Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms are words with similar meanings. Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.
What You Need to Know
A synonym is a word that means the same (or nearly the same) as another word. For example, happy and joyful are synonyms. An antonym is a word that means the opposite. For example, happy and sad are antonyms. Knowing synonyms helps you make your writing more varied and interesting.
Key Concepts
Synonym
Same meaning: big = large
Antonym
Opposite meaning: hot ≠ cold
Vocabulary
Varied word choices improve writing
Word Choice
Pick the best word for meaning
Synonym Pairs
- happy — joyful, cheerful, glad
- big — large, huge, enormous
- fast — quick, rapid, speedy
- tired — sleepy, weary, exhausted
Antonym Pairs
- hot — cold
- big — small
- happy — sad
- day — night
Key Vocabulary
Synonym
A word with a similar meaning to another word, e.g. glad is a synonym of happy.
Antonym
A word with the opposite meaning, e.g. cold is an antonym of hot.
Vocabulary
The collection of words you know and use. A rich vocabulary helps you express yourself clearly.
Word Family
A group of related words, e.g. happy, happiness, happily, unhappy all belong to the same family.
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
Which word is a synonym of "happy"?
Question 2
What is the antonym of "hot"?
Question 3
Which pair are synonyms?
Question 4
Replace "said" with a better synonym: "She ___ the answer was wrong."
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Synonyms are words with the same or similar meaning (e.g. big and large).
- ●Antonyms are words with opposite meanings (e.g. day and night).
- ●Using synonyms makes your writing more varied and interesting.
- ●A thesaurus is a book (or tool) that lists synonyms and antonyms.