Think about the word fair. Its synonym would be equal because fair and equal have the same meaning. The antonym for fair would be unfair — the opposite meaning. And its hom*onym is fair, which is spelled and pronounced the same but means beautiful instead. How do synonyms, antonyms and hom*onyms affect your writing, and how can you use them to improve your word choice?
Antonym Examples
Antonyms demonstrate contrasting ideas or objects and can provide clues about what a writer means. Common examples of antonyms include:
achieve - fail | giant - dwarf | random - specific |
afraid - confident | gloomy - cheerful | rigid - flexible |
ancient - modern | individual - group | shame - honor |
arrive - depart | innocent - guilty | simple - complicated |
arrogant - humble | knowledge - ignorance | single - married |
attack - defend | liquid - solid | sunny - cloudy |
blunt - sharp | marvelous - terrible | timid - bold |
brave - cowardly | noisy - quiet | toward - away |
cautious - careless | partial - complete | tragic - comic |
complex - simple | passive - active | transparent - opaque |
crazy - sane | permanent - unstable | triumph - defeat |
crooked - straight | plentiful - sparse | union - separation |
demand - supply | positive - negative | unique - common |
destroy - create | powerful - weak | upset - relaxed |
divide - unite | praise - criticism | urge - deter |
drunk - sober | private - public | vacant - occupied |
expand - contract | problem - solution | vague - definite |
freeze - boil | professional - amateur | villain - hero |
full - empty | profit - loss | wax - wane |
generous - stingy | quality - inferiority | wealth - poverty |
Synonym Examples
Synonyms provide variety in a writer's speech or writing. The endless array of synonyms in the English language makes it possible to avoid repetition. Examples of synonyms include:
amazing: astounding, surprising, stunning | fertile, fruitful, abundant, productive | polite: courteous, cordial, gracious |
annihilation: destruction, carnage, extinction | gargantuan: colossal, mammoth, tremendous | portion: piece, part, segment |
benefit: profit, revenue, yield | hungry: empty, ravenous, starved | risky: dangerous, perilous, treacherous |
brave: courageous, valiant, heroic | injured: damaged, wounded, harmed | sleepy: drowsy, listless, sluggish |
cohesive: united, connected, close-knit | intelligent: brilliant, clever, smart | senseless: absurd, illogical, unreasonable |
cunning: keen, sharp, slick | kindle: ignite, inflame, burn | tumultuous: hectic, raucous, turbulent |
destitute: poor, bankrupt, impoverished | loyal: faithful, ardent, devoted | vacant: empty, deserted, uninhabited |
deterioration: pollution, defilement, adulteration | old: elderly, aged, senior | veracity: authenticity, credibility, truthfulness |
enormous: huge, gigantic, massive | organization: association, institution, management | wet: damp, moist, soggy |
feisty: excitable, fiery, lively | partner: associate, colleague, companion | young: budding, fledgling, tenderfoot |
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hom*onym Examples
hom*onyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. Common hom*onym examples include:
- atmosphere - the gases surrounding Earth / the mood of a situation
- bail - to clear out water / to release a prisoner
- band - a ring, sometimes symbolizing eternity / a musical group
- beat - to overcome something / to feel exhausted
- capital - the chief city of a state / a crime punishable by death
- cleave - to split or sever / to adhere to
- dive - to go down quickly / an unpleasant place
- employ - to put into use / to hire someone for a job
- file - to store computer data / to make a formal request
- fine - being of high quality / sum of money used as a penalty
- grave - something very serious / a place to bury the dead
- hide - to keep something secret / the skin of an animal
- iron - to press or smooth / silvery-gray metal
- jade - a hard, green stone / a hardened or bad-tempered woman
- lark - a small bird / something done for fun
- objective - not being influenced by prejudice / the lens of a microscope or camera
- plaque - an ornamental plate or slab that commemorates a person or event / a deposit on teeth prone to bacteria
- refrain - to stop oneself from doing something / a repeated line in music or poetry
- reticule - at a distance or disconnected / an unlikely possibility
- tender - sensitive or painful to the touch / legal money
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Printable Guide to Antonyms, Synonyms and hom*onyms
Don't forget to download a handy PDF that shows the difference between antonyms, synonyms and hom*onyms. It also includes examples of hom*ophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings) for easy reference.
Antonymssynonymshom*onyms
Click to View & DownloadForming Vocabulary Relationships
The more you study synonyms, antonyms and hom*onyms, the more you'll feel inspired to use them in your everyday writing. If you're interested in expanding your vocabulary even more, check out:
