I dislike synonyms. If a sentence needs a synonym it should be reworded. For example, I tend to use the word “significant” far too often. It took me a while, but I eventually realized that my overuse of that word was because I used the same sentence structure over and over again. I also overused “because” for the same reason.
Example 1:
“The violent disintegration of Yugoslavia was a significant change Europe’s security situation. This is because it was the first active war on the European continent since WWII.”
This can be replaced with:
“Yugoslavia’s descent into violence started the first active war on the European continent since the Second World War, which worsened Europe’s already unstable post-Cold War security situation.”
I like the second sentence more. Instead of telling the reader that the war was significant I demonstrate it by giving the historical context. Notable, noteworthy, outstanding, important, consequential, etc. would all fit in the sentence. Yet they add no value and simply cloak a poorly worded sentence with unneeded verbosity.
Example 2:
“Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s decision to use both fiscal and monetary policy to address Canada’s structural deficit was significant because it represented a significant shift away from the purely Keynesian economics that dominated Canadian thinking since WWII.”
This can be replaced with:
“Prime Minister Brian Mulroney ended decades of purely Keynesian economics in Canada by using a combination of fiscal and monetary policy to eliminate Canada’s structural deficit.”
An explanatory clause can be used without being introduced as such. The sentence would still sub-par if I had used “since” or “as” or “due to.”
Believe it or not, words have meanings, so the meaning of a sentence is changed by using a synonym. I have often read sentences by students where it is obvious that they used the internet to find a synonym and tossed it in without considering the specific definition of the replacement word.
So yea, if you think you overuse a word, you probably do. But consider rewording before going to the Internet for synonyms.
Ian Weatherall 