The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms

This is an excellent dictionary of English synonyms and antonyms.

I find this book extremely helpful with all of my assignments and daily tasks, as well as in assisting my children with their homework!

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms is an interesting research - and I dare to say: entertaining - resource. Because, contrary to what some might think, this is not a thesaurus, but a book which groups words of similar meanings into a topic and explains in a very didactic way and with examples what distinguishes in nuance one from each other so you can use the most appropriate words depending on the situation. For being small, you will certainly not find about everything you want and when you need, but however, this has a reasonable scope of words that is worth the purchase. In the worst case, you can perfectly take this as a regular book that you could read in your spare time since is pleasantly organized and well written. Trust me, it is not as boring as reading purposeless a regular dictionary.

I was introduced to this book, while in college in 1984. It was invaluable then, and still is now after multiple career directions. Unlike a thesaurus that simply lists synonyms, Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms provides definitions and gradations of use, explaining when each synonym is appropriately used. As a result, I have been viewed as the "go-to Word-Smith" in business and academia. I have one copy for the office, one for home. Great gift for college-bound high school grads, so they don't take off with your copy!

Featuring more than 4,800 entries fill Webster's New Explorer Dictionary Of Synonyms & Antonyms was developed and published in cooperation with the editors of Merriam-Webster. A handy resource especially for students and professional writers seeking to identify which word best suits a particular occasion, or needing to distinguish between the subtle nuances of similar words such as "severe, stern, austere, ascetic", Webster's New Explorer Dictionary Of Synonyms & Antonyms is enthusiastically recommended for being an extremely clear and easy-to-follow reference specifically organized for quick lookup reference and use.

This book and Chamber's Etymological English Dictionary are my two favorite but little-known word reference works. The main difference between this book and Roget's Thesaurus is it focuses more precisely on the actual meanings of the words. A thesaurus will give you plenty of words with similar or nearly similar meanings, grouped by general idea or concept. But most of the words are not exactly synonymous. If you need that, this book will come to your rescue. Another nice feature is, as another reviewer here pointed out, it will even give you examples of words with very similar meanings, but with enough description and definition so you can distinguish among otherwise seemingly identical words and synonyms. It's also in some ways easier to use than a typical thesaurus, since if you just need a different word and can't recall one, it's easiest to just look it up and get a quick alternative, instead of going through all the extra words you'd get in a thesaurus, but which aren't exactly what you want. Overall, a fine reference work and one that deserves to be better known.