English word have same meaning

Synonymy relates to the topic of semantics, which concerns the study of meaning in language. The term synonymy originates from the Greek words sún and onoma, which mean with and name.

The first sentence uses awful to describe the weather and the second uses terrible. Although both sentences use different words, they have the same meaning: bad. In other words, awful and terrible are synonyms of bad.

To test whether two words are synonyms (or synonymous), we can use a substitution method: if one word can be replaced by another without changing the meaning/sense of the sentence, the two words are synonyms. The opposite of synonymy is antonymy. Synonymy can be found across all parts of speech: in nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

Let’s put the synonyms into a sentence and use the substitution method:

1a. You have a big house.

1b. You have a large house.

By substituting big with large, we can keep the sentence’s meaning (the description of the house) in a similar degree/sense as the original sentence.

2a. He had a difficult decision to make.

2b. He had a hard decision to make.

The same as before, the substitution of difficult with hard does not change the sentence’s meaning (the description of the decision).

Synonymy in literature

Instead of repeating the word one kind, Lee chooses its synonym: alike, to relay a similar meaning to ‘very similar’. The same thing happens in the case of stayed shut up in the house and stay inside. Using synonymy, Lee enriches the prose by avoiding repetition while keeping the meaning similar in both cases.

Wake is a synonym of watch. Here, wake means ‘to stay awake to watch or tend’ (Oxford English Dictionary). Notice the slightly richer sense of see in watch compared to wake, yet the two words carry a similar meaning. By adopting synonymy, Shakespeare enhances the quality of the words he uses.

Absolute synonyms

With absolute synonyms, the meaning and function of the synonymous words are exactly the same. If you have a pair of absolutely synonymous words, you can substitute the words in every possible context (semantic, grammatical, sociolinguistic, etc.) with its synonym. This condition is very rare because, usually, two words that refer to the same meaning/object can’t co-exist. An example of an absolute synonym is airport and aerodrome. The former is what we commonly use nowadays, whereas the latter is an old-fashioned word.

Partial synonyms

Partial synonyms, on the other hand, occur when words have very closely related meanings. The meanings are not exactly the same, only partially, but close enough to relay the same message. Partial synonyms can differ in their collocation, register, and regional/social variation.

Have a look at these examples of partial synonyms:

Important to note: Homonym is a broader term for homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings) and homograph (words that are spelt the same but have different meanings). Synonyms have similar meanings but homonyms have different meanings.

Even though the word wing is replaced with extension, we still get the same information about ‘a new section of the hospital is currently being constructed and it is for the maternity department’. The meaning of extension isn’t exactly the same as wing , but similar.

The same explanation can also be found here. We still get the same information about where my room is: on the west side of the building.

Polysemy — multiple meanings: wing — animal parts for flying & a section of a building.

The meaning of wing in this sentence refers to ‘a section of building’ and not ‘animal parts for flying’.

Synonymy vs. Polysemy

• In synonymy, you can substitute a word with its similar meaning and the sense/meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. A is similar to B .
• Synonyms are usually used as a means of avoiding word repetition. However, be careful of the slightly different meanings of synonymous words. Always be mindful of the context and valency of the sentence.
• Polysemy isn’t about word substitution. Because a single polysemic word has many meanings (A means B and C) , it can cause ambiguity. It is often used for wordplay or for creating “hidden” meanings.

I often google the meaning of a word; and in the Google definition of, say, a word x it says:- y,z. I google the definition of y, it says in the meaning:- x,z; and when I look for the meaning of the definition of ‘z’:- x,y.

This is the test of a good dictionary: a good dictionary will not give “word x is y,z» and «y = x,z”. A good dictionary will explain the word’s origin and use a sentence or more to explain the meaning and then give several examples, with context, to show the word in various uses and meanings. It is impossible to over-emphasise the importance of context in English: the same word in one context may be an insult, and in another the greatest praise.

There are, in fact, very, very few words in English that really have the same meaning in all contexts. The general guidance is “If the word or phrase is different, then the meaning, or at least the nuance, will be different.” For example, the words kingly, regal, and monarchical may all seem to mean “in the manner of a royal ruler”, but, when put in a sentence will create a different image in the mind.

This is one reason why English is so popular – it allows subtlety of meaning and ideas to be expressed more precisely or, when needed, less precisely.

Your example is good.

perplexed -> baffled -> bewildered

If I am perplexed – the image is of my being intelligent and thoughtful, but puzzled and at a loss to see a solution.

If I am baffled – the image is of my having no idea about a solution and am somewhat confused. The word is now a little old-fashioned, and so the nuance is that I am middle-class.

If I am bewildered – the image is of my being so confused by all that is happening that I am not able even to consider a solution.