Why You Need More Synonyms And How To Search For Them

Enhance your writing with more synonyms

English is a very complicated language for some because there are lots of rules that you will have to master before you can claim that you have perfected it.

Synonyms are a very controversial topic because some people think that there is no need for words that have the same meaning. It is understandable when you are already trying to remember one set of words.

Here are some examples of some synonyms to give you a better idea of what I mean.

Angry: upset, furious, inflamed

Begin: start, originate

Dangerous: unsafe, risky

End: stop, halt, conclude

Quiet: silent, mute, calm

What we need to know is that although these words might on the surface mean the same thing, there are also some slight differences. A synonym can change the tone of a statement if used correctly.

When you use what is the best grammar checker for you, it should provide you with synonyms if the tone is a little off. It is important to check the sentence structure after substituting one word for another.

Obviously, there is a need for synonyms; otherwise, we would not have to deal with them. I often hear people talk about this subject and I thought I should write a post on why it is important that we have synonyms.

Tone

We can use synonyms to change the tone of what we are trying to communicate. By replacing one word for another, you can be perceived as mellow or infuriated. Look at these two sentences to see what I mean.

“I had to run to catch up with you.”

“I was racing to catch up with you.”

The second one sounds a bit more dramatic, even though both could mean the same thing. It is important that we have synonyms to communicate what emotion we feel when we speak or write.

Language richness

I find it a bit frustrating that so many people are complaining about the need for using more synonyms when they are a beautiful thing.

Language richness is created by words we use to communicate with others. With the existence of synonyms, we can add more words to our vocabularies. This means we can write better content and use more words in our verbal communication with others.

Poetry

Not everyone is a fan of poetry, but I do believe that there are many followers of this written art. Synonyms are crucial for poetry because you can create a flow of your connected words.

The options automatically become more, and you can write on a variety of themes. I could not even begin to imagine the difficulty poets might experience with only a limited amount of words.

Variety of cultures

English is spoken all over the world, including many countries already have their own native languages. We invent words as we go along that fit into our way of communication, based on the location we find ourselves in.

Some of these words may not be recognized in the dictionary as yet, but I have seen some new words being added, based on culture. This is a great thing, because who is to decide when a language stops evolving?

History

Many synonyms were created by a mix of languages before we were born. This is the richness of the history of language, and it is something that we should not question, but instead, continue to embrace.

One day someone younger will ask the same questions you are asking, and it is our responsibility to speak about the history of synonyms and how we have come to use this variety of words.

How do you go about and search for synonyms?

Grammar checkers

You can find one of the best online grammar check tools online, and it should provide you with an option to look for a specific synonym.

This is a great place to start because you are taking note of that specific word and it will be unlikely that you will forget the synonym presented.

Online search

There isn’t much that Google cannot do, so you can simply do an online search for the word you require a synonym for. It’s a very simple process, and if you know how to use Google, you will know how to find a synonym.

Simply type in the word in question and then type the word synonym and you will receive a few options right there on the first page. Thesaurus.com is one of the first websites to come up, and it is a great source when searching for synonyms.

You can also use Grammarly online to suggest synonyms as you write.

Dictionary

I do not know how many of you still have a hard copy dictionary, but you should always have one on hand. Sometimes the Internet is down, or you are busy with an important paper. This is when you pull out the good old faithful dictionary.

There are many online dictionaries, but I do like holding a good old-fashioned book in my hands, and this is usually my option of choice.

With your dictionary, you have to search for the word that you are trying to find and you may even get to learn more through your searching process. Our brains automatically absorb the things we read, so this is a great place to look for synonyms.

Conclusion

Synonyms have been evolving ever since our language was born, and it is important that we keep adding new words to it.

Who knows how many new words a language can accumulate in another 100 years? We are responsible for keeping the language alive and not subtracting from it.

This is why we should embrace synonyms and use as many as we can throughout our writing life. A rich vocabulary can take you a long way and make you a much better writer.

The variety of words is amazing, and the fact that we can exchange one word for another while ever so slightly changing the message is incredibly powerful.