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How to Answer 11+ Antonym Pairs Questions

An antonym pairs question shows you two groups of three words and asks you to find the two words — one from each group — that are most opposite in meaning. Nobody tells you which words matter: five of the six are there to distract you, and you must uncover the one true opposite pair yourself.

In the formats used in UK 11+ entrance exams, this appears in two flavours. The warm-up version anchors the first word for you — "which word is most opposite to push?" — so only the hunt through the options is left. The full version gives you both bracketed groups and no anchor at all.

Children find the full version tough for a very particular reason: the setters love to plant a pair of words that mean nearly the same thing across the two groups. A child skim-reading for "two linked words" grabs that pair instantly — and the question asked for opposites. The method below is built to beat exactly that trap.

The method

  1. Remember the job before you start: one word from EACH group, and the two must be opposites of each other. Say the word "opposite" to yourself — it is surprisingly easy to drift into synonym-hunting.
  2. Pick your word from the first group and flip it in your head: what would its exact opposite mean?
  3. Hunt the second group for that flipped meaning. Only the second group — the answer is never two words from the same side.
  4. No luck? Move to the next word in group 1 and flip again. Three flips is all it ever takes.
  5. Prove your pair before moving on. True opposites sit at two ends of one line: push/pull, fresh/stale. If your two words are merely different, or secretly similar, keep looking.

Worked examples

Example 1 — warm-up (anchored version)

Which word is most opposite in meaning to: push?

A. tie B. pull C. hold D. lift

  1. Flip "push": instead of forcing something away from you, drawing it towards you.
  2. That is "pull" — option B.
  3. Check the rest: tie, hold and lift are all just different hand actions. Different is not opposite.

Answer: pull

Example 2 — the full two-group version

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning. (timid brave cheerful) (cowardly gentle proud)

Group 1: A. timid B. brave C. cheerful Group 2: D. cowardly E. gentle F. proud

  1. Flip "timid" (easily scared) → its opposite means fearless. Group 2: cowardly? No — that means nearly the SAME as timid. That's the planted pair. Keep going.
  2. Flip "brave" → its opposite means scared to act. Group 2: cowardly — a perfect reverse.
  3. Prove it: brave and cowardly sit at two ends of the courage line. Done.

Answer: brave and cowardly (B + D)

Example 3 — hardest

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning. (wistful frugal candid) (extravagant mournful sluggish)

Group 1: A. wistful B. frugal C. candid Group 2: D. extravagant E. mournful F. sluggish

  1. Wistful means quietly sad and longing. Group 2 offers mournful — but that is another sad word: same direction, not opposite. Planted pair spotted; move on.
  2. Frugal means careful not to waste money. Flip it: spending wastefully — extravagant. That's a true reverse.
  3. Check candid (open and honest): nothing in group 2 opposes it. Only one real pair survives.

Answer: frugal and extravagant (B + D)

The traps

The synonym pair in disguise. The signature trap of this type: timid–cowardly, wistful–mournful — two words that clearly belong together, planted one in each group. A rushing eye reads "linked!" and pounces. The question asked for opposites. Say "opposite" before every hunt.

Two words from the same group. Under time pressure, children spot a lovely opposite pair inside one bracket and circle it. The answer is always one word from each group — no exceptions.

Different is not opposite. Tie is not the opposite of push; it's just another thing hands do. A true opposite reverses the meaning along one line — up/down, save/spend, fresh/stale. If you can't name the line, it isn't the pair.

Try these yourself

1.

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning. (mouldy rotten fresh) (stale soggy spicy)

Group 1: A. mouldy B. rotten C. fresh Group 2: D. stale E. soggy F. spicy

2.

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning. (grasp conceal drift) (mend soothe reveal)

Group 1: A. grasp B. conceal C. drift Group 2: D. mend E. soothe F. reveal

3.

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning. (courage mischief captivity) (honesty laughter freedom)

Group 1: A. courage B. mischief C. captivity Group 2: D. honesty E. laughter F. freedom

Answers

  1. C + D — fresh and stale are the true opposites. (Mouldy and rotten are the same-direction decoys.)
  2. B + F — conceal means hide, reveal means show: two ends of one line.
  3. C + F — captivity (being kept prisoner) flips to freedom.

Related

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