Synonyms

About Synonyms

A synonym question gives a word and asks which of four options means the same thing. The options are all the same kind of word, so the answer is not the one that fits grammatically but the one that carries the same meaning, and the reliable way to find it is to put each option into a sentence in place of the given word.

What you need to understand

Two words are synonyms when they can replace one another in a sentence without changing what it says. They rarely match in every sense.

Most words have several meanings, and their synonyms differ between them. Fast means quick, but a fast also means a period of going without food, and the synonyms of the noun are not the synonyms of the adjective.

Synonyms differ in strength. Angry and furious are close, but one is stronger than the other, and a question asking for the closest in meaning prefers the nearer one.

Synonyms differ in register. Begin and commence mean the same thing, but one belongs in speech and the other in writing.

A word and its opposite are not synonyms. Hot and cold are related, but neither can replace the other.

A word that looks similar is not necessarily close in meaning. Sensible and sensitive look alike and mean quite different things.

All the options will be the same part of speech as the given word, so grammar alone will not separate them.

How to work through these questions

Read the given word and settle its meaning in the sense the question intends.

Put each option into a short sentence in place of the given word and see whether the sentence still says the same thing.

Strike out any option that is the opposite of the given word, since an opposite cannot stand in for it.

Strike out any option that differs in strength or register, unless nothing closer is offered.

Beware of options that resemble the given word in spelling but not in meaning.

If two options both seem possible, choose the one closer in meaning, as the question asks for the closest.

Check the answer by putting it back into the question in place of the given word.

Mistakes that cost marks

Choosing an option that is related to the word rather than equivalent to it. Related words belong to the same subject without meaning the same thing.
Choosing the opposite, having misread the question as asking for an antonym.
Being misled by a word that looks like the given word. The resemblance is a trap, not a clue.
Ignoring the strength of a word, so that a mild option is taken for a strong one.
Using the wrong sense of a word that has several, which makes a correct synonym in another sense look wrong.
Accepting an option that fits the sentence grammatically but changes its meaning.

Worked example

Choose the word most similar in meaning to candid.

Candid means open and straightforward in what one says.
Test each option in a sentence: he gave a candid account of what happened.
Frank fits the sentence and keeps the meaning, so it is a synonym.
Hidden is the opposite of candid and cannot replace it.
Careful is a different quality altogether, and it changes what the sentence says.
Cautious is close in subject but not in meaning, since a candid person may be anything but cautious.
Only frank keeps the sentence saying the same thing.

Answer: frank

Practice questions with answers

A few Synonyms questions with the full solution shown, so you can see how the method is applied before you attempt the timed set.

Question 1

Which of the following is closest in meaning to repeat?

A reiterate
B specify
C cross
D gain

Answer: Option A — with explanation

'repeat' and 'reiterate' mean the same thing here: both are used of verb in this sense. The other three options mean something else, so none of them could stand in for 'repeat'. Common mistakes - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'repeat': gain - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'repeat': cross - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'repeat': specify

Question 2

The word respect is nearest in meaning to which of these?

A esteem
B captain
C fortune
D rock

Answer: Option A — with explanation

'respect' and 'esteem' mean the same thing here: both are used of noun in this sense. The other three options mean something else, so none of them could stand in for 'respect'. Common mistakes - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'respect': captain - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'respect': rock - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'respect': fortune

Question 3

Which word could take the place of expansion without changing the sense?

A enlargement
B minister
C greatcoat
D engagement

Answer: Option A — with explanation

'expansion' and 'enlargement' mean the same thing here: both are used of noun in this sense. The other three options mean something else, so none of them could stand in for 'expansion'. Common mistakes - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'expansion': greatcoat - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'expansion': minister - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'expansion': engagement

Question 4

The word envisage is nearest in meaning to which of these?

A weave
B confront
C boast
D imagine

Answer: Option D — with explanation

'envisage' and 'imagine' mean the same thing here: both are used of verb in this sense. The other three options mean something else, so none of them could stand in for 'envisage'. Common mistakes - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'envisage': confront - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'envisage': boast - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'envisage': weave

Question 5

Choose the word most similar in meaning to borrow.

A stifle
B publicize
C defer
D adopt

Answer: Option D — with explanation

'borrow' and 'adopt' mean the same thing here: both are used of verb in this sense. The other three options mean something else, so none of them could stand in for 'borrow'. Common mistakes - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'borrow': publicize - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'borrow': stifle - close in form to some of the options, but different in meaning from 'borrow': defer

Frequently asked questions

Do synonyms have to mean exactly the same thing?

No. Very few pairs are interchangeable everywhere. A synonym has to mean the same in the sense the question is using, which is why the closest option is asked for rather than an exact match.

What if two options both seem right?

Choose the closer one. Synonyms differ in strength and in tone, and the question asks for the nearest in meaning, so the nearer of two good options is the answer.

Can an opposite ever be the answer?

No. A word cannot stand in for another if it says the opposite. If the question wanted an opposite it would ask for one, and that is a different topic.

Why are the options always the same part of speech?

So that grammar does not give the answer away. The question is about meaning, and matching the part of speech removes the shortcut of ruling options out by how they would fit.

How do I deal with a word I do not know?

Work from the options. If three of them are clearly different from one another in meaning, the fourth is likely to be the answer, since the question needs a word that no other option could replace.