Why are synonyms a thing?

Question

I said “multiple” in front of my 4 year old and he asked what it meant. I explained, “it can mean many, several, a lot, bunches” etc.

After explaining to him the meaning I realized— why do we have different words that practically mean the same thing?

In: Other

Answer 1

Synonyms exist because it gives us options to express ourselves in different ways and helps us avoid repeating the same words over and over again. It also adds variety and nuance to our language!