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This is a list of synonyms for the common English words that writers overuse most, grouped by what you are trying to do: link ideas, show importance, describe thinking and communication, talk about people and feelings, or describe your work. Each row gives a few quick replacements and links to a full page where every synonym has its own meaning and example sentence.
A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. “Nearly” is the part that matters. Big, large and huge are synonyms, but a big decision is not a large decision, and a huge mistake says more than a big one. So use the list below to find candidates, then check the sections further down on how to choose between them.
Linking words and transitions
These are the words that join sentences and paragraphs. They are easy to repeat in essays and reports, and the replacements are not all interchangeable: some are adverbs that need a full stop or semicolon before them, others are conjunctions that can join two clauses with a comma.
| Word | Quick synonyms | Full list |
|---|---|---|
| however | but, yet, still, nevertheless, that said | Another word for however |
| additionally | also, in addition, furthermore, moreover, what is more | Another word for additionally |
| as a result | so, therefore, consequently, as a consequence, because of this | Another word for as a result |
| overall | on the whole, in general, all in all, taken together | Another word for overall |
| ultimately | in the end, eventually, finally, at heart, fundamentally | Another word for ultimately |
| contrast | difference, distinction, opposition (noun); differ, set against (verb) | Another word for contrast |
One punctuation trap comes with this group. But and yet can join two clauses with a comma: “The plan was cheap, but it was slow.” However, nevertheless and therefore cannot: “The plan was cheap, however it was slow” is a comma splice. Write “The plan was cheap; however, it was slow” or start a new sentence.
Words for importance and effect
Words like important, significant and effective are vague on their own. The best synonym usually says why something matters: because it is urgent, because it is large, because everything else depends on it.
| Word | Quick synonyms | Full list |
|---|---|---|
| important | key, vital, essential, major, significant, crucial | Another word for important |
| significant | major, notable, considerable, substantial, meaningful | Another word for significant |
| effective | successful, productive, efficient, potent, useful | Another word for effective |
| influence | affect, shape, sway, impact (verb); effect, weight, pull (noun) | Another word for influence |
| emphasize | stress, highlight, underline, point up, foreground | Another word for emphasize |
| ensure | make sure, guarantee, see to it, secure | Another word for ensure |
| focus | concentrate, centre on, attention, priority | Another word for focus |
| relevant | pertinent, applicable, related, to the point | Another word for relevant |
| likely | probable, apt to, liable to, bound to, expected | Another word for likely |
Two pairs in this group are often mixed up. Ensure means make certain; insure means take out insurance (in American English it can also mean make certain, but most style guides keep the two apart). Affect is usually the verb and effect the noun: rain affects the harvest; the rain had an effect on the harvest.
Words for thinking, explaining and showing
| Word | Quick synonyms | Full list |
|---|---|---|
| explain | describe, clarify, spell out, account for, walk through | Another word for explain |
| show / demonstrate | reveal, prove, illustrate, indicate, display | Another word for show or demonstrate |
| process | procedure, method, system (noun); handle, analyze (verb) | Another word for process |
| complex | complicated, intricate, involved, elaborate, tangled | Another word for complex |
| issues | problems, concerns, difficulties, topics, matters | Another word for issues |
| interesting | engaging, fascinating, intriguing, thought-provoking | Another word for interesting |
Issues shows why a list alone is not enough. In “the report raises three issues”, the word means topics to discuss, and points or questions fit. In “we had issues with the printer”, it means problems, and topics would make no sense. Find the meaning first, then the synonym.
Words for people, feelings and quality
| Word | Quick synonyms | Full list |
|---|---|---|
| happy | glad, cheerful, delighted, content, thrilled | Another word for happy |
| positive | optimistic, upbeat, hopeful, favourable, constructive | Another word for positive |
| desire | wish, longing, craving, yearning, want | Another word for desire |
| amazing | incredible, astonishing, remarkable, wonderful, stunning | Another word for amazing |
| creative | imaginative, inventive, original, innovative, artistic | Another word for creative |
| leader | head, manager, chief, captain, figurehead | Another word for leader |
| appreciate | value, be grateful for, recognize, treasure | Another word for appreciate |
| encourage | support, urge, inspire, motivate, cheer on | Another word for encourage |
| fast | quick, rapid, swift, speedy, brisk | Another word for fast |
| hot | scorching, sweltering, spicy, fiery, popular | Other ways to say hot |
Strength matters here. Glad is milder than happy, and thrilled is stronger. Figurehead is a leader in name only, which is rarely a compliment. When a synonym changes how strong or how kind a sentence sounds, read the sentence aloud before you keep it.
Words for work, CVs and résumés
CVs and cover letters lean on the same handful of verbs. Recruiters read many of them, so a precise verb that names what you actually did stands out more than a grand one.
| Word | Quick synonyms | Full list |
|---|---|---|
| create | make, build, produce, design, set up | Another word for create |
| develop | build, grow, expand, design, work out | Another word for develop |
| improve | enhance, boost, refine, strengthen, hone | Another word for improve |
| managed | led, oversaw, ran, directed, supervised | Synonyms for managed on a resume |
| skills / skillset | abilities, expertise, competencies, know-how, strengths | Other ways to say skillset |
| experience | background, track record, exposure, history, practice | Synonyms for experience on a resume |
| attention to detail | thorough, meticulous, precise, careful, accurate | Synonyms for attention to detail |
| analytical skills | problem-solving, critical thinking, data analysis, research | Synonyms for analytical skills |
| add value | increase revenue, cut costs, save time, raise quality | Synonyms for add value |
A useful test for any CV verb: can a reader picture what you did? “Improved the onboarding process” is vague; “cut onboarding from two weeks to five days” uses a plainer verb and says far more.
Opposites (antonyms)
An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. A few of our pages cover them for words where the opposite is not obvious:
- Opposite of strict: lenient, relaxed, flexible, lax
- Opposite of sophisticated: naive, basic, crude, simple
- Opposite of dry: damp, moist, wet, soaked
Antonyms have the same catch as synonyms: the opposite depends on the meaning. The opposite of a dry towel is a wet one, but the opposite of dry humour is not wet humour, and the opposite of a dry wine is a sweet one.
How to choose the right synonym
Thesauruses list words that share a meaning somewhere, not words that can replace each other in every sentence. Before you swap a word, check four things.
1. The exact meaning in your sentence
Many common words have several senses. Fast can mean quick, firmly fixed (“hold fast”) or not eating (“fasting”). Quick only replaces the first. Decide which sense you mean, then look for synonyms of that sense only.
2. Register: formal or informal
Furthermore suits an essay and sounds stiff in a text message; plus is the other way round. Crunch the numbers is fine in a team chat and out of place in a research paper. Match the synonym to the reader.
3. Grammar: part of speech and the words around it
A synonym has to fit the sentence’s grammar. Despite and although both mean roughly “even though”, but despite takes a noun (“despite the rain”) and although takes a clause (“although it rained”). Words also have partners they usually appear with, called collocations: we say a heavy smoker, not a weighty one, and we make a decision rather than do one.
4. Connotation: the feeling a word carries
Thrifty, frugal and stingy all describe someone who spends little, but the first two are approving and the last is an insult. Confident and arrogant overlap the same way. If a synonym is kinder or harsher than the word you started with, the sentence now says something different.
Swaps that go wrong
| Original | Bad swap | Why it fails | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| an important meeting | a momentous meeting | momentous means history-making; far too strong | a key meeting |
| She showed us her photos. | She flaunted her photos. | flaunt means showing off; it adds a judgement | She shared her photos. |
| It was cheap. However, it broke. | It was cheap, however it broke. | however cannot join two clauses with a comma | It was cheap, but it broke. |
| an interesting book | a curious book | curious next to a thing usually means strange or odd | a fascinating book |
| I’m happy to help. | I’m ecstatic to help. | ecstatic is extreme joy; sounds sarcastic in an email | I’m glad to help. |
| We need to improve sales. | We need to hone sales. | hone means sharpen a skill; it collocates with skills, not sales | We need to increase sales. |
Practice: pick the best synonym
- The new rule had a ___ effect on traffic: accidents fell by half. (huge / large / momentous)
- The results were good. ___, the sample was small. (But / However / Yet) Choose the word that fits after a full stop in formal writing.
- Could you ___ the second step? I didn’t follow it. (clarify / show off / emphasize)
- He is careful with money, never wasteful. (stingy / frugal / cheap) Choose the approving word.
- On my CV: “___ a team of six for two years.” (Led / Created / Hoped)
- Please ___ that every form is signed before Friday. (insure / ensure / assure)
Answers
- huge. Large does not usually go with effect, and momentous is for events that change history.
- However. But and yet can also start a sentence, but however followed by a comma is the usual choice in formal writing.
- clarify. You are asking for the step to be made clearer, not stressed or displayed.
- frugal. Stingy and cheap are critical.
- Led. You lead a team; you create a team only when you set it up from nothing.
- ensure. It means make certain. Assure means tell someone confidently (“I assure you it’s signed”).
Quick answers
What is a synonym?
A word that means the same or nearly the same as another word, such as begin and start. Most synonyms differ slightly in strength, register or the words they go with.
Are there perfect synonyms?
Very few. Pairs like begin and start come close, but even they differ: a car starts, it does not begin. That is why each page in this list gives an example sentence for every word.
What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?
A synonym means the same; an antonym means the opposite. Happy and glad are synonyms; happy and sad are antonyms.
Should I replace a word every time I repeat it?
No. In technical and academic writing, repeating the same term keeps the meaning exact; switching between sample, group and cohort can make readers think you mean three different things. Vary the everyday words, keep the key terms.
For figures of speech rather than single words (idioms, metaphors, similes), see our guide to figurative language.