“The more the merrier” is a famous idiomatic phrase that perfectly aligns with the limitless boundaries that the English vocabulary encompasses. Whereas, some of the key topics in the English language include phrases, antonyms, synonyms, idioms, homonyms etc. All these aspects of the vocabulary when put together will fluent communication skills make one proficient in this language. Since English is an imperative section of various competitive exams, strengthening the different aspects of the language can help you score better in them. So, through this blog, we bring you a comprehensive list of more than 110 difficult antonyms that you must know about!

What is an Antonym?

An antonym is a word that means the Opposite of the other word. For example, good and bad are antonyms of each other. While the word “antonym” comes from the Greek words “anti” meaning “opposite” and “onoma” meaning “name”. It was first used in English in the late 19th century to describe words that have opposite meanings.

Most Common Antonyms

Here are some of the most common antonyms that you should learn about: 

Antonyms for Difficult

• Simple
• Basic
• Straightforward
• Effortless
• Docile
• Tame
• Submissive
• Smooth
• Comfortable
• Compliant

Opposite of Improve

• Worsen
• Impair
• Deteriorate

Antonyms of Preceding

• After 
• Concluding
• Consequent
• Following

Opposite of Kind

• Unkind
• Inconsiderate
• Mean 
• Cruel

Opposite of Lazy

• Active
• Industrious
• Energetic

Antonyms of Brave

• Cowardly
• Fearful

Opposite of Confident

• Wavering
• Speculative
• Unsettled

Antonyms of Victim

• Attacker
• Assailant

Opposite of Heavy

• Light
• Thin
• Whispy

Antonyms of Misogyny

• Philogyny

Opposite of Optimistic

• Dejected
• Depressed
• Doubtful
• Hopeless

Antonyms of Deep

• Shallow
• High

Opposite of Humble

• Proud
• Overbearing
• Noble

Antonyms of Benefit

• Detriment
• Disadvantage
• Drawback

Opposite of Lazy

• Active
• Industrious
• Energetic

Opposite of Victim

• Attacker
• Assailant

Opposite of Deep

• Shallow
• High

Opposite of Humble

• Proud
• Overbearing
• Noble

Opposite of Heavy

• Light
• Thin
• Whispy

Sweet Opposite Word

• Harsh
• Disagreeable

Wise Antonyms

• Stupid
• Silly
• Foolish

Opposite of Nocturnal

• Diurnal

Wide Opposite Words

• Narrow
• Tight
• Restricted
• Limited

Opposite of Selfish

• Unselfish
• Selfless
• Altruistic
• Considerate
• Generous

Opposite Of Brave

• Cowardly
• Fearful

Wise Opposite Word

• Stupid
• Silly
• Foolish

Beautiful Opposite Word

• Ugly

Opposite of Confident

• Insecure
• Unconfident
• Shy
• Unassured

Opposite of Sharp

• Blunt
• Blurred
• Indistinct

Tall Opposite Word

• Short
• Small
• Low

Preceding Antonym

• Follow 
• Succeed

Check out: 50 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples

Top 50 Most Difficult Antonyms

Let’s start our most difficult antonyms list:

1. Abundant – Scarce
Abundant: Available in Large Quantities 
Scarce: Present in insufficient quantity   

2. Artificial – Natural
Artificial: Produced by human beings instead of occurring naturally
Natural: Not made by humankind, derived from nature

3. Bold – Timid 
Bold: Willingness to take risks, courageous 
Timid: Easily frightened

4. Intrepid – Cowardly 
Intrepid: Fearless 
Cowardly: Lacking courage 

5. Grumpy – Amiable
Grumpy: Irritable and bad-tempered
Amiable: Friendly with pleasant manners 

6. Castigate – Praise 
Castigate: Expression of disapproval, Reprimand
Praise: Express great approval or admiration 

7. Affable – Unfriendly
Affable: Friendly, lovable, good to talk
Unfriendly: Not friendly

8. Tranquil – Excitable
Tranquil: Calm
Excitable: Easily excited 

9. Acme – Nadir
Acme: Something at its best, at the top
Nadir: The lowest or the least point in the situation 

10. Boundless – Limited
Boundless: Unlimited or Immense
Limited: Confined or Restricted

11. Fiendish – Tenderhearted
Fiendish: Extremely cruel, unpleasant, evil
Tenderhearted: Compassionate, Kind, Sympathetic

12. Bashful – Bold 
Bashful: Reluctant to draw attention to oneself, shy
Bold: Confident, Courageous, Take risks

13. Ephemeral- Longlived 
Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short period 
Longlived: Having an existence for a longer duration

14. Compress – Enlarge 
Compress: Squeeze, Flatten or press
Enlarge: More extensive, Larger

15. Debilitate – Strengthen 
Debilitate: To weaken someone, infirm
Strengthen: Make or become stronger

16. Concise – Lengthy 
Concise: Giving ample information in a few words 
Lengthy: Considerable or usual length

17. Detrimental – Beneficial 
Detrimental: Tending to cause harm 
Beneficial: Favourable, advantageous, good  

18. Adulation – Criticism 
Adulation: Excessive admiration or praise
Criticism:  Expression of disapproval of someone or something

19. Inception – Conclusion 
Inception: Beginning of something new
Conclusion:  The finishing or end of an event or process

20. Eccentric – Ordinary 
Eccentric: A person with unusual behaviour
Ordinary: Normal with no special distinct features 

21. Authentic – Fake
Authentic: Genuine, of undisputed origin
Fake: Not genuine or imitation

22. Emancipate – Enslave 
Emancipate: Set free, liberate
Enslave: To make some slave, to capture them

23. Bewitch – Repel
Bewitch: Enchant or delight someone, being fond of someone
Repel: Force something back or away  

24. Precarious – Safe 
Precarious: Not getting a secure hold of the position or likely to fall
Safe: Not exposed to danger

25. Aversion- Liking/Inclination 
Aversion: Hatred or harsh feelings towards someone or something
Liking/Inclination: Being fond of something or someone

26. Fallacious – True  
Fallacious:  Untrue, false or based on mistaken beliefs 
True: Accurate exact

27. Avarice – Generosity 
Avarice: Extreme greed for wealth
Generosity: The quality of being kind and plentiful

28. Knavish -Virtuous 
Knavish: Dishonest
Virtuos: Having or showing high moral standards

29. Dwindle – Flourish 
Dwindle: Diminish gradually in size or amount
Flourish: Grow and develop in a healthy rigorous way 

30. Colossal – Tiny
Colossal: Extremely large or huge
Tiny: Very small

31. Decimate – Construct 
Decimate: Destroy, kill or remove
Construct: Build or make something typically a building or road

32. Jabber- Quiet
Jabber: Talk rapidly, chatter
Quiet: Making little or no noise

33. Foster – Suppress 
Foster: Something desirable
Suppress: Forcibly our something to end 

34. Yearn – Loathe
Yearn: Have an intense feeling of longing for someone or something
Loathe: Feeling intense dislike or disgust 

35. Frugal – Extravagant 
Frugal: Sparing or economical 
Extravagant: Spending money or resources recklessly

36. Mitigate- Intensify 
Mitigate: To turn something terrible into less severe or painful
Intensify: Become or make more intense

37. Perennial – Occasional 
Perennial: Lasting for an infinite period
Occasional: Occurring or done in irregular intervals of time

38. Obstinate – Amenable
Obstinate: Stubborn in one’s opinion
Amenable: Lovable or Friendly
 
39. Agile – Clumsy/Stiff
Agile: Able to move quickly or easily
Clumsy/Stiff: Not easily bend or change in shape

40. Clemency- Ruthlessness
Clemency: Mercy or lenience
Ruthlessness: Lack of pity or compassion for others 

41. Vendetta- Harmony
Vendetta: A prolonged bitter quarrel 
Harmony: Pleasant 

42. Adept – Amateur
Adept: Very skilled or proficient 
Amateur: Someone who is incompetent or inept in a particular activity

43. Sanguine – Pessimistic
Sanguine: Optimistic or positive in difficult condition
Pessimistic: Believing that only the worst will come out of the situation

44. Palatable – Tasteless
Palatable: Pleasant to taste or tasty
Tasteless: Lacking in flavour or taste

45. Arduous – Effortless
Arduous: Requiring strenuous efforts 
Effortless: Requiring no mental or physical exertion

46. Circumscribed – Boundless 
Circumscribed: Restrict something within limits
Boundless: Having no boundaries, unlimited

47. Sedentary – Active
Sedentary: An inactive person 
Active: Ready to engage in physically energetic activities

48. Relish – Apathy
Relish: Great enjoyment
Apathy: Lack of interest or enthusiasm

49. Dearth – Abundance 
Dearth: Scarcity or lack of something
Abundance: Present in an excessive amount

50. Jeopardy – Safety
Jeopardy: Danger of loss, failure or harm  
Safety: The condition of being protected or unlikely to cause danger

Also Read: 60 One Word Substitution With Example!

50 More Difficult Antonyms

51. Opposite of Kind: Unkind or Cruel
52. Antonym of Lazy: Active
53. Victim’s Opposite Word: Attacker, Assailant
54. Opposite of Nocturnal: Diurnal
55. Antonym of Humble: Proud, Overbearing
56. Opposite of Heavy: Light, Thin, Wispy
57. Opposite of Selfish: Unselfish, Altruistic, Selfless, Kind
58. Opposite of Wise: Stupid, Silly, Foolish
59. Opposite of Wide: Narrow, Tight, Shut
60. Opposite of Confident: Incertain, Diffident, Shy, Unsure, Uncertain, Timid, Incapable
61. Opposite of Sharp: Blunt, Blurred, Indistinct
62. Opposite of Fresh: Stale, Processed, Old, Well-worn
63. Opposite of Peace: Noise, Conflict, Irritation
64. Opposite of Loud: Quiet, Soft
65. Opposite of Polite: Rude, Impolite
66. Opposite of Optimistic: Pessimistic
67. Opposite of Shy: Bold, Brash, Confident
68. Opposite of Freedom: Captivity, Liability
69. Opposite of Tall: Short, Small, Low
70. Opposite of Improve: Worsen, Impair
71. Opposite of Honest: Dishonest, Insincere, Biased
72. Opposite of Dull: Bright, Interesting
73. Opposite of Proud: Ashamed, Concave, Flush
74. Opposite of Progress: Return, Regress
75. Opposite of Narrow: Wide, Broad, Spacious
76. Opposite of Expand: Contract, Shrink, Condense
77. Opposite of Clever: Stupid
78. Opposite of Support: Opposite, Contradict, Undermine
79. Opposite of Bright: Dull, Dark, Stupid
80. Opposite of Early: Late, Overdue
81. Opposite of Innocent: Guilty, Sinful
82. Opposite of Cheap: Costly, Expensive, Admirable
83. Opposite of Quiet: Loud, Public
84. Opposite of Genuine: Bogus
85. Opposite of Strong: Weak, Puny
86. Opposite of Modern: Past, Ancient
87. Opposite of Transparent: Opaque, Cloudy, Thick, Coarse
88. Opposite of Gentle: Harsh, Unkind, Brutal, Strong
89. Opposite of Superior: Inferior, Junior, Worse
90. Opposite of Latter: Former, Prior
91. Opposite of Hope: Fear, Doubt
92. Opposite of Good: Bad, Wicked
93. The opposite of Empathy: Apathy
94. Opposite of Steep: Gentle, Reasonable
95. Opposite of Busy: Idle, Quiet, Unrestrained
96. Opposite of Boring: Interesting
97. Opposite of Foolish: Sensible, Wise

Also Read: Jumbled Words Questions!

Add a Prefix to Create an Antonym

Phew! This long list of antonyms is surely overwhelming but now let’s check out ways you can easily learn antonyms through prefixes:

Add a prefix in- before these words

• Tolerant- intolerant
• Excusable- inexcusable
• Decent- indecent
• Famous- infamous
• Audible- inaudible

Usage of prefix dis- before these words

• Appear- disappear
• Belief- disbelief
• Honest- dishonest
• Pleased- displeased
• Honour- dishonour

Add a prefix mis- before these words: 

• Behave- misbehave
• Manage- mismanage
• Interpret- misinterpret
• Conduct- misconduct
• Lead- mislead

Thus, we hope that this blog about 50 difficult antonyms has helped you gain a better hold of some prominent words in the English vocabulary. If you are gearing up for a competitive exam such as IELTS, GRE, GMAT, SAT, etc. You can call our Leverage Edu experts on 1800 572 000 to find out how the application process can be fast-tracked and streamlined!

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