What does synonymous mean?
Word: Synonymous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Synonymous means having the same or almost the same meaning as another word. It can also describe two things so closely linked that one brings the other to mind.
How do you spell synonymous?
Syllables: sy - non - y - mous
Tricky part: The third syllable is the trap. It is spoken so lightly that many students write an i or an o there, when the letter is a y, just as in the opening syllable.
Watch out for: synonimous, synonomous, sinonymous
Memory tip: Ask why twice. The letter y turns up at the start and again in the third syllable, and that later one is the one that goes missing.
Synonymous in a sentence
Example 1: For many football fans, the number 10 shirt is synonymous with Lionel Messi.
Example 2: Big and large are nearly synonymous, though we say big sister and not large sister.
Example 3: At our school, Mrs Rao's name has become synonymous with patience and neat handwriting.
Fun Fact
A brand name can become synonymous with a whole product. In Britain, Hoover became so tied to vacuum cleaners that people still talk about hoovering the carpet.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
syn_nym_us
a) o, o
b) a, o
c) o, u
d) u, o
Show answer
a) o, o. Both gaps hold the same round vowel.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
synnonymous
a) y
b) s
c) n
d) o
Show answer
c) n. The word starts with syn and carries straight on to the next vowel, so one n is all it needs there.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Across the world, the name of Darjeeling is oymosunsny with fine tea and misty hills.
a) monotonous
b) synonymous
c) autonomous
d) ominous
Show answer
b) synonymous. Autonomous has an a and a t, monotonous a t, and ominous an i, so only one option uses exactly these letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. synonymous 2. anonimous 3. unanimus 4. harmonius
a) friendly and peaceful, without any quarrels
b) with a name that is kept hidden
c) alike in sense, so that one can stand for the other
d) agreed on by every person in a group
Show answer
c) alike in sense, so that one can stand for the other. Anonymous has a y after its second n, unanimous needs an o after the m, and harmonious needs an o after the i.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A town is said to be synonymous with its hand-woven scarves. What does this tell us?
a) People think of those scarves as soon as they hear its name.
b) The scarves are cheaper there than they are anywhere else.
c) The scarves were first woven by a person from that town.
d) The town sells more cloth than any other in the country.
Show answer
a) People think of those scarves as soon as they hear its name.
2. Which pair of words is synonymous?
a) abundant and plentiful
b) abundant and scarce
c) lucid and muddled
d) frugal and wasteful
Show answer
a) abundant and plentiful
