What is Antonyms  

What is Antonyms
Definition
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. For instance, the antonym of ‘hot’ may be ‘cold.’ The root words for the word ‘antonym’ are the words ‘anti,’ meaning ‘against’ or ‘opposite,’ and ‘onym,’ meaning ‘name.’

Synonyms
In order to better understand antonyms, let’s take a look at what the word ‘synonym’ means. A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning to or exactly the same meaning as another word. Synonyms and antonyms are exactly the opposite.

Why Are Antonyms Important?
Oddly enough, to better understand the meaning of a word, we can take a look at its antonym, or opposite meaning. For instance, take the word ‘morose.’ The definition of ‘morose’ is ‘gloomily or sullenly ill-humored.’ Sometimes, even reading a dictionary definition is not enough to give us a complete understanding of a word. Most dictionaries provide synonyms and antonyms, as well.

For instance, here are a few listed synonyms for the word ‘morose:’ ‘moody, sour, sulky.’ Also, here are a few antonyms: ‘cheerful’ and ‘optimistic.’ Now we know that the opposite of ‘morose’ is cheerful and even optimistic! Taking a look at both the synonyms and antonyms really provides us with a clearer definition.