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Understanding synonyms and antonyms is a core part of the GL 11+ English exam. These questions test your vocabulary and your ability to think about the relationships between words. A strong vocabulary will also help you with comprehension, cloze passages, and your own writing.
Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning.
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| happy | cheerful, joyful, delighted |
| big | large, enormous, huge |
| fast | quick, rapid, swift |
| angry | furious, cross, irate |
| said | exclaimed, declared, muttered |
Important: Synonyms have similar meanings, but they are rarely exactly the same. Each word has a slightly different shade of meaning or level of formality.
"She was happy" is more casual than "She was elated." "He walked" is neutral, but "He strolled" suggests a relaxed pace.
Antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning.
| Word | Antonym |
|---|---|
| happy | sad, miserable |
| big | small, tiny |
| fast | slow, sluggish |
| light | dark, heavy |
| noisy | quiet, silent |
Some antonyms are formed by adding a prefix:
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not | happy → unhappy |
| dis- | not / opposite | agree → disagree |
| im- | not | possible → impossible |
| in- | not | visible → invisible |
| ir- | not | regular → irregular |
| il- | not | legal → illegal |
| mis- | wrongly / badly | understand → misunderstand |
| non- | not | fiction → non-fiction |
Tip: Knowing these prefixes helps you create antonyms for many words — and it helps you understand unfamiliar words in comprehension passages too.
In the GL 11+ exam, you might see these question formats:
"Which word is closest in meaning to cautious?" (a) brave (b) careful (c) reckless (d) loud
Answer: (b) careful
"Which word is most opposite in meaning to generous?" (a) kind (b) wealthy (c) selfish (d) gentle
Answer: (c) selfish
"Which word does NOT have a similar meaning to the others?" (a) cheerful (b) joyful (c) gloomy (d) merry
Answer: (c) gloomy — this is the opposite of the others.
"Hot is to cold as tall is to ___."
Answer: short (both pairs are antonyms)
Learn these groups of words — any of them could appear in the exam:
cheerful, joyful, delighted, elated, pleased, content, ecstatic, overjoyed, thrilled
unhappy, miserable, sorrowful, gloomy, dejected, despondent, melancholy, forlorn, downcast
furious, cross, irate, livid, enraged, indignant, annoyed, frustrated, infuriated
frightened, terrified, anxious, nervous, apprehensive, petrified, alarmed, fearful, startled
large, enormous, huge, vast, immense, colossal, massive, gigantic, substantial
tiny, minute, miniature, petite, compact, microscopic, diminutive, slight
lovely, attractive, stunning, gorgeous, exquisite, handsome, pretty, elegant, magnificent
intelligent, bright, smart, shrewd, astute, gifted, brilliant, sharp, wise
courageous, fearless, bold, daring, heroic, valiant, intrepid, gallant, plucky
ancient, aged, elderly, antique, vintage, archaic, decrepit, venerable
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