Editorial Reviews:
This new edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is more exceptional than ever, solidifying its place as the one thesaurus every writer (or aspiring writer) will want to have. It provides more than 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms, with copious real-life example sentences and careful selection and ordering of the most relevant synonyms. Additional features include notes on American English usage and word spectrums showing the shades of meaning between polar opposites. The text is enhanced with thoughtful mini-essays on favorite words by ten noted contemporary writers--David Auburn, Michael Dirda, David Lehman, Erin McKean, Stephin Merritt, Francine Prose, Zadie Smith, Jean Strouse, David Foster Wallace, and Simon Winchester.
This new edition has been updated and enhanced, including a new foreword by award-winning author Rick Moody. Additionally, the second edition introduces new Word Toolkits, which use an exciting visual display of information to demonstrate the nuances in meaning and use of closely related words. Also new to this edition is a center section including thematic word lists, as well as a comprehensive language guide with writing tips. The new features are based on findings from Oxford's groundbreaking language research program and the Oxford English Corpus.
The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is truly (surely, certainly, unquestionably) the perfect tool for discriminating writers of all varieties looking for the perfect word.
Praise for the first edition:
"The best new array of synonyms around."
--William Safire, The New York Times Magazine
"The only problem in consulting this book could be that the original purpose soon is lost while the reader becomes immersed in one fascinating passage after another." --Richmond Times Dispatch
"Practice writing sharper essays with just the right words from the new Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus."-Parade
"A person looking up a word may continue reading for another 15 minutes or so just out of interestThis is probably the best thesaurus yet."--Desert News
"Written by writers for writers, this innovative thesaurus truly advances the time-honored word source."--American Libraries
"A title that breathes fresh life into a genre very much in need of CPR. This work breaks away from the traditional format of simple lists of synonyms and antonyms by offering a number of ingenious and helpful features set within boxes in the text.... Highly recommended."--Library Journal (Starred Review)
"In the jargon of sportscasters The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is a triple threat: It's a freshly conceived guide to finding just the right word, it's published by the greatest name in English reference books, and it offers thoughtful, amusing and provocative mini-essays on 240 favorite words by nine distinguished contemporary writers."
--Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize winning critic and longtime journalist for The Washington Post
"This very readable reference will help writers find the most precise word for their needs.... Current, thoughtful, and attractively formatted, this is an indispensable tool for writers."
--School Library Journal (Starred Review)
"Perhaps the thesaurus's most fascinating feature is lengthy lists of words that link opposites--fat and thin, comic and tragic, interesting and boring. With this book close at hand, no one will call you the thesaurus's ultimate synonym for writer: a hack."
--Village Voice
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 23 total reviews (Page 1 of 5):
 wow
I bought this for my wife who is adapting a screenplay to book form. Hesistant to buy anything site unseen, I took the chance. This item is the most comprehensive thesaurus on the market. Its all it claims to be and more. Strongly suggest anyone that works with the written word to own it Provides more than 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms, with real-life example sentences
Words are a writer's tools. The larger the writer's vocabulary the more options available for expressing ideas. That's why every dedicated writer seeking to master their craft will have a good thesaurus as a core part of their personal and professional reference shelf. Now in a completely updated second edition, the "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" provides more than 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms, with real-life example sentences. enhanced with notes on American English usage by Bryan Garner, Word Spectrums showing shades of meaning between polar opposites, and a comprehensive language guide, The "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" is a core reference work suitable for professional authors and non-specialist general writers alike. This new edition also features Word Toolkits and Wordfinder, two invaluable aids that will help to define and delineate nuances of word usage. Simply stated, the "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" is a core and recommended addition for personal, professional, community, and school library Writing/Publishing reference collections.
Better than first edition
The new edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is superior for several reasons...several of which were left out of the editorial review listed above.
1. I noticed the listing of the words have been updated. The listing of words are now printed in a slightly bolder typeface - making it easier to pick out the meaning.
2. The word headings themselves are slightly larger...again making it simpler to locate definitions on the page.
3. The page layout seems to be cleaner. When you open up any page...you'll quickly notice how much nicer the structured plan is for showing words.
There is one more caveat I'd like to mention. I believe this new version, although labeled "Second Edition", should be considered a revision to the first one and not realistically a new printing. I say this because the jacket description mentions the same number of words are incorporated, namely the listing of 300,000 synonyms. There is no mention of "new" synonyms added to this "Second" printing. Otherwise the editors of this edition would have mentioned the addition of newer synonyms added to this edition. Remember, The Synonym Finder, another good resource, has a much higher listing of synonyms than the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus...about 1.2 million.
Overall, the Second Edition to the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is a much cleaner, easier version to use. Must Have Tool for Serious Writers
The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is an invaluable authority for writers! I have just completed my first book, and I would not be as proud of the finished work were it not for the help I received from this volume.Not only does it help in selecting the "perfect" word for a particular phrase or sentence,it provides tips and other valuable information on the word so that you will remember it if you need it again,but since there are so many words to express your creative ideas as a writer,it is unlikely that you will have to use the same word repeatedly.
I love this volume!I would not think of writing anything of substance without referring to it, now that I have found it. Great
Super cool. Super useful. I just wish I had enough room left in my suitcase to take it back to the USA with me. I guess i'll have to buy another. More Customer Reviews:
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