
In a complementary pair, each antonym can be well-defined as the opposite of the other. There is no antonym of leopard or oak or linguini or Alfred Lord Tennyson.Īnother difference is that, unlike with synonyms, there are three explicit types of antonyms: complementary pairs, gradable pairs, and relational pairs (sometimes called converse pairs).Ĭomplementary pairs means that these antonyms words have an exact and un-debatable opposite in some dimension.

For example, the antonyms hot/cold are opposite in the dimension of temperature, while the antonyms fast/slow are opposite in the dimension of velocity.īecause antonyms and synonyms are frequently spoken about together, the impression could be given that they are quite similar in how they work.

This article has information on antonyms including the definition of antonyms, examples of words that don't have antonyms, complementary pairs and gradable pairs of antonyms, and choosing from among multiple antonyms, and more.Īntonyms are words that have opposing or nearly opposing meanings in one particular dimension.
