Antonyms Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The antonym of ancient is modern.

Ancient means belonging to the distant past; ancient methods of treatment are very old ones. Their opposite is modern methods, those of the present day.

Primitive is close in meaning to ancient (early, undeveloped), so it is a synonym rather than an antonym. Multiple (many) and slow describe number and speed and have no opposite relation to age.

Answer: C

The opposite is frequently.

Rarely means seldom, so its antonym is often. Hardly means scarcely and is close to rarely rather than opposite to it; periodically describes regularity rather than frequency.

Answer: A

The opposite is kind.

Malicious means intending harm, from the Latin malus, bad. Kindness is the intention to do good - the exact reverse. Generous concerns giving, and indifferent means neither one nor the other.

Answer: D

The opposite is borrow.

To lend is to give something temporarily; to borrow is to take it. The two name the same transaction from opposite ends.

Answer: B

The opposite is dependence.

Autonomy is self-government, from the Greek autos and nomos. Dependence is its exact reverse. Submissiveness and subordination describe attitude and rank rather than the condition itself.

Answer: A

The opposite is expand.

To condense is to make more compact, from the Latin densus. Expand is its exact opposite; lengthen concerns one dimension only.

Answer: A

The opposite is ordering.

Obeying is carrying out a command; ordering is giving one. The two are the two sides of the same act. Refusing is declining to obey, which is a different relation.

Answer: D

The opposite is extinguish.

To kindle is to set alight; to extinguish is to put out. Ignite is a synonym rather than an antonym.

Answer: D

The opposite is rigid.

Adaptable means able to change to suit conditions; rigid means unable to bend. Adoptable, which looks similar, means able to be adopted.

Answer: A

The opposite is humble.

Arrogant means having an exaggerated sense of one's importance; humble is the reverse. Egotistic is a near-synonym.