Opposite Adjectives (A1 Vocabulary)

Many adjectives come in opposite pairs. big is the opposite of small, hot is the opposite of cold, and fast is the opposite of slow.

Size, temperature, and speed

• big / small — an elephant is big, a mouse is small
• hot / cold — fire is hot, ice is cold
• fast / slow — a plane is fast, a snail is slow
• Try it: Ice is cold. Fire is the opposite: it is ___. (hot / slow / small) Answer: hot — The opposite of cold is hot.

Feeling, age, and difficulty

happy is the opposite of sad, new is the opposite of old, and easy is the opposite of hard.

• happy / sad — a smile is happy, tears are sad
• new / old — a new phone, an old book
• easy / hard — an easy game, a hard test
• Try it: A test that is not easy is ___. (hard / sad / old) Answer: hard — The opposite of easy is hard.

State, strength, and length

clean is the opposite of dirty, full is the opposite of empty, strong is the opposite of weak, and long is the opposite of short.

• clean / dirty — clean hands, dirty shoes
• full / empty — a full glass, an empty box
• strong / weak — a strong lion, a weak kitten
• long / short — a long river, a short pencil
• Try it: A glass with no water in it is ___. (empty / dirty / weak) Answer: empty — The opposite of full is empty, and a glass with no water is empty.