Solved Examples Set 2 (Antonyms)

1. HERETICAL

   1. skeptical
   2. orthodox
   3. unorthodox
   4. ethereal
   5. insincere

   (B. orthodox) Heretical means challenging conventional beliefs. Choice A skeptical means inclined not to believe. Choice B orthodox means to accept conventional beliefs. Choice C unorthodox means unconventional. Choice D ethereal means light and delicate or heavenly. Choice E insincere means hypocritical, not sincere.

2. INFAMOUS

   1. eager for praise
   2. criminal
   3. with a good reputation
   4. heinous
   5. appearing often

   (C. with a good reputation) Infamous means having a bad reputation. The adjective heinous, choice D, means evil, abominable.

3. PALLID

   1. resplendent
   2. lackluster
   3. enervated
   4. impaled
   5. impervious

   (A. resplendent) Pallid means drab or colorless. Choice A resplendent means bright or brilliant. Choice B lackluster means drab or colorless. Choice C enervated means frail or feeble. Choice D impaled means pierced. Choice E impervious means impenetrable.

4. PALPABLE

   1. pliable
   2. facetious
   3. evident
   4. intangible
   5. careful

   (D. intangible) Palpable means easily perceived, obvious, tangible. Choice A pliable means flexible, easily influenced. Choice B facetious means intending to be funny. Choice D intangible means not tangible.

5. GARRULOUS

   1. Barren
   2. Funnel
   3. Censored
   4. Deaf
   5. Notable

   (D. Deaf) Garrulous means talking too much. Only Deaf; who cannot speak is the right answer.

6. 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.

7. ABSTEMIOUS

   1. self-indulgent
   2. on the dole
   3. self-sacrificing
   4. off the mark
   5. self-satisfied

   (A. self-indulgent) Abstemious means self-denying, temperate.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. CHAOTIC

    1. Immersive
    2. Orderly
    3. Hectic
    4. Nervous
    5. Embarrasing

    (B. Orderly) Chaotic is a negative word that means in a state of complete confusion or disorder. Orderly is the positive word that is the best opposite.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. OVERWROUGHT

    1. relaxed
    2. restrained
    3. underutilized
    4. flawed
    5. underestimated

    (A. relaxed.) Overwrought means overcome by nervous agitation or being overexcited. Choice A relaxed means an absence of tension or tightness.

16. 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.

17. NADIR

    1. ebb tide
    2. positron
    3. mean
    4. median
    5. zenith

    (E. zenith) Nadir is the bottom, the lowest point. Choice A ebb tide means a period or state of decline. Choice B positron means an electrically charged particle. Choice C mean means the average. Choice D median means the middle point. Choice E zenith means topmost or highest point.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

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