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Rules For Synonyms
Synonyms Rules and Methods
The term synonyms means a phrase or word which means similar to another word or phrase in the same language. On this page we’ll see the Rules For Synonyms and understand how to answer questions based on the same.
Rules for Synonyms
A synonyms may have multiple meaning of the same word. However, always remember that any change in synonym is relative to its type – adjective, adverb, preposition, verb.
- Verb – Jump and bounce
- Preposition – in and within
- Adverb – Comfortably and warmly
- Adjective – Gorgeous and beautiful
Rule 1 – Building Word Families
Word families are like a family tree where you have the main word and then branch it out with other words that hold a same meaning. The meaning is somewhat similar to the parent or the root word. Let’s take an example below:
For Example:
- Let the root word be Happy – now we have to associate more words that branch out from Happy:
- Gay
- Merry
- Joyful
- Jovial
- Jolly
- Delighted
- Gleeful ……………..etc.
Build your vocabulary with this specially curated list of Most Important Words for Antonyms and Synonyms NOW!
Rule 2 – Associative Words
There exists a set of words that have the charge to associate itself with other words carrying a similar or closely related meaning. For these types of words few of the letters are same for all the associated words with the same meaning. For these words, a positive word will only associate with positive words and negatives will associate with negative ones.
For example:
- Apple – Now you need to have words that you can associate with apple. As much as you think you will get a longer list. let’s say:
- fruit, red, citrus, healthy, sour, sweet, brand, rotten, peeled, skewed, green, pie, flavor, chop, slice etc. This association helps you to get more words inside your head than you would normally do.
- Dog – Let’s associate some words with dog:
- breed, animal, faithful, domestic, pet,stray, shaggy, naughty, panting, chained, licked, bite, howl, bark, shout, sniff, paw, beware etc.
Rule 3 – Word Charge
In order to answer any question based on vocabulary, it is important that you know the charge that that the word is carrying first. For Synonyms the word charge will be the same for the question and the answer.
These charges can be:
- Positive – words that give positive connotation. Example – help, joy, love, support, pride, etc.
- Negative – words that give a negative connotation. Example – anger, disappointment, loss, hatred, hostility, crime, etc.
- Neutral – Words that do not any predominant connotation. Example – weird, writing, dog, ship, fables, etc.
Rule 4 – Prefix and Suffix
Adding a prefix or a suffix to get several words that men the same is another rule that you can give you a book full of words easy to remember and use. Let’s see the list given below:
Below mentioned are some commonly used root/prefixes and suffixes with their respective key word, which will help to derive meaning of a variety of English words having similar meanings:
Root | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
1. Act | do, act | agent, counteract |
2. Agr | field | agriculture, agoraphobia |
3. Alt | high | altitude, alter |
4. Alter | other | alternative, altercation |
5. Am | friend | amity, amorous |
6. Apt | fit | adapt, aptitude |
7. Ben | good | benovelant, benefactor |
8. Bibl | book | biblical, bibliography |
9. Bio | life | biography, boiology |
10. Brev | short | brevity, abbreviation |
11. Chrom | colour | chromium, chromatic |
12. Chron | time | chronology, chronic |
13. Cord | heart | cordial, accord |
14. cid | kill | suicide, precision |
15. cred | believe | incredible, credentials |
16. corp | body | corpulent, corpse |
17. cosm | world | cosmic, cosmopolitan |
18. dem | people | democracy, demographics |
19. derm | skin | epidermics, dermatologists |
20. dic/dict | speak | indicate, contradict |
21. domain | lord, master | dominate, indomitable |
22. dorm | sleep | dormant, dormitory |
23. fort | strong | fortitude, fortify |
24. form | shape | conform, reform |
25. frag, fract | break | fracture, fragile |
26. gen | birth,kind | generation, generic |
27. graph | write | autograph, graphic |
28. grat | please | gratitude, congratulate |
29. hydr | water | hydration, dehydrated |
30. ject | throw | inject, projection |
31. junct | join | conjunction, junction |
32. log | word, study | catalogue, psychology |
33. magn | great | magnificent, magnitude |
34. man | hand | manufacture, manual |
35. mater | mother | maternal |
36. mega | large | megaphone, megaton |
37. ment | mind | mentality, mentally |
38. merg | sink | submerge, merge |
39. meter | measure | chronometer, symmetry |
40. migr | wander | migrate, immigration |
41. mir | look | mirror, admire |
42. mort | death | mortality, immortality |
43. mult | many | multitude, multifarious |
44. mut | change | mutation, transmute |
45. nat | born | natal, innate |
46. ocul | eye | binocular |
47. ped | child | Pediatrics, pedagogue |
48. pet | seek | impetus, petition |
49. phob | fear | claustrophobia |
50. phon | sound | phonic, phoenix |
51. pot | drink | potion, potable |
52. prehend/s | take, grasp | apprehend, comprehend |
53. psych | mind | psychic, psychology |
54. rupt | break | rupture, erupt |
55. sci, scio | know | science, conscious |
56. sent,sens | feel | sentiment, sensible |
57. serv | keep | conserve, reserve |
58. soph | wisdom | sophisticated, philosophy |
59. somn | sleep | insomnia, insomlonence |
60. tang, ting | touch | tangent, contingency, contigeous |
61. tele | distance | telegraph, |
62. term | end | terminal, terminate |
63. therm | heat | thermal, thermos |
64. tract | draw | attract, extract |
65. urb | city | urban, suburb |
66. vac | empty | vacate, evacuate |
67. voc, vok | call | revoke, vocation |
68. vid, vis | see | visible, evident |
69. verb | word | verbose, verbatim |
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- Synonyms and Antonyms – Questions | Rules | How to Solve Quickly | Tricks & Shortcuts
- Antonyms – Questions | Rules | How to Solve Quickly | Tricks & Shortcuts
- Synonyms and Antonyms –
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Rules |
How to Solve Quickly |
Tricks & Shortcuts - Antonyms –
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