of someone.
cruelty
Sadly, many animals are injured through cruelty or neglect.
harm
Fortunately, the two lost children were found with no harm done to them.
ill-treatment
Oliver Twist suffered much ill-treatment in the workhouse.
abuse (2) Said “ab-yooz” VERB
To abuse someone is to treat them cruelly.
harm
Now the dog was at the rescue kennels, no one could harm it any more.
ill-treat
People who ill-treat their animals should face heavy fines.
mistreat
Cinderella was constantly mistreated by her two ugly sisters.
misuse
The dictator misused his power by giving jobs to his relatives.
accident NOUN
An accident is something that happens suddenly or unexpectedly, causing people to be hurt or killed.
collision
Eight vehicles were involved in a collision during the heavy rain.
crash
The police advised that the airport should be closed because of the plane crash.
mishap
Falling off my bike was a minor mishap, but luckily I wasn’t hurt.
➔ See disaster
accidental ADJECTIVE
Something that is accidental has not been planned.
unexpected
The sail’s tearing in the wind was a totally unexpected problem.
unintentional
“I didn’t mean to stand on the flowers. It was quite unintentional,” I apologized.
unplanned
Although our beach volleyball tournament was unplanned, it was a great success.
ANTONYM: deliberate
accurate ADJECTIVE
If something is accurate, it is absolutely correct.
exact
In order to set my watch, I need to know the exact time.
factual
Non-fiction books are factual accounts of real people and events.
faithful
The French version of the book is a faithful translation of the English original.
precise
Tightrope walkers must be very precise in their movements.
spot-on INFORMAL
Your guess about the train’s arrival time was spot-on.
true
“Is this statement a true record of where you were?” queried the police officer.
ANTONYM: inaccurate
ache VERB
If a part of your body aches, you feel a continuous, dull pain there.
be sore
Jane’s leg muscles were sore after aerobics.
hurt
“Ouch!” said Devendra as the nurse cleaned his cut knee. “That hurts!”
throb
My knee really throbbed after I fell over on the uneven pavement.
action (1) NOUN
An action is something you do for a particular purpose.
act
Rescuing the baby from the burning house was an act of great courage.
deed
Theseus’s bravest deed was the slaying of the dreaded Minotaur.
exploit
The explorer, Sir Archie Pounder, told the school of his exploits in the jungle.
feat
To build Stonehenge without modern equipment was a great feat.
move
I think resting after dinner is a sensible move.
action (2) NOUN
An action is a physical movement, such as jumping.
activity
Our classroom was a hive of activity as we got ready for the concert.
motion
The up-and-down motion of the boat made me feel queasy.
movement
The movements of the conductor’s baton guided the orchestra.
actual ADJECTIVE
Actual can mean something is real, rather than imaginary or guessed at.
genuine
“This table is a genuine antique,” said Gran.
real
The film is based on a real story.
true
“Is this a true record of what you said?” the judge demanded to know.
very
The guide told us Ann Boleyn was beheaded on the very spot where we stood.
add (1) VERB
If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things.
combine
Orange juice combined with lemonade makes a refreshing drink.
include
