In most cases, even when we call words synonyms, I believe they usually still vary slightly in meaning, having different nuances as you said. However, even native speakers may not know these nuances. The various synonyms of a word may be something only a highly educated or well-read speaker of the language would know. A person who doesn't know many different words with subtly different shades of meaning will use the most common one. Also, there is another consideration besides nuances of meaning. There is collocation. Certain words are more commonly associated with a given context rather than other synonyms even if the meaning would be exactly the same. I'll try to give you an example that comes to mind at the moment. The phrase "abundantly clear" is a collocation. Even though a person might almost never say "abundantly", he might use it here as an intensifier because it is often paired with "clear". Say we pick some synonym of "abundantly"---for example, "richly". Nobody would say "richly clear". I'm not a teacher, so I cannot answer as to how best to explain these differences, however as general advice to someone learning a second language, I suggest focusing on the most common word of any group of synonyms. Learning the subtle nuances among several different synonyms as a conscious effort is perhaps not worth the effort for a non-native speaker. I have asked ChatGPT questions of language when I was unsure. That particular chatbot is especially good at explaining nuances of language. It wasn't made for explaining language, but it was made to understand language and respond in natural language. As a result, it understands language quite well. I have occasionally stumped it though, and occasionally it has given me wrong answers. The main problem with an AI is that it doesn't know when it doesn't know the answer. Overall, I do recommend using ChatGPT. It's a good option when you don't have any opportunity to speak with an educated, native speaker.

As a native English speaker, my best method for learning these nuances is (really and truly) to consult a dictionary. One of the uses of a good English (single-language) dictionary is to understand differences in the range of meaning, tone, and usage of more-or-less synonymous words. My life experience is that the more a person deals with words professionally, the more likely they are to use a dictionary. Learning meanings from context can only take you so far.

It is clear that you like Latin words. Go to a website that provides etymologies (word origins). There you will discover the meaning of the words' Latin roots, and that will explain everything you want to know, better and quicker than looking up the words in a dictionary.

@ Adam Most natives acquire a good sense of the language gradually through lifelong exposure to the language. An avid reader would have little choice but to deal with unknown words eventually, even if they read a smidgen above their language level, especially those with Greek and Latin origins. Writers tend to be picky with their choices of words. You brought up a good point about word collocation. Some words pair up naturally, like "commonly associated" and "given context." from your writing. Other substitutions would have failed miserably due to different shades of terms. While we unconsciously pick up more subtle aspects of the language through reading, the knowledge can be and is being reinforced by active usages, such as writing a book report. As for explaining subtle differences, others did a good job in another post related to the words "Partonize" and "Condescend." I like to suggest the following to elucidate the difference. 1. Language register: instill vs. inculcate Instill takes an object of an idea or attitude Inculcate is more formal and pairs up with morals. 2. The grammatical function of the words: such as transitive vs. intransitive verbs. Patronize as transitive and condescend as intransitive. 3 Positive and negative connotations patronize vs. condescend 4 Etymology of the words (Per Jonathan on the other post) patronize vs. condescend 5 Intensity of the words Detestable vs. loathsome vs. abominable 6 Different usage or meanings Chide vs. scold Spurt vs. sprint Prevailing vs. prevalent I would take some answers by ChatGPT with a grain of salt. Overall, it gives a more comprehensive aspect of the inquired matter on the subject, albeit unexpectedly in some instances. AI has not exceeded humans in terms of innovation and originality, IMHO.