ANTONYMY

 Theconcrete form of antonymy is called

antonym (opposite)

 Example : old-new
happy-sad
hot-cold
 Uses of antonym in different meaning

Example: short- tall (person’s high)

short-long(length of something)

 Antonyms by adding prefix

Example: real-unreal
flexible-inflexible
 Antonyms

Non-
Gradable Reversives
gradable
 Opposite along a scale

 The words do not provide an absolute

scale
Examples:
Big – small
A small elephant is much bigger than a
big mouse (comparative construction)
 Direct opposite or complementary pairs
 Comparative constructions are not normally
used
Example: deader-more dead
 Absolute

Example: right-wrong
male-female
 Do the reverse
Example:
1. Undress-dress
- Doesn’t mean not dress
- Do the reverse of dress
2. Lengthen-shorten
3. Tie-untie
4. Pack-unpack