Feast your eyes on these fun synonyms: party and fete. A party is a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, or entertainment: a cocktail party; a costume party. The more lavish synonym fete varies in meaning depending on context: a fete can be a festive celebration or entertainment (The ball was the greatest fete of the season!), a day of celebration of a holiday (The Fourth of July is a great American fete.), or a religious feast or festival (a fete lasting several days in honor of a saint). You may encounter the term spelled with a circumflex, fête, reflecting its French origins. July 14, Bastille Day, is often called la fête nationale in France.

The word atmosphere has a few meanings. When we talk about the earth's atmosphere, we mean the gaseous envelope surrounding the planet. But when we talk about a tense atmosphere or an atmosphere of impending war, we are describing a different kind of atmosphere, that is, a surrounding or pervading mood or environment. Atmosphere is useful for talking about mental or psychological environments as well as physical ones. The synonym ambience is almost always used to talk about physical surroundings, specifically a pleasant or luxurious quality, tone, or mood of a particular environment or milieu. The term is often used in the context of restaurants, many of which seek to cultivate the perfect ambience for a memorable dining experience.

The verbs warn and admonish both imply attempting to prevent another from running into danger or getting into unpleasant or undesirable circumstances. To warn is to speak plainly and usually in strong terms: She warned him of the dangers that lay ahead. To admonish is to caution, advise, or counsel. This synonym suggests giving earnest, authoritative advice with only tacit references to danger or penalty. A judge might admonish jurors not to discuss a trial outside of the courtroom. This verb can also mean "to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner"— and often an admonition is a little bit of both: part warning, part scolding, as in the case of a teacher who admonishes a student about excessive noise.