Thesaurus
noun
A book or tool that lists words in groups of synonyms and related concepts.
When struggling to find the right word, she often referred to a thesaurus.
Often appears as...
- refer to a thesaurus
- use a thesaurus
noun
A collection, usually a book, of information on a particular subject.
The archaeology library has a thesaurus of ancient artifacts.
Often appears as...
- archaeological thesaurus
- medical thesaurus
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A book or tool that lists words in groups of synonyms and related concepts.
When struggling to find the right word, she often referred to a thesaurus.
Often appears as...
- refer to a thesaurus
- use a thesaurus
noun
A collection, usually a book, of information on a particular subject.
The archaeology library has a thesaurus of ancient artifacts.
Often appears as...
- archaeological thesaurus
- medical thesaurus
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Enhance Vocabulary
A thesaurus helps you learn new words to replace common ones, making your language richer.
To improve your essays, use a thesaurus to find more expressive words.
Pro Tip 2/3Avoid Repetition
Using a thesaurus prevents you from repeating the same word too often in your writing.
She consulted a thesaurus to vary her use of 'happy' with synonyms like 'joyful' and 'content'.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Matters
Some synonyms in a thesaurus may not fit the context of your sentence, so choose carefully.
Although 'cry' and 'whisper' are synonyms for 'speak', they won't work in every context.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhance Vocabulary
A thesaurus helps you learn new words to replace common ones, making your language richer.
To improve your essays, use a thesaurus to find more expressive words.
Pro Tip 2/3Avoid Repetition
Using a thesaurus prevents you from repeating the same word too often in your writing.
She consulted a thesaurus to vary her use of 'happy' with synonyms like 'joyful' and 'content'.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Matters
Some synonyms in a thesaurus may not fit the context of your sentence, so choose carefully.
Although 'cry' and 'whisper' are synonyms for 'speak', they won't work in every context.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhance Vocabulary
A thesaurus helps you learn new words to replace common ones, making your language richer.
To improve your essays, use a thesaurus to find more expressive words.
Pro Tip 2/3Avoid Repetition
Using a thesaurus prevents you from repeating the same word too often in your writing.
She consulted a thesaurus to vary her use of 'happy' with synonyms like 'joyful' and 'content'.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Matters
Some synonyms in a thesaurus may not fit the context of your sentence, so choose carefully.
Although 'cry' and 'whisper' are synonyms for 'speak', they won't work in every context.
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Video examples
The punishable perils of...
in which plagiarists create fake authors, book titles, page numbers, or other information in order to cover up plagiarism. And the old synonym switcheroo in which plagiarists utilize a thesaurus as their main weapon. By substituting a synonym for nearly every word in the document and leaving the sentence structure
Video examples
The opportunity of...
I always keep my thesaurus handy whenever I'm writing anything, but I'd already finished editing the piece, and I realized that I had never once in my life looked up the word "disabled" to see what I'd find. Let me read you the entry.
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 272 PIPE...
and supposes they've just got a little bit of energy to burn when it's that sort of time of the day rejuvenated refreshed there we go you're like a four Saurus Louise I just you're a pocket thesaurus is what you are rejuvenated
Video examples
Top 5 Dinosaur Moments PIPE...
Microraptor is barely able to walk much less run st. Olaf thesaurus has no such problem on the forest floor the tables are turned
Video examples
The punishable perils of...
in which plagiarists create fake authors, book titles, page numbers, or other information in order to cover up plagiarism. And the old synonym switcheroo in which plagiarists utilize a thesaurus as their main weapon. By substituting a synonym for nearly every word in the document and leaving the sentence structure
Video examples
The opportunity of...
I always keep my thesaurus handy whenever I'm writing anything, but I'd already finished editing the piece, and I realized that I had never once in my life looked up the word "disabled" to see what I'd find. Let me read you the entry.
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 272 PIPE...
and supposes they've just got a little bit of energy to burn when it's that sort of time of the day rejuvenated refreshed there we go you're like a four Saurus Louise I just you're a pocket thesaurus is what you are rejuvenated
Video examples
Top 5 Dinosaur Moments PIPE...
Microraptor is barely able to walk much less run st. Olaf thesaurus has no such problem on the forest floor the tables are turned
Example 1 of 4
Quote examples
Maya Angelou
American Poet
I keep a hotel room in my town, although I have a large house. And I go there at about 5:30 in the morning, and I start working. And I don't allow anybody to come in that room. I work on yellow pads and with ballpoint pens. I keep a Bible, a thesaurus, a dictionary, and a bottle of sherry. I stay there until midday.
Quote examples
Arlo Parks
British Singer
Reading the dictionary helps me express myself better. I can spend hours flicking through a thesaurus, too. It's not about expanding my vocabulary, it's just that I have a very specific taste with words. I'll sit and write lists of them to help me better describe my life.
Quote examples
Wale
American Musician
Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can't fake. I'm not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.
Quote examples
Bettany Hughes
My guilty pleasure at the end of the day is an old thesaurus. I know that can lead to overwriting, but if words such as lambent, pyretic and boscy exist, how sad they should stay recondite.
Quote examples
Meg Rosoff
American Writer
As a person with the retentive mental capacity of a goldfish and a dislike of repetition, I frequently make use of the thesaurus built into my Microsoft Word U.K. Software.
Quote examples
Paul Johnson
British Journalist
In all its myriad manifestations, the language of anti-Semitism through the ages is a dictionary of non-sequiturs and antonyms, a thesaurus of illogic and inconsistency.
Quote examples
Scott Westerfeld
American Author
I found a great book called 'Slang Through the Ages' by Jonathon Green. It's basically a thesaurus of historical slang, and had lots of great old uses.
Quote examples
Dorothy Fields
American Musician
No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you.
Quote examples
Maya Angelou
American Poet
I keep a hotel room in my town, although I have a large house. And I go there at about 5:30 in the morning, and I start working. And I don't allow anybody to come in that room. I work on yellow pads and with ballpoint pens. I keep a Bible, a thesaurus, a dictionary, and a bottle of sherry. I stay there until midday.
Quote examples
Arlo Parks
British Singer
Reading the dictionary helps me express myself better. I can spend hours flicking through a thesaurus, too. It's not about expanding my vocabulary, it's just that I have a very specific taste with words. I'll sit and write lists of them to help me better describe my life.
Quote examples
Wale
American Musician
Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can't fake. I'm not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.
Quote examples
Bettany Hughes
My guilty pleasure at the end of the day is an old thesaurus. I know that can lead to overwriting, but if words such as lambent, pyretic and boscy exist, how sad they should stay recondite.
Quote examples
Meg Rosoff
American Writer
As a person with the retentive mental capacity of a goldfish and a dislike of repetition, I frequently make use of the thesaurus built into my Microsoft Word U.K. Software.
Quote examples
Paul Johnson
British Journalist
In all its myriad manifestations, the language of anti-Semitism through the ages is a dictionary of non-sequiturs and antonyms, a thesaurus of illogic and inconsistency.
Quote examples
Scott Westerfeld
American Author
I found a great book called 'Slang Through the Ages' by Jonathon Green. It's basically a thesaurus of historical slang, and had lots of great old uses.
Quote examples
Dorothy Fields
American Musician
No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you.
Example 1 of 8
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