Questions tagged [antonyms]
An antonym is a word with a meaning opposite to another word.
1,050 questions
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"We should not confuse generalization with [...?...]" (looking for the word that says: it's true for everybody or in any situation)
Definition of generalization:
A generalization is a statement that seems to be true in most situations or for most people, but that may not be completely true in all cases.
What word would you use ...
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Single word for inveigling someone to lower their guard
I’m looking for a verb with the rough meaning of softening someone’s guard, leaving them more open to attack. However, it should be a verb that means to make a target soften their guard.
It’s for the ...
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Debt is to deficit as ______ is to surplus?
Each year a country may be in national deficit or surplus. National deficit either increases national debt or eventually leads to debt.
National debt of the United States
National surplus either ...
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Antonym of "billable" [closed]
I am looking for the opposite of billable; the context would be "billable hours". A complete example sentence could be
Sorry boss, the work I did from 9 to 10 is "not billable".
While writing a ...
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Opposite of 'taking baby steps' [closed]
I already have giant steps / huge strides
in the context of
'Having previously taken tentative, half-hearted baby-steps Sophia began taking -------- towards attaining her life's ambitions'.
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What word can I use as opposite of trapping?
I am trying to describe a region of a random walk on a graph (don't worry if you don't know what it is, visualise it as a physical space, e.g. a park). This graph has a part that if you go there, you ...
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Is there an antonym (a complementary antonym) for "spicy" or "hot" regarding food (I DO NOT mean "seasoned", but "hot")?
I’m talking about the burning feeling you get when eating chillis,
raw onions, and other food. I’m looking for a way to explain that I do not like that burning feeling, be it onions, chillis, a spicy ...
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What is an antonym for "hagiography"?
A hagiography is a book or long article which praises and exaggerates the characteristics of the subject and lauds his/her accomplishments. Historically it is about a saint.
I am looking for an ...
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Why is the antonym of "within" not "without"
I'd suspect that many people would agree with the statement that the antonym of "in" is "out", except for some peculiar situations perhaps. My natural chain of shower-thoughts led me to the word "...
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What is a true antonym for "stronger"? [closed]
The word "stronger" means simply having more strength than, however when saying A is stronger than B, it does not imply that B is not strong just that A has more strength (B is strong but A is ...
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Hygroscopic substances
The terms 'desiccant' and 'humectant' are opposites of each other. However, both of them have been described as 'hygroscopic' substances. If desiccant and humectant are opposites of each other, how ...
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Antonym to word brother
Quite a few web resources claims that sister is an antonyms to word brother. I can agree with this in some way, but how correctly it is.
So let say “relative” is synonymous for word brother.
In the ...
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I heard inspecific is not a correct English word, but I find in some circumstances it makes more sense than alternatives
For example, if you were to say that something is particular to only one race, you'd say the trait is "race-specific". So my question is, what is the opposite of this? I would say it's "race-...
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Is there a word for "making oneself certain again"?
If I am uncertain of something and later I made myself certain again, is there a single word to express that?
Example:
"I was uncertain whether the result was correct. But I re-certained myself by ...
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Antonym of the word "fault"
Consider the meaning of the word "fault" as used in the following sentence:
It is not your fault that the warehouse burned down.
What word could we use in the following sentence:
It is not your ...
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Antonym to "on" (spatial relation)
In the scope of spatial relations, the word "on" in English typically describes the state where one object is positioned directly above another object, where the lower object supports the upper one. ...
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Is "trough value" the antonym of "peak value"
"Peak value" is widely used. I was told its antonym is "trough value", which is however rarely used on the Internet. Is there a better word group?
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Single or small number of words opposite of "soft focus", "rose-tinted glasses" etc to convey cynicism/critical thinking/realism but not "pessimistic"
I'm looking for a single word or small number of words to convey something like "Life through a _____ filter/lens" where the opposite is 'soft-focus', 'rose-tinted' etc.
Where _____ conveys a sense ...
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Differences in antonyms of "balance" with negative prefixes
Most words only have one correct negative prefix out of "in-", "im-", and "un-". Why are both "imbalance" and "unbalance" both grammatically correct (but "inbalance" is not")? What are differences in ...
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Word for the opposite of electronic music
I'm looking for a word to distinguish electronic music from non-electronic music. I'd like to categorize into these two terms and I am aware that acoustic music or maybe even analog music might be the ...
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What is the antonym of "terminus"? [closed]
As for an ad hoc single-direction train, the last station is called the "terminus", while the first station is called the ______.
A. origin
B. source
C. start
D. initus
E. ...... (other names)
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Exact antonym of a physical euphoria?
I'm writing a novel and the line I would like the synonym for would be:
My heart stopped and for a moment I was in BLANK-on the precipice of vomiting, soiling myself, and passing out all at the same ...
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Opposite of expense? [duplicate]
I have a database of invoices. Some of these are to be paid by us. These are called expenses. Some are to be paid us by others. How should I call those? I want a word that is fit to use for invoices ...
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What is the opposite of mistress? [duplicate]
Normally, we say
"He was caught with his mistress."
Here, we know that the male is a married person. The meaning is clear.
If he is not married, then we can say
"He was caught with his ...
user310669
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An adverb for when you're not exaggerating
I want to say,
Your situation is, without exaggerating, more severe than mine.
However, I want to replace "without exaggerating" with an adverb. Something like "undoubtedly".
Now I know the word "...
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What is the opposite of "eschatology"?
Eschatology is the study or philosophy of formation of ideas about the end of things, apparently derived from the Greek ἔσχατος meaning "last" and -λογία meaning "study of".
What ...
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What is the opposite of 'gravitas'?
I'm having difficulty coming up with a valid antonym for gravitas.
Online searches return results like superficiality, cheerfulness, frivolity, facetiousness etc. which don't work for me. They seem ...
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What's a word for something that requires focus for a long time?
The opposite of "quick". For a example:
Washing the dishes is a quick task
But
Writing an essay is a _ task
I'm looking for an adjective (so no "task that requires focus"), preferably one that isn'...
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Is there an opposite "-ism" word to nepotism?
Is there an opposite "-ism" word to nepotism? If nepotism refers to the nature of favoring one due to familial or friendly relations, surely there is an antonym to nepotism that conveys the favoring ...
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Antonym of black and white thinking (or splitting)
Splitting is a type of cognitive distortion where one sees a situation from an all-or-nothing perspective. What could we call the type of thinking that is not based on extremes? Would "balanced ...
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Words to describe a person that values merit and achievemnt
Or, you could say, a proponent of meritocracy (descriptors for opponents of meritocracy also welcome, see details below). Please don't say "meritocrat", I would rather avoid that one.
Nouns and ...
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What is the opposite of a hacker?
In common parlance the term hacker can be used to describe a
person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system
I wold like to know what term should be ...
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the opposite word of dominant [closed]
There is an opposite word of dominant in sexuality and otherwise which has the starting letters 'mas..........' but I'm not able to recall the word, can somebody help ? I just remember it being too ...
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Is there a word for "not a ratio"?
Is there a word for "not a ratio," e.g. the stock increased by $100 on a something basis which is 50% on a percentage basis.
I used to think the word is nominal but I don't see that definition ...
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Overfill is a word, why isn't "underfill" as widely recognized to be a word?
Is there a different or better word for "underfill".
MS Word, Google, don't seem to recognize underfill as a word.
On Merriam Webster, they recognize it as a noun(paraphrased):
a piece of steel ...
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Opposite of "loosely-based"
We often see a screenplay noted to be “loosely based” on a novel or true story. This usually means significant portions of the story, or major plot turns, have been rewritten. Sometimes even major ...
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"least riskiest" vs "safest" - double superlative or single is better? [duplicate]
Is "least riskiest" stylistically correct? Can it be considered a double superlative? Would "safest" be a better choice?
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A word that means the opposite of digitization?
Digitization refers to taking a physical object and turning it into data that can be processed by a computer.
I have been trying to find a word that refers to the opposite process of taking data (a ...
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Antonym for improved [closed]
Im looking for an antonym for the word improved.
For this sentence:
Last time he improved, but this time he ________
I would prefer one word.
user325641
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Is there a word for the opposite of magnify?
Specifically to do with lenses / magnification, but making something appear smaller rather than larger.
Example:
If her glasses make her eyes look larger:
Her glasses magnify her eyes.
If her ...
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Opposite of innovation
I received a newsletter from my University that read, "Are you promoting innovation, diversity, and excellence at [university name]?"
I was with a friend and we both saw the email on our phones. I ...
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The opposite of enabling a person to do something [closed]
The title kind of says it all.
I'm looking for the opposite of "it enables the customer to perform …".
First thought was "it disables the customer to perform … " but that just doesn't sound right.
...
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Is "start" or "beginning" a better antonym of "end"? [closed]
What I'm really looking for here are the "acronym antonyms" for things like EOD, EOW, EOM for end of day, week, and month.
Which would be more pleasing/clear to the reader: BoD->EoD or ...
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What is the antonym of Update? [duplicate]
As a developer, I am writing a commit message to rollback an update. In my message I want to describe what I am doing which is the opposite of an update. I am looking for something like the word ...
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Is there an antonym for "nice-to-have"?
Let's suppose that while looking for a new car, I end up with a list of requirements that I would like my new car to satisfy. I proceed to put these requirements into one of the following categories:
...
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Single Word Describing The Concept Of Language Barrier As Applied To Language In A Non-traditional sense
A single word carrying the connotation or literal meaning of either, "real language" or "official language" that is roughly antonymous with the word vernacular.
To provide more context: I am seeking ...
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Word leverage. Synonyms, antonyms and asociation
What are at least two synonyms, two antonyms for a verb: to leverage? I'm hopeless, thanks for the answer. By the way, do you have any association with this word? I do homework and I do not know how ...
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What would be the best counterpart to the term "unimprovable"
Something along the lines of "not capable of being brought lower than one's current point."
Considering unimprovable having the root improve, I am looking for a term that has the same effect from a ...
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fail to satisfy = frustrate?
Is it correct to say that if a person fails to satisfy one of his or her needs then that person frustrates that need?
As I am not a native English speaker, I need to apologize for being unclear. I ...
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Opposite of "in front of"
I would like to modify the following sentence to change the location of the promoter to the opposite side.
"TK promoter in front of the ICP27 gene in both vectors"
Would it be as following??
"TK ...
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