Opposite Words | List of 100+ Helpful Opposite Words in English

Sharing is caring!

Opposite Words in English! An opposite word is a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other. In this article, you will find the list of opposite words in English.

Helpful Opposite Words in English

Common Opposite Words

Here is the list of most common opposite words in English.

Laugh………….Cry

• She made a valiant attempt to laugh.
• He tried to cry off after swearing he would do it!

Far………….Near

• The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
• The best fish swim near the bottom.

Even………….Odd

• If you’re multiplying by an even number, you know the answer can’t be an odd number.
• The houses on this side of the street all have odd numbers.

Give………….Take (Receive)

• It is better to give than to receive.
• If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.

Hot………….Cold

• It was a sheer luxury to step into a hot bath.
• It’s so cold the snow doesn’t get a chance to thaw.

Night………….Day

• The meeting extended late into the night.
• The morning sun never lasts a day.

Light………….Dark

• The office was light and airy.
• The night deep dark blue eyes.

Import………….Export

• The country has to import most of its raw materials.
• The islands export sugar and fruit.

Opposite………….Same

• The post office is opposite the station.
• The two houses were built after the same model.

Hard………….Easy

• A faithful friend is hard to find.
• It is easy to open a shop but hard to keep it always open.

Late………….Early

• It is too late to lock the stable door when the steed is stolen.
• You promised me you’d be home early tonight.

Normal………….Strange

• It’s normal to feel tired after such a long trip.
• The radio is giving out a strange signal.

Less………….More

• Her headaches are becoming less frequent.
• The more women look in their glass, the less they look to their house.

Little………….Much

• A little child is a sweetest and purest thing in the world.
• Too much pudding will choke a dog.

Male………….Female

• Male workers were made permanently sterile by this pesticide.
• The contract gives a female executive maternity leave rights.

In………….Out

• Come on, we’re late – get in the car.
• It’s bitterly cold out, today.

Happiness………….Sadness

• Our children have brought us so much happiness.
• Her sadness at her grandfather’s death was obvious.

Fast………….Slow

• Computers are getting faster all the time.
• She’s a very slow eater.

Soft………….Hard

• I like chocolates with soft centres.
• There was a heavy frost last night and the ground is still hard.

Old………….Young

• This is a battered old car.
• His girlfriend’s very young.

Stop………….Move

• I couldn’t stop laughing.
• We’re moving to Paris.

Boy………….Girl

• You’ve been a very naughty boy!
• There was a little girl sitting next to him.

Begin………….Finish

• I need to fuel up before I begin the trip.
• I’ll call you when I’ve finished my homework.

Up………….Down

• Is this lift going up?
• Is this lift going down?

Visible………….Invisible

• The house is clearly visible from the beach.
• She was invisible in the dusk of the room.

Left………….Right

• The left brain controls the right-hand side of the body.
• Most people write with their right hand.

Alive………….Dead

• She does not know if he is alive or dead.

Rich………….Poor

• The region is rich in minerals and coal deposits.
• He came from a poor immigrant family.

North………….South

• The wind shifted to the north.
• The south of the country enjoys an equable climate.

Love………….Hate

• I’m sure he loves his kids.
• Kelly hates her teacher.

Clever………….Stupid

• Sam is very clever at physics.
• She was really stupid to quit her job like that.

Inside………….Outside

• The door bolts on the inside.
• It was a sunny day outside.

Before………….After

• She’s always up before dawn.
• Let’s go for a walk after breakfast.

Bad………….Good

• He is a bad man.
• I’ve just had some very good news.

Sweet………….Sour

• Honey is sweet, but the bee stings.
• The fruit was too sour to eat.

Short………….Tall

• Her short hairstyle is very becoming.
• He was tall and quite good-looking.

Increase………….Reduce

• Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
• The aim is to reduce traffic at peak periods.

Close………….Open

• Close your eyes and imagine you are in a forest.
• The museum is open to the public.

Child………….Adult

• The child is learning to write.
• Children quickly get bored by adult conversation.

Man………….Woman

• He was a quiet, shy man.
• There is little of a woman in her.

Brief………….Long

• This is a brief outline of the events.
• Passengers could face long delays.

Difficult………….Easy

• It was difficult to tell his exact age.
• The system is relatively easy to use.

On………….Off

• I ripped my jeans on the fence.
• Don’t put off till tomorrow what should be done today.

Full………….Empty

• The room was full of people.
• The house stands desolate and empty.

Amateur………….Professional

• She is an amateur in dancing.
• The best professional musicians start young.

Let………….Forbid

• He stepped aside to let her pass.
• His parents forbid him wine.

Liquid………….Solid

• The liquid is found in a highly concentrated form.
• The clothes froze solid on the washing-line.

Dim………….Bright

• The light is too dim for me to read.
• I’ve got two bright students, but the rest are average.

Borrow………….Lend

• I’ve arranged that we can borrow their car.
• Can you lend me your car this evening?

Melt………….Freeze

• The ice will melt when the sun shines on it.
• Freeze it only until firm but not rock solid.

Ally………….Enemy

• She felt she needed an ally so badly.
• We attacked the enemy from the rear.

Regular………….Irregular

• The restaurant has a large regular clientele.
• She touched its tough irregular surface.

Start………….Finish

• What time do the fireworks start?
• He is anxious to finish the job.

Kind………….Cruel

• Kind words are the music of the world.
• Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

Powerful………….Weak

• His speech was a powerful spur to action.
• John is good at French but weak at history.

Awake………….Asleep

• I was wide awake all night.
• He lay down and was asleep immediately.

Natural………….Artificial

• My hair soon grew back to its natural colour.
• This artificial fabric has the texture of silk.

Combine………….Separate

• Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.
• A brief summary is given on a separate sheet.

Thick………….Thin

• The ground was thick with dead leaves.
• She’s only wearing a thin summer jacket.

Wide………….Narrow

• He built the house low and wide.
• They rode along narrow country lanes.

Wet………….Dry

• We have got wet patches on the wall.
• Go and rub your hands dry.

Heavy………….Light

• Gosh, the rain is so heavy!
• Here, take this bag – it’s quite light.

Deep………….Shallow

• She had just woken from a deep sleep.
• Put the milk in a shallow dish.

Serious………….Funny

• The court case will do serious harm to my business.
• The show was very funny – they were sending up sports commentators.

Safe………….Dangerous

• The boats in the harbor were safe during the storm.
• It’s a dangerous stretch of road.

Sunny………….Cloudy

• I wear blue-tinted glasses on sunny days.
• Cloudy sky drove the bathers off the beach.

Total………….Partial

• He is a firm believer in total quality management.
• I could give it only partial support.

Cheap………….Expensive

• I got a cheap flight at the last minute.
• She was wearing an expensive new outfit.

Here………….There

• Children here walk several miles to school.
• Altogether there were 38 people in the bus.

Interesting………….Boring

• It is interesting to compare their situation and ours.
• I hate this stinking boring job!

Never………….Always

• I’ve never been very good at arithmetic.
• He is always polite to everyone.

Many………….Few

• The room still has many of its original features.
• Very few students learn Latin now.

Tight………….Loose

• We’re working to a tight schedule.
• One of the screws is loose.

Useful………….Useless

• It can be useful to write a short summary of your argument first.
• Don’t expend all your time on such a useless job.

Top………….Bottom

• He arrived breathless at the top of the stairs.
• The bottom line is that recycling isn’t profitable.

Huge………….Tiny

• Your room’s huge compared to mine.
• The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand.

Unity………….Division

• To be strong, a country must have unity.
• There was a division of opinion on the matter.

Visitor………….Host

• You are a frequent visitor at my house.
• Our host greeted us at the door.

Single………….Married

• He’s been single for so long now, I don’t think he’ll ever marry.
•  I thought he would change after we got married.

Sister………….Brother

• I share a bedroom with my sister.
• My brother is in his thirties.

Smooth………….Rough

• She had thick black hair and smooth dark skin.
• The rough cloth prickled my skin.

Sit………….Stand

• The students sit in a circle on the floor.
• We had to stand in the snow every morning for roll call.

Special………….General

• I have cooked a special meal in honor of our visitors.
• He had clearly plumbed the general sense of the message.

Suburb………….Centre

• The town is a residential suburb.
• We live ten minutes from the city centre by bus.

Summer………….Winter

• The color of leaves is green in summer.
• We go skiing most weekends in winter.

Supporter………….Opponent

• You couldn’t get a supporter for love or money.
• In debate he was a formidable opponent.

Teach………….Learn

• She offered to teach me to crochet.
• You must learn to control your temper.

Major………….Minor

• There is a major problem with parking in London.
• This is a very minor operation and there is very little risk involved.

Maximum………….Minimum

• The maximum load for this truck is ten ton.
• The act lays down a minimum standard for air quality.

Mess………….Order

• He made a frightful mess in the kitchen.
• The children lined up in order of age/height.

Modern………….Ancient

• I have to say I don’t much care for modern music.
• Marriage became an institution in ancient societies.

Narrow………….Broad

• They rode along narrow country lanes.
• She grows her own broad beans.

Noisy………….Quiet

• We are averse to such noisy surroundings.
• He was a quiet, shy man.

Not yet………….Ready

• This new drug’s potency is not yet known.
• Come on, wake up – breakfast is ready.

Other………….Same

• I couldn’t concentrate on my work – my mind was on other things.
• The two houses were built after the same model.

Peace………….War

• She was longing for some peace and privacy.
• His business suffered greatly during the war.

Polite………….Rude

• He is always polite to everyone.
• He is so rude that nobody can bear him.

Poverty………….Wealth

• She has lived in poverty all her life.
• His wealth is estimated at fifty million dollars.

Pretty………….Ugly

• That’s a pretty hat you’re wearing.
• I like her in a kind, but she is ugly.

Public………….Private

• The museum is open to the public.
• The interviewer probed deep into her private life.

Push………….Pull

• She gave him a gentle push towards the door.
• Don’t pull so hard or the handle will come off.

Regret………….Satisfaction

• I regret to say that we can’t stay here any longer.
• He smiled in satisfaction when he won the race.

Ask………….Reply

• You must ask permission if you want to leave early.
• He was too racked by sobs to reply.

Remember………….Forget

• I can still vividly remember my grandfather teaching me to play cards.
• I tend to forget things unless I mark them down.

High………….Low

My kite flies high in the sky.

He built the house low and wide.

Humid………….Dry

• It’s too humid today; it’s hard to breathe!
• I need to change into some dry clothes.

Include………….Exclude

• My hobbies include reading and painting.
• She gets very upset if I exclude her from anything.

Junior………….Senior

• He is junior to me by a year.
• He passed himself off as a senior psychologist.

Antonyms Word List | Infographic

Learn more about opposite words with this video: