CHAPTER 2: WORD MEANING pdf

UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH SEMANTICS Trần Thị Huyền – QH2008.E8
ASSIGNMENT 1
CHAPTER 2: WORD MEANING

Task: (letter S)
∗ Find 5 polysemantic words.
∗ Find 5 homonyms of each type: Absolute homonyms, Perfect/Full homonyms and
Homophones.
∗ Find 3 groups of synonyms of each type: Semantic synonyms, Stylistic synonyms,
Semantic Stylistic synonyms, Phraseological synonyms and Territorial synonyms.
∗ Find 3 pairs of antonyms of each type: Antonyms proper (Gradable antonyms),
Complimentary (Binary) antonyms and Conversives.

I. Polysemy
1. Symptom(n)
1 a sign of illness. ex: flu symptoms – high temperature, headache and so on.
2 a sign of sth bad/problem. ex: symptoms of inflation.
2. Suggestive(a)
1 (suggestive of sth) reminding you of sth or making you think about sth.
ex: That song is suggestive of an unhappy childhood.
2 making people think about sex.
ex: suggestive jokes.
3. Stubborn(a)
1 #obstinate; determined not to change your opinion or attitude.
ex: She is so stubborn that she never follows any advice.
2 #persistent; difficult to get rid of or deal with.
ex: a stubborn cough
4. To subside(v)
1 to become less strong or extreme.
ex: Hopefully, the crime in the town will soon subside.
Fortunately, my headache subsided before I had to sit the exam.

2 to go down to a lower level.
ex: Eventually the flood waters began to subside.
5. To suspend(v)
1 to suspend sth/sb (from sth) (by/on sth): to hang sth from sth else.
ex: A lamp was suspended from the ceiling
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UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH SEMANTICS Trần Thị Huyền – QH2008.E8
2 to officially stop sth for a time, to prevent sth from being active, used, etc. for a
time.
ex: the construction was suspended because its workers struck for so long.
3 to suspend sb (from sth): to officially prevent sb from doing their job, going to
school, etc. for a time.
ex: the football player was suspended because he hit the referee.
II. Homonymy
A. Absolute homonyms
1. To sound(v)
To sound
1
(v): to make a noise.
To sound
2
(v): to measure the depth of a mass of water, such as the sea or a lake.
2. Staple(n)
Staple
1
(n): a short thin piece of wire used to fasten sheets of paper together.
Staple
2
(n): a main product or part of something.
3. Spell(n)

Spell
1
(n): #period; a period of time during which sth lasts.
Spell
2
(n): #magic; words that are thought to have magic power or to make a piece
of magic work, a piece of magic that happens when sb says magic words.
4. To spit(v)
To spit
1
(v): #to force out; to force liquid, food, etc. out of the mouth, especially
saliva.
To spit
2
(v): #to rain; (informal) to rain very slightly (only used in the progressive tenses).
5. Spade(n)
Spade
1
(n): ~card; one of the 4 sets of cards; the cards have a black design shaped
like pointed leaves with short items printed on it.
Spade
2
(n): ~tool; a garden tool with a broad metal blade and a long handle; used
for digging.
B. Perfect/full homonyms
1. Stroke
Stroke
1
(n): #hitting movement; an act of hitting a ball when playing a sport.
Stroke

2
(v): #to touch gently; to move your hand gently and slowly over an
animal’s fur or hair.
2. Still
Still
1
(adv): continuing until a particular point in time and not finishing.
Still
2
(adj): not moving, calm and quiet.
3. State
State
1
(n): #condition of sb/sth; the mental, emotion or physical condition that a
person or a thing is in.
State
2
(v): to formally write or say sth, especially in a careful and clear way.
4. Staunch
Staunch
1
(v): past tense of stanch; to stop the flow of sth, especially the flood.
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UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH SEMANTICS Trần Thị Huyền – QH2008.E8
Staunch
2
(adj): #faithful; strong and loyal in your opinions and attitude.
5. Strand
Trand
1

(n): #thread; a single thin piece of thread, wire, hair, etc.
Trand
2
(v): (usually passive) to make a boat, fish, whale, etc. be left on land and
unable to return to the water.
C. Homophones
1. Stair – stare
2. Sunday – sundae
3. Stake – steak
4. Suite – sweet
5. Steal – steel
III. Synonymy
A. Semantic synonyms
1. To wing – to sway – to rock – to oscillate
2. Street – road – avenue – boulevard
3. Supernatural – mystical – magical
B. Stylistic synonyms
1. Submarine – sub
2. Swear – damn
3. To strangle – to throttle
C. Semantic Stylistic synonyms
1. Successful – victorious – triumphant
2. Speaker – lecturer – orator
3. To swindle – to sting – to fiddle – to fleece – to con
D. Phraseological synonyms
1. Speculative – notional – hypothetical
2. To suppress – to quell – to crush – to put down – to subdue
3. To suffer – to to experience – to undergo – to encounter
E. Territorial synonyms
1. Streetcar – tram

2. Subway – underground/tube
3. Studio apartment – studio flat
IV. Antonymy
A. Gradable antonyms
1. Sympathetic – cruel
2. Swift – slow
3. Sweeping – narrow
B. Complementary antonyms
1. To survive – to perish
2. Synthetic – natural
3. Straight – curved
C. Conversives
1. To supply – to receive
2. Student – lecturer
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UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH SEMANTICS Trần Thị Huyền – QH2008.E8
3. Subordinate – boss
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