Solved Examples Set 2 (Antonyms)

1. 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.

2. EMPATHY

   1. compassion
   2. lack of feeling for others
   3. lack of religious certainty
   4. lack of credit
   5. recalcitrance

   (B. lack of feeling for others) Empathy means feeling for others, sympathy. Choice E recalcitrance means disobedience, noncompliance.

3. 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.

4. NOVEL

   1. fictional
   2. poetic
   3. ordinary
   4. narrative
   5. peerless

   (C. ordinary) Novel means new or unique. Fictional means made up or fabricated. Poetic means elegant or musical. Ordinary means common or everyday. Narrative means related to a story. Peerless means unique.

5. NEBULOUS

   1. astronomical
   2. distinct
   3. eccentric
   4. hopeful
   5. moribund

   (B. distinct) Nebulous means vague or hazy. Choice B distinct means clear, single, particular, or discrete. The adjective moribund, choice E, means dying.

6. HUGGER-MUGGER

   1. incarcerate
   2. eat heartily
   3. dance wildly
   4. keep watch
   5. publicize

   (E. publicize) As a verb, hugger-mugger means to hush up. Choice E publicize means to announce, promote, or advertise. To incarcerate, choice A, is to imprison.

7. TRUMPET

   1. fetch
   2. glut
   3. hone
   4. idle
   5. veil

   (E. veil) The verb trumpet means to announce loudly, to proclaim. The opposite is veil, which means to cover or conceal.

8. DISPARATE

   1. dissimilar
   2. similar
   3. disconcerted
   4. contrite
   5. desperate

   (B. similar.) Disparate means different. Choice A dissimilar means different. Choice B similar means the same or nearly the same. Choice C disconcerted means bewildered or confused. Choice D contrite means repentant.

9. CONFIDANT

   1. assurance
   2. acquaintance
   3. enemy
   4. confession
   5. ally

   (C. enemy.) Confidant means a friend, a person you can confide in. Choice C enemy is the opposite of friend.

10. EUPHORIA

    1. mandate
    2. intoxicant
    3. life
    4. euthanasia
    5. gloom

    (E. gloom.) Euphoria means a feeling of well-being or elation. Choice A mandate means an order or command. Choice B intoxicant means a mind-altering substance. Choice D euthanasia means mercy killing. Choice E gloom means sadness or depression.

11. 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.

12. UBIQUITOUS

    1. obsequious
    2. cantankerous
    3. rare
    4. intermittent
    5. omnivorous

    (C. rare) Ubiquitous means omnipresent, everywhere. Choice A obsequious means excessively or sickeningly respectful. Choice B cantankerous means bad-tempered. Choice C rare means seldom found or occurring. Choice D intermittent means occurring at intervals, not continuous. Choice E omnivorous means feeding on both plants and animal flesh.

13. TACITLY

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

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

14. REDUNDANT

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

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

15. 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.

16. PROCEED

    1. secede
    2. succeed
    3. impede
    4. lead
    5. recede

    (E. recede.) Proceed means move forward, go ahead as planned. Choice E recede means to move backward. Choice A secede means to withdraw or quit. Choice C impede means to slow down.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

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