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?

gleam        shine         glimmer

 

They all mean the same thing…glow!

 

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 glow: radiance, luminosity, brilliance.

 

 

Which of the following are synonyms for excited?

lively        bored        elated        enthusiastic        relaxed

 

Lively, elated and enthusiastic are all synonyms for excited 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 spring?

leap        sit        jog

 

The answer is leap as it has the closest meaning to spring.

 

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!