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Hơn 500 từ trái nghĩa trong tiếng Anh: danh sách từ đối nghĩa A–Z
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Hơn 500 từ trái nghĩa trong tiếng Anh: danh sách từ đối nghĩa A–Z

#từ trái nghĩa #từ đối nghĩa #cặp từ #từ vựng #từ tiếng Anh
Chia sẻ

Biết từ trái nghĩa của một từ giúp nhân đôi sức mạnh vốn từ. Khi học từ “brave”, học thêm “cowardly” cùng lúc giúp bạn biết hai từ thay vì một — đồng thời tạo nên mạng lưới ý nghĩa trong trí nhớ giúp ghi nhớ cả hai. Đây không chỉ là lý thuyết: nghiên cứu cho thấy học từ theo cặp (cùng học từ đồng nghĩa và trái nghĩa) cải thiện khả năng ghi nhớ 30–40% so với học từng từ riêng lẻ.

Danh sách này gồm hơn 500 cặp từ trái nghĩa trong tiếng Anh, được sắp xếp theo thứ tự bảng chữ cái. Mỗi cặp có một câu ví dụ đơn giản cho thấy cả hai từ trong ngữ cảnh. Hãy dùng danh sách này làm tài liệu ôn tập, tài liệu luyện thi hoặc công cụ hỗ trợ viết khi cần tìm từ trái nghĩa phù hợp.

  • Tổng số: hơn 500 cặp từ trái nghĩa
  • Định dạng: Từ ↔ Từ trái nghĩa + Ví dụ
  • Sắp xếp theo: thứ tự bảng chữ cái A–Z
  • Trình độ: A1–C1
  • Phù hợp với: mở rộng vốn từ, ôn IELTS/TOEFL, viết luận và giao tiếp hằng ngày

Để tìm hiểu sâu hơn về cách từ đồng nghĩa và trái nghĩa bổ trợ cho nhau, hãy xem Cẩm nang đầy đủ về từ đồng nghĩa và trái nghĩa tiếng Anh.

Từ trái nghĩa là gì?

Từ trái nghĩa là từ có nghĩa đối lập với một từ khác. Thuật ngữ này bắt nguồn từ tiếng Hy Lạp: anti- (chống lại) + onoma (tên) — nghĩa đen là “tên đối lập”.

Từ Từ trái nghĩa
hot cold
big small
fast slow
happy sad
begin end

Ba loại từ trái nghĩa

Loại Mô tả Ví dụ
Có cấp độ Hai từ nằm ở hai đầu một thang nghĩa; có thể có các mức độ trung gian hot–cold, big–small, fast–slow
Bổ sung loại trừ Chỉ có thể là bên này hoặc bên kia; không có trạng thái ở giữa alive–dead, true–false, on–off
Quan hệ tương hỗ Mỗi từ hàm ý từ còn lại teacher–student, buy–sell, parent–child

Phần lớn từ trái nghĩa trong danh sách này có cấp độ — chúng nằm ở hai đầu của một phổ với nhiều mức ở giữa (“warm” nằm giữa “hot” và “cold”).

Từ trái nghĩa: A–B

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
1 above below The painting hangs above the fireplace; the shoes are below the bench.
2 absent present Three students were absent; the rest were present.
3 abstract concrete Abstract ideas need concrete examples to be understood.
4 accept reject She decided to accept the offer rather than reject it.
5 accurate inaccurate The report was accurate, but the summary was inaccurate.
6 active passive An active learner asks questions; a passive learner just listens.
7 add subtract Add the tax, then subtract the discount.
8 admit deny He admitted the mistake instead of denying it.
9 advance retreat The army advanced in the morning and retreated by evening.
10 after before The meeting is after lunch, not before.
11 agree disagree I agree with the first point but disagree with the conclusion.
12 alive dead The plant looked dead, but it was still alive.
13 allow forbid The school allows casual clothes on Fridays but forbids them on exam days.
14 always never She always arrives early; he never does.
15 ancient modern Ancient ruins stand next to modern skyscrapers.
16 answer question Every answer raises a new question.
17 appear disappear Stars appear at night and disappear at dawn.
18 approve disapprove The board approved the budget but disapproved the staffing plan.
19 arrive depart Guests arrive at 6 PM and depart by 10 PM.
20 artificial natural The flowers looked real but were artificial, not natural.
21 ascend descend We ascended the mountain in the morning and descended before dark.
22 ask answer She asked a question, and I answered immediately.
23 asleep awake The baby was asleep, but the dog was wide awake.
24 attack defend The lawyer attacked the claim, and the witness tried to defend it.
25 attractive unattractive The package design was attractive; the old one was unattractive.
26 backward forward Take one step backward, then two steps forward.
27 bad good The food was bad at that restaurant, but the service was good.
28 beautiful ugly The sunset was beautiful; the building next to it was ugly.
29 begin end Classes begin in September and end in June.
30 beneficial harmful Exercise is beneficial to health; smoking is harmful.
31 best worst This is the best pizza I’ve had — and that was the worst.
32 better worse The weather is better today than yesterday, but tomorrow will be worse.
33 big small She lives in a big house; I live in a small apartment.
34 bitter sweet The coffee was bitter without sugar; add some to make it sweet.
35 blame praise Don’t blame others when things go wrong; praise them when things go right.
36 bold timid She gave a bold speech; he was too timid to speak at all.
37 boring exciting The first half was boring, but the second half was exciting.
38 bottom top The heaviest items go at the bottom; the lightest at the top.
39 brave cowardly The brave firefighter ran in; the cowardly bystander ran away.
40 break fix He managed to break the machine, and she managed to fix it.
41 brief lengthy Keep the introduction brief; the analysis can be more lengthy.
42 bright dim The living room was bright; the hallway was dim.
43 broad narrow The river is broad at the delta but narrow near the source.
44 build destroy It takes years to build trust and seconds to destroy it.
45 busy free I’m busy on Monday, but I’m free on Tuesday.
46 buy sell I want to buy a car; she wants to sell hers.

Từ trái nghĩa: C–D

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
47 calm anxious She remained calm while everyone else was anxious.
48 capable incapable He’s capable of running the department; the other candidate is incapable.
49 careful careless A careful driver avoids accidents; a careless one causes them.
50 cause effect Every cause has an effect.
51 cheap expensive The generic brand is cheap; the designer version is expensive.
52 cheerful gloomy Her cheerful attitude brightened the gloomy office.
53 clean dirty The kitchen was clean this morning but dirty by evening.
54 clear unclear The instructions were clear; the footnotes were unclear.
55 clever foolish A clever strategy beats a foolish one every time.
56 close open Close the window if it’s cold; open it if it’s warm.
57 cold hot The soup was too cold; the tea was too hot.
58 combine separate Combine the ingredients first, then separate the mixture into two bowls.
59 comfort discomfort The new chair provides comfort; the old one caused discomfort.
60 common rare Pigeons are common in the city; eagles are rare.
61 complex simple The tax code is complex; the instructions should be simple.
62 compulsory voluntary Attendance is compulsory on weekdays and voluntary on Saturdays.
63 confident insecure She seems confident in meetings, but she feels insecure inside.
64 connect disconnect Connect the charger to charge; disconnect it when full.
65 conscious unconscious He was still conscious after the fall but later became unconscious.
66 constant variable The speed was constant; the direction was variable.
67 construct demolish They plan to construct a new building after they demolish the old one.
68 continue stop Continue reading if you enjoy it; stop if you don’t.
69 correct incorrect Your first answer was correct; the second was incorrect.
70 courageous cowardly A courageous leader speaks up; a cowardly one stays silent.
71 create destroy Artists create; wars destroy.
72 cruel kind The villain was cruel; the hero was kind.
73 cry laugh The children cry during sad movies and laugh during comedies.
74 curious indifferent She was curious about the results; he was completely indifferent.
75 dangerous safe The old bridge is dangerous; the new one is safe.
76 dark light The basement was dark, but the attic was full of light.
77 dawn dusk We started hiking at dawn and returned at dusk.
78 deep shallow The ocean is deep in the center and shallow near the shore.
79 defeat victory After years of defeat, they finally tasted victory.
80 defend attack The lawyer defended the client while the prosecutor attacked the argument.
81 definite indefinite We need a definite answer, not an indefinite “maybe.”
82 demand supply When demand exceeds supply, prices rise.
83 dense sparse The forest was dense near the river and sparse on the hillside.
84 different similar The twins look similar but have very different personalities.
85 difficult easy The first question was easy; the last one was difficult.
86 divide unite Conflict divides people; shared goals unite them.
87 domestic foreign Domestic sales are strong, but foreign markets are growing faster.
88 doubt trust I doubt his intentions, but I trust his ability.
89 downward upward The graph shows a downward trend this quarter after an upward trend last year.
90 dry wet The towel was dry this morning and wet by afternoon.
91 dull sharp A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.

Các cặp từ trái nghĩa được sắp xếp theo bảng chữ cái từ A đến Z, kèm ví dụ

Từ trái nghĩa: E–F

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
92 early late I arrived early; he arrived late.
93 earn spend You need to earn money before you can spend it.
94 east west The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
95 easy hard The first part was easy, but the second was hard.
96 efficient inefficient The new system is efficient; the old one was inefficient.
97 elegant clumsy Her movements were elegant; his were clumsy.
98 empty full The glass was empty; I filled it until it was full.
99 encourage discourage Good teachers encourage students; bad feedback can discourage them.
100 enemy friend Yesterday’s enemy can become tomorrow’s friend.
101 enjoy hate I enjoy cooking, but I hate cleaning up.
102 enormous tiny The cathedral was enormous; the chapel was tiny.
103 enter exit Please enter through the front door and exit through the back.
104 equal unequal All employees deserve equal treatment, not unequal pay.
105 even odd Two is even; three is odd.
106 exact approximate I need the exact figure, not an approximate one.
107 expand contract Metals expand when heated and contract when cooled.
108 export import Japan exports cars and imports oil.
109 external internal The external walls are stone; the internal walls are plaster.
110 extra missing We have extra chairs but missing tables.
111 fact fiction It’s hard to tell fact from fiction in the news.
112 fail succeed You may fail ten times before you succeed once.
113 fair unfair The decision seemed fair to some but unfair to others.
114 fake genuine The painting was fake; the signature was genuine.
115 familiar unfamiliar The route was familiar to locals but unfamiliar to tourists.
116 famous unknown She went from unknown to famous in a single year.
117 far near The airport is far from the city, but the train station is near.
118 fast slow Internet in the office is fast; at home it’s slow.
119 fat thin The book was fat — over 800 pages; the pamphlet was thin.
120 few many A few people came early; many arrived late.
121 final initial The final draft was much better than the initial one.
122 find lose I always find my keys where I’m most likely to lose them.
123 finish start We need to start the project today if we want to finish by Friday.
124 first last She was the first to arrive and the last to leave.
125 flat steep The road was flat for the first mile, then became steep.
126 flexible rigid The company has a flexible schedule, not a rigid one.
127 float sink Wood floats; iron sinks.
128 forget remember Don’t forget your passport — remember to check before you leave.
129 formal informal The dinner is formal; the lunch is informal.
130 fortune misfortune One person’s fortune can be another’s misfortune.
131 free captive The bird was captive for years before being set free.
132 freeze melt Water freezes at 0°C and ice melts above it.
133 frequent rare Bus service is frequent in the city but rare in rural areas.
134 fresh stale The bread was fresh in the morning and stale by night.
135 front back Sit at the front if you want to see; sit at the back for quiet.
136 full empty The restaurant was full at 7 PM and empty by 10 PM.

Từ trái nghĩa: G–I

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
137 gain lose You gain experience by working; you lose it by staying idle.
138 general specific Give me a specific answer, not a general one.
139 generous selfish She’s generous with her time; he’s selfish with his.
140 gentle rough Handle the glass with gentle hands, not rough ones.
141 giant miniature The giant sculpture stood next to a miniature replica.
142 give take It’s better to give than to take.
143 glad sad I’m glad you came; I’d be sad if you hadn’t.
144 global local The company has both global and local operations.
145 good bad The news was good in the morning and bad in the evening.
146 grant refuse The bank may grant the loan or refuse it.
147 grateful ungrateful Be grateful for what you have, not ungrateful for what you lack.
148 great terrible The food was great; the service was terrible.
149 grow shrink The economy grew last year but may shrink this year.
150 guilty innocent The jury found him guilty, though he claimed to be innocent.
151 happiness sadness Happiness and sadness are both part of life.
152 hard soft The mattress was too hard; I prefer a softer one.
153 harm help Pollution harms the environment; recycling helps it.
154 harsh mild The winter was harsh; the spring was mild.
155 hate love Some people hate mornings; others love them.
156 healthy unhealthy A balanced diet is healthy; fast food daily is unhealthy.
157 heavy light The suitcase was heavy; the backpack was light.
158 here there The keys are not here — they must be over there.
159 hide reveal She tried to hide her disappointment, but her face revealed it.
160 high low Prices are high in the city and low in the countryside.
161 hire fire The company plans to hire 50 people this year, not fire anyone.
162 honest dishonest An honest answer is always better than a dishonest one.
163 hope despair Where there is hope, there is no despair.
164 horizontal vertical The shelves are horizontal; the poles are vertical.
165 huge tiny The difference was huge — not tiny.
166 humble arrogant The best leaders are humble, not arrogant.
167 hungry full I was hungry before lunch and full afterward.
168 ignore notice Don’t ignore the warning signs — notice them early.
169 imaginary real The threat turned out to be imaginary, not real.
170 import export Countries import what they need and export what they produce.
171 impossible possible What seems impossible today may be possible tomorrow.
172 improve worsen The situation will improve if we act; it will worsen if we don’t.
173 include exclude The price includes breakfast but excludes dinner.
174 increase decrease Sales increased in Q1 and decreased in Q2.
175 individual group Individual effort matters, but group collaboration is more effective.
176 inferior superior The cheap version is inferior; the premium version is superior.
177 innocent guilty She was proven innocent after being falsely declared guilty.
178 inside outside It’s warm inside but freezing outside.
179 intelligent stupid An intelligent decision saves time; a stupid one wastes it.
180 intentional accidental The damage was accidental, not intentional.
181 interior exterior The interior was renovated; the exterior remains unchanged.
182 invest withdraw She chose to invest rather than withdraw her savings.

Từ trái nghĩa: J–L

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
183 join separate The rivers join at the delta and separate upstream.
184 joy sorrow Life is a balance of joy and sorrow.
185 junior senior She started as a junior developer and became a senior in three years.
186 just unjust A just society treats everyone fairly; an unjust one does not.
187 keep discard Keep the important files and discard the rest.
188 kind cruel A kind word heals; a cruel one wounds.
189 knowledge ignorance Knowledge leads to understanding; ignorance leads to fear.
190 land sea The journey was partly by land and partly by sea.
191 large small We ordered a large pizza, not a small one.
192 laugh cry The audience would laugh one moment and cry the next.
193 lazy hardworking He’s too lazy to study; his sister is incredibly hardworking.
194 lead follow Some people lead; others prefer to follow.
195 legal illegal Driving at 60 mph is legal here; 90 is illegal.
196 lend borrow I’ll lend you the book if you promise to return it; you can borrow it for a week.
197 less more Spend less time worrying and more time acting.
198 lie truth A lie travels fast, but the truth catches up eventually.
199 liquid solid Water is liquid at room temperature; ice is solid.
200 little much I have little patience but much determination.
201 long short The movie was too long; the trailer was too short.
202 loose tight The shirt was too loose; the jeans were too tight.
203 loud quiet The music was loud downstairs and quiet upstairs.
204 love hate Thin line between love and hate, they say.
205 low high The river is low in summer and high in spring.
206 loyal disloyal A loyal friend stays; a disloyal one leaves.
207 lucky unlucky She was lucky to win; he was unlucky to miss by one point.

Từ trái nghĩa: M–O

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
208 major minor The major issues are fixed; only minor ones remain.
209 majority minority The majority agreed; the minority dissented.
210 male female The survey included both male and female participants.
211 many few Many applied, but few were selected.
212 mature immature A mature response helps; an immature one escalates conflict.
213 maximum minimum The maximum speed is 120 km/h; the minimum is 60.
214 mean generous Don’t be mean with compliments — be generous.
215 messy neat His desk is messy; hers is neat.
216 mild severe The symptoms were mild at first but became severe later.
217 modern traditional The design blends modern elements with traditional ones.
218 moist dry The cake was moist inside and dry on the crust.
219 morning evening Exercise in the morning or relax in the evening.
220 narrow wide The hallway was narrow; the lobby was wide.
221 natural artificial The flavoring is natural, not artificial.
222 neat messy Her handwriting is neat; mine is messy.
223 negative positive A negative attitude produces negative results; a positive one attracts opportunities.
224 new old The new policy replaces the old one.
225 night day Owls hunt at night; hawks hunt during the day.
226 noisy quiet The restaurant was noisy downstairs but quiet on the terrace.
227 none all None of the predictions came true — or perhaps all of them did.
228 normal abnormal The test results were normal, not abnormal.
229 north south Birds fly south in winter and return north in spring.
230 nothing everything He went from having nothing to having everything.
231 obey disobey Children who obey rules learn discipline; those who disobey learn consequences.
232 obvious hidden The answer was obvious to some but hidden from others.
233 occupied vacant The office upstairs is occupied; the one downstairs is vacant.
234 odd even The odd-numbered seats are on the left; even ones are on the right.
235 offense defense A good offense is the best defense.
236 old young The old generation learns from experience; the young generation learns from technology.
237 open closed The shop is open on weekdays and closed on Sundays.
238 optimistic pessimistic She’s optimistic about the future; he’s pessimistic.
239 order chaos The system brought order to what was previously chaos.
240 ordinary extraordinary What seemed like an ordinary day became an extraordinary one.
241 outer inner The outer layer protects the inner core.
242 over under The bridge goes over the river; the tunnel goes under it.

Từ trái nghĩa: P–R

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
243 part whole You only see part of the picture, not the whole thing.
244 partial complete The renovation is only partial — the complete version comes next month.
245 pass fail She managed to pass the exam, while many others failed.
246 past future Learn from the past and plan for the future.
247 patient impatient A patient teacher gets better results than an impatient one.
248 peace war Nations choose between peace and war.
249 permanent temporary The fix is temporary; we need a permanent solution.
250 permit prohibit The law permits free speech but prohibits hate speech.
251 plain fancy She prefers plain food; he likes fancy restaurants.
252 pleasant unpleasant The first impression was pleasant; the second was unpleasant.
253 plenty scarce Water is plenty in the valleys and scarce in the desert.
254 polite rude A polite email gets a better response than a rude one.
255 poor rich The gap between poor and rich continues to widen.
256 possible impossible What seems impossible today may be possible tomorrow.
257 powerful weak A powerful argument beats a weak one.
258 practical theoretical The course has both practical and theoretical components.
259 praise criticize It’s easy to criticize and hard to praise.
260 private public The meeting was private; the announcement was public.
261 problem solution Every problem has a solution.
262 professional amateur The professional version costs more; the amateur version is free.
263 profit loss The first year showed a profit; the second showed a loss.
264 progress decline The economy shows progress in one sector and decline in another.
265 protect expose Sunscreen protects the skin; removing it exposes you to UV rays.
266 proud ashamed She was proud of her work; he was ashamed of his.
267 push pull Push the door to open it; pull to close it.
268 quality quantity Focus on quality, not quantity.
269 quick slow Send a quick reply — don’t be slow.
270 raise lower Raise your hand to ask a question; lower it when done.
271 random systematic The approach was random at first, then became systematic.
272 rapid gradual The change was rapid in cities and gradual in rural areas.
273 real fake Is the diamond real or fake?
274 receive give To receive, you must first be willing to give.
275 reduce increase We need to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
276 refuse accept He refused the first offer but accepted the second.
277 regular irregular The bus runs on a regular schedule; the ferry is irregular.
278 reject accept The publisher rejected the first manuscript and accepted the revised one.
279 relax stress Weekends are for relaxing; weekdays can be stressful.
280 release capture The police captured the suspect and released the hostages.
281 reliable unreliable The old system was unreliable; the new one is much more reliable.
282 remember forget Remember your password — don’t forget it again.
283 repair damage The storm damaged the roof, and we repaired it the next day.
284 reply ignore Please reply to the email — don’t just ignore it.
285 rest work You need to balance rest with work.
286 reveal conceal The investigation revealed what they tried to conceal.
287 reward punish Reward good behavior and punish rule violations.
288 right wrong There’s a right way and a wrong way to apologize.
289 right left Turn right at the intersection, not left.
290 rise fall Prices rise in summer and fall in winter.
291 rough smooth The surface was rough on one side and smooth on the other.
292 rural urban Life in rural areas differs greatly from urban areas.

Từ trái nghĩa: S–T

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
293 sad happy She looked sad in the morning but happy by afternoon.
294 safe dangerous The neighborhood is safe during the day but dangerous at night.
295 same different We have the same goal but very different methods.
296 satisfy disappoint The results satisfied the client but disappointed the team.
297 save waste Save your energy — don’t waste it on arguments.
298 scatter gather The wind scattered the papers we had gathered.
299 seldom often I seldom eat fast food; she eats it often.
300 senior junior The senior manager mentors the junior staff.
301 serious playful He’s always serious; she’s naturally playful.
302 sharp blunt A sharp pencil writes well; a blunt one does not.
303 short tall The short child stood next to the tall teenager.
304 shout whisper Don’t shout — just whisper it to me.
305 show hide Show your strengths; don’t hide them.
306 shrink expand The market will expand or shrink depending on demand.
307 sick healthy She was sick last week but is healthy now.
308 significant insignificant The change was significant, not insignificant.
309 silence noise The silence of the library contrasted with the noise of the street.
310 silly serious Stop being silly — this is a serious matter.
311 simple complicated The idea is simple, but the execution is complicated.
312 single married He was single for years before getting married.
313 sit stand Sit during the presentation; stand during the break.
314 slow fast The download was slow; the upload was fast.
315 smooth rough The road was smooth in the city and rough in the countryside.
316 sober drunk He was sober at the start and drunk by the end.
317 social antisocial She’s very social; her brother is somewhat antisocial.
318 solid liquid Ice is solid; water is liquid.
319 south north They drove south in winter and north in summer.
320 speak listen A good leader knows when to speak and when to listen.
321 spend save They spend too much and save too little.
322 start finish Let’s start now so we can finish early.
323 static dynamic The old website was static; the new one is dynamic.
324 straight curved The road was straight for miles, then suddenly curved.
325 strange normal His behavior was strange — not at all normal.
326 strength weakness Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is key to growth.
327 strict lenient The new teacher is strict; the old one was lenient.
328 strong weak The coffee was strong in the morning and weak by the afternoon.
329 student teacher Every student can learn from a good teacher — and every teacher learns from their students.
330 stupid smart That was a stupid decision; a smarter one would have saved time.
331 succeed fail If you prepare, you will succeed; if not, you may fail.
332 success failure Success teaches confidence; failure teaches resilience.
333 sudden gradual The change was sudden, not gradual.
334 suffer enjoy They suffered through winter but enjoyed the spring.
335 supply demand When supply exceeds demand, prices drop.
336 support oppose Half the team supports the plan; the other half opposes it.
337 sure unsure I’m sure about the date but unsure about the time.
338 surface depth The issue is visible on the surface but complex at depth.
339 sweet sour The fruit was sweet on the outside and sour on the inside.
340 take give Don’t just take — learn to give too.
341 tall short The tall buildings blocked the view of the short ones.
342 temporary permanent This is a temporary fix; we need a permanent solution.
343 thick thin The walls were thick downstairs and thin upstairs.
344 tight loose The lid was too tight; make it a bit looser.
345 together apart They worked together for years, then moved apart.
346 top bottom Start reading from the top and work your way to the bottom.
347 total partial We need total agreement, not partial support.
348 tough tender The steak was tough on the outside but tender in the middle.
349 transparent opaque Glass is transparent; wood is opaque.
350 true false Is the statement true or false?
351 trust distrust There’s a deep distrust in politics where there should be trust.

Từ trái nghĩa: U–Z

# Từ Từ trái nghĩa Ví dụ
352 ugly beautiful The caterpillar was ugly; the butterfly was beautiful.
353 unanimous divided The vote was unanimous this time — last time it was divided.
354 under over The cat is under the table; the lamp is over it.
355 unique common This design is unique; the other is common.
356 unite divide Great leaders unite; poor leaders divide.
357 unknown known The cause is still unknown; the effect is well known.
358 up down Prices went up last month and came down this month.
359 upper lower The upper floors have a better view; the lower floors are warmer.
360 urban rural Urban life is fast; rural life is slower.
361 useful useless A sharp knife is useful; a broken one is useless.
362 vacant occupied The seat is vacant — all the others are occupied.
363 vague precise Your instructions were vague — please be more precise.
364 valuable worthless The painting is valuable; the frame is worthless.
365 victory defeat They celebrated victory while we accepted defeat.
366 visible invisible The moon was visible last night; tonight it’s invisible behind clouds.
367 voluntary compulsory Overtime is voluntary, not compulsory.
368 warm cool The coffee was warm; the juice was cool.
369 wealth poverty Wealth without purpose feels like poverty of the soul.
370 wet dry Hang the wet clothes outside until they’re dry.
371 whole partial I want the whole truth, not a partial version.
372 wide narrow The highway is wide; the side street is narrow.
373 wild tame The horse was wild at first but became tame after training.
374 win lose You win some, you lose some.
375 wise foolish A wise investment grows; a foolish one shrinks.
376 within outside The answer lies within you, not outside.
377 wrong right If something feels wrong, it probably isn’t right.

Ba loại từ trái nghĩa — có cấp độ, bổ sung loại trừ và quan hệ tương hỗ — kèm ví dụ

Từ trái nghĩa hình thành bằng tiền tố

Nhiều từ trái nghĩa trong tiếng Anh được tạo bằng cách thêm tiền tố vào từ gốc. Học những tiền tố này giúp bạn tự tạo ra từ trái nghĩa.

un-

| Từ | Từ trái nghĩa | |——|———|———| | happy | unhappy | The results made everyone unhappy. | | fair | unfair | The decision was unfair. | | comfortable | uncomfortable | The seats were uncomfortable. | | likely | unlikely | A comeback seems unlikely. | | certain | uncertain | The outcome remains uncertain. |

in-/im-/il-/ir-

| Từ | Từ trái nghĩa | |——|———|———| | possible | impossible | Finishing by Friday is impossible. | | polite | impolite | Interrupting is impolite. | | legal | illegal | Parking here is illegal. | | responsible | irresponsible | That was an irresponsible decision. | | accurate | inaccurate | The data was inaccurate. |

dis-

| Từ | Từ trái nghĩa | |——|———|———| | agree | disagree | I completely disagree. | | appear | disappear | The fog made the bridge disappear. | | honest | dishonest | His answers were dishonest. | | connect | disconnect | Please disconnect the cable. | | advantage | disadvantage | The main disadvantage is the cost. |

mis-

| Từ | Từ trái nghĩa | |——|———|———| | understand | misunderstand | Don’t misunderstand my intention. | | lead | mislead | The headline was misleading. | | inform | misinform | Social media can misinform the public. |

Cách học từ trái nghĩa hiệu quả

Luôn học theo cặp

Đừng bao giờ học một từ riêng lẻ. Khi thêm “generous” vào vốn từ, hãy học “selfish” cùng lúc. Não bộ lưu trữ các khái niệm có liên kết hiệu quả hơn những khái niệm rời rạc.

Áp dụng chiến lược tiền tố

Khi đã biết un-, in-/im-, dis- và mis-, bạn có thể tự tạo từ trái nghĩa cho hàng trăm từ mà không cần học thuộc từng từ riêng. Hãy thử che cột từ trái nghĩa ở trên rồi dùng tiền tố để tự tìm từ đối lập.

Luyện tập với “câu trái nghĩa”

Chọn một câu bất kỳ và viết lại với ý nghĩa đối lập:

  • The meeting was long and boring. → The meeting was short and exciting.
  • She always arrives early. → She never arrives late. (hoặc: She always arrives late.)

Bài tập này buộc bạn suy nghĩ theo cặp từ trái nghĩa và giúp truy xuất từ nhanh hơn.

Thêm vào lịch ôn tập ngắt quãng

Thêm các cặp từ vào từ điển Linglify. Gắn thẻ “từ trái nghĩa” để ôn chúng cùng nhau. Nhìn thấy cả hai từ trong một lượt ôn sẽ củng cố mối liên hệ giữa chúng.

Từ cần luyện tập

25 từ này thường xuất hiện cùng với từ trái nghĩa trong tiếng Anh tự nhiên. Thêm chúng vào từ điển Linglify để ôn tập bằng phương pháp lặp lại ngắt quãng.

boom

danh từ

tiếng nổ trầm, sự bùng nổ

Ví dụ

- The boom of thunder echoed across the valley.

- The technology boom created many new millionaires.

cooperate

động từ

hợp tác, phối hợp

evaluate

động từ

đánh giá, thẩm định

Ví dụ

- Companies evaluate job candidates based on experience, skills, and personality.

- Teachers evaluate student progress through tests, projects, and classroom participation.

graduate

động từ

tốt nghiệp

Ví dụ

- She will graduate from university next year with a degree in engineering.

- Students must complete all requirements before they can graduate from high school.

horizon

danh từ

đường chân trời

Ví dụ

- The sun disappeared behind the horizon as evening approached.

- Traveling broadens your horizon and exposes you to new cultures.

indispensable

tính từ

thiết yếu, không thể thiếu

Ví dụ

- Clean water is indispensable for human survival and good health.

- Her experience and skills make her indispensable to the research team.

jury

danh từ

bồi thẩm đoàn

Ví dụ

- The jury deliberated for several hours before reaching a verdict.

- The talent show jury consisted of professional musicians and entertainers.

lifelong

tính từ

suốt đời, lâu dài

Ví dụ

- Learning is a lifelong process that never truly ends.

- Their lifelong friendship began during elementary school years.

motivated

tính từ

có động lực, đầy quyết tâm

Ví dụ

- Motivated employee seeks additional responsibilities and challenges at work.

- Success requires being motivated even when facing difficult obstacles.

normally

trạng từ

thường, thông thường

Ví dụ

- Heart normally beats between sixty and hundred times per minute.

- Students normally arrive at school before morning bell rings.

off

tính từ

ôi thiu, hỏng

Ví dụ

- Please turn off the lights before leaving the room.

- The dog ran off into the forest chasing wild rabbits.

prejudice

danh từ

thành kiến, định kiến

Ví dụ

- Education helps overcome prejudice and promotes understanding.

- Racial prejudice damages communities and individuals alike.

resolve

động từ

giải quyết, tìm ra lời giải

Ví dụ

- Mediator helps parties resolve dispute through negotiation.

- Technical team will resolve software problems quickly.

stress

động từ

căng thẳng, nhấn mạnh

Ví dụ

- Heavy workload may stress employees beyond limits.

- Teacher will stress importance of homework completion.

total

tính từ

toàn bộ, trọn vẹn

Ví dụ

- Total cost includes all fees and expenses.

- Total silence fills room during meditation session.

tragedy

danh từ

bi kịch, thảm kịch

Ví dụ

- Natural tragedy affects thousands of innocent people.

- Personal tragedy changes person's life perspective completely.

union

danh từ

liên minh, hiệp hội

Ví dụ

- Labor union protects worker rights and interests.

- Marriage union joins two people in partnership.

voyage

danh từ

chuyến đi dài, chuyến hải trình

Ví dụ

- Space exploration represents humanity's greatest voyage into the unknown.

- The ocean voyage from Europe to America took several weeks in the past.

candidate

danh từ

ứng cử viên, thí sinh

Ví dụ

- Each presidential candidate presented their policy plans to voters.

- The job candidate impressed the interview panel with her experience.

discourage

động từ

làm nản lòng, làm mất tự tin

Ví dụ

- Don't let one failure discourage you from pursuing your dreams.

- High prices discourage many people from buying organic food products.

donate

động từ

quyên góp, ủng hộ

Ví dụ

- Many people donate money to charities that help homeless individuals.

- She decided to donate blood to help patients in emergency situations.

firmly

trạng từ

chắc chắn, kiên quyết

Ví dụ

- Hold the rope firmly while climbing down the steep mountain slope.

- The manager firmly believed in treating all employees with respect.

guide

động từ

hướng dẫn, chỉ dẫn

Ví dụ

- Parents should guide their children to make responsible decisions.

- The experienced hiker will guide the group through the mountain trail safely.

humorous

tính từ

hài hước, khôi hài

Ví dụ

- She writes humorous articles about everyday life and family experiences.

- The humorous speech made everyone laugh and lightened the serious mood.

admission

danh từ

sự cho phép vào, sự nhập học

Ví dụ

- Her admission to the prestigious medical school was the result of hard work.

- The museum offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month.

Đi đến thư viện

Tiếp theo nên làm gì?

  1. Tự kiểm tra. Che cột “Từ trái nghĩa” và thử nhớ từ đối lập. Kiểm tra câu trả lời sau mỗi phần.

  2. Học các mẫu tiền tố. Biết un-, in-/im-/il-/ir-, dis- và mis- giúp bạn tự tạo từ trái nghĩa cho hàng trăm từ. Hãy luyện với 10 từ mới mỗi ngày.

  3. Thêm các cặp từ vào Linglify để ôn tập ngắt quãng. Ôn từ theo cặp (từ + từ trái nghĩa) giúp củng cố đồng thời cả hai từ.

  4. Đọc cẩm nang đầy đủ — bài Từ đồng nghĩa và trái nghĩa tiếng Anh: hơn 1.000 cặp từ trình bày từ đồng nghĩa bên cạnh từ trái nghĩa để giúp bạn có cái nhìn đầy đủ về từ vựng.

  5. Dùng từ trái nghĩa khi viết. Trong bài luận IELTS và TOEFL, các cặp từ trái nghĩa giúp bạn diễn đạt sự tương phản rõ ràng: “While urban areas are densely populated, rural areas remain sparsely populated.”

Câu hỏi thường gặp

Từ trái nghĩa là gì? Cho 5 ví dụ.

Từ trái nghĩa là từ có nghĩa đối lập với một từ khác. Năm ví dụ phổ biến: (1) hot–cold, (2) big–small, (3) fast–slow, (4) happy–sad, (5) buy–sell. Từ trái nghĩa có ba loại: có cấp độ (nằm trên một thang nghĩa, như hot–cold), bổ sung loại trừ (chỉ có thể là một trong hai, như alive–dead) và quan hệ tương hỗ (các vai trò đi đôi, như teacher–student).

Có 100 từ đối nghĩa nào trong tiếng Anh?

Bài viết này có 377 cặp từ trái nghĩa được sắp xếp từ A đến Z — nhiều hơn rất nhiều so với 100 cặp. Trong số 100 cặp thông dụng nhất có: accept–reject, add–subtract, alive–dead, always–never, begin–end, big–small, buy–sell, clean–dirty, cold–hot, create–destroy, dark–light, early–late, easy–hard, empty–full, fail–succeed, fast–slow, find–lose, first–last, give–take, good–bad, happy–sad, high–low, love–hate, new–old, open–closed, rich–poor, right–wrong, start–finish, strong–weak và win–lose.

Làm thế nào để tạo từ trái nghĩa bằng tiền tố?

Bốn tiền tố tạo từ trái nghĩa phổ biến nhất là: un- (happy → unhappy), in-/im-/il-/ir- (possible → impossible, legal → illegal, responsible → irresponsible), dis- (agree → disagree) và mis- (understand → misunderstand). Việc chọn tiền tố phụ thuộc vào nguồn gốc và ngữ âm của từ — không có quy tắc áp dụng cho mọi trường hợp, nên bạn cần học riêng từng từ. Tuy vậy, “un-” là lựa chọn mặc định an toàn với phần lớn tính từ.

Từ trái nghĩa có luôn đối lập hoàn toàn không?

Không phải lúc nào cũng vậy. Nhiều từ trái nghĩa có cấp độ — chúng nằm ở hai đầu một thang nghĩa với những mức độ trung gian. “Hot” và “cold” là hai từ trái nghĩa, nhưng ở giữa còn có “warm”, “cool”, “lukewarm” và “tepid”. Chỉ các từ trái nghĩa bổ sung loại trừ mới thực sự là một trong hai: alive–dead, true–false, on–off. Hiểu được điểm khác biệt này giúp bạn chọn từ diễn đạt chính xác sắc thái mình muốn.

Vì sao nên học từ trái nghĩa để thi IELTS và TOEFL?

Cả IELTS và TOEFL đều đánh giá độ rộng vốn từ. Biết từ trái nghĩa hữu ích theo ba cách: (1) Bạn có thể diễn đạt lại câu hỏi mà không lặp từ — “advantages and disadvantages” có thể đổi thành “benefits and drawbacks”. (2) Bạn có thể thể hiện sự tương phản, điều thiết yếu trong bài luận so sánh. (3) Bài đọc thường kiểm tra khả năng nhận biết nghĩa đối lập trong ngữ cảnh. Học 200–300 cặp từ trái nghĩa sẽ bao quát phần lớn dạng bài thi.

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