Whoever created the English language must have had a wicked sense of humor. Why else would they have used “monosyllabic” to describe a word with just one syllable? And why isn’t the word “long” actually long?

Perhaps the most interesting of these questions is: Why are there no true synonyms for “synonym?”

This great article from Mental Floss poses that very question. And while it acknowledges the fact that there are some words, such as “metonym,” that come close to having the same meaning, it seems that “synonym” does not actually have a true synonym.

Adding yet another dimension to the discussion, the article also mentions that there are arguments for the possibility that there are no true synonyms at all.

This is just the kind of philosophical language puzzle that we at TWFH just love! So, check out the article, and let us know what you think. Do true synonyms exist? And if they do, what is the synonym for synonym?