Childrens Illustrated Thesaurus

166

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

possessions

possessions

plural noun the things owned

by someone » We packed

up our possessions ready for

moving house.

assets, belongings, effects,

estate, property, things

possibility

noun something that might

be true or might happen

» Daisy cheered up at the

possibility of an ice cream.

chance, hope, likelihood,

odds, prospect, risk

possible^1

adjective likely to happen

or able to be done

» She was grateful to her

music teacher for making

the concert possible.

attainable, feasible,

practicable, viable,

workable

antonym: impossible

possible^2

adjective likely or capable

of being true or correct

» It’s possible there’s an

explanation for the delay.

conceivable, imaginable,

likely, potential

postpone

verb to put off to a later time

» The visit has been

postponed until tomorrow.

adjourn, defer, delay,

put back, put off, shelve

potential^1

adjective possible but not yet

actual » Suhel was looking for

potential sponsors for his

marathon bid.

likely, possible, probable

potential^2

noun ability to achieve future

success » The tennis coach

recognized the potential of the

young player.

ability, aptitude, capability,

capacity, power,

wherewithal

pour

verb to flow quickly and in

large quantities

» She put her umbrella up

as it was pouring with rain.

course, flow, gush, run,

spout, stream

poverty

noun the state of being very

poor » I’m raising money

for a charity that aims to tackle

poverty in developing countries.

destitution, hardship,

insolvency, want, beggary,

indigence, penury, privation

power^1

noun control over people and

activities » A president has

great power and influence.

ascendancy, control,

dominion, sovereignty,

supremacy

power^2

noun authority to do something

» The police have the power

of arrest.

authority, authorization,

licence, privilege, right

power^3

noun physical strength

» Power and bulk are vital

to success in rugby.

brawn, might, strength,

vigour

powerful^1

adjective able to control people

and events » The USA is one

of the world’s most powerful

countries.

commanding, dominant,

influential

powerful^2

adjective physically strong

▶▶ SEE RIGHT

powerful^3

adjective having a strong effect

» It was a powerful argument,

but I remained unconvinced.

compelling, convincing,

effective, forceful,

persuasive, telling

powerless

adjective unable to control

or influence events

» I was powerless to stop her.

helpless, impotent,

incapable

practical^1

adjective involving experience

rather than theory » The book

is full of practical suggestions

for healthy eating.

applied, pragmatic,

sensible

practical^2

adjective likely to be effective

» The clothes are lightweight

and practical for holidays.

functional, sensible

antonym: impractical

practical^3

adjective able to deal

effectively with problems

» She has the practical

common sense essential

in a team leader.

accomplished,

experienced, proficient,

seasoned, skilled, veteran

practice^1

noun something that people do

regularly » We’ve been getting

to know the local practices

since moving to the village.

custom, habit, method,

routine, way

practice^2

noun regular training or

exercise » I need more

practice to improve my skills.

drill, exercise, preparation,

rehearsal, training

practise^1

verb to do something

repeatedly so as to gain skill

» Louis practises cycling for

half an hour every day.

polish, rehearse, train

practise^2

verb to take part in the

activities of a religion, craft,

or custom » Acupuncture has

been practised in China for

thousands of years.

do, follow, observe

praise^1

verb to express strong approval

of someone » The teacher

praised Rob for his test results.

admire, applaud, approve,

congratulate, pay tribute to,

acclaim, eulogize,

extol, laud

antonym: criticize

praise^2

noun something said or written

to show approval » She is full

of praise for her students.

accolade, approval,

commendation,

congratulation, tribute,

eulogy, panegyric

antonym: criticism

precaution

noun an action intended

to prevent something from

happening » When on a boat,

wearing a life jacket is an

essential precaution.

insurance, preventative

measure, protection,

provision, safeguard

We packed up our possessions

ready for moving house.

Louis practises cycling for half

an hour every day.

She put her umbrella up as it was

pouring with rain.

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