International Journal of Philology

Semantic and stylistic features of the synonymous group of the English adjective “big”

Nataliia Zaitseva, Hamest Tamrazyan
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Abstract

In contemporary linguistics, the study of lexical semantics – particularly synonymy – has gained renewed importance due to its role in enhancing language precision and expressiveness. The ability to select contextually appropriate synonyms is essential for both effective communication and stylistic variation. This study aimed to explore the semantic and stylistic properties of the English adjective “big” through an analysis of its most common synonyms. Unlike previous studies, this research placed particular emphasis on metaphorical extensions and contextual distinctions within the synonymous group. The methodology combines componential analysis with descriptive and interpretative approaches, supported by data from the British National Corpus via the Sketch Engine tool. Continuous sampling was used to extract relevant lexical items, while collocational patterns and stylistic markers were analysed to uncover distinctions in usage. The findings demonstrated that although “big” and its synonyms share a general notion of largeness, they differ in tone, register, and frequency. For instance, “big” is more informal and emotionally charged, whereas “large” is more frequent in formal and technical contexts. Other adjectives such as “huge”, “enormous”, and “great” exhibit emphatic, metaphorical, or evaluative nuances. The practical significance of this study lies in its applicability to English language teaching, vocabulary development, and the refinement of synonym dictionaries. The results may also be of value to translators, lexicographers, and corpus linguists aiming to enhance lexical precision and stylistic clarity

Keywords

synonymic range; lexical and semantic analysis; lexical synonymy; stylistic variation; cognitive linguistics; metaphorical meaning

Suggested citation
Zaitseva, N., & Tamrazyan, H. (2025). Semantic and stylistic features of the synonymous group of the English adjective “big”. International Journal of Philology, 16(2), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.31548/philolog/2.2025.45
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