Solved Examples Set 2 (Antonyms)

1. MODERATE

   1. calm
   2. reason
   3. whisper
   4. intensify
   5. lead

   (D. intensify.) Moderate means to make less intense. Choice D intensify means to make more intense.

2. INTERCEDE

   1. intercept
   2. disrupt
   3. supersede
   4. intervene
   5. question

   (B. disrupt) Intercede means to mediate, to help two sides reach an agreement. Choice A intercept means to take something away. Choice B disrupt means to push apart. Choice C supersede means to replace or overrule. Choice D intervene means to intercede.

3. TACITLY

   1. thoughtlessly
   2. carelessly
   3. coherently
   4. openly expressed
   5. mildly amused

   (D. openly expressed) Tacitly means silently, without being openly expressed.

4. HIDEBOUND

   1. liberal
   2. dishonorable
   3. honorable
   4. conservative
   5. leathery

   (A. liberal) Hidebound means narrow-minded. Choice A liberal means openminded.

5. FERVOR

   1. an unfortified place
   2. patriotism
   3. drollery
   4. merrymaking
   5. nonchalance

   (E. nonchalance) Fervor means zeal or warmth of feeling, and choice E nonchalance is cool indifference. Choice C drollery is something amusing.

6. BOMBASTIC

   1. Creative
   2. Selfish
   3. Artistic
   4. Polite
   5. Overbearing

   (D. Polite) Bombastic is a very strong word that means boastful. Notice that it simply sounds like a strong word. The best opposite here is Polite.

7. REDUNDANT

   1. verbose
   2. irrelevant
   3. prosaic
   4. excessive
   5. insufficient

   (E. insufficient.) Redundant means superfluous, extra, unneeded. Choice A verbose means using too many words. Choice C prosaic means dull or ordinary. Choice E insufficient means not enough.

8. ELEVATED

   1. Suspended
   2. Moody
   3. Subterranean
   4. Grounded
   5. Excited

   (C. Subterranean) Elevated means above the ground. "Grounded" means connected to the earth. "Subterranean" means beneath the surface.

9. ALTRUISTIC

   1. selfish
   2. below sea level
   3. interdisciplinary
   4. nonalcoholic
   5. self-reliant

   (A. selfish) Altruistic means benevolent, generous, or unselfishly concerned for others. Choice A is the best opposite.

10. TRAVAIL

    1. fetters
    2. repose
    3. smear
    4. illumination
    5. remainder

    (B. repose) The noun travail means toil, hard labor; its opposite here is repose, which means to rest.

11. PURITANIC

    1. controlled by hand
    2. making fast
    3. imposing
    4. freewheeling
    5. obtuse

    (D. freewheeling) The adjective puritanic means excessively strict in morals. The most nearly opposite choice here is choice D freewheeling. Choice E obtuse means dull-witted, dense, or ignorant.

12. CAPTIOUS

    1. eager
    2. deprived
    3. indulgent
    4. free
    5. anxious

    (C. indulgent) Captious means quick to find fault, carping. The opposite is indulgent.

13. EXHUME

    1. expel
    2. exit
    3. infer
    4. refer
    5. inter

    (E. inter) Exhume means to remove from the grave. Expel means to force out, eject. Exit means to depart. Infer means to conclude or deduce. Refer means to relate. Inter means to bury a dead body.

14. PROFUNDITY

    1. depth
    2. shallowness
    3. profanity
    4. perfidy
    5. complexity

    (B. shallowness) Profundity means having great depth of understanding or importance. Choice B shallowness means not deep, or an incapability of having deep feelings. Choice C profanity means coarse or irreverent speech. Choice D perfidy means treachery.

15. IMBROGLIO

    1. imbibition
    2. proviso
    3. fracas
    4. clarification
    5. settlement

    (E. settlement) Imbroglio means a noisy fight or a dispute. Choice E settlement is the best opposite. Choice A imbibition means to absorb ideas into the mind. Choice B proviso means something insisted on as part of an agreement, with each side giving up some of its demands. Choice C fracas is also a noisy dispute or brawl.

16. ENIGMATIC

    1. explicit
    2. cryptic
    3. implicit
    4. syntactic
    5. impolitic

    (A. explicit) Enigmatic means puzzling, unclear, obscure. Explicit means clear and direct. Cryptic means puzzling. Implicit means indirect. Syntactic means having to do with sentence structure. Impolitic means unwise.

17. SUCCULENT

    1. harshly astringent
    2. axiomatic
    3. quietly reclusive
    4. parched
    5. highly spiced

    (D. parched) Succulent means full of juice, juicy. Choice D parched means dried out. Choice B axiomatic means self-evident.

18. LABYRINTHINE

    1. flowery
    2. direct
    3. amazing
    4. dark
    5. towering

    (B. direct) Labyrinthine means mazelike. The best opposite is direct, which means straightforward.

19. PRETERNATURAL

    1. customary
    2. naturalistic
    3. adventitious
    4. unnatural
    5. pernicious

    (A. customary) Preternatural means extraordinary. Customary means normal or regular. Naturalistic means based on natural desires or events. Adventitious means fortuitous. Unnatural means artificial or abnormal. Pernicious means harmful or wicked.

20. LOUCHE

    1. inflexible
    2. manifest
    3. reputable
    4. wolflike
    5. gloomy

    (C. reputable) Louche means shady, disreputable. Choice B manifest means evident. Choice C reputable means having a good reputation.

Solved Examples Set 1
Solved Examples Set 2
Solved Examples Set 3