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About This Quiz
Almost every word in the English language has a synonym. Measurements like "mile" and "ounce" don't have synonyms. Science terms like "planet" and "photosynthesis" should stand alone. Words like "unique" and "parallel" are pretty specific, and ironically, the words "synonym" and "antonym" don't have any synonyms, but other than that, there's a synonym for everything.
A lot of synonyms are somewhat of a stretch, but if we had a bunch of words that meant the same exact thing, we wouldn't need them. The words "avoid" and "evade" technically mean slightly different things, but they're close enough they can be interchanged. Unless you're preparing legal documents, synonyms are a fun way to read and write.Â
The more synonyms you know, the better reader and writer you are. If you simply read the same words over and over, you'd eventually stop reading. It'd get too boring, and your writing would be even worse. Every now and then, you need to include a "brouhaha," "cacophony," "fantoosh," "lackadaisical" or "vomitorium" into your vocabulary. They're all complex words with simple meanings, and anyone who has read anything knows what they mean.
How well do you know your synonyms? See if you can correctly replace the words in these questions with the proper synonym.
Mother's maiden name
Address
Name
A moniker is a name, nickname, title, tag or any word(s) used to identify one's self. The word's etymology is unknown but is said to have come into common usage in the mid-1800s. Some say it stems from the word "monk" because monks take on new identifications once they take their vows.
Birthday
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Poke
Push
Kiss
Hit
Zonk is a fairly new verb that became popular in the 20th century and means to hit something or someone really hard. It can also describe the process of falling asleep or losing consciousness: "Mike zonked out after getting zonked."
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Arm
Head
Noggin is a noun that originated in the 1600s and was used to define a small cup or mug. Within 200 years, the word transformed to identify a person's head, and that's how it's used today. Noggin can also define a small quantity of a drink, and the word "nog" defines a strong beer.
Hand
Leg
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Introvert
Loyalist
Peacemaker
Chatterbox
The word flibbertigibbet dates back centuries and is said to have originated as "flibbergib." Gossipers, blabbermouths, chatterboxes and busybodies are all flibbertigibbets, which means they're excessively talkative.
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Scared
Confused
Of all the words in the English language, the words to describe confusion may be the best ones. Discombobulated, perplexed, bamboozled, flummoxed and befuddled can all be used to describe a state of confusion.
Happy
Mad
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Red
Blue
Azure dates back to the 14th century and defines the color blue. It specifically defines the bright blue color of the sky, and the blue pigment comes from the lapis lazuli gemstone, which has been known for centuries for its rich blue color.
White
Yellow
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Ideas
Words
Directions
Noise
Cacophony is the harsh mixture of sounds you probably ignore every time you're in a populated area. City streets and high school lunchrooms are cacophonic places. Once cacophony is controlled with melody, harmony and rhythm, it becomes music.
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Horrible
Magnificent
Splendiferous originated in the mid 19th century as a way to describe something that is uber-magnificent. The word "splendor" means magnificent in appearance. The word "splendid" is more commonly used in place of splendiferous.
Mediocre
Expected
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She got scared.
She got astonished.
Flabbergast first appeared in print way back in the 18th century, and it's a verb that means to shock, surprise or astonish someone. If you see your dog use your bathroom like a human, you'll probably be flabbergasted.
She got sad.
She got mad.
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Confused
Sad
Joyful
Wicked
Nefarious dates back to the 1600s and is used to describe anything that is of evil wickedness. The word stems from the Latin words "ne" (not) and "fas" (divine law). It's usually used in accordance with law and criminal activity.
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Abundance
The Latin "cornu copiae" translates to "horn of plenty." The horn has been a symbol of abundance since the 16th century, and today the word "cornucopia" is a noun that defines the symbol or an abundance.
Atmosphere
Field
Society
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Thrill
Commotion
The English language has a slew of words used to define commotion and disturbance, and kerfuffle, brouhaha and hullabaloo are some of the funner ones. Kerfuffle usually refers to physical commotion while brouhaha is usually reserved for abstract chaos.
Danger
Silence
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Reserved
Special
Tiny
Enormous
Gargantuan comes from the 16th-century story "Gargantua" that later became part of the anthology, "The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel." Both Gargantua and his son Pantagruel are giants. Colossal, humongous, astronomical and walloping are other synonyms for gargantuan.
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Forgiving
Magnanimous is an adjective that describes anything generous or forgiving, and it originated in the late 16th century. The word stemmed from the Latin for "highminded." The Latin word "animus" can be found in many words and relates to the mind and soul.
Angry
Sad
Happy
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Harsh
It's normal etiquette to be quiet and respectful inside a library, but if you're not allowed to cough, sneeze or make a sound when breathing, that library has draconian laws. They're excessively harsh.
Lenient
Silly
Confusing
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Green
Black
Red
Dragon's blood is the red resin that comes from certain plants that are sometimes called "dragon plants." The resin is used to create a rich red color that has been used as a dye since ancient times. It's also been used for things like toothpaste and medicine.
Blue
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Reading
Writing
Coloring
Scribbling
To doodle means to scribble aimlessly, and a doodle is an aimlessly scribbled drawing. The word dates back to the early 1600s but was initially used to define a fool. Today's meaning of the word dates back to the early 20th century.
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Pork
Ham
Insurance
Nonsense
Of all the words in the English language, the words used to describe nonsense are some of the best. Gibberish, poppycock, balderdash, malarkey, gobbledygook, phooey, hooey and codswallop are all synonyms for nonsense. The sausage product from Bologna, Italy, is called bologna, but baloney is an acceptable spelling in America and England.
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Premonition
Flashback
Revelation
An epiphany is the feeling when something you never realized is finally revealed. The word comes from the beginning of time, and the first-ever recorded epiphany was when the people realized Jesus was the son of God.
Feeling
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100,000 years
1 trillion years
1 billion years
For most people, an eon just means a very long period of time, but astronomers use the word to define a period of time equaling 1 billion years. It's such an absurd amount of time that it's rarely used in the study of history.
1 million years
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A friend
A bully
A genius
A fool
Nincompoop is a noun that originated in the 1600s. The most common theory is the word stemmed from the Latin legal phrase, "non compos mentis," which means "mentally incapable." Other theories say it stemmed from Nicodemus, who foolishly questioned Christianity.
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Appleton
Knickerbocker
Knickerbockers were the original Dutch settlers who landed in New York in the mid 19th century. The pants loose-fitting pants they wore eventually came to be known as knickers. The NBA's New York Knicks have officially been named the Knickerbockers since 1946.
Manhatter
Brooky
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Green
Malachite is a silky mineral with striking green colors. The stone has been used for several purposes but has been used for its green pigment since ancient times. Today's green pigments are usually extracted from different minerals.
Yellow
Orange
Brown
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Dangerous
Enthusiastic
Lazy
Lackadaisical can be used to describe anything lazy, careless or lacking enthusiasm. It likely stems from the 15th-century word "lax," which meant loose, spacious and roomy. Today, the word "lax" is used to describe lenient (or loose) arrangements.
Labored
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Sneezes
Grumbling
Borborygmus is the technical term for the specific rumbling, grumbling and gurgling sound you hear when fluid and gas moves through your intestines. Hunger and indigestion can cause borborygmus, and there is nothing you can do to stop or muffle it.
Coughs
Yawns
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Chants
Words
Pranks
Shenanigans are devious tricks and mischievous activities, usually at the expense of others. The goal of a good prank is that it's victimless, but pranks and shenanigans can be used interchangeably. The word became popular in the 1800s.
Donations
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Bored
Asleep
Confused
Nonplussed originated in the 1500s and simply translates to "not more." It means one has been so overwhelmed they can't take any more of anything. Being nonplussed is being confused to the point one cannot think or speak.
Unimpressed
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Sharp
Thunderous
Buzzing
Bombinate is a literary verb that means buzz or hum. The word stems from the Latin "bombus," meaning "humming," and the word became popular in the early 20th century. The words "bombinare" and "bombinat" meant "buzz" in medieval times.
Banging
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Fragile
Fancy
New words enter the English lexicon every year, and in 2019, the Oxford English Dictionary listed the words fantysheeny and fantoosh. Both words are adjectives that describe anything that is fancy, ostentatious or pretentious.
Ugly
Dangerous
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Pompous
Highfalutin is an adjective that's used to describe pretentious or pompous talk, but it can be used to describe anything pompous. It simply comes from the words "high" and "flutin." The word "flute" can be used to describe a melodious speech that may be interpreted as pompous.
Late
Foolish
Rich
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It's gigantic.
It's crooked.
Cattywampus is also spelled catawampus, and the adjective describes anything askew, crooked or awry. The word originated last century and might have stemmed from the words "wampus," meaning swerve, and "catercorner," meaning situated diagonally.
It's tiny.
It's slick.
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Black
Transparent
Flesh
Sarcoline is the word for the flesh-colored tone that usually resembles peach or tan, but can refer to any flesh color. It translates to "flesh-colored." The word "sarcotic" defines anything that promotes flesh growth, and a "sarcophile" is a carnivore that loves eating flesh.
White
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Antarctica
Alone
Solitude is the abstract state of being alone or the physical state of being in an isolated location. The word "solo" also refers to being alone, and both words stem from the Latin word "solus." Someone who lives in solitude may be known as a hermit or recluse.
Inside
Alaska
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Stage
Exit
A vomitorium is a receded exit most seen in large auditoriums and stadiums. A popular myth defines a vomitorium as a secret room where Ancient Romans used to vomit to make room for more food, but that has been disproved.
Bathroom
Balcony
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Yesteresterday
Undermorrow
Nudiustertian
Tomorrow and yesterday are two of the most popular days in the world, but the day before yesterday and the day after tomorrow are rarely mentioned. The words "ereyesterday" and "nudiustertian" refer to the day before yesterday. The word "overmorrow" refers to the day after tomorrow. All the words are really old.
Beforeday
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