The Opposite(Antonym) of “afford”
The antonyms of afford are deprive and withhold. The antonym deprive means to take away or deny someone something they need or want. The antonym withhold means to refuse to give or grant something that is due or expected.
Definitions and Examples of deprive, withhold
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
To take away or deny someone something they need or want.
Example
The pandemic has deprived many people of their jobs and livelihoods.
To refuse to give or grant something that is due or expected.
Example
The company decided to withhold bonuses this year due to financial constraints.
Key Differences: deprive vs withhold
- 1Deprive implies taking something away from someone, while afford implies being able to provide or have something.
- 2Withhold implies refusing to give or grant something, while afford implies having the means to provide or obtain something.
Effective Usage of deprive, withhold
- 1Financial Planning: Use afford to discuss budgeting and financial decisions, and deprive and withhold to talk about financial limitations and restrictions.
- 2Social Justice: Use deprive to discuss issues related to inequality and discrimination, and withhold to talk about instances of injustice and unfairness.
- 3Negotiations: Use withhold to discuss situations where one party is not willing to give or grant something, and afford to discuss situations where both parties can benefit from an agreement.
Remember this!
The antonyms of afford are deprive and withhold. Deprive implies taking something away, while withhold implies refusing to give or grant something. Use these words in discussions related to financial planning, social justice, and negotiations to convey different meanings and nuances.
