| 1. | accidentally | by mistake | by chance | unwittingly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| deliberately | wilfully | consciously | on purpose | |
| 2. | active | alive | energetic | lively |
| passive | inactive | inert | sluggish | |
| 3. | admire | adore | esteem | value |
| despise | detest | disapprove | scorn | |
| 4. | admit | confess | acknowledge | concede |
| deny | disagree | dispute | contradict | |
| 5. | advance | go forward | forge ahead | progress |
| stop | retreat | withdraw | halt |
| 6. | agile | nimble | dexterous | skilful |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| awkward | clumsy | ungainly | gawky | |
| 7. | aid | help | support | assist |
| deter | discourage | block | obstruct | |
| 8. | alert | attentive | watchful | observant |
| unaware | inattentive | heedless | scatterbrained | |
| 9. | alien | unfamiliar | strange | foreign |
| familiar | similar | usual | normal | |
| 10. | alike | similar | the same | akin |
| different | dissimilar | unlike | distinct |
| 11. | all | everything | everyone | each and every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| none | nothing | zero | nil | |
| 12. | alone | apart | separate | on one’s own |
| together | jointly | collectively | side by side | |
| 13. | ample | sufficient | enough | plenteous |
| meagre | insufficient | scant | sparse | |
| 14. | amplify | extend | enlarge | expand |
| decrease | reduce | cut down | curtail | |
| 15. | angry | furious | ill-tempered | enraged |
| calm | friendly | mild | peaceful |
| 16. | approve | allow | permit | uphold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| disapprove | disallow | oppose | reject | |
| 17. | artificial | fake | imitation | false |
| natural | genuine | real | honest | |
| 18. | ascend | rise | mount | go up |
| descend | dip | plummet | move down | |
| 19. | assemble | gather | collect | bring together |
| separate | scatter | divide | take apart | |
| 20. | awful | horrible | terrible | shocking |
| good | delightful | pleasing | pleasant |
*Three types of antonyms (gradable, complementary and relational) can be distinguished. Word meanings are context-dependent.