Antonyms Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The opposite of stoical is flinching.

A stoical person endures pain and hardship without complaint or visible emotion, after the Greek Stoic philosophers. To flinch is to draw back or wince in fear or pain, the very reaction a stoic does not show.

Tactless means lacking sensitivity in dealing with others, and awkward means clumsy or uncomfortable; neither is about enduring hardship. Assured means confident, which is closer to stoical than opposite to it.

Answer: B

The antonym of rancour is harmony.

Rancour is bitter, long-lasting resentment or ill will. Between two friends, its opposite is harmony: friendly agreement and goodwill.

Animosity and enmity are synonyms of rancour, both meaning hostility. Devotion means deep loyalty or love; it is a positive feeling but not the direct opposite of ill will between equals, which harmony is.

Answer: C

The opposite of amateur is professional.

An amateur photographer takes photographs for pleasure rather than payment. A professional does it as a paid occupation. That distinction of paid versus unpaid is the true opposition.

Experienced and skilled describe ability, and an amateur may be both, so they are not opposites of amateur. Average describes ordinary quality and has no opposite relation to the word.

Answer: D

The opposite of lethargic is Hyperactive.

Lethargic describes someone sluggish, drowsy and lacking energy. Hyperactive describes someone abnormally active and full of energy, the opposite state.

Immobile (not moving) and indolent (lazy) are close in meaning to lethargic, not opposite. Irresponsible concerns a lack of duty or care, which has nothing to do with energy.

Answer: C

The antonym of onerous is light.

Onerous describes a task or duty that is heavy, troublesome and hard to bear, as in 'an onerous responsibility'. Its opposite is something light, easy to carry or to do.

Burdensome and difficult are synonyms of onerous, not antonyms, so they are the classic traps. Fluent means flowing easily in speech or writing and has no relation to the weight of a task.

Answer: C

The antonym of fresh is stale.

Fresh food is newly made or picked and in good condition; stale food is no longer fresh, such as dry, hard bread or flat, old air. The two are the standard pair of opposites.

Sweet, bitter and sour are tastes. Fresh food can have any of them, so none is the opposite of fresh.

Fresh has other opposites in other senses: fresh water is the opposite of salt water, and a fresh idea is the opposite of a tired or old one.

Answer: B

The antonym of lenient is strict.

A lenient person, such as a teacher or judge, is mild in punishing and tolerant of faults. A strict one insists firmly on rules and discipline, the opposite.

Soft and mild are close to lenient in meaning, not opposite, and loose refers to something not tight or not firmly controlled, which is also on the lenient side.

Other antonyms are severe, stern and harsh; the noun forms are leniency and strictness.

Answer: A

The antonym of EXAGGERATED is underestimated.

To exaggerate the damage is to make it out to be greater than it was. The opposite is to judge or present it as smaller than it really was, which is to underestimate it.

Underwrote means guaranteed or insured something, ignored means paid no attention to it, and condemned means strongly criticised it. None is the reverse of overstating its size.

Answer: B

The antonym of PACIFY is excite.

To pacify a crowd is to calm it down and quieten its anger or agitation. The opposite is to stir it up, to excite it.

Antagonize is the near miss: it means to make someone hostile towards you, which is about relations with the speaker rather than the crowd's calm or agitation. Threaten and challenge describe actions towards someone, not the reverse of calming them.

Answer: C

The antonym of STRICT is lenient.

A strict officer insists firmly on rules and discipline. A lenient one is tolerant and permissive, inclined to let mistakes pass, which is the direct opposite.

Pleasant and open hearted describe a friendly temperament, which a strict person can also have. Indifferent means unconcerned, which is not the opposite of strictness either.