antonym

American  

[an-tuh-nim] / ˈæn tə nɪm /

noun

1. a word opposite in meaning to another. Fast is an antonym of slow.

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antonym British  

/ ænˈtɒnɪməs, ˈæntənɪm /

noun

1. a word that means the opposite of another word

   ``empty'' is an antonym of ``full''

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Usage

What is an antonym? An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. For example, the word small means of limited size, while big means of large size. Happy, a feeling of gladness, is an antonym of sad, a feeling of sorrow. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs can all have antonyms, though not all do. A word can also have multiple antonyms. For example, the words fast, quick, speedy, swift, and rapid are all antonyms of the word slow. Even antonym has an antonym! The opposite of antonym is synonym, which is a word that has the same meaning as another word. For example, a synonym of the word fast would be quick—both describe something that moves with speed. If you are looking for some spicy new antonyms to use in your writing, you can find them using Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• antonymic adjective
• antonymous adjective
• antonymy noun

Etymology

Origin of antonym

First recorded in 1865–70; ant- + (syn)onym

Compare meaning

How does antonym compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• synonym vs. antonym

Example Sentences

Since the advent of talkies, “Hollywood” has been, in some serious circles, the pejorative antonym of “serious” music.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2021

I’m not sure there’s a precise antonym for “nice.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 20, 2020

“Nature” became the antonym of “society” in the minds of philosophers, in the policies of European empires, and the calculations of global financial centres.

From The Guardian • May 8, 2018

At other stations, boys learn to tell time, work antonym crossword puzzles, compute monetary values.

From Washington Times • May 7, 2016

Often used as a specific antonym to virtual in any of its jargon senses.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.