Synonyms and Shades of Meaning: MDCAT English notes
Synonyms and Shades of Meaning MDCAT notes: choosing the closest synonym, connotation, antonym questions, word roots, irony vs sarcasm, with examples.
Synonyms are rarely identical
A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another. In practice, synonyms differ in shade of meaning: intensity, formality, and whether they sound positive or negative (connotation). MDCAT asks for the closest synonym, so you must weigh these shades rather than accept the first loosely related word.
| Neutral | Positive shade | Negative shade |
|---|---|---|
| thin | slim, slender | skinny, scrawny |
| careful | meticulous, thorough | fussy, finicky |
| confident | self-assured | arrogant, cocky |
| happy | elated, overjoyed (stronger) | smug |
| changeable | flexible, adaptable | fickle, capricious |
A method for synonym questions
- Define the word in your own words; use a sentence you know it from.
- Note its part of speech: the synonym must match (an adjective for an adjective).
- Decide its connotation and strength.
- Eliminate antonyms (often planted among the options) and words that merely sound similar.
- If two options remain, pick the one that could replace the word in a sentence without changing meaning.
Use word roots
- ped- (foot): pedestrian = one on foot, a passer-by. But paed/ped- (child): pedagogy = the study of teaching (from "leading children").
- ambi- (both): ambidextrous = using both hands equally.
- mit- (soft, gentle): mitigate = make less severe, alleviate.
- viru- (poison): virulent = extremely harmful.
- ab- (away) + dicate (declare): abdicate = give up a throne.
- felic- (happy): felicity = great happiness.
- provid- (foresee): providentially = luckily, by good fortune.
Antonym questions
For antonyms, first find the meaning, then look for its opposite in the same part of speech. "Abandonment" means giving up or stopping; so cessation, stoppage and halt are close to it, and a word meaning continuing or extending is the opposite. Watch for options that are themselves synonyms of the key word.
Shades of meaning in literary devices
| Device | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Irony | Words convey the opposite of their literal meaning, or events turn out opposite to expectation |
| Sarcasm | Bitter, mocking irony aimed at a person |
| Satire | Ridiculing folly or vice in society, often through irony and exaggeration |
| Parody | Humorous imitation of a particular work or style |
In satire, a writer may pick a grand or flattering synonym for something unworthy; the mismatch highlights the absurdity.
Worked examples
- Frugal: (a) generous (b) thrifty (c) wasteful (d) greedy. Answer: thrifty; generous and wasteful are opposites, greedy has a negative shade frugal lacks.
- Candid: (a) frank (b) secret (c) sweet (d) formal. Answer: frank.
- Ominous: (a) cheerful (b) threatening (c) huge (d) common. Answer: threatening.
- Antonym of transparent: (a) clear (b) opaque (c) glassy (d) obvious. Answer: opaque.
Common MDCAT traps
- An antonym is placed among the options for a synonym question (capricious vs predictable).
- Words that look alike: rapt (spellbound) vs rapid; arcane vs arid.
- "Invaluable" means extremely valuable, not "without value".
- Uncanny means strange, not "exact".
Quick revision
- Meticulous = precise; capricious = fickle.
- Indictment = accusation; mitigation = alleviation.
- Elated = overjoyed; felicity = happiness.
- Arcane = mysterious; virulent = harmful.
- Irony says the opposite of what is meant.