Antonyms: The Opposite Word

Now the other half of this module: antonyms. If a synonym means the same, an antonym means the opposite.

Hot and cold. Brave and afraid. Early and late. Each pair sits at opposite ends of the same idea.

Here it is in a sentence. The soup was hot, but the juice was cold. Hot and cold inside one sentence makes the picture stronger. That is contrast.

Antonyms matter because test questions ask for the opposite of a word. They add contrast to your writing. And they help you work out new words you have never seen.

Here is a shortcut. Add a prefix and you often make the opposite. Unhappy, dislike, incorrect, impossible. One small piece, flipped meaning.

So now you can explain what an antonym is, give the opposite of a word, and build opposites with prefixes. Over to you: the practice quiz.