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Word Problems: (Synonyms&Antonyms)
Word Problems: (Synonyms&Antonyms)
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Verbal Ability
1
Word Problems
(S y n o n y m s & A n t o n y m s )
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Word is the basis of language and indispensable to understand it. Therefore all competitive entrance examinations give
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The main types of word problems in the examinations are Before we start our discussion of such questions, we
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examinations. In the course of discussing the above types The most important thing in such exercise is to first guess
of word problems, we will be suggesting you the ways to the general meaning the sentence conveys and then
improve your vocabulary. replace the underlined word with another meaningful word
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The first and foremost method of improving vocabulary is in the context. You need to look for a similar word in the
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reading books, magazines and newspapers. A word is option. You will be required to eliminate those choices
complete and meaningful only when it is used in a which are clearly different. Before you tick your answer
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sentence. The sentence brings forth the complete meaning finally, check your choice by putting it in place of the
of a word. Therefore, we will start our discussion of underlined word and reading the sentence. The word
synonym and antonym with the contextual use of these should be meaningful in the sentence.
words. In such questions you are required to find a
The idea of choosing a correct word for a context can be
synonym or antonym to an underlined or a bold word in
the sentence. better understood if we consider some examples.
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Synonym in Context 3 At times you may not be able to guess the meaning in the
context because of
Directions Choose the synonym from the four options (a) unfamiliar idea or language
for the underlined word in the sentence. (b) unusual usage of the word
In such cases, you are advised to take help of the root of
Example 1. Cacophony : Quarrelling people created a lot of the word, prefix-suffix or other such devices that we are
cacophony and so nobody was able to hear us. going to discuss further.
(a) fighting (b) hearing
(c) noise (d) bitterness
Explanation What quarrelling or fighting or arguing people
Antonym in Context
produce or create that makes hearing impossible? They The exercise on synonyms has made this clear to you how
created what? to locate a correct answer. In case of antonyms, you have to
The correct answer is (c) noise. first replace the underlined word with an easier word and
then make negative of the word by adding ‘no’ or ‘not’ to
Example 2. Fallacy : Don’t live under the fallacy that luck
it. Read the sentence again with the negative word. Then,
will do everything for you. look for the word in the choices that can fit in the sentence
(a) right belief without changing its meaning in the negative sense.
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(b) weakness Follow the procedure explained below in finding
(c) pleasure antonyms to a word in a given context.
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(d) wrong belief
Directions Guess the meaning of the underlined words
Explanation Is depending on luck for everything right or good?
in the context and choose the antonym for the same.
You can re-read the sentences as ‘Don’t live under the
wrong or bad idea that …’.
The correct answer is (d) wrong belief. Example 1.
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Diligent : The student’s constant and diligent
efforts brought him great success.
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(a) lucky (b) constant
Example 3. Desiccate : The washed and wet wheat was (c) lazy (d) slow
spread under the sun to desiccate.
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lazy.
under the sun? The correct answer is (c) lazy.
The correct answer is (a) to dry.
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(d) checked Therefore, you need ‘not fighting’ as opposite and another
Explanation Is it advisable to drink when somebody’s health is word for the same is peaceful.
already poor? What will it do to his health – improve or The correct answer is (c) peaceful.
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Explanation If the host is forced to listen for hours, it means the • incognito = not known, in disguise; spies remain
guest is talkative. With ‘not talkative’ no option matched incognito
but one. • acknowledge = to confirm knowledge, to confirm;
The correct answer is (a) taciturn. Taciturn is a person who please acknowledge the receipt of the letter
prefers to remain quiet. • diagnosis = to know before, to forecast; diagnosis of
the disease was accurate
Example 5. Stingy : The stingy old man, despite being rich, • prognosis = to know before, to forecast; treatment
never spent a penny on his own well being. depends on a correct prognosis of a disease
(a) miser (b) generous
(c) careful (d) narrow-minded
Example 2. cord, cor, cardi = heart
Explanation If one does not spend money even on urgent needs
• cordial = hearty, heartfelt; a cordial invitation
despite having enough, such a person is called miser and
opposite to miser is generous. • concord = put heart into, harmony and friendliness;
The correct answer is (b) generous. absence of discord among people
• discord = quarrel, lack of harmony; a noisy discord
between the neighbours
Synonym and Word Root • core = central part; from the core of my heart
The big words that we read today are developed from very • cardiac = related to the heart or heart disease; died
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small parts of them. These small parts are still there in the because of cardiac arrest
word and are called roots. From one common root, many
words have been derived over time and all these words
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Example 3. cred = believe
belong to the same root family. These words are not
• creed = a particular belief or sect; no discrimination on
exactly similar in meaning but they have some common
the basis of colour, caste or creed
hidden similarity. This similarity helps us to know the
meaning of the words and remember them. Therefore,
knowing the roots of words of the same family is a very g.
• credence = believe something; I don’t give credence to
such gossip
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effective way of learning and retaining words for long. • credit = praise, believe, deposit; he got all the credit, I
As the contextual understanding and elimination of don’t credit what he says, money was credited in his
account
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The very big words like intimidation, congregation, • incredible = so amazing and fantastic that cannot be
circumambulate or incontrovertible are reduced to their easily believed; incredible miracle
roots such as tim, greg, amble and contra. You need to
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know their meaning such as tim means fear as in timid, Example 4. cur, curs = run/flow
that is, fearful. Another similar word is timorous. By • Current = flow
adding prefix in and suffix ation, the word becomes
intimidation meaning to frighten, to terrorise. Similarly, • Concurrent = happening at the same time; concurrent
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the root greg means group or gather and the word incidents
congregation means to gather together. Amble means to • Concur = agree, coincide; he fully concurs to the
proposal
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one that cannot be contradicted or disputed. • Recur = happen again, come back to mind; the same
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You need to know the roots of certain words before you incident recurs in the movie, those pleasant moments
can use the skill effectively in synonym and antonym recur in my mind
•
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exercises. In the following examples, first see how the Precursor = thing or person coming before something
root makes a relation among all the words of its family else, forerunner; the smaller incidents were the
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and then understand the special meaning of the word. precursor of a great revolution
Finally, notice how the knowledge of root words is
applied in synonym questions.
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Example 2. Flu/flux = flow antipathy government feeling
• influence = effect, power to effect against, hostility
• confluence = flow of rivers coming together; meeting contra against contradict to say or go against
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of two of more rivers controversy dispute
• fluid = liquid dis not disqualified dislike not remaining
• fluency = flow in speech; flowless speech
• fluctuate = change in flow of current, prices etc
il/in/im/ir not g. illegal insufficient
qualified not like
not legal not
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Example 3. Form = shape impossible irrelevant sufficient or enough
• uniform = having sameness in shape, size, speed etc not possible not
• deform = losing original shape; decompose relevant or suitable
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• reform = to bring changes for betterment; form the old mis wrong misspell misplaced wrongly spell placed
system into a better one again or kept wrongly
• perform = present or show; bring forth in a form
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• fragile = easily breakable, delicate Directions Choose the synonym for the given word.
• fraction = a small part
• refraction = bend in the ray of light Example 1. Controversy
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Word roots are only suggestive of the common Explanation The synonym of a negative word has to be a
origin of some words and are quite helpful in negative word. Control, command, calm are not negative.
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remembering and understanding the word of the same Dissent means disagreement.
family. However, over the time the words of the same The answer is (a) Dissention.
family have acquired quite different meanings. Knowing
each of them by constant practice is important.
2. There are many words whose roots cannot be traced
Example 2. Disagreement
(a) Accord (b) Concord
and on the basis of resemblance, a part of a word cannot
(c) Difference (d) Unanimity
be treated as its root.
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Explanation Again accord, concord and unanimity are not Directions Choose the word that is not synonymous to
negative. the rest of the three in each group.
The answer is (c) Difference.
Example 1. (a) amity (b) animosity
Example 3. Illegible (c) harmoniousness (d) amicableness
(a) Illegal (b) Unreadable Explanation You can make a relation either between amity and
(c) Ill (d) Allege amicableness or between harmonious and friendliness; or
Explanation Here, knowing the root – legible meaning readable any other you like. Let us consider the second choice.
– can be helpful. Harmonious and friendliness both give peace and pleasure.
The answer is (b) Unreadable. Do amity and amicableness also give the same? Yes, they
do.
Example 4. Obnoxious But for our purpose one pair is enough. Check what does
(a) Noxious (b) Attractive not give peace and pleasure. Animosity is enmity or
(c) Popular (d) Repulsive hostility.
Explanation Only negative word in the options is repulsive In case, you find this question difficult, consider their
meaning unpleasant. sounds. Amity and amicableness are similar sounding
The answer is (d) Repulsive. whereas animosity is close to animal or enemy.
The required odd word is (b) animosity.
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Example 5. Regress
(a) Progress (b) Revert Example 2. (a) beast (b) brute
(c) Convert (d) Against
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(c) animal (d) divine
Explanation Progress and convert are not negative. But the root Explanation You might know beast and animal to be same.
gress means move and vert also means the same. Convert They are against divine.
= to move or change into, divert = to move away from and
invert = to move inward. Similarly, progress = to move
forward, regress = to move backward and egress = to go Example 3.
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The required odd word is (d) divine.
establish the relation between the two words and check Example 5. (a) enhance (b) grievance
which one of the remaining does not follow the same (c) strengthen (d) boost
Explanation We have already learnt the words strengthen and
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(c) humorous (d) dull The required odd word is grievance. It means a reason for
complaint or protest.
Explanation
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Let us assume you know that amusing and entertaining are 3 We need to use shortcuts to cope with the high difficulty
similar and their relation is that both mean
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Unit Exercise
11.
Directions (Q. Nos. 1-11) Guess the meaning of the
underlined words in the context and choose the synonym
for the same.
Directions (Q. Nos. 12-25) Choose the correct meaning
1. of the given word.
12.
13.
2.
14.
3.
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15.
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4. 16.
17.
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5.
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18.
19.
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6.
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20.
7.
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21.
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22.
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23.
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9. 24.
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25.
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10.
Directions (Q. Nos. 26-30) Choose the appropriate
word closest in meaning to the italic word.
26.
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27. 38.
28.
39.
29.
40.
30.
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Directions (Q. Nos. 31-35) Each question is followed by
four alternatives. Select the most appropriate alternative 41.
which is closest in meaning to the given word.
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31.
32.
42.
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33. 43.
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34.
44.
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35.
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45.
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46.
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36.
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47.
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37.
48.
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49. 65.
66.
50.
67.
69.
52.
53.
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70.
54.
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71.
55.
72.
g.
in
56. 73.
ch
57. 74.
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58.
75.
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59.
76.
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60.
ck
77.
61.
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78.
62.
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79.
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63.
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80.
64.
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