Antonyms · Grade 4
In Grade 4 you learn: opposites made with prefixes.
Antonyms are words with opposite meanings: hot and cold, win and lose. One word can have different opposites, and a prefix can turn a word into its opposite: happy → unhappy.
Key facts
- Antonyms are opposites: early/late, empty/full, win/lose.
- One word can have different antonyms: old is the opposite of new (a car) and of young (a person).
- Prefixes can make antonyms: happy → unhappy, agree → disagree, possible → impossible, correct → incorrect, legal → illegal, regular → irregular.
Worked examples
Example 1
Match the opposites: big, fast, open with shut, small, slow.
Answer: big–small, fast–slow, open–shut
Example 2
Give the opposite of each word: hot, up, happy.
Answer: cold, down, sad
Example 3
What is the opposite of early?
Answer: late
Example 4
Which word is the opposite of old when we talk about a person: new or young?
Answer: young
Example 5
Write the opposite of honest using a prefix.
Answer: dishonest
Example 6
Make the opposite with a prefix: possible
Answer: impossible
Example 7
Are wet and dry synonyms or antonyms?
Answer: Antonyms