Word with similar meaning to another

What are Synonyms and Antonyms:

Synonyms are words that have similar meaning Two different words that mean the same are said to be synonymous and the quality of being synonymous is known as synonymy. The term synonym has been derived from a Greek word called syn which means ‘with’ and onoma which means ‘name’. Antonyms are words that have opposite meaning to another word. Two words that mean the opposite are said to be antonymous. Antonym has been derived from a Greek word called anti which means ‘opposite’ and onoma which means ‘name’.

Example of Synonym:

                                                                  

The girl is very thin.                         The skinny man runs fast.

In the above mentioned sentences, thin and skinny mean the same. Both of the words (thin and skinny) are used to describe a person who is very lean.

Example of Antonym:

He has become very thin.                              Look at that fat man!

In the above mentioned sentences, thin and fat are opposites and hence they are regarded as antonyms.

Difference between Synonym and Antonym

Few More Examples of Synonyms and Antonyms

Below mentioned are the examples of synonyms and antonyms.

Synonym:  

Brave

I am very brave. The synonym of brave is courageous.

 

Naughty

The boy is very naughty. The synonym of naughty is mischievous.

 Big

The house is too big. The synonym of big is huge.

Antonym

Timid/Shy

The boy is very timid. The antonym of brave is timid.

 

Courteous

That man is very courteous. The antonym of naughty is courteous.

 Small

My grandmother lives in a small hut. The antonym of big is small.

Synonym and Parts of Speech

There are eight parts of speech in English. A synonym can be any part of speech. It can be a verb, adjective, adverb, preposition but both the words should be the same part of speech.

Example:

•     Verb
           Manage-handle
•     Adjective
           Happy-glad
•     Adverb
           Nevertheless-still
•     Preposition
           Below-under

Difference Between Synonym, Antonym and Homonym

A word having similar meaning to another word is known as synonym. A word having opposite meaning to another word is known as antonym. Words that have same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings are known as homonyms.

Example:

Synonym
The tiny man came near us. Little is a synonym of tiny.

Antonym
You are doing a good job! Bad is an antonym of good.

Homonym
Rock (a large mass of stone), rock (a kind of music)
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Reference Links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synonym
• http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synonym
• http://www.brainpop.com/english/grammar/antonymssynonymsandhomonyms/preview.weml

Identical words are quite complex. They almost look alike but they differ in their meanings and contexts. We can also say that some English words have twins. When you learn English vocabulary, you come across different words that are identical, but in reality, they are very different from one another.

Synonyms are words that have very similar meanings but slightly different functions or applications. Instead of simply saying the pasta you had last night was delicious, you could spice things up by using synonyms like tasty, yummy, or even mouthwatering.

In addition to synonyms, there are words with the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings (homonyms), words that sound the same but are spelled and used differently (homophones), and words with the same spelling but different pronunciations and meanings (homographs).

All these similar words in English are quite confusing and sometimes frustrating as well. We will explore some tips to distinguish these similar words.

1. Use a dictionary regularly

The dictionary is your best language-learning guide. If you are not sure what a word means, look it up in an English-language dictionary.

Keep in mind that a single word can have numerous meanings and applications. A good dictionary or dictionary app will list them all, with context examples. A thesaurus (which lists synonyms for any word) can also aid in the identification of words with similar meanings.

2. Create your own clues about the word

Similar English words can be very complicated, but you can create special cues and images to help you to remember which one is which.

Make an image of something familiar (a person, a thing, or an event) and connect it to the word. When you see the word again, that clue will automatically come to mind, and you will easily remember the difference.

3. Use flashcards to make notes

There are numerous ways to use flashcards as learning tools. Use the flashcard to test yourself by writing the word on one side and its meaning on the other. Flashcards are portable, enabling you to review them when you have free time. Even better, you can create and study with flashcards online.

4. Focus on learning words based on their context

If you only try to remember English words and their definitions, you will quickly become confused. There are several words that are used interchangeably. For example, the words ‘rob’ and ‘steal’ are used interchangeably but their definitions may vary in the dictionary.

The definitions of ‘rob’ and ‘steal’ in the dictionary are:

Rob: “to take personal property from someone by violence or danger”

Steal: “to take the property of another illegally”

Now the two definitions look identical but they vary in their context. To understand the contextual difference, you would need to hear native speakers in real situations. You can also learn the contextual use of English words with italki. Enroll yourself to learn English online with the best and most professional online English tutors who will improve your understanding of similar words in English.

The instructors will help you generate your notes for English vocabulary, parts of speech, conjunction, prepositions, and homophones in English with relevant examples and exercises.

Words having similar spellings but different meanings

Coarse/Course

Coarse: (adjective) a rough, not smooth texture.

Example: Is the upper you are wearing smooth or coarse in texture?

Course: (noun) a series of classes taken to learn about a specific subject.

Example: Are you taking any courses to improve your writing skills?

Race/Raise

Race: (verb) compete in a speed contest, such as running or cycling.

Example: My kids enjoy racing each other in school.

Raise: (verb) lift up something like your hand.

Example: If you want chocolate, raise your hand.

Desert/Dessert

Desert: (noun) a hot, dry land with few plants and people (for example, the Sahara)

Example: If you plan to visit the Sahara desert, how much water would you require?

Dessert: (noun) a sweet dish served at the end of a meal (for example, cake)

Example: Maybe we should have dessert at the end of the meal.

Bear/Bare

Bear: (verb) produce outcomes or fruit

Example: This tree will bear fruits this summer.

Bare: (verb) expose or display

Example: When we opened the gate, John’s dog ran up and started to bare its teeth at us.

Break/Brake

Break: (verb) divide something into pieces or cause it to stop working, usually after dropping or misusing it.

Example: Please do not break this expensive glass.

Brake: (verb) slow down or come to an end

Example: You should press the brake of your car at the signal.

Price/Prize

Price: (noun) the amount of money you pay for something.

Example: I did not buy the dress because its price was very high.

Prize: (noun) something offered to conquerors of a competition or contest.

Example: If you want to get first prize, you must work hard.

Lose/Loose

Lose: (verb) suffer a loss or fail to keep something in your ownership.

Example: Please do not lose these papers or you won’t be able to host the meeting.

Loose: (adjective) not tightly or properly fixed.

Example: She is very thin, and this jacket is loose for her.

Plain/Plane/Plan

Plain: (adjective) average, not decorated

Example: This top is too plain. I am not wearing it.

Plane: (noun) short form of airplane

Example: I am traveling to the USA by plane.

Plan: (noun) a thorough program of action.

Example: My plan is to travel to all the nearby places in a month.

Words in English with Similar Meanings

Rob/Steal

Rob: (verb) take something away from someone forcefully.

Example: someone tried to rob John this afternoon.

Steal: (verb) take something away illegally or without consent.

Example: if I leave my bag in the park, someone will definitely steal it.

Cut/Chop

Cut: (verb) divide something into pieces with a knife or any sharp tool.

Example: Please cut the onion into small pieces.

Chop: (verb) cut into many small pieces with recurrent strokes of a knife.

Example: You must chop the garlic before putting it into the pan.

Lend/Borrow

Lend: (verb) give someone short-term use of something in exchange for it being returned later.

Example: Do not worry if you don’t have money, I can lend you some.

Borrow: (verb) accept or demand temporary use of something in exchange for its return later.

Example: I have a Mathematics test tomorrow, can I borrow your calculator?

Hear/Listen

Hear: (verb) become conscious of a sound.

Example: Did you hear the phone ring?

Listen: (verb) pay attention or be aware of a sound.

Example: I like to listen to music when I am sad.

Ice/Snow

Ice: (noun) frozen water

Example: It is so cold that the car is covered with a layer of ice.

Snow: (noun) tiny white frozen droplets of water that fall from the sky.

Example: Snow is expected tonight.

Amount/Number

Amount: (noun) the total number or quantity, used for innumerable things.

Example: you must use this amount of baking powder in the cake.

Number: (noun) the total quantity of units, used for countable things.

Example: The number of passes sold this month is twice the previous month’s passes.

See/Watch/Look

See: (verb) identify by eye or sight

Example: Did you see him taking the book from the shelf?

Watch: (verb) observe responsively.

Example: we are all set to watch a cricket match tonight.

Look: (verb) cast your eye on

Example:  Please look at this object before you start sketching.

So, these were some words that look similar and can be very confusing. We hope that the differences are clear to you now. Sometimes, we get confused while using similar words. Such as, a majority of people get confused about whether to use to or too. It requires deep observation and plenty of practice to get a command of these words.

Conclusion

If you are learning English, you must make flashcards for yourself. Practice them on daily basis in your conversations with friends and family. You can also read English books and watch English movies or web series to understand the difference between similar words in English.

Most importantly, keenly observe native speakers while they utter such words. It will help you understand the use of different words based on their context.

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:

1. We have a big problem.	Although gigantic is synonymous with big, the word combination of gigantic problem (1c) doesn’t sound natural. This is what’s called a collocation (a pairing of words with a high level of frequency).
a. We have a large problem.
b. We have a huge problem.
c. We have a gigantic problem.

2a. The tickets can only be bought online.	Generally, buy and purchase mean ‘to obtain something by paying money for it’ (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary). However, the two words differ in their register. Buy is considered a general term, whereas purchase is often used in a more formal context.
2 B. The tickets can only be purchased online.

3a. It’s been a very chilly autumn this year.	Both autumn and fall mean ‘the season of the year between summer and winter.’ But, autumn is Commonly used in British English, while fall is used in American English. They differ in regional/social variety.
3b. It’s been a very chilly fall this year.

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.

Lexical
units may be classified by the criterion of semantic similarity and
semantic contrasts. Such lexemes are either synonyms or antonyms.
Synonyms
(Greek
‘same’ + ‘name’) are traditionally defined as words similar
or equivalent (identical) in meanings. This definition is open to
criticism and requires clarification. Synonymy, as D.N. Shmelyov puts
it, begins with total identity of word meanings of lexemes relating
to one and the same object, and passes through various gradations of
semantic affinity to expressing differences in lexical meanings, so
that it is difficult to decide whether the words similar in meanings
are synonyms or not.

Investigating
the problems of synonymy Yu.D.Apresyan considers that the objective
difficulties in analysing synonyms stem from the fact that the
existing criteria are not sufficient to distinguish synonyms [Апресян
1957: 85].

Linguists
point out two main criteria
of synonymy: 1) equivalence or similarity of meaning (e.g.
pleasure, delight, joy, enjoyment, merriment, hilarity, mirth);
2) interchangeability in a number of contexts, e.g. I’m
thankful (grateful) to
you.
It is a hard
(difficult)
problem.

However,
these criteria are not reliable enough for
distinguishing
synonyms. First of all it is not clear what degree of similarity is
sufficient to determine synonymy. Secondly, one should distinguish
both identity and similarity of referents and meanings. One and the
same referent might be identified by words which are not synonyms
(e.g. оne and the same person can be named mother,
wife,
daughter,
doctor,
etc).

It
should be noted concerning the criterion of interchangeability that
there is little number of lexemes interchangeable in all the
contexts. Words broad
and
wide
are very close in meaning, but they cannot substitute each other in a
number of contexts, e.g. in the contexts
broad daylight, broad accent the
substitution of
broad by
wide is
impossible.
It
is difficult to say how many interchangeable contexts are enough to
speak of synonymy.

L.M.
Vasilyev writes that synonyms are identified according to their
lexical meaning and all their denotational grammatical meanings
excluding syntactical meanings; synonyms might differ in other
components of their content: conceptual, expressive, stylistic
[Васильев
1967].

D.N.Shmelyov
gives the following definition of synonyms: “Synonyms may be
defined as words belonging to the same part of speech, their meanings
have identical components, and differing components of their meanings
steadily neutralize in certain positions, i.e. synonyms are words
which differ only in such components which are insignificant in
certain contexts of their usage” [Шмелев 1977: 196].

N.Webster’
definition is close to the previous one: “in the narrowest sense a
synonym may be defined as a word that affirms exactly the meaning of
a word with which it is synonymous… Words are considered to be
synonyms if in one or more of their senses they are interchangeable
without significant alteration of denotation but not necessarily
without shifts in peripheral aspects of meaning (as connotations and
implications)” [Webster, 1973].

It
is erroneous to speak of synonymy of words or lexemes as such, as
this part of the definition cannot be applied to polysemantic words.
Each meaning (LSV) of a polysemantic word has its own synonymic set,
for example, LSV1 of the word party
is synonymous with words gathering,
social, fun: ‘Are you coming to our party?’; LSV
2 is synonymous with group,
company, crowd: ‘A party of tourists saw the sights of London’;
LSV 3 is synonymous with block,
faction, body, organization: You don’t have to join a political
party to vote in an election.

Secondly,
if we take into account that lexical meaning falls into denotational
and connotational components, it follows that we cannot speak of
similarity or equivalence of these two components of meanings. It is
only the denotational component may be described as identical or
similar. If we analyse words that are considered synonyms, e.g. to
leave (neutral) and
to desert (formal or poetic) or
insane (formal) and
loony (informal), etc.,
we find that the connotational component or, to be more exact, the
stylistic reference of these words is entirely different and it is
only the similarity of the denotational meaning that makes them
synonymous. Taking into account the above-mentioned considerations
the compilers of the book “A Course in Modern English Lexicology”
R.S.Ginzburg and others formulate the definition of synonyms as
follows: “synonyms are words different in sound form but similar in
their denotational meaning or meanings and interchangeable at least
in some contexts [p.58].”

Differentiation
of synonyms may be observed in different semantic components —
denotational and connotational. Linguists (W.E.Collinson, D.Crystal,
Yu.D.Apresyan) point out differences in the denotational component,
e.g. one word has a more general meaning than another: to
refuse, to reject; differences
in the connotational component, e.g. one word is more emotional than
another: youth
and
youngster
are
both synonyms but youths are less pleasant than youngsters, or one
word is more intense than another, e.g. to
repudiate vs.
to
reject, one
word contains evaluative connotation: stringy,
niggard
(negative
– ‘mean, spending, using or giving unwillingly; miserly’) while
the other is neutral: economical,
thrifty. Differences
in connotational meaning also include stylistic differences: one word
is formal, e.g. parent
while
another is neutral father
or
informal dad;
there
may be a dialect difference: butcher
and
flesher
(Scots)
Synonyms
differ in collocation: rancid
and rotten
are
synonyms, but the former is used only of butter
or
bacon
while
the latter collocates with a great number of nouns, and frequency of
occurrence: turn
down is
more frequently used than refuse.

It
should be noted that the difference in denotational meaning cannot
exceed certain limits. There must be a certain common or integral
component of denotational meaning in a synonymic set. Componential
analysis of word meaning enables linguists to distinguish integral
and differential components of synonymous words. Differential
components show what synonyms differ in, if compared with one
another. For instance, synonyms: to
leave, to abandon, to desert, to forsake have
an integral component
‘to go away’.
The verb to
abandon is
marked by a differential component ‘not intending to return’, to
desert
(informal or poetic) means ‘leaving without help or support,
especially in a wrong or cruel way’, to
forsake presupposes
‘irrevocable breaking away from some place, people, habits, etc.,
severing all emotional and intellectual contacts’. There is a great
variety of differential components. They denote various properties,
qualities of nominated objects; they express positive and negative
evaluation.

Academician
V.V.Vinogradov worked out the follow classification
of synonyms which is based on differences between synonyms:

1)
ideographic
synonyms
which differ to some extent in the denotational meaning and
collocation, e.g. both to
understand and
to
realize refer
to the same notion but the former reflects a more concrete situation:
to
understand sb’s words
but to
realize one’s error.
Ideographic synonyms belong to one and the same, usually neutral
stylistic layer.

2)
stylistic
synonyms
— words similar or identical in meaning but referring to different
stylistic layers, e.g. to
expire
(formal)
— to die
(neutral)
— to kick the bucket
(informal, slang).

3)
absolute
(complete)
synonyms
are identical in meaning and interchangeable in all the contexts.
T.I.Arbekova gives the following examples of perfect synonyms: car
—
automobile, jail — gaol — prison, to begin — to start, to finish — to
end [Арбекова
1977: 22]. There is much controversy on the issue of existence of
absolute synonyms. The above and other examples seem to be complete
synonyms only at a first superficial glance. A more profound analysis
proves that such examples differ in certain connotations and
collocability. It is assumed that close to absolute synonyms are
terms, e.g. fricative
and
spirants
as
terms denoting one and the same type of consonants in phonology.
However this understanding is also open to criticism [Arnold 1973].

This
classification was subject to alterations and additions. Thus,
V.A.Zvegintsev considers that there are no non-stylistic synonyms,
but there are synonyms stylistically homogeneous (ideographic) and
stylistically heterogeneous (stylistic). According to this point of
view ideographic synonyms are pairs like excellent
— splendid and
stunning
— topping
(colloq. splendid, ravishing) because they are stylistically
homogeneous : the first pair are stylistically neutral synonyms,
while the second pair are stylistically coloured; if the above words
are put together into one synonymic set, they will be stylistic
synonyms.

V.A.Zvegintsev
considers that the synonymic set face
– countenance – mug – puss – smacker (cf.
Rus. лицо
– лик – морда – рыло – харя)
contains stylistic synonyms while the synonyms in the set mug
– puss – smacker (cf.
Rus.
морда – рыло – харя)
are ideographic, because the first set contains stylistically
heterogeneous lexemes while the second one includes stylistically
homogeneous lexemes [Звегинцев 1968]; it follows that one
and the same lexeme can be a stylistic synonym in one set of lexemes
(face
– mug)
and ideographic in another set (mug
– puss).

According
to the authors of “A Course in Modern English Lexicology”
R.S.
Ginzburg and others, V.V.Vinogradov’s classification cannot be
accepted “as synonymous words always differ in the denotational
component irrespective of the identity or difference of stylistic
reference”
[Ginzburg
1979:56-57 ]. For instance, though the verbs see
(neutral) and
behold (formal,
poetic) are usually treated as stylistic synonyms, there could be
also observed a marked difference in their denotational meanings. The
verb behold
suggests
only ‘looking at that which is seen’. The verb see
is
much wider in meaning.

Difference
of the connotational semantic component is invariably accompanied by
some difference of the denotational meaning of synonyms. Hence, it
would be more consistent to subdivide synonymous words into purely
ideographic
(denotational)
and ideographic-stylistic
synonyms.

Synonyms
are also subdivided into traditional
or language
synonyms and
contextual or
speech
synonyms.
Some words which are not traditionally considered synonyms acquire
similarity of meanings in certain contexts due to metaphoric or
metonymic transferences. In the sentence ‘She was
a chatterer, a magpie’
the italicized words are not traditional synonyms but the word magpie
in
this context becomes a synonym to the word chatterer
through a metaphoric transference: a
magpie-(fig)
person who chatters very much.
Also
in the sentence It
was so easy, so simple, so foolproof
words easy,
simple
are traditional language synonyms but
foolproof (tech.
‘so simple that it does not require special technical skills or
knowledge’) is their contextual
synonym.

There
is a special type of synonyms — euphemisms
(Greek
‘sound well’). They come into being for reasons of etiquette with
the purpose of substitution of vulgar, unpleasant, coarse words by
words with milder, more polite connotations. For instance, among
synonyms drunk,
merry, jolly, intoxicated the
last three words
are
euphemisms as they are less offensive than the first one. Euphemisms
in various languages are used to denote such notions as death,
madness, some physiological processes, diseases, crimes, etc.

Examples
of euphemistic synonyms to the verb
die
are:
breathe one’s last, be no more, be gathered to one’s fathers,
deep six, give up the ghost, get one’s ticket punched, go belly up,
go down the tube, go home in a box, go the way of all flesh, go to
one’s last account, go to one’s resting place, go to one’s
long home, go north, go west, go to the wall, head for the hearse,
head for the last roundup, join the (silent) majority, kick off, kick
the bucket, meet one’s maker, meet Mr. Jordan, pay the debt of
nature, pass beyond the veil, quit the scene, shuffle off this mortal
coil, take the ferry, take the last count, turn up one’s toes;
euphemistic
synonyms
to the word
mad: insane, mentally unstable, unbalanced, unhinged, not (quite)
right, not all there, off one’s mind (head, hinges, nut, rocker,
track, trolley), wrong(off) in the upper storey, having bats in one’s
belfry, cracked, cracked-up crackpot, crazy as a bedbug, cuckoo,
cutting out paper dolls, nobody home, lights on but nobody home,
nutty, just plain nuts, nutty as a fruitcake, out of one’s mind
(brain, skull, gourd, tree), loony, head (mental) case, mental
defective, gone ape, minus (missing) some buttons, one sandwich short
of picnic, belt doesn’t go through all the loops, section 8, etc;
euphemisms
synonymous to
lavatory: powder room, washroom, restroom, retiring room, (public)
comfort station, ladies’ (room), gentlemen’s (room),
water-closet, w.c., public conveniences, etc.;, euphemistic
synonyms to
pregnant: in an interesting condition, in a delicate condition, in
the family way, with a baby coming, (big) with child. Looking
through the above list of examples one can’t fail to notice that
euphemisms include items belonging to formal, neutral, informal
registers, even some jocular examples.

Оne
of the sources of euphemisms are religious taboos, i.e. as it is
forbidden to pronounce God’s name, the word God was substituted by
a phonetically similar one goodness:
for
goodness sake! Goodness gracious! Goodness knows!
To religious euphemisms also belong: Jove!
Good Lord! By Gum!
Тhere is also a taboo concerning the usage of the word devil
instead
of which deuce,
fiend, hellion, the Dickens, Old Nick ( Bendy, Blazes, Clootie, Dad,
Harry, Horny, Ned, Poker, Scratch, Gentleman, Gooseberry) are
used.

The
so-called political correctness “p.c.” has become the source of
euphemisms in recent years in the U.S.A. and Canada. It is considered
politically incorrect to use the word poor
instead of which
socially underprivileged
is used. One should not use words Negroes
or
blacks
but Afro-Americans
or Afro-Canadians,
not Red
Indians but
native
Americans. Instead
of invalids
one
should say special
needs people, pensioners turned
into senior
citizens, etc.

1. Synonyms
   constitute synonymic
   sets,
   which include a certain number of synonymous lexemes with a dominant
   word. A
   synonymic dominant is
   a word which represents the integral (invariant) meaning, i.e. the
   component of meaning common to all the lexemes of a particular
   synonymic set. Such words are usually stylistically neutral; they
   have high frequency of occurrence and mostly belong to native
   English words. The presentation of a synonymic set usually starts
   with a synonymic dominant: hate,
   loathe,
   detest, despise, abominate, abhor.
   While defining the word’s meaning we usually compare it with the
   synonymic dominant and only then with other synonyms, e.g. detest
   – hate
   strongly (ALD).
   

The
English language is very rich in synonyms. It can be partially
explained by intensive borrowing of words from many languages:
French, Latin, Greek and others. For instance in the synonymic set
with the dominant hate
only two lexemes hate
and
loathe
are native English words, others are borrowings from Latin and
French. Due to borrowings from these languages there appeared certain
synonymic patterns. For instance, a double-scale pattern, where one
of the synonyms is a native English word, and another is a Latin
borrowing: motherly-maternal,
fatherly — paternal, brotherly — fraternal, heavenly — celestial,
world -universe, etc.;
a triple-scale pattern, where one word is native English, the second
one is a French borrowing and the third is borrowed from Latin or
Greek: begin
— commence — initiate, end — finish — conclude, ask — question —
interrogate, etc.
In such patterns the first word is stylistically neutral and has a
high frequency of usage while others are more formal.

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driver – chauffeur — водитель — шофер
active — lively — активный — оживленный
sure – confident – уверенный — уверенный
laugh – giggle – смеяться — хихикать
known – familiar — известный — знакомый
strange — suspicious — странный — подозрительный
brown — tanned — коричневый — загорелый
The 1) chauffeur stopped the car.
He walked round and opened the car door for me. I could hear sounds of a 2) lively party — voices, music, laughter. When I knocked, the front door swung open and a man stood there. He was tall, and his face was 3) tanned, he’d obviously just got back from some tropical holiday or other.
‘I’m here to see Mr Charles,’ I said.
Without a word, he led me into the house. I heard a woman 4) was giggling as I followed him. Perhaps she thought my arrival was some sort of joke.
I waited alone in the small study. I’d been in it before, three weeks ago, so it was 5) familiar. Everything looked the same. But no — the picture of the 6) suspicious woman had gone. The wall was empty. How strange! At that moment the door opened, and a deep 7) confident voice said, ‘I’ve been expecting you.’
Шофер остановил машину.
Он обошел вокруг и открыл дверь машины для меня. Я мог слышать звуки оживленной вечеринки — голоса, музыка, смех. Когда я постучал, входная дверь распахнулась, и там стоял мужчина. Он был высок, и его лицо было загорелым, он, очевидно, только что вернулся из какой-то тропической страны или что-то еще.
«Я здесь, чтобы увидеть мистера Чарльза», сказал я.
Не говоря ни слова, он провел меня в дом. Я слышал, что женщина хихикала, в то время как я следовал за ним. Может быть, она думала, что мой приезд был какой-то шуткой.
Я ждал в одиночестве в маленьком кабинете. Я был в нем раньше, три недели назад, так что он был знакомым. Все выглядело так же. Но нет — картина подозрительной женщины исчезла. Стена была пуста. Как странно! В этот момент дверь открылась, и глубокий уверенный голос сказал: «Я ожидал тебя».