ANTONYMS – WORDS THAT ARE OPPOSITE IN MEANING
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings to each other. They are words that are most commonly used to express contrasting or contradictory ideas. When you encounter an antonym, it provides an opposite or contrasting meaning to another word. For example, “hot” and “cold” are antonyms because they represent opposite temperature conditions.
Antonyms can be classified into various types, such as:
1. Gradable antonyms: These are pairs of words that represent opposite ends of a spectrum or scale. Examples include “big” and “small,” “happy” and “sad,” or “fast” and “slow.”
2. Complementary antonyms: These are pairs of words where one word’s meaning implies the absence or negation of the other. For instance, “alive” and “dead,” “on” and “off,” or “presence” and “absence.”
3. Relational antonyms: These are pairs of words that indicate a relationship of opposition or contrast. Examples include “parent” and “child,” “teacher” and “student,” or “buy” and “sell.”
4. Converse antonyms: These are pairs of words that describe opposite perspectives or actions related to each other. For instance, “borrow” and “lend,” “employer” and “employee,” or “buy” and “sell.”
Antonyms play a crucial role in language, allowing us to express nuances and contrasts in our communication. They help convey different shades of meaning, emphasize differences, and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the concepts we wish to express.
Antonyms is a concept used to describe oppositeness of meaning. Unlike Synonyms, there are true Antonyms. In Natural languages, there are different types of oppositeness and their various types of oppositeness and these various types are :
GRADABLE ANTONYMS which are antonyms used in comparative construction and they are usually comparative Adjectives either ending in –er or occurring with more- . e.g older, younger, more brilliant e.t.c
COMPLIMENTARITY is a type of oppositeness that exhibits incompatibility in that the items are usually complementary to each other. e.g.
Mr Lanre is married -implies that Mr Lanre is not single.
ASSIGNMENT:
Explain the following types of ANTONYMS with adequate examples in words:
- Gradable
- Complimentarity
See also
VOCABULARY DEVELOPNMENT (SEXUALITY AND RELIGION) WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH PHOTOGRAGHY)
VOCABULARY DEVELOPNMENT: SYNONYMNS
STRUCTURE : TENSE (simple, present, tense, simple past tense, present perfect tense)