Antonyms, Synonyms and Homonyms
Antonyms are two words that have opposite meanings.
Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning.
Homonyms
There are differing opinions when it comes to the definition of the word homonym.
Some dictionary makers say homonyms are words that sound alike, but have different meanings. They generally include two categories of word types: homophones
and homographs.
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
Homophones are words that sound the same when you pronounce them, but have different meanings and may be spelled the same or differently.
Others say that homonyms are strictly words that are spelled and sound the same but have different meanings.
Examples of Antonyms
Achieve – Fail
Idle – Active
Afraid – Confident
Ancient – Modern
Arrive – Depart
Arrogant – Humble
Ascend – Descend
Attack – Defend
Blunt – Sharp
Brave – Cowardly
Cautious – Careless
Complex – Simple
Compliment – Insult
Brave – Cowardly
Crazy – Sane
Crooked – Straight
Decrease – Increase
Demand – Supply
Destroy – Create
Divide – Unite
Drunk – Sober
Expand – Contract
Full – Empty
Generous – Stingy
Giant – Dwarf
Gloomy – Cheerful
Guilty – Innocent
Hire – Fire
Include – Exclude
Innocent – Guilty
Knowledge – Ignorance
Liquid – Solid
Major – Minor
Marvelous – Terrible
Idle – Active
Afraid – Confident
Ancient – Modern
Arrive – Depart
Arrogant – Humble
Ascend – Descend
Attack – Defend
Blunt – Sharp
Brave – Cowardly
Cautious – Careless
Complex – Simple
Compliment – Insult
Brave – Cowardly
Crazy – Sane
Crooked – Straight
Decrease – Increase
Demand – Supply
Destroy – Create
Divide – Unite
Drunk – Sober
Expand – Contract
Full – Empty
Generous – Stingy
Giant – Dwarf
Gloomy – Cheerful
Guilty – Innocent
Hire – Fire
Include – Exclude
Innocent – Guilty
Knowledge – Ignorance
Liquid – Solid
Major – Minor
Marvelous – Terrible
Mature – Immature
Maximum – Minimum
Noisy – Quiet
Optimist – Pessimist
Ordinary – Extraordinary
Partial – Complete
Passive – Active
Plentiful – Sparse
Positive – Negative
Powerful – Weak
Private – Public
Problem – Solution
Professional – Amateur
Profit – Loss
Simple – Complicated
Single – Married
Stiff – Flexible
Strength – Weakness
Sturdy – Weak
Sunny – Cloudy
Superb – Inferior
Temporary – Permanent
Toward – Away
Tragic – Comic
Transparent – Opaque
Triumph – Defeat
Union – Separation
Unique – Common
Vacant – Occupied
Vertical – Horizontal
Villain – Hero
Visible – Invisible
Wealth – Poverty
Maximum – Minimum
Noisy – Quiet
Optimist – Pessimist
Ordinary – Extraordinary
Partial – Complete
Passive – Active
Plentiful – Sparse
Positive – Negative
Powerful – Weak
Private – Public
Problem – Solution
Professional – Amateur
Profit – Loss
Simple – Complicated
Single – Married
Stiff – Flexible
Strength – Weakness
Sturdy – Weak
Sunny – Cloudy
Superb – Inferior
Temporary – Permanent
Toward – Away
Tragic – Comic
Transparent – Opaque
Triumph – Defeat
Union – Separation
Unique – Common
Vacant – Occupied
Vertical – Horizontal
Villain – Hero
Visible – Invisible
Wealth – Poverty
Examples of Synonyms
Enormous, huge, gigantic, massive
House, dwelling, abode, domicile
Intelligent, clever, brilliant, knowledgeable
jump, Leap, Bounce, Hop, Vault, Spring
Loyal, faithful, ardent, devoted
Organization, institution, management
Partner, associate, colleague, companion
Polite, courteous, cordial, gracious
Risky, dangerous, perilous, treacherous
Sleepy, drowsy, listless, sluggish
small, Little, Mini, short, tiny, fine, petite
Vacant, empty, deserted, uninhabited
wet, moist, watery, soppy, soggy, drenched
House, dwelling, abode, domicile
Intelligent, clever, brilliant, knowledgeable
jump, Leap, Bounce, Hop, Vault, Spring
Loyal, faithful, ardent, devoted
Organization, institution, management
Partner, associate, colleague, companion
Polite, courteous, cordial, gracious
Risky, dangerous, perilous, treacherous
Sleepy, drowsy, listless, sluggish
small, Little, Mini, short, tiny, fine, petite
Vacant, empty, deserted, uninhabited
wet, moist, watery, soppy, soggy, drenched
Examples of Homographs
bear (animal) and bear (carry)blue (the color) blue (the feeling of sadness)
bow (bend forward) bow (front of a ship)
fair (appearance) fair (reasonable)
lean (thin) and lean (rest against)
lie (horizontal position) lie (falsehood or untruth expressed as truth)
miss (unmarried woman) and miss (to overlook)
plane (a tool) and plane (a tree)
plain (ordinary looking) and plain (flat country)
skip (to jump) and skip (to miss out)
type (to write via keyboard) and type (a sort)
train (a loco and trucks) and train (to teach)
Examples of Homophones
aisle - isle
eye - I
bare - bear
be - bee
brake - break
buy - by
cell - sell
cent - scent
cereal - serial
coarse - course
dam - damn
dear - deer
die - dye
fair - fare
flour - flower
for - four
hair - hare
heal - heel
hear - here
him - hymn
hole - whole
hour - our
idle - idol
in - inn
knight - night
knot - not
know - no
made - maid
mail - male
meat - meet
morning - mourning
none - nun
eye - I
bare - bear
be - bee
brake - break
buy - by
cell - sell
cent - scent
cereal - serial
coarse - course
dam - damn
dear - deer
die - dye
fair - fare
flour - flower
for - four
hair - hare
heal - heel
hear - here
him - hymn
hole - whole
hour - our
idle - idol
in - inn
knight - night
knot - not
know - no
made - maid
mail - male
meat - meet
morning - mourning
none - nun
oar - or
pair - pear
peace - piece
plain - plane
poor - pour
pray - prey
profit - prophet
real - reel
right - write
root - route
sail - sale
sea - see
seam - seem
sight - site
sew - so
shore - sure
sole - soul
some - sum
son - sun
stair - stare
steal - steel
suite - sweet
tail - tale
their - there
to - too
toe - tow
waist - waste
wait - weight
way - weigh
weak - week
wear - where
pair - pear
peace - piece
plain - plane
poor - pour
pray - prey
profit - prophet
real - reel
right - write
root - route
sail - sale
sea - see
seam - seem
sight - site
sew - so
shore - sure
sole - soul
some - sum
son - sun
stair - stare
steal - steel
suite - sweet
tail - tale
their - there
to - too
toe - tow
waist - waste
wait - weight
way - weigh
weak - week
wear - where