You have used a particular word in a sentence and later felt that it did not properly convey the meaning you wanted. Don’t fret! There are other similar words that can be found for the word you want replaced. Words that are similar in meaning to a particular word are called synonyms.
What you are trying to convey will have a context and in such a context you will need an appropriate word. Knowledge of synonyms will help you to find words that are similar in meaning.
Let us consider a situation that you are faced with routinely in your house. You have had a SCUFFLE with your younger brother and he has gone running to his mum to complain about you. He says that he had a FIGHT with you. Your mum asks you why you had a fight with him and you reply that it was just a scuffle and not a fight. But what is the difference? Let's find out:
The dictionary meaning of scuffle is ‘to fight in a disorderly manner’ and the dictionary meaning of fight is ‘a battle or combat.’ Here, you and your brother are right in using the words you did because from your point of view you had a small fight but from your brother’s point of view he, being weaker than you, thought it was a big fight. But your mum understood because scuffle and fight are synonyms of one another.
Suppose you had a fight with your much stronger older brother. Probably you would have gone running to your mum and told her that your older brother went to WAR against you! Therefore, the context determines the choice of word and synonyms help you to choose an appropriate word. Improve your vocabulary and your skill in the English language by taking the following quiz on synonyms.