Over 300 opposites (antonyms) from A-Z with great examples (2023)

Antonyms (opposite words) are an important type of word that can be used in almost any form of writing. However, many people don't really understand what an antonym is. Most people would be surprised to hear that they are probably using antonyms all the time without realizing it. This guide will walk you through what an antonym is, how it's used in writing, and give you some of the reasons why learning antonyms is important in any type of writing.

What is an antonym?

Antonyms are basically just words with opposite meanings. The opposite,Synonymousare words with the same meaning. What most people don't realize, however, is that there are actually different types of antonyms. Below we take a look at these different types ofAntonym, explain what they are and give some examples to make it clearer.

Examples of antonyms (opposites).:

• Night Day
• Arrive - go
• Junior Senior
• Better worse
• Right left
• rich poor
• Smart - Stupid
• small big

Examples of antonyms (opposites)

opposites (antonyms)

Types of antonyms/opposites

Complementary and binary pairs

Don't be alarmed by the somewhat complicated names for these different types of antonyms, complementary and binary pairs are the easiest antonyms to understand as there is absolutely no gray area between them. That is, all these types of antonyms are the absolute opposite of the other words, and there is no room for confusion. Let's look at these more concrete examples of antonyms:

• Untilorlively– you can't be anything other than these two, and dead is the absolute concrete opposite of alive. This makes them complementary and binary pair antonyms as they are very clear in their opposite meaning. In short, if dead is applicable as a descriptive word for someone, then it cannot be alive and vice versa.
• Happenorfail– You cannot pass bothAndfail, so this is another clear example of complementary and binary pair antonym.
• TRUEorINCORRECT– again, something cannot be both true and false.

Hopefully the above examples have made the meaning of complementary and binary pair antonyms much clearer. To remember which antonyms are complementary and binary pairs, ask yourself if both can be true - if not, then they are complete opposites and complementary and binary pairs.

Gradable antonyms

In these types of antonyms, they are generally at opposite ends of a scale. This means that between the two there are words that can describe the gray area in the middle of these scales. To even be antonyms, they still have to be opposites of each other, so they'll be at opposite ends of the scales. Let's look at some examples to make that clearer:

• UglyAndSchön– there is some subjectivity here, and there are words that can help describe the gray area between the two. Words like "simple" or "average" could be used to describe someone who is neither ugly nor beautiful. At opposite ends of this "attractiveness" scale are ugly and beautiful, so they're gradeable antonyms.
• GutAndbad- As we know, morality exists on a sliding scale that different people walk along at different points, and even within ourselves we can do sometimes good things and sometimes bad things. But because good and bad are opposites at the end of the scale, they are gradeable antonyms.
• HotAndcalled– Again, you can be warm or cold, but hot and cold are the extreme opposites on the scale.

Reverse or relational antonyms

These antonyms are defined by their inverse relationship. The two words are opposites but in relation to each other. The two things or persons are related but have opposite meanings. So let's look at some of these reversed or relational antonyms:

• parentAndoffspring– the two persons are obviously related to each other and the antonyms are opposite here. A parent is related to its offspring and an offspring is related to its parent so this highlights the opposite relationship they have.
• ObtainAndsell– this is another example of two things or actions in a relationship to each other, but again they are opposites. If someone buys something from someone else, then that other person has to sell that something to the buyer. So they have a very close opposite relationship and hence fall into the inverse or relational antonyms.
• PressAndpull– again they are related but opposite.

Add a prefix to create an antonym

Sometimes antonyms can be as simple as adding aprefixlike "dis" or "un" to a word to form an antonym to a word. Let's take a look at some of these examples:

If you want to create an antonym for the wordsimilar– meaning something has properties that match something else – then you can do that by adding a prefix. In this case, 'dis' would work to form the wordsunlike– meaning something doesn't have properties that match something else – so you've created an antonym just by adding a prefix. Of course there are other examples:

• Trustedcan you turn tounfamiliarby adding the prefix "And‘.
• Importantcan you turn tounimportantby adding the same prefix.
• Respectcan you turn todisrespectby adding the prefix "dis‘.

And besides these few, there are many more.

Why learn antonyms and synonyms

The importance of antonyms and synonyms in writing cannot be overstated. If you're writing creative or nonfiction, you'll almost certainly need to use antonyms to show an opposite relationship. Knowing these, or learning how to create them properly, is important because you can use so many different terms to describe something effectively. Most things we write about will eventually have resistance to show a change or difference, so it's important to explore antonyms and synonyms early on to be able to show these differences.

Hopefully this guide has given you a detailed understanding of antonyms and the different types to use in your own writing in the future!

opposites

Here you will find an extensive list of antonyms (opposites) from A-Z with example sentences.

Opposites/Antonyms (A)

List of opposites beginning with A with examples.

Much —— A little

• We spenta lotabout raising children.
• Luckily I hada littleTime left.

Decrease —— Increase

• There are steps to be takenease upPollution.
• The population haselevatedfrom 1.2 million to 1.8 million.

Can —— Unable

• You must becapableto speak French for this job.
• she wasunableto hide her excitement.

Failed —— Successful

• During the War of 1770 the Greeks had risen in oneabortiveUprising which was immediately put down by the Turks.
• They aresuccessfulwhen winning a contract.

Up down

• I heard a strange noise coming from the roomabove.
• I could hear voices in the yardundermy window.

Shorten —— Expand

Examples of antonyms:

• She has been asked to do soshortenThe novel for the radio.
• Die Sizeexpandedsuitable for all sizes.

Absent —— Present

• students who are regularabsentfrom school.
• the gasescurrentlyin the earth's atmosphere.

Plentiful —— just under

• fish areplentifulim See.
• Eating was oftensparsein the winter.

Accept Reject

• Rickacceptedtheir coffee offer.
• His school records said he neverRejectsa challenge.

Accept Reject

Counterexamples:

• Isacceptedthe invitation to stay with us.
• The Chairmanrejectedto answer more questions.

Exactly —— Inaccurately

• The brochure tries to be fair andpreciseDescription of each hotel.
• Much has been written about himinaccurate.

Achieve —— Fail

• Finally he hadreachedSuccess.
• Shefailedto go to art school.

Add —— Subtract

• If youadd to All these amounts add up to a huge figure.
• If yousubtract6 out of 9, you get 3.

Adjacent —— Distant

• We stayed inadjacentrooms.
• stars areremovedfrom our galaxy.

Admire —— loathe

Examples of antonyms:

• I reallyadmireyour enthusiasm
• The two menabhorsmutual.

Admit —— deny

• A quarter of all workersadmitto take time off when they are not sick.
• The Departmentdeniesresponsibility for what happened.

Admit —— Reject

• Sheadmitsto be strict with their children.
• The Prime Ministerrejectedno idea to reform the system.

Worship —— hate

• SheAnbeterwork with children.
• Ito hateto see you unhappy.

Advance —— Retreat

Counterexamples:

• The troops were finally given the order to do soAdvance payment.
• The army was forced to do thisretreatafter heavy losses.

advantage disadvantage

• Her experience meant she had a big oneAdvantageabout their opponent.
• TheDisadvantageThe thing about the material is that it fades when exposed to strong sunlight.

Against —— For

• Mr Howard has stated that he isagainstall forms of racism.
• Everyone is alwaysforFrieden.

Agree disagree

Examples of opposite words:

• If she felt he was right, she wouldagreewith him.
• He is tolerant of those whohave different opinionswith him.

alive dead

• It was a bad accident - you're luckylively.
• Two men were shotuntilfrom terrorists.

All none

• Did you doatHer homework?
• But we saw several housesnoneWe liked it very much.

Allow —— Forbid

• My parents don'tallowgo to the party.
• He wasverbotenleave the house as punishment.

Ally —— Enemy

Examples of antonyms:

• Ridley was one of the Queen's closest friendsallies.
• He was accused of collaborating withEnemy.

alone together

• she livesalone.
• We really enjoyed workingtogether.

Always never

• I havealwayswanted to go to Paris.
• He isneverbeen in Australia.

Amateur——Professional

• Mickelson won his first major golf tournament while still in his careerAmateur.
• you need oneprofessionalto manage your finances.

Amuse —— Bore

Counterexamples:

• He made funny faces at itamusethe children.
• His blue eyes seemed to do itboringinto her.

Antiquity —— Modernity

• So according to history it was found the mostalttimes, and so it is to our days.
• They are the youngest children inmodernCharged with murder.

Annoy —— calm down

• Sheannoyedhim with their stupid questions.
• She made a cup of teacalmher nerves.

Answer question

Examples of opposite words:

• The shortansweris that it cannot be done.
• You asked me quite difficultQuestionsabout my work.

Apparently —— Obscure

• The difference in quality was immediateevident.
• I really liked her lectureobscure.

Arrive —— Go

• Isarrivedlate as usual.
• My baby gets upset when Ileavethe room.

Arrive —— Depart

Counterexamples:

• What time does the plane flyarrivein New York?
• Air Europe flightsdepartGatwick Tuesdays.

Arrogant —— Humble

• He was unbearablearrogant.
• Taylor's students describe him as onemodestand humble man.

Ascend —— Descend

Examples of antonyms:

• The planeascendedfast.
• Our plane took offdismount.

Answer questions

• We mustquestionssomeone the way to the train station.
• I repeated the question but she didn'tanswer.

Questions —— Say

• Iaskedhim where he lived.
• Jack had to go, but he didn'ttellI why.

Attack —— Defense

• There were severalattackson foreigners lately.
• We mustdefendagainst military aggression.

Attractive —— Repulsive

• she is aattractiveFrau.
• What arepulsiveMann!

Awake —— Asleep

Counterexamples:

• She was still only halfawakewhen I brought her a cup of coffee.
• Kelly warasleepon the couch.

Embarrassing —— Graceful

• She may seem stiff and maybeunpleasant.
• Her father was a quiet man withgracefulManners.

Opposites/Antonyms (B)

List of opposite words starting with B with examples.

Back —— Front

• I found some old photos in thereturnthe drawer.
• There is a garden at thefrontof the House.

bad good

• I have somebadnews for you.
• The train service is not veryGut.

Naked —— Covered

• The room was completenakedexcept for a bed against the wall.
• The walls werecoveredWith pictures.

Pretty ugly

Counterexamples:

• The bride lookedSchönin this dress.
• He was small, short-sighted,uglyand extremely cumbersome.

Before, afterwards

• I saw her a few daysBeforeShe died.
• I go swimming every dayafterwork.

beginning —— end

Examples of antonyms:

• Third year studentsStartthe study of classical Chinese.
• The speakercompletedby suggesting some topics for discussion.

beginning —— end

• There's a short poemBeginningevery chapter.
• In theDiplomaof the meeting little progress had been made.

Behind before

• I turned to speak to the person standingbehindMich.
• She spends all daysit in front of ither computer.

best worst

• He won thepreferablyActor Award.
• This is the worst recession in fifty years.

Better worse

Counterexamples:

• There must be onebetterway to do this.
• The violence wasworsethan we expected.

big little

• They belong to the rich man who lives in thelargeWhite house there between the trees.
• He was pretty oldfewman and his head was long and completely bald.

birth —— death

• What is your date frombirth?
• Cancer is the main cause ofTodin women.

Bitter —— Sweet

• Black coffee leaves abittertaste in the mouth.
• This tea toosweet.

Black-and-white

• Matthew was fatSchwarzhair, but Natalie's was blonde.
• His face isWeiss, and he seems very weak.

Guilt —— Praise

• Marie stilldebthimself for Patrick's death.
• The mayorpraisedthe rescue workers for their courage.

blessing —— curse

Examples of antonyms:

• GoodblessOf!
• Elsacursedeven for believing his lies.

blunt sharp

• Sharpen all yoursbluntlyMesser.
• Make sure you use a good onescharfMesser.

Body Soul

• YourBodyThe temperature is higher during the day than at night.
• There was a feeling of unrest deep inside herSoul.

Brave —— Shy

• My aunt was aclearlydetermined woman.
• I was ashyKind.

Boring interesting

• I trudged through aboringDay I knew I would be returning to an empty apartment as Betsy was in Los Angeles all week.
• dr Bell has told me manyinterestingthings about his work.

Down up

Counterexamples:

• I've been waiting for herbottomfrom the mountain.
• She stood atTopthe stairs.

Limitless —— Limited

• Today are opportunities for leaderslimitless, but also the challenges.
• My knowledge of the business islimited.

boy —— girl

• TheBoyswanted to play soccer.
• I've known Mollie since I was littleGirl.

Brave —— fig

• It wasbravefor speaking in front of all these people.
• He was veryfeigebecause he didn't tell that truth.

Break —— Repair

• I had tobreaka window to enter the house.
• It was too late for thatrepairthe damage done to their relationship.

Short long

• We stopped at Alice's house for aknappvisit.
• He left alangTime.

Hell —— Stumpf

Examples of antonyms:

• The weather washelland sunny.
• Outside the weather was hazy andboring.

Lighten —— Fade

• The morning sunbrightenedup the room.
• the sun hadfadedthe curtains.

Bring —— Remove

• Robert asked the waiter for itbringhim the check.
• It shouldn't be a reference workREMOVEDfrom the library.

brother, sister

• My younger, my youngerBrotheris a doctor.
• my olderSisterIs a nurse.

Busy —— Free

Examples of opposite words:

• Mr Haynes isoccupiedat a customer at the moment.
• The workers wereidlefor the last six months.

Buy Sell

• The money is usedobtainEquipment for the school.
• If you offer him another hundred I think he willsell.

Opposites/Antonyms (C)

List of opposite words starting with C with examples.

Calm —— Windy

• It is aquietTag.
• It's closedwindyfor a picnic.

Able —— Unable

• All employees in the nursing home made a very friendly impressioncapable.
• He seemedunableto understand how she felt.

Prisoners —— Free

• His son had been kidnappedcaughtduring the raid.
• He knew it could be himfreiin just three years.

Capture —— Release

• The robbery wascaughton police video cameras.
• The police arrested several men who were laterApproved.

Carefully careless

• He was verycautiouswith the coffee to avoid spilling it.
• He iscarelesswith his glasses and lost three pairs.

Cautious —— Careless

Examples of antonyms:

• basement isreservedabout predictions about the success of the program.
• It wascarelessfrom him to leave the door unlocked.

Not —— Beach

• His goal is to turn Stanford into oneCenterfor environmental policy.
• Billy sat on thatRandof the bed.

Change —— Stay

• Susan hatchangedmuch since I last saw her.
• Despite the job losses, Parkerstayedas manager.

Cheap expensive

Counterexamples:

• property ischeaperin Spain than here.
• Gasoline is becoming more and moreexpensive.

Happy Sad

• she feels morenamesToday.
• I wassadAbout the friends I left behind

child —— adult

Examples of antonyms:

• I was very happy whenKind.
• Some children find it difficult to talk to themAdult.

Cool —— Warm

• Despite thecoolShe wore a thin cotton dress in the autumn afternoon.
• I hope we get somewarmweather soon.

Clean dirty

• As usual, she left her roomsauberand tidy before you go to school.
• She circled the bedroom and answereddirtyClothing.

Clever —— Stupid

• Lucy is calmcleverand does well in school.
• That was adumbwhat to say.

Clever stupid

• she is acleverGirl.
• I was young andfoolishat that time.

Close Open

Counterexamples:

• Do you mind if Iclosedthe window?
• Mr. Chenopenthe car door for his wife.

Cold hot

• Let's get out of thiscalledWind.
• They were served in dry gourdshotTea made from the ground leaves of something called a lip fern in Bordeaux.

Combine —— Separate

Examples of antonyms:

• Have a number of factorscombinedto create this difficult situation.
• Those who suffered from infectious diseases wereseparatedfrom the other patients.

Comfort —— Discomfort

• All our sports shoes are designed for thisKompfortand performance.
• There can be no question of herlight pain.

Complete —— Incomplete

• Work on the new building is imminentcomplete.
• Unfortunately I don't have the information because our records areincomplete.

Complex —— Simple

Examples of opposite words:

• It was a veryComplexRelationship between two complex people.
• I'm sure there is a perfect onesimplyexplanation.

Compliment —— insult

• To be compared to Abba is greatcompliment.
• His comments were seen as aAn insultto the President.

Conceal —— Reveal

Counterexamples:

• She triedhidethe fact that she was pregnant.
• He can be prosecutedRevealingSecrets about the security agency.

Continue —— Interrupt

• Sheilacontinuedwork after having her baby.
• My studies wereinterruptedthrough the war.

Cold warm

• The evening air wasCool.
• I hope we get somewarmweather soon.

Copy —— Original

Examples of antonyms:

• we have sixcopiesof the film to give away.
• He copied paintings by famous artists and passed them off asOriginal.

Right wrong

• If my calculations arecorrect, we are about ten miles from Exeter.
• The information you gave us wasincorrect.

Right wrong

• You arecorrect, the Missouri is the longest river in the United States.
• Your calculations must beincorrect.

countryman —— foreigner

Counterexamples:

• He didn't look like a farmer, but he did look like a farmercountryman.
• Tom felt people were suspicious of him because he was aForeigner.

Courage —— cowardice

• Sue has been greatMutthroughout her illness.
• She was ashamed of themcowardice.

Crazy - reasonable

• The neighbors must think of uscrazy.
• Of course he's not mad. He's likereasonablelike you or me

Create —— Destroy

Examples of antonyms:

• The new factory is expectedcreatemore than 400 new jobs.
• The scandaldestroyedSimmons and ended his political career.

Cruel —— Kind

• The prisoner was a tough oneawfulMann.
• She is a veryArtand generous person.

customer-supplier

Examples of opposite words:

• Our goal is to offer all our customers value for money and good serviceCustomers.
• You must be able to deal with customers as well as customersDelivery.

List of antonyms (opposites) – image 2

Opposites/Antonyms (D)

List of opposite words starting with D with examples.

Damage —— Upgrade

• Smoking can be difficultDamageYour Health.
• The doctors say it is herimprovement.

Dunkel hell

• At the kitchen door, she nearly ran into onedarkform.
• With its small frame andhelleyes he had always reminded her of some kind of elf.

Dark light

Counterexamples:

• The church wasdarkand silent.
• The kitchen wasLichtand spacious.

Dawn —— Sunset

• It had been hope that got her through thisduskand early morning.
• Lovers walked hand in hand towards thesunset.

During the day —— midnight

• I can't sleep in ittime of day.
• We stayed there until well aftermidnight.

Deep —— Shallow

Counterexamples:

• The castle is situated on an island surrounded by adeepSee.
• The lake is calmshallow.

demand supply

• Idemandto know what's going on.
• An informantdeliveredthe police with the names of those involved in the crime.

Despair —— Hope

• She killed herself in itdespair.
• When I first arrived in New York, I was fullHopefor the future.

Heavy light

• The exam was verydifficult.
• Finishing the task will besimply.

Weak —— Bright

Examples of opposite words:

• Isaac was old and his eyes wereweak.
• Your eyes hurthellLighting.

Discourage —— Encourage

• My father is a lawyer and hediscouragedme from entering the field.
• I want to thank everyone who did itencouragedand supported me.

doctor —— patient

Examples of antonyms:

• She was treated by her localPhysician.
• St Dominic's Hospital treats about 10,000 peoplepatientsa year.

Doubt —— Trust

• The incident arisesDoubton the safety of nuclear power.
• You shouldn't put yoursTrustwith a man like that.

Down —— Up

• Stock prices continued theirsdownwardTrend.
• Spread the cream onto your skin in one goupDirection.

Drunk —— Sober

• David would getdrunkand I would have to take him home and put him to bed.
• He's a nice guy when he issober.

dry moist

Counterexamples:

• the air wasdryand hot like she's in a sauna.
• Deidre yanked the door open, ignoring her stabnasshair on her shoulders.

Dusk —— Dawn

• The streetlights come ondusk.
• The boats cast offdusk.

Opposites/Antonyms (E)

List of opposite words starting with E with examples.

beginning end

• The bus was ten minutesearly.
• You are half an hourlate.

Earth —— Heaven

Examples of antonyms:

• They watched the kite fall backEarth.
• There wasn't a cloud in thereHeaven.

Ost-West

• He turned and walked toward theOst.
• A damp wind blew from thewest.

Slightly difficult

• The exam wassimply.
• You must make somehartDecisions.

Effective —— Ineffective

Counterexamples:

• Training is often much lessEffectivee than expected.
• The chemical was almost completeineffectivewhile killing the weeds.

Elementary —— Advanced

• You've got a lot plannedelementaryMistake.
• she learnsprogressivePhysics.

employer employee

• You are very goodEmployer.
• The company has over 500Employees.

Empty full

Examples of opposite words:

• The tank is almost emptyfile.
• The kitchen wasfullof smoke.

Enter —— Exit

Counterexamples:

• It got quiet as Ienteredthe room.
• Ileavethrough a side window.

evening morning

• Most of the time I study in theAbend.
• I don't feel very wellMorning.

Evil —— Good

Examples of antonyms:

• There's too muchdevilishin the world.
• I'm learning to see life as a titanic moral battleGutand evil.

Excited —— Bored

• I am soupsetthat we're going to New York.
• After a while I gotboredand left.

exhale inhale

• He leaned back andbreathed outdeep.
• She closed her eyes andinhaleddeep.

Expand —— Contract

• The last were leveled in 1890, and the city allowed itexpandin this direction.
• All leeches are very stretchy and canContractbody into a plump, pear-shaped shape or elongate into a long and worm-like shape.

Expand —— Shrink

Examples of opposite words:

• The hotel wantsexpandhis business by adding a swimming pool.
• The employees of the company hadshrunkto only four people.

Export Import

• Italian food wasexportedworldwide.
• WeimportCoffee from Colombia.

Outside inside

Examples of antonyms:

• The dome is tiled on theOutside.
• TheInnerthe church was dark.

Externally internally

• AexternAuditor checks the invoice.
• Some photos includedinternEvidence that can help date them.

Opposites/Antonyms (F)

List of opposite words starting with F with examples.

Fact —— Fiction

• Much of the novel is based onfact.
• Anthony's first books were historicalFiction.

False real

Counterexamples:

• The defense said the photos werefake.
• She had never seen onerealliving elephant.

fall rise

• The inflation rate wasfallen.
• saleRoseby 20% over the Christmas period.

Famous —— Unknown

• Manyfamouspeople have stayed at the hotel.
• AUnknownnumber of people were killed.

Fashionable —— Old-fashioned

• He looked about her age and his blond hair was combed neatly into onestylishStyle.
• Many homes, particularly on State, Danforth, and Congress streets, are simple in style andold-fashionedin architecture.

Fast Slow

Counterexamples:

• I am afastLerner.
• The wound wasslowheal.

fat thin

• you will getfettwhen you eat all that chocolate
• He was tall andthin, with short brown hair.

Fat —— Thin

• He looks a lotdickerthan in his photo.
• Some supermodels are also far awayslim.

Weak strong

Examples of antonyms:

• So was sheweakto leave her room.
• Laura had onestarkCharacter.

Few —— Many

• The team that makes itat leastError usually wins.
• ManyPeople have to use a car to go to work.

Find —— Lose

• "Yes. I couldn'tfinda better friend than Alex, could I?” she said.
• I did not want toloseyou, but I didn't want you to be unhappy like mother either.

Firm —— Slack

Examples of opposite words:

• The sofa cushions are prettyBusiness.
• It was that of a young man, tall but a little shorterlimpmuscular.

First —— Last

Counterexamples:

• TheFirstWhen I was flying on an airplane, I was really nervous.
• I hadn't seen him sincelastmeet.

Swimmer —— Sink

• I wasn't sure if the raft would do ithover.
• Their motorboat hit a rock and began to skidBathroom sink.

floor —— ceiling

• We are on the seventhBodenof the building.
• The house has two rooms with highCover.

Stupid —— wise

Counterexamples:

• It would befoolishto ignore his advice.
• I think it was youweiseto leave when you have done it.

forget remember

• What happened that day will never happenforgotten.
• Iremembermet her once at a party.

Forgivable —— Unforgivable

• It was easyforgivableMistake.
• Patrick had cheated on her and that was itunforgivable.

Forgive —— guilt

Counterexamples:

• I triedpardonhim for what he said.
• The reportdebtpoor safety standards for the accident.

Happy —— Unhappy

• I washappyto find a job that I love.
• He has oneunhappyhabit of repeating yourself.

Forward backward

• He declinedforward, his elbows resting on the table.
• She went without onebackwardBlick.

Free —— Limited

Examples of opposite words:

• The animals are allowed to walkfreiim Park.
• It's difficult to work in onerestrictedSpace.

Freezing —— Cooking

Examples of antonyms:

• Have the water pipesfrozen.
• We were advisedCookthe water before drinking it.

Fresh —— Stale

• The beans arefrischfrom the garden.
• French bread worksstalevery fast.

friend enemy

Counterexamples:

• Don't worry, you're one of themFriends.
• Cats and dogs have always been naturalenemies.

Frown —— Smile

• Shedisagreeablewhen she read the letter.
• Mark read the message andsmiledto oneself.

Funny sad

• Do you remember which ones?lustigStories about work?
• Legal fathersadand worried when he read the letter.

List of antonyms (opposites) – image 3

Opposites/Antonyms (G)

List of opposite words starting with G with examples.

Generous —— Stingy

• She is always verygenerousto the children.
• So is shestingyDonate money to charity.

Gentle —— Rough

Counterexamples:

• Arthur was a verysoft, caring person.
• Rugby is a veryrauhSport.

Giant —— Tiny

• giantCabbage grew in the garden.
• You just have to use atinyamount of salt.

Giving —— Receiving

Examples of opposite words:

• I have some old diaries from my grandmothergabme years ago.
• All children willreceivea little gift.

Grow —— Shrink

Examples of antonyms:

• Sale of new carsgrowthby 10% over the last year.
• We don't want to expand the businessshrinkEs.

Guilty —— Innocent

• I really feelguiltyabout forgetting her birthday again.
• Nobody would believe it was meinnocent.

Opposites/Antonyms (H)

List of opposite words starting with H with examples.

Harmful —— Harmless

• Scientists agree that most diets do not and cannot workharmful.
• Her brother is a bit simple but he is calmharmless.

Hart —— Mild

• The Canadian winter is veryharsh.
• We had an exceptional onelightwinter last year.

He she

Examples of opposite words:

• It wasHe who first suggested the idea.
• I saw you talking to that girl. who isshe?

Healthy sick

• I've always been perfecthealthyuntil now.
• Maria can't come today because she issick.

heaven Hell

Examples of antonyms:

• He believed that one day he and his wife would be together againHeaven.
• She must have gone throughhellevery day how we teased them about their weight.

Here there

• What are you doingHere?
• We could go back to my cottage and have lunchThere.

Hero —— Coward

• He had dared to speak out against injustice and became a citizen overnightHeld.
• Maybe I should have turned back, but I didn't want to be called a quitter and an Acoward.

High Low

Counterexamples:

• The camp was surrounded by ahochFence.
• the sun waslowin heaven.

Hungry —— Full

• If you gethungry, there's a cold chicken in the fridge.
• I ate brownie, so I wasfull.

husband, wife

• Mr. Nicholls was a good oneHusband.
• In a year he arrived with a young lady and then came back her ownwife.

Opposites/Antonyms (I)

List of opposite words starting with I with examples.

Identical —— Different

• The sisters wereidenticalin appearance and character.
• Your looks and character areanders.

Ignite —— Extinguish

• The candleignitedplastic.
• The fire department was calledextinguishthe flame.

Ignorant —— Educated

Examples of antonyms:

• He isignorantabout modern technology.
• The boy came from a good family and was doing welleducatedand had all the benefits.

Important unimportant

• happiness is moreimportantas money.
• The exact details areunimportant.

Important —— Trivial

• Nothing could be moreimportantfor me as my family.
• We were punished the mosttrivialoffenses.

On off

Examples of antonyms:

• He took us for a rideInhis new car.
• Charlotte went to the window and checkedout of.

increase decrease

• The populationelevateddramatically in the first half of the century.
• The number of people who have the diseasereducedsignificantly in recent years.

Inside Outside

Examples of opposite words:

• The jewels have been locked awaywithinthe safe.
• i will meet youOutsidethe theater at two o'clock.

Teacher pupil

• I managed to find a very good driving styleLehrer.
• The new law reduces the numberPupilsper class in the first four school years.

Opposites/Antonyms (J)

List of opposites beginning with J with examples.

joy —— sadness

• I jumped into the airJoy.
• Charles was overwhelmedgrief.

Junior Senior

Counterexamples:

• She started her work asJuniorReporter from a local newspaper.
• He is aSeniorManager at Volkswagen.

Justice —— Injustice

• Children have a strong sense ofjustice.
• The film treatsinjusticessuffered by Native Americans.

Opposites/Antonyms (L)

List of opposite words starting with L with examples.

landlord tenant

• The newspaper is negotiating with herLandlordreduce his rent.
• They had driven theirs awayRenterfor non-payment of rent.

big small

• Los Angeles is the secondbiggestcity ​​in the United States.
• So was the t-shirtkleinfor him.

laugh cry

• Ilaughat their ignorance.
• She startedcryShe couldn't deny what she knew deep down: she would never get her life back.

Legal —— Unlawful

Counterexamples:

• The police must not interfere in lawful demonstrations
• The jury returned a verdict of wrongful death.

Lazy diligent

• He felt toolazystand up.
• she is ahard-workingStudent.

Lazy diligent

• He felt toolazystand up.
• Most of the students I knew at college were serious andhard-working.

Leave —— Stay

• My baby gets upset when Ileavethe room.
• I opted for itremainheim.

Legal illegal

• What the company has done is perfectlegal.
• You were involvedillegalActivities.

Forgiving —— Strict

Examples of antonyms:

• School inspectors say grading has increasedindulgentin the past few years.
• This company is verystrictlyabout punctuality.

Like —— Dislike

• I don'tHowit when you get angry.
• Idisliketo be the focus.

life —— die

• Earlierlivein London.
• Her husbanddiedsuddenly last week.

open close

• I can't reach this drawerlock out.
• Iunlockedthe apartment door and found that my wife was still awake.

Long short

Examples of antonyms:

• He held out hislangLegs.
• I have only been to Brisbane akurzTime.

Long short

• I haven't been there in a whilelangwhile.
• I have only been to Brisbane akurzTime.

Locker —— Fest

• I feel very uncomfortable about itloseShirt.
• My shoes were like thatengthat I could hardly walk.

Loud quiet

Counterexamples:

• The music was like thatseathat I had to scream.
• we must bequietso as not to wake the baby.

Hassliebe

• Any motherlovestheir children.
• ShehatesMake mistakes.

Loyal —— Illoyal

• The army stayedfaithfulto the government.
• He felt like it had beenilloyalto his friends.

Opposites/Antonyms (M)

list of the oppositeWords that start with Mwith examples.

Dur——Moll

• There is asignificantProblem with parking in London.
• We made someirrelevantchanges to the program.

Male Female

Counterexamples:

• All attackers weremasculine, between 25 and 30 years old.
• It must be two of the candidatesfeminine.

man Woman

• He is very niceMann.
• When aFrauWhen pregnant, the hormone levels in her body change.

Marriage —— Divorce

• No one wanted a dying friend, especially when she vehemently refusedmarryhim.
• she would like todivorceher husband.

Ripe —— Immature

Examples of antonyms:

• Laura is verytiresfor your age.
• He has forgiven his sonimmatureBehave.

Maximum Minimum

• The car has onemaximalspeed of 120 km/h.
• TheMinimumThe number of students we need to run the course is fifteen.

Melting —— Freezing

• It was warmer now and the snow was beginning to fallmelt.
• The lake hadfrozenovernight.

Happy Sad

• He marched off and whistled aCheerfulSong.
• Lilly feltsadthat Christmas was over.

Miser —— spendthrift

Counterexamples:

• Everyone said Mr. Henny was aGeizhalswho had thousands of pounds hidden under his bed.
• She wasn't one at allspendthrift, but somehow all the money disappeared anyway.

Most —— Least

• She is one ofmostExperienced teachers in the district.
• He is myat leastfavorite employee.

Opposites/Antonyms (N)

List of opposite words starting with N with examples.

Rare —— Zenith

• By 1932, the Depression had bottomed out.
• The Roman Empire reached its peak around the year 100.

Thin wide

Examples of antonyms:

• The stairs were veryeng.
• The room is three meters long and two metersbroad.

Evil —— Nice

• I went to school with him - it was himmeanthen and he's evil now.
• You see They seePrettyin this suit.

Evil —— Pleasant

• Drivers often have onemeanHabit of driving too close to cyclists.
• The restaurant was big andpleasant.

Natural —— Artificial

• My hair soon grew back towards hernaturallyColor.
• A job interview is a very artificial situation.

Near —— Far

Examples of antonyms:

• She told the children not to govicinitythe channel.
• It is notfarto the beach.

Close —— distance

• They movedcloserthe school.
• The house is somedistancefrom the street.

Neatly messy

• His clothes were alwayssauberand clean.
• The place is like thischaotic, I didn't have time to clean up.

Negative positive

• My drinking started having aNegativeimpact on my work.
• She really haspositiveattitude to life.

nephew niece

• BeNephewtold him to go for a walk, lose himself in the crowd.
• As they walked to the next tee, she nodded to herNiece.

Night Day

Examples of antonyms:

• I didn't sleep that well last night.
• She only leaves her house during the day.

Loud —— Quiet

Counterexamples:

• The kids were realseaToday.
• I didn't know about it, so I just kept itquiet.

Loud —— Quiet

• The bar was greatsea.
• she keptstill, forcing Buchanan to continue.

None —— Some

• I wish I could offer you some cake, but there it isnonelinks.
• Many local businesses are struggling, andsomeeven went bankrupt.

Noon/ Noon —— Midnight

• We met at 12Midday(like).
• We stayed there until well aftermidnight.

Nord Süd

Counterexamples:

• Cheshunt is a few miles awayNordenfrom London.
• Gatwick Airport is just a few miles awayMilkfrom London.

Note —— Ignore

• Isnoticedacross from him sat a woman in a black dress.
• You can notto ignorethe fact that many criminals never go to jail.

Well then

• BisNow, Doctors could do very little to treat this disease.
• They're sending the results out next week, so we won't know anything until thenThen.

List of antonyms (opposites) – image 4

Opposites/Antonyms (O)

list of the oppositeWords that start with Owith examples.

Obedience —— disobedience

• my son is aobedienceKind.
• He is a pleasant child, but often rowdy,disobedienceand rough with others.

Old New

• Some of the houses around here are veryalt.
• They just moved into theirsneuheim.

Old —— Young

Examples of antonyms:

• ThealtMan lay propped up on pillows.
• You're alsojungmarry. young trees.

And out

• The TVAn, but no one seems to be watching.
• Will someone turn on the radioout of?

Open closed

Counterexamples:

• Isopenthe desk drawer.
• Ellenclosesthe window.

Opposite —— Same

• I thought the medicine would put him to sleep, but it didOppositeEffect.
• They went toThe same thingSchool.

Optimistic, pessimistic

• Bankers are cautiousoptimisticabout the country's economic future.
• He stays deeppessimisticabout the peace process.

over under

• She leanedabovethe desk to answer the phone.
• Wendy had hidden the boxunderher bed.

Opposites/Antonyms (P)

List of opposites beginning with P with examples.

part —— whole

• Partof the building was destroyed in the fire.
• Thequitecountry mourned her death.

Pass / Fail

Examples of antonyms:

• Shefileswith flying colours.
• He hasfailedhis driving test.

Patient impatient

• You just have to bepatientand wait until I stop calling.
• We are growingimpatientwith missing results.

Permanent —— Temporary

Counterexamples:

• He has given upcontinuousJob to freelance.
• You might want to think about itin the interimwork until you decide what you want to do.

Plentiful —— just under

• In the summer are tomatoesplentifuland cheap.
• Eating was oftensparsein the winter.

plural singular

• "Sheep" stays inPlural.
• TheSingularof "bacteria" is "bacterium".

Polite rude

Counterexamples:

• We left the party as quickly as it waspolitein addition.
• I didn't want to beimpolite, but I had to leave early.

Polite, rude

• It is notpolitespeak with your mouth full.
• It isimpolitenot to eat what is served to you at a dinner party.

Possible impossible

Examples of antonyms:

• Computer technology does itpossibleworking from home for many people.
• Members with young children often found itimpossibleattend evening events.

Poverty —— Wealth

• We need an effective strategy to fightPoverty.
• The purpose of the industry is to createAssets.

Poverty —— Wealth

• Millions of elderly people live inPoverty.
• He enjoyed his new discoveryriches.

Powerful —— Weak

• He was one of the mostpowerfulmen in Bohemia.
• The country is in oneweakposition economically.

Praise & Criticism

• Your teacher was full ofpraisefor your work.
• my headcriticismof the program is that it does nothing to help low-income families.

Before —— Post

Counterexamples:

• As usual, the government seems to have forgotten most of thisBeforeelection promise.
• His stock price shot up from hisPostcrash low.

Predator —— Prey

• Some animals don't have a natural onepredators.
• The lion will often stalk himpreyfor hours.

Pretty ugly

• She still looksprettymiserable.
• Nick's dog is likeuglyas sin.

private public

• There arePrivateOwnership of property in a market economy.
• We don't think he's cut out for itpublicOffice.

Prudent —— Careless

Examples of antonyms:

• It could beprudentto get a virus detector for the network.
• The banks made hundreds ofunwiseLoans in the 1970s.

Pure —— Impure

• Our beef patties are 100%rein.
• Some of these drugs are highunclean.

Push pull

Counterexamples:

• I have promised itpresshim on the swing as long as he wanted.
• Shepulledopened the door and rushed inside.

Dress —— undress

• He took off his uniform andput ona sweater and pants.
• Charlie warlift uphis shirt when the phone rang.

Opposites/Antonyms (R)

list of the oppositeWords that start with Rwith examples.

Fast Slow

• The patient made afastRecreation.
• The car drove very fastslowSpeed.

Rarely —— Often

• It is veryrarelythat she missed a day at school.
• Bad dreams are fairtogetheramong children.

real fake

• She had never seen onerealliving elephant.
• He is afakedesigner clothes.

Regular irregular

Examples of antonyms:

• The company holdsregularmeetings with employees.
• He gets medicine for oneirregularHeartbeat.

Relevant —— Irrelevant

• We have received allrelevantInformation.
• We focus too much on itirrelevantDetails.

rich poor

• Nobody getsreichfrom writing today.
• They were tooarmBuy shoes for the children.

Right left

Examples of antonyms:

• He had a knife in hisTo the rightHand.
• She held them outlinksHand.

Right wrong

• I think you areTo the right. We should have left earlier.
• Your calculations must beincorrect.

Risky —— Safe

• That's what the doctors say tooriskyto try and operate.
• I think it issecureto say that the future looks pretty good.

Rude —— Polite

• I didn't want to beimpolite, but I had to leave early.
• The staff are alwayspoliteand helpful.

Opposites/Antonyms (S)

List of opposite words starting with S with examples.

sad happy

• I wassadAbout the friends I left behind
• He was aHappychild who seldom cried.

Safe —— Dangerous

Counterexamples:

• Flying is part of itthe safestforms of travel.
• The shop is in adangerousfinancial position.

Satisfied —— Dissatisfied

• You have plentysatisfiedCustomers.
• If you aredissatisfiedwith this product, please return it.

Used —— New

• I know where he bought oneneededBicycle.
• I got a used video camera for £300 - it would have cost £1,000 to buy itneu.

Certain —— Uncertain

Examples of antonyms:

• we want onesecurefuture for our children.
• She felt lonely andunsureaway from her family.

seller buyer

• They are hidden because such taxes are usually deferredSalespersonconsumers through higher product prices.
• We couldn't find anybuyerfor our house, so we couldn't move after all.

Servant —— Master

• BeKnechtrushed to get everything ready, make fires, heat water for the baths and prepare food.
• Bill Ritchie is the one nowMeisterof these techniques by originally learning them from Lawrence.

Call —— Whisper

• The men on the wall leveled their guns at themscream, and the remaining pursuer grabbed her.
• He wanted to hear herto whisperhis name after they made love, her full lips soft kisses fluttering down his face like she had done last night.

Easy difficult

• Modern cameras are verysimplyuse.
• You must make somehartDecisions.

Single married

• The tax rate changes will benefit from thiseinzelpeople most.
• MarriedMen earn 70 percent more than single men.

sit stand

• Why notsitLie down and rest and I'll bring you a piece of cake.
• IStandthere and can not do anything!

slave driver

Counterexamples:

• These areas need to be developed, so entrepreneurs pump in investment: capital accumulated from theslaveTrade, Sugar and Cotton.
• Later that evening, Heathcliff's servant Joseph came and asked to see himMeister.

Sleep —— Wake up

• me usuallysleepon my back.
• James usuallyWake upearly.

small big

• So was the t-shirtkleinfor him.
• It's not the garagelargeenough for two cars.

Smart —— Stupid

Examples of antonyms:

• ThecleverKids get good grades and go to college.
• I can't believe Kate did itdumbenough to get into it.

smooth rough

• Her skin feltsmoothand cool.
• your hands wererauhfrom hard work.

Sweet Sour

• The milk is turnedsauer.
• So is the teasweet.

sow reap

• The fields around had beensownwith wheat.
• Several predicted they will berapehigher yields and profits while protecting the soil.

Accelerate —— Decelerate

• The truckacceleratedgo down the hill.
• sales growthslowed down.

Spend —— Save

• Mom nospendsno money for yourself.
• He succeededsave on computerenough to buy a small house.

start end

Counterexamples:

• There's so much to do I don't know where to goStart.
• You can't go anywhere until you docompleteHer homework.

go stop

• I was concerned that the security forces would do itfusesus at the gate.
• ignoblewentin the kitchen.

Straight —— crooked

Examples of antonyms:

• she searchedstraightwith me.
• His lips curled into onecrookedsmile.

Strengthen weaken

• The team wasstrengthenedwith the arrival of two new players.
• have changes in policyweakenedunion power.

Stress —— Relax

• My headaches are caused byemphasize.
• A hot bath should helprelaxOf.

Strict —— Forgiving

• This company is verystrictlyabout punctuality.
• School inspectors say grading has increasedindulgentin the past few years.

Strong weak

• He picked her up in his big onestarkWaffen.
• So is sheweakto feed themselves.

Success —— failure

Counterexamples:

• The experiment was bigSuccess.
• I always felt a bit like oneFailat school.

Sunny cloudy

• I hope it willsunnymorning.
• It will be tomorrowcloudyand cool.

synonym —— antonym

• "Shut" is aSynonymfrom "closed".
• "Alt" has two optionsAntonym. They are "young" and "new".

Opposites/Antonyms (T)

List of opposite words starting with T with examples.

big small

• She is a littlegreateras her sister.
• He's a littleshorterif I.

Tame —— Wild

• The bird didtamethat it was impossible to release it back into the wild.
• In my opinion,wildAnimals should not be kept in zoos.

Learn to teach

Examples of antonyms:

• IsteachesGeography at the local junior high school.
• Ilearnedride at 17

Terrible - wonderful

• Her son was injured in an accidentabominableAccident.
• We had awonderfultime in Spain.

thick thin

• Is troughdickglasses.
• She only wears onethinSommerjacke.

Throw —— Catch

• Isthrewhis shirt to someone in the crowd.
• Stephen jumped up andcaughtthe ball in one hand.

Tie —— Loosen

• I kept all his lettersboundalong with a ribbon.
• Petersolvedhis shoelaces.

Tolerant —— Intolerant

Examples of antonyms:

• my parents weretolerantmy music selection.
• A number of patients wereintolerantthe diet.

Hard —— Easy

• The reporters asked a lothartQuestions.
• It would have beensimplythat the team loses the game.

Tough —— Tender

• The meat washartand difficult to chew.
• Continue cooking until the meat is donetender.

Transparent —— Opaque

• The wings of the insect are almosttransparent.
• The windows areopaque, and the curtains you can see on the second floor are light gray.

Trap —— Release

Examples of antonyms:

• The policecaughtthe terrorists at a roadblock.
• SheApprovedten political prisoners in the past year.

true false

Counterexamples:

• Students decide whether statements areTRUEor wrong.
• Please decide whether the following statements are true or notINCORRECT.

Opposites/Antonyms (U)

List of opposite words starting with U with examples.

Understand —— misunderstand

• I couldunderstandwhat the woman said.
• I completelymisunderstandtheir intentions.

Unqualified —— Qualified

• He wasunqualifiedfor work.
• Dawn is goodqualifiedfor her new role.

Uncertain —— Sure

• Many people feelunsuretraveling alone at night.
• she feelssecurealone in the house.

Up down

• We walked slowlyhochthe hill.
• tears floweddownmy face.

Up down

Examples of antonyms:

• I walkedupand showered.
• Karl warbelowin the kitchen.

Useful useless

• A bit of Japanese can beuseful.
• The doctor concluded that further treatment would be givenuseless.

Opposites/Antonyms (V)

List of opposite words starting with V with examples.

Free —— Busy

• Only a few apartments were still standingunoccupied.
• Only half the rooms areoccupiedat the moment.

Vague —— Definitely

• The governor gave only onevagueOutline of his tax plan.
• It's impossible for me to give you onecertainlyanswer.

Disappear —— Appear

Examples of antonyms:

• Public support for the Prime Minister has nowdisappeared.
• She didn'tappearsurprised at all by the news.

Huge —— Tiny

• The government needs to borrowlargeamounts of money.
• She always felt atinya bit sad.

Horizontal vertical

• There was oneVerticalins More fallen.
• I was so tired, I just wanted to behorizontal.

Victory —— Defeat

• She is confidentSiegin the final on Saturday.
• The world champion only had twoLosss in 20 fights.

Virtue —— Vice

Examples of antonyms:

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage and truthfulness.
• Jealousy is a vice.

Visible —— Invisible

• The outlines of the mountains were clearvisible.
• The house was surrounded by trees, andinvisiblefrom the street.

Opposites/Antonyms (W)

list of the oppositeWords that start with W-Y with examples.

war peace

• Nobody wants to start a tradeKriegHere.
• The country is atFriedenwith its neighbors for the first time in years.

Wide narrow

• The boat was almost like thatbroadas a channel.
• This is a long oneengStreet.

Win lose

Examples of antonyms:

• i think you willwinthe next choice.
• They played so badly that they deserved itlose.

Inside Outside

• Deceased prisoners were buriedwithinthe prison walls.
• It isOutsideMy experience I'm afraid.

Yes No

• "Would you like a sandwich?"
• „And, Please."
• "Can you help me write this?"
• „NO, I'm sorry, I don't have time at the moment."

Antonyms | Pictures

List of opposites (antonym list) in English | Image 1

Opposites (antonym list) in English | picture 2

Opposites (antonym list) in English | picture 3

List of opposites (antonym list) in English | picture 4

Video with opposite words

Learn over 120 common antonyms (opposites) in English from A to Z with an American pronunciation video lesson.

Learn more than 120 frequentlyOpposites (antonyms) with a pronunciation video lesson.