Solved Examples Set 3 (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. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. HIDEBOUND

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

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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. LABYRINTHINE

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

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

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. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

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