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Merriam Webster's Dictionary Of Synonyms: A Dictionary Of Discriminated Synonyms With Antonyms And Analogous And Contrasted Words

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The ideal guide to choosing the right words.
- Goes beyond the word lists of a thesaurus
- Entries explain important differences between synonyms
- Provides over 17,000 usage examples
- Lists antonyms and related words

940 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1984

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Merriam-Webster

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for fayre.
442 reviews
May 7, 2024
Life as I know it by Blinded_HP

Snape x Harry

Harry is abused Vernon - Master
Snape becomes new master, treats him well
Year 1 - 7
3 reviews
January 3, 2025
This book is astounding and is unlike any dictionary or thesaurus I've ever been able to find (and man, I've *looked*). If we lived in a fair and just world we would be making undergrads buy this instead of Strunk and White.

It really isn't a thesaurus, but it's close: each entry takes a cluster of associated words and then dives into something like a mini-essay exploring the subtle differences of context and meaning. There's a half-page dedicated to the nuances that differentiate deceit, duplicity, dissimulation, cunning, and guile; another half page distinguishing between foam, froth, spume, scum, lather, and suds. For particularly wild evenings you can kick back and read the entire two-page entry under "part" ("... while 'detail' applies to a part chiefly when the presupposed whole is a plan or design, or represents the working out of a plan or design; in this sense ...").

It's just mind-blowing to me that this book is out of print. I have three copies just in case there's a string of dictionary-related tragedies. I would jump in front of a bullet for this book. I made a goodreads account just so that maybe, just maybe somebody else would be motivated to appreciate this thing.
Profile Image for gudetamama.
382 reviews
October 6, 2012
Rural, rustic, pastoral or bucolic? Quality, property, character or attribute? Poverty, indigence, penury or destitution? What's the diff? Webster explains it all. My copy is especially useful to me because I have the searchable PDF. (Dear technology, I love you.) I'd be lazy to riffle through the printed version of this otherwise.
Profile Image for Kathee.
197 reviews8 followers
March 28, 2012
I have the 1951 first edition and, silly as it may be to have such a thing, it is my favorite dictionary of synonyms.
Profile Image for william.
10 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2010
what can anyone say without Mr. Webster-he's amazing
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews