Synonyms Questions and Answers

Answer: C

The synonym of obsolete is outdated.

Something obsolete is no longer in use because something newer has replaced it, like the typewriter or the floppy disk. Outdated carries the same meaning.

Useful is nearly the opposite. Unreliable describes something that cannot be trusted to work, which is a different idea, and complete has nothing to do with age or use.

Answer: B

The synonym of credence is belief.

Credence (Latin credere, to believe) means acceptance of something as true: to give credence to a rumour. Belief is the nearest word.

Virtue is moral goodness. Corrupt means dishonest, and incredible, though from the same root, means unbelievable, the opposite direction. Neither of them means belief.

Answer: D

The synonym of august is eminent.

As an adjective (stressed on the second syllable), august means respected and impressive, inspiring reverence: an august institution, an august gathering of scholars. Eminent, meaning distinguished and highly regarded, is the closest match.

The month name is the trap, but the word here is the adjective. Humble is almost the opposite, arrogant means proud in an unpleasant way, and secretive means inclined to hide things.

Answer: A

The synonym of brusque is impolite.

Brusque describes a manner that is abrupt and offhand, short to the point of rudeness: a brusque reply. Impolite is the closest of the four.

Polite and courteous are opposites. Great has no connection with manner of speaking.

Answer: B

The synonym of apportion is allocate.

To apportion is to divide something and give each person a share: to apportion blame, to apportion funds among departments. Allocate means the same.

Appoint looks similar but means to choose someone for a job. Dislocate means to put out of place, and disappoint means to fail someone's hopes. The resemblance in spelling is the trap.

Answer: C

The synonym of panegyric is eulogy.

A panegyric is a public speech or piece of writing in high praise of a person or thing. A eulogy is likewise a speech or text of praise, often for someone who has died.

A panegyric is a speech, but not every speech is a panegyric, so 'speech' is too general. Applause is clapping, and applaud is a verb; both express approval but are not a formal composition of praise.

Answer: D

Indefatigable means tireless.

The word is built from in- (not) and the Latin defatigare (to tire out): someone who cannot be worn out. An indefatigable worker keeps going with untiring energy.

Tired is the opposite. Well paid and skilful describe other qualities of a worker, his wages and his ability, and say nothing about stamina.

Answer: C

Posthumous here means born after the death of the father.

The word comes from the Latin postumus, last-born, and refers to something that happens after a person's death. A posthumous child is born after the father has died; a posthumous award is given after the recipient's death; a posthumous novel is published after its author dies.

Brilliant, physically challenged and illegitimate are unrelated descriptions of a child; none of them has anything to do with timing after a death.

Answer: A

The synonym of ostentatious is Extravagant.

Ostentatious means showy, designed to impress others by display of wealth or importance, as in an ostentatious wedding or an ostentatious car. Extravagant, meaning lavish and excessive in spending or display, carries the same sense.

The other three are close to opposites. Modest means unpretentious and not showy. Reticent means reserved, unwilling to reveal thoughts, and taciturn means saying very little; both describe restraint, the reverse of display.

Answer: D

The word 'antagonistic' is closest in meaning to hostile.

The author speaks of the subcontinent being cleaved 'into two mutually antagonistic parts', meaning two parts opposed to and unfriendly toward each other. 'Antagonistic' describes active opposition or enmity, which is what 'hostile' means.

'Impartial' is the opposite kind of word: the passage itself uses it for a neutral, unbiased record. 'Argumentative' describes someone inclined to quarrel in words, a narrower and milder idea than the enmity between two countries. 'Separated' repeats the idea of 'cleaving' in the same phrase rather than the quality of 'antagonistic'.