Solved Examples Set 1 (Antonyms)

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. CAPTIOUS

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

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

4. INANE

   1. foolish
   2. serious
   3. mature
   4. nameless
   5. contrary

   (B. serious.) Inane means silly or empty. Choice B serious means important or solemn.

5. ELOQUENT

   1. lucid
   2. ministerial
   3. wise
   4. graceful
   5. inarticulate

   (E. inarticulate.) Eloquent means articulate. Choice A lucid means clear. Choice B ministerial pertains to a minister. Choice E inarticulate means not eloquent.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. INFIRM

   1. ailing
   2. hospitalized
   3. robust
   4. recovering
   5. firm

   (C. robust.) Infirm means weak, especially from illness or old age. Choice C robust means very healthy.

10. SYNCHRONIZED

    1. Arrhythmic
    2. Resonating
    3. Harmonized
    4. Bough
    5. Chronological

    (A. Arrhythmic) Synchronized means occuring at the same time or occurring together. The best opposite would be Arrhythmic.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. ORNERY

    1. with many faults
    2. odorless
    3. agreeable in disposition
    4. fetid
    5. highly decorated

    (C. agreeable in disposition) Ornery means disagreeable, mean, crotchety. The adjective fetid, choice D, means noisome, stinking.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. IRASCIBLE

    1. iridescent
    2. cooperative
    3. irregular
    4. commensurate
    5. devilish

    (B. cooperative) Irascible means quarrelsome or hot-tempered. Choice A iridescent means giving off a rainbow glow. Choice B cooperative means agreeable or easygoing. Choice D commensurate means proportionate. Choice E devilish means evil or sinister.

19. 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.

20. 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.

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