Synonym Chooser

How is the word utensil different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of utensil are appliance, implement, instrument, and tool. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.

kitchen utensils

When is appliance a more appropriate choice than utensil?

While the synonyms appliance and utensil are close in meaning, appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When would implement be a good substitute for utensil?

The words implement and utensil can be used in similar contexts, but implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

When might instrument be a better fit than utensil?

While in some cases nearly identical to utensil, instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

How do tool and implement relate to one another, in the sense of utensil?

Tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.

a carpenter's tools

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of utensil First, researchers warned us to throw away the ubiquitous utensils because the recycling process might have incorporated toxic contaminants beyond the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limits. F.d. Flam, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025 Plastic utensils, plastic bags for merch (where is that sweatshirt coming from?), plastic light-up bracelets, plastic water bottles. Julia MacCary, Variety, 3 Jan. 2025 Placing cookware, utensils, pots, and pans in a dishwasher is convenient. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2024 Stir and remove your food with plastic, wooden, or silicon utensils. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for utensil 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for utensil
Noun
  • The tour emphasizes financial literacy and provides critical tools to help students navigate the cost of college while empowering them to pursue their dreams.
    Melissa Noel, Essence, 8 Jan. 2025
  • There are so many tutorials for Blender, even more than for the big traditional tools.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But the way in which the device moves across the snow in snowboarding is very much a surfing feeling.
    Lea Lane, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Once enabled, the suite downloads AI models to the device for local processing.
    Thomas Westerholm, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Similarly, an instrument aboard NOAA’s JPSS-2 satellite, NOAA-21, took this picture also highlighting the hotspots from the fire and the length of the smoke plume extending out over the ocean.
    Meredith Garofalo, Space.com, 8 Jan. 2025
  • To that end, the composer traveled the world collecting recordings that would find their way into the score, starting with instrument maker Abraham Cupeiro in Northern Spain.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near utensil

Cite this Entry

“Utensil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/utensil. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on utensil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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