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Synonyms — REET English Notes

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Synonyms come up without fail in REET's English paper, most often as the contextual meaning of a word used inside an unseen passage. This page brings together REET 2024's real pattern, essential word lists, and a strategy for avoiding the traps.

  • 4 questions in REET 2024
  • Class 6–8 level / teaching-practice level
  • 8-minute read
Verified 17 September 2026

How REET asks this topic

In REET 2024, synonym questions always came from within an unseen passage — for example, choosing the nearest meaning of the words 'present', 'suitable', 'chance' and 'abandoned' as used in the passage. In other words, it isn't the dictionary meaning of the word that's asked for, but the specific meaning it carries in that particular sentence (contextual meaning) — so reading and understanding the passage matters more than memorising isolated word lists.

What Is a Synonym?

A synonym is a word whose meaning is the same as, or nearly the same as, another word's — for instance, a synonym of 'happy' is 'glad' or 'pleased'.

Most synonym questions in REET come from within a comprehension passage. This means the correct option is the one that matches the word's use (context) in that specific sentence, even if the word has other meanings elsewhere. For example, 'present' commonly means 'a gift', but if the passage says 'They are present everywhere', the correct synonym is 'found', not 'gift'.

Useful Synonym Pairs at REET Level

WordSynonym
HappyGlad / Pleased
BigLarge / Huge
BeginStart / Commence
BraveCourageous / Fearless
DifficultHard / Tough
ChanceOpportunity
SuitableAppropriate
AbandonLeave / Desert
AnswerReply / Respond
RichWealthy
QuickFast / Swift
BeautifulPretty / Lovely

These are all common, everyday words that appear repeatedly in REET's unseen passages and vocabulary questions alike.

How to Avoid Wrong Options (Distractors)

REET's options often include an antonym as a distractor (for example, 'unsuitable' for 'suitable') — don't mistake this for a synonym.

Another common trap is placing the synonym of a word's less common, secondary meaning among the options — always choose the meaning that fits the sentence in the passage. Reading each option back into the sentence (the substitution test) makes the correct answer clear immediately.

Types of Synonyms: Register and Intensity of Meaning

Not every synonym belongs to the same level of use (register). Some words are used in formal contexts, while other words with the same core meaning belong to everyday, informal speech — for instance, 'purchase' is formal while 'buy' is the ordinary, informal word; both mean 'to buy'.

Synonyms for the same feeling can also differ in intensity — from 'happy' to 'glad', then 'pleased', then 'delighted', and finally 'ecstatic', the degree of happiness keeps increasing. In a REET passage, it's important to notice what intensity the sentence is actually describing, so you choose not just an 'approximately right' option, but the most suitable one.

Some synonyms also differ in connotation — 'thin' is a neutral word, 'slim' carries a positive sense (thin but attractive), while 'skinny' carries a negative one (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)

WordSynonym
AmazingAstonishing / Surprising
CalmComposed / Peaceful
DamageHarm / Injure
EmptyVacant / Hollow
FastRapid / Swift
GatherCollect / Assemble
HonestTruthful / Sincere
IdeaNotion / Concept
JourneyVoyage / Trip
KindCompassionate / Gentle

Learning these alongside Set 1 considerably widens your vocabulary for REET's unseen passages.

Steps for Solving Passage-Based Synonym Questions

Step 1: Read the full sentence containing the underlined word carefully; don't jump straight to 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: Substitute each option in turn at that spot and re-read the sentence — whichever option fits without changing the meaning is the answer.

Step 4: If two options seem close, check intensity and connotation — pick the one that matches the sentence's overall tone. This four-step method gives fast, accurate answers based purely on the given context, without needing to fully unpack the whole passage.

Worked Example: How the Substitution Test Works

Suppose a passage says: 'The old bridge was in a fragile condition and could collapse any time.' The underlined word is 'fragile', with options (A) Strong (B) Weak (C) Colourful (D) Ancient. First understand the sentence: the bridge's condition is such that it could collapse anytime — that is, it is weak/fragile.

Now substitute each option in that spot — 'The bridge was in a strong condition and could collapse' becomes meaningless (how would a strong bridge collapse?), while 'The bridge was in a weak condition and could collapse' is fully coherent. So the correct answer is 'Weak'; 'Ancient' (old) looks close but is wrong because being old doesn't necessarily mean being weak.

This same four-step method (read the sentence → identify the word's role → substitute each option → check intensity/connotation) applies equally to every passage-based synonym question, no matter how unfamiliar the word looks.

How to Teach This to Children

Activity

In Classes 6–8, build a daily 'Word of the Day' list of 5 new words, and have children write one synonym and one example sentence for each.

Teaching aids

Use synonym flashcards or a word-pair matching chart — a word on one side, its synonym on the other, for children to match.

Common misconception

Children assume a synonym can always replace a word anywhere without change, when register and context sometimes create subtle differences in meaning — clarify this with examples.

Assessment

Give a passage and have students write synonyms for the underlined words, then practise with multiple-choice questions — this is the most effective assessment.

Differentiated teaching

For slower learners, start with simple synonym pairs (happy-glad) paired with a picture or feeling-cue, then gradually add higher-intensity words (delighted, ecstatic).

Peer teaching

In pairs, one child says a word and the other immediately says its synonym (a rapid-fire quiz) — this makes word recall faster and more lasting.

Memory trick / exam tip

Whenever a passage-based synonym question comes up, put the given option directly back into that sentence (the substitution test) — the option that doesn't change the sentence's meaning is the correct answer. This method is more reliable than memorised dictionary meanings.

Questions asked in REET 2024 (solved)

Question 51

‘...... but are present everywhere......’ According to the passage, the underlined word means

  1. Asold
  2. Blost
  3. Cfound
  4. Dforgot

Explanation

अनुच्छेद में ‘They could not be seen but are present everywhere’ का अर्थ है कि bacteria हर जगह ‘पाए जाते हैं’। इस सन्दर्भ में ‘present’ का अर्थ ‘found’ (उपस्थित/पाया जाना) है। sold, lost, forgot अर्थ से मेल नहीं खाते।

Question 48

‘Suitable’ is the synonym of :

  1. Aremain
  2. Bappropriate
  3. Calike
  4. Dunsuitable

Explanation

'Suitable' का अर्थ है उपयुक्त/उचित, और इसका पर्यायवाची 'appropriate' है (passage में 'appropriate types of vegetation' आया है)। 'unsuitable' इसका विलोम है, जबकि 'remain' और 'alike' का अर्थ अलग है।

Question 48

The synonym of ‘chance’ is

  1. ACowered
  2. BTotally
  3. CThoughtfully
  4. DOpportunity

Explanation

'chance' का अर्थ है अवसर, इसलिए इसका पर्यायवाची 'Opportunity' है। गद्यांश में 'I had no chance to study human beings' का अर्थ है मुझे मनुष्यों को समझने का अवसर नहीं मिला। Cowered, Totally, Thoughtfully का अर्थ अलग है।

Question 52

The synonym of ‘abandoned’ is :

  1. ACowered
  2. BHerd
  3. CLeft
  4. DUndone

Explanation

'abandoned' का अर्थ है छोड़ देना/त्याग देना; इसका पर्यायवाची 'Left' है। गद्यांश में 'he abandoned his machine' का अर्थ है दर्ज़ी अपनी मशीन छोड़कर भाग गया। 'Undone' का अर्थ बर्बाद होना है।

Practice questions

Question 1

Choose the word most similar in meaning to 'assist'.

  1. AIgnore
  2. BHelp
  3. CRefuse
  4. DAvoid

Explanation

'Assist' means to help, and its nearest synonym is 'Help'. The other three words mean the opposite or are unrelated.

Question 2

Choose the synonym of 'enormous'.

  1. ATiny
  2. BHuge
  3. CNarrow
  4. DSlow

Explanation

'Enormous' means very large, and its synonym is 'Huge'. 'Tiny' is its opposite.

Question 3

In the sentence 'The teacher was delighted with the result', the word 'delighted' is closest in meaning to:

  1. APleased
  2. BWorried
  3. CConfused
  4. DAngry

Explanation

In this context, 'delighted' means very happy, whose nearest synonym is 'Pleased'.

Question 4

Choose the synonym of 'obtain'.

  1. ALose
  2. BReject
  3. CGet
  4. DGive

Explanation

'Obtain' means to acquire, and its synonym is 'Get'.

Question 5

In the sentence 'He is a genuine friend', the word 'genuine' is nearest in meaning to:

  1. AFake
  2. BReal
  3. CDistant
  4. DOld

Explanation

'Genuine' means true/authentic, and its nearest synonym is 'Real'. 'Fake' is its opposite.

Question 6

Choose the synonym of 'rapid'.

  1. ASlow
  2. BSwift
  3. CSilent
  4. DSteady

Explanation

'Rapid' means fast/quick, and its synonym is 'Swift'.

Question 7

In the sentence 'The farmer had a meagre harvest this year', the word 'meagre' means:

  1. AAbundant
  2. BScanty
  3. CColourful
  4. DFresh

Explanation

'Meagre' means insufficient/very little, and its nearest synonym is 'Scanty'. 'Abundant' is its opposite.

Question 8

A teacher wants students to practise contextual synonyms rather than rote word-lists. Which classroom activity best serves this aim?

  1. AMaking students memorise a list of 50 words
  2. BGiving a story/passage and asking students to pick context-based synonyms for underlined words
  3. COnly asking students to copy dictionary meanings
  4. DTesting spelling of words

Explanation

Context-based practice using a story/passage helps students learn that the right synonym for a word depends on how it's used in a sentence — rote memorisation of a list doesn't build this skill.

Question 9

Which pair is NOT a correct synonym pair?

  1. ABegin – Start
  2. BRich – Wealthy
  3. CDifficult – Easy
  4. DQuick – Fast

Explanation

'Difficult' and 'Easy' are antonyms of each other, not synonyms. The other three pairs are correct synonym pairs.

Question 10

In the sentence 'The old man walked with a feeble step', 'feeble' is closest in meaning to:

  1. AStrong
  2. BWeak
  3. CFirm
  4. DFast

Explanation

'Feeble' means weak, and its nearest synonym is 'Weak'. 'Strong' and 'Firm' express the opposite sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions come from Synonyms in REET?+

There's no fixed number, but in REET 2024, synonym-based questions appeared consistently within the unseen passage — generally 2–4 such questions turn up in the vocabulary part of the English paper.

What is the difference between Synonym and Antonym?+

A synonym is a word whose meaning is close to a given word's, while an antonym is a word that means the opposite.

How do I identify a synonym in a passage?+

First read the sentence containing the underlined word carefully and understand its contextual meaning, then substitute each option in that same sentence to see which one preserves the meaning correctly.

Can a word have more than one correct synonym?+

Yes, a word can have several synonyms in the language, but in the exam the option that best fits the given sentence/context is always the correct one.

What's the fastest way to memorise synonyms?+

Pick 5 new words from your daily passage reading, note their synonyms in a notebook, and use them in sentences — learning in context sticks far better than rote memorisation.

Can REET ask about a word's different meanings?+

Yes, which is exactly why checking a word's contextual meaning in the passage matters — for instance, 'present' can mean 'to be present' or 'a gift', depending on context.

What if I don't know a word's meaning in the passage at all?+

Instead of hunting for the word's meaning, understand the overall tone of the sentence (positive/negative/neutral), then substitute each option to see which one makes the sentence logical and meaningful.

Read next

Unseen Poem

The previous topic — read this first.

Antonyms

Continue with the next topic.

REET Syllabus (full details)

The complete syllabus for REET Level 1 and Level 2 in one place.

REET 2024 Solved Paper

Every REET 2024 question with answers and explanations.

Change Log

  • 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked