A corpus-based study of English synonyms: calm, peaceful, soothing

This study explores the semantic similarities and differences among the English adjectives calm, peaceful, and soothing through a corpus-based analysis. The research draws on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) anddefinitions from two widely used online learner dictionaries: the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. The aim is to gain a clearer understanding of how these near-synonyms differ in meaning and usage despite sharing a core sense related to tranquility. The analysis begins with a comparison of dictionary definitions and usage notes to establish the basic semanticproperties of each adjective. It then examines their noun and adverb collocations, as found in COCA, to uncover patterns of use in authentic language. The results show that calm is frequently associated with emotional states and behavior, peaceful tends to describe external settings or the absence of conflict, and soothing is often linked to effects that provide comfort or relief. These findings illustrate how the three adjectivesfunction differently in context and highlight the importance of collocational behavior in distinguishing near-synonymous words. This research offers valuable insights into the nature of synonymy in English and provides practical implications for vocabularylearning, language teaching, and lexicography.