“Such abysmal work will have to be redone,” said Mr Malone severely.
atrocious
The reporter admitted that his spelling was atrocious.
faulty
Engineers soon fixed the faulty telephone line.
inferior
The paint Dad bought was of inferior quality – it was hard to use and didn’t last long.
shoddy
Owing to shoddy workmanship, the house had to be redecorated.
unsatisfactory
The head teacher wrote that my school report was unsatisfactory.
ANTONYM: excellent
badly (1) ADVERB
If you do something badly, you do it in an inferior way.
inadequately
He had been inadequately trained for the job.
poorly
The event was poorly organized.
shoddily
This house has been shoddily built.
unsatisfactorily
I feel the whole business has been handled unsatisfactorily.
ANTONYM: well
badly (2) ADVERB
If something affects you badly, it affects you in a serious way.
deeply
I am deeply hurt by these remarks.
gravely
He was gravely ill following a heart operation.
seriously
Four people have been seriously injured.
bad-mannered ADJECTIVE
Bad-mannered people are rude and thoughtless.
disrespectful
It is disrespectful to interrupt people when they are speaking.
inconsiderate
It was inconsiderate of Meg to take a second helping when others had not had their first.
rude
We decided not to leave a tip for the rude waiter.
bad-tempered ADJECTIVE
Bad-tempered people often lose their temper.
grumpy
Dad is always cheerful in the mornings. It’s me that is grumpy.
irritable
Some people get irritable when you read over their shoulder.
moody
When people are moody, you never quite know how they will greet you.
quarrelsome
The two quarrelsome brothers were always looking for a fight.
sulky
“If you’re going to be sulky, miss, you can go to your room,” Dad replied.
sullen
The sullen waiter snatched my plate and stalked off to the kitchen.
bag NOUN
A bag is a container for carrying things in.
Some types of bag:
backpack
briefcase
carrier bag
duffel bag
handbag
holdall
rucksack
sack
satchel
shopping bag
shoulder bag
suitcase
ban VERB
If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.
make illegal
The government proposes to make illegal the sale of imitation guns.
prohibit
Using all sorts of barricades, the landowner prohibited walkers from crossing his land.
bang (1) NOUN
A bang is a hard, painful bump against something.
blow
Kirstin suffered a blow to her head when the door opened suddenly.
knock
When I slipped on the stairs, I got a sharp knock on my funny bone.
bang (2) NOUN
A bang is a sudden, short, loud noise.
blast
The blast echoed round the quarry.
thud
With a thud, the encyclopedia hit the floor.
bare (1) ADJECTIVE
If your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing.
in your birthday suit INFORMAL
I dreamt I was walking down the high street in my birthday suit.
naked
Lady Godiva rode naked on a horse through the middle of town.
nude
For many centuries, the nude body has been a popular subject for artists.
undressed
The nurse asked me to get undressed, ready for the medical examination.
without a stitch on INFORMAL
“And there I was, without a stitch on,” Mrs Lee, our neighbour, told me.
bare (2) ADJECTIVE
If something is bare, it is not covered with anything.
barren
The Grand Canyon, although magnificent, is a barren wilderness.
bleak
The Brontë sisters lived on the edge of a bleak, windswept moor.
desolate
The abandoned town was desolate.
➔ See empty (1)
barrier NOUN
A barrier is a fence or wall that prevents people or animals getting from one area to another.
barricade
The protesters erected a barricade across the main street.
obstacle
There are lots of obstacles to get over and under in an obstacle race.
obstruction
The roadworks were an obstruction and drivers had to be diverted around them.
base (1) NOUN
The base is the lowest part of something.
bottom
The lost cat mewed at the bottom of the well.
foot
“Please would you stand on the foot of my ladder to stop it slipping?” Dad asked.
foundation
The foundations of New York’s skyscrapers rest on solid rock.
base (2) NOUN
A