Antonyms are those words whose meanings are opposite to each other. For example: light – dark.
Antonyms can be nouns ( start-end ), adjectives ( clean-dirty ), verbs ( buy-sell ), or adverbs ( good-bad ).
These words are distinguished from synonyms, which are those words that have equivalent meaning.
It may help you: Synonyms and antonyms
types of antonyms
As far as meaning is concerned, there are:
reciprocal antonyms . They are words that could not exist one without the other. For example: buy – sell; give – receive- Gradual Antonyms . They are words with opposite meanings, although between the two there are gradual or intermediate terms. For example: black – white (intermediate term: gray) or cold – hot (intermediate term: warm).
- complementary antonyms . They are words that exclude each other, that is, the existence of one of the two terms prevents the other from existing. For example: married – single or dead – alive.
- absolute antonyms . They are words whose meanings come to express completely contrary ideas. For example: easy – difficult; sunrise – sunset.
- relative antonyms . They are words that are partially opposed or that, although they have a very different meaning, are not strictly the opposite. For example: selfish – supportive; shiny – opaque
Regarding the form, there are also what are called morphological antonyms , which are those terms that are formed by adding a prefix to the root of a word that indicates deprivation, negation or opposition, such as des-, in-, a- , anti-, against- . Usually these are absolute antonyms. For example: corruption – anti-corruption; interest – disinterest.
examples of antonyms
| Word | Antonym |
| near | far |
| light | darkness |
| easy | hard |
| small | great |
| decent | indecent |
| evaporate | solidify |
| port | starboard |
| eventual | permanent |
| implicit | explicit |
| legal | illegal |
| underestimate | overestimate |
| to close | to open |
| accentuate | attenuate |
| inadmissible | admissible |
| defeat | triumph |
| to accept | to refuse |
| same | different |
| love | hate |
| summar | subtract |
| solidarity | selfishness |
| die | to live |
| just | unfair |
| lie | truth |
| equal | unpaid |
| responsible | irresponsible |
| trusted | suspicious |
| animated | inanimate |
| attach | break apart |
| flexible | hard |
| failed | right |
| public | private |
| blaze up | go out |
| hang up | hook off |
| vulgar | refined |
| provisional | definitive |
| humor | seriousness |
| war | paz |
| pack | unpack |
| until | thick |
| deny | let |
| fall down | stand up |
| ascertainable | untestable |
| restlessness | tranquillity |
| pious | impiadoso |
| moisten | dry |
| get bored | have fun |
| break free | to hold back |
| introvert | outgoing |
| future | last |
| general | particular |
| select | current |
| press | break free |
| to hit | err |
| equality | inequality |
| handsome | horrible |
| interior | exterior |
| superiority | inferiority |
| pretty | ugly |
| tired | rested |
| attack | defending |
| dirty | cleansed |
| wise | ignorant |
| to accuse | cover up |
| cesar | continue |
| mess | tidy |
| imperfection | perfection |
| leave | to stay |
| kind | unfriendly |
| sad | joyful |
| take pride | to embarrass |
| sudden | expected |
| global | partial |
| show | to hide |
| fill in | empty |
| near | distant |
| immigrate | emigrate |
| access | exit |
| comb | undress |
| ruin | prosperity |
| memory | I forget |
| despise | to appreciate |
| frequent | unusual |
| material | immaterial |
| Clear | Dark |
| feasible | unrealizable |
| meter | take out |
| heat | cold |
| fake | authentic |
| tolerance | intolerance |
| hygienic | unhealthy |
| to worship | annoy |
| effect | cause |
| sensitivity | insensitivity |
| distorted | raised |
| delude | to disappoint |
| center | outskirts |
| suffer | enjoy |
| hydrate | dehydrate |
| function | fail |
| height | depression |
| perceptive | clumsy |
| left over | miss |
| claim | to deny |
| improbable | probable |
| poverty | wealth |
| to mention | skip |
| shorten | to enlarge |
| unskilled | skilled |
| order | chaos |
| educated | impolite |
| advance | to delay |
| Liberty | slavery |
| but | to receive |
| together | separated |
| day | night |
| nice | unpleasant |
| infinity | smallness |
More in: Sentences with antonyms
more antonyms
- Cold – hot.
- High Low.
- Give – receive.
- Buy Sell.
- cute – ugly
- Day Night.
- Big boy.
- Single married.
- Full empty.
- Learn – teach.
- Impar – by.
- Poor rich.
- Hate love.
- Dark – light.
- Weak strong.
- Peace war.
- Far near.
- Closed open.
- Defeat – triumph.
- Dirty clean.
- Long short.
- Expensive cheap.
- Sad – happy.
- New old.
- Late early.
- Good bad.
- Fun – boring.
- Seer – blind.
- Fine – thick.
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