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Synonyms
A synonym is simply a word which is identical in sense and usage with another, for
example fast is a synonym of quick.
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are
synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called
synonymy. In the figurative sense, two words are often said to be synonymous if they
have the same connotation:
"A widespread impression that … Hollywood was synonymous with immorality"
(Doris Kearns Goodwin).
Synonyms can be any part of speech (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or
prepositions), as long as both members of the pair are the same part of speech. More
examples of English synonyms are:
· Noun
o ‘student’ and ‘pupil’
· Verb
o ‘buy’ and ‘purchase’
· Adjective
o ‘sick’ and ‘ill’
· Adverb
o ‘quickly’ and ‘speedily’
· Preposition
o ‘on’ and ‘upon’
Note that synonyms are defined with respect to certain senses of words; for instance,
pupil as the "aperture in the iris of the eye" is not synonymous with student. Similarly, he
expired means the same as he died, yet my passport has expired cannot be replaced by my
passport has died.
Knowing words with the same or opposite meaning can help you make sense of unknown
words.
When you read, you may come across a word you don't know. You can often figure out
its meaning by thinking of a synonym or antonym for it.
A synonym means the same, or almost the same, as the unknown word.
E.g. I felt so ungainly, tripping over my own feet as we headed to the dance floor!
Handout on Synonyms. 20 April 2013. ãA. D., The Writing Centre
Writing Centre handout hub
Can you think of a word to replace ungainly that would still describe someone who trips?
How about clumsy, awkward, or gawky? They all have about the same meaning, but
doesn't it sound more embarrassing to be ungainly than clumsy? By using ungainly, the
author tells you more about the person's feelings.
When you learn a new word, you may grasp its meaning by associating it with one of its
synonyms that you already know. For example, what's another word for decrease? You
know that decrease means to make smaller, and its antonym is increase. So what is one
of its synonyms? A good synonym for decrease is diminish. Write a sentence here using
the word diminish.
Do you like the sentence you wrote any better because it uses diminish instead of
decrease? Does it sound more important? More grown-up? More precise?
How to find the synonym you need
Many writers turn to a thesaurus to find synonyms. As warned before, however, using a
thesaurus is tricky unless you already know the exact meaning of each synonym listed for
a word. If you don't, you run the risk of picking a word with the wrong connotation, or
even the wrong denotation.
Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary definition". For
example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its
denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles
having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate
regions."
Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the associations that are connected to a certain
word or the emotional suggestions related to that word. The connotative meanings of a
word exist together with the denotative meanings. The connotations for the word snake
could include evil or danger.
For example, the name ‘Hollywood’ connotes such things as glitz, glamour, tinsel,
celebrity, and dreams of stardom. At the same time, the name ‘Hollywood’ denotes an
area of Los Angeles, worldwide known as the center of the American movie industry.
If you feel the need for extra help when you write, use a dictionary. It can help you to see
the subtle differences in how a word can be used. For even more help, check out a
dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. These dictionaries define all the synonyms and
antonyms so you're less likely to substitute a word that doesn't make sense.
To know more, visit the Writing Centre. J
Handout on Synonyms. 20 April 2013. ãA. D., The Writing Centre
