We have millions of words in the English language. These words help us communicate and get a message to another person. We use words constantly in order to express a particular feeling or meaning. Many of our words can be used interchangeably. Let's look at some of those words and their purpose in our language.
Synonyms
Words that have similar definitions are known as synonyms. We use synonyms constantly in speech and in writing. These are the words that can be used interchangeably, but the meaning of the message remains the same.
Many synonyms are very useful because they can show different variations of the same understanding. To show this, let's look at the word 'good.' We all know the meaning of 'good.' It is one of the first understandings you come to as a child, and you learn quickly what it means to be a good kid. Generally speaking, 'good' can be defined as something correct or pleasant and enjoyable. There are numerous synonyms for good: okay, well, fine, great, excellent, magnificent and wonderful. All these words are describing a positive event or experience, but the variations can show a clearer understanding. For example, an 'okay day' is not as good as an 'excellent day.' But a 'wonderful day' is just about the same as a 'magnificent day.' The range of synonyms can give the audience or reader a better understanding of the speaker's exact intentions.
There is a certain skill involved in choosing the most appropriate synonym, as not all are created equal. It is important to consider the connotation of the word because some synonyms can inject a different meaning than the one intended.
For example, one synonym of sad is "gloomy" however, this word carries quite a negative connotation. Depending on the circumstance you can use it, but in this instance, if you just want to say that someone is "down," then another synonym such as "blue" or "unhappy" would be more applicable.
Synonym examples
Here is a list of adjectives and their synonyms that are commonly used to describe people.
Beautiful: Attractive, Pretty, Lovely, Stunning
Fair: Just, Objective, Impartial, Unbiased
Funny: Humorous, Comical, Hilarious, Hysterical
Happy: Content, Joyful, Mirthful, Upbeat
Hardworking: Diligent, Determined, Industrious, Enterprising
Honest: Honorable, Fair, Sincere, Trustworthy
Intelligent: Smart, Bright, Brilliant, Sharp
Introverted: Shy, Bashful, Quiet, Withdrawn
Kind: Thoughtful, Considerate, Amiable, Gracious
Lazy: Idle, Lackadaisical, Lethargic, Indolent
Mean: Unfriendly, Unpleasant, Bad-tempered, Difficult
Outgoing: Friendly, Sociable, Warm, Extroverted
Rich: Affluent, Wealthy, Well-off, Well-to-do
Strong: Stable, Secure, Solid, Tough
Unhappy: Sad, Depressed, Melancholy, Miserable
Lucky: Auspicious, Fortunate
Positive: Optimistic, Cheerful, Starry-eyed, Sanguine
Bossy: Controlling, Tyrannical
Baffle: confuse, deceive
Hypocrisy: duplicity, falseness
Pacify: appease, placate
Recalcitrant: obstinate, stubborn
Turbulent: disordered, violent
Valid: authorized, legitimate
Old: antiquated, ancient, obsolete, extinct, past, prehistoric, venerable, aged
True: genuine, reliable, factual, accurate, precise, correct, valid, real
Important: required, substantial, vital, essential, primary, significant, requisite, critical
Weak: frail, anemic, feeble, infirm, languid, sluggish, puny, fragile
Tricks to practice Synonyms
1. Before the examination, you must make sure that you attempt to improve your vocabulary through reading. You may read novels, the newspaper or any other English literature media especially the Classics. Most nationally circulated newspapers contain articles written in a decent level of language. This helps by letting you build context surrounding the words. When you see the word being used in a sentence, you form a background on the word, making it easier to guess its synonym.2. Every time you come across a new word, you must look it up in the dictionary and thesaurus to make sure that word is well-understood and thus, well-memorised. You can even make sentences of your own or use mnemonics to remember the word.3. Another way to guess the meaning of the word is through breaking down the word into its roots. For instance, 'Ornithology' may be split into 'ornis' which means 'birds' and 'logos' which means 'study' thus establishing that it is the study of birds.4. You can maintain a diary or notebook to keep a record of all the new words. This notebook will then serve as a tool for quick revision as the examination day nears.5. You may prefer learning words of a similar category together for better understanding. For example, the names of specialists maybe learnt together. For instance, cardiologist (heart specialist), neurologist (brain specialist) and ophthalmologist (eye specialist)6. Practising a lot of exercises on synonyms and words with similar meanings can be advantageous. The more you rehearse, the better you become. After all, practice makes perfect!7. During the examination, you must carefully examine each option before choosing the correct one. If you are stuck, using the word in a sentence and then doing the same with each of the options may help bring some clarity.8. Synonyms when used in the same sentence at the same place, ideally do not change the entire meaning of the sentence. For example, "It was Sahil's hesitation that was the cause of all trouble" can be replaced by "It was Sahil's reluctance that was the cause of all trouble" as 'hesitation' and 'reluctance' are similar in meaning.9. In case you are unable to choose between two given options, it is preferable to choose the word which matches the degree of the word in question. For instance, the word 'obese' would be most similar in meaning to 'overweight' rather than just 'plump'.10. Keep an eye out for easily confusable words and homophones. These are words that sound alike but may be spelled differently. For instance, 'bare' and 'bear'. These cannot be used interchangeably. Try remembering the context in which you read the word first. This will help clear any confusion.