Antonyms for Class 6

Table of Content

What is an Antonym?

Why are Antonyms Used?

Examples of Antonyms

Difference Between Synonyms and Antonyms

Antonyms and Prefixes

Common Mistakes With Antonyms

FAQs

What is an Antonym?

Antonyms are words or phrases that are opposite to another word or phrase. Nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions or adverbs can all be used as antonyms. For example, the word 'success' has many antonyms like defeat, failure, loss, setback and misfortune.

Why are Antonyms Used?

By using and learning antonyms we increase our vocabulary. It allows us to convey a variety of thoughts and feelings, making our language more versatile.
An antonym is a word that emphasises the exact opposite of an idea or a concept in a sentence which makes our messages clearer and more specific.
Antonyms help establish context and contrast. By using opposites, you can highlight differences in meaning, intention, or outcome.

Examples of Antonyms

Words	Antonyms
accidentally	intentionally, deliberately, knowingly, consciously, purposefully
accusation	acquittal, exoneration, vindication, clearance, absolution
adequate	inadequate, insufficient, deficient, lacking, subpar
admiration	disdain, contempt, scorn, derision, disapproval
adulterated	pure, untainted, unadulterated, uncontaminated, genuine
affordable	expensive, costly, unaffordable, exorbitant, prohibitive
aggression	passivity, pacifism, nonviolence, peacefulness, diplomacy
agile	clumsy, sluggish, slow, uncoordinated, ponderous
allocation	reallocation, reassignment, redistribution, reallotment, repartition
amplify	reduce, diminish, decrease, minimise, weaken
approval	disapproval, dissent, objection, rejection, censure
aspiration	apathy, indifference, indifference, complacency, contentment
assistance	hindrance, obstruction, hindrance, impediment, obstruction
assumption	fact, certainty, reality, truth, knowledge
authentic	counterfeit, fake, forged, fraudulent, phoney
availability	scarcity, unavailability, shortage, unattainability, inaccessibility
baneful	beneficial, helpful, advantageous, favourable, auspicious
befitting	inappropriate, unsuitable, unfitting, improper, incongruous
betray	remain loyal, stay faithful, be faithful, support, uphold
capability	incapability, incompetence, inadequacy, ineptitude, disability
covert	overt, open, visible, exposed, apparent
credibility	incredibility, untrustworthiness, unreliability, scepticism, doubt
crucial	inconsequential, trivial, unimportant, insignificant, minor
deceitful	honest, truthful, sincere, trustworthy, forthright
decline	rise, improvement, ascent, growth, increase
dehydration	hydration, rehydration, moisture, saturation, wetness
delicious	unpalatable, distasteful, unappetizing, unsavoury, bland
delusion	reality, truth, clarity, certainty, fact
desirable	undesirable, unattractive, repugnant, unappealing, unenviable
determination	indecision, hesitation, uncertainty, vacillation, doubt

Difference Between Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms	Antonyms
Words with identical or similar meanings are called synonyms.	Words with contrasting and opposing meanings are called antonyms.
Synonyms represent different words that can be used interchangeably in a sentence without significantly changing the meaning.	Antonyms represent words that convey contrasting ideas and concepts.
Example: Synonyms for the word 'abundance' are excess, bounty, plenty and lots.	Example: Antonyms for the word 'abundance' are scarcity, shortage, deficiency and dearth.

Antonyms and Prefixes

Prefixes are short syllables, usually between one and three letters. To change the meaning of words, we add prefixes at the beginning of words. Some prefixes can reverse the word's meaning and make the opposite.
Not all words can have a prefix. We cannot add prefixes to any words we want.
The following lists of prefixes are frequently used with antonym pairs. Each of these prefixes flips the meaning of a word.

1. Dis-

→ agreement - disagreement
→ connect - disconnect
→ obey - disobey
→ arm - disarm
→ appear - disappear

2. Irr-

→ rational - irrational
→ responsible - irresponsible
→ regular - irregular
→ revocable - irrevocable
→ reversible - irreversible

3. ill-

→ logical - illogical
→ legible - illegible
→ literate - illiterate
→ wellness - illness
→ legal - illegal

4. In-

→ sensitive - insensitive
→ tolerant - intolerant
→ capable - incapable
→ complete - incomplete
→ adequate - inadequate

5. Mis-

→ lead - mislead
→ inform - misinform
→ spell - misspell
→ calculate - miscalculate
→ understand - misunderstand

6. Im-

→ mature - immature
→ mortal - immortal
→ perfect - imperfect
→ polite - impolite
→ possible - impossible

7. Un-

→ known - unknown
→ stable - unstable
→ healthy - unhealthy
→ certain - uncertain
→ comfortable - uncomfortable

Read About: Synonyms for Class 6

Common Mistakes With Antonyms

Many students use the wrong antonyms, which could lead to confusion.
Some students think that if they add prefixes with any words they form an antonym. It is incorrect because many words do not need a prefix. For example, the antonym of 'sad' is not 'unsad'. The antonym for sad is happy.
After adding prefixes, students often misspell antonyms. For example, they may write the antonym for rational as 'irrational' which is incorrect. The correct spelling is 'irrational'.

FAQs

1. What are antonyms for class 6?

Answer: Words that mean the exact opposite of another word are known as antonyms. For example, valuable-worthless, capture-release, accept-reject, wise-ignorant, etc.

2. When should we use antonyms?

Answer: Antonyms are useful to emphasise differences or contrasts between two concepts or ideas. They make it clear that the content is talking about something distinctly different from another thing.

2. What are some examples of antonyms?

Answer: Some examples of antonyms are:

healthy - sick
joy - sorrow
wealthy - rich
dishonest - honest
above - below

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