Antonyms

Antonyms are words that mean the opposite or nearly the opposite of each other for one
meaning. Both synonyms and antonyms are often used in tests and language drills.

Below is a list of common antonyms. Please refer to district adopted materials for words
specific to each grade level.
above – below brave – cowardly easy – hard
absent – present break – repair elementary – advanced
accident – intent brief – long end – begin
accomplishment – failure bright – dull even – odd
achieve – fail bring – remove evening – morning
add – subtract boy – girl evil – good
adjacent – distant busy – idle exceptional – common
admire – detest buy – sell expand – shrink
admit – reject
adore – hate capture – release fail – pass
advance – retreat cause – effect failure – success
affirm – deny cautious – careless false – true
afraid – confident center – edge famous – unknown
after – before change – remain fancy – plain
aid – hinder cheap – expensive fast – slow
alarm – comfort child – adult fat – thin
alert – asleep chilly – warm fiction – fact
alive – dead clean – dirty find – lose
allow – forbid close – open finish – start
alone – together cold – hot firm – flabby
amateur – professional command – obey fix – break
amuse – bore complex – simple follow – lead
ancient – modern compliment – insult forgive – blame
annoy – soothe constant – variable forward – backward
answer – question continue – interrupt free – restricted
apparent – obscure cool – warm fresh – stale
argue – agree copy – original friend – enemy
arrive – depart countrymen – foreigner funny – sad
arrogant – humble crazy – sane full – empty
ascend – descend crooked – straight
attack – defend cruel – kind gain – lose
attract – repel cry – laugh generous – stingy
awake – asleep curse – bless gentle – harsh
awkward – graceful get – give
damage – improve give – receive
back – front dark – light glad – sad
bad – good dawn – sunset gloomy – cheerful
bare – covered day – night glossy – dull
beautiful – ugly deep – shallow go – come
before – after destroy – create gorgeous – ugly
bent – straight difficult – easy great – small
better – worse dim – bright greed – generous
big – little divide – unite grief – joy
birth – death doubt – trust ground – sky
bitter – sweet drunk – sober guard – attack
black – white dull – sharp guess – know
blunt – sharp dumb – smart
body – soul handsome – ugly
bold – timid earth – sky happy – sad
bottom – top east – west hard – soft
hate – love lively – inactive other – same
he – she lonely – crowded over – under
head – foot long – short
heal – infect loose – tight pacify – agitate
healthy – sick lost – found pain – pleasure
heaven – hell loud – soft panic – calm
heavy – light love – hate part – whole
height – depth partial – complete
help – hinder maintain – discontinue particular – general
hero – coward major – minor pass – fail
high – low make – destroy passive – active
hill – valley male – female peace – disturbance
him – her man – woman perceive – ignore
hire – fire many – few permanent – unstable
his – hers marvelous – terrible permit – refuse
hot – cold mature – immature pessimistic – optimistic
horrible – pleasant melt – freeze physical – spiritual
huge – tiny mess – tidiness place – misplace
hurry – slow miscellaneous – specific plain – fancy
hurt – help mistake – accuracy play – work
mix – separate plentiful – sparse
idle – active moist – dry plump – thin
in – out more – less polish – dull
individual – group most – least polite – rude
innocent – guilty mother – father pollute – purify
inside – outside move – stay poor – rich
intelligent – stupid positive – negative
naive – sophisticated powerful – weak
jolly – serious nasty – nice praise – criticism
joy – sadness near – far preceding – following
never – always present – absent
keep – lose new – old pretty – ugly
kind – cruel no – yes prevent – encourage
knowledge – ignorance nobody – everybody pride – modesty
noise – quiet private – public
large – small none – all problem – solution
last – first north – south profit – loss
laugh – cry nothing – something prohibit – allow
leading – following now – then pupil – teacher
leave – arrive push – pull
left – right obese – thin
less – more obvious – hidden quality – inferiority
let – prevent odd – even quick – slow
level – uneven offend – please quiet – noisy
lie – truth offer – refuse quit – start
life – death often – seldom
like – dislike old – young raise – lower
likely – unlikely on – off random – specific
liquid – solid one – several rapid – slow
little – big ordinary – uncommon rare – common
raw – cooked speechless – talkative up – down
ready – unprepared spend – earn upset – stabilize
rear – front stale – fresh urge – deter
reduce – increase start – stop
regret – rejoice started – finished vacant – full
relax – tighten stay – leave vague – definite
remember – forget steal – provide vanish – appear
repair – destroy sterile – fertile vast – limited
retain – lose stiff – flexible vertical – horizontal
revenge – forgiveness still – moving villain – hero
ridiculous – sensible stingy – generous visitor – host/hostess
right – wrong stop – go
rigid – flexible stranger – friend waive – require
rise – sink strength – weakness wake – sleep
rough – smooth student – teacher wealth – poverty
rude – polite sturdy – weak weep – laugh
sunrise – sunset well – badly
sad – happy superb – inferior wet – dry
same – different supple – rigid white – black
satisfy – displease survive – die wild – tame
secluded – public suspect – trust win – lose
segregate – integrate with – without
seldom – often take – give worship – detest
sell – buy tall – short worth – uselessness
send – receive tame – wild wreck - create
sensational – dull teach – learn
servant – master temporary – permanent
shack – palace thaw – freeze
shade – light there – here
shame – honor thin – thick
sharp – dull thorough – incomplete
she – he thrifty – wasteful
short – long tidy – messy
show – hide tie – loosen
shy – trusting timid – bold
sick – healthy to – from
silence – sound together – apart
single – married told – asked
single – plural top – bottom
sit – stand toward – away
slave – master tragic – comic
slender – fat transform – retain
slow – fast transparent - opaque
small – large triumph – defeat
soak – dry true – false
sober – drunk truth – lie
some – none
something – nothing ultimate – primary
sorrow – gladness union – separation
sour – sweet unique – common