Antonyms Meaning In Marathi: Definition, Examples In All Indian Languages

Antonyms meaning in Marathi: विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (Viruddharthi Shabd) — Words that carry the opposite meaning of another word.

• In Hindi: विलोम शब्द (Vilom Shabd)
• Core idea: Hot ↔ Cold, Day ↔ Night, Happy ↔ Sad
• Word type: Noun (plural), used in grammar and linguistics
• Opposite of antonyms: Synonyms (words with similar meaning)

Quick Stats: Antonyms

Pronunciation

The stress falls on the first syllable: AN-tuh-nimz. Indian speakers sometimes add an extra vowel sound at the end — “antonyms-a” — which is not standard. The final “s” is pronounced as /z/.

Introduction

Antonyms meaning in Marathi is something every student, writer, and language learner comes across early in their grammar journey. Antonyms are pairs of words with contrasting or opposite meanings — words that push in completely opposite directions. They are one of the most fundamental building blocks of vocabulary in every language, including Marathi, Hindi, and English.

Students, writers, and language learners rely on antonyms to add contrast, clarity, and nuance to their writing. In Marathi grammar textbooks, antonyms are formally called विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (Viruddharthi Shabd). This article covers the complete antonyms meaning, with examples in English, Marathi, and Hindi, and quick-reference translations across all major Indian languages.

Part of Speech & Word Forms

In Marathi grammar, विरुद्धार्थी (Viruddharthi) functions as an adjective modifying शब्द (Shabd). So the full term विरुद्धार्थी शब्द is a noun phrase — an adjectival noun compound — where विरुद्धार्थी describes the type of शब्द it is.

Antonyms Meaning In English

The word antonym refers to a word that is opposite in meaning to another word. The plural form — antonyms — is what you most commonly see in grammar books, vocabulary exercises, and dictionaries.

Simple definition: An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word.

This is the core antonyms meaning in English. In practice, antonyms help speakers and writers express contrast, comparison, and balance within a sentence.

Antonyms Meaning In Marathi — विरुद्धार्थी शब्द

Antonyms meaning in Marathi translates to विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (Viruddharthi Shabd).

Breaking it down: “विरुद्ध” (viruddha) means “opposite” or “against,” and “अर्थी शब्द” (arthi shabd) means “word with meaning.” Together, विरुद्धार्थी शब्द means “a word with the opposite meaning” — which is exactly what an antonym is.

Marathi Synonyms for Antonyms

Simple Explanation in Marathi

मराठीत सोपे स्पष्टीकरण:

विरुद्धार्थी शब्द म्हणजे असे शब्द जे एकमेकांच्या अगदी विरुद्ध अर्थ सांगतात. उदाहरण: “मोठा” आणि “लहान”, “आनंद” आणि “दुःख”, “दिवस” आणि “रात्र”.

Viruddharthi Shabd mhanje ase shabd je ekmekancha avadat viruddha artha sangtat. Udaharan: “Motha” ani “Lahan”, “Anand” ani “Dukha”, “Divas” ani “Ratra”.

Antonyms Meaning In Hindi — विलोम शब्द

Antonyms meaning in Hindi is विलोम शब्द (Vilom Shabd). This is the standard term used in Hindi grammar (व्याकरण) from school level through competitive exams like SSC, UPSC, and IBPS.

“विलोम” (vilom) means “reverse” or “contrary,” and “शब्द” (shabd) means “word.” So विलोम शब्द literally means “a word that is the reverse.”

Simple Explanation in Hindi

हिंदी में सरल व्याख्या:

विलोम शब्द वे शब्द होते हैं जिनका अर्थ किसी दूसरे शब्द से बिल्कुल उल्टा होता है। जैसे: “अच्छा” का विलोम “बुरा”, “खुशी” का विलोम “दुःख”, “दिन” का विलोम “रात” होता है।

Vilom Shabd ve shabd hote hain jinaka arth kisi doosre shabd se bilkul ulta hota hai. Jaise: “Achha” ka vilom “Bura”, “Khushi” ka vilom “Dukha”, “Din” ka vilom “Raat” hota hai.

What Are Antonyms — Types Explained

Understanding what are antonyms fully means knowing that not all antonyms work the same way. Linguists classify them into three main types.

Gradable Antonyms

These are opposites that exist on a scale. There are degrees between the two extremes.

Examples: Hot / Cold, Tall / Short, Fast / Slow, Happy / Sad

You can say “slightly warm” or “very cold” — the scale exists between the two words.

Complementary Antonyms

These are binary opposites. There is no middle ground — something is either one or the other.

Examples: Alive / Dead, True / False, On / Off, Male / Female

Relational Antonyms (Converse Antonyms)

These are pairs where the relationship is reversed depending on perspective. Neither word makes sense without the other.

Examples: Teacher / Student, Buy / Sell, Parent / Child, Employer / Employee

What Are Synonyms and Antonyms — Key Difference

A very common question is what are synonyms and antonyms and how they differ from each other. Here is a clear side-by-side comparison:

Synonyms and antonyms meaning together form one of the most tested grammar topics in Indian school exams, from Class 4 through Class 12, and in government recruitment tests.

Antonyms Examples — In English, Marathi, and Hindi

Here is a comprehensive list of antonyms examples across categories — emotions, time, size, nature, character, and daily life — with Marathi and Hindi translations.

Emotions & Feelings

Time & Nature

Size & Quantity

Character & Morality

Daily Life

Example Sentences

Context 1: School / Exam

English: The teacher asked students to write antonyms for each word in the list.

Marathi (Devanagari): शिक्षकांनी विद्यार्थ्यांना यादीतील प्रत्येक शब्दाचे विरुद्धार्थी शब्द लिहायला सांगितले.

Shikshakanni vidyarthyanna yadeetil pratyek shabdache viruddharthi shabd lihayala sangitle.

Hindi (Devanagari): शिक्षक ने छात्रों से सूची के प्रत्येक शब्द के विलोम शब्द लिखने को कहा।

Shikshak ne chhatron se soochi ke pratyek shabd ke vilom shabd likhne ko kaha.

Context 2: Daily Conversation

English: “Rich” and “poor” are antonyms — they represent two ends of the same scale.

Marathi (Devanagari): “श्रीमंत” आणि “गरीब” हे विरुद्धार्थी शब्द आहेत — ते एकाच प्रमाणाचे दोन टोके दर्शवतात.

“Shrimant” ani “Garib” he viruddharthi shabd aahet — te ekach pramanache don toke darshavtat.

Hindi (Devanagari): “अमीर” और “गरीब” विलोम शब्द हैं — ये एक ही पैमाने के दो छोर हैं।

“Amir” aur “Garib” vilom shabd hain — ye ek hi paimane ke do chhor hain.

Context 3: Writing & Literature

English: Good writers use antonyms to create contrast and make their sentences more vivid.

Marathi (Devanagari): चांगले लेखक वाक्यांत विरोधाभास निर्माण करण्यासाठी विरुद्धार्थी शब्द वापरतात.

Changle lekhak vakyant virodhbhas nirmaan karnyasathi viruddharthi shabd vapartaat.

Hindi (Devanagari): अच्छे लेखक वाक्यों में विरोध और स्पष्टता लाने के लिए विलोम शब्दों का उपयोग करते हैं।

Achhe lekhak vakyon mein virodh aur spashtta lane ke liye vilom shabdon ka upyog karte hain.

Word Family — Related Terms

The opposite concept — synonym — is समानार्थी शब्द (Samanarthi Shabd) in Marathi and पर्यायवाची शब्द (Paryayvachi Shabd) in Hindi. Knowing both terms together sharpens your overall command of grammar.

Origin and Etymology of “Antonym”

The word antonym has a clear Greek origin. It is built from two Greek roots:

• anti (ἀντί): meaning “against” or “opposite”
• onyma (ὄνυμα): meaning “name” or “word”

The word entered English in the mid-19th century (around 1867), coined by linguists as the formal counterpart to synonym. It came into academic and school use through English grammar books, and from there spread into Indian education systems via the British colonial curriculum.

In Sanskrit, the parallel concept exists as विपरीतार्थ (vipareetartha) — meaning “word of contrary sense” — which maps cleanly onto the Greek-origin English term.

Antonyms in Marathi Literature & Daily Life

The use of विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (antonyms) runs deep in Marathi language and culture. Sant Tukaram, one of the most celebrated Marathi poet-saints, frequently used contrasting word pairs in his abhangas to highlight the duality of human experience — सुख / दुःख (joy / sorrow), जन्म / मृत्यू (birth / death), प्रकाश / अंधार (light / darkness).

This literary device — placing two opposites side by side to sharpen meaning — is called विरोधाभास (virodhbhas) in Marathi rhetoric, which translates to “paradox” or “antithesis” in English. It is one of the core alankar (figures of speech) in Marathi poetry and prose.

In everyday Marathi speech, antonym pairs appear naturally in proverbs and idioms. For example:

• दिवस आणि रात्र (Divas ani Ratra) — used to mean “all the time, without rest”
• सुख आणि दुःख (Sukh ani Dukha) — used to describe the full range of life’s experiences

Understanding antonyms in this cultural context makes your Marathi vocabulary richer and more natural-sounding.

Antonyms Meaning in Other Indian Languages

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing antonyms with synonyms The most frequent error. Remember: synonyms = same meaning; antonyms = opposite meaning. In Marathi, समानार्थी (samanarthi) = synonyms, विरुद्धार्थी (viruddharthi) = antonyms.

2. Assuming every word has one fixed antonym Some words have context-dependent antonyms. “Light” can be the opposite of “heavy” OR “dark” depending on the sentence.

3. Treating all antonym types the same Gradable antonyms (hot/cold) behave differently from complementary antonyms (alive/dead). A sentence like “slightly dead” is linguistically incorrect because “dead” is complementary, not gradable.

4. Spelling errors in Marathi A common error is writing विरुद्धार्थ शब्द instead of the correct विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (note the final “ई” suffix, which makes it adjectival — “a word that carries opposite meaning”).

Conclusion

Antonyms meaning in Marathi is विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (Viruddharthi Shabd) — a word that carries the opposite meaning of another word. In Hindi, the equivalent term is विलोम शब्द (Vilom Shabd). Both terms are taught across Indian schools and appear regularly in grammar tests, vocabulary exercises, and competitive exams.

Antonyms are not simply “Opposite Words” — they come in three types (gradable, complementary, and relational), each with distinct linguistic behaviour. Knowing what are antonyms at this level helps you use them more accurately in both writing and speaking.

? FAQs About Antonyms Meaning

Q: Antonyms meaning in Marathi?

A: विरुद्धार्थी शब्द (Viruddharthi Shabd) — words with opposite meaning.

Q: How do you say antonyms in Marathi?

A: विरुद्धार्थी शब्द.

Q: What is the Hindi word for antonyms?

A: विलोम शब्द (Vilom Shabd).

Q: Give 5 simple antonyms in Marathi.

A: मोठा–लहान, चांगले–वाईट, दिवस–रात्र, प्रेम–द्वेष, श्रीमंत–गरीब.

Q: What is the difference between synonyms and antonyms in Marathi?

A: समानार्थी = same meaning, विरुद्धार्थी = opposite meaning.

Q: Are antonyms taught in Marathi schools?

A: Yes, from Class 3 onwards as विरुद्धार्थी शब्द.

Q: Can one word have more than one antonym?

A: Yes. Example: “light” can mean opposite of heavy or dark.

Q: What are gradable antonyms?

A: Opposites with degrees in between (e.g. hot–cold, tall–short).

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