The question of how to refer to one of the most integral artifacts of modern civilization illustrates the value of synonyms: The word a writer uses to refer to a car can assign value to that object and help the reader gauge nuances of the writer’s tone.
Car is a perfectly suitable, utilitarian word, but so many other possibilities await the resourceful writer. The formal term, automobile, and its truncated form, auto, are useful for elegant variation, conveyance conveys a highfalutin feel, and motorcar has a vintage connotation. Meanwhile, vehicle is inclusive of other types of motorized transportation.
For mock-poetic humorous effect, a writer might refer to his or her chariot or phaeton. (The latter is one of many synonyms for carriage, most of which, like phaeton, are obscure but can, given supporting syntax, be clear to the reader.) More informally, among other possible jocular references are buggy for a small, humble car and “babe magnet” (or my own clunky but precise coinage, “midlife-crisis-mobile”) for a particularly sleek, sporty car. (Of course, “babe magnet” can also be applied ironically to a car that is anything but alluring.)
Words and phrases that describe the category or size of vehicle include compact, convertible, coupe, hardtop, hatchback, sedan, “sports car” (or roadster, which can have a jaunty tone in the midst of lighthearted language), “sport utility vehicle,” “station wagon,” subcompact, truck, and van. Specific car brands inspire nicknames: Beamer or Beemer (BMW), Chevy (Chevrolet), Lambo (Lamborghini).
Pejorative terms include beater, bucket, clunker, crate, heap, jalopy, junker, rattletrap, and wreck. (“Gas guzzler,” meanwhile, emphasizes a car’s lack of fuel economy, and “land yacht” also indicates excessive size.) Among the celebratory slang terms are ride (an example of a verb converted to a noun) and wheels or “set of wheels” (examples of synecdoche, in which the name of a part represents the whole).
