Word for meaning the opposite

Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning in relation to other words in
proposal. Using antonyms can help us improve our writing and vocabulary skills
stock’s.

Definition of antonyms

An Antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. For example, the antonym
«hot» can be «cold». The root words for the word «antonym» are the words » anti»,
meaning «against» or «opposite» and «onym» meaning «name».

To better understand antonyms, let’s look at what the word «synonym» means. The synonym is
a word that has a meaning similar to or exactly the same meaning as another word. Synonyms
and antonyms are exactly the opposite.

Why are antonyms important?

Oddly enough, to better understand the meaning of a word, we can look at its antonym or
opposite value. For example, take the word «surly». The definition of «gloomy» — » gloomy
or sullen humor.» Sometimes even reading a dictionary is not enough to give us a complete
understanding of the word. Most dictionaries also provide synonyms and antonyms.

For Example, here are a few listed synonyms for the word «surly»: «surly», » sour»,
«sullen».
In addition, here are a few antonyms: «cheerful» and «optimistic». Now we know that
the opposite of «Moody» is cheerful and even optimistic! A look at synonyms and antonyms
does give us a clearer definition.

Using antonyms in writing

Sometimes we
we find it difficult when trying to choose the best word in a sentence, or we are too often
we use the same words. For example,
we can look for a word that means the opposite of» manly, » but we want to
choose a different word than » scared.» Let’s
let’s take the antonym challenge and see if we can find the best word!

When we search for the word
«manly» and scroll down to the list of antonyms, we see words like:
«cowardly» and «weak-willed». These words are more vivid than the word «scared», and
by using brighter words in our writing, we improve our writing.

easy-going

Opposite Words in English PDF Download: A word that expresses meaning in opposition to the meaning of a certain word is known as an opposite word. The two words in this instance are referred to as antonyms of one another. Students should acquire as many antonyms and opposite terms as they can because this will help them expand their vocabulary and strengthen their command of the English language. «Opposite words» is an important topic in English Grammar. For competitive exams, in the reading comprehension topic or in the English language section, questions from the Opposite Words in English are common. These terms will be crucial to your academic development as well as the improvement of your reading and writing abilities. However, the list of opposite words in English a to z is provided below. The candidates in search of Antonyms/Opposite Words, frequently want to know about opposite words in English 20, opposite words in English list, words and opposite in English, opposite words in English 100, opposite words in English 10, opposite words in English a to z 200, opposite words in English a to z list, 100 opposite words in English, opposite words in English 20 PDF Download, 100 opposite words in English pdf download, 100 opposite words in English easy, etc., can refer to this article for more info.

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Opposite Words In English a-z

It is not possible for one individual to study the antonyms of every word in the English lexicon due to the scope of the topic «Opposite Words.» There are many opposite terms that we frequently use in our daily lives, but some of us might not be familiar with all of them. We have listed more than 1000 opposing terms in this post for your reference; browse through them and attempt to understand a few new words with opposing connotations. This article will teach you many of the opposing words used in English grammar, which will undoubtedly improve your vocabulary, especially if you’re getting ready for competitive exams like the Bank Exams, SSC Exams, UPSC, and others where you have to study for the English subject. Candidates aspiring to know all the z opposite words, 1000 opposite words in English, and opposite words in English a-z can read further.

Opposite Words In English a to z PDF Download

Candidates preparing for competitive exams can make use of the opposite words in English a to z PDF Download link provided below. With the help of opposite words in English a to z PDF Download link, aspirants can learn the opposite words easily and also they can download the PDF and take printouts if necessary. Make use of the opposite words in English a to z PDF Download link for effective preparation.

Opposite Words In English a to z PDF Download

Opposite Words In English List: Basic Words Antonyms

Here we have added the list of opposite words in English for the reference of the candidates. Below is a collection of some general and simple opposing words in English. Utilize these antonyms to expand your vocabulary in English. You can read the following general 100 opposite words in English easy here.

Opposite Words In English List: Basic Words Antonyms
Words	Antonyms In English
Absent	Present
After	Before
Active	Lazy
Brave	Afraid
Bitter	Sweet
Beginning	End
Blunt	Sharp
Big	Small / Little
Cheap	Expensive
Clean	Dirty
Close	Open
Deep	Shallow
Day	Night
Down	Up
Daughter	Son
Early	Late
Easy	Difficult / Hard
Enter	Exit
Far	Near / Close
Friend	Enemy
Fast	Slow
Fat	Thin / Skinny
Full	Empty
Good	Bad
Happy	Sad
Heavy	Light
Happy	Sad
Here	There
High	Low
Hot	Cold
In	Out
Inside	Outside
Interesting	Boring
Light	Dark
Long	Short
Loud	Soft
Many	Few
Male	Female
New	Old
Near	Far
Over	Under
Rich	Poor
Right	Left
Right	Wrong
Safe	Dangerous
Single	Married
Smooth	Rough
Soft	Hard
Strong	Weak
Tall	Short
Thick	Thin
Tight	Loose
Top	Bottom
Ugly	Beautiful
Vertical	Horizontal
Warm	Cool
Wet	Dry
Wide	Narrow
Young	Old
Yesterday	Tomorrow
Yes	No

Opposite Words In English a to z List

Here you can find out the opposite words in English in alphabetical order from a to z. 

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘A’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter A tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘A’

absent — present abundant — scarce accept — decline, refuse accurate — inaccurate admit — deny advantage — disadvantage against — for agree — disagree alive — dead all — none, nothing ally — enemy always — never ancient — modern answer — question antonym — synonym apart — together appear — disappear, vanish approve — disapprove arrive — depart artificial — natural ascend — descend attic — cellar attractive — repulsive awake — asleep

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘B’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter B tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘B’

backward — forward bad — good beautiful — ugly before — after begin — end below — above bent — straight best — worst better — worse, worst big — little, small bitter-sweet black — white blame — praise bless — curse bold — meek, timid borrow — lend bottom — top bound — unbound, free boundless — limited boy — girl brave — cowardly bright — dim, dull brighten — fade broad — narrow build — destroy

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘C’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter C tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘C’

calm — windy, troubled can — cannot, can’t capable — incapable captive — free careful — careless cheap — expensive cheerful — sad, discouraged, dreary clear — cloudy, opaque clever — stupid clockwise — counterclockwise close — far, distant closed — ajar, open clumsy — graceful cold — hot combine — separate come — go comfort — discomfort common — rare compulsory — voluntary conceal — reveal contract — expand cool — warm correct — incorrect, wrong courage — cowardice courteous — discourteous, rude create — destroy crooked — straight cruel — kind

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘D’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter D tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘D’

dangerous — safe dark — light day — night daytime — nighttime dead — alive decline — accept, increase decrease — increase deep — shallow definite — indefinite demand — supply despair — hope dim — bright disappear — appear discourage — encourage diseased — healthy down — up downwards — upwards dreary — cheerful dry — moist, wet dull — bright, shiny dusk — dawn

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘E’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter E tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘E’

early — late east-west easy — hard, difficult empty — full encourage — discourage end — begin, start enter — exit even — odd expand — contract export — import exterior — interior external — internal

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘F’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter F tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘F’

fade — brighten fail — succeed false — true famous — unknown far — near fast — slow fat — thin feeble — strong, powerful few — many find — lose first — last float — sink fold — unfold foolish — wise for — against fore — aft forget — remember fortunate — unfortunate found — lost free-bound, captive frequent — seldom fresh — stale friend — enemy full — empty

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘G’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter G tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘G’

generous — stingy gentle — rough get — give giant — tiny, small, dwarf girl — boy give — receive, take glad — sad, sorry gloomy — cheerful go — stop good — bad, evil grant — refuse great — tiny, small, unimportant grow — shrink guest — host guilty — innocent

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘H’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter H tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘H’

happy — sad hard — easy hard — soft harmful — harmless harsh — mild hate — love haves — have-nots healthy — diseased, ill, sick heaven — hell heavy — light help — hinder here — there hero — coward high — low hill — valley hinder — help honest — dishonest horizontal — vertical hot — cold humble — proud

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘I’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter I tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘I’

ill — healthy, well immense — tiny, small important — trivial in — out include — exclude increase — decrease inferior — superior inhale — exhale inner — outer inside — outside intelligent — stupid, unintelligent intentional — accidental interesting — boring interesting — dull, uninteresting interior — exterior internal — external

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘J’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter J tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘J’

join — separate junior — senior just — unjust justice — injustice

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘K’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter K tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘K’

knowledge — ignorance known — unknown

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘L’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter L tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘L’

landlord — tenant large — small last — first laugh — cry lawful — unlawful, illegal lazy — industrious leader-follower left — right lend -borrow lengthen — shorten lenient — strict less — more light — dark, heavy like — dislike, hate likely — unlikely limited — boundless little — big long — short loose — tight lose — find loss — win loud — quiet love — hate low — high loyal — disloyal

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘M’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter M tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘M’

mad — happy, sane major — minor many — few mature — immature maximum — minimum melt — freeze merry — sad messy — neat minor — major minority — majority miser — spendthrift misunderstand — understand more — less

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘N’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter N tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘N’

nadir — zenith narrow — wide near — far, distant neat — messy, untidy never — always new — old night — day nighttime — daytime no — yes noisy — quiet none — some north-south

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘O’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter O tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘O’

obedient — disobedient odd — even offer — refuse old — new old — young on — off open — closed, shut opposite- same, similar optimist — pessimist out — in outer — inner over — under

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘P’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter P tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘P’

past — present patient — impatient peace — war permanent — temporary plentiful — scarce plural — singular poetry — prose polite — rude, impolite possible — impossible poverty — wealth, riches powerful — weak pretty — ugly private — public prudent — imprudent pure — impure, contaminated push — pull

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘Q’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter Q tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘Q’

qualified — unqualified question — answer quiet — loud, noisy

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘R’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter R tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘R’

raise — lower rapid — slow rare — common real — fake regular — irregular rich — poor right — left, wrong right-side-up — upside-down rough — smooth rude — courteous

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘S’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter S tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘S’

safe — unsafe same — opposite satisfactory — unsatisfactory scatter — collect second-hand — new secure — insecure separate — join, together serious — trivial shallow — deep shrink — grow sick — healthy, ill simple — complex, hard singular — plural sink — float slim — fat, thick slow — fast sober — drunk soft — hard some — none sorrow — joy sour — sweet sow -reap start — finish stop-go straight — crooked strict — lenient strong — weak success — failure sunny — cloudy sweet — sour synonym — antonym

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘T’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter T tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘T’

take — give tall — short tame — wild them — us there — here thick — thin tight — loose, slack tiny — big, huge together — apart top — bottom tough — easy, tender transparent — opaque true — false truth — falsehood, lie, untruth

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘U’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter U tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘U’

under — over unfold — fold unknown — known unqualified — qualified unsafe — safe up — down upside-down — right-side-up upstairs — downstairs us — them useful — useless

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘V’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter V tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘V’

vacant — occupied vanish — appear vast — tiny victory — defeat virtue — vice visible — invisible voluntary — compulsory

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘W’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter W tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘W’

war — peace wax — wane weak — strong wet — dry white — black wide — narrow win-lose wisdom — folly, stupidity within — outside wrong — right

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘X’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter X tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘X’

Xenial — Inhospitable Xenophobic — Impartial Xeroxes — Original

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘Y’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter Y tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘Y’

yes — no yin — yang young — old

Opposite Words In English Starting With Letter ‘Z’

Aspirants can check the important opposite words in English starting with the letter Z tabulated below.

Opposite Words In English Starting With ‘Z’ / Z opposite words

zenith — nadir zip — unzip

Opposite Words In English Exercises

In the English language portion of numerous tests, including SSC (SSC CGL, CHSL, JE, etc.), UPSC (NDA, CDS, etc.), Banking, and more, candidates who are taking government examinations commonly encounter questions relating to antonyms/opposite words. The opposite words that are requested in the vocabulary part are more complex than the straightforward opposite terms mentioned before. A few significant questions from the perspective of competitive exams are presented below for practice using opposite words.

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word

Q1. Xenophobic

1. yang
2. Impartial
3. qualified
4. Original

Ans. (b)

Q2. Optimist

1. courteous
2. messy
3. pessimist
4. sink

Ans. (c)

Q3. Wisdom

1. folly
2. Impartial
3. always
4. courteous

Ans. (a)

Q4. Ally

1. enemy
2. together
3. repulsive
4. support

Ans. (a)

Q5. Scatter

1. disperse
2. Inhospitable
3. even
4. collect

Ans. (d)

Q6. Bless

1. blame
2. praise
3. curse
4. enjoy

Ans. (c)

Q7. Cheerful

1. Happy
2. dreary
3. Entertain
4. optimistic

Ans. (b)

Q8. Hinder 

1. trouble
2. help
3. disturbance
4. pessimistic

Ans. (b)

Q9. Calm

1. relax
2. satisfied
3. Righteous
4. Windy

Ans. (d)

Q10. Nefarious

1. Recuperate
2. Stupidity
3. Righteous
4. Sobriety

Ans. (c)

Reasoning Free Study Materials PDF
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FAQs — Opposite Words in the English Language

Q. What are the opposing words in English?

A word that expresses meaning in opposition to the meaning of a certain word is known as an opposite word. The two words in this instance are referred to as antonyms of one another.

Q. What is the opposite word of benefit?

Some of the opposite words of benefit are, disadvantage, hindrance, drawback, impediment, minus, liability, obstacle, etc.,

Q. What are the opposite words of kind?

The opposite words of kind are unkind, inconsiderate, mean, etc.,

Q. What are the opposite words of tall?

The opposite words of tall are short, small, low, etc.,

Q. What are the opposite words of fat?

The opposite words of fat are thin, skinny, etc.,

Antonym words | An overview

The 20-volume Oxford Dictionary’s Second Edition has a whopping 171,476 words that are currently in use in the English language. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary includes close to 470,000 entries for new words. These numbers, however, do not accurately cover the expanse of words and meanings that are encompassed within the English language. Your current vocabulary may include many daily use English words, but are you aware of the right antonym words to use in your conversations? 

The word “antonym” has its origins in the Greek language. The Greek word for “opposite” is “anti” and “name” is “onym.” Antonyms, therefore, are words that have opposite or contrasting meanings. In fact, the word antonym, coined in 1867, serves as the opposite of synonyms. 

Understanding the kinds of antonyms and examples of the same can help you create an impact in your everyday conversations. Through these antonyms, you can make your writing more fun and engaging. They can also help you ace your IELTS and TOEFL. But do you know what some key differences between antonyms and synonyms are? Let’s have a look!

Difference between synonyms and antonyms 

Antonyms	Synonyms
Words that are opposites of each other are called antonyms.	Words that have similar or identical meanings are called synonyms.
According to Merriam Webster, an antonym is a word of opposite meaning.	According to Merriam Webster, a synonym is one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses.
Examples- Divide – Unite; Vacant – Occupied; Freeze – Boil.	Examples- Annihilation – Destruction; Polite – Gracious; Risky – Dangerous.

The role of antonyms

1. Antonyms serve as a good explanation of the lexicography in the definitions of words in the dictionary.
2. They also appear like a good tool for forming the antithesis in literature. Also, the figurative antonym meaning is an expressive tool in the literature.
3. For the word-formation linguistic ability, it can be said that they play a significant role in enriching the language and vocabulary.
4. Antonyms also show the ability to better explain words with their meaning in analogous and bilingual dictionaries. 
5. In psychology, antonyms can be linked with studies associating words through which the human mind can function in relation to countering.
6. In literature, opposites are analyzed as distinguishing features of dramatic prose.

List of 130 antonyms

Here are 130 antonyms words that can be an excellent tool to enrich your vocabulary and foster meaningful conversations in English.

1. Artificial – Natural 

2. Arrive – Depart 

3. Argue – Agree 

4. All – None 

5. Amateur – Professional 

6. Alive – Dead

7. Advanced – Elementary 

8. Adult – Child 

9. Ancestor – Descendant 

10. Angel – Devil 

11. Boy – Girl 

12. Build – Destroy 

13. Buy – Sell 

14. Borrow – Lend 

15. Body – Soul 

16. Blunt – Sharp 

17. Bitter – Sweet 

18. Bottom – Top 

19. Boring – Exciting 

20. Busy – Lazy 

21. Ceiling – Floor 

22. Catch – Miss 

23. Careful – Careless 

24. Calm – Excited 

25. Close – Open 

26. Cold – Hot 

27. Clear – Cloudy

28. Child – Adult 

29. Certainly – Probably 

30. Callous – Sensitive 

31. Die – Live

32. Dictatorship – Republic 

33. Dainty – Clumsy 

34. Desperate – Hopeful 

35. Divide – Unite 

36. Domestic – Foreign 

37. Distant – Near 

38. Different – Alike 

39. Drama – Comedy 

40. Dull – Interesting 

41. Emigration – Immigration 

42. Empty – Full 

43. Eager – Apathetic 

44. Everything – Nothing 

45. Evening – Morning 

46. Even – Odd 

47. Exclude – Include 

48. Expensive – Cheap 

49. Export – Import

50. Exit – Entrance 

50 more to go!

51. Foreground – Background 

52. For – Against 

53. Forbid – Allow 

54. Flippant – Somber 

55. Flat – Hilly 

56. Future – Past 

57. Frequently – Occasionally 

58. Funny – Serious 

59. Free- Dependent 

60. Friend – Enemy 

61. Gaiety – Misery 

62. Give – Take 

63. Guest – Host 

64. Guilty – Innocent 

65. Gentle – Violent 

66. Gentleman – Lady 

67. General – Particular 

68. Grown-Up – Child 

69. Good – Bad 

70. Giant – Tiny 

71. Heavy – Light 

72. Heaven – Hell 

73. Hopeful – Desperate 

74. Health – Disease 

75. Hate – Love 

76. Harvest – Plant 

77. Handsome – Ugly 

78. Happy – Sad 

79. High – Low 

80. Here – There 

81. Intentional – Accidental 

82. Intelligent – Silly 

83. Inside – Outside 

84. Ignore – Notice 

85. Increase – Reduce 

86. Interrupt – Continue 

87. Insult – Compliment 

88. Ill – Healthy 

89. Ignore – Notice 

90. Import – Export 

91. Loser – Winner 

92. Lower – Higher 

93. Marry – Divorce

94. Mend – Break 

95. Midnight – Noon 

96. Melt – Freeze 

97. Negative – Affirmative 

98. Native – Foreigner 

99. Nasty – Nice 

100. Narrow – Broad 

30 more to go!

101. Happy – Wistful

102. Humble – Proud

103. Important – Trivial

104. Safe – Unsafe

105. Secure – Insecure

106. Intentional – Accidental

107. Brighten – Fade

108. Broad – Narrow

109. Limited – Boundless

110. War – Peace

111. Permanent – Temporary

112. Plentiful – Scarce

113. Plural – Singular

114. Guilty – Innocent

115. Zenith – Nadir

116. Zip – Unzip

117. Exterior – Interior

118. External – Internal

119. Justice- Injustice 

120. Adjunct – Separated 

121. Brittle – Tough 

122. Bind – Release

123. Boisterous – Placid

124. Chastise – Cheer

125. Contrary – Similar

126. Cunning – Naive

127. Ferocious – Gentle 

128. Glory – Shame

129. Adamant – Flexible 

130. Compress – Expand 

Types of antonyms 

It is imperative for English language speakers to have an understanding of when to use what word. This can help speakers structure their conversations and convey their messages accurately.

Understanding the kinds of antonyms in English is a good step towards creating meaningful and relevant sentences – both verbal and written. 

1. Auto antonyms 

Auto-antonyms are words that have two meanings, including an opposite meaning. Auto-antonyms are also referred to as “Janu words” and “contronym.” 

Examples of auto-antonyms are-

I. Clip (Verb) 

Meaning 1 – To hold tightly or fasten together.
Meaning 2 – To cut off or cut apart. 

II. Give Out (Verb) 

Meaning 1 – To stop producing or cease functioning.
Meaning 2 – To distribute or produce 

III. Bound (Verb) 

Meaning 1 – To spring or leap.
Meaning 2 – To be restrained by a material such as rope. 

IV. Moot (Adjective) 

Meaning 1 – Something academic and debatable.
Meaning 2 – Irrelevant.

V. Oversight (Noun)

Meaning 1 – To keep under watchful care or supervision
Meaning 2 – To omit or make an omission. 

2. Complementary antonyms 

Complementary antonym words are also referred to as contradictory antonyms or direct antonyms. These are words that exist independently of one another. They do not need any other term or definition to be included in a statement. 

Examples of complementary antonyms are-

I. True – False 

II. Entrance – Exit 

III. Night – Day 

IV. Dead – Alive 

V. Pass – Fail 

3. Relational antonyms 

Relational antonyms are also referred to as converse antonyms. This term describes word pairs where the opposite makes sense only in the context of the relationship between the two meanings. An example of relational antonyms is “near” and “far,” since an object cannot be near without measuring it against an object that is far away. 

Examples of relational antonyms include-

I. Teacher – Pupil 

II. Teach – Learn 

III. Come – Go 

IV. Parent – Child 

V. Doctor – Patient 

4. Graded Antonyms 

Graded antonyms show a variation or grade between words that have similar meanings. For example, the words “overjoyed,” “gratified,” “pleased,” and “content” have a connection in relation to the word happy. These antonyms can be used in place of regular-use terms. 

Additional examples of graded antonyms include-

I. Healthy – Vigorous, Fit, Strong

II. Sad – Gloomy, Dejected, Miserable 

III. Stupid – Obtuse, Foolish, Unwise, Dim 

IV. Petite – Slight, Little 

V. Big – Huge, Full-Size, Bulky 

The function of antonyms 

1. Learning antonyms is an easy and effective way of enhancing your vocabulary.
2. Recognizing words in combination with the other or in relation to other groups of words can help you derive the right meanings and insights.
3. Studying antonyms allows you to choose your words appropriately when conveying a message to your audience.
4. Learning these opposite words will additionally facilitate following instructions and directions to the T.
5. Antonym words help you better describe the state of the world around you.
6. In addition to school texts, it helps dictionaries explain words better to foreign students. 
7. Antonyms are also key to designing the signs on traffic lights, visual artworks, and more.

Can synonyms and antonyms enhance your vocabulary skills?

Learning synonyms and antonyms is a great way to improve your vocabulary as you get several substitutes for the same word. This helps in-

1. Minimizing monotony in your language, and you might be able to capture the attention of your audience too. 
2. Antonyms and synonyms can also help you express yourself better by using the right word in the right place. 
3. Using these words can also help make your language interesting and effective. 
4. Lastly, many competitive exams judge you on your vocabulary or have synonyms and antonyms as part of the syllabus. Learning these words can help you nail those exams. 

Is there an easy way to learn antonym words?

While learning antonyms can enrich your vocabulary, it might also leave you confused if you try to do it all at once. Therefore, we have listed some effective ways of learning these words-

1. Begin with learning a few words and inculcating those in your vocabulary. Try and integrate the words you learn in your conversations and writing. Only then will it serve its purpose. 
2. Don’t try to learn antonyms and synonyms together, as it might confuse you and affect your fluency in English. Instead, learn one thing at a time and master it before moving on to the next. 
3. Start with familiarizing yourself with synonyms and antonym words related to your interests, hobbies, etc. Then, you can move to watching movies, listening to podcasts, reading blogs, etc., to broaden your horizon of learning. 
4. Don’t mug up the antonym words, as they won’t always fit the same in every sentence. Instead, learn what the word means in the sentence context and use antonyms when appropriate. 
5. Take every word as a new word and learn its meaning. This way, your brain will build connections, and antonyms will come more naturally over time.

Key takeaways 

1. The word “antonym” is derived from the Greek equivalent of the words “opposite” and “name.” Therefore, antonym words help convey the opposite aspect of an idea. 
2. There are many antonyms that are used in everyday conversation. Understanding these antonyms can help structure sentences and increase vocabulary. 
3. There are four different kinds of antonyms- auto-antonyms, complementary antonyms, relational antonyms, and graded antonyms.
4. Understanding the applications of antonyms is key to using them effectively and without errors. 
5. Use antonyms to make sentences more refined and interesting.
6. Save the antonym list given above. Learn 5 or more each day and incorporate them into your daily vocabulary. 
7. Make this process fun by trying word games and using different antonyms each time.

That’s all we have for you in this blog. If you have any questions/suggestions, reach out to us or drop a comment below.

Liked this blog? Read next: English speech topics | Best topics to engage your audience!

FAQs 

Q1. What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?

Answer – Synonyms are words that have the same or a similar meaning to a given the word. Antonyms are words that have an opposite meaning. 

Q2. What is a synecdoche? 

Answer – A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part represents a whole.

Q3. How are antonyms used in debates? 

Answer – Antonyms can be used effectively in debates to draw comparisons between two or more points of view.

Q4. What is the best antonym for the word common?

Answer- Some antonyms for the word common are-

• Uncommon 
• Rare 
• Exceptional
• Infrequent
• Peculiar
• Irregular

Q5. What does antonym mean?

Answer- Words that have opposite meanings are called antonyms. They can be used to make sentences sound more interesting and grab the readers’ attention. 

Q6. How do you use antonyms?

Answer- When you use antonyms, you can show contrast in points and give clear distinctions in meanings. They give you speech/language a broader variation. To use antonyms right, first, figure out the meaning of the word you want to use. To make a sentence sound and feel right, use antonyms of the same word.

Antonym example- The ocean waves look fierce today, but they were very gentle yesterday.

Q7. Does every word have an antonym?

Answer- No, not all words have antonyms, but most nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives do. Some words can have more than one antonym; for example, the antonym for neat can be messy and untidy. 

The English language is a mystery to many non-speakers. This is largely due to the contradictions within the language itself, such as English words that have opposite definitions despite being spelled the same way. If you’re an English speaker, you do not pay much attention to these things. But for English language learners, these types of words add to their confusion with the language.

Do you know what the words that are spelled similarly and have two different meanings are called? They are called contronyms. The simplest explanation is that they are words that have opposite meanings.

Several nyms comprise the English language. Words that mean the same thing are synonyms. Words that sound the same but have different spelling, such as pear and pair are homonyms. Antonyms are the opposite meaning of a word. Heteronyms are words spelled similarly but pronounced differently.

What is a contronym?

A contronym is one word that has opposite meanings, which depends on the context of its use. It seems illogical that one word can have two different meanings, which can be the exact opposite of the other at times. For example, the word cleave means to cling, to adhere or to stick to something or someone. But it can also mean to cut, to split or to separate.

A contronym has other names, too. Some people call it contronym while others refer to it as autoantonym. More descriptive terms include antilogy, self-antonym, enantiodrome and antagonym. There’s still another term that many people use to refer to contronyms – Janus words. It was derived from Janus, an Italian deity of old, said to be heaven’s doorkeeper whose head has two faces, one in front and one at the back.

Development of English words with opposite meanings

The English language continues to evolve, including its parts. People, especially native speakers of English use contronyms in their daily conversation, but it may be tricky for learners of the language.

Contronyms develop over time as a result of constant use. For example, according to its etymology, the word blunt used to mean obtuse (person) or dull (weapons, tools) when it was used from the 12^th century to the late 14^th century. But around the 1580s, it became a word to mean sharp, referring to abrupt manner or speech, which takes on the context of making an unceremoniously made or direct comment. Another example is the word bolt, an Old English term whose original meaning (as a verb) is to fix or fasten something. Centuries later, bolt is also used to mean spring into sudden action, which could have been derived from bolt (noun) that refers to a missile or projectile such as an arrow.

One vital thing for English language learners to remember is to understand the context in using a word so that they will not make the mistake of saying something that is contradictory to the intended meaning.

This knowledge is essential in interpretation and translation as well. If a contronym is used in a different context, it can distort the whole meaning of the conversation or a sentence. If you need translation or interpreting services, ensure that you collaborate with a professional and native-speaking translator or interpreter, so as to avoid these types of mistakes.

The development of contronyms is also due to pronunciation changes through the years. Let’s look at the word cleave again. It means to join together and to split apart. It came from two Old English words, cleofan (split apart, separate) and cleofian (also clifian, cliofian) (adhere, stick together). Through years of use, the two words started to sound the same and later merged to become cleave.

Here’s another interesting one. Let is a word that used to mean stop, delay, obstruct, impede. It came from the Old English term lettan. Another Old English word, lætan means to leave undone, leave behind, bequeath or to allow. The original words later formed the contronym, let.

In some cases, the difference is the variant of English one uses creates the contronyms. In a parliamentary procedure, to table a bill means that the bill could be discussed, considered or reconsidered in British English. In American English however, it means to suspend or postpone the consideration.

Examples of contronyms

If you love languages, you’ll have fun with contronyms. But for many people, it can be confusing. So instead of getting confused, here are some examples of contronyms, which could be words that you use every day or see often. You may not even realize that you are using them in two different contexts because you are so used to them.

1. Sanction is either to impose a penalty on something or give official approval or permission.
2. You use left when you mean someone or something is still remaining (this is what’s left of the bunch), but it can also be used to mean someone departed (left the party, group, team, etc.).
3. You dust the furniture to remove dirt. You can also dust, in the context of applying it, such as dusting a cake with powdered sugar.
4. When you seed a cucumber, you are removing its seeds. When you seed your lawn, you are adding  seeds (grass) to the soil.
5. Trim can mean to cut or remove irregularities or outgrowth (plants, trees) or reduce the length of your hair. But you can also use the word to mean embellishing or decorating something, such as a Christmas tree.
6. When you mean something or someone is moving rapidly, you say it or she/he is fast. In terms of fabric color, it means that the dye will not run. It can also mean something is unmoving or fixed.
7. Off, when used as an adjective can mean something is not in operation or is deactivated, such as the stove is off or the light is off. It can also mean activated (the alarm went off) as well. As an adverb, it can denote distance in relation to space and time (the dinghy is two kilometers off the shore) or moving from a position or place (drove off, went off to work, event is still two weeks off).
8. Weather is an atmospheric condition, but it could mean enduring, as in weathered the economic downturn, or worn away, just like weathered wood or rock.
9. You can either screen to hide or block out an ugly view or corner, or use it to mean show (film/movie), test or sort.
10. Clip can mean bind things together, such as sheets of paper. It can also mean to separate or cut away or a part, as in clip your fingernails, clip the wings.
11. Centuries back, flog meant to whip, cane or beat a person or animal. In today’s application, it is used as a sales term, as in persistently promote something (such as a book).
12. The word hold can either mean to support something or someone, but it can also mean hinder, arrest or confine.
13. When you say toss, it can either mean discarding something, but it can also mean suggesting (like toss out an idea).
14. The military term anabasis means military retreat as well as military advance.

Here are more contronyms for you to use:

• Aught (nothing, all)
• Chuffed (annoyed, pleased)
• Consult (give advice, seek advice)
• Custom (special, usual)
• Dollop (small amount, large amount)
• Enjoin (prohibit, prescribe)
• Garnish (curtail wages, enhance food)
• Give out (stop production, produce)
• Grade (level, incline)
• Handicap (disadvantage e.g. physical or mental condition, advantage)
• Mean (excellent, average)
• Put out (generate, extinguish)
• Strike (miss, hit)
• Transparent (obvious, invisible)
• Unbending (relaxing, rigid)
• Wind up (start up, end)
• Story (factual, untrue account)
• Scan (skim, scrutinize)
• Refrain (stop an action, repeat an action, e.g, song refrain)
• Oversight (close control and scrutiny, accidental error or omission)
• Overlook (place to see things from above, miss seeing things or details)
• Peruse (read in a cursory or casual way, go over something attentively)

Remember that when using contronyms, you have to be aware of the words’ context, to ensure that you are relaying the right message.

Assurance of right context and correct definitions

The job of a professional translator is to provide an accurate translation of a source document into any language, which also includes careful consideration of the context of the message to ensure its proper delivery. At Day Translations, Inc. we work only with native speakers, to ensure the quality of the language. Our translators live in-country, so they are not only fluent in the language, but they are also fully knowledgeable of the culture of their country. They are professionals with years of experience in language services.

We also have subject matter experts for specific translation needs. We see to it that all the translation projects we handle pass through our quality control process to make sure that ensure accuracy, appropriateness of terminology and proper context. For all your translation and interpreting needs, call Day Translations. We offer a full suite of language services so you only have to talk to one organization. We are available 24/7, 365 days of the year. You can reach us through 1-800-969-6853. You have the option to send us an email as well here: Contact us.

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