Antonym Relationship

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Words that have opposite meanings.

Antonym relationships connect words with opposite meanings. There are different types of opposites: contradictory (alive/dead—no middle ground), contrary (hot/cold—allows degrees between), and converse (buy/sell—same action, different perspectives). Understanding the type of opposition helps identify the correct relationship.

A ↔ B (A is the opposite of B)

• hot : cold :: light : dark
• up : down :: left : right
• buy : sell :: give : take

How to recognize it

• Words represent opposing ends of a spectrum or concept
• Both pairs must have the same type of opposition
• Look for negation, reversal, or complementary relationships
• Consider whether the opposition is absolute or gradual

Common mistakes

• Missing that antonyms can be gradable (warm/cool) or absolute (dead/alive)
• Confusing antonyms with merely different words
• Not matching the type of opposition between pairs

Practice guidance

Verbal Reasoning