An arrow passed through the hawk.
Source: tatoeba (27201)
Arrow
/ˈæɹ.əʊ/
Synonyms for "arrow" (74 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: pointer, antelope, arrowhead, barb, blaze.
- Sentence evidence is available for arrow, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "arrow".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "arrow"
Keep "arrow" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "arrow" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "arrow", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "arrow" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
6 entriesMore specific
7 entriesarrow cursorbodkin arrowbroadhead arrowdirection indicatorflowchart symbolmap symbolpointer arrow
Collocations
5 entriesarrow keyarrow of timearrow shaftarrow symboldirectional arrow
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
66 translations across 58 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- pyltjie noun (symbol)
Arabic
2 entries- سَهَم noun (symbol)
- سَهْم noun (symbol)
Armenian
1 entries- սլաք noun (symbol)
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
1 entries- ܓܹܐܪܵܐ noun (symbol)
Asturian
1 entries- flecha noun (symbol)
Belarusian
1 entries- стрэ́лка noun (symbol)
Bulgarian
1 entries- стрелка́ noun (symbol)
Catalan
1 entries- fletxa noun (symbol)
Chechen
1 entries- цамза noun (symbol)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 箭嘴 noun (symbol)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 箭號 /箭号 noun (symbol)
- 箭頭 /箭头 noun (symbol)
Czech
1 entries- šipka noun (symbol)
Danish
1 entries- pil noun (symbol)
Dutch
1 entries- pijl noun (symbol)
Estonian
1 entries- nool noun (symbol)
Fijian
1 entries- gasau noun (symbol)
Finnish
1 entries- nuoli noun (symbol)
French
1 entries- flèche noun (symbol)
Galician
1 entries- frecha noun (symbol)
Georgian
1 entries- ისარი noun (symbol)
German
1 entries- Pfeil noun (symbol)
Greek
3 entries- βέλος noun (symbol)
- βελάκι noun (symbol)
- δείκτης noun (symbol)
Hawaiian
1 entries- nahau noun (symbol)
Hebrew
1 entries- חץ noun (symbol)
Hungarian
1 entries- nyíl noun (symbol)
Ido
1 entries- flecho noun (symbol)
Indonesian
1 entries- panah noun (symbol)
Ingush
1 entries- гӏоаролг noun (symbol)
Italian
1 entries- freccia noun (symbol)
Japanese
1 entries- 矢印 noun (symbol)
Kimaragang
1 entries- ramok do panah noun (symbol)
Korean
1 entries- 화살표 noun (symbol)
Lao
1 entries- ລູກສອນ noun (symbol)
Latvian
1 entries- bulta noun (symbol)
Lithuanian
1 entries- rodyklė noun (symbol)
Luxembourgish
1 entries- Fäil noun (symbol)
Macedonian
1 entries- стре́лка noun (symbol)
Malay
2 entries- anak panah noun (symbol)
- انق ڤانه noun (symbol)
Malayalam
1 entries- ചിഹ്നം noun (symbol)
Norman
1 entries- flièche noun (symbol)
Northern Kurdish
1 entries- tîr noun (symbol)
Persian
2 entries- فلش noun (symbol)
- پیکانه noun (symbol)
Polish
1 entries- strzałka noun (symbol)
Portuguese
1 entries- seta noun (symbol)
Romanian
1 entries- săgeată noun (symbol)
Russian
1 entries- стре́лка noun (symbol)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- strelica noun (symbol)
- стрелица noun (symbol)
Slovak
1 entries- šípka noun (symbol)
Slovene
1 entries- puščica noun (symbol)
Spanish
1 entries- flecha noun (symbol)
Swedish
1 entries- pil noun (symbol)
Telugu
1 entries- బాణం గుర్తు noun (symbol)
Thai
1 entries- ลูกศร noun (symbol)
Turkish
1 entries- ok noun (symbol)
Ukrainian
1 entries- стрі́лка noun (symbol)
Vietnamese
1 entries- mũi tên noun (symbol)
Walloon
2 entries- fletche noun (symbol)
- fritche noun (symbol)
West-Frisian
1 entries- pylk noun (symbol)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
The arrow fell wide of the mark.
Source: tatoeba (43575)
William Tell shot an arrow at the apple on his son's head.
Source: tatoeba (65693)
Time flies like an arrow.
Source: tatoeba (240403)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "arrow"?
Closest matches include pointer, antelope, arrowhead, barb, blaze.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "arrow"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.