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The Oxford Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms | |
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Complied by Alan Spooner
572 pages
Price £8.99
ISBN 0-19 -860286-3
In case you were not sure, synonyms are words with the same, or almost the same meaning. Antonyms are words with the opposite meaning. The purpose of a dictionary of such words is so that you can widen your vocabulary and make your writing and speech more colourful. Also, one of the easiest ways to understand a new word is if it means the exact opposite of a word you already know.
So, starting with 'abandon' the book goes through 150,000 synonyms and antonyms. After each entry there is a list of synonyms, with a short note telling you whether the word is a verb, noun or adjective. Importantly, it also tells you of the word is obsolete, informal or derogatory (a derogatory word is mildly or very insulting - for example 'Limey' is a mildly derogatory US expression for an English person). After the synonyms come short pharases that mean the same thing. If any of the words have definitions of their own elsewhere in the dictionary, they are marked with an arrow. Finally, at the end of the entry, the antonym is given. For some reason there is usually only one antonym, even though more are possible.
At the end of the dictionary there is a 100 page Lexicon of Hard Words. Some of these are very hard words. I would guess that maybe one in a thousand English native speakers knows that a 'quant' is a kind of pole used to push a boat, or that an 'idolum' is a mental picture or fantasy. Since the purpose of learning English is to speak with English speakers, there is not much reason for you to learn words which most English people do not know.
Another problem with a dictionary of this kind is that it does not give definitions. Therefore when you are looking at a word like 'fuzzy', which has 24 synonyms, it is difficult to know which ones are the right ones to use on a particular occasion. For example a fuzzy image may be 'indistinct', but a fuzzy toy has short, soft fur and is not indistinct. Also sometimes native speakers will use one word or another in particular situations. For example English people will always talk of 'fish and chips' and never of 'fish and fries'.
Who is this book for? This book is an important tool for a language teacher, or for a student who has a large normal dictionary which he can use to check that he is using a synonym correctly. It is also useful for someone reading a very difficult text who wants help with unusual words. Students at all levels can use it to broaden their vocabulary. At £8.99 this book is reasonably priced.
Verdict: Moderately useful - but buy a normal dictionary first..
Assessment 6/10