Opposite Words (Antonyms)
Learning text on the topic Opposite Words (Antonyms)
Opposite Words – Definition
Opposite words, or antonyms, are words that have completely different meanings. For example, hot and cold are opposites because they describe two very different temperatures.
Two words are antonyms if their meanings are opposites.
Understanding Opposite Words – Explanation
Opposite words help us describe the world around us by giving us words that mean completely different things. Knowing opposite words can make our language more interesting and precise.
You can find an antonym to many different words - nouns, verbs and adjectives!
Examples of Opposite Words
Here are some examples of opposite words:
Word | Opposite |
---|---|
Big | Small |
Hot | Cold |
Happy | Sad |
Fast | Slow |
Up | Down |
Day | Night |
Open | Closed |
Light | Dark |
Loud | Quiet |
In | Out |
Opposite Words – Practice
Let's practise identifying opposite words. Look at the word on the left and think about its opposite. Write down the opposite word for each example.
Opposite Words – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- Opposite words, or antonyms, have completely different meanings.
- Learning opposite words helps us describe things in more detail.
- Examples include big/small, hot/cold and happy/sad.
By learning opposite words, we can better understand and describe the world around us. Practise further with our video on antonyms as well as exploring synonyms. Have fun exploring opposites!
Frequently Asked Questions about Opposite Words
Opposite Words (Antonyms) exercise
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Can you finish the sentence?
HintsWhen two words are opposite it means they are the reverse of each other. For example, in and out are opposites.
Which word is the opposite or reverse of stop?
Stop means an action has come to an end.
The opposite would be a word that means to start an action.
Which word means to start?
SolutionStop is the opposite of go.
These words are antonyms and mean the reverse of each other.
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Can you match the antonyms?
HintsAntonyms can be both adjectives and verbs.
The antonym of an adjective must be another adjective.
The antonym of a verb must be another verb.
Look at the words above, which words are adjectives and which are verbs?
Here are the words sorted by verbs and adjectives.
What are the two antonym pairs that are verbs?
What are the two antonym pairs that are adjectives?
SolutionHere we can see the pairs of antonyms.
Open and close are both verbs. Open is the opposite of close.
Catch and throw are both verbs. Catch is the opposite of throw.
Old and young are both adjectives. Old is the opposite of young.
Early and late are both adjectives. Early is the opposite of late.
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Can you find the two words that are antonyms?
HintsLook at each word and ask yourself, what is the antonym?
Do you see the antonym in the choices?
The correct antonyms above are adjectives describing how someone is feeling.
SolutionCold and hot are antonyms.
They are opposite temperatures.
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Which pair of words is the odd one out?
HintsChoose the pair of words that are not opposites.
Look at each word pair.
Are these two words opposites?
If the answer is yes, they are antonyms.
Find the pair that are not antonyms.
SolutionHand and mouth are not antonyms.
These words are not opposites.
They are both body parts.
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What is the antonym of sad?
HintsAntonyms are two words that mean the opposite of one another.
For example, right and wrong are opposites.
What is the opposite of sad?
Sad can mean you have been hurt or something bad happened.
How would you be feeling if something good has happened? This is a clue that it is the opposite of sad.
SolutionSad can mean you have been hurt or something bad happened.
Happy means you are joyful. People feel happy when something good happens.
Sad and happy are antonyms.
They have opposite meanings.
-
Can you find the opposite pair?
HintsLook at each word and ask yourself, what is the antonym?
Do you see the antonym somewhere in the picture?
The antonyms in this picture are adjectives. They describe something.
Full and empty are antonyms that describe how much of something there is in a container or cup.
Can you find two words that describe the same thing in opposite ways?
SolutionFast and slow are antonyms.
They are opposite speeds.
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