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

Example 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 Storage containers, colanders, utensils, cereal bowls. Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 22 Jan. 2025 In the release in 2023, the prosecutor said the district had worked closely with the health department to ensure food preparation, utensils and surfaces were properly sanitized. Kc Baker, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025 When shopping for the best cheese board for you, consider materials, design and additional utensils included with the board. Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2025 Wash and sanitize utensils that come in contact with recalled food. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for utensil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for utensil
Noun
  • By learning to harness the tools of this century, a cadre of charismatic figures revived the archetypes of the previous one: the strong leader, the great nation, the proud civilization.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
  • This offer comes with a 12 month free trial of the Google One AI Premium Plan, which gives you 2TB of cloud storage and access to all the Gemini tools in your Google apps.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The center charged medical device and training companies $649 for heads, $330 for a pair of feet and $1,400 for a whole body.
    Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Bless dynamically allocates workloads based on device capabilities.
    Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The instrument has been observing Mars since April 2018, capturing high-resolution color images of the Martian surface, said Nicolas Thomas, a professor at the Physics Institute at the University of Bern in Switzerland who led the team that developed the camera.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
  • States come and go, in other words, and their techniques and instruments may vary, but the obligation to defend and uphold Islam is constant.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Utensil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/utensil. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on utensil

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