Antonyms Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The opposite of autonomy is Dependence.

Autonomy is self-government, the freedom of a person, region or body to manage its own affairs (Greek autos, self, and nomos, law). Its direct opposite is dependence, being governed by or relying on another.

Surrender is the act of giving up, not a state of being governed by others. Submissiveness is a personal trait of meekness, and slavery is an extreme condition of a person; each is related in tone, but none is the precise antonym of a political word for self-rule.

Answer: B

The opposite of recede is Advance.

To recede is to move back or withdraw from a position; flood water recedes as it drains away. The antonym is to advance, to move forward.

Withdraw is a synonym of recede, the opposite of what is asked. Approach means to come near something and rush means to move fast; neither is the direct reverse of moving back, which is why advance is the best answer.

Answer: C

The opposite of precarious is Safe.

A precarious road after a landslide is unsafe and unstable, likely to give way. The antonym is safe, or secure and stable.

Dangerous is a synonym, not an antonym. Narrow and wide describe the road's width, which has nothing to do with whether it is precarious, so they are distractors built on the word road.

Answer: D

The opposite of lenient is Severe.

A lenient officer is mild and tolerant, slow to punish. The antonym is severe or strict, one who demands much and punishes firmly.

Obstinate means stubborn, unwilling to change one's mind, which is a different quality. Annoyed and angry describe passing feelings, while leniency and severity describe a standing manner of treating others.

Answer: A

The opposite of EPICUREAN is Ascetic.

An epicurean is devoted to pleasure, especially fine food and drink; the word comes from the philosopher Epicurus. An ascetic denies himself pleasure and comfort, often for religious reasons, which is the exact opposite.

Slovenly means untidy or careless, imprecision is a lack of exactness, and providential means lucky or as if arranged by providence. None of them is opposed to a love of pleasure.

Answer: B

The opposite of COERCIVE is Gentle.

Coercive means using force, threats or pressure to make someone act. Gentle describes the mild, non-forceful manner that is its opposite.

Progressive means favouring reform, opinionated means holding fixed views, and promoting means encouraging or advancing something. A coercive person can be any of these, so none is an opposite.

Answer: C

The opposite of RELINQUISH is Possess.

To relinquish is to give up or let go of something one holds. To possess is to have and keep it, the opposite state.

Abdicate and renounce are synonyms, both meaning to give up a right, office or claim. Deny means to refuse or to declare untrue, which is not the opposite of giving something up.

Answer: D

The opposite of DILAPIDATED is Renovated.

Dilapidated describes a building or object that has fallen into disrepair through age or neglect. Renovated means restored to good condition, the direct opposite.

Broken-down is a synonym, not an antonym. Costly and well-furnished describe price and contents, not the state of repair, so they are not opposites.

Dilapidated comes from the Latin lapis, stone: a dilapidated building is one whose stones are falling apart.

Answer: D

The opposite of ZEAL is Apathy.

Zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an aim. Apathy is the lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern, so it is the direct opposite.

Intolerance is unwillingness to accept differing views, inefficiency is poor use of time or effort, and senile describes the weakness of old age. None of these is the lack of enthusiasm.

Answer: A

The opposite of BENIGN is Malevolent.

Benign means kind, gentle or harmless, and in medicine not cancerous. Malevolent means wishing harm to others, the direct opposite of kind and harmless.

Friendly and soft are close in meaning to benign, so they are synonyms, not antonyms. Unwise describes poor judgement and has no link with kindness or harm.