Antonyms Questions and Answers

Answer: D

The antonym of virtue is vice.

Virtue is moral goodness or a good quality, and vice is immoral conduct or a bad habit. The pair are the usual opposites.

Abuse means misuse or harsh words, apathy means lack of interest, and reward is a prize for good conduct, so none of them is the direct opposite.

Answer: C

The antonym of borrow is lend.

To borrow is to take something from someone with the intention of returning it, and to lend is to give something to someone for a time. One person lends and the other borrows.

Carry and give do not express that opposite relation, and since lend fits, "None of these" is wrong.

Answer: B

The antonym of open is shut.

To be open is to be not closed, and to be shut is to be closed: an open door, a shut door.

Show and visible have to do with being seen, not with being closed, and since shut fits, "None of these" is wrong.

Answer: A

The antonym of sink is float.

To sink is to go down below the surface of water, and to float is to stay on the surface or be held up in it. They are the standard opposites.

Sleep, resist and unite do not express the opposite of going down in water.

Answer: C

The word most opposite to obfuscate is Clarify.

To obfuscate is to make something obscure, unclear or hard to understand, often on purpose, as in 'The report obfuscates the real cost'. Its opposite is to clarify, to make clear and easy to understand.

The other three are synonyms, not antonyms: to confuse and to muddle both mean to make unclear or mixed up, and to conceal is to hide, which is one way of obfuscating. A question asking for the opposite makes these the traps.

Answer: C

The word most opposite to ephemeral is Eternal.

Ephemeral means lasting a very short time, from the Greek ephemeros, 'lasting only a day'. Its opposite is eternal, lasting for ever.

Transient and short-lived are synonyms of ephemeral, so they are the traps in an antonym question. Trivial means of little importance, which describes value, not duration, so it is neither a synonym nor an antonym.

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.

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.