A thesaurus is your BFF

Everyone knows that a dog is a man’s best friend and Marilyn Monroe memorably purred that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But if you’re a writer, a thesaurus is your BFF – more precious than a pooch or rock.

Looking for the mot juste or perfect word to convey a thought or idea? Groping and grasping for verb variety to enliven your text? Puzzled and perplexed over the implication or connotation of a word? Digging deeply into the significance or suggestion underneath the explicit or primary meaning? Your trusty thesaurus will guide you.

While a dictionary provides the definition or meaning of words, the stated purpose of a thesaurus is to help the user, “find the word or words, by which [an] idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed,” according to Peter Mark Roget, compiler of the first modern thesaurus. Since its publication in 1852, it has never been out of print and is still widely used throughout the English speaking world.

The word “thesaurus” is derived from a Latin and earlier Greek word meaning treasure, treasury, or storehouse. Roget first coined the contemporary meaning in the title of his work, Roget’s Thesaurus a “collection of words arranged according to sense.”

Today, online versions abound making a search lightning fast so you’re never at a loss for words!

The next time you’re writing, be it a blog, letter, promo piece, resume update or tweet – if you’re stumped pondering how best to capture and convey your message – use a thesaurus!  Just figuring out what words to use in your search helps you organize your thoughts and refine the meaning. You are sure to find some delicious new words to taste, try and treasure.