Antonyms: Spanish to English

______

The following words are listed in groups of two, alphabetically by Spanish word with opposite meanings below each entry; some of the more common Spanish synonyms are also given in square brackets [ ]; you should be careful when using synonyms as their usage may be restricted to specific contexts and registers: always check in a dictionary first.

abrir (un grifo) / to open (to turn on a tap)
cerrar (un grifo), cerrar sesión / to close (to turn off a tap), to log off
aburrido/a [cargante, pesado/a, soso/a] / boring, tedious, heavy going
interesante [de interés] / interesting
aburrirse / to be bored
divertirse [entretenerse] / to have a good time
aceptar / to accept
ofrecer [proponer] (invitar a) / to offer (to treat to, buy for)
acercarse a / to approach
alejarse de [distanciarse de] / to move away from
acordarse de [recordar] / to remember
olvidar [olvidarse de] / to forget
admitir [conceder, confesar, reconocer] / to admit, concede, recognise
negar [desmentir] / to deny
afortunado/a (afortunadamente) / fortunate (fortunately)
desgraciado/a (por desgracia) / unfortunate (unfortunately)
agradecido/a / thankful
ingrato/a / thankless, ungrateful
ahorrar / to save
gastar, malgastar / to spend, to waste
algo / something
nada / nothing
alguien / someone
nadie / no-one
alguno/a / some
ningún, ninguno/a / none
allí [ahí, allá] / there
aquí [acá] / here
amar [querer] / to love
odiar [detestar, aborrecer, despreciar] / to hate, despise
amargo/a, agrio/a, salado/a / bitter, sour, salty
dulce / sweet
amigo/a [compañero/a] / friend
enemigo/a [adversario/a] / enemy
amor / love
odio / hatred
ancho/a / wide
estrecho/a / narrow
anoche / last night
esta noche / tonight
antes (de) / before
después (de) [tras] / after
antiguo/a / ancient, old
moderno/a / modern
antipático/a / unpleasant
simpático/a [majo/a] / kind, nice
apagar [extinguir] / to put out, turn off
encender / to light, turn on
aparecer / to appear
desaparecer / to disappear
aplicado/a / industrious
flojo/a [perezoso/a, vago/a] / lazy
apresurarse a [precipitarse a] / to hurry to
tardar en / to delay in, take time to
aprisa [deprisa, rápidamente] / quickly
despacio [lentamente] / slowly
arriba / above, upstairs
abajo / below, downstairs
ausente / absent
presente / present
ayer / yesterday
mañana / tomorrow
bajar (de) / to go down (get off)
subir (a) / to go up (get on)
barato/a, regalado/a / cheap, dirt cheap
costoso/a [caro/a] / costly, expensive
bendecir / to bless
maldecir / to curse
bien, buen, bueno/a / well, good
mal, malo/a / bad
blando/a / soft
duro/a / hard
caballero [señor] / gentleman
dama [señora] / lady
caliente (caluroso/a, cálido/a) / hot, warm (weather, climate)
frío / cold
callarse, acallar / to keep silent, to silence
hablar / to talk
cansarse [fatigarse] / to get tired
descansar, relajarse, calmarse, tranquilizarse / to rest, relax, calm down
caro/a / expensive
barato/a / cheap
censurar [criticar, reprobar] / to criticise
elogiar [alabar] / to praise
cerca (de) / near (to)
lejos (de) / far (from)
cercano/a / nearby
lejano/a / distant
claro/a / light (clear)
oscuro/a / dark
cobarde [miedica, miedoso/a] / coward, cowardly
valiente [valeroso/a] / valiant, brave, courageous
cómico/a [gracioso/a] / comic, funny, witty
trágico/a / tragic
comprar / to buy
vender / to sell
común [corriente, frecuente, normal] / common
raro/a [poco común, no frecuente] / rare
con / with
sin / without
contestación [respuesta] / answer
pregunta / question
contestar [responder] / to answer
preguntar / to ask
corto/a / short
largo/a / long
crear / to create
destruir [destrozar, deshacer] / to destroy
cubrir (tapar) / to cover (to put a lid on)
descubrir, revelar (destapar) / to uncover, reveal (to take lid off)
culpable / guilty, culpable
inocente / innocent
dar [proporcionar] / to give
tomar / to take
debajo (de) / under
encima (de) / on top of, above
débil / weak
fuerte / strong
decir la verdad / to tell the truth
mentir / to lie
dejar caer, caerse a uno / to drop
recoger / to pick up
delante de / in front of
detrás de / in back of
dentro de [adentro] / inside
fuera de [afuera] / outside
derrota / defeat
victoria [triunfo] / victory, triumph
descansado/a / rested
fatigado/a [cansado/a] / tired
descuido / carelessness
esmero / meticulousness
despertarse / to wake up
dormir, dormirse / to sleep, fall asleep
desunir [separar] / to disunite
unir / to unite
día / day
noche / night
diferente [distinto/a] / different
mismo/a / same
difícil / difficult
fácil [sencillo/a, obvio/a, evidente] / easy, obvious
diligente (trabajador/a) / diligent (hard working)
perezoso/a [flojo/a, vago/a] / lazy
distinto/a / different
semejante [parecido/a, similar] / similar
empezar [comenzar] / to begin
terminar [acabar] / to end
enano / dwarf
gigante / giant
entrada / entrance
salida / exit
entrar (en) / to enter (in, into)
salir (a), salir (de) / to go out (into), to leave (from)
esclavo (esclavitud) / slave (slavery)
libre (libertad) / free (freedom, liberty)
este (levante) / east (easterly)
oeste (poniente) / west (westerly)
estúpido/a / stupid
inteligente / intelligent
éxito (exitoso/a [logrado]) / success (successful)
fracaso (fracasado/a [malogrado/a]) / failure (failed)
extraño/a [inusual] (insólito/a) / unusual (unheard of)
usual [habitual, corriente, normal] / usual
feliz [contento] / happy
triste [infeliz] / sad
feo/a / ugly
hermoso/a [lindo/a, bello/a] / beautiful
fin / end
principio [comienzo, inicio] / beginning
flaco/a [delgado/a] / thin
gordo/a / fat
grande / large, big
pequeño/a / small
hablador/a / talkative
taciturno/a [reservado] / silent
hallar [encontrar] / to find (something)
perder / to lose (something)
hembra / female
macho / male
humilde / humble
orgulloso / proud
ida / departure
vuelta [regreso], (vuelta al colegio) / return (start of school term)
ignorar [desconocer] / not to know
saber, conocer / to know
imposible / impossible
posible / possible
innatural / unnatural
natural / natural
innecesario / unnecessary
necesario / necessary
inútil / useless
útil / useful
ir a [desplazarse a, acudir a] / to go (to)
venir / to come
irse [marcharse] / to go away
quedarse / to remain
joven / young
viejo/a / old
jugar / to play
trabajar [currar] (estudiar) / to work (to study)
juntar [unir, vincular] / to join, link
separar [poner aparte, desvincular] / to separate
juventud / youth
vejez / old age
lentitud (tardanza, demora, retraso) / slowness (delay)
rapidez [velocidad] / speed
levantarse / to get up
sentarse / to sit down
ligero/a / light
pesado/a / heavy (going)
limpio/a, limpiar / clean, to clean
sucio/a, ensuciar / dirty, to dirty
listo [inteligente] / clever
tonto / foolish
llegada / arrive
salida [partida] / departure
llenar / to fill
vaciar / to empty
lleno/a / full
vacío/a / empty
llorar / to cry
reír(se) / to laugh
luz / light
sombra / shadow
más / more
menos / less
mejor / better
peor / worse
mentira (mentiroso/a) [falso/a] / lie (lying, liar), false
verdad (verdadero/a) / truth (truthful)
meter (en) / to put (in)
sacar (de) / to take out (of)
mojado/a / wet
seco/a / dry
moreno/a / dark, brunette
rubio/a / blond
morir(se) [fallecer] / to die
nacer / to be born
mucho/a / much
poco/a / little
muerte / death
vida / life
no / no
sí / yes
norte (del norte, norteño/a) / north (northerly, northern)
sur (del sur) / south (southerly, southern)
nunca [jamás], nunca jamás / never, never again
siempre, para siempre / always, forever
obeso/a / obese
delgado/a [flaco/a] / thin
oscuro/a / dark
claro/a / light
occidental / western
oriental / eastern
pasado / past
porvenir [futuro] / future
pedir prestado / to borrow
prestar [dejar] / to lend
peligro / danger
seguridad (medidas de seguridad) / safety (safety procedures)
permitir [autorizar, dejar, consentir] / to permit
prohibir / to prohibit
pobre / poor
rico/a [pudiente, adinerado/a] / rich, wealthy
pobreza [penuria] / poverty, penury
riqueza / wealth
ponerse / to put on (clothing)
quitarse / to take off (clothing)
primero/a / first
último/a / last
puesta del sol [anochecer] / sunset, nightfall
salida del sol [amanecer] / sunrise, dawn
quizá(s) [tal vez, acaso, a lo mejor] / maybe, perhaps
seguro/a (cierto/a) / sure (certain)
recto/a / straight
torcido/a (curvado/a, tortuoso/a) / bent (winding)
ruido / noise
silencio / silence
sabio/a [docto/a, listo/a] / wise
tonto/a [estúpido/a, memo/a, necio/a] / foolish
tarde / late
temprano / early
tranquilo/a / calm, peaceful
animado/a (ruidoso/a) (concurrido/a) / lively (noisy) (busy, crowded)

JCW

30.04.06

5