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ESL Vocabulary for Opposites

Opposites

The following page has learning games and example sentences using the following 41 words from the "opposites" category:

Studying opposites vocabulary enhances language comprehension and communication skills.

Memory Game

Example Sentences

short

Easy Examples

• She is short.
• He has short hair.
• The dog is short.

Harder Examples

• She is quite short compared to her classmates.
• He prefers to wear short sleeves in the summer.
• They will take a shortcut to reach the destination faster.

skinny

Easy Examples

• He is skinny.
• She likes skinny jeans.
• They have a skinny cat.

Harder Examples

• She has always been naturally skinny.
• He likes to wear skinny jeans.
• They will have a skinny latte for breakfast.

slow

Easy Examples

• The turtle is slow.
• I am a slow eater.
• She walks slow.

Harder Examples

• The turtle is known for its slow pace.
• She drives slowly on icy roads to stay safe.
• They will walk slowly to enjoy the scenery.

small

Easy Examples

• The kitten is small.
• He has a small toy.
• It's a small room.

Harder Examples

• The puppy is still very small and adorable.
• He keeps his belongings in a small backpack.
• They will stay in a small cottage by the lake.

sour

Easy Examples

• The lemon is sour.
• She makes a sour face.
• They don't like sour candy.

Harder Examples

• The lemonade was too sour for her liking.
• She wrinkled her nose at the sour smell in the room.
• They will add sugar to balance the sourness of the dish.

spotless

Easy Examples

• The kitchen is spotless.
• He keeps his car spotless.
• She has a spotless record.

Harder Examples

• She keeps her house spotless at all times.
• He admired the spotless mirror in the hotel room.
• They will strive to maintain a spotless reputation.

strong

Easy Examples

• He is strong.
• She lifts weights to get strong.
• They have a strong grip.

Harder Examples

• He is known for his strong physique and athleticism.
• She showed strong determination to overcome obstacles.
• They will build a strong bond through teamwork.

sweet

Easy Examples

• The cake is sweet.
• She likes sweet tea.
• He has a sweet tooth.

Harder Examples

• The dessert was incredibly sweet and satisfying.
• She has a sweet smile that brightens everyone's day.
• They will enjoy the sweet melodies of the music.

transparent

Easy Examples

• The glass is transparent.
• She wears transparent glasses.
• They want a transparent discussion.

Harder Examples

• The glass is transparent, so you can see what's inside.
• She used transparent plastic wrap to cover the food.
• They will use a transparent umbrella on a rainy day.

ugly

Easy Examples

• The painting is ugly.
• He thinks he is ugly.
• She calls him ugly.

Harder Examples

• Beauty is subjective, and what is ugly to one may not be to another.
• She found the old building to be rather ugly.
• They believe that kindness can make a person beautiful, even if they appear ugly.

weak

Easy Examples

• He is weak.
• She feels weak today.
• They have a weak signal.

Harder Examples

• He felt weak after the long hike in the mountains.
• She has a weak immune system and often gets sick.
• They will strengthen their muscles through regular exercise.

young

Easy Examples

• She is young.
• He is a young artist.
• They have a young puppy.

Harder Examples

• The young couple just got married last month.
• She works with young children at the daycare center.
• They will visit a young artist's gallery opening.

old

Easy Examples

• The house is old.
• She has an old car.
• He is getting old.

Harder Examples

• The old tree in the park is over a hundred years old.
• He loves reading old books with yellowed pages.
• They will explore an old castle on their vacation.

bad

Easy Examples

• It's a bad day.
• She had a bad dream.
• He is in a bad mood.

Harder Examples

• The movie received bad reviews from critics.
• She had a bad day at work due to a challenging project.
• They will turn a bad situation into an opportunity.

beautiful

Easy Examples

• The sunset is beautiful.
• She is a beautiful singer.
• They live in a beautiful house.

Harder Examples

• The sunset over the ocean was absolutely beautiful.
• She wore a beautiful dress to the special occasion.
• They will visit a beautiful garden with colorful flowers.

big

Easy Examples

• The elephant is big.
• He has a big house.
• She wears a big hat.

Harder Examples

• The big elephant trumpeted loudly in the safari park.
• He moved into a big house with a spacious yard.
• They will need a big suitcase for their trip.

blunt

Easy Examples

• The knife is blunt.
• She is blunt with her words.
• He uses a blunt pencil.

Harder Examples

• The blunt knife couldn't cut through the tough meat.
• She prefers to use a blunt pencil for shading.
• They will need a sharpener to avoid writing with a blunt pencil.

bright

Easy Examples

• The sun is bright.
• She wears bright clothes.
• They have a bright smile.

Harder Examples

• The bright stars lit up the night sky.
• She wore a bright red dress to the party.
• They will enjoy a bright and sunny day at the beach.

clean

Easy Examples

• The room is clean.
• He likes to keep things clean.
• She has clean hands.

Harder Examples

• The clean kitchen countertops sparkled in the sunlight.
• He takes pride in keeping his car clean and shiny.
• They will hire a professional cleaner for the spring cleaning.

dark

Easy Examples

• It's dark outside.
• She has dark hair.
• They like dark chocolate.

Harder Examples

• The room was so dark that they needed a flashlight.
• She chose a dark shade of paint for the bedroom.
• They will have a picnic under the dark night sky.

dirty

Easy Examples

• The shirt is dirty.
• He plays in the dirty mud.
• She has dirty shoes.

Harder Examples

• The muddy boots left dirty footprints on the floor.
• He noticed a dirty stain on his shirt after lunch.
• They will wash their hands thoroughly to remove the dirt.

distant

Easy Examples

• The mountain is distant.
• He feels distant from his friends.
• She has a distant look.

Harder Examples

• The mountain range appeared distant from their location.
• She felt a distant connection to her ancestral homeland.
• They will send a letter to a distant relative.

empty

Easy Examples

• The glass is empty.
• She has an empty backpack.
• They feel empty inside.

Harder Examples

• The empty room echoed with each step they took.
• He realized the gas tank was empty when the car stalled.
• They will find an empty seat in the crowded theater.

fast

Easy Examples

• The car is fast.
• She runs fast.
• He eats fast.

Harder Examples

• The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world.
• She drives fast on the highway to reach her destination.
• They will have a fast internet connection for streaming.

fat

Easy Examples

• He is fat.
• She feels fat after eating.
• They have a fat cat.

Harder Examples

• He gained weight and became fat after the holidays.
• She avoids eating too much fat in her diet.
• They will work out regularly to lose fat and stay healthy.

filthy

Easy Examples

• The floor is filthy.
• She works in a filthy environment.
• They have a filthy habit.

Harder Examples

• The neglected room was filthy and needed a thorough cleaning.
• She wore gloves to clean the filthy bathroom.
• They will take a shower to wash off the filthy mud.

first

Easy Examples

• It's the first day.
• She is the first in line.
• He got the first prize.

Harder Examples

• She was the first person to arrive at the party.
• He won first place in the race and received a medal.
• They will have the first slice of cake at the celebration.

full

Easy Examples

• The glass is full.
• She ate a full meal.
• They have a full schedule.

Harder Examples

• The glass was full of refreshing cold water.
• She felt full after a hearty meal at the restaurant.
• They will have a full day of fun and adventure.

good

Easy Examples

• He is good.
• She did a good job.
• They have a good idea.

Harder Examples

• He is known for his good deeds and generosity.
• She gave a good speech that inspired the audience.
• They will make good memories during their vacation.

heavy

Easy Examples

• The box is heavy.
• She lifts heavy weights.
• He has a heavy workload.

Harder Examples

• The suitcase was heavy, so he asked for help.
• She wore a heavy coat to stay warm in the snow.
• They will need a heavy-duty vehicle for transporting goods.

last

Easy Examples

• It's the last page.
• She is the last to arrive.
• He got the last piece.

Harder Examples

• She was the last one to leave the office for the day.
• He received the last piece of cake at the party.
• They will enjoy the last rays of sunlight at sunset.

light

Easy Examples

• The room is light.
• She carries a light bag.
• They like light colors.

Harder Examples

• The light bulb brightened the room when turned on.
• She carried a light backpack for the hiking trip.
• They will use a flashlight to find their way in the dark.

long

Easy Examples

• The road is long.
• She has long hair.
• He waits for a long time.

Harder Examples

• The long river winds through the forest.
• She has long hair that reaches her waist.
• They will take a long road trip across the country.

near

Easy Examples

• The store is near.
• She lives near the park.
• They have a near miss.

Harder Examples

• The grocery store is near their apartment.
• She found a park near the city center.
• They will stay in a hotel near the beach.

new

Easy Examples

• The phone is new.
• She got a new dress.
• He has a new idea.

Harder Examples

• They bought a new car to replace the old one.
• She is excited to wear her new dress to the event.
• They will explore the new museum in town.

noisy

Easy Examples

• The street is noisy.
• She lives in a noisy neighborhood.
• They make a noisy crowd.

Harder Examples

• The construction site next door is very noisy.
• She put on noise-canceling headphones to block out the noisy traffic.
• They will find a quiet place away from the noisy crowd.

opaque

Easy Examples

• The glass is opaque.
• She uses opaque curtains.
• They prefer opaque solutions.

Harder Examples

• The curtains are made of opaque fabric to provide privacy.
• She couldn't see through the opaque glass window.
• They will use an opaque screen to hide the surprise.

poor

Easy Examples

• He is poor.
• She comes from a poor family.
• They live in a poor village.

Harder Examples

• He grew up in a poor neighborhood but worked hard to succeed.
• She helps the poor by donating to charity organizations.
• They will provide assistance to the poor and needy.

quiet

Easy Examples

• The library is quiet.
• She enjoys quiet evenings.
• They like a quiet atmosphere.

Harder Examples

• The library is a quiet place for reading and studying.
• She enjoys the quiet solitude of the countryside.
• They will have a quiet evening at home with a book.

rich

Easy Examples

• They are rich.
• He has a rich taste.
• She owns a rich collection.

Harder Examples

• They live in a luxurious mansion and are very rich.
• She became rich after starting her successful business.
• They will donate to charity because they believe in sharing their wealth.

sharp

Easy Examples

• The knife is sharp.
• She has sharp eyes.
• He is sharp-witted.

Harder Examples

• The chef used a sharp knife to slice the vegetables.
• She noticed a sharp pain in her foot after stepping on a rock.
• They will use a sharp pencil for drawing detailed illustrations.