A word used to describe something that is opposite or contrary to another is an antonym. Synonyms for “opposite” include, antithetical, contradictory, and converse. In the English language, common antonyms include “up” and “down”, “hot” and “cold”, and “happy” and “sad”. Antonyms are important for providing contrast and emphasis in writing.
Antonyms can be used to create a variety of effects in writing. They can be used to create contrast, emphasis, or humor. For example, the sentence “The old man was happy and the young man was sad” uses antonyms to create contrast. The sentence “The food was so hot that it burned my tongue” uses antonyms to create emphasis. And the sentence “The opposite of up is down” uses antonyms to create humor.