Weather Word Pairs: Opposites and Look-Alikes

Antonyms, synonyms and shades of meaning.

Opposites (antonyms)

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.

Which word is the opposite of gloomy in this sentence? "It was a gloomy day at the beach."

A. darkB. cloudyC. brightD. dull

Match each word to its antonym.

Some words are opposites of hot. Others are opposites of wet. Sort them.

Look-alikes (synonyms)

Synonyms are words with almost the same meaning.

Which word is a synonym for chilly?

A. toastyB. swelteringC. dampD. cool

Underline the word in this sentence that means almost the same as enormous.

Match each word to its synonym.

Shades of meaning

Some words mean almost the same thing, but one is stronger than the other.

These words describe weather in different strengths. Sort each word as mild or extreme.

Choose the best word from the word bank for each sentence. Use each word once.

A soft made the paper kite wiggle on its string.
A very strong wind, called a , bent the trees almost flat.
A light, thin hung over the pond at dawn.
Heavy snow and strong wind blew together in a snowstorm called a , and school was closed.

Which pair of words are antonyms?

A. huge – enormousB. calm – stormyC. wet – dampD. chilly – cool

10.

Which list puts the rain words in order from the lightest rain to the heaviest rain?

A. drizzle, shower, downpourB. downpour, shower, drizzleC. shower, downpour, drizzleD. drizzle, downpour, shower

11.

Write two sentences about a rainy day. Use the word drizzle in one sentence and the word downpour in the other. Show how the two words are different.