Theme
Objects: synonyms worth the distinction
Concrete nouns look like the easy shelf and mostly are, which makes them a good warm up. The traps that remain are the words that also live somewhere abstract: an arm is a limb, and it is also a branch of a river.
The whole shelfGrouped by difficulty tier
FoothillsTier 1 · everyday words · 29 words
Words you already use, paired with a synonym you probably also know.
- accessnounapproach
- armnounbranch
- bagnoundish
- billnounaccount
- boxverbpackage
- buildingnounconstruction
- busnouncoach
- carnounmachine
- casenounexample
- clubnounnine
- cornernounbox
- coursenounclass
- cracknounpass
- designnounfigure
- fakeadjectivefalse
- footnounbase
- funnyadjectiveodd
- memorynounstore
- newspapernounpaper
- paintingnounpicture
- partnounoffice
- piecenounman
- pitverbstone
- shopnounstore
- stringnounchain
- subjectadjectiveopen
- topnouncover
- undergroundnountube
- weaponnounarm
TreelineTier 2 · one step up · 33 words
Familiar words, with a synonym that sits slightly outside daily speech.
- abandonedadjectivedeserted
- bagnoundish
- barnounsaloon
- bednounlayer
- billnounaccount
- booknounvolume
- bownounstem
- clubnounnine
- constructionnounstructure
- cracknounpass
- elementaryadjectiveprimary
- goldnounamber
- graveadjectivesober
- gripnounhold
- imagenounprototype
- inventorynounstock
- lapnouncircle
- marketnoungrocery
- materialnouncloth
- merchandisenounproduct
- mountnounsetting
- partnounoffice
- pilenounnap
- pitverbstone
- plazanounmall
- racknounstand
- skeletonnounframe
- slickadjectivepat
- stepverbpace
- stovenounrange
- subjectadjectiveopen
- topnouncover
- yardnoungrounds
RidgelineTier 3 · solid vocabulary · 35 words
The middle of the bank, where the near misses start to bite.
- apparelnoundress
- barnounsaloon
- basinnounlavatory
- blockagenounstop
- coilnounspiral
- collagenounmontage
- cornernounbox
- covertnounscreen
- diaphragmnounstop
- dwellingnounhome
- elementnouncomponent
- etherealadjectiveaerial
- facilitynouninstallation
- fireplacenounhearth
- getupnounoutfit
- gizmonoungimmick
- goldnounamber
- hoopnounring
- lapnouncircle
- marginaladjectiveborderline
- paintnounpigment
- pipelinenounline
- pointnoungunpoint
- rotarynouncircle
- seatingnounseats
- sheeradjectivetransparent
- sleepernountie
- slickadjectivepat
- spinenounbackbone
- stepverbpace
- superficialadjectivetrivial
- tapenountaping
- trousersnounpant
- uncommonadjectiverare
- wingnounfender
High CampTier 4 · testing · 24 words
Words that turn up in serious reading rather than in conversation.
- additionnounaccession
- basinnounlavatory
- boxverbpackage
- brainchildnouninspiration
- buildingnounconstruction
- burqanounburka
- courtlyadjectiveformal
- etherealadjectiveaerial
- exemplaryadjectiveemblematic
- floppynoundiskette
- forkedadjectivebranched
- gearshiftnounshifter
- handcartnouncart
- hearthnounfireside
- imagenounprototype
- jimmynounjemmy
- memorynounstore
- prophylacticadjectivepreventive
- shouldernounberm
- spikenounspindle
- stylusnounstyle
- symbolicadjectiveemblematic
- walknounpaseo
- waysidenounroadside
SummitTier 5 · rare and formal · 6 words
The rare register: literary, legal and technical English.
Objects is one shelf of many
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