Many words in English convey similar meanings. These are called synonyms, and memorizing synonym pairs is a great exercise to expand your English vocabulary. We've compiled the following list of 176 common synonym pairs below.

You can turn this exercise into a fun game to play with friends or in class with our package 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, which includes flashcards on synonyms as well as antonyms, homophones, idioms, and more. If you want to keep practicing your English in conversation with a native speaker, with personalized lessons to help you improve, we also offer English tutoring for learners all over the world and of all skill levels.

abandon - desert

above - over

all - every

artificial - fake

ask - inquire

awesome - impressive

awful - terrible

bad - wicked

beautiful - attractive

big - large

blast - explosion

boring - uninteresting

brave - courageous

bring - carry

broad - wide

cabin - shack

car - vehicle

cash - money

cat - kitten

center - middle

chair - seat

cheap - inexpensive

children - kids

choose - pick

circular - round

cold - freezing

come - arrive

commotion - disturbance

container - bucket

cool - chilly

couch - sofa

cozy - snug

crash - collide

cry - weep

cut - clip

cute - charming

dangerous - risky

dark - gloomy

delicate - fragile

delicious - scrumptious

different - unlike

disturbed - distressed

draw - illustrate

drive - steer

eatable - edible

end - finish

enemy - foe

enjoy - like

enjoyable - fun

error - mistake

evidence - proof

expensive - costly

extra - spare

false - untrue

fast - quick

fat - thick

fertile - fruitful

fight - battle

filthy - dirty

fire - flame

firmly - tightly

fix - repair

flexible - pliant

fortunate - lucky

freedom - liberty

friend - buddy

froth - foam

funny - humorous

get - receive

give - provide

glad - happy

good - excellent

guardian - protector

hard - difficult

harm - hurt

help - assist

hero - champion

hi - hello

high - tall

hill - mountain

hope - wish

huge - enormous

hurry - rush

identical - same

incorrect - wrong

iron - metal

jacket - coat

jet - plane

junk - garbage

late - tardy

laugh - giggle

lazy - indolent

lead - guide

leftover - waste

lid - cover

little - small

loud - noisy

love - passion

loving - fond

loyal - faithful

mad - angry

near - close

need - require

nervous - anxious

new - modern

nice - pleasant

obstinate - stubborn

old - ancient

oral - verbal

orderly - neat

overwhelming - astonishing

paste - glue

peculiar - odd

permit - allow

persistent - firm

plate - dish

police - cops

polite - courteous

poor - needy

portent - presage

power - strength

pretty - lovely

prison - jail

purchase - buy

quiet - silent

rabbit - bunny

rare - scarce

ready - alert

real - genuine

rich - wealthy

rigid - stiff

robber - thief

rude - impolite

sad - unhappy

safe - secure

said - declared

save - keep

scared - frightened

scary - eerie

scream - yell

sea - ocean

selfish - greedy

ship - boat

shove - push

sick - ill

skinny - thin

sleep - nap

sleepy - drowsy

slim - slender

smart - intelligent

smell - odor

smile - grin

song - tune

start - begin

status - condition

strong - sound

sugary - sweet

talk - speak

tame - calm

taxi - cab

teach - tutor

terraqueous - amphibian

throw - toss

transparent - clear

under - beneath

untame - wild

usual - normal

vacant - empty

warm - hot

warrior - fighter

watch - look

weak - feeble

well known - famous

wet - damp

woman - lady

wonderful - amazing

We hope this list of synonym pairs will help you expand your English vocabulary. To keep practicing synonyms, antonyms, descriptive words, and other vocabulary builders, check out our package 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, perfect for use in your personal study or as a fun group activity. And if you want to keep practicing your new vocabulary in conversation with a native English speaker, we offer English tutoring for learners like you.

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