Antithesis: meaning, example and synonyms
Antithesisn. The direct opposite of something; a person or thing in sharp contrast to another.
Example
The cramped, shadowy chapel seemed the antithesis of the vast cathedral nearby, yet both were designed by the same medieval workshop.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Synonyms
- opposite, converse, reverse, contrary
- Antonyms
- equivalent, likeness, embodiment, same
- Memory tip
- anti (against) + thesis (position): the position set against another.
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Check yourself: Antithesis in context
The architect's sleek glass tower was the ______ of the ornate stone buildings surrounding it, and many residents felt it clashed with the historic square.
Answer: antithesis. A sleek glass tower that clashes with ornate stone is their direct opposite: the antithesis. Deference (respectful yielding), continuum (a gradual series) and homogeneity (uniformity) don't fit this context.
For the reformer, rote memorization was the very ______ of true education, which she believed should cultivate curiosity rather than mere recall.
Answer: antithesis. Mere recall is presented as the opposite of curiosity-driven learning, so antithesis fits. Deference (respectful yielding), continuum (a gradual series) and homogeneity (uniformity) don't fit this context.