In each of the following questions, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.
Spurious
Answer: B
The opposite is authentic.
Spurious means false or counterfeit, from the Latin for illegitimate. Bogus, forged and simulated are all synonyms of it; authentic alone is the opposite.
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Mitigate
Answer: B
The opposite is intensify.
To mitigate is to make less severe, from the Latin mitis, mild. Abate, calm and compose are near-synonyms; intensify alone reverses it.
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Smug
Answer: B
The opposite is unhappy.
Smug means complacently pleased with oneself. Self-satisfied and pompous are near-synonyms; only unhappy reverses the contentment the word describes.
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Amenable
Answer: A
The opposite is uncooperative.
Amenable means willing to be persuaded or led. Persuadable, biddable and docile are all synonyms of it.
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Amending
Answer: D
The opposite is debase.
To amend is to improve by correction. To debase is to lower in quality or worth. Ameliorate and better are synonyms of amend.
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Shirked
Answer: A
The opposite is meet.
To shirk is to avoid a duty; to meet it is to face and discharge it. Bypass is a synonym of shirking rather than its reverse.
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Fortuitous
Answer: B
The opposite is unlucky.
Fortuitous means happening by chance, and is commonly used to mean lucky. Unlucky reverses that everyday sense.
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Belittle
Answer: B
The opposite is exaggerate.
To belittle is to represent something as smaller or less important than it is; to exaggerate is to make it greater. Underestimate is a synonym of belittling.
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Amiable
Answer: A
The opposite is crabby.
Amiable means good-natured and pleasant. Affable, amicable and cheerful are all synonyms; crabby means ill-tempered.
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Affluence
Answer: B
The opposite is dearth.
Affluence is abundance, especially of wealth, from the Latin for flowing towards. A dearth is a scarcity.
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