Stylistically neutral synonym. The neutral stylistic synonym is ...

Stylistically neutral synonym - what is it? You will find the answer to this question in the materials of this article.

General information about synonyms in Russian

Before you talk about what a stylistically neutral synonym is, you should find out why such words are necessary.

The term "synonym" came to Russian from Greek, synonymos in translation means "of the same name." That is, these are words that differ markedly in sound, but are identical or close in meaning. It should also be noted that most synonyms belong to the same part of speech, although they often differ in stylistic coloring.

Here is an example: a husband is a spouse, looking is looking, happy is joyful, here is here, handsome is beautiful, homeland is the fatherland and others.

What are synonyms for?

We will talk about how to replace the word with a stylistically neutral synonym a little further. Now I want to tell you why they are generally needed in oral and written language.

As you know, the Russian language is wide, diverse and beautiful. That is why, while writing a text, it is recommended to avoid repetition, using substitute words, that is, synonyms. Thus, their main function is to increase the expressiveness of writing and speech, as well as to avoid their monotony.

When using synonyms, they should not be confused with nominal definitions. After all, the latter represent complete identity.

Classification of synonyms

Absolutely every synonym has its own peculiarity and a certain shade of meaning, which significantly distinguishes it from other similar parts of speech. Here is an example: crimson - crimson, red - scarlet and others.

It should be especially noted that, despite the fact that synonyms always indicate the same concept and have exactly the same lexical meaning, they nevertheless differ among themselves by expressive coloring, fastening to a certain style and frequency of use. Moreover, there are synonyms that simultaneously differ from each other in expressive coloring and lexical meaning.

In Russian, synonyms are classified by:

• Social assessment of any subject. For example, the synonyms “salary” and “salary” reflect a completely different attitude to the remuneration received for labor.
• Designated Items. For example, the synonyms of "lyceum", "buffoon", "artist", "comedian" and "actor" reflect a different attitude to the profession of an actor and different periods in the development of the theater.
• Applicability in a specific style of speech. So, the synonyms “horse”, “mare” and “horse” cannot always be used in the same text. Let us give an example: “A very proud horse rides” - “A very proud mare (horse) rides”. As you can see, the substitution of another, close in meaning, word gives the phrase a comedic hue. To prevent such cases, it is better to use a stylistically neutral synonym. We will talk about what it is a little lower.
• Etymological significance. As a rule, it gives one of the synonyms a special color. For example, the traits “fearless” and “bold” connect the general concept of “absence of fear” (in the first case), as well as “courage”, “determination” and “daring” (in the second). In this regard, these words can be used in the context as opposite in meaning, that is, as antonyms.
• The absence or presence of figurative values.

Stylistically neutral synonym

Now you know what synonyms are for what they are needed in the text. As mentioned above, such words are classified by applicability in a particular style of speech. That is, even words that are very close in meaning can not always be used in the same text. That is why in the Russian language there is such a thing as a stylistically neutral synonym. The term is understood to mean words that are used in absolutely all styles, without exception. Moreover, they can be used not only in writing, but also in oral speech.

In order to make the presented definition more clear to you, we give a specific example. What stylistically neutral synonym can I replace the word "face"? As you know, he has quite a few different substitutes (for example, “face”, “face”, “face”, “face” and others). However, as a neutral, which can be suitable for any style, there is only one thing - the “face”.

Stylistically neutral words in the text

A stylistically neutral synonym is a word that is not attached to a particular style of speech (colloquial, book, vernacular), against which it is completely devoid of any stylistic coloring.

Here are some examples:

• The word “wander” is a neutral analogue in comparison with the book “wander” and the vernacular “wander”, “wobble”.
• “Future” is a neutral synonym by comparison with the book “future”.
• The word “look” is compared to “look”.
• The word "eyes" is compared to "eyes."

Stylistic affiliation

As you know, in the Russian language there are several styles:

• colloquial;
• art (book);
• publicistic;
• formal business;
• scientific.

Each of the listed styles has its own characteristics, which are used both in written and in oral speech. But in order to diversify the artistic, official-business, or any other text, when it is written or pronounced, substitute words must be used. Of course, in a scientific or journalistic article, it is not recommended to use, for example, such a word as “blurt out”. It needs to be replaced with a stylistically neutral synonym if it is not possible to choose another, more suitable concept that would correspond to a single text. The same rule must be followed in other cases when a word is not entirely suitable for a particular letter or article.

So, we will consider a specific situation where it is necessary to eliminate the word “blurt out”. A stylistically neutral synonym for this expression is "say." By the way, when choosing substitute words, you should definitely pay attention to the meaning of the original in a particular context. For example, the word "blurt out" has several meanings:

• “Speak”, “say”, “speak out”;
• "Stain something."

If for the first case we picked up a suitable neutral stylistic synonym (“say”), then in the second it is also easy to do. For example, if the text was about someone “blotting a blot on paper”, then this expression can be replaced by the following: “dripping a drop on paper”.

Examples of stylistic affiliation

In order to consolidate the knowledge of what a neutral stylistic synonym is, more time should be devoted to practical exercises. In our case, we will give several examples where substitute words should be selected in a given text.

Art style

How to replace the word "impressed"? The following may well serve as a stylistically neutral synonym for this expression: “sympathized,” “aroused respect,” “liked.” Here are a few more examples:

• “Annul”, “abolish” - “cancel”;
• “Progress” - “improvement”;
• "Enemy" - "enemy";
• “Fragment” - “passage”;
• “Rest” - “sleep”.

Spoken style

Quite often, in a colloquial style , such words are used that it is extremely important to replace them in order to avoid repetition and for a beautiful construction of oral speech. A stylistic neutral synonym is also used for this. "Blurred" - this word has a large number of different meanings. For example, it can be used in different contexts.

• "After we met, he immediately broke into a smile and literally shone."
• "He got so blurry that he barely fit in the doorway."

So how do you choose a stylistically neutral synonym for the word "blurred"? In the first case, this expression can easily be replaced by “smiled”. As for the second context, the following words are applicable here: "plumper", "put on weight."

Thus, choosing the right stylistic neutral synonym (“blurred” - it is either “plump” or “smiled”), you can easily compose not only literate, but also beautiful text or spoken language.

Here are a few more examples:

• "sleep" - "sleep";
• "confusion" - "vanity";
• "force" - "important";
• "nag" - "horse";
• "eat" - "eat", "eat";
• "beg" - "beg";
• "rip off" - "rob"
• “cry” - “cry”.

Science style

The scientific style differs from the rest not only in that it has a logical sequence of presentation, but also in that it contains a huge number of specific terms, that is, phrases or words that designate the concepts of special activity or any field of knowledge. In this regard, during the creation of such a text or the preparation of oral speech, it is very often necessary to use neutral synonyms. It should be noted that it is not always easy to find the right substitute words in a scientific article. After all, each term has its own special meaning, which is rather difficult to express otherwise. Although often there are concepts that have many neutral synonyms. Let's consider some of them:

• “limbs” - “paws”;
• “atrophy” - “loss”;
• "laser" - "beam";
• "prism" - "polyhedron";
• "symptom" - "sign";
• "sphere" - "region", "circle";
• "phase" - "stage".
  

If in a scientific article a narrowly targeted term is not replaced in any way with a neutral stylistic synonym, then it is better to use it in the form in which it is presented. Neglecting this advice, you can noticeably distort the meaning of the text, which in the end will easily mislead the reader, and will also contribute to further errors in any practical activity.

Official business style

This style is very often used during speech communication at official receptions. It should also be noted that this area covers jurisprudence, international relations, the economy, advertising, the military industry, government, communication in official institutions, and so on.

In order to correctly deliver your speech during a public speech in any organization, it is extremely important to use the correct neutral stylistic synonyms in order to avoid tautology.

Let's look at a few examples of how you can replace terms and concepts that are actively used in the formal business style:

• "administration" - "superiors";
• “contract” - “contract”, “document”, “paper”;
• "credit" - "loan";
• "advance" - "prepayment";
• “diplomat” - “politician”, “portfolio”;
• "copy" - "copy" and others.

Journalistic style

This type of style is used in the following genres: essay, article, reporting, interviews, feuilleton, oratory, pamphlet and others. It is characterized by the presence of logic, emotionality, appeal, appraisal, as well as socio-political vocabulary. Among other things, in a journalistic style, phraseological units, neutral concepts, solemn and high vocabulary, verbal phrases, emotionally colored words, rhetorical questions, short sentences, chopped prose, repetitions, exclamations and so on are quite widely used.

It should be specially noted that such linguistic and speech features are used in completely different topics, namely in politics, economics, education, healthcare, forensic science, and military topics.

It is quite easy to find neutral synonyms for concepts that are actively used in a journalistic style. Indeed, the vocabulary in it has a pronounced expressive and emotional coloring. In addition, it often includes colloquial, jargon and colloquial elements. Moreover, in this style, such terms are quite often used that are characteristic of an official business or scientific style. Although in journalism, such vocabulary has a special function, which is to create a picture of events, and then convey the impression of it to the reader or viewer.

So, here are some examples of how you can pick up neutral synonyms for words that are most often used in a journalistic style:

• “incredible event” - “interesting event”;
• “citizen” - “resident”;
• "state" - "country";
• "unprecedented thunderstorm force" - "very strong thunderstorm";
• "natural disaster" - "disaster";
• "a problem has ripened" - "a problem has appeared" and others.

As mentioned above, the journalistic style is characterized by emotionally colored expressions that will somehow impress the viewer, reader or listener. For example, for a greater effect and impact on a person, the word “scary” (stylistically neutral synonym) is often replaced by journalists with such pumping remarks as “creepy”, “unknown”, “anxious”, “scary”. By using these words, correspondents can attract the attention of more viewers than the banal, emotional and neutral counterparts that were presented above.

To summarize

As you can see, there is nothing difficult in choosing a neutral stylistic synonym for a specific word. It should also be noted that thanks to such expressions you can easily compose literate texts and your spoken language, which will be pleasant to read or listen to.