Antonyms Definition in English: This article provides a definition of the word ‘antonym’, along with examples. It also explains the various ways in which antonyms are formed. If you want to understand ‘what is antonyms, antonyms meaning, antonyms definition and examples‘, it is recommended that you read the entire article. Let’s get started:
What is Antonyms | Antonyms Definition
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. In other words, antonyms are words that convey opposite or contradictory meanings to one another. For instance, the antonym of ‘hot’ is ‘cold’, the antonym of ‘good’ is ‘bad’, and the antonym of ‘up’ is ‘down’.
How antonyms are formed?
Antonyms are formed in several ways:
- Adding a prefix: Antonyms can be formed by adding a prefix to a word to create a word with the opposite meaning. For example, the prefix ‘un-‘ can be added to ‘happy’ to create ‘unhappy’, which means the opposite of happy.
- Using a different root word: Sometimes, the opposite of a word can be expressed using a completely different word. For example, the word ‘buy’ has the opposite meaning of ‘sell’.
- Using an antonymous phrase: Some phrases are used as antonyms, such as ‘give up’ and ‘take on’, which are opposite in meaning.
- Using an opposite word: In some cases, the opposite meaning of a word can be expressed simply by using a word that is its opposite. For example, ‘love’ and ‘hate’ are opposite in meaning.
Antonyms Examples
Here are some examples of antonyms:
| Word | Antonyms |
|---|---|
| Big | Small |
| Happy | Sad |
| Fast | Slow |
| Light | Heavy or Dark |
| Love | Hate |
| Old | New |
| Rich | Poor |
| Strong | Weak |
| Up | Down |
| Young | Old |
| Cleave | Attach or Separate |
Additional Information Related to “What is Antonyms?”
It is important to note that not all words have antonyms, and in some cases, words may have multiple antonyms depending on the context in which they are used. For example, the word ‘cleave’ can mean both ‘to adhere’ and ‘to split apart’, so its antonyms would be ‘attach’ and ‘separate’, respectively.
Antonyms are an essential part of language, and understanding them can help individuals to communicate more effectively and to expand their vocabulary.