RADICAL Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

radical 1 of 2

adjective

ˈra-di-kəl

as in extreme

being very far from the center of public opinion the baggy trousers that Amelia Bloomer introduced in the 1850s were considered a radical form of dress for women at the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in liberal

not bound by traditional ways or beliefs radical proponents of spelling reform would have every word spelled "just the way it sounds"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wonderful

slang of the very best kind surfing conditions at virtually all of the beaches along the coast were truly radical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

radical

2 of 2

noun

as in revolutionary

a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government radicals staged large, violent protests in the hopes of toppling the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of radical

Adjective

As an additional important benefit, when the Islamic world sees that Hamas has lost its hold on the Strip and that the nightmare of Hamas has been replaced with a new reality of peace and prosperity, the suicidal psychosis of radical Islam will suffer a crushing blow. —

David Friedman, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025 Moore’s radical departure from his own 2023 assessment demonstrates a dishonesty and expediency that represents the antithesis of Maryland’s sharp but collegial politics under Hogan and his Democratic colleagues. —

Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2025

Noun

In protest, Iranian Islamist radicals overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans captive. —

Susan Page, USA TODAY, 29 Dec. 2024 The first is intuitive: People dislike disruptive climate protests and the radicals who do them. —

Michelle Weber, Longreads, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for radical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for radical

Adjective

Both California and Florida, which have always been disaster-prone states, have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events over the past few years.

— Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
In participating in those extreme acts, Saha said, people fall victim to a group psychology that both permits and encourages more extreme behavior.

— Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025