Metaphorical synonymy as a means of shaping COVID-19 media discourse (based on English-language media)

The aim of this research is to conduct an analysis of synonymic units employed within the media discourse surrounding COVID-19. The novelty of this work lies in elucidating the role of metaphorical synonymy in shaping the mental space of COVID-19. The study examines a synonymic series comprising five units with integral semantic multipliers (fight – battle – combat – struggle – wage war), expressing the mental-linguistic category of resistance in response to aggressive intrusion or impact. The research reveals that the semantic multipliers within the lexical meanings of the verbal metaphors in this synonymic series are projected onto the mental space organized by the concepts of IMPACT, RESISTANCE, PREVENTION, OVERCOMING, WEAPON, DESTRUCTIVENESS, ATTACK, DISPUTE, WILL, FAILURE. These concepts constitute the mental space of the COVID-19 pandemic media discourse. The emotional-expressive value of the synonyms in the linguistic worldview centers on drawing readers' attention to an extremely complex and seemingly hopeless situation for society, a situation in which a small chance of successfully overcoming the pandemic still remains.