What is an antonym

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. For example, hot and cold are antonyms, what is an antonym, as are good and bad. Antonyms can be all types of words: verbsnounsadjectivesadverbsand even prepositions.

Some Differences Between Synonyms and Antonyms. The English language and, we may presume, many other languages has both antonyms and synonyms. There are many more words with synonyms than there are words with antonyms , since many things exist which do not have an opposite the word sandwich , for instance, may be said to have synonyms in the words hoagie , grinder , submarine , and many other words, but there is no opposite of sandwich. Antonym is also a much more recent addition to English than synonym is; it first appeared in the s, whereas synonym has been used for more than years. Additionally, both nouns have adjectival forms: synonymous and antonymous. Synonymous , which is often used loosely "She has become synonymous with good taste" , is the more common of the two. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antonym.

What is an antonym

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Here are some examples of antonyms:. An antonym can be an adjective , adverb , noun , preposition , or verb. There are a few different types of antonyms to be aware of: auto-antonyms, converse antonyms, complementary antonyms, and graded antonyms. Auto-antonyms are also known as contranyms. An auto-antonym is a single word that can take on opposite meanings. For example:. Converse antonyms are also known as relational antonyms. Complementary antonyms are also known as direct antonyms, binary antonyms, or contradictory antonyms. Complementary antonyms are words that are completely opposite from each other. These antonyms have no middle ground. Here are some examples of complementary antonyms:.

Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. This decade is a super exciting one what is an antonym EdTech, and I'm lucky enough to be right in the middle of it. The antonym 'anisosyllabic' is gaining ground in linguistics, although it still remains a neologism.

Read on to learn everything about antonyms, including lots of antonym examples and fun ways to find and remember them! Author Jessica Milner. Published December 20, Published Dec 20, Say a word out loud and try to think of the word that has the polar opposite meaning to it. This can lead you to lots of antonym examples.

An antonym is a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word, such as hot and cold , short and tall. An antonym is the antonym of synonym. Adjective: antonymous. Another word for antonym is counterterm. Antonymy is the sense relation that exists between words which are opposite in meaning. In Language: Its Structure and Use , Edward Finnegan defines antonymy as "a binary relationship between terms with complementary meanings. It's sometimes said that antonymy occurs most often among adjectives , but as Steven Jones et al.

What is an antonym

What are antonyms? How does an antonym work? How do I form an antonym? Antonyms can help you enhance your English. They help to create distinctions between words, phrases, and general expressions.

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Complementary antonyms, like on and off , cannot be true at the same time. Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Are you a parent, teacher or student? Essential American English. Which Word Does Not Belong? Antonyms also help us develop and improve our word skills, showing us exactly what a word means and how, when and where to use it — by learning its opposite. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Published December 20, The bureaucrat is a figure nearly universally drawn in modern political theory as an antonym of heroic action. Here are some examples of complementary antonyms:. Translator tool.

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March 11, There are many more words with synonyms than there are words with antonyms , since many things exist which do not have an opposite the word sandwich , for instance, may be said to have synonyms in the words hoagie , grinder , submarine , and many other words, but there is no opposite of sandwich. Converse antonyms are also known as relational antonyms. Published Dec 20, For example, teacher and student are relational antonyms: Neither can exist without the other, and yet their roles are completely different. Additionally, both nouns have adjectival forms: synonymous and antonymous. These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Read More. Antonyms play an important role in writing by making your words more effective. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antonym.