Customer Reviews

The Synonym Finder

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My first copy of The Synonym Finder was a paperback and is dog-eared and tattered. I was looking online to see if the book was still in print, as I wanted to recommend it to a homeschooling mom who had asked for some advice. I was thrilled to see it was available in hard copy, so I simply had to buy a copy.

So glad to see that it is still extant. This is just about
the best word book available. I have been anxious to replace
my worn out copy and was pleased to find it.Invaluable!

"The Synonym Finder" is a thesaurus in dictionary form. There are no word definitions or pronunciation guides. Words are listed alphabetically, as they would be in a dictionary, and an exhaustive list of synonyms is given for each definition of every word. Clarifications such as "informal", "slang", "archaic", etc. are provided where appropriate. There are 1.5 million words in "The Synonym Finder", including variations on the same root word. That's more than 4 times the number of words in "Roget's International Thesaurus". If you simply want to find synonyms, this is the book for you. It isn't as versatile as a thesaurus that is organized by subject, but it's more to the point and easier to use if you are simply looking for word alternatives. Roget's is a better research tool, but this is a better and far more efficient synonym finder, and I think that students will prefer it to Roget's. My one pet peeve about the book is that the hardback edition doesn't have a dust jacket. The publisher may have thought a dust jacket would just be a nuisance on a reference book, but I would have preferred one for protection. I only wish "The Synonym Finder" were also available as software, as I have limited space for books within arm's reach of my computer. I use "The Synonym Finder" more frequently than my dictionary, Roget's Thesaurus, and Random House Word Menu combined. I think any writer will find it indispensable, and it would make great gift for middle school, high school, and college students.

The fifth ace for your junior high/high school/college/ student - will help them write better papers faster as they get smarter - because vocabulary is the develop-able skill that elevates the GREAT STUDENTS from the Near Great. And you can't buy IQ or creativity in a book. You learn a lot just browsing it - it's fun to look up the words in a pre-1961 dictionary (when they started dumbing down) - what IS the difference betweeh true/real/honest/factual... or smart/brilliant/intelligent... or funny/witty/comical/jocular/hilarious...

you won't need anything else except a pre-1961 dictionary to go along with this on your reference shelf! I find the paperback pages heftier and sturdier than the hardcover and more able to withstand the frequent use this will get. That's my only criticism - I wish Rodale would make a sturdier hardcover, never mind the bulk or cost - I'd pay a pretty penny for a sturdy hardcover, even leatherbound collectible.

If you are a heavy writer--buy the hardcover version. The paperback will soon be destroyed through constant use. The best thesaurus ever!

It's not expensive and it's easy to replace, but still, it's on the short list of things I would think of grabbing if this building were on fire.

Without this book at my side these last 15 years, I may not have been able to articulate my way into a good school, a rewarding career, or - dare I say - a wonderful marriage.

I've regretted a few online book purchases in the past. This is not one of them. Skimming through this book is not only a great way to super charge your growing vocabulary for intelligent conversation and writing but it more importantly and practically serves as an indispensable tool for grasping that perfect word for poetry, prose and all in between. 5 stars.

This is the best reference book I have ever owned. I'm thrilled with it -- and highly recommend it to anyone who needs a book of this type. I use it many times each day in my work as a grant writer.

I was looking for some books (thesaurus, rhyming dictionary, etc.) to help with lyric writing... this book impressed me the most. It's laid out alphabetically like a dictionary, so it's easy to find words, and there are over 1.5 MILLION words in it, and the words are NORMAL AND USEFUL (i.e. it's not filled with dated words, just to make it bigger). The font size is large enough to see, too. Well worth the money --- I can now get rid of my other thesauruses, etc!!!

Writing descriptively with creativity and color is necessary because without voice, one needs to suggest tone and passion to communicate the author's perspective. The Synonym Finder is THE resource for engaging writing. Forget about other regular so-called thesauri; their only use is to start a fire on a crisp, cool night or for a barbecue! The Synonym Finder is bound well, made of quality paper, and will lay open flat for easy reference. A couple of times, I've been unable to find a specific word, but then I turn to a more specialized thesaurus or dictionary for slang, foreign expressions, sexuality, etc. This book sits at the top of my list of reference books! I have yet to find a better source for synonyms...and I am always on the lookout!