How to use synonyms in creative writing

 

It might seem like a straightforward word to discuss – run – but it crops up in story writing so often that I thought writing a post about this was a good idea. 

Children who are proficient writers are always looking for shades of meaning when they choose a word.

They imagine a character ‘running’ and then try to work out how to add detail to this description by replacing the verb 'run' with a synonym.

 Here is a simple sentence example:

She ran through the car park, narrowly missing the beeping vehicles behind her.

Run could be replaced with many synonyms in this sentence, each with varying meanings.

 Example 1 = hurried

Hurried suggests she might not have been careful about her safety because she had something important on her mind. 

i.e., She hurried through the car park, narrowly missing the beeping vehicles behind her.

 Example 2 = scoot

Scoot has a light-hearted nature to it. The dictionary defines ’scoot’ as ‘hurried’ and ’to go suddenly or speedily’, but I feel it’s more than this. We say things like, ‘I’m just going to scoot off to the shops.’. This suggests that, yes, it will be quick, but it’s a minor activity that isn’t really a burden. After ‘scooting’ we have other things to do of more importance. So it has a slightly playful feeling.

If our character ‘scoots’ across the car park, this would fit a person who is maybe slightly scatter-brained, clumsy and energetic. They are not thinking too heavily about the impact of the action. 

i.e., She scooted through the car park, narrowly missing the beeping vehicles behind her.

Below is a list from Merriam-Webster of synonyms and antonyms for 'run' for your creative writing.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus

 

RUN: synonyms & similar words

jog

trot

race

sprint

speed

gallop

hurry

skip

scamper

rush

trip

leap

scurry

scoot

dash

zip

bound

spring

course

scuttle

rip

hustle

lope

hurl

hare

bowl

breeze

blast

tear

barrel

rocket

ram

canter

jet

hurtle

hasten

cannonball

zoom

whisk

whirl

pelt

belt

blaze

shoot

buzz

bolt

nip

bomb

rustle

patter

bustle

hotfoot (it)

hoof (it)

foot (it)

step (along)

leg (it)

 

RUN: antonyms & Near Antonyms

stroll

saunter

drag

amble

shuffle

crawl

linger

creep

poke