11+ vocabulary list 2: Building words
51 words at building words level, each with a child-friendly meaning, a synonym and an antonym.
| Word | Meaning | Same as | Opposite |
|---|---|---|---|
| rapid | happening or moving very fast | quick | slow |
| ancient | belonging to the very distant past | old | modern |
| enormous | extremely large in size | huge | tiny |
| expand | to become bigger or wider | grow | shrink |
| gentle | soft and careful in the way you act | mild | rough |
| agitated | feeling worked up and unable to relax | flustered | composed |
| athletic | physically fit and good at sports | sporty | unfit |
| attentive | paying close notice to what is happening | alert | distracted |
| blunt | speaks in a very direct way | forthright | tactful |
| calm | Peaceful and not worried or upset | relaxed | anxious |
| cheerful | Feeling or showing happiness and joy | jolly | gloomy |
| clever | quick to learn and understand things | bright | foolish |
| concise | giving information in few words | brief | wordy |
| curious | Eager to learn or find out new things | inquisitive | indifferent |
| exhausted | extremely tired, with no energy left | drained | refreshed |
| expressive | showing feelings clearly when speaking | animated | flat |
| fair | treating people equally and rightly | just | unfair |
| familiar | well known or easily recognised | recognisable | unfamiliar |
| forgetful | tending not to remember things | absentminded | mindful |
| hesitant | unsure and slow to speak | unsure | confident |
| jubilant | feeling extremely happy and triumphant | elated | dejected |
| jumbled | mixed up in a confused way | muddled | arranged |
| knowledgeable | having lots of information or facts | informed | ignorant |
| loyal | Staying true and faithful to someone | faithful | treacherous |
| miserable | feeling very unhappy | sorrowful | delighted |
| monotone | speaking in a flat, boring voice | dull | lively |
| muscular | having a strong, well-built body from exercise | brawny | scrawny |
| obedient | Willing to do as you are told | compliant | defiant |
| patient | Able to wait calmly without complaining | tolerant | restless |
| perceptive | good at noticing small details or clues | observant | oblivious |
| polite | speaks in a respectful way | courteous | rude |
| puzzled | unable to understand something clearly | baffled | certain |
| reliable | can be trusted to do what is promised | dependable | unreliable |
| robust | very strong and not easily damaged | tough | puny |
| secretive | unwilling to share information | guarded | open |
| shrill | having a high, sharp sound when speaking | piercing | mellow |
| sullen | silently bad-tempered and moody | moody | genial |
| talkative | likes to chat a great deal | chatty | silent |
| thoughtful | showing careful consideration about things | reflective | thoughtless |
| upper | placed higher than something else | top | lower |
| vague | not clear or exact in what is said | unclear | precise |
| wise | having good judgement from experience | sage | unwise |
| discover | find something for the first time | find | lose |
| explain | make something clear and easy to understand | clarify | confuse |
| guess | give an answer without being certain | predict | know |
| invent | create something brand new | create | copy |
| notice | become aware of something around you | observe | miss |
| question | ask something to find out information | ask | answer |
| reason | think logically to work something out | deduce | assume |
| study | spend time learning about a subject | research | neglect |
| wonder | think curiously about something | muse | disregard |