What Are Synonyms?
A synonym is a word or phrase that can be substituted for another word or phrase in a particular context. A synonym is a word that means the same thing as another word. If you replace a word in a sentence with its synonym, the meaning of the sentence won’t really change that much. For example, happy is a synonym of glad. We can say that happy and glad are synonymous.
Examples of Synonyms
Here are some more examples of synonyms (bold):
- He studied law at Oxford.
- He read law at Oxford.
(In this context, the verbs to study and to read are synonyms.)
- She is an excellent student.
- She is a strong student.
(In this context, the adjectives excellent and strong are synonyms.)
- She is a real Picasso.
- She is a great artist .
(In this context, the phrases are synonyms.)
Context Is Important When Considering Synonyms
Words which are synonyms in one context might not be synonyms in another. For example:
- He was studying in the kitchen.
- He was reading in the kitchen.
(In this context, the meanings of to study and to read are not close enough to be synonyms.)
- This is an excellent cheese.
- This is an strong cheese.
(In this context, excellent and strong are not synonyms.)
Synonyms Can Be Any Part of Speech
Synonyms can be any part of speech. For example: Adjectives
- The reason is unimportant.
- The reason is irrelevant.
Adverbs
- He eats fast.
- He eats quickly.
Conjunctions
- I should tell her as she is my sister.
- I should tell her because she is my sister.
(Note: These are known as subordinating conjunctions.)
Read more below-
JSS2 English Language Third Term: Synonyms/Antonyms and Literature: Drama
