Many words in English convey similar meanings. These are called synonyms, and memorizing synonym pairs is a great exercise to expand your English vocabulary. We've compiled the following list of 176 common synonym pairs below.
You can turn this exercise into a fun game to play with friends or in class with our package 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, which includes flashcards on synonyms as well as antonyms, homophones, idioms, and more. If you want to keep practicing your English in conversation with a native speaker, with personalized lessons to help you improve, we also offer English tutoring for learners all over the world and of all skill levels.
abandon - desert
above - over
all - every
artificial - fake
ask - inquire
awesome - impressive
awful - terrible
bad - wicked
beautiful - attractive
big - large
blast - explosion
boring - uninteresting
brave - courageous
bring - carry
broad - wide
cabin - shack
car - vehicle
cash - money
cat - kitten
center - middle
chair - seat
cheap - inexpensive
children - kids
choose - pick
circular - round
cold - freezing
come - arrive
commotion - disturbance
container - bucket
cool - chilly
couch - sofa
cozy - snug
crash - collide
cry - weep
cut - clip
cute - charming
dangerous - risky
dark - gloomy
delicate - fragile
delicious - scrumptious
different - unlike
disturbed - distressed
draw - illustrate
drive - steer
eatable - edible
end - finish
enemy - foe
enjoy - like
enjoyable - fun
error - mistake
evidence - proof
expensive - costly
extra - spare
false - untrue
fast - quick
fat - thick
fertile - fruitful
fight - battle
filthy - dirty
fire - flame
firmly - tightly
fix - repair
flexible - pliant
fortunate - lucky
freedom - liberty
friend - buddy
froth - foam
funny - humorous
get - receive
give - provide
glad - happy
good - excellent
guardian - protector
hard - difficult
harm - hurt
help - assist
hero - champion
hi - hello
high - tall
hill - mountain
hope - wish
huge - enormous
hurry - rush
identical - same
incorrect - wrong
iron - metal
jacket - coat
jet - plane
junk - garbage
late - tardy
laugh - giggle
lazy - indolent
lead - guide
leftover - waste
lid - cover
little - small
loud - noisy
love - passion
loving - fond
loyal - faithful
mad - angry
near - close
need - require
nervous - anxious
new - modern
nice - pleasant
obstinate - stubborn
old - ancient
oral - verbal
orderly - neat
overwhelming - astonishing
paste - glue
peculiar - odd
permit - allow
persistent - firm
plate - dish
police - cops
polite - courteous
poor - needy
portent - presage
power - strength
pretty - lovely
prison - jail
purchase - buy
quiet - silent
rabbit - bunny
rare - scarce
ready - alert
real - genuine
rich - wealthy
rigid - stiff
robber - thief
rude - impolite
sad - unhappy
safe - secure
said - declared
save - keep
scared - frightened
scary - eerie
scream - yell
sea - ocean
selfish - greedy
ship - boat
shove - push
sick - ill
skinny - thin
sleep - nap
sleepy - drowsy
slim - slender
smart - intelligent
smell - odor
smile - grin
song - tune
start - begin
status - condition
strong - sound
sugary - sweet
talk - speak
tame - calm
taxi - cab
teach - tutor
terraqueous - amphibian
throw - toss
transparent - clear
under - beneath
untame - wild
usual - normal
vacant - empty
warm - hot
warrior - fighter
watch - look
weak - feeble
well known - famous
wet - damp
woman - lady
wonderful - amazing
We hope this list of synonym pairs will help you expand your English vocabulary. To keep practicing synonyms, antonyms, descriptive words, and other vocabulary builders, check out our package 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, perfect for use in your personal study or as a fun group activity. And if you want to keep practicing your new vocabulary in conversation with a native English speaker, we offer English tutoring for learners like you.
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