Synonyms of Common Words:

In any good essay, using a variety of words give the paper a little spice. It makes it look and sound a bit more sophisticated, and professors can appreciate this.


Here is a list of 5 relatively common words and their more sophisticated counterparts:

1. Going: departing, taking flight, exiting, disappearing, leaving,
                  planning, scheming, plotting, operating, functioning.

2. Said: explained, yelled, cried, begged, murmured, whispered, suggested, moaned, growled, screamed, snapped, declared, denounced, shouted, giggled, barked, whined, complained, etc.

3.Only: merely, simply, just, barely,
            solitary, lone, single.

4. Get: obtain, acquire, steal, find, secure, gain, borrow,
            understand, grasp, comprehend, follow, perceive, learn,
           cause, initiate, begin/began, induce, urge, persuade.

5. Close: end, silence, final, complete
               nearby, local, adjacent, neighboring,
               intimate, familiar, attached, devoted, dear, loving, friendly
               similar, alike, comparable.

Allowing yourself to use different synonyms for common words increases the intelligence of your paper. Take note of the words you use, and change the ones you use the most.