DETAIL Synonyms: 181 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'detail' contrast with its synonyms?

The words item and particular are common synonyms of detail . While all three words mean "one of the distinct parts of a whole," detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process. // leave the details to others

Q: When could 'item' be used to replace 'detail'?

In some situations, the words item and detail are roughly equivalent. However, item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated. // every item on the list

Q: When might 'particular' be a better fit than 'detail'?

While in some cases nearly identical to detail , particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item. // a description that included few particulars

detail 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈtāl

Definition of detail

as in item

a separate part in a list, account, or series every detail was accounted for

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fact

a single piece of information didn't leave out a single detail in his police report on the burglary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in detachment

a small military unit with a special task or function the officer sent out a detail to patrol the perimeter of the compound

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in job

a specific task with which a person or group is charged the soldier was placed on guard detail at the border crossing

Synonyms & Similar Words

detail

2 of 2

verb

as in to station

to assign to a place or position once again he was detailed to guard duty

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to name

to pick (someone) by one's authority for a specific position or duty the new assistant was detailed to accompany the boss on the business trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to list

to specify one after another detailed all of the reasons that the plan was a bad idea

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun detail contrast with its synonyms?

The words item and particular are common synonyms of detail. While all three words mean "one of the distinct parts of a whole," detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process.

leave the details to others

When could item be used to replace detail?

In some situations, the words item and detail are roughly equivalent. However, item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated.

every item on the list

When might particular be a better fit than detail?

While in some cases nearly identical to detail, particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item.

a description that included few particulars

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 detail

Noun

Professor Dixon’s emails were just like his fiction writing—intimate and full of quotidian details. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 Investigators have not released details about what led up to the shooting. — Brad Hamilton, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Verb

Related Stories Speaking at View Conference in Turin on Thursday, Hickel, who recently marked 30 years at ILM, detailed how the team mixed digital animation with physical sets, mechanical rigs and traditional stop-motion. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 In this moving memoir Levy details the reality of reclaiming autonomy post-divorce. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detail

Noun

Look for unfamiliar applications in your Applications folder and review System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions for unexpected items.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Veteran chef Sam Koo builds the changing selection around fresh fish and meticulously handled rice, with rolls starting at $5, chirashi boxes from $23 and bento items priced $4 to $11.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of item

Noun

But a Columbia University research team has found that when water molecules come into contact with plastic surfaces, a key chemical reaction does in fact take place.

— Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
That tradition began this season, and while Cignetti bemoaned the fact Indiana missed out on so many opportunities, the Hoosiers can take a message from the Spaniard's dominant six-season run.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of fact

Noun

His household becomes a microcosm of a broader societal moral decay, fuelled by detachment, indifference, corruption, complacency and the pursuit of comfort.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Researchers found that these processes are also accelerating the glacier’s detachment from stabilizing ridges, leading to more rapid ice flow and deterioration.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of detachment

Verb

Timothy and Patricia Daunt had met in Turkey, where they were stationed for diplomatic work.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
The Sri Lankans are stationed in Haiti’s Artibonite region, just north of Port-au-Prince, while the other troops are assigned to metropolitan Port-au-Prince.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of station

Verb

Opening her case, Karmy-Jones walked through the allegations from the six women, who have a lifelong right to anonymity even though they are being named in court.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
The bill in consideration was originally named Ryder’s Law after a 14-year-old carriage horse who collapsed in 2022 and was later euthanized due to cancer.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of name

Browse Nearby Words

detachments

detail

detailed

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Style

“Detail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detail. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of detail

noun

verb

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Synonyms of detail

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

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Phrases Containing detail

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Cite this Entry

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