Antonyms and Opposites | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

What is the difference between an antonym and an opposite?

—

Tessa

,

Philippines

An antonym is a word that is the opposite of another word. An opposite can be the other side of, reverse of, or something contrary to anything, not just words. Below are some examples:

• 'Hot' is the antonym/opposite of 'cold.'
• 'Up' is the antonym/opposite of 'down.'
• 'Happy' is the antonym/opposite of 'sad.'

• I asked her to close the door, but she did the opposite: she opened it.
• The weather here is the opposite of the weather on the other side of the planet.
• We live on opposite coasts; you live on the east coast and I live on the west coast.
• They stood on opposite sides of the car.
• The front door of my apartment is opposite the lobby.
• On the first floor of the hotel you'll find the vending machine opposite the stairwell.
• Opposites attract. [=people with very different personalities are often attracted to one another.]

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