Synonym

Synonyms are different words with identical or at least similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous , and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy . An example of synonyms are the words car and automobile

Synonyms can be any part of speech , as long as both members of the pair are the same part of speech. More examples of English synonyms are:

Noun
"student" and "pupil"
"petty crime" and "misdemeanor"

Verb
"buy" and "purchase"

Adjective
"sick" and "ill"
Adverb
"quickly" and "speedily"

Preposition
"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.

In English, many synonyms evolved from the parallel use, in the early medieval period, of Norman French (from Latin) and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) words, often with some words being used principally by the Saxon peasantry ("folk", "freedom", "bowman") and their synonyms by the Norman nobility ("people", "liberty", "archer").

Synonyms are words that mean about the same thing. Synonyms add interest and life to reading and writing. Examples of synonyms are hot and torrid; ugly and hideous; cry and weep. Completing these exercises will give you a broader vocabulary to choose from, especially when writing.

1. a word that means the same or nearly the same as another word, such as bucket and pail

2. a word or phrase used as another name for something, such as Hellene for a Greek

3. biology a taxonomic name that has been superseded orrejected

Example:

    Corpulent:Obese
    Brief:Short
    Embezzle:Clear

Exercise Questions

1. Luxuriant

a. Beautiful
b. Luxurious
c. Abundant
d. lovely

2. Memorable

a. Memorial
b. worth remembering
c. mending
d. striking

3. Officious

a. concerning office
b. legal
c. interfering
d. permissible

4. Opulous

a. Popular
b. Respectful
c. Populated(thickly)
d. hard working

5. Vocation

a. Holiday
b. Occupation
c. break-up
d. virtue

6. Illegible

a. Fit
b. Illegal
c. not readable
d. elective

7. Illicit

a. Illegal
b. Draw
c. Differ
d. postpone

8. Defer

a. Differ
b. Respect
c. Postpone
d. disagree

9. Proscribe

a. Fix
b. Order
c. prohibit sale and publication
d. continue the use of

10. Imperious

a. Proud
b. Temper
c. Tamper
d. distant

Answer Key:

1.c; 2.b; 3.c; 4.c; 5.b; 6.c; 7.a; 8.c; 9.c; 10.a