Antonyms

What you need to understand

Opposites come in kinds. Some are exact pairs with no middle, such as alive and dead. Others sit at the ends of a scale, such as hot and cold, with warm and cool in between.

For a graded pair the opposite is the other end of the scale, not the middle. The opposite of hot is cold, not warm.

A word with several meanings has different opposites for each. The opposite of light as a weight is heavy, and the opposite of light as a brightness is dark.

Some opposites are made by adding a prefix such as un, in, dis, or non. Others are separate words altogether, as with buy and sell.

A word that merely differs in meaning is not an opposite. An opposite is at the other extreme of the same quality.

A related word is not an opposite either. A forest and a tree belong together, but neither is the opposite of the other.

All the options will be the same part of speech as the given word, so the answer turns on meaning rather than on grammar.

How to work through these questions

Read the given word and fix the sense the question intends.

Ask what the word rules out. The opposite is what cannot be true of something at the same time.

For a word on a scale, find the other end of the scale rather than a milder word on the same side.

Rule out any option that means the same as the given word. A synonym is not an opposite.

Rule out options that are merely related in subject, since relating to a thing is not opposing it.

Check which sense the options fit, because a word with several meanings has an opposite for each.

Test the answer by putting both words into one sentence and confirming that the sentence cannot be true of a single thing.

Mistakes that cost marks

Choosing a milder word on the same side of the scale instead of the far end, so that warm is taken for the opposite of hot.
Choosing a synonym by mistake, having misread the question as asking for a word of similar meaning.
Choosing a word that belongs to the same subject matter without opposing it, as tree might be chosen against forest.
Using the wrong sense of a word with several meanings, so that the opposite of the wrong one is chosen.
Assuming every opposite is made with a prefix, when many are separate words.
Choosing an option that is opposed to a different word rather than to the one asked about.

Worked example

Which of the following is most nearly opposite in meaning to scarce?

Scarce means available only in small amounts, so that there is not enough of it.
The opposite must describe something there is plenty of.
Rare means much the same as scarce, so it cannot be the opposite.
Valuable is unrelated. Something scarce may be valuable, but that is a consequence and not an opposite.
Costly is also unrelated, and it describes price rather than quantity.
Abundant means present in large quantities, which is what scarce rules out.
A thing cannot be scarce and abundant at once, so abundant is the opposite.

Answer: abundant

Practice questions with answers

A few Antonyms questions with the full solution shown, so you can see how the method is applied before you attempt the timed set.

Question 1

Choose the word most opposite in meaning to solid.

A total
B hollow
C fund
D complexity

Answer: Option B — with explanation

'hollow' is the opposite of 'solid'. Both are noun, which is why the wrong options can be of the same kind without being right. A word that merely differs in meaning is not the opposite; the opposite is what 'solid' cannot be at the same time. Common mistakes - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'solid': total - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'solid': fund - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'solid': complexity

Question 2

The word take is most nearly opposite in meaning to which of these?

A give
B grip
C attach
D pant

Answer: Option A — with explanation

'give' is the opposite of 'take'. Both are verb, which is why the wrong options can be of the same kind without being right. A word that merely differs in meaning is not the opposite; the opposite is what 'take' cannot be at the same time. Common mistakes - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'take': grip - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'take': attach - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'take': pant

Question 3

Choose the word most opposite in meaning to relax.

A strengthen
B change
C behave
D tense

Answer: Option D — with explanation

'tense' is the opposite of 'relax'. Both are verb, which is why the wrong options can be of the same kind without being right. A word that merely differs in meaning is not the opposite; the opposite is what 'relax' cannot be at the same time. Common mistakes - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'relax': strengthen - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'relax': change - a different verb, but not the opposite of 'relax': behave

Question 4

The word ending is most nearly opposite in meaning to which of these?

A impasse
B editorial
C consumption
D beginning

Answer: Option D — with explanation

'beginning' is the opposite of 'ending'. Both are noun, which is why the wrong options can be of the same kind without being right. A word that merely differs in meaning is not the opposite; the opposite is what 'ending' cannot be at the same time. Common mistakes - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'ending': editorial - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'ending': impasse - a different noun, but not the opposite of 'ending': consumption

Question 5

Choose the word most opposite in meaning to implicit.

A explicit
B posterior
C smart
D tactile

Answer: Option A — with explanation

'explicit' is the opposite of 'implicit'. Both are adjective, which is why the wrong options can be of the same kind without being right. A word that merely differs in meaning is not the opposite; the opposite is what 'implicit' cannot be at the same time. Common mistakes - a different adjective, but not the opposite of 'implicit': tactile - a different adjective, but not the opposite of 'implicit': posterior - a different adjective, but not the opposite of 'implicit': smart

Frequently asked questions

Is every opposite made by adding un or in?

No. Some are, as with able and unable, but many opposites are separate words, as with buy and sell or scarce and abundant. The prefix is a common pattern, not a rule.

What is the opposite of a word in the middle of a scale?

Warm sits between hot and cold, and its opposite is cool, the matching point on the other side rather than the far end. The opposite is measured from the word, not from the scale.

Can a word have more than one opposite?

Yes, one for each meaning. Light is opposed to heavy when it means weight and to dark when it means brightness, so the sense being asked about decides.

What if two options are both opposites?

Choose the closer one. A question asks for the word most nearly opposite, so an exact opposite beats a partial one.

Is a related word ever the answer?

No. Being about the same thing is not the same as being opposed to it. A forest contains trees, but tree is not the opposite of forest.