A synonym is a word that means the same, or almost the same, as another word.
An antonym is a word that is the opposite meaning of another.
Here is a list of adjectives and their synonyms that are commonly used to describe people.
- Beautiful: Attractive, Pretty, Lovely, Stunning
- Fair: Just, Objective, Impartial, Unbiased
- Funny: Humorous, Comical, Hilarious, Hysterical
- Happy: Content, Joyful, Mirthful, Upbeat
- Hardworking: Diligent, Determined, Industrious, Enterprising
- Honest: Honorable, Fair, Sincere, Trustworthy
- Intelligent: Smart, Bright, Brilliant, Sharp
- Introverted: Shy, Bashful, Quiet, Withdrawn
- Kind:Thoughtful, Considerate, Amiable, Gracious
- Lazy: Idle, Lackadaisical, Lethargic, Indolent
- Mean: Unfriendly, Unpleasant, Bad-tempered, Difficult
- Outgoing: Friendly, Sociable, Warm, Extroverted
- Rich: Affluent, Wealthy, Well-off, Well-to-do
- Strong: Stable, Secure, Solid, Tough
- Unhappy: Sad, Depressed, Melancholy, Miserable
- Lucky: Auspicious, Fortunate
- Positive: Optimistic, Cheerful, Starry-eyed, Sanguine
- Bossy: Controlling, Tyrannical
There are three categories of antonyms:
Graded antonyms deal with levels of the meaning of the words, like if something is not “good”, is may still not be “bad.” There is a scale involved with some words, and besides good and bad there can be average, fair, excellent, terrible, poor, or satisfactory.
Examples include:
Complementary antonyms have a relationship where there is no middle ground. There are only two possibilities, either one or the other.
Examples include:
Relational antonyms are sometimes considered a subcategory of complementary antonyms. With these pairs, for there to be a relationship, both must exist.
Examples are:
- Fat and skinny
- Young and old
- Happy and sad
- Hard and soft
- Last and first
- Foolish and wise
- Fast and slow
- Warm and cool
- Wide and narrow
- Abundant and scarce
- Joy and grief
- Dark and light
- Dangerous and safe
- Clever and foolish
- Early and late
- Empty and full
- Smart and dumb
- Risky and safe
- Bad and good
- Pretty and ugly
- Best and worst
- Simple and challenging
- Soft and hard
- Worried and calm
- Sane and crazy
- Rich and poor
- Cool and hot
- Wet and dry
- Late and early
- Ignorant and educated
- Big and small
- Optimistic and pessimistic
- Excited and bored
- Dull and interesting
Complementary antonyms have a relationship where there is no middle ground. There are only two possibilities, either one or the other.
Examples include:
- Man and woman
- Push and pull
- Dead and alive
- Off and on
- Day and night
- Absent and present
- Exit and entrance
- Sink or float
- True or false
- Pass and fail
- Former and latter
- Input and output
- Interior and exterior
- Exhale and inhale
- Input and output
- Occupied and vacant
- Leave and arrive
- Pre and post
- Question and answer
- Single and married
- Hired and fired
- Brother and sister
- Before and after
- Crooked and straight
- Identical and different
- Natural or artificial
- Silence or noise
- Identical or different
- Yes and no
- Wet and dry
- Sharp and dull
- Raise and lower
- Fantasy and reality
Relational antonyms are sometimes considered a subcategory of complementary antonyms. With these pairs, for there to be a relationship, both must exist.
Examples are:
- Husband and wife
- Doctor and patient
- Buy and sell
- Predator and prey
- Above and below
- Give and receive
- Teach and learn
- Instructor and pupil
- Servant and master
- Borrow and lend
- Come and go
- Toward and away
- Divisor and dividend
- Parent and child
- East and west
- North and south
- Seller and buyer
- Mother and daughter
- Slave and master
- Floor and ceiling
- Front and back
- Up and down
- Win and lose
- Part and whole
- Offense and defense
- Behind and ahead
- Before and after
- On or off
- Trap and release
- Lost and found
- Left and right
- Give and get
- Employer employee