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FAQ: Opposites

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are opposites?

A: Opposites are words that have contrasting or antonymous meanings. They represent concepts, qualities, or states that are directly opposed or contradictory to each other.

Q: How do opposites function in language?

A: Opposites are used to convey contrasts and distinctions in language. They provide nuance and clarity to communication by highlighting differences between concepts or describing relationships between opposing qualities.

Q: What are some examples of opposites?

A: Examples of opposites include hot and cold, fast and slow, big and small, happy and sad, light and dark, up and down, love and hate, positive and negative, and many others. Opposites can vary in degree and context.

Q: How are opposites useful in communication?

A: Opposites help convey meaning, provide clarity, and enrich language by allowing speakers and writers to express contrasts, comparisons, and relationships between different concepts or qualities. They facilitate effective communication and contribute to language comprehension.

Q: Can opposites be subjective?

A: While many opposites represent universally recognized concepts or qualities (such as hot and cold), some opposites may be subjective or context-dependent. Cultural, personal, or situational factors can influence how individuals perceive and interpret opposites.



Below is a list of Opposites


absent - present

abundant - scarce

accept - decline, refuse

accurate - inaccurate

admit - deny

advantage - disadvantage

against - for

agree - disagree

alive - dead

all - none, nothing

ally - enemy

always - never

ancient - modern

answer - question

antonym - synonym

apart - together

appear - disappear, vanish

approve - disapprove

arrive - depart

artificial - natural

ascend - descend

attic - cellar

attractive - repulsive

awake - asleep

backward - forward

bad - good

beautiful - ugly

before - after

begin - end

below - above

bent - straight

best - worst

better - worse, worst

big - little, small

bitter - sweet

black - white

blame - praise

bless - curse

bold - meek, timid

borrow - lend

bottom - top

bound - unbound, free

boundless - limited

boy - girl

brave - cowardly

bright - dim, dull

brighten - fade

broad - narrow

build - destroy

calm - windy, troubled

can - cannot, can't

capable - incapable

captive - free

careful - careless

cheap - expensive

cheerful - sad, discouraged, dreary

clear - cloudy, opaque

clever - stupid

clockwise - counterclockwise

close - far, distant

closed - ajar, open

clumsy - graceful

cold - hot

combine - separate

come - go

comfort - discomfort

common - rare

compulsory - voluntary

conceal - reveal

contract - expand

cool - warm

correct - incorrect, wrong

courage - cowardice

courteous - discourteous, rude

create - destroy

crooked - straight

cruel - kind

dangerous - safe

dark - light

day - night

daytime - nighttime

dead - alive

decline - accept, increase

decrease - increase

deep - shallow

definite - indefinite

demand - supply

despair - hope

dim - bright

disappear - appear

discourage - encourage

diseased - healthy

down - up

downwards - upwards

dreary - cheerful

dry - moist, wet

dull - bright, shiny

dusk - dawn

early - late

east - west

easy - hard, difficult

empty - full

encourage - discourage

end - begin, start

enter - exit

even - odd

expand - contract

export - import

exterior - interior

external - internal

fade - brighten

fail - succeed

false - true

famous - unknown

far - near

fast - slow

fat - thin

feeble - strong, powerful

few - many

find - lose

first - last

float - sink

fold - unfold

foolish - wise

for - against

fore - aft

forget - remember

fortunate - unfortunate

found - lost

free - bound, captive

frequent - seldom

fresh - stale

friend - enemy

full - empty

generous - stingy

gentle - rough

get - give

giant - tiny, small, dwarf

girl - boy

give - receive, take

glad - sad, sorry

gloomy - cheerful

go - stop

good - bad, evil

grant - refuse

great - tiny, small, unimportant

grow - shrink

guest - host

guilty - innocent

happy - sad

hard - easy

hard - soft

harmful - harmless

harsh - mild

hate - love

haves - have-nots

healthy - diseased, ill, sick

heaven - hell

heavy - light

help - hinder

here - there

hero - coward

high - low

hill - valley

hinder - help

honest - dishonest

horizontal - vertical

hot - cold

humble - proud

ill - healthy, well

immense - tiny, small

important - trivial

in - out

include - exclude

increase - decrease

inferior - superior

inhale - exhale

inner - outer

inside - outside

intelligent - stupid, unintelligent

intentional - accidental

interesting - boring

interesting - dull, uninteresting

interior - exterior

internal - external

join - separate

junior - senior

just - unjust

justice - injustice

knowledge - ignorance

known - unknown

landlord - tenant

large - small

last - first

laugh - cry

lawful - unlawful, illegal

lazy - industrious

leader - follower

left - right

lend -borrow

lengthen - shorten

lenient - strict

less - more

light - dark, heavy

like - dislike, hate

likely - unlikely

limited - boundless

little - big

long - short

loose - tight

lose - find

loss - win

loud - quiet

love - hate

low - high

loyal - disloyal

mad - happy, sane

major - minor

many - few

mature - immature

maximum - minimum

melt - freeze

merry - sad

messy - neat

minor - major

minority - majority

miser - spendthrift

misunderstand - understand

more - less

nadir - zenith

narrow - wide

near - far, distant

neat - messy, untidy

never - always

new - old

night - day

nighttime - daytime

no - yes

noisy - quiet

none - some

north - south

obedient - disobedient

odd - even

offer - refuse

old - new

old - young

on - off

open - closed, shut

opposite- same, similar

optimist - pessimist

out - in

outer - inner

over - under

past - present

patient - impatient

peace - war

permanent - temporary

plentiful - scarce

plural - singular

poetry - prose

polite - rude, impolite

possible - impossible

poverty - wealth, riches

powerful - weak

pretty - ugly

private - public

prudent - imprudent

pure - impure, contaminated

push - pull

qualified - unqualified

question - answer

quiet - loud, noisy

raise - lower

rapid - slow

rare - common

real - fake

regular - irregular

rich - poor

right - left, wrong

right-side-up - upside-down

rough - smooth

rude - courteous

safe - unsafe

same - opposite

satisfactory - unsatisfactory

scatter - collect

second-hand - new

secure - insecure

separate - join, together

serious - trivial

shallow - deep

shrink - grow

sick - healthy, ill

simple - complex, hard

singular - plural

sink - float

slim - fat, thick

slow - fast

sober - drunk

soft - hard

some - none

sorrow - joy

sour - sweet

sow -reap

start - finish

stop - go

straight - crooked

strict - lenient

strong - weak

success - failure

sunny - cloudy

sweet - sour

synonym - antonym

take - give

tall - short

tame - wild

them - us

there - here

thick - thin

tight - loose, slack

tiny - big, huge

together - apart

top - bottom

tough - easy, tender

transparent - opaque

true - false

truth - falsehood, lie, untruth

under - over

unfold - fold

unknown - known

unqualified - qualified

unsafe - safe

up - down

upside-down - right-side-up

upstairs - downstairs

us - them

useful - useless

vacant - occupied

vanish - appear

vast - tiny

victory - defeat

virtue - vice

visible - invisible

voluntary - compulsory

war - peace

wax - wane

weak - strong

wet - dry

white - black

wide - narrow

win - lose

wisdom - folly, stupidity

within - outside

wrong - right

yes - no

yin - yang

young - old

zenith - nadir

zip - unzip