Complementary AntonymsĬomplementary antonyms (sometimes known as binary or contradictory antonyms) offer no middle ground. Other gradable antonyms include: small - big (size) near - far (distance) light - heavy (weight) 3. For example, hot and cold have to do with temperature and are opposites. Graded (or gradable) antonyms are those words that fall on the opposite sides of a spectrum when referring to a specific quality. A few more examples are: Dust (verb): to clean or wipe the dust off a surfaceĭust (verb: to sprinkle a surface with a powder or dust Back up (phrasal verb): to supportīack up (phrasal verb): to retreat Fine (adjective): of superior or high qualityįine (adjective): acceptable or satisfactory 2. These two contradictory meanings make “overlook” an auto-antonym. Our boss had to overlook the sale of the products. It can mean “to fail to notice something” or “to look over something or supervise” We overlooked an error that caused a massive decrease in profits. Auto-Antonyms (Contronyms)Īuto-antonyms (also referred to as contronyms) are words that have two meanings that are opposite of each other. There are a few different types of antonyms.

What Are the Different Types of Antonyms (With Examples)? Words can have multiple synonyms and antonyms.īelow, we’ll give you more examples of antonyms, go over the different types, and show how they can help elevate your writing.Įxamples of Antonyms Can you think of any other antonyms? Knowing this, you can deduce that synonym is the antonym of antonym. Synonyms, on the other hand, are words that have similar meanings. Many types of words can be/have an antonym including nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions.Words can have multiple antonyms (and of varying degrees).

When it comes to antonyms, you should keep in mind that:

Familiarizing yourself with antonyms can help you expand your vocabulary, add variety to your writing, and help you write comparisons that are easier to understand.Īntonyms are words that have opposite meanings.

There are a few different types of antonyms including contronyms (also known as auto-antonyms), graded antonyms, complementary antonyms, and converse antonyms).

For example, “hot” is an antonym for “cold.” An antonym is a word that has an opposite definition compared to that of another word.

What does antonym means