Dictionaries list "happy, glad, pleased, delighted, thrilled" all as synonyms — but using them interchangeably will make your English sound slightly odd. The real skill is knowing which one fits the situation.
Synonyms differ in three ways
- Formality — "buy" (neutral) vs. "purchase" (formal)
- Intensity/strength — "good" vs. "excellent" vs. "outstanding"
- Connotation — "curious" (positive) vs. "nosy" (negative), even though both mean "interested in details"
Common word groups, ranked by strength
| Mild | Medium | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| good | great | outstanding / exceptional |
| bad | poor | terrible / awful |
| happy | delighted | thrilled / ecstatic |
| tired | exhausted | drained / burnt out |
| big | large | massive / enormous |
| said | stated / mentioned | declared / insisted |
Formal vs. everyday synonyms
| Everyday | Formal / written |
|---|---|
| buy | purchase |
| find out | determine |
| a lot of | numerous / a substantial amount of |
| show | demonstrate / indicate |
| get better | improve |
| start | commence / initiate |
Antonyms: watch for degree, not just opposite
Some antonym pairs are absolute (alive/dead, true/false), while others sit on a scale. "Hot" and "cold" are opposites, but "warm" and "cool" sit between them — useful for writing that needs precision, like IELTS or academic essays.
Common mistake: Swapping in a strong synonym where a mild one is expected sounds unnatural — e.g. "I'm ecstatic it's Monday" (too strong for a neutral fact) instead of simply "I'm fine with it being Monday."
Quick exercise
Replace the underlined word with a more precise synonym: "The results were good." → Consider: solid, encouraging, promising, or outstanding — depending on how good, exactly.
Keep learning: browse more Vocabulary notes or head back to the homepage to explore other subjects.