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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
scruffy
adjective dirty and untidy
» Sadie and Ryan wore their
scruffy clothes for painting.
ragged, seedy, shabby,
tatty, unkempt,
disreputable, slovenly,
ungroomed
antonym: smartscrutinize
verb to examine something
very carefully » Arianna
scrutinized the chess board
before she made her move.
examine, inspect,
pore over, scan,
search, studysearch^1
verb to look for something
▶▶ SEE RIGHTsearch^2
noun the action of looking
for something » Kit began
a search for a different type
of skateboard.
hunt, questsecret
adjective known about by only
a few people » The movie
stars got married at a secret
location on a Pacific island.
closet (informal),
confidential, covert,
furtive, hidden,
undercover, underground,
cloak-and-dagger,
conspiratorial, undisclosed
related word: adjective crypticsecretive
adjective hiding your feelings
and intentions » Skylar was
secretive about her longing for
a pony in case people laughed.
cagey (informal), reserved,
reticent, tight-lipped,
uncommunicative,
unforthcomingsection
noun one of the parts into
which something is divided
» The dog is allowed only
in this section of the house.
division, instalment, part,
piece, portion, segmentsecure^1
verb (formal) to manage to get
something » Julian’s good
exam marks helped him to
secure a place at university.
acquire, gain, get, obtain,
procure (formal)secure^2
verb to make something safe
» The mighty stone walls
secured the town against attack.
fortify, make impregnable,
make safe, strengthensecure^3
verb to fasten or attach
something firmly » The train
carriages were secured to the
engine before it left the station.
attach, bind, fasten, fix,
lock, moor, tie up
antonym: releasesecure^4
adjective tightly locked or well
protected » The bike was
secure, padlocked to the rail.
fortified, impregnable,
protected, safe, shieldedsecure^5
adjective firmly fixed in place
» She finally made the
child’s safety seat secure
in the back of the car.
fastened, firm, fixed,
locked, solid, stable, tightsecure^6
adjective feeling safe and
happy » The baby was
sound asleep, secure in
its mother’s arms.
confident, protected,
reassured, relaxed, safe
antonym: insecuresee^1
verb to look at or notice
something » I can see a herd
of elephants.
behold, discern, glimpse,
look, notice, observe,
perceive, sight, spot,
catch sight of, espysee^2
verb to realize or understand
something » I see exactly
what you mean.
appreciate, comprehend,
follow, get, grasp, realize,
understandsee^3
verb to find something out
» I’ll see what’s happening
outside the gates.
ascertain, determine,
discover, find outseek^1
verb to try to find something
» Becky was seeking a book
on bonsai trees from her library.
be after, hunt, look for,
search forseek^2
verb to try to do something
» I seek to raise as much
money as possible for charity.
aim, aspire to, attempt,
endeavour, strive, tryseem
verb to appear to be
» Lucas seemed shy at first
because he was very quiet.
appear, give the impression
of, look, look likeseize^1
verb to grab something firmly
» Jim seized the phone
from my hand.
grab, grasp, snatchseize^2
verb to take control of
something » The knights
seized the castle.
ambush, annex,
appropriate, capture,
confiscate, hijack,
impound, take over,
commandeer,
take possession ofselect^1
verb to choose something
» The guests each selected a
differently decorated cupcake.
choose, decide on,
opt for, pick, settle on,
single out, takeselect^2
adjective of good quality
» The team was a select
group of the best players.
choice, exclusive,
first-class, first-rate,
hand-picked, prime,
special, superiorscruffy
Sadie and Ryan wore their scruffy
clothes for painting.The bike was secure, padlocked
to the rail.The baby was sound asleep,
secure in its mother’s arms.The guests each selected a
differently decorated cupcake.194-223_S.indd 198 13/01/17 10:53 am