What is an antonym?

• A. A word that means the opposite of another word.
• B. A word that has the same meaning as another word.
• C. A word that means the opposite of another word.
• D. A word that sounds the same as another word.

Answer: (C)

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. This helps you see how words relate by opposite meanings, like hot and cold or big and small. The defining feature is opposite sense, not same meaning or similar sound. So the description that a word has the opposite meaning of another word matches exactly what an antonym is. By contrast, a word with the same meaning is a synonym, and a word that sounds the same is a homophone.