Opposite Adjectives: English Vocabulary List

having a relatively great vertical extent

"The shelf is too high."

"The high shelf in the kitchen holds the special dishes that we rarely use at all."

below average in physical size

"The box is small."

"The small coffee shop on the corner serves the best espresso in the entire town."

having a high price

"The car is expensive."

"The watch was too expensive for his budget so he decided to save money for a few more months before buying it."

having a low price

"The socks are cheap."

"The cheap shoes fell apart after only two weeks so he learned that it is better to buy quality products."

extremely pleasing to the mind or senses

"The flower is beautiful."

"The beautiful sunset painted the sky in shades of orange and pink that reflected off the calm surface of the lake."

not pleasant to the mind or senses

"The building is ugly."

"The ugly building was finally demolished to make room for a new park that would benefit the entire neighborhood and its residents."

having stains, bacteria, marks, or dirt

"My shoes are dirty."

"The dirty dishes piled up in the sink because nobody wanted to wash them after the big family dinner last night."

needing little skill or effort to do or understand

"The test is easy."

"The exam was surprisingly easy and most of the students finished it early and left the room with smiles on their faces."

needing a lot of work or skill to do, understand, or deal with

"The task is difficult."

"Learning a new language can be difficult at first but with regular practice you will improve quickly and gain confidence."

having a high speed when doing something, especially moving

"The car is fast."

"The fast runner crossed the finish line in record time breaking the previous record that had stood for ten years."

not like another thing or person in form, quality, nature, etc.

"Your idea is different."

"His approach to solving the problem was completely different from what the teacher had taught us in class last week."

of a low quality or standard

"The service was poor."

"The poor service at the restaurant ruined our anniversary dinner and we decided never to go back there again."

accurate and in accordance with reality or truth

"That is correct."

"The correct answer to the riddle was fire and the child was proud when she guessed it before anyone else in the class."

having mistakes or inaccuracies

"Your spelling is incorrect."

"The incorrect address on the package caused it to be delivered to the wrong house and the neighbor brought it over the next day."

having a quality that is satisfying

"The movie is good."

"The good news made everyone happy and they celebrated by opening a bottle of champagne and toasting to the future together."

having a quality that is not satisfying

"The news is bad."

"The bad weather forced them to cancel their outdoor wedding ceremony and move everything inside the church at the last minute."

having a value or level greater than usual or expected, often in terms of numbers or measurements

"The temperature is high."

"The company reported a high level of profits this quarter, exceeding all expectations."

small or below average in degree, value, level, or amount

"The price is low."

"The low price of the used car made him suspicious so he asked a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before buying it."

above average in size or extent

"The elephant is big."

"The big red balloon floated high into the sky until it disappeared completely from our view."

below average in physical size

"The mouse is small."

"The small coffee shop on the corner serves the best espresso in the entire neighborhood according to local residents."

having a lot of weight and not easy to move or pick up

"The bag is heavy."

"He struggled to carry the heavy shopping bags up the steep hill to his apartment."

having very little weight and easy to move or pick up

"The bag is light."

"The feather was so light that even the slightest puff of air sent it floating gently away."

(of a thing) having been used or existing for a long period of time

"The house is old."

"The old tree in the backyard had been there for over a hundred years and provided shade for three generations."

recently invented, made, etc.

"I need a new phone."

"The new smartphone had a better camera and a longer battery life than his old one which was three years old and very slow."

extremely pleasing to the mind or senses

"The flower is beautiful."

"The beautiful sunset painted the sky in shades of orange and pink and the couple watched from their balcony."

not having any bacteria, marks, or dirt

"The kitchen is clean."

"The clean kitchen sparkled after she spent two hours scrubbing every surface and organizing the cabinets and drawers."

needing little skill or effort to do or understand

"The test is easy."

"The exam was surprisingly easy and most of the students finished early and left the room with smiles on their faces."

needing a lot of work or skill to do, understand, or deal with

"The question is difficult."

"The difficult math problem stumped the entire class and even the teacher had to look up the solution in the answer key."

having a high speed when doing something, especially moving

"The car is fast."

"The fast runner crossed the finish line in record time breaking the previous record that had stood for ten years."

moving, happening, or being done at a speed that is low

"The turtle is slow."

"The slow internet connection made it impossible to watch the video without constant buffering so she gave up and read a book instead."

like another thing or person in every way

"We have the same shirt."

"The same song played on the radio every hour and it was starting to drive him crazy so he turned off the music."

based on facts or the truth

"That is the right answer."

"After reviewing all the evidence, the jury reached a right verdict."

not based on facts or the truth

"The answer is wrong."

"The wrong answer cost him the game and he felt embarrassed when all of his friends saw him lose the final round."

letting people or things pass through

"The door is open."

"The airport remained open throughout the night, allowing for continuous arrivals and departures."

not letting things, people, etc. go in or out

"The store is closed."

"The closed door meant that the meeting had already started and she was not allowed to enter the conference room late without permission."

according to reality or facts

"The story is true."

"The true story of how they met was much more interesting than the fake version that they told at parties to impress their friends."

not according to reality or facts

"The rumor is false."

"The false alarm caused everyone to evacuate the building for no reason and they were all annoyed when they found out it was a mistake."

owning a great amount of money or things that cost a lot

"He is very rich."

"The entrepreneur became incredibly rich after successfully launching several innovative technology companies."

owning a very small amount of money or a very small number of things

"He is very poor."

"The family lived in poor conditions, struggling to afford basic necessities like food and shelter."

(of a person) feeling confident about something being correct or true

"I am sure."

"I am sure that we took the right exit because I recognized the gas station on the corner."

having doubts about or no confidence in someone or something

"I am unsure."

"I am unsure about which college to attend because both of my top choices have excellent programs and generous financial aid packages for students."