Opus 2022-067: Synonyms

Synonyms are wonderful and useful tools.  In case you don’t remember, a synonym is a word that means almost the same as another word.  An example would be red and scarlet.  Another might be cold and icy.  A third would be brain dead and Democrat.  That was unkind, true, but unkind.

Synonyms can be used negatively.  You can pick a little known word to confuse people too lazy to get out the dictionary.  You might say someone had a froward outlook on life and some might think it a compliment.  You also have some writers who like to string out eight or ten synonyms in a row.  They are either getting paid by the word or have an essay due with a certain number of words.

There are times you use synonyms to help communicate.  You can pick them for emphasis.  You also can use them for nuance.  Repetition stresses a point.  Nuance points out differences and qualities.  A good writer knows when to be brief and when to go for the long bomb.

Happy reading and writing.

homo unius libri