was counting on Dennis to give me some good passes.

rely on

Lyra knew she could rely on the huge bear to come to her aid.

trust

The owners trusted you to put the correct money in the box.

depend (2) VERB

If one thing depends on another, it is influenced by it.

be based on

“Our firm’s success is based on the hard work of the staff,” the boss stated.

hinge on

The battle hinged on whether the cavalry could break through the enemy line.

describe VERB

If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.

define

The supply teacher asked me to define what a hexagon is.

explain

Beatrice explained what she had done and her reasons for doing it.

relate

My pal Vadim was bursting to relate what had happened on the way to school.

report

On Monday, I was expected to report on our weekend camping trip.

description NOUN

A description is an account or picture of something in words.

account

The witness gave his account of the incident.

profile

Police assembled a profile of the burglar, making him easy to identify.

report

Class 6 gave a report on all the activities they had taken part in.

deserve VERB

If you deserve something, you earn it or have a right to it.

be worthy of

The girl’s bravery was worthy of the highest possible honour.

earn

The president’s forgiveness of his kidnappers earned him the respect of the world.

justify

The boy’s terrific courage justified his award.

merit

“Tidings of our great victory merit a celebration,” said the duke.

despair NOUN

Despair is a total loss of hope.

desperation

In desperation, the pilot ejected.

gloom

The team had been relegated and gloom filled the dressing room.

hopelessness

The hopelessness of the starving people made the reporter weep.

desperate ADJECTIVE

A desperate situation is extremely dangerous or serious.

critical

The sick woman’s condition was critical.

drastic

Sealing the city was a drastic action, but it stopped the spread of the plague.

grave

“We are in a grave predicament,” said the king. “We must fight for our lives.”

hopeless

The situation of the soldiers seemed hopeless.

despite PREPOSITION

If you do something despite some difficulty, you manage to do it anyway.

in spite of

In spite of her age, Granny is very fit.

regardless of

Regardless of the danger, the medic carried the injured man to safety.

destroy VERB

If you destroy something, you damage it so much that it is completely ruined.

annihilate

Scientists think that changes in the climate may have annihilated the dinosaurs.

demolish

Workmen demolished the disused factory.

devastate

In 1945, two Japanese cities were utterly devastated by atom bombs.

ruin

“They’ve ruined that park by chopping those trees down,” Grandad grumbled.

wreck

A lifetime playing loud music wrecked the guitarist’s hearing.

determination NOUN

Determination is a great strength and will to do something.

dedication

The nurse’s dedication earned her the thanks of all the soldiers.

drive

To get to the top, businesspeople need drive and imagination.

perseverance

The tortoise’s perseverance helped him beat the foolish hare in the race.

will

Matthew’s will to win saw him achieve Olympic gold.

determined ADJECTIVE

If you are determined to do something, you will not let anything stop you from doing it.

intent

She was so intent on doing well, she made herself ill with worry.

persistent

The salesman was so persistent that Mum shut the door on him.

single-minded

Sometimes you have to be single-minded to do a job properly.

die (1) VERB

When a person, animal or plant dies, they stop living.

expire

Tragically, the old man expired from the effort of the hill climb.

pass away

In memory of John Silver, who passed away this day in 1792.

perish

Around 700 seamen perished when the Mary Rose went down.

die (2) VERB

When something dies, dies away or dies down, it becomes less intense and disappears.

dwindle

Support for the team dwindled when they were relegated.

fade

As the fire brigade approached, the desperate hammering faded to a faint knocking.

peter out

Just before the finish line, the old car’s engine petered out.

difference NOUN

The difference between two things is the way in which they are unlike each other.

contrast

Although they look similar, there is a big contrast in the characters of the twins.

distinction

Colour-blind people often cannot see a distinction between red and green.

variation

We noticed a terrific variation in price between one shop and another.

ANTONYM: similarity

different (1) ADJECTIVE

If one thing is different from another, it is not like it.

contrasting

In the story, honest Cinderella is a contrasting character to her scheming stepsisters.

distinct

The taste of blue cheese is quite distinct from ordinary cheese.

opposed

The couple’s viewpoints were opposed.

ANTONYMS: similar or identical

One thing is different from another thing. Some people think that different to is wrong. Different than is used in American English.

different (2) ADJECTIVE

If several things are different from each other, they are not the same.

assorted

My pockets contained assorted coins, sweet wrappers, paperclips and fluff.

varied

The plants were of varied colours, including some lovely reds and purples.

ANTONYMS: similar or identical

If something is different from everything else in the world, it is unique.

difficult (1) ADJECTIVE

Difficult things are not easy to do, understand or solve.

difficult to work out or deal with:

awkward

The tap was in an awkward place for the plumber to get at.

challenging

“It’s the most challenging operation I’ve ever tackled,” the surgeon admitted.

demanding

Dad had a demanding week at work.

formidable

Rescuing thousands from the earthquake rubble was a formidable task.

knotty

It was a knotty problem: to cross the deep river without a bridge!

puzzling

Zara is puzzling. One minute she’s pleasant, the next she’s horrid.

tricky

The climbers were in a tricky situation, stuck on the ledge as night drew in.

physically difficult:

backbreaking

Digging the canals by hand was a backbreaking job for the navvies.

laborious

Archaeology is laborious work, digging slowly and sifting carefully.

strenuous

Marathon running is a strenuous business.

difficult (2) ADJECTIVE

Someone who is difficult behaves in an unreasonable way.

awkward

“That horse is awkward,” said the cowboy, “but I’ll ride him eventually.”

troublesome

The troublesome twins made their teacher’s life a hard one.

trying

Mrs Kray had a trying time with Class 6 and their spellings.

uncooperative

Uncooperative people never work well in a team.

difficulty NOUN

A difficulty is a problem.

complication

The biggest complication for Brunel was that his tunnel kept flooding.

dilemma

Karen faced a dilemma. Should she play with her friends or help her mum?

hitch

After a hitch with the curtains, the play began five minutes late.

obstacle

The star encountered many obstacles on the road to fame.

plight

“Your plight is indeed a sorry one,” said the knight to the damsel in the tower.

snag

Progress on the house was smooth, until they hit a snag when they found a hole in the roof.

dig VERB

If you dig, you make a hole in earth or sand, especially with a spade or shovel.

burrow

Rabbits create warrens by burrowing into hillsides.

delve

The diggers delved deeper, looking for a glimmer of gold.

excavate

Rescue workers excavated the rubble to free the trapped people.

hollow out

We hollowed out a dip in the sand in which to build our camp fire.

scoop out

The squirrel scooped out a hole in the early snow to reach the acorns beneath.

dim ADJECTIVE

Something that is dim is lacking in brightness and badly lit.

faint

As they neared Mordor, faint lights shone in the hills beyond.

gloomy

The gloomy passages of the castle were lit by flaming torches on the walls.

shadowy

I had trouble finding my way across the shadowy room to reach the light switch.

vague

Ben Nevis was just a vague outline seen through the morning mist.

ANTONYM: bright

dinosaur NOUN

Dinosaurs are large animals that lived millions of years ago.

Some types of dinosaur:

apatosaurus

diplodocus

iguanodon

pterodactyl

stegosaurus

triceratops

tyrannosaurus

velociraptor

dirt NOUN

Dirt is any unclean substance such as dust, mud or stains.

filth

Below the sink, the shelf was caked with filth.

grime

Grime from a thousand mill chimneys had blackened the local buildings.

muck

It took me hours to clean the muck from the wheels of my bike.

dirty (1) ADJECTIVE

Something that is dirty is marked or covered with dirt.

filthy

“Get rid of that filthy rag,” my dad ordered.

grimy

The windows were so grimy we could barely see out of them.

grubby

Mum suggested my little brother wash his grubby hands.

mucky

My father enjoys mucky jobs like gardening.

mud-caked

Everywhere in the wood, mud-caked motorcyclists roared like angry wasps.

soiled

The sign said, “Please place soiled nappies in the bin provided”.

stained

The penny was badly stained, but came up shining after it was polished.

ANTONYM: clean

dirty (2) ADJECTIVE

Water that is dirty is made unclean by poisonous substances.

contaminated

The contaminated stream was an ominous red colour.

polluted

Polluted lakes and waterways cannot support any wildlife.

dirty (3) ADJECTIVE

Dirty language is unpleasant and offensive.

crude

“That joke is very crude and not funny at all,” the girl snapped.

foul

The player was sent off for using foul language.

rude

Rude words offend many people.

vulgar

“There’s no need to be vulgar,” Mum told my big sister.

disadvantage NOUN

A disadvantage is something that makes things difficult.

drawback

The drawback of being late for school was that I missed out on Nicky’s birthday cake.

handicap

My brother’s broken leg was a handicap to him for a couple of months.

inconvenience

Mum doesn’t find walking to work an inconvenience. It helps keep her slim.

snag

The only snag with the hotel was that it was a long way from the beach.

ANTONYM: advantage

disagree (1) VERB

If you disagree with someone, you have a different opinion or view from them.

argue with

“If you argue with me,” Mum said stiffly, “you will go to your room!”

differ

Dad and Mum differed in their attitude to bedtimes.

disagree (2) VERB

If you disagree with an action or proposal, you believe it is wrong.

dispute

The player disputed the umpire’s decision and was disqualified.

object to

Fran objected to what I’d said about her.

oppose

The mayor opposed the government’s policy on city traffic.

disappear VERB

If someone or something disappears, they go where they cannot be seen or found.

drop out of sight

The toddler had dropped out of sight before his mother realized he was not at her side.

evaporate

The wizard uttered his spell and evaporated into thin air.

fade

The flight of geese faded into the twilight.

melt away

The crowd melted away, taking their memories of the music with them.

vanish

Without a second thought, Hermione made herself vanish in an instant.

ANTONYMS: appear or reappear

disaster NOUN

A disaster is a very bad accident, such as an earthquake or a plane crash.

calamity

Mr and Mrs Hassan suffered a calamity when they lost all their savings.

catastrophe

The earthquake killed 1500 people – a catastrophe on a huge scale.

tragedy

The fire in the old couple’s home was a tragedy for them.

discuss VERB

When people discuss something, they talk about it in detail.

chat about

Lisa and I chatted about our favourite movie.

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