Antonyms and Opposites | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

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An antonym is a word that is the opposite of another word. An opposite can be the other side of, reverse of, or something contrary to anything, not just words. Below are some examples:

  • 'Hot' is the antonym/opposite of 'cold.'
  • 'Up' is the antonym/opposite of 'down.'
  • 'Happy' is the antonym/opposite of 'sad.'
  • I asked her to close the door, but she did the opposite: she opened it.
  • The weather here is the opposite of the weather on the other side of the planet.
  • We live on opposite coasts; you live on the east coast and I live on the west coast.
  • They stood on opposite sides of the car.
  • The front door of my apartment is opposite the lobby.
  • On the first floor of the hotel you'll find the vending machine opposite the stairwell.
  • Opposites attract. [=people with very different personalities are often attracted to one another.]

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Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article: antonyms and opposites.

Antonym vs. Opposite:

The article briefly touches on the distinction between antonyms and opposites. An antonym is a word that is the opposite of another word, specifically in terms of meaning. The examples provided, such as 'hot' and 'cold,' 'up' and 'down,' or 'happy' and 'sad,' illustrate this relationship where one word conveys the opposite meaning of the other.

Examples in the Article:

  1. "Hot" is the antonym/opposite of "cold."
  2. "Up" is the antonym/opposite of "down."
  3. "Happy" is the antonym/opposite of "sad."

The article further emphasizes that an opposite can extend beyond the realm of words. It can represent the other side of, reverse of, or something contrary to anything, not just words. For instance:

  1. I asked her to close the door, but she did the opposite: she opened it.
  2. The weather here is the opposite of the weather on the other side of the planet.
  3. We live on opposite coasts; you live on the east coast and I live on the west coast.
  4. They stood on opposite sides of the car.

The examples showcase the versatile use of "opposite" in describing relationships that go beyond mere word meanings, encompassing spatial orientation, actions, and even personalities.

In conclusion, the article provides a concise yet informative explanation of the difference between antonyms and opposites, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of language and its multifaceted expressions. If you have any further questions or if there's another linguistic concept you'd like me to elaborate on, feel free to ask!

Antonyms and Opposites | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

FAQs

What is the opposite form of enough? ›

What is the opposite of enough?
insufficientinadequate
exiguouslacking
lowpiddling
poorunsatisfactory
wantingincomplete
24 more rows

What are the 50 words of antonyms? ›

List of Antonyms
WordAntonym-1Antonym-3
CourageCowardiceTimidity
CruelKindCompassionate
CourteousDiscourteousUncivil
CunningSimpleBlunt
17 more rows

What are dictionary antonyms words? ›

An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. For example, the word small means of limited size, while big means of large size. Happy, a feeling of gladness, is an antonym of sad, a feeling of sorrow. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs can all have antonyms, though not all do.

Are antonyms words with opposite meanings? ›

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. For example, hot and cold are antonyms, as are good and bad.

What is the synonym and antonym of enough? ›

Definition for enough. adjective as in plenty. Synonyms Antonyms. Strongest matches. abundant, adequate, ample, full, sufficient, suitable.

What is the opposite of not enough? ›

Opposites. enough , sufficient , adequate , ample , plentiful , commensurate.

What are 200 antonyms? ›

English 1000 Opposite / Antonym Words List, Opposites, Opposite Words about – exactly above – below absence – presence abundance – lack accept – refuse accidental – intentional active – lazy add – subtract admit – deny adult – child advanced – elementary affirmative – negative afraid – brave after – before against – ...

What are 100 antonyms? ›

English 1000 Opposite / Antonym Words List, Opposites, Opposite Words about – exactly above – below absence – presence abundance – lack accept – refuse accidental – intentional active – lazy add – subtract admit – deny adult – child advanced – elementary affirmative – negative afraid – brave after – before against – ...

Can you give me a list of antonyms? ›

Antonym examples:
  • Admire – Detest.
  • Bravery – Cowardice.
  • Crooked – Straight.
  • Dainty – Clumsy.
  • Economise – Waste.

What are antonyms A to Z? ›

Opposite Words In English Starting With 'A'
  • absent - present.
  • abundant - scarce.
  • accept - decline, refuse.
  • accurate - inaccurate.
  • admit - deny.
  • advantage - disadvantage.
  • against - for.
  • agree - disagree.
Apr 16, 2024

What are the 1000 examples of antonyms? ›

English 1000 Opposite Words, Antonym Words List; about – exactly above – below absence – presence abundance – lack accept – refuse accidental – intentional active – lazy add – subtract admit – deny adult – child advanced – elementary affirmative – negative afraid – brave after – before against – for alike – different ...

Can you find antonyms in a dictionary? ›

Antonyms are listed alphabetically, just as synonyms are. They appear as boldface headwords at their own alphabetical places in the thesaurus only if they are part of a synonym group elsewhere.

What is the 20 opposite words? ›

40 Common Opposites In English
  • big – small.
  • cheap – expensive.
  • clean – dirty.
  • deep – shallow.
  • down – up.
  • early – late.
  • easy – difficult.
  • far – near.

What are 30 antonyms? ›

The following are the 30 opposite words in English from A to Z:
  • Active-Lazy.
  • Afraid-Brave.
  • After-Before.
  • Big-Small.
  • Beautiful-Ugly.
  • Bitter-Sweet.
  • Close-Open.
  • Cold-Hot.

What are 20 antonyms examples? ›

English 1000 Opposite / Antonym Words List, Opposites, Opposite Words about – exactly above – below absence – presence abundance – lack accept – refuse accidental – intentional active – lazy add – subtract admit – deny adult – child advanced – elementary affirmative – negative afraid – brave after – before against – ...

What is another word for not enough? ›

Definition for insufficient. adjective as in not enough; lacking. Synonyms Antonyms. Strongest matches. deficient, faulty, inadequate, incomplete, meager, poor, scant, scarce, unsatisfactory.

What is the other term for not enough? ›

defective faulty flawed impaired incomplete inferior insufficient lacking scarce skimpy unsatisfactory weak.

What is another word for "enough"? ›

ample supply. plenty. right amount. (adverb) in the sense of sufficiently. Synonyms.

What are 3 synonyms for enough? ›

enough
  • (adjective) in the sense of sufficient. Synonyms. sufficient. abundant. adequate. ample. plenty.
  • (noun) in the sense of sufficiency. Synonyms. sufficiency. abundance. adequacy. ample supply. plenty. right amount.
  • (adverb) in the sense of sufficiently. Synonyms. sufficiently. abundantly. adequately. amply. reasonably. satisfactorily.

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