Antonym

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. For example, hot and cold are antonyms, as are good and bad. Antonyms can be all types of words: verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and even prepositions.

Antonyms play an important role in writing by making your words more effective. Placing opposites together highlights their differences and makes the individual words stronger.

Types of antonyms

When we say antonyms are opposites, that’s a bit general. There are different types of opposites and so different types of antonyms. 

Complementary antonyms/ binary/ contradictory

Complementary antonyms are word pairs where the positive use of one means the negative use of the other. In other words, they have an either-or relationship: Something can be either one or the other but never both at the same time. 

Complementary antonym examples:

on — off real — fake alive — dead

Gradable antonyms/ polar

Gradable antonyms are opposite amounts of the same quality.

For example, far and near are gradable antonyms because they are opposite amounts of distance. However, these qualities are relative: The mall may be far from your home, but compared to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it’s near your home.

Gradable antonym examples:

new — old hot — cold long — short

Relational antonyms/ converse

Relational antonyms play opposite roles in a mutual relationship.

For example, teacher and student are relational antonyms: Neither can exist without the other, and yet their roles are completely different. 

Relational antonym examples:

buy — sell left — right parent — child