Few words are exactly equivalent in meaning, usage, and connotation. Choosing the right word is therefore crucial to effective communication. Mark Twain put it succinctly, “Use the right word, not its second cousin.” The synonyms in a thesaurus are either cousins of varying degrees, or siblings that share a striking resemblance. Unthinking substitutions might wind up with phrases like “lacerates falling from my eyes”.
Compared with its printed counterparts, an online thesaurus offers a simple, speedy and convenient alternative to thumbing through the pages. Among the many available options, Merriam-Webster's Online Thesaurus seems particularly useful and comprehensive. Unlike those online thesauruses that merely offer a list of synonyms and antonyms without further elaboration, Merriam-Webster's Online Thesaurus has separate entries listed for each different part of speech such as verb, noun, adverb, etc. Each sense of the word is treated individually with brief yet clear definitions, alongside an example sentence and its own paragraphs of synonyms, related words and near antonyms. If you decide to dig into a word, say, its pronunciation, meaning or origin, the corresponding dictionary page is only a click away.
“Conduct”, for example, has two entries under which five senses are listed as a verb and two senses as a noun. Towards the bottom of the entries are some frequently asked questions such as “How is the word conduct distinct from other similar verbs?”, “In what contexts can control take the place of conduct?” and “When might direct be a better fit than conduct?” A close examination of the fine distinctions among synonyms will help the reader choose the one that best suits a particular context.
A well-designed online thesaurus allows the user to drift from word to word and from concept to concept, making the search experience more enjoyable and productive. To help you get off the ground, click here to Merriam-Webster's Online Thesaurus and start to choose, pick, select, find, determine, decide and settle on the mot juste.
