Think about the word fair. Its synonym would be equal because fair and equal have the same meaning. The antonym for fair would be unfair — the opposite meaning. And its homonym is fair, which is spelled and pronounced the same but means beautiful instead. How do synonyms, antonyms and homonyms affect your writing, and how can you use them to improve your word choice?
Antonym Examples
Antonyms demonstrate contrasting ideas or objects and can provide clues about what a writer means. Common examples of antonyms include:
achieve - fail | giant - dwarf | random - specific |
afraid - confident | gloomy - cheerful | rigid - flexible |
ancient - modern | individual - group | shame - honor |
arrive - depart | innocent - guilty | simple - complicated |
arrogant - humble | knowledge - ignorance | single - married |
attack - defend | liquid - solid | sunny - cloudy |
blunt - sharp | marvelous - terrible | timid - bold |
brave - cowardly | noisy - quiet | toward - away |
cautious - careless | partial - complete | tragic - comic |
complex - simple | passive - active | transparent - opaque |
crazy - sane | permanent - unstable | triumph - defeat |
crooked - straight | plentiful - sparse | union - separation |
demand - supply | positive - negative | unique - common |
destroy - create | powerful - weak | upset - relaxed |
divide - unite | praise - criticism | urge - deter |
drunk - sober | private - public | vacant - occupied |
expand - contract | problem - solution | vague - definite |
freeze - boil | professional - amateur | villain - hero |
full - empty | profit - loss | wax - wane |
generous - stingy | quality - inferiority | wealth - poverty |
Synonym Examples
Synonyms provide variety in a writer's speech or writing. The endless array of synonyms in the English language makes it possible to avoid repetition. Examples of synonyms include:
amazing: astounding, surprising, stunning | fertile, fruitful, abundant, productive | polite: courteous, cordial, gracious |
annihilation: destruction, carnage, extinction | gargantuan: colossal, mammoth, tremendous | portion: piece, part, segment |
benefit: profit, revenue, yield | hungry: empty, ravenous, starved | risky: dangerous, perilous, treacherous |
brave: courageous, valiant, heroic | injured: damaged, wounded, harmed | sleepy: drowsy, listless, sluggish |
cohesive: united, connected, close-knit | intelligent: brilliant, clever, smart | senseless: absurd, illogical, unreasonable |
cunning: keen, sharp, slick | kindle: ignite, inflame, burn | tumultuous: hectic, raucous, turbulent |
destitute: poor, bankrupt, impoverished | loyal: faithful, ardent, devoted | vacant: empty, deserted, uninhabited |
deterioration: pollution, defilement, adulteration | old: elderly, aged, senior | veracity: authenticity, credibility, truthfulness |
enormous: huge, gigantic, massive | organization: association, institution, management | wet: damp, moist, soggy |
feisty: excitable, fiery, lively | partner: associate, colleague, companion | young: budding, fledgling, tenderfoot |
Advertisement
Homonym Examples
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. Common homonym examples include:
- atmosphere - the gases surrounding Earth / the mood of a situation
- bail - to clear out water / to release a prisoner
- band - a ring, sometimes symbolizing eternity / a musical group
- beat - to overcome something / to feel exhausted
- capital - the chief city of a state / a crime punishable by death
- cleave - to split or sever / to adhere to
- dive - to go down quickly / an unpleasant place
- employ - to put into use / to hire someone for a job
- file - to store computer data / to make a formal request
- fine - being of high quality / sum of money used as a penalty
- grave - something very serious / a place to bury the dead
- hide - to keep something secret / the skin of an animal
- iron - to press or smooth / silvery-gray metal
- jade - a hard, green stone / a hardened or bad-tempered woman
- lark - a small bird / something done for fun
- objective - not being influenced by prejudice / the lens of a microscope or camera
- plaque - an ornamental plate or slab that commemorates a person or event / a deposit on teeth prone to bacteria
- refrain - to stop oneself from doing something / a repeated line in music or poetry
- reticule - at a distance or disconnected / an unlikely possibility
- tender - sensitive or painful to the touch / legal money
Advertisement
Printable Guide to Antonyms, Synonyms and Homonyms
Don't forget to download a handy PDF that shows the difference between antonyms, synonyms and homonyms. It also includes examples of homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings) for easy reference.
Forming Vocabulary Relationships
The more you study synonyms, antonyms and homonyms, the more you'll feel inspired to use them in your everyday writing. If you're interested in expanding your vocabulary even more, check out: