A synonym is simply a term that means the same as the word that is given. It comes from the Greek words “syn” and “onym,” which respectively mean “together” and “name.” One of the easiest ways to broaden your vocabulary while talking or writing, and to stop constantly using the same words, is to use a thesaurus to find synonyms (words of similar meaning). A thesaurus is a general term that defines a dictionary form that offers a list of terms of the same or similar meaning as the referenced word.
For instance, you might get a list of more than thirty words that have similar meanings if you were to look up the word “good.” There are several types of a thesaurus you can use, and for an online tool, Power Thesaurus is very helpful for students and writers.
Why is the use of synonyms in your speech or writing important? It’s important because, as noted in the following section, synonyms can improve both your oral skills and your writing skills.
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Benefits of Using Synonyms
- Get the text more fascinating and interesting.
- Help prevents dull or boring text.
- Improve clear communication with you and your readers.
- Help provides a picture in the mind of the readers.
- Help prevents redundant text.
For example, you might use synonyms such as “gorgeous,” “stunning,” or “ravishing” to better paint a picture of your description, instead of using the word “beautiful” several times in your text. Repeatedly using only one phrase would mean that you will lose your audience’s attention simply out of boredom.
Building your arsenal of synonyms is very simple, and the Power Thesaurus will help you get started. In every attempt to increase your vocabulary, keeping a journal or a list of new words to refer to is helpful. Using these new synonyms regularly to keep them in your mind is also beneficial. In your oral or written presentations, the more you use new words, the more quickly they will come to mind.
Avoid Plagiarism
For authors and editors, plagiarism is a significant problem and is considered copyright infringement. It is especially serious for academic researchers because it may undermine or even ruin their professional reputation by plagiarizing someone else’s work in a study paper.
Any works that are not your original thoughts or ideas that you refer to in your writings should be quoted and referenced correctly. Do you always have to use direct quotes? Not necessarily, but quotation marks should include any portion of the original text that you include in your paraphrased text.
Paraphrasing uses fewer words to express the same meaning, helps us shorten a very long text, and may help avoid the tendency to use too many words. This is where synonyms come in handy, but what
words to use, you need to be careful of.
Be sure that the words you use to replace the original idea are true synonyms when paraphrasing. For example, the original word, “It was a dark day,” may mean more than one thing. It could mean that the weather was rainy or that the person’s mood was somber and depressed. Make sure that you understand the original idea and use terms that can convey the same meaning.
Power Thesaurus
There are multiple books and websites that will help you create your synonym dictionary. However, Power Thesaurus, which is available online and can be downloaded on the phone, is one of the most widely used tools by writers and students.
You can find almost all the words and their synonyms and antonyms and see each word’s part of speech. This is also perfect if you do not know yet how to use the word you are searching for as they have definitions and examples ready for you to read.
Conclusion
Learning to use synonyms properly will help you express your ideas better. Using a variety of synonyms, straightforward and concise text will provide your readers with more engaging reading that will hold their attention. Ultimately, this is the purpose of academic writing, so that new subjects and studies can be clearly introduced to everyone interested.
With a powerful tool like a thesaurus by your side, you will not have to worry about the words that are on the tip of your tongue. Search it on Power Thesaurus, and your piece is ready for a step up. What are you waiting for? Change your writing game today!
Louie is the father behind the travel blog Browseeverywhere.com. He has a background in photography, E-commerce, and writing product reviews online at ConsumerReviews24. Traveling full time with his family was his ultimate past-time. If he’s not typing at his laptop, you can probably find him watching movies.
