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What are some opposite words for essay ?

Antonyms for essay ˈɛs eɪ or, for 3,5 , ɛˈseɪ; ɛˈseɪ es·say, this page is about all possible antonyms and opposite words for the term essay ., english synonyms and antonyms rate these synonyms: 2.7 / 3 votes.

To attempt is to take action somewhat experimentally with the hope and purpose of accomplishing a certain result; to endeavor is to attempt strenuously and with firm and enduring purpose. To attempt expresses a single act; to endeavor , a continuous exertion; we say I will endeavor (not I will attempt ) while I live. To attempt is with the view of accomplishing; to essay , with a view of testing our own powers. To undertake is to accept or take upon oneself as an obligation, as some business, labor, or trust; the word often implies complete assurance of success; as, I will undertake to produce the witness. To strive suggests little of the result, much of toil, strain, and contest, in seeking it; I will strive to fulfil your wishes, i. e. , I will spare no labor and exertion to do it. Try is the most comprehensive of these words. The original idea of testing or experimenting is not thought of when a man says "I will try ." To attempt suggests giving up, if the thing is not accomplished at a stroke; to try implies using other means and studying out other ways if not at first successful. Endeavor is more mild and formal; the pilot in the burning pilot-house does not say "I will endeavor " or "I will attempt to hold the ship to her course," but "I'll try , sir!"

Antonyms: abandon , dismiss , drop , give up , let go , neglect , omit , overlook , pass by , throw away , throw over , throw up

Synonyms: attempt , endeavor , endeavor , strive , try , undertake

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Princeton's wordnet rate these antonyms: 1.0 / 2 votes.

an analytic or interpretive literary composition

a tentative attempt

try, seek, attempt, essay, assay verb

make an effort or attempt

"He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"

Synonyms: attempt , examine , search , stress , adjudicate , strain , seek , look for , assay , try out , try , prove , test , try on , taste , hear , set about , undertake , sample , judge , render

test, prove, try, try out, examine, essay verb

put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

"This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe"

Synonyms: audition , rise , analyze , leaven , try , sample , show , testify , establish , test , evidence , try out , study , examine , see , seek , try on , probe , quiz , attempt , raise , adjudicate , render , prove , shew , judge , screen , taste , turn out , demonstrate , turn up , experiment , strain , analyse , stress , hear , canvass , assay , canvas , bear witness

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words Rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes

Synonyms: dissertation , article , disquisition , thesis , attempt , effort , trial

Editors Contribution Rate these antonyms: 2.1 / 11 votes

an essay is long paper and an epitaph is something short on a gravestone.

How to use essay in a sentence?

Attorney David Jensen :

The question right now is what they actually do, our initial response to that would be that the Second Amendment secures the right to keep and bear arms. You really shouldn’t be required to write an essay explaining why you would like to exercise this fundamental right.

Zeke Smith :

We started having conversations all the way back in Fiji nine months ago about the care with which this episode was going to be handled, i came to Jeff [Probst] and asked if I could write a personal essay about what happened and he immediately said yes.

Miguel Proenca :

There could not be a more interesting time to explore the issue of the European borders, and obviously the refugee crisis and the terrorist attacks gave a different meaning to the project we are developing, because we decided to focus on the domestic borders, in the larger picture, the questions that we were asking ourselves and the essay raised is still the same and is about the identity of Europe: the multiculturalism, citizenship, economy, different speeds of growing, communitarian isolation and discrimination.

Lee Drake :

A bad grade is only one letter in the Essay of life.

By the way, the best journalists and editors work in the reddit essay writing service reviews , which you can always contact.

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• Writing Tips

Writing Tips: Synonyms and Antonyms

4-minute read

• 22nd September 2021

If you find yourself using the same words repeatedly in your writing , or struggling to find the right words to explain contrasting ideas, you may need to use more synonyms and antonyms. But what are these exactly? And how can you use them effectively? Check out our guide below to learn more.

What are Synonyms?

Synonyms are words or phrases with the exact same or similar meaning to one another. For example, “fun,” “entertaining,” and “enjoyable” are all words we can use to describe a thing or activity that brings light-hearted pleasure. This means they are synonyms and we can use them interchangeably in certain situations:

The party last night was really fun !

The party last night was really entertaining !

The party last night was really enjoyable !

Using synonyms is a great way to avoid repeating words too often in your writing (although it’s fine to repeat common terms like “is,” “I,” “it,” and similar). If you need a synonym for a word, you can usually find one by checking a thesaurus .

What are Antonyms?

Antonyms are words or phrases that are opposite in meaning. For example:

She drives a really slow car.

She drives a reall y fast car.

In most cases, like with the words “slow” and “fast” above, switching a word for an antonym can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

Most thesauruses include antonyms for words as well as synonyms. This can be useful if you can’t think of a word to express the opposite of something. For example, if you want to say you are “not tired” without using “not,” you could look up “tired” in a thesaurus and find a list of words like “energized” and “lively.”

Sometimes, you can also form an antonym by adding a negative prefix to a root word (e.g., happy and un happy , like and dis like , or polite and im polite ).

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Common Synonym Errors

Be careful when using synonyms! Some have subtle differences that can change the meaning of a sentence. Take “quietly” and “inaudibly,” for example:

She played her music quietly so that it wouldn’t upset her neighbors.

She played her music inaudibly so that it wouldn’t upset her neighbors.

Although “quietly” and “inaudibly” can both imply a low volume, “inaudibly” suggests that the volume was so low, it was impossible to hear the music. Thus, while these words are synonyms, they aren’t interchangeable in every situation.

Similarly, some words have more than one meaning. “Save,” for example, can mean “rescue” (e.g., “She saved the dog from the river”) or “store” (e.g., “I am saving my money”). And if you use the wrong synonym, your sentence won’t make sense:

She saved the dog from the river. ✔

She rescued the dog from the river. ✔

She stored the dog from the river. ✘

When looking up synonyms, then, you should always check the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases before using them in your writing.

Summary: Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms and antonyms are both useful when writing. Remember:

• A synonym is a word that has the same or a similar meaning to another word (e.g., synonyms for “hot” include “scorching,” “boiling,” “warm,” and “sultry”).
• An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning to another word (e.g., antonyms for “hot” include “cold,” “freezing,” “cool,” and “frigid”).

Using synonyms and antonyms can thus help you write more expressively. But, as you can see, it is important to use the right words so that your writing remains easy to understand. Luckily, our team of expert editors can help! Give our proofreading service a try by uploading a trial document for free today.

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noun. ['ɛˈseɪ, ˈɛˌseɪ'] an analytic or interpretive literary composition.

• stay in place
• disquisition
• piece of writing
• essay (English)
• essai (Middle French (ca. 1400-1600))

noun. ['ɛˈseɪ, ˈɛˌseɪ'] a tentative attempt.

• discontinue

verb. ['ɛˈseɪ, ˈɛˌseɪ'] make an effort or attempt.

• give it a whirl
• pick up the gauntlet
• take chances

verb. ['ɛˈseɪ, ˈɛˌseɪ'] put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to.

• pass judgment

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Antonyms Generator - Antonyms Finder - QuillTools

Find the perfect words to express your thoughts using our Antonyms Generator! This powerful tool taps into a vast dictionary of over 50,000 words, providing antonyms for your chosen words. Whether you're a writer, student, or anyone seeking precision in language, our generator enhances your English vocabulary. Say goodbye to word ambiguity and find the right word to convey your message.

Simply enter your word, and our generator will supply antonyms, along with example sentences. It's an indispensable resource for painting vivid imagery and boosting the impact of your writing. Explore the beauty of language with synonyms and antonyms. Upgrade your language skills today!

Antonyms meaning and examples

Antonyms are words that hold a special place in our language, offering a stark contrast to their synonyms. Essentially, they convey the opposite meaning of a given word. This dynamic interplay between antonyms and synonyms is an integral part of languages across the world. In linguistic terms, antonyms provide a way to enrich our vocabulary and express nuanced thoughts and ideas. They help us communicate more effectively by offering alternatives that stand in opposition to familiar words. For example, "hot" and "cold" are antonyms, and their juxtaposition allows us to describe temperature variations with precision.

Antonyms are not only linguistic tools but also valuable in conveying shades of meaning. Privacy policy terms, often laden with legal jargon, may use antonyms to clarify conditions. Synonyms and antonyms are two sides of the same linguistic coin, enhancing our ability to choose the right words for any situation. Consider the phrase "word means opposite." Here, "means" and "opposite" are antonyms, exemplifying how antonyms play a pivotal role in our daily communication. 

From word choices in poetry to making persuasive arguments in essays, antonyms offer a wealth of possibilities for expression. In essence, antonyms are creating a harmonious balance in language, where words can either align or oppose one another to convey precise meanings and foster effective communication.

What is the importance of antonyms?

Antonyms, words that express opposite meanings, play a vital role in language and communication. They contribute to the richness and precision of expression in both spoken and written language. 

Understanding antonyms is essential for several reasons. Firstly, antonyms provide clarity in communication. They help convey the exact opposite of a word's meaning, allowing speakers and writers to express nuances and contrasts effectively. For instance, knowing the antonym "hot" for "cold" allows us to describe temperature variations accurately. Secondly, antonyms enhance comprehension. When antonyms are used, listeners and readers can better grasp the intended message, especially in contexts where subtlety is essential, like public speaking or creative writing. 

The ability to choose the right antonym can elevate the quality of expression. Additionally, antonyms are valuable for language learners. They aid in expanding vocabulary and improving language skills. Learning synonyms and antonyms together reinforces word meanings and usage, promoting a deeper understanding of the language. This is why antonyms are indispensable tools in the English language, enabling precise communication, enhancing comprehension, and aiding language learners. Their role in conveying opposite meanings contributes to effective expression and meaningful communication.

How can antonyms enhance your writing?

Antonyms inclusion can greatly enhance your writing in those ways:

• provide depth and nuance to your text
• allow you to convey different shades of meaning
• contribute to creating engaging content
• aid in precision and avoid ambiguity
• promote a better understanding

Antonyms provide depth and nuance to your text. They allow you to convey shades of meaning that would be impossible with synonyms alone. For instance, using "hot" and "cold" in contrast can vividly describe temperature variations, painting a clearer picture for your readers. 

Antonyms also contribute to creating engaging content. They create tension and intrigue, especially in narratives or persuasive pieces. By skillfully employing antonyms, you can build suspense or highlight conflicting ideas, making your writing more captivating. 

Furthermore, antonyms aid in precision. In technical or academic writing, where accuracy is paramount, they help avoid ambiguity. For instance, using "borrowed" and "original" in an essay distinguishes between cited content and original ideas. 

Lastly, antonyms are indispensable for language learners. They promote a better understanding of word meanings, usage, and contextual appropriateness. Exploring antonyms alongside synonyms broadens vocabulary and improves language skills. In conclusion, antonyms play a crucial role in elevating your writing. They provide depth, engagement, precision, and facilitate language learning. By harnessing the power of antonyms like "hot" and "cold," you can create more impactful and expressive content.

(You can also use our paraphrasing tool )

(You can also use our synonyms generator )

Is there a word without antonym?

In the vast landscape of the English language, it's very rare to encounter a word that doesn't have at least a vague antonym. Antonyms, like "hot" and "cold," "happy" and "sad," or "love" and "hate," are fundamental to the richness and complexity of language. They provide us with the means to express contrasting ideas and convey precise meanings. Even when dealing with abstract or complex concepts, such as "justice" or "equality," we can find antonyms like "injustice" or "inequality" to counterbalance the discussion. 

Antonyms, in many cases, are indispensable for maintaining clarity, especially in academic, legal, or philosophical discourse. However, there are instances where the absence of an antonym can highlight the uniqueness of a word. Consider terms like "unique" or "irreplaceable." While they lack direct opposites, this absence accentuates their singularity and distinctiveness. 

In essence, antonyms are an integral part of the English language, enriching our ability to communicate nuanced ideas. While exceedingly rare, the absence of an antonym can underscore a word's exceptional nature. Thus, the interplay of synonyms and antonyms enhances our linguistic toolkit, enabling more precise and comprehensive expression.

Is there some ways to remember antonyms?

Remembering antonyms can be a challenging task, but there are effective ways to make it easier. One of the most useful techniques is to create associations and mental images. Here's how you can enhance your antonym recall by using Word Pairs: Pair antonyms together in your mind. For example, associate "hot" with "cold" or "happy" with "sad." Visualize these pairs to reinforce the connection.

Another way is to use antonyms in sentences: Create sentences that include both the target word and its antonym. This context will help you remember their relationship. For instance, "The weather was scorching hot, but now it's icy cold." 

You may also want to use flashcards in a game context for instance: Create flashcards with the word on one side and its antonym on the other. Regularly review these flashcards to reinforce your memory. 

Another efficient way is using Mnemonic Devices: Create mnemonic sentences or phrases that help you remember antonyms. For example, for "big" and "small," you can use "Elephants are big, while ants are small." 

You can visualize antonyms to remember them: Imagine vivid images related to the words. For "light" and "dark," picture a bright sun rising (light) and a moon in the night sky (dark). Word Games: Play word games that involve antonyms. 

Finally, you want to challenge yourself and practice regularly. By using these techniques, you can improve your ability to recall antonyms, which will enhance your writing and communication skills. 

How to enhance a sentence using antonyms?

Enhancing a sentence with antonyms can elevate your writing by adding depth and contrast. Here are some techniques to achieve this:

• Integrate contrast in ideas by using antonyms to create striking contrasts within your sentence. For example, "Her smile was as bright as the sun, but her mood was as cold as ice."
• Describe with richness to vividly depict scenes. "The landscape transformed from a scorching desert to a freezing tundra."
• Express balance in persuasive writing, where antonyms can demonstrate a balanced perspective. "The argument presented both pros and cons, highlighting the need for a well-rounded solution."
• Add complexity to your sentences by introducing multiple layers of meaning. "Her words were both sweet and bitter, leaving a lingering taste of contradiction."
• Highlight difference when comparing two subjects. "In a room filled with chaos, her composure stood out like a beacon of tranquility."
• Create rhythm patterns in your writing. "The ebb and flow of the ocean mirrored the hot and cold rhythms of their relationship."
• Emphasize emotions when describing emotions or feelings, antonyms can help convey the intensity. "His joy knew no bounds, but her sadness was equally profound."

By skillfully incorporating antonyms, you can enhance the beauty and impact of your sentences, making your writing more engaging and memorable across various styles and genres.

How to use our antonyms generator?

Our Antonyms Generator simplifies the process of finding antonyms for any word. It's an accessible and efficient tool that can elevate your language skills and enhance your writing. To get started, visit our user-friendly website and locate the "Generate Antonym" button.

When you find the generator, enter the word for which you want antonyms. This word could be anything from common nouns to specialized terms. Click "Generate Antonym," and within seconds, you'll receive a list of antonyms. 

These antonyms can be used to improve your sentences, express nuances, and clarify meanings. Accompanying example sentences demonstrate how to use the antonyms effectively. Our Antonyms Generator is not only a useful resource for immediate writing needs but also a valuable educational tool. It allows you to expand your vocabulary, learn new words and their antonyms, and share this resource with others to help them improve their language skills. 

Whether you're a writer, student, or professional, this tool empowers you to find the perfect words to convey your ideas accurately and eloquently. Use it as often as needed, and unlock the potential to enhance your language and communication skills effortlessly.

You can check our paraphrasing tool

You can also use our synonyms generator

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4.5 Synonyms and Antonyms

Learning objectives.

• Recognize how synonyms improve writing.
• Identify common antonyms to increase your vocabulary.

As you work with your draft, you will want to pay particular attention to the words you have chosen. Do they express exactly what you are trying to convey? Can you choose better, more effective words? Familiarity with synonyms and antonyms can be helpful in answering these questions.

Synonyms are words that have the same, or almost the same, meaning as another word. You can say an “easy task” or a “simple task” because easy and simple are synonyms. You can say Hong Kong is a “large city” or a “metropolis” because city and metropolis are synonyms.

However, it is important to remember that not all pairs of words in the English language are so easily interchangeable. The slight but important differences in meaning between synonyms can make a big difference in your writing. For example, the words boring and insipid may have similar meanings, but the subtle differences between the two will affect the message your writing conveys. The word insipid evokes a scholarly and perhaps more pretentious message than boring .

The English language is full of pairs of words that have subtle distinctions between them. All writers, professionals and beginners alike, face the challenge of choosing the most appropriate synonym to best convey their ideas. When you pay particular attention to synonyms in your writing, it comes across to your reader. The sentences become much more clear and rich in meaning.

Writing at Work

Any writing you do at work involves a careful choice of words. For example, if you are writing an e-mail to your employer regarding your earnings, you can use the word pay , salary , or hourly wage . There are also other synonyms to choose from. Just keep in mind that the word you choose will have an effect on the reader, so you want to choose wisely to get the desired effect.

Replace the underlined words in the paragraph with appropriate synonyms. Write the new paragraph on your own sheet of paper.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

On your own sheet of paper, write a sentence with each of the following words that illustrates the specific meaning of each synonym.

• leave, abandon
• mad, insane
• outside, exterior
• poor, destitute
• quiet, peaceful
• riot, revolt
• rude, impolite
• talk, conversation
• hug, embrace
• home, residence

Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning of a given word. The study of antonyms will not only help you choose the most appropriate word as you write; it will also sharpen your overall sense of language. Table 4.3 “Common Antonyms” lists common words and their antonyms.

Table 4.3 Common Antonyms

Learning antonyms is an effective way to increase your vocabulary. Memorizing words in combination with or in relation to other words often helps us retain them.

Correct the following sentences by replacing the underlined words with an antonym. Write the antonym on your own sheet of paper.

• The pilot who landed the plane was a coward because no one was injured.
• Even though the botany lecture was two hours long, Gerard found it incredibly dull .
• My mother says it is impolite to say thank you like you really mean it.
• Although I have learned a lot of information through textbooks, it is life experience that has given me ignorance .
• When our instructor said the final paper was compulsory , it was music to my ears!
• My only virtues are coffee, video games, and really loud music.
• Elvin was so bold when he walked in the classroom that he sat in the back row and did not participate.
• Maria thinks elephants who live in freedom have a sad look in their eyes.
• The teacher filled her students’ minds with gloomy thoughts about their futures.
• The guest attended to every one of our needs.

Key Takeaways

• Synonyms are words that have the same, or almost the same, meaning as another word.
• Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning of another word.
• Choosing the right synonym refines your writing.
• Learning common antonyms sharpens your sense of language and expands your vocabulary.

Writing Application

Write a paragraph that describes your favorite dish or food. Use as many synonyms as you can in the description, even if it seems too many. Be creative. Consult a thesaurus, and take this opportunity to use words you have never used before. Be prepared to share your paragraph.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Antonyms: Useful List of 60+ Common Opposite Words You Should Know

Opposite words, also known as antonyms, are an essential part of the English language. They are used to express contrast or opposition between two words, and are often used to describe the relationship between two ideas. For example, the opposite of hot is cold, the opposite of fast is slow, and the opposite of big is small.

Whether you are a student, a professional writer, or simply someone who enjoys reading and communicating in English, understanding antonyms is an essential skill. In this article, we will explore the world of opposite words, and provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to use them effectively in your writing and communication.

What Are Opposite Words?

Antonyms are words that express opposite or contrasting meanings. They are often used to provide clarity and precision in communication. For example, the antonym of the word “hot” is “cold”, and the antonym of “good” is “bad”. Antonyms can be found in various parts of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Antonyms are important in language because they help us to communicate more effectively. By using antonyms, we can convey the exact opposite of what we mean, which can be useful in many situations. For example, if we want to say that something is not good, we can use the antonym “bad” instead of using a phrase like “not good”. This makes our language more concise and precise.

Antonyms are essential in many areas of language, including writing, speaking, and comprehension. They help us to express ourselves more accurately and effectively, and they make our language more interesting and varied. Antonyms also help us to understand the nuances of language and to appreciate the complexity of words and their meanings.

In addition, antonyms can be useful in developing vocabulary and improving language skills. By learning antonyms, we can expand our knowledge of language and deepen our understanding of words and their meanings. This can be particularly helpful for students who are learning a new language or who are trying to improve their language skills.

Opposite Words

List of opposite words, antonyms with examples.

Abandon – Keep

• We decided to  abandon  the first draft of the report and start over.
• It is necessary to  keep  these two issues distinct.

Able — Incapable

• We were  able  to watch the lions in complete safety.
• The injured man was  incapable  of walking, so he had to be carried.

Abundant — Insufficient

• Mosquitoes are extremely  abundant  in this dark wet place.
• He decided there was  insufficient  evidence to justify criminal proceedings.

Active — Idle

• You’ve got to try to keep active  as you grow older.
• Many people were  idle  during the depression.

Adequate — Insufficient

• The trains were not considered  adequate  for use on the modern railways.
• His salary is  insufficient  to meet his needs.

Full — Empty

• This suitcase won’t lock because it is too  full .
• The house stands desolate and  empty .

Future — Past

• I am on my way to the future , where you are there.
• I’m trying not to be sentimental about the  past .

Gallant — Ungentlemanly

• She made a  gallant  attempt to hide her tears.
• I am surprised at your  ungentlemanly behavior.

Gaunt — Overweight

• He was  gaunt  and hollow-eyed; his voice trembled.
• She said insensitive things to the  overweight  woman.

Gentle — Rough

• She gave him a  gentle  push towards the door.
• He saw it as  rough  justice when he got food poisoning from the stolen meat.

Intelligent — Ignorant

• Jack is an  intelligent  pupil, but he lacks motivation.
• He’s completely  ignorant  about modern technology.

Insane — Sane

• The prisoners were slowly going  insane .
• He seems perfectly  sane  to me.

Imperative — Unnecessary

• It is  imperative that every one of us remolds his world outlook.
• She often pothers herself over  unnecessary  details.
• A  good  book is a light to the soul.
• A  bad  beginning makes a bad ending.

Fresh — Old

• We’ll have a  fresh  start for the year ahead.
• Old  soldiers never die, they just fade away.

Follow — Precede

• She used to  follow  after him wherever he went.
• We make sure our horizontal strokes  precede  our perpendicular .

Migrant  — Stationary

• A lot of factory work is done by  migrant  workers.
• The bus crashed into a  stationary  vehicle.

Offend — Please

• She didn’t mean to  offend  you; she was overwrought.
• Your sister is trying to read; please  be quiet for her sake.

Numerous — Few

• The book contains  numerous  plagiarized passages.
• He hastily stuffed a  few  clothes into a bag.

Negligent — Conscientious

• She was  negligent  in her work.
• He is very  conscientious  in the performance of his duties.

Mobile – Immobile

• The old lady sits on a  mobile  chair every morning.
• She sat  immobile , wondering what to do next.

Mourn — Rejoice

• I really  mourn  the loss of that gold watch.
• I  rejoice  that you have recovered so quickly.

Naughty – Good

• The  naughty  children chucked snowballs at passing cars.
• We know not what is  good  until we have lost it.

Oblivious – Mindful

• The couple seemed  oblivious  to what was going on around them.
• We must be  mindful  of the consequences of selfishness.

Observe – Ignore

• I want you to  observe  all the details.
• I made a suggestion but they chose to  ignore  it.

Join – Separate

• She left her husband to  join  a women’s commune.
• The women are kept  separate  from the men.

Lure — Repel

• It’s very difficult to  lure  talent away from Silicon Valley.
• The army was ready to  repel  an attack.

Magnify — Reduce

• He tried to  magnify  the part he acted in the play.
• The aim is to  reduce  traffic at peak periods.

Laugh – Cry

• You never  laugh  at my jokes!
• The strong woman is will cry , but never admit defeat.
• We rescued the  boy  who fell into the river.
• The  girl  bought a nice handbag.

Total — Partial

• The  total  bill comes to £80, so our share is £20.
• Our holiday was only a  partial  success.

Melt – Freeze

• If you warm ice, it will  melt  into water.
• When the thermometer is below zero water will  freeze .

Amateur — Professional

• Acting with an  amateur  theatrical group can be fun.
• She wants to become a  professional  cook.

Types of Antonyms

When it comes to antonyms, there are three main types: gradable, complementary, and relational antonyms. Each type has its own unique characteristics and uses.

Gradable Antonyms

Gradable antonyms are words that are on opposite ends of a spectrum or scale. They are often used to compare two things or concepts. For example, “hot” and “cold” are gradable antonyms because they represent two extremes on the temperature scale.

These antonyms can be further divided into two subcategories: scalar and polar. Scalar antonyms have multiple degrees of comparison between them, while polar antonyms only have two extremes.

Complementary Antonyms

Complementary antonyms are words that are complete opposites and cannot coexist. They are often used to describe binary concepts, such as “dead” and “alive” or “on” and “off.”

These antonyms are often used in logic and philosophy to describe mutually exclusive concepts. They are also commonly used in everyday language to describe opposing ideas.

Relational Antonyms

Relational antonyms are words that are opposite in terms of their relationship to another word. For example, “parent” and “child” are relational antonyms because they are opposite in terms of their relationship to each other.

These antonyms are often used in pairs and are dependent on each other. They are commonly used in language to describe relationships between people, objects, and concepts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common antonyms in the English language?

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Some common antonyms in the English language include hot and cold, good and bad, up and down, left and right, and happy and sad.

What is the opposite meaning of the word ‘happy’?

The opposite of the word ‘happy’ is ‘sad’.

What are some easy opposite words in English?

Some easy opposite words in English include big and small, fast and slow, light and dark, and old and young.

What are 20 frequently used opposite words?

• Good – Bad
• Up – Down
• Left – Right
• Happy – Sad
• Hot – Cold
• Young – Old
• Fast – Slow
• Light – Dark
• Big – Small
• Easy – Difficult
• Empty – Full
• Far – Near
• Heavy – Light
• In – Out
• Love – Hate
• Loud – Quiet
• Rich – Poor
• Thick – Thin
• Wet – Dry
• Yes – No

What is another term for ‘opposite’?

Another term for ‘opposite’ is ‘antonym’.

What are 10 examples of synonyms and their corresponding antonyms?

Last Updated on November 25, 2023

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On this page you'll find 80 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to essays, such as: dissertation, treatise, manuscript, study, paper, and thesis.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Essays antonyms

What is the opposite word for essays .

• entertainments

Contoh Soal Bahasa Inggris: Opposite Words (Antonim)

Opposite words atau antonim adalah kata-kata yang memiliki makna berlawanan satu sama lain. Misalnya, panas dan dingin, besar dan kecil, baik dan buruk, dan sebagainya.

Antonim penting untuk dipelajari karena  memperkaya kosa kata dan dapat memperjelas makna dalam berkomunikasi.

Dalam artikel ini, kita akan melihat beberapa contoh soal bahasa inggris tentang antonim atau opposite words.

Semoga soal-soal ini bermanfaat bagi yang ingin meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa inggris mereka.

• What is the opposite of big? a) small b) tall c) fast d) hot
• What is the opposite of day? a) sun b) light c) night d) moon
• What is the opposite of happy? a) sad b) glad c) funny d) angry
• What is the opposite of up? a) down b) left c) right d) back
• What is the opposite of in? a) on b) out c) off d) under
• What is the opposite of friend? a) family b) enemy c) teacher d) stranger
• What is the opposite of brave? a) smart b) afraid c) strong d) kind
• What is the opposite of wet? a) dry b) cold c) clean d) soft
• What is the opposite of sweet? a) sour b) salty c) spicy d) bitter
• What is the opposite of easy? a) hard b) simple c) clear d) difficult

Key answer: 1.a, 2.c, 3.a, 4.a, 5.b, 6.b, 7.b, 8.a, 9.a, 10.d

Which word means the opposite of “big”? a. Small b. Fast c. Strong Answer: a. Small Which word means the opposite of “hot”? a. Cold b. Wet c. Dry Answer: a. Cold Which word means the opposite of “happy”? a. Sad b. Tired c. Hungry Answer: a. Sad Which word means the opposite of “day”? a. Night b. Sun c. Moon Answer: a. Night Which word means the opposite of “fast”? a. Slow b. Heavy c. Loud Answer: a. Slow Which word means the opposite of “wet”? a. Dry b. Tall c. Short Answer: a. Dry Which word means the opposite of “in”? a. Out b. Up c. Down Answer: a. Out Which word means the opposite of “good”? a. Bad b. Happy c. Kind Answer: a. Bad Which word means the opposite of “old”? a. Young b. Big c. Fast Answer: a. Young Which word means the opposite of “soft”? a. Hard b. Slow c. Small Answer: a. Hard

Which word means the opposite of “brave”? a. Cowardly b. Strong c. Confident Answer: a. Cowardly Which word means the opposite of “generous”? a. Greedy b. Kind c. Helpful Answer: a. Greedy Which word means the opposite of “simple”? a. Complicated b. Easy c. Basic Answer: a. Complicated Which word means the opposite of “harsh”? a. Gentle b. Rough c. Cruel Answer: a. Gentle Which word means the opposite of “conceal”? a. Reveal b. Hide c. Cover Answer: a. Reveal Which word means the opposite of “include”? a. Exclude b. Incorporate c. Integrate Answer: a. Exclude Which word means the opposite of “ancient”? a. Modern b. Antique c. Old-fashioned Answer: a. Modern Which word means the opposite of “abundant”? a. Scarce b. Plenty c. Sufficient Answer: a. Scarce Which word means the opposite of “expand”? a. Contract b. Stretch c. Enlarge Answer: a. Contract Which word means the opposite of “vague”? a. Clear b. Unclear c. Ambiguous Answer: a. Clear

• What is the opposite of good? a) bad b) nice c) well d) fine
• What is the opposite of black? a) white b) gray c) brown d) blue
• What is the opposite of day? a) night b) morning c) evening d) noon
• What is the opposite of full? a) empty b) half c) whole d) plenty
• What is the opposite of wet? a) dry b) damp c) moist d) humid
• What is the opposite of clean? a) dirty b) messy c) neat d) tidy
• What is the opposite of open? a) close b) shut c) lock d) seal
• What is the opposite of rich? a) poor b) wealthy c) money d) gold
• What is the opposite of thin? a)fat b)thick c)slim d)skinny
• What is the opposite of short? a) long b) tall c) small d) big

Key answer: 1.a, 2.a, 3.a, 4.a, 5.a, 6.a, 7.b, 8.a, 9.b, 10.b.

Which word means the opposite of “happy”? a. Sad b. Angry c. Excited Answer: a. Sad Which word means the opposite of “fast”? a. Slow b. Quick c. Rapid Answer: a. Slow Which word means the opposite of “light”? a. Heavy b. Bright c. Dark Answer: a. Heavy Which word means the opposite of “short”? a. Tall b. Small c. Tiny Answer: a. Tall Which word means the opposite of “near”? a. Far b. Close c. Distant Answer: a. Far Which word means the opposite of “hard”? a. Soft b. Tough c. Firm Answer: a. Soft Which word means the opposite of “empty”? a. Full b. Half c. Partial Answer: a. Full Which word means the opposite of “cold”? a. Hot b. Warm c. Cool Answer: a. Hot Which word means the opposite of “clean”? a. Dirty b. Tidy c. Spotless Answer: a. Dirty Which word means the opposite of “weak”? a. Strong b. Feeble c. Fragile Answer: a. Strong

• What is the opposite of beautiful? a) ugly b) pretty c) lovely d) handsome
• What is the opposite of strong? a) weak b) powerful c) muscular d) sturdy
• What is the opposite of brave? a) cowardly b) courageous c) bold d) daring
• What is the opposite of friend? a) enemy b) buddy c) pal d) mate
• What is the opposite of true? a) false b) real c) honest d) correct
• What is the opposite of smart? a) dumb b) clever c) intelligent d) bright
• What is the opposite of sweet? a) sour b) bitter c) salty d) spicy
• What is the opposite of cheap? a) expensive b) affordable c) reasonable d) economical
• What is the opposite of rough? a) smooth b) tough c) hard d) coarse
• What is the opposite of alive? a) dead b) living c) breathing d) active

Key answer: 1.a, 2.a, 3.a, 4.a, 5.a, 6.a, 7.a, 8.a, 9.a, 10.a.

Which word means the opposite of “big”? a. Small b. Tall c. Wide Answer: a. Small Which word means the opposite of “happy”? a. Sad b. Angry c. Excited Answer: a. Sad Which word means the opposite of “fast”? a. Slow b. Quick c. Rapid Answer: a. Slow Which word means the opposite of “short”? a. Tall b. Small c. Tiny Answer: a. Tall Which word means the opposite of “near”? a. Far b. Close c. Distant Answer: a. Far Which word means the opposite of “hot”? a. Cold b. Warm c. Cool Answer: a. Cold Which word means the opposite of “empty”? a. Full b. Half c. Partial Answer: a. Full Which word means the opposite of “happy”? a. Sad b. Angry c. Excited Answer: a. Sad Which word means the opposite of “yes”? a. No b. Maybe c. Later Answer: a. No Which word means the opposite of “soft”? a. Hard b. Smooth c. Rough Answer: a. Hard

Which word means the opposite of “calm”? a. Anxious b. Relaxed c. Excited Answer: c. Excited Which word means the opposite of “courageous”? a. Fearful b. Brave c. Confident Answer: a. Fearful Which word means the opposite of “expand”? a. Contract b. Stretch c. Enlarge Answer: a. Contract Which word means the opposite of “shallow”? a. Deep b. Low c. Small Answer: a. Deep Which word means the opposite of “cautious”? a. Careful b. Reckless c. Thoughtful Answer: b. Reckless Which word means the opposite of “loose”? a. Tight b. Open c. Free Answer: a. Tight Which word means the opposite of “valuable”? a. Worthless b. Precious c. Priceless Answer: a. Worthless Which word means the opposite of “famous”? a. Unknown b. Popular c. Renowned Answer: a. Unknown Which word means the opposite of “stale”? a. Fresh b. Old c. Rotten Answer: a. Fresh Which word means the opposite of “distract”? a. Focus b. Divert c. Sidetrack Answer: a. Focus

Which word means the opposite of “benefit”? a. Harm b. Aid c. Support Answer: a. Harm Which word means the opposite of “genuine”? a. Insincere b. Authentic c. Realistic Answer: a. Insincere Which word means the opposite of “virtue”? a. Vice b. Ethics c. Morality Answer: a. Vice Which word means the opposite of “decrease”? a. Increase b. Reduce c. Diminish Answer: a. Increase Which word means the opposite of “obscure”? a. Clear b. Vague c. Ambiguous Answer: a. Clear Which word means the opposite of “efficient”? a. Inefficient b. Effective c. Productive Answer: a. Inefficient Which word means the opposite of “innate”? a. Learned b. Inherent c. Intrinsic Answer: a. Learned Which word means the opposite of “conceal”? a. Reveal b. Hide c. Obscure Answer: a. Reveal Which word means the opposite of “dormant”? a. Active b. Inactive c. Passive Answer: a. Active Which word means the opposite of “discrete”? a. Continuous b. Individuated c. Separated Answer: a. Continuous

• What is the opposite of mandatory? a) optional b) compulsory c) obligatory d) required
• What is the opposite of optimistic? a) pessimistic b) hopeful c) positive d) confident
• What is the opposite of profound? a) shallow b) deep c) intense d) meaningful
• What is the opposite of rational? a) irrational b) reasonable c) logical d) sensible
• What is the opposite of serene? a) chaotic b) calm c) peaceful d) tranquil
• What is the opposite of timid? a) bold b) shy c) fearful d) nervous
• What is the opposite of uniform? a) diverse b) similar c) consistent d) identical
• What is the opposite of vague? a) clear b) unclear c) ambiguous d) obscure
• What is the opposite of wealthy? a) poor b) rich c) affluent d) prosperous
• What is the opposite of zealous? a) apathetic b) enthusiastic c) passionate d) fervent

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• The Case for Marrying an Older Man

A woman’s life is all work and little rest. An age gap relationship can help.

In the summer, in the south of France, my husband and I like to play, rather badly, the lottery. We take long, scorching walks to the village — gratuitous beauty, gratuitous heat — kicking up dust and languid debates over how we’d spend such an influx. I purchase scratch-offs, jackpot tickets, scraping the former with euro coins in restaurants too fine for that. I never cash them in, nor do I check the winning numbers. For I already won something like the lotto, with its gifts and its curses, when he married me.

He is ten years older than I am. I chose him on purpose, not by chance. As far as life decisions go, on balance, I recommend it.

When I was 20 and a junior at Harvard College, a series of great ironies began to mock me. I could study all I wanted, prove myself as exceptional as I liked, and still my fiercest advantage remained so universal it deflated my other plans. My youth. The newness of my face and body. Compellingly effortless; cruelly fleeting. I shared it with the average, idle young woman shrugging down the street. The thought, when it descended on me, jolted my perspective, the way a falling leaf can make you look up: I could diligently craft an ideal existence, over years and years of sleepless nights and industry. Or I could just marry it early.

So naturally I began to lug a heavy suitcase of books each Saturday to the Harvard Business School to work on my Nabokov paper. In one cavernous, well-appointed room sat approximately 50 of the planet’s most suitable bachelors. I had high breasts, most of my eggs, plausible deniability when it came to purity, a flush ponytail, a pep in my step that had yet to run out. Apologies to Progress, but older men still desired those things.

I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me, given their intelligence. Each time I reconsidered the project, it struck me as more reasonable. Why ignore our youth when it amounted to a superpower? Why assume the burdens of womanhood, its too-quick-to-vanish upper hand, but not its brief benefits at least? Perhaps it came easier to avoid the topic wholesale than to accept that women really do have a tragically short window of power, and reason enough to take advantage of that fact while they can. As for me, I liked history, Victorian novels, knew of imminent female pitfalls from all the books I’d read: vampiric boyfriends; labor, at the office and in the hospital, expected simultaneously; a decline in status as we aged, like a looming eclipse. I’d have disliked being called calculating, but I had, like all women, a calculator in my head. I thought it silly to ignore its answers when they pointed to an unfairness for which we really ought to have been preparing.

I was competitive by nature, an English-literature student with all the corresponding major ambitions and minor prospects (Great American novel; email job). A little Bovarist , frantic for new places and ideas; to travel here, to travel there, to be in the room where things happened. I resented the callow boys in my class, who lusted after a particular, socially sanctioned type on campus: thin and sexless, emotionally detached and socially connected, the opposite of me. Restless one Saturday night, I slipped on a red dress and snuck into a graduate-school event, coiling an HDMI cord around my wrist as proof of some technical duty. I danced. I drank for free, until one of the organizers asked me to leave. I called and climbed into an Uber. Then I promptly climbed out of it. For there he was, emerging from the revolving doors. Brown eyes, curved lips, immaculate jacket. I went to him, asked him for a cigarette. A date, days later. A second one, where I discovered he was a person, potentially my favorite kind: funny, clear-eyed, brilliant, on intimate terms with the universe.

I used to love men like men love women — that is, not very well, and with a hunger driven only by my own inadequacies. Not him. In those early days, I spoke fondly of my family, stocked the fridge with his favorite pasta, folded his clothes more neatly than I ever have since. I wrote his mother a thank-you note for hosting me in his native France, something befitting a daughter-in-law. It worked; I meant it. After graduation and my fellowship at Oxford, I stayed in Europe for his career and married him at 23.

Of course I just fell in love. Romances have a setting; I had only intervened to place myself well. Mainly, I spotted the precise trouble of being a woman ahead of time, tried to surf it instead of letting it drown me on principle. I had grown bored of discussions of fair and unfair, equal or unequal , and preferred instead to consider a thing called ease.

The reception of a particular age-gap relationship depends on its obviousness. The greater and more visible the difference in years and status between a man and a woman, the more it strikes others as transactional. Transactional thinking in relationships is both as American as it gets and the least kosher subject in the American romantic lexicon. When a 50-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman walk down the street, the questions form themselves inside of you; they make you feel cynical and obscene: How good of a deal is that? Which party is getting the better one? Would I take it? He is older. Income rises with age, so we assume he has money, at least relative to her; at minimum, more connections and experience. She has supple skin. Energy. Sex. Maybe she gets a Birkin. Maybe he gets a baby long after his prime. The sight of their entwined hands throws a lucid light on the calculations each of us makes, in love, to varying degrees of denial. You could get married in the most romantic place in the world, like I did, and you would still have to sign a contract.

Twenty and 30 is not like 30 and 40; some freshness to my features back then, some clumsiness in my bearing, warped our decade, in the eyes of others, to an uncrossable gulf. Perhaps this explains the anger we felt directed at us at the start of our relationship. People seemed to take us very, very personally. I recall a hellish car ride with a friend of his who began to castigate me in the backseat, in tones so low that only I could hear him. He told me, You wanted a rich boyfriend. You chased and snuck into parties . He spared me the insult of gold digger, but he drew, with other words, the outline for it. Most offended were the single older women, my husband’s classmates. They discussed me in the bathroom at parties when I was in the stall. What does he see in her? What do they talk about? They were concerned about me. They wielded their concern like a bludgeon. They paraphrased without meaning to my favorite line from Nabokov’s Lolita : “You took advantage of my disadvantage,” suspecting me of some weakness he in turn mined. It did not disturb them, so much, to consider that all relationships were trades. The trouble was the trade I’d made struck them as a bad one.

The truth is you can fall in love with someone for all sorts of reasons, tiny transactions, pluses and minuses, whose sum is your affection for each other, your loyalty, your commitment. The way someone picks up your favorite croissant. Their habit of listening hard. What they do for you on your anniversary and your reciprocal gesture, wrapped thoughtfully. The serenity they inspire; your happiness, enlivening it. When someone says they feel unappreciated, what they really mean is you’re in debt to them.

When I think of same-age, same-stage relationships, what I tend to picture is a woman who is doing too much for too little.

I’m 27 now, and most women my age have “partners.” These days, girls become partners quite young. A partner is supposed to be a modern answer to the oppression of marriage, the terrible feeling of someone looming over you, head of a household to which you can only ever be the neck. Necks are vulnerable. The problem with a partner, however, is if you’re equal in all things, you compromise in all things. And men are too skilled at taking .

There is a boy out there who knows how to floss because my friend taught him. Now he kisses college girls with fresh breath. A boy married to my friend who doesn’t know how to pack his own suitcase. She “likes to do it for him.” A million boys who know how to touch a woman, who go to therapy because they were pushed, who learned fidelity, boundaries, decency, manners, to use a top sheet and act humanely beneath it, to call their mothers, match colors, bring flowers to a funeral and inhale, exhale in the face of rage, because some girl, some girl we know, some girl they probably don’t speak to and will never, ever credit, took the time to teach him. All while she was working, raising herself, clawing up the cliff-face of adulthood. Hauling him at her own expense.

I find a post on Reddit where five thousand men try to define “ a woman’s touch .” They describe raised flower beds, blankets, photographs of their loved ones, not hers, sprouting on the mantel overnight. Candles, coasters, side tables. Someone remembering to take lint out of the dryer. To give compliments. I wonder what these women are getting back. I imagine them like Cinderella’s mice, scurrying around, their sole proof of life their contributions to a more central character. On occasion I meet a nice couple, who grew up together. They know each other with a fraternalism tender and alien to me.  But I think of all my friends who failed at this, were failed at this, and I think, No, absolutely not, too risky . Riskier, sometimes, than an age gap.

My younger brother is in his early 20s, handsome, successful, but in many ways: an endearing disaster. By his age, I had long since wisened up. He leaves his clothes in the dryer, takes out a single shirt, steams it for three minutes. His towel on the floor, for someone else to retrieve. His lovely, same-age girlfriend is aching to fix these tendencies, among others. She is capable beyond words. Statistically, they will not end up together. He moved into his first place recently, and she, the girlfriend, supplied him with a long, detailed list of things he needed for his apartment: sheets, towels, hangers, a colander, which made me laugh. She picked out his couch. I will bet you anything she will fix his laundry habits, and if so, they will impress the next girl. If they break up, she will never see that couch again, and he will forget its story. I tell her when I visit because I like her, though I get in trouble for it: You shouldn’t do so much for him, not for someone who is not stuck with you, not for any boy, not even for my wonderful brother.

Too much work had left my husband, by 30, jaded and uninspired. He’d burned out — but I could reenchant things. I danced at restaurants when they played a song I liked. I turned grocery shopping into an adventure, pleased by what I provided. Ambitious, hungry, he needed someone smart enough to sustain his interest, but flexible enough in her habits to build them around his hours. I could. I do: read myself occupied, make myself free, materialize beside him when he calls for me. In exchange, I left a lucrative but deadening spreadsheet job to write full-time, without having to live like a writer. I learned to cook, a little, and decorate, somewhat poorly. Mostly I get to read, to walk central London and Miami and think in delicious circles, to work hard, when necessary, for free, and write stories for far less than minimum wage when I tally all the hours I take to write them.

At 20, I had felt daunted by the project of becoming my ideal self, couldn’t imagine doing it in tandem with someone, two raw lumps of clay trying to mold one another and only sullying things worse. I’d go on dates with boys my age and leave with the impression they were telling me not about themselves but some person who didn’t exist yet and on whom I was meant to bet regardless. My husband struck me instead as so finished, formed. Analyzable for compatibility. He bore the traces of other women who’d improved him, small but crucial basics like use a coaster ; listen, don’t give advice. Young egos mellow into patience and generosity.

My husband isn’t my partner. He’s my mentor, my lover, and, only in certain contexts, my friend. I’ll never forget it, how he showed me around our first place like he was introducing me to myself: This is the wine you’ll drink, where you’ll keep your clothes, we vacation here, this is the other language we’ll speak, you’ll learn it, and I did. Adulthood seemed a series of exhausting obligations. But his logistics ran so smoothly that he simply tacked mine on. I moved into his flat, onto his level, drag and drop, cleaner thrice a week, bills automatic. By opting out of partnership in my 20s, I granted myself a kind of compartmentalized, liberating selfishness none of my friends have managed. I am the work in progress, the party we worry about, a surprising dominance. When I searched for my first job, at 21, we combined our efforts, for my sake. He had wisdom to impart, contacts with whom he arranged coffees; we spent an afternoon, laughing, drawing up earnest lists of my pros and cons (highly sociable; sloppy math). Meanwhile, I took calls from a dear friend who had a boyfriend her age. Both savagely ambitious, hyperclose and entwined in each other’s projects. If each was a start-up , the other was the first hire, an intense dedication I found riveting. Yet every time she called me, I hung up with the distinct feeling that too much was happening at the same time: both learning to please a boss; to forge more adult relationships with their families; to pay bills and taxes and hang prints on the wall. Neither had any advice to give and certainly no stability. I pictured a three-legged race, two people tied together and hobbling toward every milestone.

I don’t fool myself. My marriage has its cons. There are only so many times one can say “thank you” — for splendid scenes, fine dinners — before the phrase starts to grate. I live in an apartment whose rent he pays and that shapes the freedom with which I can ever be angry with him. He doesn’t have to hold it over my head. It just floats there, complicating usual shorthands to explain dissatisfaction like, You aren’t being supportive lately . It’s a Frenchism to say, “Take a decision,” and from time to time I joke: from whom? Occasionally I find myself in some fabulous country at some fabulous party and I think what a long way I have traveled, like a lucky cloud, and it is frightening to think of oneself as vapor.

Mostly I worry that if he ever betrayed me and I had to move on, I would survive, but would find in my humor, preferences, the way I make coffee or the bed nothing that he did not teach, change, mold, recompose, stamp with his initials, the way Renaissance painters hid in their paintings their faces among a crowd. I wonder if when they looked at their paintings, they saw their own faces first. But this is the wrong question, if our aim is happiness. Like the other question on which I’m expected to dwell: Who is in charge, the man who drives or the woman who put him there so she could enjoy herself? I sit in the car, in the painting it would have taken me a corporate job and 20 years to paint alone, and my concern over who has the upper hand becomes as distant as the horizon, the one he and I made so wide for me.

To be a woman is to race against the clock, in several ways, until there is nothing left to be but run ragged.

We try to put it off, but it will hit us at some point: that we live in a world in which our power has a different shape from that of men, a different distribution of advantage, ours a funnel and theirs an expanding cone. A woman at 20 rarely has to earn her welcome; a boy at 20 will be turned away at the door. A woman at 30 may find a younger woman has taken her seat; a man at 30 will have invited her. I think back to the women in the bathroom, my husband’s classmates. What was my relationship if not an inconvertible sign of this unfairness? What was I doing, in marrying older, if not endorsing it? I had taken advantage of their disadvantage. I had preempted my own. After all, principled women are meant to defy unfairness, to show some integrity or denial, not plan around it, like I had. These were driven women, successful, beautiful, capable. I merely possessed the one thing they had already lost. In getting ahead of the problem, had I pushed them down? If I hadn’t, would it really have made any difference?

When we decided we wanted to be equal to men, we got on men’s time. We worked when they worked, retired when they retired, had to squeeze pregnancy, children, menopause somewhere impossibly in the margins. I have a friend, in her late 20s, who wears a mood ring; these days it is often red, flickering in the air like a siren when she explains her predicament to me. She has raised her fair share of same-age boyfriends. She has put her head down, worked laboriously alongside them, too. At last she is beginning to reap the dividends, earning the income to finally enjoy herself. But it is now, exactly at this precipice of freedom and pleasure, that a time problem comes closing in. If she would like to have children before 35, she must begin her next profession, motherhood, rather soon, compromising inevitably her original one. The same-age partner, equally unsettled in his career, will take only the minimum time off, she guesses, or else pay some cost which will come back to bite her. Everything unfailingly does. If she freezes her eggs to buy time, the decision and its logistics will burden her singly — and perhaps it will not work. Overlay the years a woman is supposed to establish herself in her career and her fertility window and it’s a perfect, miserable circle. By midlife women report feeling invisible, undervalued; it is a telling cliché, that after all this, some husbands leave for a younger girl. So when is her time, exactly? For leisure, ease, liberty? There is no brand of feminism which achieved female rest. If women’s problem in the ’50s was a paralyzing malaise, now it is that they are too active, too capable, never permitted a vacation they didn’t plan. It’s not that our efforts to have it all were fated for failure. They simply weren’t imaginative enough.

For me, my relationship, with its age gap, has alleviated this rush , permitted me to massage the clock, shift its hands to my benefit. Very soon, we will decide to have children, and I don’t panic over last gasps of fun, because I took so many big breaths of it early: on the holidays of someone who had worked a decade longer than I had, in beautiful places when I was young and beautiful, a symmetry I recommend. If such a thing as maternal energy exists, mine was never depleted. I spent the last nearly seven years supported more than I support and I am still not as old as my husband was when he met me. When I have a child, I will expect more help from him than I would if he were younger, for what does professional tenure earn you if not the right to set more limits on work demands — or, if not, to secure some child care, at the very least? When I return to work after maternal upheaval, he will aid me, as he’s always had, with his ability to put himself aside, as younger men are rarely able.

Above all, the great gift of my marriage is flexibility. A chance to live my life before I become responsible for someone else’s — a lover’s, or a child’s. A chance to write. A chance at a destiny that doesn’t adhere rigidly to the routines and timelines of men, but lends itself instead to roomy accommodation, to the very fluidity Betty Friedan dreamed of in 1963 in The Feminine Mystique , but we’ve largely forgotten: some career or style of life that “permits year-to-year variation — a full-time paid job in one community, part-time in another, exercise of the professional skill in serious volunteer work or a period of study during pregnancy or early motherhood when a full-time job is not feasible.” Some things are just not feasible in our current structures. Somewhere along the way we stopped admitting that, and all we did was make women feel like personal failures. I dream of new structures, a world in which women have entry-level jobs in their 30s; alternate avenues for promotion; corporate ladders with balconies on which they can stand still, have a smoke, take a break, make a baby, enjoy themselves, before they keep climbing. Perhaps men long for this in their own way. Actually I am sure of that.

Once, when we first fell in love, I put my head in his lap on a long car ride; I remember his hands on my face, the sun, the twisting turns of a mountain road, surprising and not surprising us like our romance, and his voice, telling me that it was his biggest regret that I was so young, he feared he would lose me. Last week, we looked back at old photos and agreed we’d given each other our respective best years. Sometimes real equality is not so obvious, sometimes it takes turns, sometimes it takes almost a decade to reveal itself.

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33 Transition Words and Phrases

Transitional terms give writers the opportunity to prepare readers for a new idea, connecting the previous sentence to the next one.

Many transitional words are nearly synonymous: words that broadly indicate that “this follows logically from the preceding” include accordingly, therefore, and consequently . Words that mean “in addition to” include moreover, besides, and further . Words that mean “contrary to what was just stated” include however, nevertheless , and nonetheless .

as a result : THEREFORE : CONSEQUENTLY

The executive’s flight was delayed and they accordingly arrived late.

in or by way of addition : FURTHERMORE

The mountain has many marked hiking trails; additionally, there are several unmarked trails that lead to the summit.

at a later or succeeding time : SUBSEQUENTLY, THEREAFTER

Afterward, she got a promotion.

even though : ALTHOUGH

She appeared as a guest star on the show, albeit briefly.

in spite of the fact that : even though —used when making a statement that differs from or contrasts with a statement you have just made

They are good friends, although they don't see each other very often.

in addition to what has been said : MOREOVER, FURTHERMORE

I can't go, and besides, I wouldn't go if I could.

as a result : in view of the foregoing : ACCORDINGLY

The words are often confused and are consequently misused.

in a contrasting or opposite way —used to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previous statement or presents a differing interpretation or possibility

Large objects appear to be closer. Conversely, small objects seem farther away.

used to introduce a statement that is somehow different from what has just been said

These problems are not as bad as they were. Even so, there is much more work to be done.

used as a stronger way to say "though" or "although"

I'm planning to go even though it may rain.

in addition : MOREOVER

I had some money to invest, and, further, I realized that the risk was small.

in addition to what precedes : BESIDES —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

These findings seem plausible. Furthermore, several studies have confirmed them.

because of a preceding fact or premise : for this reason : THEREFORE

He was a newcomer and hence had no close friends here.

from this point on : starting now

She announced that henceforth she would be running the company.

in spite of that : on the other hand —used when you are saying something that is different from or contrasts with a previous statement

I'd like to go; however, I'd better not.

as something more : BESIDES —used for adding information to a statement

The city has the largest population in the country and in addition is a major shipping port.

all things considered : as a matter of fact —used when making a statement that adds to or strengthens a previous statement

He likes to have things his own way; indeed, he can be very stubborn.

for fear that —often used after an expression denoting fear or apprehension

He was concerned lest anyone think that he was guilty.

in addition : ALSO —often used to introduce a statement that adds to and is related to a previous statement

She is an acclaimed painter who is likewise a sculptor.

at or during the same time : in the meantime

You can set the table. Meanwhile, I'll start making dinner.

BESIDES, FURTHER : in addition to what has been said —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

It probably wouldn't work. Moreover, it would be very expensive to try it.

in spite of that : HOWEVER

It was a predictable, but nevertheless funny, story.

in spite of what has just been said : NEVERTHELESS

The hike was difficult, but fun nonetheless.

without being prevented by (something) : despite—used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

Notwithstanding their youth and inexperience, the team won the championship.

if not : or else

Finish your dinner. Otherwise, you won't get any dessert.

more correctly speaking —used to introduce a statement that corrects what you have just said

We can take the car, or rather, the van.

in spite of that —used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

I tried again and still I failed.

by that : by that means

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.

for that reason : because of that

This tablet is thin and light and therefore very convenient to carry around.

immediately after that

The committee reviewed the documents and thereupon decided to accept the proposal.

because of this or that : HENCE, CONSEQUENTLY

This detergent is highly concentrated and thus you will need to dilute it.

while on the contrary —used to make a statement that describes how two people, groups, etc., are different

Some of these species have flourished, whereas others have struggled.

NEVERTHELESS, HOWEVER —used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way

It was pouring rain out, yet his clothes didn’t seem very wet.

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Guest Essay

Trump’s Third Act? American Gangster.

By Samuel Earle

Mr. Earle is the author of “Tory Nation: How One Party Took Over.”

In recent months, Donald Trump has been trying out a new routine. At rallies and town halls across the country, he compares himself to Al Capone. “He was seriously tough, right?” Mr. Trump told a rally in Iowa in October , in an early rendition of the act. But “he was only indicted one time; I’ve been indicted four times.” (Capone was, in fact, indicted at least six times.) The implication is not just that Mr. Trump is being unfairly persecuted but also that he is four times as tough as Capone. “If you looked at him in the wrong way,” Mr. Trump explained, “he blew your brains out."

Mr. Trump’s eagerness to invoke Capone reflects an important shift in the image he wants to project to the world. In 2016, Mr. Trump played the reality TV star and businessman who would shake up politics, shock and entertain. In 2020, Mr. Trump was the strongman, desperately trying to hold on to power by whatever means possible. In 2024, Mr. Trump is in his third act: the American gangster, heir to Al Capone — besieged by the authorities, charged with countless egregious felonies but surviving and thriving nonetheless, with an air of macho invincibility.

The evidence of Mr. Trump’s mobster pivot is everywhere. He rants endlessly about his legal cases in his stump speeches. On Truth Social, he boasts about having a bigger team of lawyers “than any human being in the history of our Country, including even the late great gangster, Alphonse Capone!” His team has used his mug shot — taken after he was indicted on a charge of racketeering in August — on T-shirts, mugs, Christmas wrapping, bumper stickers, beer coolers and even NFTs. They’ve sold off parts of the blue suit he was wearing in that now-infamous photo for more than $4,000 a piece (it came with a dinner with Mr. Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort).

Commentators have long pointed out that Mr. Trump behaves like a mob boss: The way he demands loyalty from his followers, lashes out at rivals, bullies authorities and flaunts his impunity are all reminiscent of the wiseguys Americans know so well from movies and television. As a real-estate mogul in New York, he seems to have relished working with mobsters and learned their vernacular before bringing their methods into the White House: telling James Comey, “I expect loyalty”; imploring Volodymyr Zelensky, “Do us a favor”; and pressuring Georgia’s secretary of state, “Fellas, I need 11,000 votes.” But before, he downplayed the mobster act in public. Now he actively courts the comparison.

Mr. Trump’s audacious embrace of a criminal persona flies in the face of conventional wisdom. When Richard Nixon told the American public, “I am not a crook,” the underlying assumption was that voters would not want a crook in the White House. Mr. Trump is testing this assumption. It’s a canny piece of marketing. A violent mobster and a self-mythologizing millionaire, Capone sanitized his crimes by cultivating an aura of celebrity and bravery, grounded in distrust of the state and a narrative of unfair persecution. The public lapped it up. “Everybody sympathizes with him,” Vanity Fair noted of Capone in 1931, as the authorities closed in on him. “Al has made murder a popular amusement.” In similar fashion, Mr. Trump tries to turn his indictments into amusement, inviting his supporters to play along. “They’re not after me, they’re after you — I’m just standing in the way!” he says, a line that greets visitors to his website, as well.

Mr. Trump clearly hopes that his Al Capone act will offer at least some cover from the four indictments he faces. And there is a twisted logic to what he is doing: By adopting the guise of the gangster, he is able to recast his lawbreaking as vigilante justice — a subversive attempt to preserve order and peace — and transform himself into a folk hero. Partly thanks to this framing, it seems unlikely that a criminal conviction will topple his candidacy: not only because Mr. Trump has already taken so many other scandals in his stride but also because, as Capone shows, the convicted criminal can be as much an American icon as the cowboy and the frontiersman. In this campaign, Mr. Trump’s mug shot is his message — and the repeated references to Al Capone are there for anyone who needs it spelled out.

In an essay from 1948, “The Gangster as Tragic Hero,” the critic Robert Warshow sought to explain the unique appeal of gangster fables in American life. He saw the gangster as a quintessentially American figure, the dark shadow of the country’s sunnier self-conception. “The gangster speaks for us,” Warshow wrote, “expressing that part of the American psyche which rejects the qualities and the demands of modern life.”

It is easy to see why gangster fables appeal to so many Republican voters today. They are stories of immigrant assimilation and success, laced with anti-immigrant sentiment and rivalry. Their heroes are creatures of the big city — those nests of Republican neuroses — who tame its excesses through force but never forget God or their family along the way. In many ways, minus the murder, they are ideal conservative citizens: enterprising, loyal, distrustful of government; prone to occasional ethical lapses, but who’s perfect?

Mr. Trump knows that in America, crooks can be the good guys. When the state is seen as corrupt, the crook becomes a kind of Everyman, bravely beating the system at its own game. This is the cynical logic that the gangster and the right-wing populist share: Everyone’s as bad as anyone else, so anything goes. “A crook is a crook,” Capone once said. “But a guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his authority is a swell snake. The worst type of these punks is the big politician, who gives about half his time to covering up so that no one will know he’s a thief.”

It’s a worldview powerful enough to convince voters that even the prized institutions of liberal democracy — a free press, open elections, the rule of law — are fronts in the biggest racket of them all. This conceit has a rich pedigree in reactionary politics. “Would-be totalitarian rulers usually start their careers by boasting of their past crimes and carefully outlining their future ones,” Hannah Arendt warned.

The gangster’s brutality also taps into what Warshow and others of his generation saw as the sadism in the American mind: the pleasure the public takes in seeing the gangster’s “unlimited possibility of aggression” inflicted upon others. The gangster is nothing without this license for violence, without the simple fact that, as Warshow put it, “he hurts people.” He intimidates his rivals and crushes his enemies. His cruelty is the point. The public can then enjoy “the double satisfaction of participating vicariously in the gangster’s sadism and then seeing it turned against the gangster himself.” “He is what we want to be and what we are afraid we may become,” Warshow wrote. Reverence and repulsion are all wrapped up.

Capone’s rise, demise and exalted afterlife don’t hold happy clues for Mr. Trump’s opponents. Dethroning a mob boss is never easy. “He was the 1920s version of the Teflon man; nothing stuck to him,” Deirdre Bair wrote in a 2016 biography of Capone. After he was arrested in 1931 for tax fraud, his mob continued to prosper for another half-century, and Capone himself, who was released after six and a half years in prison for health reasons and died from a stroke and pneumonia in 1947 at age 48, achieved a type of immortality. Mr. Trump will see in his story many reasons to be cheerful. “I often say Al Capone, he was one of the greatest of all time, if you like criminals,” Mr. Trump said in December. It was an interesting framing: “if you like criminals”? Mr. Trump has a hunch, and it’s more than just projection, that many Americans do.

Samuel Earle is the author of “Tory Nation: How One Party Took Over.”

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