A word that has the opposite meaning of another word, like 'hot' and 'cold' or 'big' and 'small.'
From Greek anti- (opposite) + -onym (name), literally 'opposite name.' Coined in English in the late 19th century to mirror the earlier term 'synonym.' The structure parallels how 'anti-' prefix indicates opposition in many English words.
Antonyms are trickier than they seem! There's no perfect opposite for every word—is the opposite of 'beginning' the end, or 'cease,' or 'completion'? Linguists call these 'semantic opposites' and recognize several types: gradable opposites (hot/cold), complementary opposites (on/off), and relational opposites (buy/sell).
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.