Fill in the blanks with a word opposite in meaning to another word in the sentence.

11. Invest in reputable companies. Stay away from ………………………… ones.

12. He showed no sympathy for the poor. His attitude was full of …………………………..

Answers

1. The judge condemned three of the prisoners to seven years’ imprisonment while he acquitted two others.

2. How can you be so partial? I thought you were impartial.

3. The water tank was full this morning but now it is empty.

4. Don’t be so careless.  You must be very careful when you write.

5. He admitted his mistake but his friend denied it.

6. My father became a miser in his old age, but when he was young he was a spendthrift.

7. The sea was calm in the morning but it became rough in the evening.

8. Man is mortal but his deeds can be immortal.

9. Forest soil is fertile but desert soil is barren / infertile.

10. Gold is very costly but iron is comparatively cheap.

11. Invest in reputable companies. Stay away from disreputable ones.

12. He showed no sympathy for the poor. His attitude was full of apathy.

List of antonyms (A – F)

Words having same or similar meanings are called synonyms whereas words having opposite or contradictory meanings are called antonyms. A good knowledge of synonyms and antonyms enriches your vocabulary and makes your writing more interesting.

Abhor – love

Able – unable

Ability – inability, incompetence

Abominable – pleasant, agreeable, pleasing

Above – below

Absence – presence

Absolute – limited, restricted

Absurd – reasonable

Abundance – dearth, scarcity

Accelerate – retard

Accept – refuse, reject

Accidental – intentional

Accumulate – distribute, disperse, scatter

Accustomed – unaccustomed

Acknowledge – deny, disown

Acquire – lose

Acquit – convict

Active – inactive, passive, inert

Acute –dull, obtuse

Admire – despise

Admit – deny, dismiss, expel

Adorn –strip, disfigure

Advance – retreat

Advantage – disadvantage

Adversity – prosperity

Affable – rude

Affirmative – negative

Agree – disagree, differ

Alert – absentminded, careless, distracted, lazy

Allow – disallow

Always – never

Amateur – professional

Ambiguous – clear

Ample – meager, scanty

Analysis – synthesis

Ancient – modern

Animate – inanimate

Appear – disappear, vanish

Appoint – dismiss

Apprehend – release

Approach – retreat, retire

Arrival –departure

Arrogant – humble

Ascend – descend

Asleep – awake

Assemble – disperse

Assert – deny, contradict

Associate – disassociate

Attack – defend, protect

Attentive – inattentive

Attract – repel

Aware – ignorant

Backward – forward

Barbarous – civilized

Barren – fertile, fruitful

Base – noble

Bashful – bold

Beautiful – ugly

Beautify – disfigure

Beginning – end

Belief – disbelief, doubt

Benediction – malediction

Bind – loosen

Bitter – sweet

Black – white

Blame – praise

Blessing – curse

Blunt – keen, sharp

Boastful – modest

Boisterous – calm, quiet

Bold – cowardly, timid

Bravery – cowardice

Bright – dark, dull

Broad – narrow

Bury – exhume

Buy – sell

Care – neglect

Cautious – reckless

Celebrated – obscure, unknown

Celestial – terrestrial

Centrifugal – centripetal

Cheap – dear, expensive

Cheerful – cheerless, dejected, gloomy, sad

Choose – reject

Civilization – barbarism

Clean – dirty

Clever – stupid

Coarse – fine

Cold – hot

Collect – disperse, distribute

Comedy – tragedy

Common – rare

Compassionate – merciless

Complete – incomplete

Compliance – refusal

Complicate – simplify

Compulsory – optional

Conceal – reveal

Conceited – modest, unassuming

Concord – discord

Concur – disagree

Condemn – acquit, approve, exonerate, pardon, praise

Confidence – diffidence

Conquer – lose

Consolidate – weaken

Conspicuous – inconspicuous

Construct – destroy

Contract – expand

Converge – diverge

Courage – cowardice

Courageous – timid

Courteous – discourteous

Create – annihilate, destroy

Credit – debit

Crude – refined

Cruel – kind

Danger – safety, security

Dawn – dusk

Dead – alive

Debtor – creditor

Decent – indecent

Deep – shallow

Defendant – plaintiff

Defensive – offensive

Deficit – surplus

Deliberate – unintentional

Dense – thin

Deny – affirm, confess

Dependent – independent

Deposit – withdraw

Despise – venerate

Destructive – constructive

Desultory – systematic

Devious – straight

Dexterous – awkward, clumsy, unskillful

Diminish – increase

Disclose – conceal

Distress – comfort

Disturb – soothe

Docile – stubborn

Domestic – wild, foreign, exotic, international

Dry – wet

Dubious – assured, certain

Dwarf – giant

Dynamic – static

Eager – indifferent, reluctant

Early – late

Earn – spend

Economical – uneconomical

Elevation – depression

Embark – disembark

Employ – dismiss

Empty – full

Encourage – discourage

Endless – finite

Engage – dismiss

Enjoy – suffer

Enrich – impoverish

Enthrone – dethrone

Enthusiasm – apathy

Entry – exit

Equal – unequal

Equitable – inequitable

Erect – demolish

Eternal – transient, temporal

Evil – good

Exaggerate – understate

Exclude – include

Exonerate – implicate

Extend – limit

Extravagant – frugal, thrifty

Exult – lament, mourn

Fact – fiction

Fade – bloom

Fair – foul, unfair

Faithful – faithless

Familiar – unfamiliar, strange

Famous – infamous, notorious

Far – near

Fast – slow

Fat – thin, lean

Fertile – sterile

Fidgety – placid, self-possessed

Find – lose

Flexible – rigid

Flourish – decay

Foreigner – native

Fortune – misfortune

Fresh – stale

Frugal – prodigal