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I'm not a native English speaker, I've seen that there are many words in English that have different synonyms. Some of them are,

(sneak out, creep out), (stare, gaze), (exhaustion, fatigue), (essential, crucial, very important)

And so on. I think these words can be used interchangeably in many situations, but there are some details for each word that make one word more appropriate to describe the specific situation. I'm wondering, if native English speakers use the correct synonym in different situations that is consistent with the details. For example, as a non-native speaker, if I don't know the details of each meaning and use an inappropriate synonym, will a native speaker notice and so it's important to understanding the details and choose the right word?

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  • You need to provide clear examples but, for example, to sneak out is not to creep out, Also, each of those other terms have different semantic features that make them different from each other. Yes, if you use the wrong word in a particular context a native speaker will notice it. For example, again, exhaustion is more tired than fatigue. Fatigue and tiredness are synonyms. Sometimes, essential and crucial can be used in the same way. Not always.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 24 at 16:10
  • @Lambie Thanks! Actually, before writing these groups of words, I checked if they are synonyms in famous dictionaries. It is strange to me that some of them are not close in meaning.
    – Soheil
    Commented Apr 24 at 16:24
  • Just because a dictionary says they are synonyms does not mean they are exactly the same. There are nuances.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 24 at 16:26
  • Some synonyms are more (or less) polite, educated, formal, etc. So people who only know of synonyms may say 'knackered' in a situation where 'tired' might be more appropriate.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 24 at 17:09
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    The "connotation" of a word is the emotional associations it has. That's generally more important for word choice than the dictionary definition. The connotation of "stare" is generally anger, confusion, or surprise. The connotation of "gaze" is generally admiration and happiness. In most cases, the connotation matters a lot more than the details of the definition.. In other cases, like essential/crucial/very important, the connotations are similar so it doesn't particularly matter.
    – Kaia
    Commented Apr 24 at 17:32

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Sometimes. Its hard to be more specific than that.

This is not a special feature of English, so you should think about your own language. Google translate gives four or five Persian translations of "stare". These probably cover several senses of stare, from the long look that two lovers might give each other, to the careful look that a detective gives some evidence, to a cat looking at mousehole, to voyeur looking through a keyhole.

There are lots of connotations. In some situations "stare" and "gaze" could be replaced by each other: "The man stared/gazed at the sea". In others it would be wrong. "The lovers gazed into each other's eyes". "Don't stare at that person, it's rude". "He is a stargazer, a birdwatcher, and tv viewer"

Part of learning a language is learning the connotations and the colocations. Nobody said this is easy, but it is possible - after all, you manage it in your native language!

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