Anonymous  +  262368 Mon, 04 Sep 06 01:30 AM Hey, my name is Kamil . We know that there are many adjectives which describe people's characters and many other things. That which is mostly hard to learn is differences between adjectives.It's not only about adjectives . Things like 'I don't know if i may use this word because I don't know which word is stronger and if I use one of them I can't predict whether it won't be insulting to my interlocutor' . Yeah, I find it difficult to differentiate between words which at first glance seem to be the same. I don't know how strong some words are and If the person I'm talking to will not feel embarrassed. Do you know any method to learn words in such a way that you may remember the differences in use in particular context ? i.e. astute, clever, crafty, cunning, devious, sharp-witted, wily Thank you in advance Kamil (edited) Anonymous

	Mister Micawber  +  262562 Mon, 04 Sep 06 03:32 PM There is no trick or gimmick-- each word carries its own denotation and connotation.  The solution is careful use of the dictionary, and careful attention to use in the media and by native speakers. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,803 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

	Mister Micawber  +  264900 Sun, 10 Sep 06 11:51 AM There is no trick or gimmick-- each word carries its own denotation and connotation.  The solution is careful use of the dictionary, and careful attention to use in the media and by native speakers. Mister Micawber

	Earthbreaker  +  268536 Sun, 17 Sep 06 09:32 PM I agree with Mister Micawber. There aren't rules to really distinguish between such synonyms. I think it's part of the culture how strong/weak some words are perceived. Some words have totally different meanings when used as slang. I think the best way to become aware of the value of a word is to carefully listen to native speakers. You'll get a language feeling on how to use such words. Earthbreaker Joined on Sun, Sep 17 2006 Switzerland New Member 03 Synonyms

	Marius Hancu  +  268847 Mon, 18 Sep 06 03:41 PM I suggest you also buy a dictionary such as: Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated Synonyms With Antonyms and Analogous and Contrasted Words Marius Hancu Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006 Veteran Member 11,673 Synonyms, Antonyms