English: Grade 6
Language Use: Synonyms and Antonyms
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS
Synonyms and antonyms are used to avoid over-using words. They help to build vocabulary
and broaden your understanding of the world. “The lion ambled up to its prey” is not as
effective as “The lion stalked its prey”, but they are both synonyms for the word „walk‟.
Synonyms
Synonyms are words with a similar or the same meaning.
The word synonym comes from the Greek. The prefix „syn‟ means 'the same' or 'together'
and 'onym' means 'name'. So synonyms are names (words) that have the same or similar
meaning.
Examples of Synonyms:
Word
private
lucky
build
quarrel
Synonym
secret, confidential
fortunate
construct
argue
You can use a Thesaurus to find synonyms. It works like a dictionary in that it is in
alphabetical order.
It should be noted that you cannot use just any synonym, as they all have slightly
different meanings. Whilst they overlap, they don‟t necessarily replace a word
completely.
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English: Grade 6
Language Use: Synonyms and Antonyms
Antonyms
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
The word antonym comes from the Greek. The prefix 'anti' means 'opposite' or 'anti' and
'onym' means 'name'. So antonyms are names (words) that are the opposite.
Examples of Antonyms:
Word
private
lucky
build
quarrel
Antonym
public
unlucky, unfortunate
demolish, destroy
agree
A prefix can sometimes be added to a word to make an antonym.
For example
authorised – unauthorised
like – dislike
Many of the prefixes used to make an antonym begin with „dis-‟, „un-‟,
„im-‟, „ir-‟, „il-‟ and „in-‟.
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English: Grade 6
Language Use: Synonyms and Antonyms
The prefix can also be changed to make an antonym.
For example
optimist – pessimist
Go to the module on Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words for more information:
http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/get-smart/english/grade-6/synonyms-and-antonyms
Using different synonyms and antonyms will make your writing and speech
more interesting and varied. This can help you to improve your
communication skills, as choosing the „right‟ words narrows down the
possibility of being misunderstood. It also makes your writing and speaking
more precise.
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