Just when she said "Ooh, what a beautiful star," a star fell across the sky and a blue light quickly fainted in a diagonal trajectory, dragging behind a faint tail.
Source: tatoeba (3061932)
Trajectory
/tɹəˈd͡ʒɛktəɹi/
Synonyms for "trajectory" (118 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (24)
Strong matches (35)
Noun(15 words)
Adjective(5 words)
directional changefull coursefuture prospectsfuture trendhistorical trends
Related words (59)
Noun(19 words)
journeyslearning coherencelearning processmass uprising trendmotion pathmovement patternorbital pathorbitspathpathspopulation trendprogress towardprogressionsafarsolar orbitsquigglingtrackstrendtrending toward
Adjective(4 words)
monthly trendoverall directionpredictable trendstatistical trend
Determiner(1 words)
one course
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: air lane, airburst, altitude peak, aphelion, apogee.
- Sentence evidence is available for trajectory, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, 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 "trajectory".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "trajectory"
Keep "trajectory" 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 "trajectory" 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 "trajectory", 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 "trajectory" 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
4 entriesMore specific
6 entriesacademic trajectorycareer trajectorycircular trajectorylearning trajectorylinear trajectoryparabolic trajectory
Collocations
6 entriesball trajectoryflight trajectoryparabolic trajectorypredict trajectorytrajectory analysistrajectory data
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Sami was on a trajectory to do big things in life.
Source: tatoeba (6489117)
The trajectory of our history over the last 50, 100 years has been remarkable.
Source: tatoeba (6712680)
Layla didn't want her father to dictate the trajectory of her own life.
Source: tatoeba (7325670)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "trajectory"?
Closest matches include air lane, airburst, altitude peak, aphelion, apogee.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "trajectory"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.