conserve
To protect something from harm, or to save it from being wasted.
conserve in a sentence
- We turn off the tap while brushing our teeth to conserve water.
- The rangers work hard to conserve the rare red squirrels in the forest.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to conserve?
- Asquander
- Bsave
- Cwaste
- Ddestroy
Show the answer
B: save. The other three mean the opposite of conserve.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to conserve?
- Apreserve
- Bwaste
- Cprotect
- Dsave
Show the answer
B: waste. The other three mean nearly the same as conserve.
Words that mean something similar
save, protect, preserve
Words that mean the opposite
waste, squander, destroy
More words about weather & nature
- cultivate: To grow plants, or to work at improving something.
- dreary: Dull, grey and boring.
- drenched: Completely soaked with water.
- drought: A long time with little or no rain, when the land dries out.
- erode: To wear something away slowly, little by little.
- extinction: The dying out of a whole kind of animal or plant, so that none are left.
- famine: A time when there is not enough food for many people to eat.
- fertile: Able to grow plenty of healthy plants or crops.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test