In each question a word is given in capital letters, followed by five words labelled A) to E). Decide which one of the five words is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the word in capital letters and write down that letter. Only one answer is correct in each question. Some of the wrong answers mean almost the same as the given word rather than the opposite, so read every option carefully before you decide. Study the worked example before you begin, then work through the questions in order.
Worked example. Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to LOYAL.
A) faithful B) treacherous C) honest D) brave E) devoted Answer: B. 'Loyal' means faithful and devoted to a person or cause. 'Treacherous' means betraying trust, the opposite quality, so it is correct. 'Faithful' and 'devoted' are synonyms of 'loyal', not opposites, so a pupil who picks either of these has confused a matching word for an opposite one. 'Honest' and 'brave' describe different, unrelated character traits and do not mean the opposite of loyal.
1
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to STRONG.
A) weak
B) powerful
C) fast
D) sturdy
E) tall
(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)
2
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to GENTLE.
A) soft
B) harsh
C) mild
D) quiet
E) small
(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)
3
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to FULL.
A) complete
B) packed
C) empty
D) heavy
E) round
(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)
4
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to WIDE.
A) broad
B) spacious
C) tall
D) narrow
E) deep
(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)
5
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to EARLY.
A) prompt
B) timely
C) fast
D) sudden
E) late
(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)
6
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to ABUNDANT.
A) scarce
B) plentiful
C) hidden
D) useless
E) copious
(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)
7
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to CAUTIOUS.
A) careful
B) reckless
C) wary
D) nervous
E) slow
(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)
8
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to TRANQUIL.
A) peaceful
B) serene
C) chaotic
D) noisy
E) remote
(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)
9
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to STINGY.
A) miserly
B) thrifty
C) poor
D) generous
E) cautious
(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)
10
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to TRANSPARENT.
A) clear
B) honest
C) dark
D) obvious
E) opaque
(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)
11
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to HOSTILE.
A) friendly
B) aggressive
C) fierce
D) calm
E) distant
(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)
12
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to CONCEAL.
A) hide
B) reveal
C) disguise
D) forget
E) lose
(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)
13
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to PROLONG.
A) extend
B) lengthen
C) shorten
D) delay
E) end
(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)
14
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to OPTIMISTIC.
A) hopeful
B) confident
C) realistic
D) pessimistic
E) doubtful
(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)
15
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to AMPLE.
A) plenty
B) adequate
C) huge
D) narrow
E) scant
(Total for Question 15 is 1 mark)
16
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to SUBMISSIVE.
A) defiant
B) obedient
C) compliant
D) shy
E) quiet
(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)
17
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to FRIVOLOUS.
A) silly
B) serious
C) trivial
D) cheerful
E) careless
(Total for Question 17 is 1 mark)
18
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to LENIENT.
A) forgiving
B) easygoing
C) strict
D) kind
E) patient
(Total for Question 18 is 1 mark)
19
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to AUTHENTIC.
A) genuine
B) original
C) rare
D) fake
E) damaged
(Total for Question 19 is 1 mark)
20
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to BENEVOLENT.
A) kind
B) charitable
C) stern
D) selfish
E) cruel
(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)
21
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to TACITURN.
A) loquacious
B) quiet
C) reserved
D) shy
E) friendly
(Total for Question 21 is 1 mark)
22
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to EPHEMERAL.
A) brief
B) permanent
C) fleeting
D) fragile
E) ancient
(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)
23
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to INSCRUTABLE.
A) mysterious
B) puzzling
C) obvious
D) complicated
E) secretive
(Total for Question 23 is 1 mark)
24
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to PARSIMONIOUS.
A) frugal
B) miserly
C) cautious
D) lavish
E) modest
(Total for Question 24 is 1 mark)
25
Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to VOLATILE.
A) unpredictable
B) explosive
C) dangerous
D) active
E) stable
(Total for Question 25 is 1 mark)
Mark scheme · EP.V13 Opposite in Meaning
Question 1
B1 A) weak - means lacking physical power, the opposite of 'strong'.
Answer: A) weak
Question 2
B1 B) harsh - means severe and unkind in manner, the opposite of 'gentle'.
Answer: B) harsh
Question 3
B1 C) empty - means containing nothing, the opposite of 'full'.
Answer: C) empty
Question 4
B1 D) narrow - means small in width, the opposite of 'wide'.
Answer: D) narrow
Question 5
B1 E) late - means happening after the expected time, the opposite of 'early'.
Answer: E) late
Question 6
B1 A) scarce - means in short supply, the opposite of 'abundant'.
Answer: A) scarce
Question 7
B1 B) reckless - means acting without thinking of danger, the opposite of 'cautious'.
Answer: B) reckless
Question 8
B1 C) chaotic - means in a state of complete disorder, the opposite of 'tranquil'.
Answer: C) chaotic
Question 9
B1 D) generous - means willing to give freely, the opposite of 'stingy'.
Answer: D) generous
Question 10
B1 E) opaque - means not letting light through or not able to be seen through, the opposite of 'transparent'.
Answer: E) opaque
Question 11
B1 A) friendly - means kind and welcoming towards others, the opposite of 'hostile'.
Answer: A) friendly
Question 12
B1 B) reveal - means to make something known or visible, the opposite of 'conceal'.
Answer: B) reveal
Question 13
B1 C) shorten - means to make something take less time, the opposite of 'prolong'.
Answer: C) shorten
Question 14
B1 D) pessimistic - means expecting the worst outcome, the opposite of 'optimistic'.
Answer: D) pessimistic
Question 15
B1 E) scant - means barely sufficient or too little, the opposite of 'ample'.
Answer: E) scant
Question 16
B1 A) defiant - means openly resisting authority, the opposite of 'submissive'.
Answer: A) defiant
Question 17
B1 B) serious - means important and deserving careful thought, the opposite of 'frivolous'.
Answer: B) serious
Question 18
B1 C) strict - means demanding obedience to rules with little tolerance, the opposite of 'lenient'.
Answer: C) strict
Question 19
B1 D) fake - means not genuine, made to look like the real thing, the opposite of 'authentic'.
Answer: D) fake
Question 20
B1 E) cruel - means deliberately causing pain or harm, the opposite of 'benevolent'.
Answer: E) cruel
Question 21
B1 A) loquacious - means talking a great deal, the opposite of 'taciturn'.
Answer: A) loquacious
Question 22
B1 B) permanent - means lasting forever or for a very long time, the opposite of 'ephemeral'.
Answer: B) permanent
Question 23
B1 C) obvious - means easy to see or understand, the opposite of 'inscrutable'.
Answer: C) obvious
Question 24
B1 D) lavish - means spending or giving generously, even extravagantly, the opposite of 'parsimonious'.
Answer: D) lavish
Question 25
B1 E) stable - means steady and not likely to change suddenly, the opposite of 'volatile'.