The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms [Paperback]

Merriam-Webster (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994 | ISBN-10: 0877799067 | ISBN-13: 978-0877799061 | Edition: 1

Master the subtleties of language with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. This useful reference goes beyond a thesaurus, explaining the fine shades of meaning that differentiate synonyms. Alphabetical arrangement of terms makes words easy to find.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Bundlie started his first company at age nine, typing manuscripts for fiction authors. While in high school he started his second company, MiraView Design, with clients such as Harvard Medical, the Mayo Clinic, Pizza Hut, and numerous celebrities. After moving to L.A., Mike's client list included the Los Angeles Times, Universal Studios, PBS, and many leading actors and directors. There, he and Kevin O'Donnell began collaborating on educational entertainment properties for kids.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Merriam Webster Mass Market; 1 edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877799067
• ISBN-13: 978-0877799061
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > General
  • #7 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > English
  • #64 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for Intermediate Language Learners, December 15, 1999

By 

Stephan Mccrea "TheEbookMan.com" (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms (Paperback)

I teach at a language school in Fort Lauderdale. Dozxens of students each month ask me, "How can I improve my English?" I tell them, "Get a dictionary with synonyms and opposites." The Webster S and A is the best I've found -- and portable, too.

It is vital for language learners to have something interesting to pull them forward. We tend to learn by what we are interested in and in what the opposite is. "That movie was ________" (interesting, great, fantastic...not boring, not slow, not hard to understand.) We tend to think in similars and opposites, so why not use a book that is designed to give you shades of meaning as well as the opposites? I highly recommend this book and I encourage students to pick it up. What is very good in this book? There is an example sentence to show the meaning, such as:

weak, feeble frail weak is broad, like a weak muscle, a week excuse, foundation. feeble usually shows ineffectiveness or smoethign we should pity: a feeble old man, feeble joke. frail suggests an inherited weakness, that something is weak in the structure: her frail body, a frail conscience.

You see what a valuable tool this is? I urge you to recommend this book to your learners of English, even if they are native speakers.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Master the Subtleties of Language", November 9, 2002

By 

Stacey Cochran (Raleigh, NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms (Paperback)

The quote that makes, forms, shapes, fashions, fabricates, manufactures, forges my title comes from the back of the book:~)

"The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms" is the hands down best reference book I've ever bought.

It groups synonyms together and then explains the subtle differences between them (e.g., "infer, deduce, conclude, judge, gather" are followed by definitions of each word explaining the subtle differences in their meanings -- and example of their usage in a sentence) If ever you spent five bucks on a writing reference book, this is the book to have.

My only critique is that very few nouns are ever given (most synonyms given in this book are either verbs or adjectives). And it would be helpful to see all the subtle differences between nouns like "automobile, car, sedan." I hope this helps.

Stacey Cochran

Author of CLAWS available for 80 cents

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good,but I recommend other 2 books that are better, December 1, 2000

By 

Bob Sue (Tsinghua University,Beijing,China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms (Paperback)

This book is very nice,but may be not the best for your particular desire. If you want more detailed information and usage examples, I recommend the M-W's Dictionary of Synonyms, if you would like a convenient guide of using words, I would say M-W's Pocket Guide of Synonyms is better for you!