An antonym is a word which means the opposite of another word. Antonyms are also called opposites. Synonyms and antonyms are useful to know because they improve reading and writing skills. By learning antonyms, you learn the logical opposites of important words, thus enhancing your overall command of language.
А
Above — below
absent — present
abundant — scarce
accept — decline, refuse
accident – intent
accomplishment — failure
accurate – inaccurate
achieve – fail
add – subtract
adjacent – distant
admire — detest
admit – deny, reject
adore – hate
advance — retreat
advantage – disadvantage
affirm – deny
afraid – confident
after – before
aid — hinder
against — for
agree – disagree
alert — asleep
alive — dead
all — none, nothing
allow – forbid
alone – together
amateur — professional
ally — enemy
always – never
amuse — bore
ancient — modern
answer — question
antonym — synonym
apart – together
apparent — obscure
appear — disappear, vanish
approve – disapprove
argue — agree
arrive – depart
arrogant — humble
artificial — natural
ascend – descend
attack — defend
attractive – repulsive
attract — repel
awake – asleep
awkward – graceful
B
back — front
backward — forward
bad – good
backward — forward
beautiful — ugly
before — after
begin — end
below — above
bent — straight
best — worst
better — worse, worst
big — little, small
birth – death
bitter — sweet
black — white
blame — praise
bless — curse
bitter – sweet
blunt – sharp
bold – timid, meek
borrow — lend
bottom — top
bound — unbound, free
boundless – limited
bravery – cowardice
break – repair
brief — long
bright — dim, dull
brighten — fade
broad – narrow
build – destroy
busy – idle
buy — sell
C
calm — windy, troubled
can — cannot, can’t
capable — incapable
captive – free
capture – release
careful – careless
cause – effect
cautious – careless
centre — edge
cheap – dear, expensive
cheerful — sad, discouraged, dreary
child – adult
chilly – warm
clean — dirty
clear – vague, cloudy, opaque
clever – stupid
clockwise – anti-clockwise
close – distant, open
cold – hot
combine – separate
come – go
comfort – discomfort
common – rare
complex – simple
compliment – insult
conceal – reveal
constant – variable
continue – interrupt
cool – warm
cope — original
correct – incorrect
courage – cowardice
crazy – sane
crooked — staight
cruel – kind
cry — laugh
cunning – simple
D
dainty – clumsy
damage — improve
danger – safety
dark – light
dawn – sunset
day — night
decrease — increase
deep — shallow
definite — indefinite
demand — supply
despair – hope
destroy – create
difficult — easy
dim — bright
disappear — appear
discourage — encourage
disease – health
dismal – cheerful
divide – unite
doubt — trust
down — up
downwards — upwards
dreary — cheerful
dry — moist, wet
dull — bright, shiny
dusk — dawn
E
early — late
East — West
easy — hard, difficult
economise — waste
empty — full
encourage — discourage
end — begin, start
entrance — exit
even – odd
evil — good
excited — calm
expand – contract, shrink
export — import
exterior — interior
external — internal
F
fade — brighten
fail — succeed
false — true
famous – unknown
fancy — plain
far — near
fast — slow
fat — thin
feeble – sturdy, strong, powerful
few – many
fiction — fact
find – lose
finish – start
firm — flabby
first – last
fix — break
float – sink
follow — lead
foolish — wise
fore – aft
forgive — blame
free — bound, captive, restricted
fold — unfold
forget — remember
found – lost
frank — secretive
fresh — stale
frequent — seldom
friend — enemy
for — against
fortunate — unfortunate
full – empty
funny – empty
future – present, past
G
gather — distribute
generous – stingy, mean
gentle – rough, violent
get — give
giant — tiny, small, dwarf
give — receive, take
glad — sad, sorry
gloomy — cheerful
go – stop, come
good — bad, evil
grant — refuse
great — tiny, small, unimportant, minute
grow — shrink
guest — host
guilty – innocent
H
handsome — ugly
happy – sad, miserable
hard – easy
hard — soft
harmful — harmless
harsh – mild
hasten — dawdle
hate — love
healthy — diseased, ill, sick, unhealthy
heat — cold
heaven — hell
heavy — light
help — hinder
here — there
hero — coward
high — low
hill — valley
hinder — help
honest – dishonest
hopeful — hopeless
horizontal — vertical
hot — cold
humble – proud
huge – tiny
I
ignore — notice
ill — healthy, well
imitation — genuine
immense – minute, tiny, small
immigrate — emigrate
important – trivial
imprison — free
in — out
include — exclude
increase — decrease
inferior — superior
inhale — exhale
inner – outer
innocent — guilty
inside — outside
intelligent — stupid, unintelligent
interesting – boring, dull, uninteresting
interior — exterior
internal — external
intentional – accidental
J
jeopardize — secure
join — separate
junior — senior
just — unjust
justice – injustice
K
keen – uninterested
kind – cruel, nasty
knowledge — ignorance
known – unknown
L
lack – abundance, plenty
landlord — tenant
large — small
last – first
late -early
laugh — cry
lawful — unlawful, illegal
lazy — industrious
leader — follower
left — right
lend -borrow
lengthen — shorten
lenient — strict
left — right
less — more
light — dark, heavy
life — death
like — dislike, hate
likely — unlikely
limited — boundless
little – big
live — die
lofty — lowly
long — short
loose — tight
lose – find
loser — winner
loss – win
loud — quiet
love — hate
low – high
lower — raise
loyal — disloyal
M
mad — happy, sane
major — minor
many — few
mature — immature
maximum – minimum
mean — generous
melt – freeze
mend — break
merry — sad
messy — neat
minor — major
minority — majority
miser – spendthrift
miss — catch
misunderstand — understand
more – less
much — little
N
narrow – wide, broad
native – foreigner, stranger
natural — artificial
near — far, distant
neat — messy, untidy
negative — affirmative
never — always
new – old, ancient
nice – awful, nasty
night — day
no – yes
nobody — everybody
noisy — quiet
none – some
nothing – everything
notice – ignore
now — then
North — South
O
obedient – disobedient
occasionally — frequently
odd — even
offer – refuse
often – seldom, sometimes
old — young
old — new
on — off
open — closed, shut
opposite— same, similar
optimist – pessimist
order — mess
out — in
outer – inner
outside – inside
outskirts — centre
over – under
P
pass — fail
past — present
patient — impatient
peace — war
permanent – temporary
permit — forbid
please — displease
plentiful — scarce
plural — singular
poetry — prose
polite — rude, impolite
poor – rich, wealthy
poverty — wealth
possible — impossible
poverty — wealth, riches
powerful – weak, feeble
presence – absence
pretty – ugly
private — public
prudent — imprudent
pure — impure, contaminated
push — pull
Q
qualified – unqualified
quick — slow
question — answer
quiet — loud, noisy
R
raise — lower
rapid — slow
rare – common
rear – front
receive – send
reduce – increase
refuse – agree, accept
regular — irregular
real – fake
rest — work
rich — poor
right — left, wrong
right-side-up — upside-down
rough – smooth, soft, gentle
rude – courteous
S
sad — happy
safe – unsafe, dangerous
same – opposite, different
satisfy – unsatisfied, dissatisfy
secure – insecure
seldom — often
scatter – collect
senior — junior
separate — join, connect, together
serious – trivial, funny
second-hand – new
security – insecurity
sense — nonsense
shallow – deep
sharp — blunt
shrink – grow
short – long
shut — open
sick — healthy, ill
simple — complex, hard, complicated
singular — plural
sink — float
slim — fat, thick, stout
slow – fast
smooth — rough
sober — drunk
soft – hard
solid — liquid
some — none
sorrow — joy
sour — sweet
sow -reap
straight – crooked
stand — lie
start — finish
stop — go
strict – lenient, indulgent
strong — weak
success — failure
sunny — cloudy
synonym — antonym
sweet — sour
T
take — give
tall — short
tame — wild
them — us
there — here
thick – thin
throw — catch
tight — loose, slack
tiny — big, huge
together — apart
top — bottom
tough — easy, tender
transparent — opaque
true — false
truth — lie, untruth
U
under — over
unfold – fold
unity — division
unknown — known
unqualified — qualified
unsafe — safe
up — down
upside-down — right-side-up
upstairs — downstairs
us — them
useful — useless
V
vacant – occupied
valuable — valueless
vanish — appear
vast — tiny
victory — defeat
virtue — vice
visible — invisible
voluntary – compulsory
vowel — consonant
W
war — peace
wax — wane
weak — strong
wet — dry
white – black
weak – strong, powerful
white — black
wide — narrow
win — lose
wisdom — folly, stupidity
within – outside
worse – better
worst — best
wrong — right
Y
yes — no
young — old
Z
zip — unzip
Definition of Antonym
An antonym is a semantic term for words that have opposite meanings or definitions. To simply put it, an antonym is an opposite of another word. The term “antonym” has been derived from a Greek word antonumia, which means counter name.
It is, in fact, a sense relation or binary relationship between words that have opposite or contradictory meanings. For instance, in the sentence, “You forget what you want to Remember and you Remember what you want to forget” (The Road, by Cormac McCarthy), the underlined words “forget” and “remember” are opposites to one another. In other words, they are antonyms of one another.
Difference Between Antonym and Synonym
Antonyms are pairs of words that have opposite meanings, such as: night-day, bright-dull, and wet-dry. Synonyms, on the other hand, are a group of words having similar meanings. Most words have synonyms. Verbs, nouns, prepositions, adjectives, and adverbs have synonyms, provided they belong to the same parts of speech.
Types of Antonym
There are three types of antonym, which are:
- Graded Antonyms – Graded antonyms use words having variations between two opposites. For instance, the words “big” and “little” are opposite; however, they can use a variety of other words with opposite meanings such as:
- Big, bulky, full-size, huge / petite, slight, and little
- Smart, clever, canny, bright / stupid, dim, obtuse, foolish, unwise
- Happy, pleased, joyful, ecstatic / sad, gloomy, dejected, miserable
- Healthy, vigorous, fit, strong / sick, unwell, ill, ailing
- Relational or Converse Antonyms – Relational antonyms use word pairs having a close relationship in which each word cannot exist without the other, or one word has only a single relational opposite. For example:
- Front-back
- Open-close
- Husband-wife
- Hello-goodbye
- Complimentary Antonyms – Complimentary antonyms use word pairs that are absolute opposites. They can independently exist without each other, such as a daughter is not the complimentary opposite of a son in the family. Similarly girls can exist without their complimentary opposites, boys. Some of these are given below:
- True-false
- Dead-alive
- Male-female
- On-off
- Daughter-son
- Yes-no
Examples of Antonyms in Literature
Example #1: The Plain Man and His Wife (by Arnold Bennett)
“If you ask me whom I mean by the plain man, my reply is that I mean almost every man. I mean you. I certainly mean me. I mean… the successful and the unsuccessful, the idle and the diligent, the luxurious and the austere.”
This is a good example of graded antonyms, as “successful” is opposite to “unsuccessful,” while “idle” is opposite to “diligent,” and “luxurious” is exactly opposite to “austere.”
Example #2: The World As I See It (by Albert Einstein)
“Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.”
The above example has used the graded antonyms “inner” and “outer,” “give” and “received,” and complimentary antonyms “living” and “dead.”
Example #3: Hamlet (by William Shakespeare)
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the Night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
In this excerpt, Shakespeare has used graded antonyms “night” and “day,” and absolute or complimentary antonyms “living” and “dead.”
Example #4: A Tale of Two Cities (by Charles Dickens)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”
Dickens has beautifully used antonyms in this passage. “Best” is opposite to “worst,” “wisdom” is opposite to “foolishness,” and likewise “belief” and “incredulity,” “light” and “darkness,” “hope” and “despair” are all graded antonyms.
Function of Antonym
The function of antonyms, in both speech and writing, is important because they highlight or emphasize the main idea of a text or speech. In literature, antonyms are used in different literary devices such as in synecdoche and paradox. These devices make some features of a character, or some quality in a person prominent. Antonyms also are helpful tools in narration, argumentation, description, and explanation. Antonyms also play an important role in language acquisition.
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What is an antonym?
Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. The word antonym comes from Greek and means “against a name.” There are three types of antonyms, and many words can have multiple antonyms, depending on the meaning of the original word. As literary devices, antonyms are one of the simplest to find and use.
Types of antonyms
Antonyms exist on three levels of thought. Many are just binary pairs or complementary antonyms, like these:
-
in/out
-
backward/forward
-
bad/good
-
true/false
Other antonym pairs are relational antonyms, in which one word implies its opposite related word, even if it is not mentioned:
-
doctor/patient
-
husband/wife
-
lend/borrow
-
predator/prey
-
take/get
Words that have a sense of relation are said to have antonymy.
A third level, graded or gradable antonyms, exist along a sliding scale of meanings:
-
hot/cold exist as extremes of the temperature spectrum, including warm/cool, toasty/frosty
-
dull/interesting has companion antonyms along the attention span spectrum like boring/fascinating, tiresome/enthralling
-
empty/full lie at opposite ends of either literal capacity (like a storage container) or figurative language (like an empty life, half-lived life, full life)
In addition to the three types, many antonym pairs come from adding prefixes that mean not or no, and these can be helpful in writing:
-
comfortable/uncomfortable
-
illegible/legible
-
unfit/fit
-
typical/atypical
-
irresponsible/responsible
-
modest/immodest
Antonyms examples
An antonym is a word that is the opposite of another word. Here is a list of example antonyms for you to review:
| Word | Antonyms |
|---|---|
| information | ignorance, question, silence |
| definition | ambiguity, question, vagueness |
| help | encumberance, obstuction, harm |
| explain | conceal, misrepresent, withhold |
| use | halt, misuse, neglect |
| account | conceal, erase, hide |
| parallel | diverge, perpendicular, refuse |
| fact | fiction, lie, fabrication |
| simple | complex, intricate, involved |
| need | nonesential, luxury, comfort |
This list of examples is not exhaustive. Most of these words have alternative meanings, which means there are alternative antonyms for them as well.
You can find synonyms and antonyms for most words using a Thesaurus or by searching Google.
Expanding your vocabulary with antonyms
Knowing you have choices in applying the power of antonyms, you can improve your writing by choosing the higher-level antonyms and avoiding complementary antonyms.
Of course, great authors have used complementary antonyms to great effect. Here are the opening lines of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. They form a master class in using antonyms:
It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom,
it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light,
it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope,
it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way– in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
When you focus your attention on subtler antonym pairs than those that are complementary, you learn nuance. Nuance refers to the shades of meaning and usage in language.
Consider two choices and the quality of writing each demonstrates:
-
here/not here
-
presence/absence
Using polysyllabic antonyms adds interest to your writing, whether you are composing fiction or nonfiction. Studying antonym pairs help you see relationships between concepts, not just words. Can you see a qualitative difference in using fat/thin and obese/gaunt?
Studying antonyms is a great way to learn new words, too.
Contronyms
Words that are their own antonyms are called contronyms or Janus words after the Roman god, Janus, who had two faces looking into the past and future.
Take a word like fast, which often means speedy or quick. Yet fast also means to stay put.
Other Janus words and a sense of their opposite meanings include:
-
Cleave – On the treacherous mountainside, the brave geologists cleaved to one another as they searched for rocks that would easily cleave, or split, into pieces.
-
Dust – An actor playing the forest fairy will dust the sleeping couple with magic powder. Later, the stagehand will have to dust the stage to get rid of the powder.
-
Peruse – You can peruse the contract word by word, making certain you understand it, or you can quickly peruse it and skim to the end.
-
Sanction – We sanction, or approve, the decision by the ethics director to sanction, or disapprove of, the behavior of the corrupt officials.
-
Table – We can table this item for the next meeting, or we can table the topic, calling for immediate consideration.
Antonym quiz
Decide if these words are antonyms or something else:
-
Up/down
-
Inside/outside
-
Grey/green
-
Black/white
-
Young/old
-
Happy/joyful
Read the example sentence and decide if the underlined word is a contronym or not:
-
The Congressional committee performed careful oversight of the funds, eager to ensure no money was wasted as an oversight.
-
The bad smell in the kitchen told everyone that the overripe fruit had gone bad and must be composted.
-
The dancers tripped the light fantastic on the dance floor until one of them tripped and fell.
Think of an antonymous word (a word having opposite meaning) for each of the following. Don’t be afraid to look up the word if you don’t know it:
-
Accolade
-
Agile
-
Copious
-
Obese
-
Statuesque
-
Turbulent
Before you look, try it! Here are the answers:
-
Up and down are complementary antonyms.
-
Inside and outside are complementary antonyms.
-
Grey and green are not antonyms.
-
Black and white are complementary antonyms.
-
Young and old are graded antonyms.
-
Happy and joyful are synonyms, not antonyms.
-
The word “oversight” is a contronym.
-
The word “bad” is not an antonym. Some modern slang includes using “bad” to mean “good,” but that is not its use here.
-
The word “tripped” is a contronym.
-
Accolade could pair with antonyms such as reproof, indictment, censure, denunciation, condemnation, or reprimand.
-
Agile could pair with an antonym like clumsy, stiff, awkward, slow, or lazy.
-
Copious could pair with an antonym such as meager, lacking, scarce, or wanting.
-
Obese can pair with an antonym like underweight, skinny, emaciated, or anorexic.
-
Statuesque, an elegant word, can pair with an elegant antonym like grotesque, frumpy, or uncomely.
-
Turbulent could pair with an antonym such as peaceable, peaceful, or halcyon.
Opposite Words in English! An opposite word is a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other. In this article, you will find the list of opposite words in English.
Common Opposite Words
Here is the list of most common opposite words in English.
Laugh………….Cry
- She made a valiant attempt to laugh.
- He tried to cry off after swearing he would do it!
Far………….Near
- The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
- The best fish swim near the bottom.
Even………….Odd
- If you’re multiplying by an even number, you know the answer can’t be an odd number.
- The houses on this side of the street all have odd numbers.
Give………….Take (Receive)
- It is better to give than to receive.
- If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.
Hot………….Cold
- It was a sheer luxury to step into a hot bath.
- It’s so cold the snow doesn’t get a chance to thaw.
Night………….Day
- The meeting extended late into the night.
- The morning sun never lasts a day.
Light………….Dark
- The office was light and airy.
- The night deep dark blue eyes.
Import………….Export
- The country has to import most of its raw materials.
- The islands export sugar and fruit.
Opposite………….Same
- The post office is opposite the station.
- The two houses were built after the same model.
Hard………….Easy
- A faithful friend is hard to find.
- It is easy to open a shop but hard to keep it always open.
Late………….Early
- It is too late to lock the stable door when the steed is stolen.
- You promised me you’d be home early tonight.
Normal………….Strange
- It’s normal to feel tired after such a long trip.
- The radio is giving out a strange signal.
Less………….More
- Her headaches are becoming less frequent.
- The more women look in their glass, the less they look to their house.
Little………….Much
- A little child is a sweetest and purest thing in the world.
- Too much pudding will choke a dog.
Male………….Female
- Male workers were made permanently sterile by this pesticide.
- The contract gives a female executive maternity leave rights.
In………….Out
- Come on, we’re late – get in the car.
- It’s bitterly cold out, today.
Happiness………….Sadness
- Our children have brought us so much happiness.
- Her sadness at her grandfather’s death was obvious.
Fast………….Slow
- Computers are getting faster all the time.
- She’s a very slow eater.
Soft………….Hard
- I like chocolates with soft centres.
- There was a heavy frost last night and the ground is still hard.
Old………….Young
- This is a battered old car.
- His girlfriend’s very young.
Stop………….Move
- I couldn’t stop laughing.
- We’re moving to Paris.
Boy………….Girl
- You’ve been a very naughty boy!
- There was a little girl sitting next to him.
Begin………….Finish
- I need to fuel up before I begin the trip.
- I’ll call you when I’ve finished my homework.
Up………….Down
- Is this lift going up?
- Is this lift going down?
Visible………….Invisible
- The house is clearly visible from the beach.
- She was invisible in the dusk of the room.
Left………….Right
- The left brain controls the right-hand side of the body.
- Most people write with their right hand.
Alive………….Dead
- She does not know if he is alive or dead.
Rich………….Poor
- The region is rich in minerals and coal deposits.
- He came from a poor immigrant family.
North………….South
- The wind shifted to the north.
- The south of the country enjoys an equable climate.
Love………….Hate
- I’m sure he loves his kids.
- Kelly hates her teacher.
Clever………….Stupid
- Sam is very clever at physics.
- She was really stupid to quit her job like that.
Inside………….Outside
- The door bolts on the inside.
- It was a sunny day outside.
Before………….After
- She’s always up before dawn.
- Let’s go for a walk after breakfast.
Bad………….Good
- He is a bad man.
- I’ve just had some very good news.
Sweet………….Sour
- Honey is sweet, but the bee stings.
- The fruit was too sour to eat.
Short………….Tall
- Her short hairstyle is very becoming.
- He was tall and quite good-looking.
Increase………….Reduce
- Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
- The aim is to reduce traffic at peak periods.
Close………….Open
- Close your eyes and imagine you are in a forest.
- The museum is open to the public.
Child………….Adult
- The child is learning to write.
- Children quickly get bored by adult conversation.
Man………….Woman
- He was a quiet, shy man.
- There is little of a woman in her.
Brief………….Long
- This is a brief outline of the events.
- Passengers could face long delays.
Difficult………….Easy
- It was difficult to tell his exact age.
- The system is relatively easy to use.
On………….Off
- I ripped my jeans on the fence.
- Don’t put off till tomorrow what should be done today.
Full………….Empty
- The room was full of people.
- The house stands desolate and empty.
Amateur………….Professional
- She is an amateur in dancing.
- The best professional musicians start young.
Let………….Forbid
- He stepped aside to let her pass.
- His parents forbid him wine.
Liquid………….Solid
- The liquid is found in a highly concentrated form.
- The clothes froze solid on the washing-line.
Dim………….Bright
- The light is too dim for me to read.
- I’ve got two bright students, but the rest are average.
Borrow………….Lend
- I’ve arranged that we can borrow their car.
- Can you lend me your car this evening?
Melt………….Freeze
- The ice will melt when the sun shines on it.
- Freeze it only until firm but not rock solid.
Ally………….Enemy
- She felt she needed an ally so badly.
- We attacked the enemy from the rear.
Regular………….Irregular
- The restaurant has a large regular clientele.
- She touched its tough irregular surface.
Start………….Finish
- What time do the fireworks start?
- He is anxious to finish the job.
Kind………….Cruel
- Kind words are the music of the world.
- Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
Powerful………….Weak
- His speech was a powerful spur to action.
- John is good at French but weak at history.
Awake………….Asleep
- I was wide awake all night.
- He lay down and was asleep immediately.
Natural………….Artificial
- My hair soon grew back to its natural colour.
- This artificial fabric has the texture of silk.
Combine………….Separate
- Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.
- A brief summary is given on a separate sheet.
Thick………….Thin
- The ground was thick with dead leaves.
- She’s only wearing a thin summer jacket.
Wide………….Narrow
- He built the house low and wide.
- They rode along narrow country lanes.
Wet………….Dry
- We have got wet patches on the wall.
- Go and rub your hands dry.
Heavy………….Light
- Gosh, the rain is so heavy!
- Here, take this bag – it’s quite light.
Deep………….Shallow
- She had just woken from a deep sleep.
- Put the milk in a shallow dish.
Serious………….Funny
- The court case will do serious harm to my business.
- The show was very funny – they were sending up sports commentators.
Safe………….Dangerous
- The boats in the harbor were safe during the storm.
- It’s a dangerous stretch of road.
Sunny………….Cloudy
- I wear blue-tinted glasses on sunny days.
- Cloudy sky drove the bathers off the beach.
Total………….Partial
- He is a firm believer in total quality management.
- I could give it only partial support.
Cheap………….Expensive
- I got a cheap flight at the last minute.
- She was wearing an expensive new outfit.
Here………….There
- Children here walk several miles to school.
- Altogether there were 38 people in the bus.
Interesting………….Boring
- It is interesting to compare their situation and ours.
- I hate this stinking boring job!
Never………….Always
- I’ve never been very good at arithmetic.
- He is always polite to everyone.
Many………….Few
- The room still has many of its original features.
- Very few students learn Latin now.
Tight………….Loose
- We’re working to a tight schedule.
- One of the screws is loose.
Useful………….Useless
- It can be useful to write a short summary of your argument first.
- Don’t expend all your time on such a useless job.
Top………….Bottom
- He arrived breathless at the top of the stairs.
- The bottom line is that recycling isn’t profitable.
Huge………….Tiny
- Your room’s huge compared to mine.
- The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand.
Unity………….Division
- To be strong, a country must have unity.
- There was a division of opinion on the matter.
Visitor………….Host
- You are a frequent visitor at my house.
- Our host greeted us at the door.
Single………….Married
- He’s been single for so long now, I don’t think he’ll ever marry.
- I thought he would change after we got married.
Sister………….Brother
- I share a bedroom with my sister.
- My brother is in his thirties.
Smooth………….Rough
- She had thick black hair and smooth dark skin.
- The rough cloth prickled my skin.
Sit………….Stand
- The students sit in a circle on the floor.
- We had to stand in the snow every morning for roll call.
Special………….General
- I have cooked a special meal in honor of our visitors.
- He had clearly plumbed the general sense of the message.
Suburb………….Centre
- The town is a residential suburb.
- We live ten minutes from the city centre by bus.
Summer………….Winter
- The color of leaves is green in summer.
- We go skiing most weekends in winter.
Supporter………….Opponent
- You couldn’t get a supporter for love or money.
- In debate he was a formidable opponent.
Teach………….Learn
- She offered to teach me to crochet.
- You must learn to control your temper.
Major………….Minor
- There is a major problem with parking in London.
- This is a very minor operation and there is very little risk involved.
Maximum………….Minimum
- The maximum load for this truck is ten ton.
- The act lays down a minimum standard for air quality.
Mess………….Order
- He made a frightful mess in the kitchen.
- The children lined up in order of age/height.
Modern………….Ancient
- I have to say I don’t much care for modern music.
- Marriage became an institution in ancient societies.
Narrow………….Broad
- They rode along narrow country lanes.
- She grows her own broad beans.
Noisy………….Quiet
- We are averse to such noisy surroundings.
- He was a quiet, shy man.
Not yet………….Ready
- This new drug’s potency is not yet known.
- Come on, wake up – breakfast is ready.
Other………….Same
- I couldn’t concentrate on my work – my mind was on other things.
- The two houses were built after the same model.
Peace………….War
- She was longing for some peace and privacy.
- His business suffered greatly during the war.
Polite………….Rude
- He is always polite to everyone.
- He is so rude that nobody can bear him.
Poverty………….Wealth
- She has lived in poverty all her life.
- His wealth is estimated at fifty million dollars.
Pretty………….Ugly
- That’s a pretty hat you’re wearing.
- I like her in a kind, but she is ugly.
Public………….Private
- The museum is open to the public.
- The interviewer probed deep into her private life.
Push………….Pull
- She gave him a gentle push towards the door.
- Don’t pull so hard or the handle will come off.
Regret………….Satisfaction
- I regret to say that we can’t stay here any longer.
- He smiled in satisfaction when he won the race.
Ask………….Reply
- You must ask permission if you want to leave early.
- He was too racked by sobs to reply.
Remember………….Forget
- I can still vividly remember my grandfather teaching me to play cards.
- I tend to forget things unless I mark them down.
High………….Low
My kite flies high in the sky.
He built the house low and wide.
Humid………….Dry
- It’s too humid today; it’s hard to breathe!
- I need to change into some dry clothes.
Include………….Exclude
- My hobbies include reading and painting.
- She gets very upset if I exclude her from anything.
Junior………….Senior
- He is junior to me by a year.
- He passed himself off as a senior psychologist.
Antonyms Word List | Infographic
Definition and Examples of an Antonym in English
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An antonym is a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word, such as hot and cold, short and tall. An antonym is the antonym of synonym. Adjective: antonymous. Another word for antonym is counterterm.
Antonymy is the sense relation that exists between words which are opposite in meaning. In Language: Its Structure and Use, Edward Finnegan defines antonymy as «a binary relationship between terms with complementary meanings.»
How to Use Antonyms
It’s sometimes said that antonymy occurs most often among adjectives, but as Steven Jones et al. points out in Antonyms in English: Construals, Constructions and Canonicity, it’s more accurate to say that «antonym relations are more central to the adjective classes than to other classes.»
Nouns can be antonyms (for example, courage and cowardice), as can verbs (arrive and depart), adverbs (carefully and carelessly), and even prepositions (above and below).
«You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.» (Cormac McCarthy, The Road)
«A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.» (Albert Einstein, «The World as I See It»)
Opposition and Parallelism
«Factors that contribute to particularly good antonym pairings may relate to more than just the two items’ semantic oppositeness; for instance, the pairing of increase and decrease is supported by their rhyme and the perception of a parallel morphology, as well as their semantic opposition.» (Steven Jones et al., Antonyms in English: Construals, Constructions and Canonicity)
Three Types of Antonyms
«Linguists identify three types of antonymy: (1) Gradable antonyms, which operate on a continuum: (very) big, (very) small. Such pairs often occur in binomial phrases with and: (blow) hot and cold, (search) high and low. (2) Complementary antonyms, which express an either/or relationship: dead or alive, male or female. (3) Converse or relational antonyms, expressing reciprocity: borrow or lend, buy or sell, wife or husband.» (“Antonym,” The Oxford Companion to the English Language, by Tom McArthur)
Sources
- “Antonym.” The Oxford Companion to the English Language, by Tom McArthur, Oxford Univ. Press, 1992.
- Einstein, Albert. “The World As I See It.” Living Philosophies: By Albert Einstein, John Dewey, James Jeans …, 1931.
- Finegan, Edward. Language: Its Structure and Use. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.
- Jones, Steven, et al. Antonyms in English: Construals, Constructions and Canonicity. Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Picador, 2019.