One more free English educational eBook FUN WITH SYNONYMNS AND ANTONYMNS (by Oh Teik Theam) for your 'Edutainment'. You can download it and read with one of the following: 1 Adobe Reader 2 Firefox 3 Google Chrome 4 Microsoft Edge With Metta, Bro. Oh Teik Bin

1. OH TEIK THEAM

2. FUN WITH SYNONYMS
AND ANTONYMS
FREE
EBOOK
OH TEIK THEAM

3. FUN WITH SYNONYMS
AND ANTONYMS
Copyright © 2023 Oh Teik Theam
Published by Oh Teik Theam
This book is published solely for free
distribution/circulation. It should not
be used in any way for commercial gain.

4. A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.
- Baltasar Gracian
An antonym is the opposite of the word you’re trying to think of.
- Author Unknown
☺

5. PART ONE: SYNONYMS
In the exercises below, each sentence contains a synonym of the italicized word(s), spelt
out in consecutive letters. Can you spot it?
Example: The couple continued their walk along the path in silence after he said that
she was not as slim as she used to be.
Exercise 1
1. This bowl of delicious consommé will not only ease your hunger but also uplift your
spirits.
2. “When do you intend to terminate your relationship with him?”
3. The juice from this wild plant has a pungent taste.
4. This clever youngster is exceedingly likeable.
5. As his average earnings are about five hundred dollars a month, he finds it difficult to
reserve a portion of the money for his future financial needs.
6. It’ll be smashing if the boss decides to give me a birthday present.
7. His hardworking maid got a cut on her finger from a sharp piece of broken glass.
8. The possibility of the company building more motels is rather slight.
9. The father said to his son, “If you want a life of comfort during your retirement, you
must be a sedulous worker and earn lots of money while you are young.”
10. The thief stole a vest from the house and camouflaged it with the foliage of a
magnificent tree.
11. “The ass is the most uncooperative animal on the farm,” the cow said to the horse, “so
I don’t think it will help you with the work.”
12. The decision of the directors to purchase sophisticated machinery for the factory
reflects their determination to check the decline in the company’s profits.
13. “The shed is close to the bridge,” she said to him, and she could see that he was
relieved that she had decided to reveal to him the location of the buried treasure.
14. “The good-looking lass you introduced to me at the party last week gave me a fixed
stare this morning.”
15. The mother said to her young daughter, “When you are reading a book, a good idea is
to pause at every word you don’t recognize and find out its meaning.”
Answers
1. soup
2. end
3. sap
4. very
5. save
6. gift
7. shard
8. remote

6. 9. ease
10. leaves
11. assist
12. stop
13. disclose
14. glassy
15. stop
Exercise 2
1. The old man-eating giant grinned lopsidedly as he trudged towards his friend to greet
him.
2. The talks on arms limitations between the two countries have a very small chance of
success.
3. The general wiped the perspiration from his forehead, unfurled a map of the region,
and said, “In two days we attack the rebels.”
4. When the mother asked her son whether there was any trouble keeping his room tidy,
the little boy said, “No, none at all.”
5. Eating his pudding, the boy jokingly referred to his spoon as a miniature spade.
6. The manager said to his secretary, “It’s not difficult to find the missing file if we make
a systematic search of the offices.”
7. She was lighting the candles when she suddenly felt a small pain in her right arm.
8. The producer was informed that a member of his crew had a mishap with a threaded
nail.
9. Brushing aside rumours of a mutiny, the wicked leader of the pirates said that he was in
full control of his ship.
10. When I asked him whether he was implying that I was not suitable for the job, he said
that I was angry only because I had misunderstood his words.
11. “Please work faster; you don’t need to take thirty minutes just to stitch on one button
on the shirt.”
12. From the two books I lent her, she learned how to enunciate words containing letters
that are written but not pronounced, such as “doubt” and “debt”.
13. My chef friend has acknowledged receipt of the large bag of potatoes I sent him.
14. The backpacker called his family to inform them that thieves had often tried to steal
things from his portable shelter.
15. She spreads a beach towel on the lawn and lies face down on it, so that her back is
soothed by the gentle caress of the warm sunshine.
Answers
1. ogre
2. slim
3. sweat
4. neat
5. spud
6. easy

7. 7. slight
8. screw
9. sinful
10. simply
11. sew
12. silent
13. sack
14. tent
15, kiss
Exercise 3
1. The hen appeared to be taking a short sleep after it had laid an egg.
2. The carcasses of the four otters have started to decay.
3. It was a colossal statue, with its trunk measuring six feet or so.
4. Because her parents are strict with her, she must limit her spending.
5. It is not difficult to picture him speaking on such a controversial subject.
6. He informed me that the tent I required was large enough for the whole family.
7. The eccentric man collected his saliva in his pitcher.
8. He requested her to tally up the individual entries to get the gross amount.
9. She decided to post a letter to him to complain that the cheque which he sent her was
outdated.
10. He was listening to an Electric Light Orchestra song at home when his girlfriend
called to say that someone had attempted to set fire to her garage.
11. The plumber placed his toolbox on a tabouret and inspected the blocked kitchen sink.
12. He asked the workers to paint his yacht in three colours—red, green and a tinge of
blue.
13. He managed to memorize the first three chapters of the large scholarly book.
14. The ten dermatologists at the conference exchanged views on the treatment of
sensitive parts of the body.
15. The little boy said, “When I bought this pen, its pointed piece was all right, but now it
scratches the paper.”
Answers
1. nap
2. rot
3. torso
4. restrict
5. topic
6. entire
7. spit
8. total
9. stale
10. torch
11. stool

8. 12. tint
13. tome
14. tender
15. nib
Exercise 4
1. When a friend asked him about his low turnover, the shop proprietor said, “Business is
not very active these days.”
2. “If he doesn’t want to be thought of as a dishonest person, he should pay you the
money he lost on the wager.”
3. “The perpetrator of such a despicable act should go to hell.”
4. The boy was excited as he prepared to straddle the horse, and ten minutes later he said,
“Dad, that was the best ride I’ve ever had!”
5. The bad witch armed herself with her broom and cast a spell over the princess.
6. “I wish a performer who is an angel in human form could sing at my birthday party.”
7. “For ideal results, use this spray at dusk,” said the salesman, “and you will free your
house of the insect pests.”
8. His new-found fame and fortune has not changed him at all, for he still enjoys being
nasty to everyone.
9. Not wanting to squander precious time, the boy took out a piece of paper from his
school bag and drew a steamship.
10. I didn’t have the slightest inkling of his poor personal hygiene until he came to the
office wearing a shirt that filled the air with a strong offensive smell.
11. She shrugged off his imprecation that her business would incur severe losses for five
years.
12. The computer wizard ate dinner hurriedly and then watched an old movie that was
rather old-fashioned.
13. There is not a bit of evidence in his statement that she hid the stolen ring in her stylish
red dress.
14. The club chairman cancelled our outing to the seaside because he was disappointed
that the match ended in a complete defeat—we lost 0-10.
15. They need to thoroughly examine the evidence for several days if they are serious
about catching the culprit.
Answers
1. slow
2. bet
3. Hades
4. bestride
5. charm
6. shape
7. rid
8. mean
9. waste

9. 10. stink
11. curse
12. dated
13. shred
14. rout
15. sift
Exercise 5
1. When the thief got home, he immediately went to the loo to hide his booty.
2. He was happy to help his father chop down the tree.
3. “Who left these two cases of apple juice on the settee?”
4. The athlete who went missing near the moor has been found.
5. Telling the caller to phone again later, the husband says, “My wife is tired from the
household chores, and she doesn’t wake up before nine o’clock.”
6. A thief stole a new treadmill from my healthily thin neighbour’s house.
7. Using a pin, the thief worked on the lock of a room door at the small hotel and got the
door open in no time at all.
8. At the sight of the pale apparition, he shook in fright and couldn’t jump across the
chasm.
9. “I’ll be much surprised if she decides to lend you her shawl.”
10. The decrepit witch felt a pang of annoyance at the realization that she was not as
strong as she used to be.
11. The new member of the cast uttered his words with difficulty at the rehearsal, for he
was playing the role of a man with a stammer.
12. “For a wholesome meal,” the doctor said to his patient, “don’t forget to eat cooked
and uncooked vegetables.”
13. The speaker was so arrestingly eloquent that the audience was transfixed when he
cried, “Let your spirits rise!”
14. She tends to become restless at the slightest amount of anxiety.
15. The office wolf says to his best friend, “There is no girl in my department who has
not longed for an amorous kiss from me.”
Answers
1. loot
2. hew
3. sofa
4. heath
5. stir
6. lean
7. inn
8. leap
9. stole
10. twitch
11. stutter

10. 12. raw
13. soar
14. merest
15. snog
Exercise 6
1. He apologized to me for leaving the pile of dirty clothes outside my room.
2. The little boy used all his strength to push a deckchair towards the big tree so that he
could rest in the shadow of the lateral branches.
3. “I am sure there are statements to show where the remainder of the money went.”
4. She had read a story on the haunted house, and as her car approached the building, she
was paralysed by a great fear.
5. Inviting his friend to join him in the hunt, the alley cat said, “I’m going to catch a
mouse, and I hope you catch a separate one!”
6. The handsome actor’s mother managed to suppress her anger when a reporter asked
her about his drug habit.
7. The deaf man who was lip-reading a parliamentarian on the TV smiled bemusedly
when the famed politician made a mistake in her speech.
8. “This is the last ream of paper I have,” she said to the continuous flow of people
waiting to use the photocopier.
9. When the little girl asked her father why she had to memorize the poem, he said, “You
will earn a lot of praise from your teacher.”
10. The stem I took from a wild plant in the jungle has started to let out an aromatic
smell.
11. The dead bodies lay sprawled out on the floor, and the detective wondered why
anyone would have wanted to kill the elderly couple.
12. We ended our informal conversation because she wanted to go home to watch a TV
movie.
13. My pet goldfish are quarrelling among themselves in the glass bowl, for they can’t
agree on the portion of food for each of them.
14. With a sharp knock on her desk, the teacher appealed to the students to quiet down.
15. With her sunglasses perched on her head, the prison guard informed the warden that
two inmates had escaped.
Answers
1. heap
2. shade
3. rest
4. dread
5. chase
6. smother
7. slip
8. stream
9. learn

11. 10. emit
11. slay
12. chat
13. share
14. rap
15. shades
Exercise 7
1. “Let me show you some super mittens,” said the friendly salesgirl.
2. Chess is his strong point: He has been playing this board game for ten years.
3. Under a cloudless sky, the little boy rode his bicycle around the park.
4. The two young men rolled up their umbrellas and entered the clerk’s office to register
as students for the new academic year.
5. Hearing a knock on the door, the boss, who was looking at a picture of seven terriers,
said, “Come in.”
6. The cab ended in the ravine because the driver failed to negotiate the curve in the road.
7. The strange healer placed some glowing ashes on his patient’s deep cut.
8. The well-known writer was shocked when his editor said to him, “Owing to poor
health, I cannot edit your scripts any more.”
9. “If you intend to reach the summit of Mount Everest, you need to prepare yourself
physically and mentally.”
10. These two new movies feature a famous sports personality who believes his success
in the film industry is just around the corner.
11. She is worried that her unassuming aunt is so emaciated.
12. “Why did you incur the wrath of your boss by giving him rudely brief replies?”
13. His remarkable ability to tell ingenious jokes has had a significant effect on his
relationship with his colleagues, who see him as an affable person.
14. As the smell of the gas pervaded the house, the occupants started to pant violently.
15. She greeted the distinguished visitors at the door and ushered them in
enthusiastically.
Answers
1. permit
2. forte
3. clear
4. enrol
5. enter
6. bend
7. gash
8. noted
9. top
10. star
11. gaunt
12. curt

12. 13. telling
14. gasp
15. eminent
Exercise 8
1. The escaped con vented his anger on the Mother Superior at the nunnery for refusing
to let him hide in the building.
2. She argued with the man whom she had hired to clip her sheep.
3. The leader of the kidnappers said to his victim, “I know you are going through a
painful experience, but right now you can either sit quietly in the corner or deal the cards
for us.”
4. The octogenarian read from an ancient script: “Thou canst be hale if thou use thy mind
to heal thyself.”
5. The head servant asked the new worker, “Did you incline your head when you
informed the boss that the old gazebo withstood the fury of the storm?”
6. The farmer’s oldest hen treated the hungry chicks to a substantial meal after they said
to her, “We implore you to give us some food.”
7. I saw an unusually big rabbit snatch a hot dog from a little boy.
8. The avuncular headmaster had a long talk with a bashful pupil about the recent mass
hysteria in the school.
9. I was shocked when I heard my good-natured neighbour yell at her husband, “It is high
time you watered the bush outside the shed!”
10. When the politician’s aide faced a serious criminal charge, he assured his boss of his
innocence, saying that there was no reason for him to disfigure the statue.
11. The little boy got rid of his centipede when his mother complained that it emitted a
funny smell.
12. The children liked his tale about a witch who built a cottage out of bread that was no
longer fresh.
13. The rat at the lab raved all night in its fever, saying that it was such a gallant animal.
14. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching a paddy field, and you will soon see the
machines that are used to harvest the crop.
15. Her American boyfriend said to her, “I have decided to exercise with a jump rope
regularly, as I think this is a suitable way for me to keep fit.”
Answers
1. convent
2. shear
3. ordeal
4. healthy
5. bow
6. entreat
7. grab
8. shy
9. shout

13. 10. deface
11. scent
12. stale
13. brave
14. reap
15. proper
Exercise 9
1. The wood of the shepherd’s hut has swollen, and the door won’t close.
2. “I hope Ning Baizura will let me be the introductory act at her concert.”
3. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now nearing the mansion of a beautiful lady who won
overnight fame with her first novel.”
4. She decided to follow her doctor’s advice to lose a few pounds before Christmas.
5. The cunning fox was lying when he said to his friends that the chicken coop was
empty.
6. The donations of tens of thousands of people helped to alleviate the misery of the flood
victims.
7. “Mum, shall I shoo the turkeys off the porch or fire my popgun to frighten them?”
8. The little boy found a bag of greyish rubber bands near the bush.
9. Requesting me to repair a thermometer that he had carelessly dropped, the eccentric
man said, “It’s somewhat easy if you concentrate hard on the task.”
10. Her obvious lack of enthusiasm for her work was underscored when the boss hauled
her over the coals for being behindhand and negligent in the discharge of her duties.
11. After they had eaten a light meal, the couple had a tiff in the presence of their friends.
12. The big increase in the salary of my supervisor is effectively the result of favouritism.
13. When she entered the salon, the other customers couldn’t help noticing the beautiful
shininess of her hair.
14. He was absolutely frank with her when he said to her, “Your only hope now is to
accept the offer.”
15. With a supercilious air, the driver said that he would win the race, but his dream was
shattered when his car smashed into a wall of tyres and sandbags.
Answers
1. shut
2. opening
3. renown
4. shed
5. sly
6. soften
7. shoot
8. shrub
9. rather
10. slack
11. tiffin

14. 12. rise
13. sheen
14. open
15. lofty
Exercise 10
1. The gangsters who have been terrorizing the area always record in their notebooks the
amount of money they extort from each shopkeeper.
2. The football club has decided to offer a reward to anyone who discovers a young
player of remarkable skill.
3. The teacher decided to tell an interesting story to the class, and a pupil interrupted her
a minute later by asking, “Why was the hare late for the race?”
4. “By the time we get to the end of this book of potions,” the wizard said to the young
man, “you will have learned how to cure aches and pains of all kinds.”
5. She watched her little boy walk with long steps towards his father to say, “Dad, give
me a fast ride on your back!”
6. “This bar ain’t good enough for me,” said the loud-mouthed cowboy just before he was
thrown out of the saloon, so that he found himself drenched in the downpour.
7. “Was she at home when her ancient sword with its case was stolen from her house?”
8. The headmaster had a weird dream in which a teacher said to him, “I can’t teach in a
classroom where the pupils throw porcelain cups at me!”
9. “Why did the writer throw a stapler at the group of linguists on the podium?”
10. The new girl at the office, painfully retiring and reticent, wrote on a card that she sent
to her supervisor: “I’m unable to attend your party, but I wish you a happy birthday.”
11. There wasn’t a particle of truth in the words uttered by the farmer who stood in his
field in the slanting rain: “They give the Nobel Prize to people who are out standing in
their field.”
12. When his mother made an unplanned visit to the dentist’s, the mischievous boy
whispered to himself, “I should seize this opportunity to help myself to the appetizing
raspberries in the fridge.”
13. The man behind the counter, who was small in height, asked me, “Would you prefer
cash or traveller’s cheques?”
14. At the insects’ convention, a lively wasp aired her views about pollination, and a
brace of cicadas applauded her.
15. Directing his anger at his assistant, the scientist bellowed, “Another new rat has
escaped from the lab!”
Answers
1. enter
2. rare
3. relate
4. reach
5. stride
6. rain

15. 7. sheath
8. china
9. fling
10. shy
11. grain
12. grasp
13. short
14. pair
15. wrath
Exercise 11
1. The cashier suddenly felt ill as she was counting the money in her cash register.
2. His parents said to him, “Read books and magazines in your free time.”
3. “The cat in your garden was chasing a very small mouse.”
4. He declared his true love for her and added, “You are always on my mind.”
5. He has been feeling wishy-washy of late, probably because a charlatan said to him,
“You are five hundred cigarettes short of a cardiac arrest.”
6. He wrote a story about his adventures in the Orient.
7. A group of law students were having a discussion when one of them suddenly said,
“Your argument has one serious fault.”
8. The contest organizer said to the large group of beautiful girls, “You will be vying for
three titles.”
9. “I may not look strong and healthy to you, but if I train hard for the race, I have a good
chance of becoming the champion.”
10. The contestants were advised by the secretary to peruse the rules and regulations on
the entry form.
11. The chairman gave each of his hardworking employees a hand-crafted jewel.
12. An unhealthily fat man says to his friend, “I’d like to be seriously wealthy so that I
can afford to eat ten meals a day!”
13. The munificent boss gave cash and other gifts to every factory worker who attended
his birthday party.
14. “I am a resolute supporter of the club, and I plan to join them in their first outing to
the seaside.”
15. “If I lend you my favourite DVDs, will you help me with the assignment in this
folder?”
Answers
1. till
2. spare
3. tiny
4. real
5. shy of
6. East
7. flaw

16. 8. bevy
9. fit
10. read
11. gem
12. obese
13. hand
14. stout
15. file
Exercise 12
1. “If you haven’t heard the story about the naughty boy whom a group of villagers hired
to look after their sheep, it ended with a wolf attacking the sheep and frightening the life
out of the boy.”
2. “We have more plywood in the shed, boss,” the worker stammered out his answer.
3. The trainee chef said to me, “Would you like to eat a steamed fish and tell me what
you think of its flavour?”
4. “Our companies will incur big losses for the current financial year if we do not control
our expenditure.”
5. “Everything is hunky-dory,” a man says to his best friend, “except for one thing: The
manager’s secretary seems to persistently avoid me.”
6. With a tear-stained face, she said to him, “Why do you detest me?”
7. Fred denied that he had teased her, but I saw him blush at the mention of her name.
8. The boss of the TV station said to the producer, “We need to re-examine the contents
of the show if we want to attract more viewers.”
9. We listened with great interest to his amazing story about how he met a legendary
adventurer.
10. Her success in six consecutive tournaments was indeed a rare achievement, as only
ten months ago, even a single title seemed to be out of her grasp.
11. “Post all your notices on this side of the booth.”
12. I had bought a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate cake to eat while I watched the football
match on TV, but the game turned out to be dull.
13. The boa stopped by his friend’s place just to brag, “I squeezed two big animals to
death this morning.”
14. The overnight rain brought further delays in its wake.
15. This up-and-coming tennis star is ingenious, amiable and unpretentious.
Answers
1. tend
2. reply
3. taste
4. curb
5. shun
6. hate
7. redden

17. 8. review
9. tale
10. reach
11. stall
12. tame
13. boast
14. train
15. rising
* * * * *
In the exercises below, for each set of three words, find a rhyme for the second and third
words so that you get three words (including the italicized word, which rhymes with the
first word) that are synonyms of each other.
Example: dry, keep, lob > cry, weep, sob
Exercise 1
1. ear, thread, night > fear, _____, _____
2. clasp, rant, bluff > gasp, _____, _____
3. dine, titter, listen > shine, _____, _____
4. wrong, thorny, unjust > strong, _____, _____
5. twin, clean, dim > thin, _____, _____
6. beat, assume, suggest > eat, _____, _____
7. nourish, dive, throw > flourish, _____, _____
8. annoy, abolish, graze > destroy, _____, _____
9. stab, hatch, touch > grab, _____, _____
10. decrease, discharge, torment > increase, _____, _____
11. grave, glaring, cold > brave, _____, _____
12. vast, drift, neat > fast, _____, _____
13. recent, copper, vigorous > decent, _____, _____
14. grief, worse, hurt > brief, _____, _____
15. tough, jumpy, Stephen > rough, _____, _____
16. running, draughty, ply > cunning, _____, _____
17. entice, extract, extinct > precise, _____, _____
18. heartbroken, blank, grunt > outspoken, _____, _____
19. royal, blue, instant > loyal, _____, _____
20. inert, jubilant, scary > alert, _____, _____
Answers
1. dread, fright
2. pant, puff
3. glitter, glisten

18. 4. brawny, robust
5. lean, slim
6. consume, ingest
7. thrive, grow
8. demolish, raze
9. snatch, clutch
10. enlarge, augment
11. daring, bold
12. swift, fleet
13. proper, decorous
14. terse, curt
15. bumpy, uneven
16. crafty, sly
17. exact, distinct
18. frank, blunt
19. true, constant
20. vigilant, wary
Exercise 2
1. invent, upset, sue > repent, _____, _____
2. appeal, destined, provoke > repeal, _____, _____
3. event, cinder, stampede > prevent, _____, _____
4. chalice, gate, write > malice, _____, _____
5. tarnish, acorn, operate > garnish, _____, _____
6. revel, brat, Stephen > level, _____, _____
7. obsess, late, amaze > assess, _____, _____
8. prepare, match, send > repair, _____, _____
9. resist, control, banister > enlist, _____, _____
10. fierce, thrill, score > pierce, _____, _____
11. deal, lure, implore > heal, _____, _____
12. withstand, dwell, release > expand, _____, _____
13. connect, hard, yield > protect, _____, _____
14. inept, guild, efficient > adept, _____, _____
15. grow, curl, cling > throw, _____, _____
16. reap, disrupt, clear > steep, _____, _____
17. reside, acerbate, stain > subside, _____, _____
18. stealthy, lonesome, frail > healthy, _____, _____
19. slither, swivel, lilt > wither, _____, _____
20. floral, broken, herbal > oral, _____, _____
Answers
1. regret, rue
2. rescind, revoke
3. hinder, impede

19. 4. hate, spite
5. adorn, decorate
6. flat, even
7. rate, appraise
8. patch, mend
9. enrol, register
10. drill, bore
11. cure, restore
12. swell, increase
13. guard, shield
14. skilled, proficient
15. hurl, fling
16. abrupt, sheer
17. abate, wane
18. wholesome, hale
19. shrivel, wilt
20. spoken, verbal
Exercise 3
1. depress, rescue, spell > repress, _____, _____
2. lad, abstain, hazy > mad, _____, _____
3. doubt, sell, soar > shout, _____, _____
4. falter, range, scary > alter, _____, _____
5. ginger, farm, spurt > injure, _____, _____
6. refer, intone, sojourn > defer, _____, _____
7. efface, vinegar, vacillate > deface, _____, _____
8. rain, bake, hang > pain, _____, _____
9. rent, spell, coder > scent, _____, _____
10. dangle, joke, allocate > strangle, _____, _____
11. calculus, attentive, blur > stimulus, _____, _____
12. hesitate, sex, kettle > irritate, _____, _____
13. rigour, synergy, length > vigour, _____, _____
14. rift, praise, cultivate > lift, _____, _____
15. test, hellish, bestow > zest, _____, _____
16. froth, languor, page > wrath, _____, _____
17. hoist, camp, bet > moist, _____, _____
18. comprise, ordain, torn > despise, _____, _____
19. bleat, applaud, receive > cheat, _____, _____
20. by, useful, provident > shy, _____, _____
Answers
1. subdue, quell
2. insane, crazy
3. yell, roar

20. 4. change, vary
5. harm, hurt
6. postpone, adjourn
7. disfigure, mutilate
8. ache, pang
9. smell, odour
10. choke, suffocate
11. incentive, spur
12. vex, nettle
13. energy, strength
14. raise, elevate
15. relish, gusto
16. anger, rage
17. damp, wet
18. disdain, scorn
19. defraud, deceive
20. bashful, diffident
PART TWO: ANTONYMS
In the exercises below, each sentence contains an antonym of the italicized word, spelt
out in consecutive letters. Can you spot it?
Example: The couple continued their walk along the path in silence after he said that
she should try to cut out the foods that were making her fat.
Exercise 1
1. “Her old man looks like the villain in the movie.”
2. The two men decided to begin the long journey at daybreak.
3. The diner at the sleazy restaurant was so shocked that he could not speak for a
moment, and then he said to the waiter, “The bill is ten times larger than it should be.”
4. Feeling elated, the proud owner of the new car, who won it in the popular contest,
thanked his family for their support and encouragement.
5. The report will include suggested economic measures that will help to mitigate the
effects of the recession.
6. The meek little girl finally admitted that she had sold a ring belonging to her
grandmother.
7. Looking at his pudgy frame, she whispered to herself, “Will it hinder the performance
of his tasks?”
8. “That tall young man standing over there was once an adversary of mine.”

21. 9. The film critic is munching an apple when he learns that his work has earned the praise
of his boss.
10. After she had cleaned the house, the busy maid leafed through a cookbook, for she
wanted to prepare a special dish for her kind mistress.
11. In a moment of ire, she shouted at her husband, “When are you going to hire a maid
to do the household chores?”
12. “Did she nag at her husband because he failed to disperse the crowd at the door?”
13. During his trip to the city, the yokel saw a shop assistant dress a mannequin in a fur
coat.
14. The eccentric man dressed a stuffed rabbit in gaudy clothes.
15. The hungry grasshopper said to himself, “I saw the ants store up food for the winter,
and I hope they will be generous enough to share it with me.”
Answers
1. hero
2. end
3. listen
4. down
5. omit
6. daring
7. thin
8. ally
9. criticism
10. idle
11. fire
12. gather
13. strip
14. drab
15. use
Exercise 2
1. She has a terrible fear of losing her job as a hardware shop employee.
2. “My dear Lydia, please don’t be late for our tryst.”
3. “I like my steak rare!” the Mafia don exclaimed, pushing aside the heavily laden tray.
4. “Don’t forget to greet Signor Esposito from Italy when he arrives,” the hotel manager
said to the concierge.
5. I like to wear a straw hat every time I go out for a walk.
6. She decided to let each of her students study the additional language.
7. The inside of the igloo my Eskimo friend lives in is rather bright.
8. “Dear Thomas,” he began the letter, “I believe there will be a glut of oil on the market
a few weeks from now.”
9. Their mother’s only sister is so plump that they give her the sobriquet “Big Aunt”.
10. I accompanied him on his trip to the store to help him choose some articles which he
needed to furnish his new house.

22. 11. One of the nine artistes said, “Let’s walk back to the studio; it’s not far.”
12. The elite squad of airmen decided to cancel the aerobatic show because of inclement
weather.
13. She has tended her resignation to the boss, as she does not wish to delay her entrance
into the university.
14. “I need your help to distribute the food packets to the flood victims,” the wealthy man
said to his friends.
15. “I bought these tickets at ten dollars apiece, which is not a low price, so we should try
not to miss the show.”
Answers
1. hope
2. early
3. done
4. ignore
5. hate
6. teach
7. gloomy
8. dearth
9. gaunt
10. strip
11. near
12. fair
13. hasten
14. needy
15. attend
Exercise 3
1. She was unaware that her kidnapped brother had been found alive at a warehouse.
2. He drank a glass of tomato juice and ate some ice cream that was as hard as rock.
3. The FA Cup holders intend to debunk the theory that they can’t win a match without
two pivotal players.
4. He was really mad at the local media for misquoting him.
5. I am pleased to know that he no longer has to make do with a meager income.
6. “I visited Rome and a few other cities during my holiday in Italy,” the kind old man
said to his great-niece.
7. “An idler will not survive in the jungle,” the doe reminded her offspring.
8. “Slow and steady wins the race,” the tortoise said to his friends, as a cheerful smile
overspread his ruddy face.
9. The victim said that her lone attacker had an unkempt appearance.
10. “If you let the sick lamb eat the right food, I’m sure it will soon feel invigorated.”
11. She wants to postpone the free trip to Hawaii because her university education will
begin in two weeks.

23. 12. The juggler’s clumsy performance with the balls has killed all his chances of making
it to the next round of the talent show.
13. The young man walked up to the front of the audition room and delivered a famous
speech: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…”
14. His stories always bore me, but I am used to listening to them.
15. Consult a good concise dictionary for the meaning of any new word you come across
in your reading.
Answers
1. aware
2. soft
3. uphold
4. calm
5. ample
6. mean
7. doer
8. wan
9. neat
10. beat
11. stop
12. skilled
13. rear
14. amuse
15. wordy
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