CLASS NOTES ON SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

 Synonyms: Words having similar meanings.

 Antonyms: Words having opposite meanings.
Examples: 1. The weather was very severe. / 2. The weather was very harsh. Severe and harsh are
synonyms.
Notes:
1. Although words having similar meanings are often listed as the same in meaning, the fact
is that no words have exactly the same meanings. This is so because of the differences in
the use of words in different contexts.
Examples: regal, royal, kingly – We say “the royal family”, not “the regal family” or “the
kingly family”.

2. The meanings listed in a dictionary as similar often refer to slightly different senses.
Examples: interfere, interrupt, intrude, intervene.
a. She intervened in the dispute (tried to settle).
b. She interfered with their plans (meddled with).
c. She interrupt the discussion. (temporarily halted).
d. She intruded into the meeting (came uninvited).

3. Words which are opposite in meaning can sometimes be recognized by their shape. This is
because of the use of certain word-forming affixes beginning or ending them.
Example: in-adequate, dis-like, fruitful, illogical.

4. The opposite meaning in such cases may not always be the same.
Examples:
a. Connected: unconnected (= not connected at all).
b. Connected: disconnected (= no longer connected).

Attacking Questions on Synonyms and Antonyms

1. Contextual Usage: When words are used in context, the surrounding words are essential
in deciphering the meaning or synonyms of such words.
For instance, choose the word that is nearest in meaning to the word underlined below:
I paid a huge money to the landlord for the house. (a) fee (b) rent (c) tax (d) wage (e)
Salary

For the question above, one needs to consider the context of use in order to solve the
question. Money is a synonym for all the options above provided. Tax, Fee, Rent, Wage,
Salary are all forms of payment by money. Only one option is appropriate for the question

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 and to get the correct answer, one must look at the surrounding words to the underlined
word which is money.

Rent is the appropriate answer after looking at the context in which Money is used. Money
can change its form depending on the words surrounding it. However, the synonyms of
Money in isolation is Currency.

2. Word-Formation Method
a. Root: The root of a word is the smallest, indivisible part of a word which is being
analysed with word formation principles.
Example: Full word – Maladministration
Root – Administer

b. Prefix: This is any letter(s) that come before the root.

Example: Full word – Maladministration
Prefix – Mal

c. Suffix: This is any letter(s) that come after the root.

Example: Full word – Maladministration
Suffix – ion

Root or Prefix Meaning Example

ab away (from) absent
ad to, toward adhere
ante before anteroom
anti against, opposed antipathy
aqua water aquatic
aud hear auditory
auto self automatic
bene well, good beneficial
cede, ceed go, move proceed, recede
chron time chronological
circum around circumference
co, con, com together, with cooperate, conspiracy
cogni know recognize
counter, contra against, opposite counteract, contrary
cred believe credential
de from, away depart
dic, dict say dictate
dis apart, from, away distract
gamy marriage monogamy
gress go, move progress
inter between interrupt
mega big megaphone
mis wrong, wrongly mistake

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 mort death mortality
multi many multitude
non not nonadjustable
path feeling, suffering apathy
poly many polygamy
post after postpone
pre before preamble
pro forward propel
re back, again return, redo
retro backward retrospect
scrib write transcribe
spect see, look spectator, inspect
super over, above superior, supersonic
syn, sym with, together synchronize, symmetry
trans across transport
uni one uniform
mono one monologue
du, duo two duet
bi two biped
tri three triangle
tetra four tetrameter
quad four quadruplets
penta five pentagon
quint five quintet
sex six sexagenarian
hex six hexagon
sept seven septet
oct eight octopus
nov nine novena
dec ten decade
cent hundred percent
hect hundred hectogram
mil thousand millimeter
kil thousand kilometer
semi half semicircle
hemi half hemisphere
demi half demitasse

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 Suffix Meaning Example
able, ible able to readable, excusable
al pertaining to musical, facial
ar, er, or one who teacher, actor
ful full of hopeful, careful
ish like, close to foolish, twentyish
ist one who psychologist, dentist
less without hatless, fearless
logy study of cosmetology, biology
ous full of cancerous, zealous
ness state of, condition of kindness, happiness
ly characteristic of quickly, happily
est most, comparative biggest, funniest
ion, tion, ation, ition act, process attraction, citation

3. The Positivity / Negativity Method

Note: Not all questions may give you the opportunity to use the principle of negativity and
positivity!
Example:
Choose the word opposite in meaning to the emboldened word.
The President in his actions has proved to be sufficiently autocratic. A. selfish B. slack
C. unimpressive D. receptive
“Autocratic” is negative; “receptive” is positive. Other options: a, b, and c are negative.

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