Synonyms

Introduction

A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. For example, brave and courageous are synonyms.

Pattern	What you see	What to do
Direct	“Choose the word most similar in meaning to Candid.”	Pick the option closest in meaning.
In context	A sentence with the word bold or underlined; pick the closest meaning.	Read the whole sentence; the context fixes the meaning.
Replace the word	A sentence with an underlined word; pick the best substitute.	Put each option into the sentence and check that it reads naturally.
Odd one out	Four words; three are synonyms, one is not.	Find the word that differs in meaning or tone.

Use the context. In a sentence, the surrounding words hint at whether the word is positive or negative.
Check the tone. Frugal is positive (careful with money); stingy is negative. Both mean “spends little”, but they are not equal.
Break the word apart. Look for prefixes, suffixes and roots (see section 5).
Eliminate opposites. In every question, one option is usually the antonym. Remove it first.
Eliminate unrelated options. Remove words that clearly have nothing to do with the word.
Match the part of speech. A noun’s synonym is a noun; a verb’s synonym is a verb.
Guess smartly. If you have narrowed it to two options, choose the one you have seen used in a similar way.

Word	Synonyms
Adept	Skilled, proficient, expert
Amiable	Friendly, pleasant, affable
Audacious	Bold, daring, fearless
Benevolent	Kind, generous, charitable
Candid	Frank, honest, open
Diligent	Hardworking, industrious
Eloquent	Fluent, articulate, expressive
Eminent	Famous, distinguished, renowned
Frugal	Thrifty, economical
Impartial	Unbiased, neutral, fair
Integrity	Honesty, uprightness
Prudent	Wise, careful, sensible
Sincere	Genuine, honest, heartfelt
Valiant	Brave, courageous, heroic
Courteous	Polite, respectful

Word	Synonyms
Arrogant	Proud, haughty, conceited
Cunning	Sly, crafty, clever (in a bad sense)
Hostile	Unfriendly, antagonistic
Lethargic	Sluggish, lazy, inactive
Loquacious	Talkative, garrulous
Malicious	Spiteful, hateful, evil
Obstinate	Stubborn, headstrong
Reluctant	Unwilling, hesitant
Timid	Shy, fearful, nervous
Verbose	Wordy, long-winded
Adamant	Firm, unyielding, stubborn
Feeble	Weak, frail

Word	Synonyms
Adversity	Hardship, misfortune, difficulty
Ambiguous	Unclear, vague, doubtful
Chaos	Disorder, confusion, mayhem
Crucial	Vital, critical, essential
Dubious	Doubtful, uncertain
Futile	Useless, pointless, vain
Gloomy	Dark, dismal, sad
Inevitable	Unavoidable, certain
Jubilant	Joyful, delighted
Perilous	Dangerous, risky
Serene	Calm, peaceful
Tranquil	Calm, quiet
Tedious	Boring, dull, tiresome
Wrath	Anger, fury
Zeal	Enthusiasm, passion
Quarrel	Dispute, argument

Many words look alike in meaning but differ in tone. Exam options often use this trap.

Word pair	Difference
Thrifty vs Stingy	Thrifty is positive (saves wisely); stingy is negative (refuses to spend).
Brave vs Reckless	Brave faces danger with courage; reckless ignores danger carelessly.
Famous vs Notorious	Famous is well known for good reasons; notorious is known for bad ones.
Childlike vs Childish	Childlike is innocent (positive); childish is immature (negative).
Confident vs Arrogant	Confident believes in one’s ability; arrogant is overly proud.
Steal vs Rob	Steal is taking secretly; rob is taking by force or threat.
Firm vs Stubborn	Firm is steady in a good cause; stubborn refuses to change even when wrong.
Curious vs Nosy	Curious wants to learn; nosy meddles in others’ affairs.

Root / Prefix	Meaning	Examples
bene-	Good, well	Benevolent (kind), benefit
mal-	Bad, evil	Malicious (spiteful), malfunction
loqu- / loc-	Speak	Loquacious (talkative), eloquent
dict-	Say	Verdict, dictate
bio-	Life	Biology, biography
omni-	All	Omnipresent, omnipotent
un-, in-, im-, dis-	Not, opposite	Unable, impartial, disperse
pre-	Before	Prevent, predict
-less	Without	Fearless, useless
-ful	Full of	Peaceful, joyful