Synonyms — Patwari English Grammar
Synonyms are frequently asked in the English paper of competitive exams, especially as the contextual meaning of words given in an unseen passage. This page gives an essential word list, the method for identifying them, and strategies for avoiding mistakes, all in one place.
- Class 6-8 grammar level
- 8 min read
What is a Synonym?
A synonym is a word whose meaning is the same as, or close to, another word's meaning — for example, a synonym of 'happy' is 'glad' or 'pleased'.
In competitive exams, most synonym questions are asked from within a comprehension passage. This means the correct option is the one that matches how the word is used in that particular sentence (its context), even though the word may have other meanings too. For example, 'present' commonly means 'gift', but if the passage says 'They are present everywhere', the correct synonym is 'found', not 'gift'.
Useful Exam-Level Synonym Pairs
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| Happy | Glad / Pleased |
| Big | Large / Huge |
| Begin | Start / Commence |
| Brave | Courageous / Fearless |
| Difficult | Hard / Tough |
| Chance | Opportunity |
| Suitable | Appropriate |
| Abandon | Leave / Desert |
| Answer | Reply / Respond |
| Rich | Wealthy |
| Quick | Fast / Swift |
| Beautiful | Pretty / Lovely |
These are all commonly used words that come up repeatedly in both unseen-passage and direct vocabulary questions.
How to Avoid Wrong Options (Distractors)
One of the distractors among the options is often an 'antonym' (e.g. 'unsuitable' for 'suitable') — don't make the mistake of taking it for a synonym.
Another common trap is that an option gives the synonym of some other, less common meaning of the word — always choose the meaning that fits the sentence in the passage. Reading the sentence with each option substituted in (the substitution test) makes the correct answer immediately clear.
Types of Synonyms: Register and Intensity of Meaning
Not every synonym belongs to the same register, or level of usage. Some words are used in formal contexts, while other words with the same meaning belong to informal speech — for example, 'purchase' is formal while 'buy' is the everyday, informal word, though both basically mean 'to buy'.
Besides this, synonyms for the same feeling can also differ in intensity — for instance, going from 'happy' to 'glad', then 'pleased', then 'delighted' and finally 'ecstatic', the degree of happiness keeps increasing. In a passage it's important to notice what intensity the sentence is talking about, so you choose the most suitable option, not just one that is 'roughly right'.
Some synonyms also differ in connotation — for example, 'thin' is a neutral word, 'slim' has a positive connotation (thin but attractive), while 'skinny' has a negative connotation (excessively thin). In the exam, the correct answer is the one that also matches the sentence's tone (positive/negative/neutral), not just its dictionary meaning.
More Useful Synonym Pairs (Set 2)
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| Amazing | Astonishing / Surprising |
| Calm | Composed / Peaceful |
| Damage | Harm / Injure |
| Empty | Vacant / Hollow |
| Fast | Rapid / Swift |
| Gather | Collect / Assemble |
| Honest | Truthful / Sincere |
| Idea | Notion / Concept |
| Journey | Voyage / Trip |
| Kind | Compassionate / Gentle |
Learning these along with Set 1 considerably widens your vocabulary range for unseen-passage questions.
Steps to Solve Passage-Based Synonym Questions
Step 1: First read the whole sentence containing the underlined word carefully; don't look at the word in isolation. Step 2: Identify the word's role in the sentence (verb, adjective or noun), because the correct synonym must be the same part of speech. Step 3: Re-read the sentence with each option substituted in, one at a time — whichever option fits without changing the meaning is the correct answer.
Step 4: If two options seem close, look at intensity and connotation — choose the one that matches the overall tone of the sentence. This four-step method helps you give a fast, accurate answer based purely on the given context, without having to dig deep into the whole passage.
Understanding with an Example: How the Substitution Test Works
Suppose the passage has the sentence: 'The old bridge was in a fragile condition and could collapse any time.' Here the underlined word is 'fragile' and the options are — (A) Strong (B) Weak (C) Colourful (D) Ancient. First understand the sentence's meaning: the bridge is in such a state that it could collapse at any time, i.e. it is weak/fragile.
Now read each option substituted in — 'The bridge was in a strong condition and could collapse' becomes meaningless (how would a strong bridge collapse?), whereas 'The bridge was in a weak condition and could collapse' makes complete sense. So the correct answer is 'Weak'; 'Ancient' looks close but is wrong, because being old doesn't necessarily mean being weak too.
This same four-step method (read the sentence → identify the part of speech → substitute each option and read → check intensity/connotation) applies equally to every passage-based synonym question, no matter how unfamiliar the word looks.
Memory Trick / Exam Tip
Whenever a passage-based synonym question comes up, read the sentence with each given option substituted directly into it (the substitution test) — whichever option doesn't change the sentence's meaning is the correct answer. This method is more reliable than memorising dictionary meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Synonym and an Antonym?+
A synonym is a word whose meaning is close to a given word's meaning, while an antonym is a word that gives its opposite meaning.
How do I identify a synonym within a passage?+
First read the sentence containing the underlined word carefully and understand its contextual meaning, then substitute each option into that same sentence to see which one correctly preserves the meaning.
Can a word have several correct synonyms?+
Yes, a word can have several synonyms in the language, but in the exam the option considered correct is always the one that best fits the given sentence/context.
What is the fastest way to memorise synonyms?+
Pick 5 new words from the passage you read each day, write their synonyms in a notebook and use them in a sentence — learning in context sticks better than rote memorisation.
Can a question be based on the same word having different meanings in a passage?+
Yes, which is exactly why it is important to check the word's contextual meaning in the passage — for example, 'present' can mean either 'to be present' or 'a gift', depending on the context.
What should I do if I don't know the word's meaning at all in the passage?+
Instead of knowing the word's meaning, understand the overall tone of the sentence (positive/negative/neutral), then substitute each option into the sentence to see which one makes it logical and meaningful.