Words Opposite Words Meaning

To reduce in amount, degree, or

Abate, Attenuate Increase, Intensify
severity

Abase, Demean,
Elevate, Exalt To humble; disgrace
Degrade

Deviating from what is normal or

Aberrant, Anomalous Normal, Typical
expected

Abjure, Renounce Embrace, Accept To reject; abandon formally

Abridge, Curtail Expand, Extend To reduce the length of; shorten

Abscond, Flee,
Stay, Remain To leave secretly
Escape

Abstain, Refrain Indulge, Partake To choose not to do something

Abysmal, Profound Shallow, Superficial Extremely deep; profound

An expression of praise or
Accolade, Praise Criticism, Censure
admiration

To accept something reluctantly but

Acquiesce, Comply Resist, Oppose
without protest

Adroit, Adept Clumsy, Inept Skillful; expert

Advocate, Champion Oppose, Hinder To speak in favor of

Concerning the appreciation of

Aesthetic, Tasteful Vulgar, Tacky
beauty

Wealthy; having abundant

Affluent, Prosperous Poor, Destitute
resources

Quick and well-coordinated in

Agile, Nimble Clumsy, Sluggish
movement
Alleviate, Mitigate Aggravate, Worsen To make more bearable

Showing unselfish concern for

Altruistic, Selfless Selfish, Egotistic
others

Unclear; open to more than one

Ambiguous, Vague Clear, Explicit
interpretation

Amiable, Congenial Hostile, Unfriendly Friendly; agreeable

Amorphous, Without a clearly defined shape or

Defined, Structured
Shapeless form

Amplify, Intensify Reduce, Diminish To increase in volume or intensity

Anarchy, Chaos Order, Harmony Disorder; absence of authority

Animosity, Hostility Friendship, Harmony Strong hostility; antagonism

Anomaly, Irregularity Norm, Standard Deviation from what is normal

Antagonize, Provoke Pacify, Appease To annoy or provoke to anger

Apathy, Indifference Interest, Concern Lack of interest or emotion

Apex, Pinnacle Bottom, Nadir Highest point; peak

Apocryphal, Dubious Genuine, Authentic Of doubtful authenticity

Arbitrary, Random Systematic, Planned Determined by impulse or chance

Arid, Dry Humid, Moist Lacking water; dry

Articulate, Eloquent Inarticulate, Mumbled Clear and effective in speech

Ascend, Rise Descend, Fall To move upward

Assiduous, Diligent Lazy, Negligent Hardworking; persistent

Astute, Shrewd Naive, Foolish Having good judgment; clever

Audacious, Bold Timid, Cautious Fearlessly daring

Authentic, Genuine Fake, Counterfeit Genuine; real

Aversion, Dislike Liking, Preference Strong dislike; opposition

Avid, Eager Indifferent, Apathetic Showing keen interest or

 enthusiasm

Benevolent, Kind Malevolent, Cruel Well-meaning; charitable

Benign, Gentle Harmful, Malignant Kind and gentle; favorable

Verbosity, Long-
Brevity, Conciseness Briefness; succinctness
Windedness

Cacophony, Discord Harmony, Melody Harsh mixture of sounds

Candor, Honesty Deceit, Dishonesty Openness; frankness

Capitulate, Surrender Resist, Fight To surrender

Caustic, Corrosive Soothing, Gentle Sarcastic in a bitter way

Censure, Criticize Praise, Commend To express disapproval

Cerebral, Intellectual Simple, Unintelligent Relating to the brain or intellect

Charismatic,
Repellent, Repulsive Attractive and charming
Charming

Coalesce, Merge Separate, Divide To unite; combine

Coerce, Compel Persuade, Convince To force someone to do something

Complacent, Smug Concerned, Worried Self-satisfied; overly content

Concise, Succinct Wordy, Verbose Brief and to the point

Concur, Agree Disagree, Dissent To agree

Condone, Overlook Condemn, Punish To forgive; accept behavior

Confound, Perplex Clarify, Explain To confuse

Confound, Amaze Expect, Understand To astonish

Conspicuous,
Inconspicuous, Hidden Easily seen or noticed
Noticeable

Contentious, Harmonious,
Likely to cause an argument
Argumentative Agreeable

Convoluted, Complex Simple, Complicated and difficult to

 Straightforward understand

Covet, Desire Content, Satisfied To crave; desire

Cunning, Crafty Naive, Innocent Sly or clever

Debilitate, Weaken Strengthen, Fortify To weaken

Defer, Delay Expedite, Hasten To postpone

Deficit, Shortage Surplus, Excess Lack or shortage

Defy, Challenge Obey, Comply To resist

Deft, Skillful Clumsy, Awkward Skillful and quick

Demure, Modest Bold, Forward Reserved in manner

Denounce, Condemn Praise, Commend To criticize

Deride, Mock Praise, Applaud To ridicule

Desolate, Barren Fertile, Fruitful Barren; empty

Despondent, Dejected Joyful, Elated Depressed; discouraged

Destitute,
Wealthy, Affluent Poor and lacking
Impoverished

Detrimental, Harmful Beneficial, Helpful Harmful; damaging

Devious, Cunning Direct, Straightforward Sneaky; deceitful

Dexterity, Skill Clumsiness, Ineptitude Skillfulness; agility

Didactic, Instructive Confusing, Unclear Intended to teach or instruct

Diligent, Industrious Lazy, Idle Hardworking; industrious

Diminish, Decrease Increase, Enhance To reduce

Dire, Urgent Mild, Trivial Extremely serious or urgent

Discreet, Cautious Careless, Reckless Prudent; careful

Disparage, Belittle Praise, Compliment To criticize

Disparate, Distinct Similar, Alike Fundamentally different

Distraught, Troubled Calm, Composed Agitated; upset

Diverse, Varied Uniform, Identical Varied; different

Docile, Obedient Stubborn, Defiant Easily managed; compliant

Dogmatic, Rigid Flexible, Open-Minded Rigidly adhering to beliefs

Dormant, Inactive Active, Dynamic Inactive; asleep

Dubious, Doubtful Certain, Sure Doubtful; uncertain

Dwindle, Diminish Increase, Expand To become smaller or less

Eloquent, Articulate Inarticulate, Mumbling Fluent and persuasive in speech

Elusive, Evasive Direct, Straightforward Difficult to find or capture

Embellish, Adorn Simplify, Plain To decorate; enhance

To imitate with effort to equal or

Emulate, Imitate Neglect, Ignore
surpass

Enigma, Puzzle Solution, Answer Puzzle; mystery

Enrage, Infuriate Pacify, Soothe To make very angry

Enthrall, Captivate Bore, Repel To captivate; charm

Eradicate, Eliminate Create, Establish To remove completely

Erratic, Unpredictable Consistent, Stable Irregular; unpredictable

Euphoric, Ecstatic Miserable, Despondent Intensely happy

Evade, Avoid Confront, Face To escape

Exacerbate,
Alleviate, Mitigate To worsen
Aggravate

Exalt, Elevate Depreciate, Degrade To praise; raise in rank

Exemplary,
Blameworthy, Faulty Worthy of imitation
Commendable

Exonerate, Absolve Convict, Incriminate To clear from blame

Extricate, Free Entangle, Ensnare To free from constraint

Fabricate, Concoct Uncover, Expose To invent

Fastidious, Meticulous Careless, Sloppy Meticulous; attentive to detail

Feasible, Practical Impractical, Unrealistic Possible; achievable

Felicitous, Apt Inappropriate, Unfitting Well-suited; fitting

Fervent, Passionate Indifferent, Apathetic Intensely passionate

Fickle, Capricious Constant, Steady Inconstant; changeable

Flagrant, Glaring Concealed, Hidden Blatantly offensive

Flamboyant,
Modest, Reserved Showy; extravagant
Ostentatious

Flourish, Prosper Decline, Deteriorate To thrive

Formidable, Daunting Easy, Simple Inspiring fear or respect

Fortuitous, Fortunate Unlucky, Unfortunate Happening by chance

Frugal, Economical Wasteful, Extravagant Economical; thrifty

Furtive, Secretive Open, Transparent Stealthy; secretive

Garrulous, Talkative Quiet, Reserved Excessively talkative

Gluttony,
Moderation, Restraint Excessive eating or drinking
Overindulgence

Grandiose,
Simple, Modest Impressive and imposing
Extravagant

Gregarious, Sociable Antisocial, Solitary Social; outgoing

Guile, Deceit Honesty, Sincerity Cunning or deceitful behavior

Harangue, Lecture Praise, Compliment A long, passionate speech

Haughty, Arrogant Humble, Modest Arrogant; proud

Hedonist, Pleasure-
Ascetic, Abstainer One who seeks pleasure
Seeker
Heretic, Dissenter Conformist, Believer One who holds unorthodox beliefs

Hierarchy, Ranking Equality, Flatness A system of ranking

Homogeneous,
Diverse, Varied Uniform; similar
Uniform

Hostile, Antagonistic Friendly, Welcoming Unfriendly; aggressive

Hypocrite, Pretender Sincere, Genuine One who pretends

Conformist,
Iconoclast, Rebel A rebel
Traditionalist

Ignoble, Dishonorable Honorable, Noble Dishonorable; shameful

Illicit, Illegal Legal, Lawful Illegal; forbidden by law

Immutable,
Flexible, Alterable Unchangeable; permanent
Unchangeable

Impede, Obstruct Aid, Assist To hinder

Imperious,
Humble, Meek Arrogant; domineering
Overbearing

Impetuous, Impulsive Cautious, Deliberate Impulsive; acting without thinking

Impudent, Insolent Respectful, Polite Rude; disrespectful

Incessant, Continual Occasional, Sporadic Constant; unceasing

Incisive, Penetrating Dull, Blunt Sharp; keen

Incoherent, Disjointed Coherent, Unified Lacking coherence

Incongruous,
Consistent, Fitting Inappropriate; not fitting
Inconsistent

Indifferent, Apathetic Concerned, Interested Without interest or concern

Indignant, Outraged Calm, Composed Angry; annoyed

Indolent, Lazy Active, Industrious Lazy; inactive

Inept, Incompetent Skilled, Capable Incompetent; unskilled

Inevitable,
Avoidable, Preventable Unavoidable; certain to happen
Unavoidable

Inexorable, Relentless Flexible, Yielding Relentless; unyielding

Infamous, Notorious Honorable, Respected Notoriously bad

Inhibit, Restrain Promote, Encourage To hold back

Innate, Inherent Acquired, Learned Inborn; natural

Innocuous, Harmless Harmful, Dangerous Harmless; inoffensive

Inscrutable,
Transparent, Clear Mysterious; hard to understand
Mysterious

Insipid, Bland Flavorful, Exciting Bland; lacking flavor

Instigate, Provoke Prevent, Discourage To provoke

Insurgent, Rebel Loyalist, Supporter Rebel; revolutionary

Intermittent, Sporadic Continuous, Constant Occasional; sporadic

Intrepid, Fearless Timid, Cowardly Fearless; brave

Simple,
Intricate, Complex Complicated; detailed
Straightforward

Inveterate, Habitual Occasional, Sporadic Long-standing habit

Admirable,
Invidious, Jealous Envious; causing ill will
Commendable

Irate, Enraged Calm, Composed Very angry

Irksome, Annoying Pleasing, Enjoyable Annoying; irritating

Irreverent,
Respectful, Reverent Disrespectful; not showing respect
Disrespectful

Jocular, Joking Serious, Solemn Playful; joking

To place side by side for

Juxtapose, Compare Separate, Isolate
comparison
Kindle, Ignite Extinguish, Douse To ignite

Languid, Sluggish Energetic, Lively Lacking energy

Laud, Praise Criticize, Condemn To praise

Lavish, Extravagant Frugal, Economical Extravagant; generous

Lethargic, Sluggish Energetic, Lively Sluggish; lacking energy

Levity, Frivolity Gravity, Seriousness Lightness of manner

Lofty, Elevated Low, Humble High; elevated

Lucid, Clear Confusing, Unclear Clear; easily understood

Luminous, Radiant Dull, Dim Bright; shining

Magnanimous,
Selfish, Stingy Generous; forgiving
Generous

Magnate, Tycoon Peasant, Commoner Wealthy and influential person

Malicious, Spiteful Benevolent, Kind Spiteful; intending harm

Malleable, Adaptable Rigid, Inflexible Flexible; easily influenced

Meager, Scanty Abundant, Plentiful Lacking in quantity

Meander, Wander Direct, Straight To wander aimlessly

Melancholy, Gloomy Cheerful, Happy Sadness; depression

Meticulous, Thorough Careless, Sloppy Extremely careful

Mitigate, Alleviate Aggravate, Worsen To make less severe

Extraordinary,
Mundane, Ordinary Ordinary; common
Exceptional

Careless; not paying proper

Negligent, Careless Attentive, Careful
attention

Notorious, Infamous Unknown, Obscure Famous for something bad

Commonplace,
Novel, Innovative New and unusual
Ordinary
Nuance, Subtlety Obviousness, Clarity Subtle distinction

Obsolete, Outdated Modern, Current Outdated; no longer in use

Obtuse, Blunt Sharp, Acute Dull; lacking sharpness

Omnipotent, All- All-powerful; having unlimited

Powerless, Weak
Powerful power

Onerous, Burdensome Easy, Manageable Burdensome; difficult to bear

Opulent, Wealthy Poor, Impoverished Wealthy; rich

Ornate, Elaborate Plain, Simple Elaborately decorated

Ostentatious, Showy Modest, Restrained Showy; intended to impress

Paltry, Insignificant Significant, Substantial Insignificant; trivial

Paradox,
Certainty, Clarity Contradiction; inconsistency
Contradiction

Partisan, Biased Impartial, Neutral Biased; favoring one side

Pensive, Thoughtful Careless, Thoughtless Thoughtful; reflective

Perennial, Enduring Temporary, Fleeting Enduring; lasting

Perplex, Confuse Clarify, Explain To confuse

Pious, Devout Irreligious, Atheistic Devoutly religious

Placid, Calm Turbulent, Agitated Calm; peaceful

Plausible, Credible Unlikely, Improbable Believable; likely to be true

Pompous, Pretentious Humble, Modest Pretentious; arrogant

Ponderous,
Light, Agile Heavy; slow and clumsy
Cumbersome

Pragmatic, Practical Idealistic, Impractical Practical; realistic

Precarious, Uncertain Stable, Secure Uncertain; risky

Predecessor, Successor,
Ancestor; earlier version
Ancestor Descendant
 Wasteful; spending money
Prodigal, Wasteful Frugal, Thrifty
recklessly

Profound, Deep Superficial, Shallow Deep; insightful

Prolific, Fruitful Barren, Sterile Productive; fertile

Prowess, Skill Ineptitude, Clumsiness Skill; expertise

Prudent, Wise Foolish, Unwise Wise; careful and cautious

Pungent, Sharp Mild, Bland Sharp; intense in smell or taste

Charming; attractive in an unusual

Quaint, Charming Ugly, Unattractive
way

Quandary, Dilemma Certainty, Solution Dilemma; difficult situation

Quiescent, Inactive Active, Lively Inactive; dormant

Rancor, Bitterness Kindness, Goodwill Bitterness; resentment

Raze, Demolish Build, Construct To demolish

Rebuke, Reprimand Praise, Compliment To reprimand

Recalcitrant,
Compliant, Yielding Stubborn; resistant to authority
Obstinate

Redundant, Repetitive Concise, Succinct Repetitive; unnecessary

Refute, Disprove Confirm, Prove To prove wrong

Relegate, Demote Promote, Advance To demote

Relinquish, Abandon Retain, Keep To give up

Resilient, Durable Fragile, Delicate Able to recover quickly

Resolute, Determined Irresolute, Indecisive Determined; firm in purpose

Retract, Withdraw Extend, Expand To withdraw

Irreverent,
Reverent, Respectful Respectful; showing respect
Disrespectful

Rhetoric, Oratory Conciseness, Persuasive speaking

 Terseness

Robust, Vigorous Weak, Feeble Strong; healthy

Rudimentary, Basic Advanced, Complex Basic; fundamental

Salient, Prominent Insignificant, Obscure Prominent; noticeable

Sanctimonious, Hypocritical; pretending to be

Genuine, Sincere
Hypocritical devout

Sanguine, Optimistic Pessimistic, Gloomy Optimistic; cheerful

Sardonic, Mocking Affectionate, Loving Mocking; sarcastic

Satiate, Satisfy Deprive, Starve To satisfy fully

Scrupulous,
Careless, Negligent Meticulous; attentive to detail
Meticulous

Serene, Tranquil Turbulent, Agitated Calm; peaceful

Servile, Submissive Assertive, Independent Submissive; obedient

Shrewd, Astute Naive, Foolish Clever; astute

Skeptic, Doubter Believer, Advocate Doubter; skeptic

Soporific, Dull Stimulating, Exciting Sleep-inducing

Sporadic, Intermittent Continuous, Constant Occasional; irregular

Spurious, False Genuine, Authentic False; counterfeit

Squander, Waste Save, Conserve To waste

Stagnant, Inactive Active, Dynamic Inactive; not moving

Indifferent; unaffected by pleasure

Stoic, Indifferent Emotional, Sensitive
or pain

Strident, Harsh Gentle, Soft Loud and harsh

Subtle, Delicate Obvious, Blatant Delicate; not obvious

Succinct, Concise Rambling, Verbose Concise; brief and to the point

Superficial, Shallow Deep, Profound Shallow; lacking depth

Sycophant, Flatterer Critic, Skeptic Flatterer; overly attentive

Taciturn, Silent Talkative, Loquacious Silent; reserved

Tactile, Tangible Abstract, Intangible Tangible; perceptible by touch

Tantamount,
Different, Unlike Equivalent; equal in value or effect
Equivalent

Tenuous, Weak Strong, Solid Weak; flimsy

Terse, Succinct Rambling, Verbose Concise; brief and to the point

Thrive, Flourish Decline, Wither To prosper

Torpor, Lethargy Activity, Energy Lethargy; sluggishness

Trivial, Insignificant Important, Significant Insignificant; unimportant

Truculent, Aggressive Peaceful, Gentle Aggressive; fierce

Ubiquitous,
Rare, Scarce Omnipresent; everywhere at once
Omnipresent

Unctuous, Oily Dry, Harsh Oily; excessively smooth or smug

Rustic,
Urbane, Sophisticated Polished; refined
Unsophisticated

Usurp, Seize Relinquish, Surrender To seize by force

Vacillate, Hesitate Decide, Commit To waver

Venerate, Respect Despise, Scorn To respect

Verbose, Wordy Concise, Succinct Wordy; using too many words

Vestige, Trace Whole, Entirety Trace; remaining evidence

Viable, Feasible Impractical, Unrealistic Feasible; capable of succeeding

Vilify, Slander Praise, Commend To slander

Vindicate, Justify Condemn, Accuse To justify

Vindictive, Vengeful Forgiving, Merciful Vengeful; seeking revenge

Virulent, Toxic Benign, Harmless Toxic; harmful

Visionary, Idealistic Practical, Realistic Idealistic; having grand plans

Vitiate, Impair Improve, Enhance To impair

Volatile, Unstable Stable, Secure Unstable; easily changeable

Voluble, Talkative Silent, Reserved Talkative; fluent with words

Wane, Decrease Grow, Increase To decrease

Wary, Cautious Careless, Reckless Cautious; watchful

Whimsical, Fanciful Serious, Practical Fanciful; playful

Wistful, Nostalgic Content, Satisfied Nostalgic; yearning with sadness

Wrath, Anger Forgiveness, Mercy Anger; fury

Writhe, Twist Straighten, Untwist To twist

Zenith, Peak Nadir, Bottom Peak; highest point