What is a Synonym?
What is a synonym? A synonym is a word or expression that has the same or almost the same meaning as another word or expression. In English, a language known for its enormous vocabulary, most words have synonyms. For example, the word “enormous” has many synonyms: Huge, massive, giant, immense, and the list goes on. The word “synonym” is a composite of two Greek words: The prefix “syn” means “together” and “onym” is “name.” Synonyms — together naming the same thing.
The free online activities on this website offer great synonym practice. Try Crosswords and Vocabulary Quiz—both let you choose “synonyms” as the topic of the game
Another great way to build your synonym vocabulary is through online vocabulary software. Ultimate Vocabulary provides a focused method for building vocabulary skills for ESL students.
Imagine how boring language would be without synonyms! Synonyms make reading, writing, and speaking more expressive. If every person, place, or thing were known by one word only, life would be incredibly dull—or dreary, tedious, lackluster, and bland! Try it yourself—mix up your word choice when you talk or write! Good speakers and writers always vary their vocabulary. Time4Writing.com offers lessons in writing using a varied vocabulary.
Synonym tests ask you to select a word’s synonym from a list of choices, or to read a sentence and decide which word is similar in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence. For example: “John thought he was lucky to have good friends.” Pick the synonym for “lucky” from the choices “smart,” “fortunate,” and “sophisticated.” Think twice about words that make sense in the sentence—these choices may not have the same or similar meaning as the underlined word. Think of the letter ‘S’ in synonym as standing for “same” or “similar,” and you’ll keep on track. “Fortunate” is the answer.
Free Synonym Activities Can Bring Better Test Scores
Doing synonym activities pays off in better test taking. Create your own synonym worksheets from your vocabulary lists. Write down one synonym for each word. Next, challenge yourself to double or triple your synonym list. If you get stuck, there’s help, thanks to Peter Mark Roget. In 1852, Dr. Roget compiled the first comprehensive classification of synonyms, called a thesaurus. Roget’s Thesaurus is still the world’s premier synonym finder and the source for online synonym finders and word processing thesaurus tools. Dictionaries also list synonyms for each definition.
It is said, “There are vocabulary games to build vocabulary word skills through synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. There are strategies, skills, and individual word instruction that students need to build vocabulary proficiency.“
Play one of our many free games for synonym practice! Try the new SAT Vocabulary, Slang Game, or Match It games now and let us know what you think!