What is the difference between gradable and ungradable antonyms?
Non-gradable opposites cannot be represented on a scale, a continuum. Gradable opposites can – and should be! There are often other adjectives that fall between and around the original pair.
Adjectives are 'describing' words. Most adjectives have a meaning which can be made stronger or weaker; these are called 'gradable adjectives'. Other adjectives have a meaning which is extreme or absolute and cannot easily be made stronger or weaker. These are called 'ungradable adjectives'.
Graded (or gradable) antonyms are those words that fall on the opposite sides of a spectrum when referring to a specific quality. For example, hot and cold have to do with temperature and are opposites. Other gradable antonyms include: small — big (size) near — far (distance) light — heavy (weight)
Graded (or gradable) antonyms are word pairs whose meanings are opposite and which lie on a continuous spectrum (hot, cold). Complementary antonyms are word pairs whose meanings are opposite but whose meanings do not lie on a continuous spectrum (push, pull).
non-gradable (not comparable) That cannot be graded. (linguistics) (of an adjective) Describing a quality that cannot normally be varied because it is extreme (e.g. freezing), absolute (e.g. dead), or classification (e.g. nuclear). synonyms, antonym ▲ Synonyms: ungradable, uncomparable, incomparable Antonym: gradable.
Non-gradable: extreme adjectives
Adjectives like amazing, awful and boiling are also non-gradable. They already contain the idea of 'very' in their definitions.
Gradable adjectives are normal adjectives that might have levels of difference in them. For example, the adjective 'cold' is gradable – you can be extremely cold, quite cold, and even not at all cold.
Gradable : I think it's hotter today than yesterday but not ... Ungradable : *I think it's more boiling today than yesterday.
What is an example non-gradable antonyms?
Non-gradable antonyms- direct opposites; complementary pairs; comparativeconstructions are not normally used; (male/female,true/false)Reversies- (pack/unpack)(dress/undress)Hyponymy- when the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, therelationship is this.
Gradable antonyms are typically pairs of adjectives that can be qualified by adverbs such as very, quite, extremely, etc. So for example, we can say the tickets were expensive or the tickets were cheap.
