Chapter 24
Antonyms
Theory
Types of Antonyms
| Type | Definition | Key Test | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gradable (Contrary) | Opposites that lie at two ends of a continuous scale; intermediate degrees exist between them. | "Not hot" does NOT necessarily mean "cold" — there is warm, cool, lukewarm in between. | hot × cold; big × small; rich × poor; young × old; fast × slow |
| Complementary (Contradictory) | Strict either/or pairs; denying one automatically affirms the other. No middle ground. | "Not alive" = dead; there is nothing in between. | alive × dead; true × false; present × absent; male × female; pass × fail |
| Relational / Converse | Two-sided relations describing the same event from opposite viewpoints; one cannot exist without the other. | If A buys from B, then B sells to A. | buy × sell; teacher × pupil; parent × child; lend × borrow; husband × wife; above × below |
Forming Antonyms with Prefixes
| Prefix | Sense | Examples (positive → opposite) |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not / reversal | happy → unhappy; kind → unkind; do → undo; lock → unlock; able → unable |
| in- (and im-, il-, ir-) | not (assimilates to the following consonant) | complete → incomplete; im- before m/p/b: possible → impossible, mature → immature; il- before l: legal → illegal; ir- before r: regular → irregular, responsible → irresponsible |
| dis- | not / opposite of / apart | honest → dishonest; agree → disagree; appear → disappear; approve → disapprove; obey → disobey |
| non- | not (neutral, no value-judgement) | sense → nonsense; fiction → non-fiction; violence → non-violence; resident → non-resident |
| anti- | against / opposing | clockwise → anticlockwise; thesis → antithesis; social → antisocial; biotic → antibiotic |
| mis- | wrongly / badly | understand → misunderstand; lead → mislead; behave → misbehave; trust → mistrust |
| de- | reversal / removal | activate → deactivate; code → decode; merit → demerit; value → devalue; centralise → decentralise |
• famous → infamous does NOT simply mean "not famous"; infamous means famous for something bad (notorious). The true neutral opposite of famous is unknown / obscure.
• flammable and inflammable are synonyms, NOT opposites — both mean "easily set on fire". The opposite is non-flammable / fireproof.
• valuable → invaluable is a trap: invaluable means "so precious it cannot be valued" (the opposite of valueless / worthless, not of valuable).
• Many words take only ONE specific prefix: it is illegal (not "unlegal"), irregular (not "disregular"), impossible (not "unpossible").
High-Frequency Examination Pairs (A–Z)
Learn each pair as Word — Best Antonym — Meaning of the headword.
A
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Abundant | Scarce | existing in large quantity; plentiful |
| Accept | Reject | to receive willingly; to agree to |
| Accelerate | Decelerate | to increase speed |
| Acquit | Convict | to declare free of a charge |
| Amateur | Professional | one who does something for pleasure, not pay |
| Ample | Meagre | more than enough; plentiful |
| Ancient | Modern | belonging to the very distant past |
| Artificial | Natural | made by humans; not natural |
| Ascend | Descend | to go up; to climb |
| Arrogant | Humble | having an exaggerated sense of one's importance |
B
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Barren | Fertile | (of land) producing no vegetation |
| Benevolent | Malevolent | kind, well-meaning, wishing good |
| Bitter | Sweet | having a sharp, unpleasant taste |
| Bold | Timid | showing courage; daring |
| Brave | Cowardly | ready to face danger |
| Brief | Lengthy | short in duration |
| Brighten | Dim | to make or become lighter |
| Broad | Narrow | wide from side to side |
C
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Candid | Evasive | frank, honest and straightforward |
| Captivity | Freedom | the state of being imprisoned or confined |
| Cautious | Reckless | careful to avoid danger |
| Censure | Praise | strong disapproval; to criticise harshly |
| Clumsy | Graceful | awkward in movement or handling |
| Coarse | Fine / Refined | rough in texture; unrefined |
| Combine | Separate | to join or merge together |
| Comic | Tragic | causing or meant to cause laughter |
| Condemn | Approve | to express strong disapproval of |
| Conceal | Reveal | to hide; to keep secret |
| Confine | Release | to keep within limits; to imprison |
| Contract | Expand | to become smaller; to shrink |
| Courteous | Rude | polite and respectful |
| Cruel | Kind | causing pain or suffering deliberately |
D
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn | Dusk | the first appearance of light; daybreak |
| Defeat | Victory | to win a contest against; loss |
| Deny | Admit | to refuse to acknowledge or accept |
| Diligent | Lazy / Indolent | hard-working and careful |
| Dilute | Concentrate | to make weaker by adding water |
| Discord | Harmony | disagreement; lack of agreement |
| Doubtful | Certain | uncertain; feeling doubt |
| Drowsy | Alert | sleepy; half asleep |
| Dwarf | Giant | a person or thing much below normal size |
E
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eager | Indifferent | keenly desiring; enthusiastic |
| Ebb | Flow | the receding of the tide; decline |
| Economical | Extravagant | careful in the use of money |
| Elevate | Lower | to raise to a higher position |
| Encourage | Discourage | to give support and confidence to |
| Expand | Contract | to increase in size; to grow larger |
| Exterior | Interior | the outer part or surface |
| External | Internal | relating to the outside |
F
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Famous | Obscure / Unknown | known about by very many people |
| Feeble | Strong | lacking physical strength; weak |
| Fertile | Barren | capable of producing abundant growth |
| Fiction | Fact | imaginative narrative; not true |
| Foe | Friend | an enemy or opponent |
| Foolish | Wise | lacking good sense or judgement |
| Forbid | Permit | to refuse to allow |
| Frugal | Extravagant | economical, sparing in spending |
G
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | Lose | to obtain or acquire |
| Generous | Miserly | willing to give freely; liberal |
| Genuine | Fake / Counterfeit | truly what it is said to be; authentic |
| Gloomy | Cheerful | dark and depressing; melancholy |
| Glorify | Condemn | to praise highly; to honour |
| Gradual | Sudden | taking place by degrees; slow |
| Guilty | Innocent | responsible for a wrong or crime |
H
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | Discord | agreement; pleasing arrangement |
| Haughty | Modest | arrogantly superior and disdainful |
| Hideous | Beautiful | extremely ugly or unpleasant |
| Hinder | Help / Assist | to create difficulties; to obstruct |
| Honour | Disgrace | high respect; esteem |
| Hostile | Friendly | unfriendly; antagonistic |
| Humble | Arrogant / Proud | modest; not proud |
I
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Idle | Busy | not active; doing nothing |
| Ignorant | Learned | lacking knowledge or awareness |
| Imitate | Originate | to copy the manner of |
| Import | Export | to bring goods into a country |
| Include | Exclude | to comprise as part of a whole |
| Increase | Decrease | to become greater in size or amount |
| Innocent | Guilty | not responsible for a wrong; blameless |
| Insult | Compliment | to speak with disrespect to |
J – L
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Jovial | Morose | cheerful and good-humoured |
| Junior | Senior | lower in rank or age |
| Justice | Injustice | fair treatment; fairness |
| Knowledge | Ignorance | facts and skills acquired through learning |
| Laborious | Effortless | requiring much hard work |
| Lavish | Scanty | sumptuously rich or abundant |
| Lenient | Strict / Severe | mild and tolerant; not harsh |
| Liberal | Conservative | open to new ideas; generous |
| Liberty | Bondage | freedom from confinement |
| Lofty | Lowly | of great height; noble |
M
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Majority | Minority | the greater number or part |
| Malice | Goodwill | the desire to harm someone |
| Meek | Aggressive | quiet, gentle and submissive |
| Melt | Freeze | to make or become liquid by heating |
| Merit | Demerit | the quality of being good; worth |
| Mighty | Weak / Feeble | possessing great power |
| Modest | Conceited | not vain; humble about oneself |
| Mourn | Rejoice | to feel or show deep sorrow |
N – O
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Native | Foreigner / Alien | a person born in a particular place |
| Noble | Ignoble / Mean | having fine personal qualities |
| Novice | Expert / Veteran | a person new to a field; beginner |
| Obedient | Defiant | willing to obey; compliant |
| Obscure | Distinct / Famous | not clearly known or understood |
| Offend | Please | to cause to feel hurt or annoyed |
| Optimist | Pessimist | one who expects the best outcome |
| Ordinary | Extraordinary | with no special features; usual |
P
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent | Temporary | lasting for a long time without change |
| Plenty | Scarcity | a large or sufficient amount |
| Polite | Rude | having good manners; courteous |
| Praise | Censure / Blame | to express warm approval of |
| Private | Public | belonging to one person; not shared |
| Profit | Loss | financial gain |
| Prudent | Imprudent / Rash | acting with care and good sense |
| Punctual | Tardy / Late | doing things at the agreed time |
Q – R
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Quench | Kindle | to satisfy thirst; to extinguish |
| Quiet | Noisy | making little or no noise |
| Rapid | Slow | happening in a short time; fast |
| Rare | Common | not occurring very often |
| Reject | Accept | to refuse to accept or consider |
| Reluctant | Willing | unwilling and hesitant |
| Rigid | Flexible | unable to bend; stiff; inflexible |
| Rough | Smooth | having an uneven surface |
S
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sacred | Profane | holy; connected with religion |
| Scarce | Abundant | insufficient for the demand; rare |
| Shallow | Deep | of little depth |
| Sharp | Blunt | having a fine edge or point |
| Sober | Drunk | not affected by alcohol; serious |
| Sorrow | Joy | deep distress caused by loss |
| Sturdy | Frail | strongly and solidly built |
| Superior | Inferior | higher in rank, status or quality |
T – U
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tame | Wild | (of an animal) not dangerous; domesticated |
| Temporary | Permanent | lasting for only a limited period |
| Tender | Tough | gentle and kind; soft |
| Transparent | Opaque | allowing light through; see-through |
| Trivial | Significant | of little value or importance |
| Triumph | Failure | a great victory or achievement |
| Unite | Divide | to come or bring together |
| Urban | Rural | relating to a town or city |
V – Z
| Word | Best Antonym | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Vacant | Occupied | empty; not filled |
| Vague | Definite / Clear | not clearly expressed; unclear |
| Valiant | Cowardly | showing courage or determination |
| Victory | Defeat | success in a struggle or contest |
| Vice | Virtue | immoral or wicked behaviour |
| Voluntary | Compulsory | done of one's own free will |
| Wax | Wane | (of the moon) to grow larger / increase |
| Wealth | Poverty | an abundance of valuable possessions |
| Wholesome | Harmful | good for health and well-being |
| Wise | Foolish | having experience and good judgement |
| Yield | Resist | to give way; to surrender |
| Zenith | Nadir | the highest point; the peak |
Choosing the Best (Most Exact) Antonym by Context
An examiner usually leaves more than one "opposite-ish" option. Your task is to pick the most exact one. Follow this procedure:
- Fix the part of speech. The antonym must match the headword's grammatical class. The opposite of the verb conceal is the verb reveal, not the noun openness.
- Identify the intended sense. Polysemous words have different opposites for different senses. Light (not heavy) → heavy; light (not dark) → dark. Read any context clue carefully.
- Match the register/intensity. The opposite of benevolent is the equally strong malevolent, not merely unkind.
- Prefer the precise opposite over the broad negation. For generous, choose miserly over the vaguer ungenerous when both appear.
- Eliminate synonyms and unrelated words first; the remaining genuine opposite is usually obvious.
Worked Examples
Example 1. Antonym of BENEVOLENT: (a) generous (b) malevolent (c) kindly (d) cheerful.
Working: Benevolent = wishing good. (a) and (c) are synonyms, (d) is unrelated. The exact opposite, matching intensity, is (b) malevolent (wishing harm).
Example 2. Antonym of FRUGAL: (a) thrifty (b) economical (c) extravagant (d) cheap.
Working: Frugal = sparing in spending. (a) and (b) are synonyms; (d) is unrelated. Opposite = (c) extravagant (wasteful in spending).
Example 3. Antonym of WAX (as in "the moon waxes"): (a) shine (b) wane (c) melt (d) grow.
Working: Here wax = to increase/grow. (d) is a synonym; (c) plays on the noun "candle wax" trap. Opposite = (b) wane (to decrease).
Example 4. Antonym of TRANSPARENT: (a) clear (b) glassy (c) opaque (d) coloured.
Working: Transparent = letting light through. (a),(b) synonyms; (d) unrelated. Opposite = (c) opaque.
Example 5. Antonym of CANDID: (a) honest (b) frank (c) evasive (d) blunt.
Working: Candid = frank and open. (a),(b),(d) are near-synonyms. Opposite = (c) evasive (avoiding the truth).
Example 6. Antonym of SACRED: (a) holy (b) divine (c) profane (d) blessed.
Working: Sacred = holy. (a),(b),(d) synonyms. Opposite = (c) profane (irreverent, secular).
Common Exam Errors
| # | Wrong antonym chosen | Correct antonym | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Famous × Infamous | Famous × Obscure/Unknown | Infamous = notorious (famous for bad reasons), not "not famous". |
| 2 | Valuable × Invaluable | Valuable × Worthless | Invaluable means priceless — a near-synonym, not an opposite. |
| 3 | Flammable × Inflammable | Flammable × Non-flammable | Flammable and inflammable mean the same thing. |
| 4 | Moral × Immoral (for amoral) | Moral × Immoral; amoral = no morals | Amoral (no moral sense) is not the opposite of moral; immoral is. |
| 5 | Literate × Illegible | Literate × Illiterate | Spelling-trap: illegible = unreadable, unrelated to literacy. |
| 6 | Liberal × Liberate | Liberal × Conservative | A word that merely looks similar is not an opposite. |
| 7 | Ascend × Fall | Ascend × Descend | Fall is a near-opposite; descend is the exact converse. |
| 8 | Generous × Ungenerous | Generous × Miserly | Prefer the precise opposite to the vague negation when both appear. |
| 9 | Optimist × Realist | Optimist × Pessimist | Realist is a near-opposite; pessimist is the exact opposite. |
| 10 | Guilty × Blameless | Guilty × Innocent | In legal sense, the complementary opposite is innocent. |
| 11 | Sacred × Cursed | Sacred × Profane | Cursed is emotive; profane is the exact antonym (secular/irreverent). |
| 12 | Expand × Reduce | Expand × Contract | Contract is the precise physical opposite of expand. |
| 13 | Candid × Rude | Candid × Evasive | Rude confuses tone with truthfulness; opposite is evasive. |
| 14 | Humble × Confident | Humble × Arrogant | Confidence is not arrogance; the opposite of humility is arrogance. |
| 15 | Diligent × Idle | Diligent × Indolent/Lazy | Idle = inactive; indolent/lazy captures the exact opposite of hard-working. |
| 16 | Frugal × Rich | Frugal × Extravagant | Wealth ≠ wastefulness; opposite of sparing is extravagant. |
| 17 | Modest × Bold | Modest × Conceited | Bold is unrelated; the opposite of modest is conceited/vain. |
| 18 | Wax × Melt | Wax × Wane | "Melt" exploits the candle-wax noun; verb wax opposes wane. |
| 19 | Praise × Ignore | Praise × Censure/Blame | Ignoring is not the opposite of praising; censure is. |
| 20 | Rigid × Soft | Rigid × Flexible | Soft opposes hard; rigid opposes flexible. |
| 21 | Transparent × Dark | Transparent × Opaque | Light/dark is a different axis; opposite is opaque. |
| 22 | Benevolent × Stingy | Benevolent × Malevolent | Stinginess relates to giving; opposite of good-wishing is malevolent. |
| 23 | Abundant × Enough | Abundant × Scarce | "Enough" is mid-scale; the opposite of plentiful is scarce. |
| 24 | Zenith × Sky | Zenith × Nadir | The lowest point opposite the highest point is nadir. |
| 25 | Voluntary × Forced | Voluntary × Compulsory | In formal usage the exact antonym is compulsory/obligatory. |
Exam Tricks
- Read the instruction twice — confirm it says OPPOSITE, not SIMILAR. Examiners alternate the two to catch the careless.
- The synonym distractor: at least one option is usually a synonym of the key word — eliminate it immediately.
- The prefix-trap distractor: watch for in-/un-/im- forms that look like opposites but are not (infamous, invaluable, inflammable).
- The near-opposite distractor: when two opposites appear, choose the exact converse, not the loose one.
- The spelling-similar distractor: a word that merely resembles the headword (literate/illegible, liberal/liberate) is a decoy.
- Match part of speech — reject any option whose word class differs from the headword.
- Use the root: bene- (good) ↔ male- (bad); -phile (love) ↔ -phobe (fear); ascend/descend share the root -scend.
- Test by substitution: place each option in a simple sentence with the headword's antonym slot; the one that reverses the meaning cleanly is correct.
- Guard against polysemy: if the word has several meanings (light, fair, sound), pick the antonym for the most common/contextual sense.
Frequently Confused Pairs
Words whose "obvious" prefix opposite is wrong or whose look-alike misleads:
| Headword | Looks like opposite | Truth | Real opposite of headword |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuable | Invaluable | Invaluable = priceless (a near-synonym) | Worthless / Valueless |
| Flammable | Inflammable | Both mean "easily catches fire" | Non-flammable / Fireproof |
| Famous | Infamous | Infamous = notorious (bad fame) | Obscure / Unknown |
| Moral | Amoral | Amoral = having no moral sense | Immoral |
| Sensible | Sensitive | Sensitive = easily affected; different sense | Foolish / Senseless |
| Literate | Illegible | Illegible = unreadable handwriting | Illiterate |
| Eatable (edible) | Inedible vs uneatable | Inedible = unfit to eat; uneatable = unpalatable | Inedible / Poisonous |
| Passable | Impassable vs impassible | Impassable = cannot be crossed; impassible = unfeeling | Impassable (for "passable" = crossable) |
| Disinterested | Uninterested | Disinterested = impartial, NOT bored | Biased / Partial |
| Continual | Continuous | Different senses (repeated vs unbroken) | Intermittent (for "continuous") |
Exceptions — Important, Rare & Advanced
- Auto-antonyms (contronyms): a few words are their own opposites depending on context — cleave (to split / to cling), sanction (to permit / to penalise), fast (moving quickly / fixed firmly), dust (to remove dust / to sprinkle dust), oversight (supervision / an omission). Context decides the meaning, hence the opposite.
- Words with no single neat opposite: abstract nouns such as information, music or orange (the colour) have no standard antonym; examiners avoid these or ask for the opposite of an associated quality.
- Asymmetric prefixes: some words admit only a specific negative prefix — impossible (not "unpossible"), illegal (not "unlegal"), irrelevant (not "unrelevant"). The choice is fixed by usage, not logic.
- Strong vs neutral negation: unhappy (sad) is stronger than not happy; for gradable words the prefixed form often denotes the contrary, not a mere negation.
- Latin/Greek root pairs (advanced): benediction × malediction; protagonist × antagonist; centripetal × centrifugal; esoteric × exoteric; ephemeral × perpetual; magnanimous × pusillanimous; extol × disparage; nascent × moribund.
- Converse pairs that trap by viewpoint: lend × borrow, teach × learn, buy × sell — the examiner may offer the synonym of the headword as the "opposite" to confuse the directional relationship.
50 MCQs
Easy (1–15)
1. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ABUNDANT.
(a) plentiful (b) scarce (c) ample (d) rich
Answer: (b) scarce
Explanation: Abundant means plentiful; its opposite is scarce.
2. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ANCIENT.
(a) old (b) historic (c) modern (d) classic
Answer: (c) modern
Explanation: Ancient = very old; opposite is modern.
3. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ASCEND.
(a) descend (b) climb (c) rise (d) mount
Answer: (a) descend
Explanation: Ascend = go up; its exact converse is descend.
4. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to BRAVE.
(a) bold (b) cowardly (c) daring (d) heroic
Answer: (b) cowardly
Explanation: Opposite of brave is cowardly; the rest are synonyms.
5. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ACCEPT.
(a) receive (b) take (c) reject (d) admit
Answer: (c) reject
Explanation: Accept ↔ reject.
6. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ARTIFICIAL.
(a) fake (b) natural (c) synthetic (d) false
Answer: (b) natural
Explanation: Artificial = man-made; opposite is natural.
7. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to VICTORY.
(a) triumph (b) success (c) defeat (d) conquest
Answer: (c) defeat
Explanation: Victory ↔ defeat.
8. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to EXPAND.
(a) grow (b) swell (c) contract (d) enlarge
Answer: (c) contract
Explanation: Expand = grow larger; opposite is contract.
9. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to HUMBLE.
(a) modest (b) arrogant (c) meek (d) gentle
Answer: (b) arrogant
Explanation: Opposite of humble is arrogant.
10. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to INNOCENT.
(a) pure (b) guilty (c) harmless (d) naive
Answer: (b) guilty
Explanation: Innocent ↔ guilty (complementary pair).
11. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to RIGID.
(a) firm (b) stiff (c) flexible (d) hard
Answer: (c) flexible
Explanation: Rigid = inflexible; opposite is flexible.
12. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to PRAISE.
(a) admire (b) censure (c) applaud (d) commend
Answer: (b) censure
Explanation: Praise ↔ censure (criticise harshly).
13. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to TRANSPARENT.
(a) clear (b) opaque (c) glassy (d) plain
Answer: (b) opaque
Explanation: Transparent ↔ opaque.
14. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to OPTIMIST.
(a) dreamer (b) realist (c) pessimist (d) idealist
Answer: (c) pessimist
Explanation: Exact opposite is pessimist; realist is only a near-opposite.
15. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to GENEROUS.
(a) liberal (b) miserly (c) lavish (d) kind
Answer: (b) miserly
Explanation: Generous ↔ miserly.
Moderate (16–35)
16. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to BENEVOLENT.
(a) kindly (b) malevolent (c) generous (d) gracious
Answer: (b) malevolent
Explanation: Benevolent (wishing good) ↔ malevolent (wishing harm).
17. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to FRUGAL.
(a) thrifty (b) economical (c) extravagant (d) sparing
Answer: (c) extravagant
Explanation: Frugal = sparing; opposite is extravagant.
18. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to CANDID.
(a) frank (b) honest (c) evasive (d) open
Answer: (c) evasive
Explanation: Candid ↔ evasive; the rest are synonyms.
19. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to DILIGENT.
(a) careful (b) indolent (c) industrious (d) earnest
Answer: (b) indolent
Explanation: Diligent = hard-working; opposite is indolent/lazy.
20. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to SACRED.
(a) holy (b) divine (c) profane (d) blessed
Answer: (c) profane
Explanation: Sacred ↔ profane.
21. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to MODEST.
(a) shy (b) conceited (c) humble (d) reserved
Answer: (b) conceited
Explanation: Modest ↔ conceited/vain.
22. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to WAX (verb).
(a) shine (b) wane (c) melt (d) increase
Answer: (b) wane
Explanation: Verb wax = increase; opposite wane = decrease.
23. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to LIBERAL.
(a) generous (b) conservative (c) broad-minded (d) tolerant
Answer: (b) conservative
Explanation: In outlook, liberal ↔ conservative.
24. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to BARREN.
(a) dry (b) fertile (c) empty (d) bare
Answer: (b) fertile
Explanation: Barren ↔ fertile.
25. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to CONCEAL.
(a) hide (b) cover (c) reveal (d) mask
Answer: (c) reveal
Explanation: Conceal ↔ reveal.
26. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to HOSTILE.
(a) friendly (b) angry (c) aggressive (d) cold
Answer: (a) friendly
Explanation: Hostile = unfriendly; opposite is friendly.
27. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to GRADUAL.
(a) slow (b) sudden (c) steady (d) gentle
Answer: (b) sudden
Explanation: Gradual ↔ sudden/abrupt.
28. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to VACANT.
(a) empty (b) occupied (c) free (d) hollow
Answer: (b) occupied
Explanation: Vacant ↔ occupied.
29. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to VOLUNTARY.
(a) willing (b) compulsory (c) free (d) optional
Answer: (b) compulsory
Explanation: Voluntary ↔ compulsory/obligatory.
30. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to LENIENT.
(a) mild (b) gentle (c) strict (d) tolerant
Answer: (c) strict
Explanation: Lenient ↔ strict/severe.
31. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to NOVICE.
(a) beginner (b) learner (c) expert (d) trainee
Answer: (c) expert
Explanation: Novice = beginner; opposite is expert/veteran.
32. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ECONOMICAL.
(a) thrifty (b) extravagant (c) careful (d) cheap
Answer: (b) extravagant
Explanation: Economical ↔ extravagant.
33. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to FEEBLE.
(a) weak (b) frail (c) strong (d) faint
Answer: (c) strong
Explanation: Feeble ↔ strong.
34. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to HARMONY.
(a) accord (b) discord (c) unity (d) peace
Answer: (b) discord
Explanation: Harmony ↔ discord.
35. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to IMPORT.
(a) bring (b) export (c) carry (d) supply
Answer: (b) export
Explanation: Import ↔ export (relational pair).
Difficult (36–50)
36. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to FAMOUS.
(a) infamous (b) notorious (c) obscure (d) celebrated
Answer: (c) obscure
Explanation: Infamous/notorious mean badly famous; the true opposite is obscure/unknown.
37. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to VALUABLE.
(a) invaluable (b) precious (c) worthless (d) costly
Answer: (c) worthless
Explanation: Invaluable means priceless; the opposite of valuable is worthless.
38. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to ZENITH.
(a) summit (b) nadir (c) peak (d) apex
Answer: (b) nadir
Explanation: Zenith (highest point) ↔ nadir (lowest point).
39. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to EPHEMERAL.
(a) brief (b) fleeting (c) perpetual (d) transient
Answer: (c) perpetual
Explanation: Ephemeral = short-lived; opposite is perpetual/lasting.
40. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to MAGNANIMOUS.
(a) generous (b) noble (c) petty (d) forgiving
Answer: (c) petty
Explanation: Magnanimous = generous/forgiving; opposite is petty/mean.
41. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to PROTAGONIST.
(a) hero (b) leader (c) antagonist (d) champion
Answer: (c) antagonist
Explanation: Protagonist ↔ antagonist.
42. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to DISINTERESTED.
(a) uninterested (b) bored (c) biased (d) detached
Answer: (c) biased
Explanation: Disinterested = impartial; opposite is biased/partial, not "uninterested".
43. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to NASCENT.
(a) emerging (b) budding (c) moribund (d) new
Answer: (c) moribund
Explanation: Nascent = just coming into being; opposite is moribund (dying).
44. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to PROFANE.
(a) vulgar (b) secular (c) sacred (d) impious
Answer: (c) sacred
Explanation: Profane ↔ sacred/holy.
45. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to PRODIGAL.
(a) wasteful (b) lavish (c) thrifty (d) reckless
Answer: (c) thrifty
Explanation: Prodigal = wastefully extravagant; opposite is thrifty/frugal.
46. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to AMORAL.
(a) immoral (b) ethical (c) wicked (d) corrupt
Answer: (b) ethical
Explanation: Amoral = lacking any moral sense; its opposite is ethical/moral (governed by morals). Note: immoral is the opposite of moral, not of amoral.
47. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to EXTOL.
(a) praise (b) glorify (c) disparage (d) honour
Answer: (c) disparage
Explanation: Extol = praise highly; opposite is disparage/belittle.
48. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to PARSIMONIOUS.
(a) stingy (b) frugal (c) lavish (d) careful
Answer: (c) lavish
Explanation: Parsimonious = excessively sparing; opposite is lavish/generous.
49. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to OBSCURE.
(a) vague (b) hidden (c) distinct (d) dim
Answer: (c) distinct
Explanation: Obscure = unclear/little-known; opposite is distinct/clear.
50. Choose the word OPPOSITE in meaning to CENTRIFUGAL.
(a) circular (b) centripetal (c) rotary (d) spiral
Answer: (b) centripetal
Explanation: Centrifugal (fleeing the centre) ↔ centripetal (seeking the centre).