Antigrams are antonymous anagrams. Anagrams are words or phrases created by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. An anagram becomes an antigram when it is opposite in meaning to the original word or phrase.
Making antigrams can be a funny exercise for ESL learners. In the strange world of antigrams evangelists become evil’s agents, funeral becomes real fun, festival becomes evil fast, violence turns into nice love, and mother-in-law becomes Hitler woman. Examples of antigrams can be found in literature as well as in common discourse. Perfect antigrams have been created by the wittiest of minds and the following is a list of them.
| Original Word / Phrase | Antigram |
|---|---|
| a libeler | reliable |
| a volunteer fireman | I never run to a flame |
| abominable | bon, amiable |
| admit | dam it |
| ailed | ideal |
| anarchists | arch saints |
| antagonist | not against |
| boasting | it's no gab |
| butchers | cut herbs |
| commendation | aim to condemn |
| customers | store scum |
| defiant | fainted |
| demoniacal | a docile man |
| diplomacy | mad policy |
| disallow | do as will |
| dormitories | tidier rooms |
| earliest | arise late |
| epitaphs | happiest |
| evangelist | evil's agent |
| fakir | kafir |
| festival | evil fast |
| filled | ill-fed |
| firm | Mr. If |
| forbid | bid for |
| forgo | go for |
| forty-five | over fifty |
| funeral | real fun |
| gets a lot | got least |
| harmfulness | harmless fun |
| hesitant | hasten it |
| honestly | on the sly |
| honorees | no heroes |
| imperfections | of precise mint |
| indeed | denied |
| indiscriminate | discern aim in it |
| inferno | non-fire |
| inflated | I end flat |
| innermost | I nest on rim |
| is fertile | if sterile |
| maidenly | men? Daily |
| medicate | decimate |
| melodramatic | a more mild act |
| misfortune | it's more fun |
| nominated | not named |
| persecuted | due respect |
| reforestation | no fair to trees |
| restful | fluster |
| Roosevelt | vote loser |
| ruthless | hurtless |
| sainted | stained |
| saintliness | entails sins |
| Santa | Satan |
| sheared | adheres |
| silent | listen |
| the winter gales | sweltering heat |
| Thomas A. Edison | Tom has no ideas |
| tip | pit |
| true lady | adultery |
| united | untied |
| violence | nice love |
| within earshot | I won't hear |