The opposite of an adjective
The opposite of many adjectives is a completely different word, like these:
Good - evil
Large - small
But you can get the opposite of some adjectives by using a prefix in front of the adjective. However, this is where it gets really really tricky. Two of the common prefixes used to get the opposite form of an adjective are ‘in’ and ‘un’, but there is no one set of rules that will work for every adjective. This is where it’s best to use a dictionary. It is however a good idea to learn some of the more common opposites for everyday use:
Possible |
Impossible |
Fortunate |
Unfortunate |
Flammable |
Nonflammable |
Important |
Unimportant |
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
Lucky |
Unlucky |
Decent |
Indecent |
So you can see that some use ‘im’, some use ‘un’, some use ‘non’, and some use ‘mis’.
Click here to move on to the next topic: Other ways to form the opposites of adjectives