Top Careers & You

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ANTONYMS

WHAT ARE ANTONYMS?

Antonyms are words which are opposite, or nearly opposite, in meaning.

Skills Tested: Antonym questions measure not merely the strength of your vocabulary but also your ability
to reason from a given concept to its opposite.

WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY?

1. Define the question word and choose the opposite: In case, the exact opposites of the words are not
given; then look for most nearly opposites, as some words can have several meanings.
Looking for the keywords could be of great help.

Example: WONTED
(A) improvident (B) knavish (C) uninhabitable
(D) anachronistic (E) iconoclastic

Explanation: Wonted means customary, habitual.

Keyword: usual
Therefore, a word characterizing “unusual” would serve our purpose.
Let’s define all the option words:
Improvident – extravagant, spendthrift
Knavish – fraudulent, untrustworthy
Uninhabitable – unlivable
Anachronistic – chronologically out of place
Iconoclastic – one opposed to the religious use of images or advocating the destruction of such images;
individualistic.
“Individualistic” infers unusual characteristics. Hence, (E) is the answer.

2. Look for the prefixes, suffixes or roots: in case you don’t know the meaning of the word.
Example: ABSTEMIOUS
(A) devout (B) cacophonous (C) frigid
(D) sybaritic (E) ruckus

Explanation: “Ab” (from abstemious) – means away from.

Let’s check the meaning of all the options:
Devout – very religious, pious
Cacophonous – ill sounding, dissonant
Frigid - extremely cold; without heat or warmth
Sybaritic – self indulgence, voluptuous, luxurious
Ruckus – noisy confusion

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Of all the options, “sybaritic” would be opposite to “ab” (away from).

“Abstemious” means moderate, esp. in eating and drinking. Hence, (D) is the answer.

3. Look for the positive or negative connotation: In case, you don’t know the meanings of he worlds;
check for their positive or negative character.
Example: ANNIHILATE
(A) frenzy (B) renounce (C) trample
(D) irate (E) fabricate
Explanation: “Annihilate” (to destroy completely) is a negative word. Therefore, its antonym would be
a positive word.
Of all the options, “fabricate” (to make, build, construct) highlights positivity, hence the answer.
Frenzy is rage, craze, and furor.
Renounce – to abandon, to repudiate
Trample – to crush, destroy, hurt, violate
Irate – angry, wrathful

4. Elimination – eliminate a group of similar words (synonyms) or related words or similar type of words
from the options and you’ll be left with only one opposite.
Example: PETULANT
(A) bland (B) fractious (C) irascible (D) splenetic (E) pixilated
Explanation: A close look at the options will tell us that fractious (irritable, peevish); irascible (easily
angered; quick – tempered) and splenetic (bad – tempered, irritable) are synonyms and hence
straightway ruled out. All these three options infer negativity, which implies that the question word is
negative. “Petulant” means impatient or irritable esp. over a petty annoyance.
“Bland” means pleasantly smooth in manner, shave and “pixilated” is eccentric, daft, whimsical.
Therefore, “bland”, being positive, is antonym of petulant.
Hence, (A) is the answer.

REMEMBER
¾ Many words you encounter in this section will be challenging; therefore it is important that you
maximize your vocabulary.
¾ Your hold on synonyms would be of immense help to you.
¾ While learning vocabulary, categorize according to different expressions.

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