You may have already looked at antonyms (words meaning the opposite to each other) but now here’s a challenge about synonyms.  

Can you help us out with these, word detective?

 

What do you notice about the words below?

enormous        large        massive

 

They all mean the same thing…big!

 

These words are called synonyms.

Synonyms are words that mean the same or have a very similar meaning to other words.

We could also use the following words as synonyms for big: gargantuan, vast, elephantine and gigantic.

 

 

Which of the following are synonyms for happy?

joyful        miserable        cheerful        ecstatic        angry

 

Joyful, cheerful and ecstatic are all synonyms for happy as they mean the same or a similar thing.

 

A thesaurus is a great resource to use to look up synonyms for words.

 

 

Let’s try another:

Which of the following words is a synonym for clumsy?

reckless        anxious        ecstatic

 

The answer is reckless as it has the closest meaning to clumsy.

 

 

Pssstt!! Here’s a handy hint to help you reach superstar status:

 The first letter of the word synonym is the same as the first letter for similar.  It’s a clever trick to remember what synonym means.

 

 

If you come across any new words in this activity, make a note of them so that you can use them in your writing.

 

It’s now your turn to identify synonyms.  

Good luck!