Essential English Antonyms and Figurative Language

Common English Antonyms and Opposites

Many of these opposites are formed using negative prefixes such as un-, in-, il-, im-, or dis-.

• Adequate (adecuado) / Inadequate (inadecuado)
• Appropriate (apropiado) / Inappropriate (inapropiado)
• Bearable (tolerable) / Unbearable (intolerable)
• Believable (creíble) / Unbelievable (increíble)
• Censored (censurado) / Uncensored (sin censura)
• Comfortable (cómodo) / Uncomfortable (incómodo)
• Decent (decente, digno) / Indecent (indecente, indigno)
• Helpful (útil, servicial) / Unhelpful (inútil, de poca ayuda)
• Credible (creíble) / Incredible (increíble)
• Legal (legal) / Illegal (ilegal)
• Legible (legible) / Illegible (ilegible)
• Literate (alfabetizado) / Illiterate (analfabeto)
• Logical (lógico) / Illogical (ilógico)
• Loved (amado) / Unloved (no amado)
• Mature (maduro) / Immature (inmaduro)
• Moral (moral) / Immoral (inmoral)
• Natural (natural) / Unnatural (antinatural)
• Obedient (obediente) / Disobedient (desobediente)
• Offensive (ofensivo) / Inoffensive (inofensivo)
• Organized (organizado) / Disorganized (desorganizado)
• Patient (paciente) / Impatient (impaciente)
• Personal (personal) / Impersonal (impersonal)
• Popular (popular) / Unpopular (impopular)
• Relevant (relevante) / Irrelevant (irrelevante)
• Responsible (responsable) / Irresponsible (irresponsable)
• Safe (seguro) / Unsafe (inseguro)
• Satisfied (satisfecho) / Dissatisfied (insatisfecho)
• Suitable (adecuado) / Unsuitable (inadecuado)
• Tasteful (de buen gusto) / Distasteful (de mal gusto)

Figurative Language: Body-Related Idioms

Enhance your fluency by learning these common English idioms related to the body and facial expressions.

• Come face to face with: Be confronted with (Encontrarse cara a cara con)
• Face lights up: Shows happiness (Iluminársele la cara a alguien)
• Face up to something: Deal with a problem (Afrontar algo)
• Get butterflies in your stomach: Become nervous (Sentir mariposas en el estómago)
• Hair-raising: Very frightening (Espeluznante)
• Hard to swallow / Hard to stomach: Difficult to tolerate (Difícil de digerir)
• Make your blood boil: Make very angry (Hacer que te hierva la sangre)
• Pain in the neck: Annoying (Un fastidio, un dolor de cabeza)
• Pull a face: Make a funny expression (Hacer una mueca)
• Put on a brave face: Pretend things are OK (Poner buena cara)
• Same old faces: Same people involved (Las mismas caras de siempre)
• Spine-chilling: Very frightening (Escalofriante)
• Stuff your face: Eat far too much (Ponerse morado de comer)
• Thin-skinned: Sensitive (Sensible, susceptible)
• Turn your back on something: Reject something (Darle la espalda a algo)
• Two-faced: Not sincere or honest (Falso, hipócrita)