Authoritative, accessible, and completely up to date, The Oxford Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms is an invaluable guide for anyone wanting to build their vocabulary and improve their writing skills. Over 140,000 alternative and opposite words are given with the closest, most frequently used synonyms listed first; in addition thousands of real-life examples of usage from the Oxford English Corpus enable the reader to pinpoint the relevant word quickly and easily. Also included are some useful appendices designed to improve your knowledge of the language: a new Wordfinder section offers a selection of thematic lists - from chemical elements and clothing to phobias and flowers - and a Common Confusables supplement explains the crucial differences between similar words that are often mixed up.