Do you play a musical instrument?
Source: tatoeba (21260)
Instrument
/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/
Synonyms for "instrument" (663 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (133)
Noun(32 words)
toolimplementmusical instrumenta deviceactuatoradzesaidanalyseranalytical chemistry instrumentanalyzerapplicatorapplicatorsarmbagpipesbinding instrumentbiology lab equipmentbroachescalculatorscalipercalkin
Show 12 more words
cat's-pawcelestascessionclarinetcodicilcommunicationcommunicatorcontractcontractscontrivancescontrol overall forceconveyances
absolute altimeteraccelerometeradaptaerial reconnaissance cameraaerometeraeroscopeagencyagentair logalloy balancealtigraphaltimeteramanuensisammeteranalytical balanceancillaanemographanemometeranemoscopeaneroid
Show 77 more words
antlerapparatusapple polisherapple-polisherappliancearrangeaspiratorass-lickerassay balanceautographautomatic pilotautosynawlbackslapperbaggage agentbalancebalance of precisionbarbbarbed wirebarbletbarbulebarbwirebarometerbarrel scalebeambedpanblankbodkinbombing locatorbombsightbootlickbootlickerbourdon tubebradawlbrown nosebrown-nosebrowniebullion balancebusiness agentcalorimetercaltropcard compasscarpet tackcash registercatalystcatheterchannelcharlie mccarthycheval-de-frisechirographchromatoscopechronographchronometerchuckclaim agentclampclaspclawbackclerkclinchclinical thermometerclipcockspurcommercial agentcommission agentcompactcompasscomposeconsigneecontractcontraptioncontrivancecontrol rodcounter scalecourtiercrampcreature
Adjective(1 words)
binding agreement
Preposition(2 words)
byby measurement
Verb(1 words)
compel compliance
Strong matches (199)
cringercustomer agentcylinder scaledanish balancedevicediathermy machinedibbledirection finderdocketdocumentdogdossierdraindrum scaledummydupeedictelectrocardiographelectroencephalographelectrograph
Show 108 more words
equipmentevaporimeterexpedientfacsimile telegraphfactorfaithful servantfan scalefawnerfedfederalfederal agentfidfilefishhookfixtureflattererflexure plate scaleflight recorderflunkyfoolfootlickerforcepsforkformfreight agentfunctionarygadgetgaffgalvanometergaugegaugergeargeneral agentgimcrackgimletgimmickgizmogo betweengo-betweengoadgoniometergosportgosport tubegrabgramophonegrapnelgrapplegrapplergrappling irongripgrovelergyrocompassgyropilothand toolhandmaidhandmaidenhandshakerharmonizeharpoonhat pinheat lamphelothemostatholdfastholographhookhornhub dynamometerhygrographhygrometerhypohypodermichypodermic needlehypsometericepickimplementinclinometerinduction compassinstrumentalityinstrumentateinstrumentationinsurance agentinteragentintermediaryintermediateintermediumjackaljawsjoy stickkaleidoscopekowtowerkymographlackeylancelancetland agentlaserlaw agentled captainlegal documentlegal instrumentlegal paperleverlever scaleslickspitlickspittleliterary agentloan agent
Noun(59 words)
curriculum area assessmentcyclotronsdecision tooldeeddeedsdetectordetectorsdevicedevicesdiagnosticdiddleydocumentdocument weekly patterndocumentsdoohickeysdrill privateejectorelectrical deviceelectronic deviceequip
Show 39 more words
evaluatorevidence based assessmentexpedientexpedientsfindersfizeaufrench actefunctional capacity measurefurnishgadgetsgagegarden toolgaugegaugesgeography toolgizmosglockenspielsgyroscopehandmaidenshardware devicehealth measurehistory toolhopkinsonimplement public service projectimplementsindentureindenturesindicatorsinstrumental roleinstrumentinginterceptorskazoolab instrumentlackeyslasheslegal documentlegal instrumentlevelerslevers
Adjective(10 words)
danish måleeffective instructional toolengineered toolengineering toolformal instrumentfounding documentfunctional objectfunctional toollegal documentslegal mechanism
Verb(2 words)
gauge interestinstrumentate
Related words (331)
long-arm balancemach metermachinemachinerymagnetic compassmake an adaptationmanometermarlinespikemealymouthmeanmeansmeasuremeasurermechanical devicemechanical heartmechanismmechanizemediatormediummelodize
Show 206 more words
meteorographmetermicrofilm readermicrometermicroscopemidwifemillminionministrymotorizemusicalizenailneedlenews agentnippersoctantofficialofficial documentoptical altimeterorchestrateorganoscillographotoscopeoxgoadozonometerpactpair of scalespaperpaper clippapersparaphernaliaparchmentpari-mutuelpari-mutuel machineparliamentary agentpassenger agentpawnpeonpersonal filephotometerpikepinpincerspitchforkpitot-static tubeplate fulcrum scaleplatform scaleplaythingplierspluviographpluviometerpneumatographpneumatometerpotentiometerpower toolprecision balanceprecision scaleprecision toolpress agentprime moverprismprobeprongpunchpuppetpurchasing agentpus basinput to musicpyrometerquadrantquillradarradioradio compassradio direction finderradiogoniometerrange finderrate-of-climb indicatorreal estate agentrecording barometerrecording hygrometerregisterretoolrobot pilotrollroman balancerowelsales agentscalescalesscalpelscorescripscriptscrollsecretaryseismographseismoscopeserfservantsetset to musicsextantsharpenshort-arm balanceskewerslavesoundsound recorderspanielspearheadspecial agentspectrographspectrohelioscopespectroscopespeculumspeed toolspiculespiculumspikespinespiral balancespirit levelspirometerspitsplintspurstaplestatic tubestation agentstereopticonstethoscopestewardstingstoogestrike radar scannersucksun compasssutureswabsycophantsyringetachometertacktackletangtape recorderteletypeteletypewritertelltaletheatrical agentthermographthermometerthermometrographthermostatthingthingumabobthingumajigthingummythrottlethumbtacktickerticket agenttimeservertinetoadtoadytongstooltoytranscribetransit instrumenttransposetravel agenttrepantrephinetrucklertufthunterturnstiletweezersutensilvariometervehicleventuri tubeviewerviscosimetervisevoicevoting machinewalking delegatewayweigh scalesweighbridgeweighing machineweight voltameterweightometerwhatnotwherewithalwrenchwritwritewritingx-ray machineyes manyes-manyoke
Noun(95 words)
lyresmachinemachine toolmachinesmade thingmakermanglemanglersmanufactured devicemarimbasmeans prepositionmeasuremeasure adverbmeasure educational impactmeasure effortmeasure energymeasure language competencemeasure oral understandingmeasure physical propertymeasure sample worksheet
Show 75 more words
measure social growthmeasure spelling accuracymeasurement indicatorsmeasurement toolmeasurement toolsmeteringmetersmicroscopesmonitormonitoring devicemonitorsmore usable toolmusical toolocarinaofficial documentold high german tolopeneroutfitparchmentspawnphysics experiment apparatuspickpolicy mechanismpolicy modifierponiardsportuguese aparatoprobesprobingproblem solving aidprodprodsquality of life measurequestionnairequitclaimreading strategyrecognizancesawsscience probescientific toolscopesseismographsshoehornssignalsitarssonometersound producing devicespanish dispositivospectrometerspectroscopesspeedometerspursstory featuresubjective well-beingtampstechnologytelecastertenoroontesterthingmabobtitretronsukelelesuseful toolutensilutensilsvehiclesvetoesweaponweaponswearableweighing scalewidgetwritsyardstickzithers
Verb(3 words)
measure temperaturepropel developmentshows color change
Adjective(6 words)
measuring instrumentoceanographic modelspioneering deviceprivate entity contractscientific measurewritten contract
Determiner(1 words)
most teaching-tool
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: tool, implement, musical instrument, a device, absolute altimeter.
- Sentence evidence is available for instrument, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, 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 "instrument".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "instrument"
Keep "instrument" 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 "instrument" 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 "instrument", 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 "instrument" 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
25 entriesShowing 16 of 25 words.
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
8 entriesdata loggerinstrument panellab instrumentmeasuring instrumentmedical instrumentmusical instrumentprecision instrumentscientific instrument
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
154 translations across 72 languages.
Albanian
2 entries- vegël noun (musical device)
- vegël muzikor noun (musical device)
Amharic
1 entries- መሣሪያ noun (tool)
Ancient Greek
2 entries- ἐργαλεῖον noun (tool)
- ὄργανον noun (musical device)
Arabic
3 entries- آلَة noun (tool)
- أَدَاة noun (tool)
- الة موسيقية noun (musical device)
Armenian
1 entries- գործիք noun (tool)
Asturian
1 entries- instrumentu noun (musical device)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- alət noun (tool)
Belarusian
1 entries- інструме́нт noun (tool)
Bulgarian
4 entries- инструме́нт noun (tool)
- музикален инструмент noun (musical device)
- оръ́дие noun (tool)
- сечиво́ noun (tool)
Catalan
2 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (tool)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎧᏃᎩᏍᏙᏗ noun (musical device)
Chinese
2 entries- kang-kū (zh-min-nan) noun (tool)
- khì-kū noun (tool)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 工具 noun (tool)
Czech
2 entries- nástroj noun (musical device)
- nástroj noun (tool)
Danish
4 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (tool)
- musikinstrument noun (musical device)
- værktøj noun (tool)
Dutch
3 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (tool)
- muziekinstrument noun (musical device)
Esperanto
1 entries- instrumento noun (musical device)
Estonian
3 entries- muusikariist noun (musical device)
- pill noun (musical device)
- vahend noun (tool)
Finnish
3 entries- instrumentti noun (musical device)
- soitin noun (musical device)
- väline noun (tool)
French
1 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
Galician
1 entries- instrumento noun (musical device)
Georgian
2 entries- იარაღი noun (tool)
- ინსტრუმენტი noun (tool)
German
4 entries- Instrument noun (musical device)
- Instrument noun (tool)
- Musikinstrument noun (musical device)
- Werkzeug noun (tool)
Greek
2 entries- εργαλείο noun (tool)
- όργανο noun (musical device)
Greenlandic
1 entries- nipilersuut noun (musical device)
Hebrew
2 entries- כלי noun (tool)
- כלי נגינה noun (musical device)
Hindi
4 entries- उपकरण noun (tool)
- बाजा noun (musical device)
- वाद्य noun (musical device)
- साधन noun (tool)
Hungarian
2 entries- hangszer noun (musical device)
- műszer noun (tool)
Icelandic
1 entries- hljóðfæri noun (musical device)
Ido
2 entries- muzik-instrumento noun (musical device)
- muzikilo noun (musical device)
Indonesian
1 entries- instrumen noun (musical device)
Ingrian
3 entries- asu noun (tool)
- pribora noun (tool)
- tööriista noun (tool)
Irish
4 entries- adhbh cheoil noun (musical device)
- gléas noun (musical device)
- ionstraim noun (musical device)
- ionstraim noun (tool)
Italian
2 entries- strumento noun (musical device)
- strumento noun (tool)
Japanese
4 entries- 器具 noun (tool)
- 器械 noun (tool)
- 楽器 noun (musical device)
- 遊び物 noun (musical device)
Javanese
3 entries- alat noun (tool)
- perkakas noun (tool)
- piranti noun (tool)
Kazakh
1 entries- аспап noun (tool)
Korean
4 entries- 기계 noun (tool)
- 기구 noun (tool)
- 도구 noun (tool)
- 악기 noun (musical device)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- аспап noun (tool)
Latin
2 entries- instrūmentum noun (tool)
- organum noun (musical device)
Latvian
3 entries- ierīce noun (tool)
- instruments noun (musical device)
- rīks noun (tool)
Lithuanian
3 entries- instrumentas noun (musical device)
- prietaisas noun (tool)
- įrankis noun (tool)
Malay
1 entries- alat noun (tool)
Malayalam
1 entries- സംഗീത ഉപകരണം noun (musical device)
Māori
2 entries- mea whakatangi noun (musical device)
- paraha noun (tool)
Norwegian
1 entries- redskap noun (tool)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
Occitan
1 entries- instrument noun (tool)
Persian
2 entries- ابزار noun (tool)
- اسباب noun (tool)
Polish
4 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (tool)
- narzędzie noun (tool)
- przybór noun (tool)
Portuguese
2 entries- instrumento noun (musical device)
- instrumento noun (tool)
Romanian
1 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
Russian
4 entries- инструме́нт noun (musical device)
- инструме́нт noun (tool)
- ору́дие noun (tool)
- прибо́р noun (tool)
Scottish Gaelic
3 entries- inneal noun (tool)
- inneal-ciùil noun (musical device)
- ionnsramaid noun (musical device)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- alat noun (tool)
- алат noun (tool)
Slovak
1 entries- nástroj noun (tool)
Slovene
4 entries- glasbilo noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (musical device)
- inštrument noun (musical device)
- orodje noun (tool)
Spanish
3 entries- herramienta noun (tool)
- instrumento noun (musical device)
- instrumento noun (tool)
Swedish
2 entries- instrument noun (musical device)
- instrument noun (tool)
Tajik
3 entries- абзор noun (tool)
- асбоб noun (tool)
- олат noun (tool)
Tamil
1 entries- இசைக்கருவி noun (musical device)
Telugu
1 entries- పనిముట్టు noun (tool)
Thai
2 entries- เครื่อง noun (tool)
- เครื่องดนตรี noun (musical device)
Tibetan
2 entries- རོལ་ཆའི་ཡོ་བྱད noun (musical device)
- ལག་ཆ noun (tool)
Turkish
2 entries- alet noun (tool)
- enstrüman noun (tool)
Turkmen
2 entries- esbap noun (tool)
- gural noun (tool)
Ukrainian
2 entries- інструме́нт noun (musical device)
- інструме́нт noun (tool)
Urdu
3 entries- آلہ noun (tool)
- اوزار noun (musical device)
- ساز noun (musical device)
Uzbek
1 entries- asbob noun (tool)
Vietnamese
2 entries- dụng cụ noun (tool)
- nhạc cụ noun (musical device)
Welsh
1 entries- teclyn noun (tool)
Sample sentences
27 total sentences available.
The thermometer is an instrument for measuring temperature.
Source: tatoeba (25465)
You play a musical instrument, don't you?
Source: tatoeba (69519)
Language is an indispensable instrument of human society.
Source: tatoeba (239739)
Showing 4 of 27 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "instrument"?
Closest matches include tool, implement, musical instrument, a device, absolute altimeter.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "instrument"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.