If you’ve ever seen Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract” music video, you know that opposite doesn’t always mean opposition. She’s serious, he’s light! He’s a cinephile, she’s obsessed with TV. She’s a human and he’s a 2D animated cat, but why should that stand in the way of love? Difference can spark attraction! The same rule applies to writing. Understanding contrast is one of the most powerful tools in storytelling and language. In this essay, we’ll look at the origin, functions, and types of antonyms, as well as the aforementioned music video (still a classic nearly 40 years later). But first, what are antonyms?
Antonym meaning
First, let’s define antonym
We start to learn about antonyms as early as pre-school, with children understanding the idea of opposites as early as four years old. At first, the concept is often introduced as "opposite words" before moving on to the term "antonym" in elementary school.
ANTONYM DEFINITION
What is an antonym?
An antonym is a word of opposite meaning. A single word can have various antonyms. For example, antonyms for the word “brave” include: cowardly, timid, unheroic, fearful, and at least twenty more according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.
Examples of antonyms:
- Ancient: modern, current, fresh
- Beginning: ending, finale, finish
- Friend: enemy, foe, opponent
Synonym and antonym
Synonyms vs Antonyms
Whereas an antonym is a word with an opposite meaning, a synonym is a word with the same or a similar meaning. This makes antonyms the “antonym” of synonyms.
Not only does this knowledge make you a killer Taboo player at game night, a deep well of both synonyms and antonyms is a great addition to any writer’s toolkit. Many writers keep a thesaurus on hand to add variety and specificity to their word choices. There’s much to be mined from a single word. For example, a character who “walks” into a room is very different from one who “strolls”, “saunters”, or “marches.” While synonyms keep writing from feeling redundant, knowing a word’s opposite can help a writer get their point across more clearly by emphasizing difference. For example, hope may appear stronger when placed next to despair. The clearer the opposite is, the more emotionally vivid your scene or story can be.
Paula Abdul sings about dating her antonym
What does antonym mean?
History of the antonym
Opposites appear across time, culture, and language, but the word antonym was first used in 1867. Coined to serve as the opposite of synonyms, from Greek anti "opposite, against" and onym "name," it was first used by Charles John Smith in his book, Synonyms and Antonyms: Or, Kindred Words and Their Opposites.
Long before the 1800s, the Pythagorean Table of Opposites was used to explain the structure of the universe. Aristotle discussed this table and presented his own categorization of opposites in his 4th century text, “Categories.” This long history of understanding ideas through contrast shows the power of opposites to classify and define the world around us. It also shows that (even two thousand years ago) humans love a list.
Examples of antonyms
Types of antonyms
Complementary antonyms: this type of antonym is an absolute opposite, like dead and alive. Complementary antonyms cannot be true at the same time. Other examples include: push/pull, silence/noise, and yes/no
Gradable antonyms: exist on a scale, allowing for varying degrees of intensity, like hot to cold or tall to short. This type of antonym shows opposite amounts of the same quality. Examples: large/small, bright/dull, interesting/boring
Relational antonyms: are words that depend on each other to define their meaning. These represent opposite sides of a relationship like student to teacher, coach to player, or predator to prey.
Auto-antonym or contronym: a word with two opposite meanings though it sounds and is spelled the same. For example, the word “left” can mean to depart or to remain (as in, there is no pie left). Another example is the word “temper”, which can both mean to soften or strengthen.
Contronyms explained
Purpose of the antonym
Antonyms in writing
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” Was Charles Dickens talking about 1859 or 2025? Either way, this famous line from “A Tale of Two Cities” is one we’re still quoting today. This is an example of antithesis, which places antonyms next to one another to highlight opposing ideas.
Understanding antonyms can help writers both amplify their worlds and add conflict. Conflict is what drives stories forward and is often born from opposites. Opposites can be used to create drama, tension, and clarify meaning. By showing extreme control, we better understand freedom. In crafting chaos, we feel the difference of order. In screenwriting, this can help filmmakers reveal theme. For example, juxtaposing scenes of lavish capital life with the dire conditions of people in the districts showed the extreme power imbalance in “The Hunger Games.”
Opposites also build stronger character dynamics. Have you ever noticed how many “buddy movies” rely on the protagonists having almost nothing in common? Two Richard Pryors would be hilarious, but Pryor paired with Gene Wilder gave us some of the best comedy films of all time.
Up Next
Juxtaposition in film
With a complete understanding of synonyms and antonyms, you might be ready for juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is used to contrast or compare multiple things. In screenwriting and filmmaking, this can be a tool used to draw emotional contrast. Check out the blog post below to see how placing opposing ideas, images, and words next to one another can make your story more powerful.
Up Next: Juxtaposition in film →
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