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Antonyms
No is an antonym of yes. See how many others you know in this quiz.

Antonyms

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. This KS2 English quiz helps pupils recognise and use antonyms to make their writing more varied and interesting.

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Fascinating Fact:

Antonyms often appear in songs and quotes to make lines more powerful, such as “better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

In KS2 English, pupils learn that antonyms are words with opposite meanings, like “hot” and “cold.” Understanding them helps improve vocabulary, comprehension, and descriptive writing.

  • Antonym: A word that has the opposite meaning to another word, such as “happy” and “sad.”
  • Synonym: A word that has the same or similar meaning as another, like “fast” and “quick.”
  • Opposite: A word meaning completely different from another, for example “tall” and “short.”
What are antonyms in KS2 English?

Antonyms are pairs of words that have opposite meanings. For example, “day” and “night” or “start” and “finish.”

Why are antonyms useful in writing?

They make writing more expressive and help show contrast, such as comparing good and bad, light and dark, or young and old.

How can I learn antonyms easily?

Practise by matching opposite words and using them in sentences. Reading stories and poems also helps you spot antonyms in context.

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1 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Rough
Twisted
Tough
Textured
Smooth
Rough has many different meanings - take a look in the dictionary.
2 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Brave
Cowardly
Courageous
Bold
Energetic
Courageous and bold are similar in meaning to brave.
3 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Internal
Behind
In front of
Inside
External
The prefixes 'in-' and 'ex-' have opposite meanings. 'In-' means 'in', and 'ex-' means 'out'.
4 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
True
Trustworthy
Right
False
Correct
Pairs of antonyms are often presented together with the word 'or'. You might have heard these pairs: 'right or wrong', 'true or false', 'rich or poor', 'young or old'.
5 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Unhappy
Sad
Happy
Crying
Spooked
Adding the prefix 'un-' can create a pair of antonyms: i.e. happy / unhappy, rested / unrested, reasonable / unreasonable.
6 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Impossible
Wild
Crazy
Unlikely
Possible
Adding the prefix 'im-' is one method of creating an antonym.
7 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Enemy
Foe
Arch-enemy
Ally
Fiend
An 'ally' is someone who is on your side. The word 'fiend' looks like 'friend' but they mean very different things!
8 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Wet
Soggy
Clean
Dry
Dripping
Even if something is clean, it can still be wet!
9 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Energetic
Fit
Lazy
Lively
Loud
Lively is a synonym of energetic.
10 .
Look at the word and then choose its antonym.
Low
High
Higher
Lower
Lowest
Remember to be careful with comparatives and superlatives! 'Low' and 'high' are antonyms, as are 'lower' and 'higher' and 'lowest' and 'highest'.
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What are synonyms and antonyms?

Author:  Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)

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