Synonyms and Antonyms for Kids: Same or Opposite? (Grade 2 to 3 English)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are learning about synonyms and antonyms. Synonyms are words that mean the same, or almost the same. Antonyms are words that mean the opposite.

Big and large are synonyms. They mean almost the same thing. Happy and glad are synonyms too. So are fast and quick. You can swap one for the other and the sentence still makes sense.

Listen. The dog is happy. Now swap happy for its synonym glad. The dog is glad. The meaning stays the same. Writers use synonyms so they do not say the same word again and again.

Antonyms are opposites. Hot and cold are antonyms. Up and down are antonyms. Day and night are antonyms too. When you swap a word for its antonym, the meaning flips.

Listen. The soup is hot. Swap hot for its antonym cold. The soup is cold. Now the sentence means something very different! That is how you know it is an antonym.

Here is a trick to remember. Synonym and same both start with S. Antonym and against both start with A, because antonyms go against each other.

Now it's your turn. Is each pair synonyms or antonyms? Small and tiny. Open and shut. Pause and try. Small and tiny are synonyms. Open and shut are antonyms.

Great job! Synonyms mean the same, like big and large. Antonyms mean the opposite, like hot and cold. Practice synonyms and antonyms in the English Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!