VOCABULARY
Antonym List
Antonym List
Looking over an antonym list should be the first step in building your English vocabulary.
Why?
As stated on the previous page, the number of words we retain increases as we learn antonyms. Also, antonyms are frequently tested items on the Michigan Proficiency exams.
It’s also worthy to note that an antonym list is (generally) easier to learn and remember than other non-related words due to the relationship the words have.
Studies (and practice) show that learning words in combination or in relation to other words… improves our retention.
The following antonym list (opposites) are presented alphabetically, as groups. Each group generally goes from easier to more difficult words. So, if you’re looking for an antonym list for kids, they’re the first words of each letter. If you’re looking for more proficient-level antonyms, they’re towards the end of each letter group.
Good luck and good retention!
| absence | presence |
| accept | refuse |
| accurate | inaccurate |
| advantage | disadvantage |
| alive | dead |
| always | never |
| ancient | modern |
| answer | question, query |
| approval | disapproval |
| approached | receded, departed |
| abundant | scarce |
| admit | deny |
| advance | retreat, retire |
| artificial | natural |
| arrival | departure |
| ascend | descend |
| attack | defense |
| attractive | repulsive |
| attention | inattention |
| asleep | awake |
| ally | enemy |
| agree | disagree |
| bad | good |
| backward | forward, onward |
| bend | straighten |
| beautiful | ugly |
| beginning | ending |
| below | above |
| bent | straight |
| big | small, little |
| blunt | sharp |
| better | worse |
| best | worst |
| blame | praise |
| bless | curse |
| bitter | sweet |
| borrow | lend |
| bravery | cowardice |
| build | destroy, demolish |
| bold | timid, meek |
| bright | dull |
| broad | narrow |
| clear | vague, cloudy |
| careful | rush, careless |
| calm | troubled |
| capable | incapable |
| captivity | freedom, liberty |
| cellar | attic |
| cheap | dear, expensive |
| close | distant |
| clever | stupid |
| cold | hot |
| combine | separate |
| clockwise | anti-clockwise |
| correct | incorrect |
| conceal | reveal |
| come | go |
| common | rare |
| comfort | discomfort |
| courage | cowardice |
| cruel | kind |
| courteous | discourteous, rude |
| cunning | simple |
| dainty | clumsy |
| danger | safety |
| dark | light |
| deep | shallow |
| decrease | increase |
| definite | indefinite |
| demand | supply |
| despair | hope |
| disappear | appear |
| disease | health |
| discourage | encourage |
| dismal | cheerful |
| doctor | patient |
| dry | wet |
| dull | clear, bright |
| dusk | dawn |
| early | late |
| easy | difficult |
| ebb | flow |
| East | West |
| economise | waste |
| encourage | discourage |
| entrance | exit |
| employer | employee |
| empty | full |
| excited | calm |
| end | beginning |
| expand | contract |
| expensive | inexpensive, cheap |
| export | import |
| exterior | interior |
| external | internal |
| fail | succeed |
| false | true |
| feeble | sturdy, strong, powerful |
| foolish | wise |
| fast | slow |
| few | many |
| famous | unknown |
| forelegs | hind legs |
| fat | thin |
| find | lose |
| first | last |
| freedom | captivity |
| fold | unfold |
| frequent | seldom |
| forget | remember |
| found | lost |
| fresh | stale |
| friend | enemy |
| fortunate | unfortunate |
| frank | secretive |
| full | empty |
| generous | mean |
| gentle | rough |
| gather | distribute |
| glad | sorry |
| gloomy | cheerful |
| giant | dwarf, pygmy |
| granted | refused |
| great | minute, small, little |
| guardian | ward |
| guest | host |
| guilty | innocent |
| happy | sad, miserable |
| hard | soft |
| harmful | harmless |
| hasten | dawdle |
| hate | love |
| healthy | unhealthy, ill, diseased |
| here | there |
| heavy | light |
| height | depth |
| hero | coward |
| hill | valley |
| horizontal | vertical |
| hinder | aid, help |
| honest | dishonest |
| humble | proud |
| hunger | thirst |
| imitation | genuine |
| immense | tiny, minute |
| imprison | free |
| include | exclude |
| increase | decrease |
| inhabited | uninhabited |
| inferior | superior |
| inside | outside |
| intelligent | unintelligent, stupid |
| inhale | exhale |
| interior | exterior, outside |
| interesting | uninteresting, dull |
| internal | external |
| intentional | accidental |
| join | separate |
| junior | senior |
| justice | injustice |
| king | subject |
| knowledge | ignorance |
| laugh | cry |
| lawful | unlawful |
| lazy | industrious, energetic |
| land | sea |
| landlord | tenant |
| large | little, small |
| last | first |
| lawyer | client |
| lecturer | student |
| lender | borrower |
| lengthen | shorten |
| left | right |
| less | more |
| light | dark, heavy |
| like | dislike, unlike |
| likely | unlikely |
| leader | follower |
| little | large, much, big |
| lofty | lowly |
| long | short |
| loud | soft |
| loss | find, win |
| low | high |
| loyal | disloyal |
| mad | sane |
| magnetize | demagnetize |
| master | servant |
| mature | immature |
| maximum | minimum |
| me | you |
| merry | mirthless, sad |
| minority | majority |
| miser | spendthrift |
| misunderstand | understand |
| narrow | wide |
| near | far, distant |
| neat | untidy |
| new | old |
| night | day |
| noisy | quiet |
| North | South |
| obedient | disobedient |
| odd | even |
| offer | refuse |
| open | shut |
| optimist | pessimist |
| out | in |
| parent | child |
| past | present |
| patient | impatient |
| peace | war |
| permanent | temporary |
| please | displease |
| plentiful | scarce |
| poetry | prose |
| possible | impossible |
| poverty | wealth |
| powerful | feeble, weak |
| polite | impolite, rude |
| private | public |
| prudent | imprudent |
| pretty | unsightly, ugly |
| pure | impure |
| qualified | unqualified |
| rapid | slow |
| regularly | irregularly |
| rich | poor |
| right | wrong, left |
| rigid | pliable, soft |
| rough | smooth |
| satisfactory | unsatisfactory |
| security | insecurity |
| scatter | collect |
| serious | trivial |
| second-hand | new |
| sense | nonsense |
| shopkeeper | customer |
| singular | plural |
| simple | complicated |
| slim | thick, stout |
| solid | liquid |
| sober | drunk |
| speaker | listener |
| sour | sweet |
| sorrow | joy |
| sow | reap |
| stand | lie |
| straight | crooked |
| strong | weak |
| success | failure |
| sunny | cloudy |
| take | give |
| tall | short |
| tame | wild |
| teacher | pupil |
| thick | thin |
| tight | slack, loose |
| top | bottom |
| transparent | opaque |
| truth | untruth, lie |
| up | down |
| vacant | occupied |
| valuable | valueless |
| victory | defeat |
| virtue | vice |
| visible | invisible |
| voluntary | compulsory |
| vowel | consonant |
| wax | wane |
| wisdom | folly |
| within | without |
After studying and learning the above words, you can move on to the synonym pages by clicking on antonym list.