3.1 Synonyms and Antonyms
As you work with your draft, you will want to pay particular attention to the words you have chosen. Do they express exactly what you are trying to convey? Can you choose better, more effective words? Familiarity with synonyms and antonyms can be helpful in answering these questions.
Synonyms
Synonyms are words that have the same, or almost the same, meaning as another word. You can say an “easy task” or a “simple task” because easy and simple are synonyms. You can say Hong Kong is a “large city” or a “metropolis” because city and metropolis are synonyms.
However, it is important to remember that not all pairs of words in the English language are so easily interchangeable. The slight but important differences in meaning between synonyms can make a big difference in your writing. For example, the words boring and insipid may have similar meanings, but the subtle differences between the two will affect the message your writing conveys. The word insipid evokes a scholarly and perhaps more pretentious message than boring.
The English language is full of pairs of words with subtle distinctions between them. All writers, professionals and beginners alike, struggle to choose the most appropriate synonym to best convey their ideas. When you pay particular attention to synonyms in your writing, they reach your reader. The sentences become much more clear and rich in meaning.
Antonyms
Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning of a given word. The study of antonyms will not only help you choose the most appropriate word as you write; it will also sharpen your overall sense of language. Table 3.1.1 “Common Antonyms” lists common words and their antonyms.
| Word | Antonym | Word | Antonym | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| absence | presence | frequent | seldom | |
| accept | refuse | harmful | harmless | |
| accurate | inaccurate | horizontal | vertical | |
| advantage | disadvantage | imitation | genuine | |
| ancient | modern | inhabited | uninhabited | |
| abundant | scarce | inferior | superior | |
| artificial | natural | intentional | accidental | |
| attractive | repulsive | justice | injustice | |
| borrow | lend | knowledge | ignorance | |
| bravery | cowardice | landlord | tenant | |
| create | destroy, demolish | likely | unlikely | |
| bold | timid, meek | minority | majority | |
| capable | incapable | miser | spendthrift | |
| combine | separate | obedient | disobedient | |
| conceal | reveal | optimist | pessimist | |
| common | rare | permanent | temporary | |
| decrease | increase | plentiful | scarce | |
| definite | indefinite | private | public | |
| despair | hope | prudent | imprudent | |
| discourage | encourage | qualified | unqualified | |
| employer | employee | satisfactory | unsatisfactory | |
| expand | contract | tame | wild | |
| forget | remember | vacant | occupied |
Learning antonyms is an effective way to increase your vocabulary. Memorizing words in combination with or in relation to other words often helps us retain them.
Key Takeaways
- Synonyms are words that have the same, or almost the same, meaning as another word.
- Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning of another word.
- Choosing the right synonym refines your writing.
- Learning common antonyms sharpens your sense of language and expands your vocabulary.
“8.5 Synonyms and Antonyms” from Putting the Pieces Together by Andrew M. Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Removed Learning Objectives, Exercises, Connecting the Pieces, and Writing Application.
