Solved Examples Set 2 (Antonyms)

1. PUNGENT

   1. acrid
   2. piquant
   3. harmonious
   4. untenable
   5. insipid

   (E. insipid) Pungent means sharply affecting the organs of taste, or a strong sour or bitter taste. Choice E insipid means tasteless. Choices A and B are synonyms of pungent. Choice D untenable means implausible or unreasonable.

2. SCRUTINIZE

   1. skim
   2. devour
   3. elaborate
   4. comprehend
   5. question

   (A. skim.) Scrutinize means to examine something thoroughly and carefully. Choice A skim means to glance at or read quickly. Choice B devour means to hungrily or greedily consume.

3. FERVENT

   1. intermittent
   2. parietal
   3. bland
   4. resonant
   5. sublime

   (C. bland) The adjective fervent means ardent, intensely felt, the opposite of bland, which means dull or tasteless. Choice A intermittent means periodic or recurrent. Choice B parietal means pertaining to a wall. Choice D resonant means resounding or vibrant. Choice E sublime means elevated, outstanding, or lofty.

4. PATHOLOGICAL

   1. Sick
   2. Healthy
   3. Unrealizable
   4. Selective
   5. Chemicals

   (B. Healthy) Pathological here refers to a negative characteristic, the correct choice is positive, Healthy.

5. 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.

6. IRONIC

   1. literary
   2. figurative
   3. analogous
   4. mysterious
   5. literal

   (E. literal) Ironic means using words to express the opposite of their literal meaning. Choice B figurative means metaphoric, a kind of literary comparison. Choice C analogous means a resemblance between two things that are otherwise unlike. Choice E literal means exact or verbatim.

7. RECONDITE

   1. obvious
   2. plane
   3. fit
   4. cryptic
   5. cabalistic

   (A. obvious) Recondite means mystical or profound. Obvious means apparent. Plane means flat. Fit means trim. Ambiguous means cryptic. Cabalistic means abstruse or incomprehensible.

8. REDUNDANT

   1. Insufficient
   2. Expanded
   3. Profound
   4. Numerous
   5. Verbose

   (A. Insufficient) Redundant means superfluous, extra, unneeded. But insufficient means not enough.

9. 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.

10. PROFUSE

    1. extravagant
    2. antinatural
    3. immodest
    4. sparse
    5. refutable

    (D. sparse) Profuse means lavish, lush, or abundant. Choice A extravagant means going beyond what is reasonable. Choice B antinatural means against nature. Choice C immodest means lacking in modesty or indecent. Choice D sparse means not thickly grown. Choice E refutable means able to be proved wrong.

11. 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.

12. AFFECTION

    1. love
    2. aversion
    3. disaffection
    4. purity
    5. effect

    (B. aversion.) Affection means love or liking. Choice B aversion means strong dislike. Choice C disaffection means alienation or resentment. Choice D purity means cleanness, freedom from physical or moral pollution.

13. RESILIENT

    1. elastic
    2. resinous
    3. resolute
    4. inflexible
    5. malleable

    (D. inflexible.) Resilient means elastic, easily regaining its original shape. Choice B resinous means composed of resins (particular kinds of particles). Choice C resolute means determined. Choice D inflexible means stiff or rigid. Choice E malleable means moldable or flexible.

14. LABYRINTHINE

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

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

15. CAPTIOUS

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

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

16. ELEVATED

    1. grounded
    2. raised
    3. excited
    4. subterranean
    5. moody

    (D. subterranean.) Elevated means above the ground. Choice A grounded means connected to the earth. Choice D subterranean means beneath the surface.

17. 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.

18. INVEIGH

    1. to lose weight
    2. to estimate
    3. to accept meekly
    4. to cherish fondly
    5. to retreat

    (C. to accept meekly) To inveigh is to protest strongly, to rail against. The opposite is choice C to accept meekly.

19. MANDATORY

    1. dispassionate
    2. obligatory
    3. voluntary
    4. inveterate
    5. disconsolate

    (C. voluntary) Mandatory means obligatory, ordered. Choice A dispassionate means impartial. Choice D inveterate means deep-seated. Choice E disconsolate means cheerless, unhappy.

20. BOMB

    1. inception
    2. task
    3. divot
    4. storm
    5. hit

    (E. hit) A bomb is American theater terminology for a failure, the opposite of hit.

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