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Synonyms, Antonyms & Usage

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CAT 2025 Lesson : Synonyms, Antonyms & Usage - Synonyms & Antonyms

These are some examples of the different forms in which we can get Synonyms and Antonyms questions. We can also get questions on word usage, which are covered later in this lesson. We will also get Analogies questions based on synonyms and antonyms, which are covered in the Analogies lesson.

1. Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning and context.

Examples:

1) Fair – light, unbiased, disinterested
2) Skilled – learned, knowledgeable
3) Witty – hilarious, funny
4) Hardworking – diligent

Antonyms are the opposite of synonyms, words that are the opposite in meaning.

Examples:

1) Brave – cowardly, gutless
2) Honest – insincere, fake
3) Lazy – diligent, industrious
4) Considerate – uncaring, thoughtless, selfish

Sometimes, antonyms can be created by adding a prefix (un, im, in, non) e.g. considerate and inconsiderate, conscious and unconscious, balanceand imbalance, entity and non-entity. Note that the form of the word should be similar (for instance, both words should be the same part of speech).

1.1 Origin of words

The etymology, or the origin of words will help you guesstimate the meanings of words that you might not be sure about. The fundamentals include learning about the roots from which words originated (usually Greek and Latin), as well as usage of prefixes and suffixes.

The tables below contain a list of the most common roots.

Roots	Meaning	Example	Meaning
Alter	Other	Alternate	Another choice, every other/second
Andr	Of the male	Androgen	Male hormone
Anthropos	Of humans	Anthropology Philanthropist	Study of human development One who loves humans
Aqu	Water	Aquatic	Of the sea
Archy	Rule by	Monarchy	Ruled by one ruler
Astro	Star	Astronomy	Study of the stars
Bene	Good	Beneficent	Doing good
Bibli	Books	Bibliophile	Lover of books
Brev	Short	Brevity	Being brief or short
Cede	Movement	Precede	To come before
Ceed	Movement	Proceed	To begin or move forward
Centr	Centre	Centripetal	Towards the centre
Chron	Time	Chronology	Events in the order of their occurrence
Cide	Kill	Fratricide	Killing one's brother or sister
Cogn	Know, understand	Cognisance	Knowledge or awareness
Cracy	Rule by	Democracy	Rule by elected representatives
Cred	Believe	Credential	Proof of identity/ability
Dorm	To sleep	Dormant	Asleep or inactive
Ego	I	Egocentric	Self-centred
Flect	To bend	Deflect	Cause to change direction
Flex	To bend	Flexible	Adaptable, bendable
Fract	To break	Fracture	Broken bone
Frag	To break	Fragment	Broken piece of something
Gam	Marriage	Monogamy	Marriage to one person only
Gyn	Of the female	Gynaecologist	Doctor for medical diseases specific to women
Later	Side	Lateral	At/from the side
Logy	Study of	Archaeology	Study of human history
Loqu	To speak	Eloquent	Fluent, persuasive speaking
Luc	Light	Elucidate	To make clear
Macro/mega	Large	Macroeconomics Megaphone	The study of large-scale economic factors Instrument to amplify voice
Magni	Large	Magnanimous	Very generous
Mal	Bad	Malodorous	Having a bad smell
Mar	Sea	Marine	Of the sea
Meter	Measure	Centimetre Pedometer	Metric unit of length Device to measure the number of steps covered
Micro	Small	Microbe	Tiny organism
Misein	To hate	Misogynist	One who hates women
Morph	Form	Morphology Metamorphosis	Form of an organism Change of form
Mort	Death	Mortuary	Morgue
Neo	New	Neophyte	Beginner
Nihil	Nothing	Annihilate	To destroy completely
Omni	All	Omnipotent Omniscient	All-powerful All-knowing
Onym	Name	Pseudonym	Pen (false) name
Path	Feeling	Sympathy	Compassion for others
Ped	To love	Philosophy	Lover of wisdom
Poly	Many	Polygon	Shape with 3 or more sides
Psyche	Mind, soul	Psychology	Study of the human mind
Pyr	Fire	Pyromancy	Divination (fore-telling) by means of fire
Quasi	Seemingly	Quasi-judicial	A body with powers similar to that of the Judiciary
Sent	Feeling	Sentiment	Emotion
Somn	To sleep	Insomnia	Inability to sleep
Soph	Wisdom	Wisdom Sophisticated	Being wise Experienced, enlightened
Tang	Touch	Tangible	Perceptible by touch
Theo	Of the gods	Theology	Study of religion
Vor	To eat	Herbivore Omnivore	One who eats plant-based products One who eats plants and meat

Example 5

Which of the following is a bedroom for many people, especially in schools or institutions?

(1) Exculpatory (2) Dormitory (3) Hostel (4) Recreation

Solution

A dormitory is the right choice here. If we don't know this, we can still guesstimate it. We know that dorm means related to sleep and can select option (2).

Exculpatory is derived from exculpate (meaning freed or declared innocent), and is unrelated.
A hostel is a place where people stay, usually students or young people (and not just sleep), and hence can be eliminated.
Recreation means any activity done for enjoyment (e.g. games), and can also be eliminated.

Thus, option (2) is the correct choice.

Answer: (2) Dormitory

Example 6

Which of the following is the opposite of the word malevolent?

(1) Dangerous (2) Slander (3) Kindly (4) Kingly

Solution

We know that mal means bad. Therefore, malevolent would probably be something bad (in fact, the word means wishing to cause evil). Therefore, we can guesstimate that kindly could be the opposite, as the other options are not positive in nature.

Options (1) and (2) are negative, while option (4) does not suggest good (a king can be good or evil). Note that the exact opposite of malevolent is benevolent (meaning kindly).

Answer: (3) Kindly

Please use this method with care, only to validate your choice and not to guess the meaning.

1.2 Prefixes and Suffixes

Knowing commonly used prefixes (added before a word) and suffixes (added after a word) will also help you understand the meaning of a word. For instance, the prefix ,a or an will completely change the meaning of a word. Try to read through a few of these daily, till you know them all. Keep re-reading them once in a while, to refresh your memory.

Prefix	Meaning	Example	Meaning
A/An	Without	Amoral Anaerobic	Not moral Absence of oxygen
Ab	Away, from	Abolish Absent	To do away with Not present
Ad	Towards	Adhere	To stick to
Ambi	Both sides	Ambidextrous Ambivalent	Using both hands Having mixed feelings
Ante	Before	Antecedent Ante-meridian (am)	Preceding Before noon
Anti	Against	Antibody Antipathy	Chemicals to fight antigens (germs) Dislike against someone
Be	Around, by	Beside Besiege	Alongside Surrounded by armed forces
Circum	Orbit	Circumference	Perimeter or outer boundary of a circular geometric shape
Dia	Across	Diagonal Diameter	Line connecting the non-adjacent sides of a straight-sided shape Straight line across circle through centre
Dys	Bad	Dystopia	Imaginary place where everything is bad
Eu	Good	Euphoria	Elation
For	Apart, away	Forbid	To prohibit
Fore	Before	Foresee Foretell	To see the future beforehand To predict, prophesy
Hyper	Excessive	Hyperactive	Extremely active
Hypo	Under, below	Hypodermic	Under the skin
Inter	Between	Interval Intermediate	Pause in between Occurring in between two events
Mis	Bad	Misanthrope Misfit	One who hates humans One who does not fit (in a group/society)
Peri	Around	Perimeter Periphery	Boundary of a closed shape Outer parts, margins
For	Apart, away	Forbid	To prohibit
Retro	Back	Retrograde Retrospective	Backward Looking back on past events
Super	Over, beyond	Superlative Supervise	Exceptional, best Oversee
Sym	Together	Symmetry	Regular in appearance
Syn	Together	Synergy	Cooperation for greater result
Uber	Over and beyond	Uber-cool Uber-geek	Extremely cool Extremely geeky or nerdy
Ultra	Over and beyond	Ultrasonic	Sound having frequency beyond human hearing
Trans	Across	Transverse Transgress	Across, at right angles To break (cross) a limit or rule

Some suffixes (subpart added after a word) which are commonly used are given here.

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Meaning
Age	Place	Storage	A place to store things
Ancy	State or process	Infancy Consultancy	The state or time of being a baby A firm that people consult for expert advice
Ard	Characteristic of	Dullard Forward	Being dull Going ahead
Ary	Place	Library Aviary	A place where books are stored Enclosure for birds
Dom	State, quality	Freedom Kingdom	Being free Country ruled by a king
Ent	Being, having	Innocent Prudent	Being guilt-free, pure, naïve Being wise or cautious
Fold	Increased by	Threefold Manifold	Three times Many, various
Ful	Full of	Beautiful	Having beauty
Hood	State, quantity	Brotherhood Knighthood	Relationship between brothers Status of a (or being a) knight
Ish	Like, similar	Childish Selfish	Like a child Concerned about oneself
Ist	Follower or expert in some field	Economist Scientist	Student of or expert in economics One who studies a field of science
Ling	Characteristic of	Appealing Weakling	Interesting (something that appeals) Being weak
Ness	State, condition	Wickedness	Being wicked
Oid	Like, shape of	Geoid	Shaped like the earth (geo)
Ship	State, rank, skill	Flagship Penmanship	The main ship or primary item The art of writing
Sis	State of	Hypnosis	State of being hypnotised
Wise	In the manner of	Likewise	In the same way, similarly

For instance,
Circumlocution is derived from circum (circular) and loq (to speak), and it means using many words instead of few, usually for evasion.
Somnambulism means walking while one is sleeping (somn means sleep).
Transatlantic means across the Atlantic Ocean, or crossing the Atlantic Ocean (trans means across).
Please use these only when you are reasonably sure and want to eliminate some options. These are not always true. For instance, hypocrite means someone who is not true to his or her professed (stated) beliefs. The use of hypo (below, under) might mislead you.

Example 7

Match the prefix and suffix with the correct meaning:
[IIFT 2019]

a) ation	i) state or process of
b) trans	ii) position held
c) ship	iii) across
d) ambi	iv) full of
e) ose	v) both

(1) a-i, b-iii, c-ii, d-v, e-iv
(2) a-i, b-ii, c-iii, d-v, e-iv
(3) a-iv, b-v, c-iii, d-ii, e-i
(4) None of the above

Solution

Ation is a suffix which means a state of, and is typically used to form nouns (e.g. appreciation from appreciate, plantation from plant, manipulation from manipulate, etc.).

Trans is a prefix which means opposite, across or through (transatlantic, transgender, transparent, etc.).

Ship, as a suffix, signifies a position, capacity or group (e.g. membership, friendship, workmanship, etc.).

Ambi means both (ambidextrous, ambivalent).

Ose is a suffix meaning having some quantity (grandiose, verbose).

Based on this, we can select option (1) as the correct choice. Note that we need to validate all the five prefixes/suffixes as “None of the above” is also present.

Answer: (1) a-i, b-iii, c-ii, d-v, e-iv

Example 8

Match the word in column 1 with its meaning in column 2
[IIFT 2013]

i. Anthropomorphous	a) Moving upwards
ii. Anachronistic	b) A collection of extracts from the writings of various authors
iii. Anthology	c) Having or resembling the human form
iv. Ascension	d) Occurring in the wrong time period

(1) i-b, ii-a, iii-d, iv-c
(2) i-c, ii-b, iii-d, iv-a
(3) i-c, i-d, iii-b, iv-a
(4) i-b, ii-c, iii-a, iv-d

Solution

Anthropomorphous means similar to the human form or shape (e.g. all primates are anthropomorphic to some extent). Thus, (i) is to be matched with (c).

Anachronistic can be inferred from the prefix a (suggesting the opposite) and the root chron (related to time). Anachronistic does mean from or in the wrong time period. Therefore, (ii) can be matched with (d).
At this point, we can select option (3) as it is the only one with both these matches,.

Anthology is a selection of stories, poems or songs, usually for publishing, which is mentioned in (b).

Ascension is derived from ascend (to climb upwards), which is mentioned in (a).

Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.

Answer: (3) i-c, i-d, iii-b, iv-a

1.3 Homographs

A homograph is a word with more than one meaning. You should know all the meanings, so that you can answer questions correctly. A list of such words is given below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. You can read more homographs online.

Word	Meaning	Meaning
Accent	(noun) Way of speaking, based on one's place of birth or living	(verb) To stress or emphasise
Arm	(noun) Upper limb	(verb) To supply with weapons
Attribute	(noun) Quality or characteristic	(verb) Accredit, regard as caused by
Axes	Plural of axe (metallic tool for chopping wood)	Plural of axis (imaginary line around which a body rotates)
Bass	Deep toned voice	Type of fish
Bow	(noun) Weapon used to fling arrows with (noun) Looped knot, usually with ribbons	(verb) To bend oneself at the torso to show respect
Blue	(noun) A colour	(adjective) A feeling of sadness
Capital	Administrative centre of a country	Money or resources (business use)
Compound	Mixture (simple or chemical)	To increase (usually worsen e.g. trouble)
Counsel	(noun) Formal advice	(verb) To advise someone
Course	Route or way	A dish served as part of a meal
Desert	(noun) Arid land with no vegetation	(verb) To leave someone (e.g. family, spouse) or group (e.g. army)
Discount	(noun) Reduction in cost	(verb) To disregard
Duck	(noun) A waterbird	(verb) To lower one's head (verb) To avoid an unpleasant task
Entrance	(noun) Entry way	(verb) Bewitch, enchant
Even	(adjective) flat and smooth (adjective) equal or similar in number, equally balanced (adjective) a number divisible by 2	(verb) to make a surface smooth and flat (adverb) used to emphasise something surprising or extreme
Fine	(noun) Money exacted as penalty (verb) Exact money as a penalty	(adjective) Good/satisfactory (adjective) Of good quality (adjective) Thin/narrow/translucent
Flare	Blaze of light	Rush of emotion
Frequent	(noun) Occurring many times	(verb) To visit a place often
Gas	(noun) A state of matter (noun) Fuel (short for gasoline)	(verb) Talking a lot, especially on a trivial topic
Hawk	(noun) Predatory bird (derived adjective) A person who recommends an aggressive policy	(verb) To peddle or sell things
Incense	(noun) Item which gives off fragrance upon being burned	(verb) To make someone very angry
Inclined	(adjective) leaning or slanting	(verb) be willing to do something (verb) have a specific opinion, lean towards one side or opinion
Just	(adjective) fair, morally right	(adverb) exactly (adverb) very recently occurred (adverb) barely, by a small margin (adverb) simply, nothing more than (adverb) absolutely
Lie	Lay horizontally	(noun) Something which is false (verb) To tell a falsehood
Minute	(noun) A unit of time	(noun) A unit of time
Object	Thing or article	Goal or purpose
Objective	Goal or purpose	Impartial
Peer	(noun) Aristocrat, nobility (noun) A person of similar age/status etc.	(verb) To look at with concentration or difficulty
Pore	(noun) Minute hole/opening	(verb) To read with concentration
Prime	Main, most important	Best quality
Quack	The sound made by ducks	Fake doctor defrauding to make money
Read	Understand written material	Having understood written material (past tense)
Refuse	Decline	Rubbish, waste
Sheer	Utter, complete	Fine and transparent/translucent
Vote	(noun) Formal choice (usually political)	(verb) To cast one's vote, to make one's choice
Wind	(noun) Movement in ai	(verb) To cause someone to be out of breath (verb) Twist and turn in one direction

Example 9

Select the odd one from the following options

(1) Carp (2) Cavil (3) Civil (4) Grouse

Solution

A carp is a fish, and to carp means to complain over petty issues.
To cavil is to make a petty or unnecessary objection.
Civil means polite, internal, domestic or non-criminal.
A grouse is a bird, and to grouse means to complain over trivial or petty issues.

Therefore, options (1), (2) and (4) all mean complaining about trivial issues, which makes option (3) the odd one.

Answer: (3) Civil

1.4 Connotation

Not all synonyms are created equal. For example, a quick Google search shows that honourable, fair, sincere and trustworthy are all synonyms of honest. However, there are always slight variations in each word. It is also important to consider the intensity and connotation of a word (for example, amateur vs. greenhorn – greenhorn has a negative connotation). Reading more will help you understand this. Try to focus on the usage of words and the tone of the writer.

Another thing you need to remember is that many words will have more than one meaning (for instance, rose is both a flower and the past tense of rise). Also, some words will have similar spellings (e.g. heart and hearth), and you must ensure that you are choosing the correct option. Please make it a habit to go through these weekly, so that you remember all of these.

Positive connotation	Negative connotation
Ambitious, go-getter, overachiever	Aggressive, pushy
Childlike, youthful, adolescent	Childish, immature
Curious, interested	Nosy
Debate, discuss	Argue, quibble
Easy-going, relaxed	Lackadaisical
Empty	Vacuous
Frugal, thrifty, economical	Cheap, miserly, parsimonious
Group, club, team	Clique, gang
Meticulous, thorough	Picky
Persistent, tenacious, steadfast	Pushy, stubborn, bullheaded
Shrewd, Sharp	Cunning, sly
Unique, individual, different	Peculiar, bizarre, abnormal, eccentric, kinky
Vintage, antique	Decrepit, aged

Example 10

Choose the word which does not match which the others:

(1) Glut (2) Plethora (3) Adequate (4) Surfeit

Solution

Glut means an excessively abundant supply of something.
Plethora means a large or excessive amount of something.
Adequate means an acceptable or satisfactory quantity or quality.
Surfeit means an excessive amount of something.

As you can see, adequate is the only option which has a positive connotation, all the other words imply excess or too much. Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.

Answer: (3) Adequate

Example 11

Choose the word that does NOT match with the two given words
[SNAP 2013]

Laconic, Succinct

(1) Terse (2) Brief (3) Concise (4) Abrupt

Solution

Laconic means using very few words, and succinct means expressed briefly and clearly.

Terse, brief and concise are all similar in meaning.

However, abrupt means curt or brief to the point of rudeness. There is a negative connotation here which is not present in the other options, and hence, option (4) is the answer.

Answer: (4) Abrupt

1.5 Words of foreign origin

English has a lot of words from other languages, largely due to European conquerors coming to Britain, or the British conquering other countries. Some examples are:

Indian languages – avatar, bungalow, cashmere, chutney, juggernaut, jungle, karma, loot, mongoose, mulligatawny, pundit, pyjamas, shampoo, teak, tiffin, veranda, yoga, yogi, etc.

French – apostrophe, bachelor, chauffeur, chivalry, debris, elite, envelope, faux pas, homage, irony, liege, menu, massage, neutral, omelette, restaurant, rendezvous, silhouette, souvenir, tournament, valid, zest, etc.

Latin – altitude, antique, bona fide, cornucopia, figure, magnify, nominee, obscure, province, villa, etc.

German – angst, automatic (derived from automat), bagel, cobalt, fest, flak, glitch, kaput, leitmotif, muesli, noodle, nosh, plunder, poltergeist, poodle, rucksack, spritz, uber, waltz, wanderlust, zeitgeist, etc.

A longer list is given at the end of the lesson.
We can get questions asking us the meaning of words which have originated from other languages. We can also be tested on the origin (etymology of words), where we need to find the country where a word originated. You can also refer to the latin roots which we have covered earlier for solving the origin-based questions. Let us solve some examples.

Example 12

Given below is a French words commonly used in the English language. What is the meaning of the word?
[IIFT 2015]

Milieu

(1) Millennium (2) Century (3) Social environment (4) Feudal

Solution

Milieu means a person's social environment, which is given in option (3). The other words are irrelevant.

Answer: (3) Social environment

Example 13

Given below is a French words commonly used in the English language. What is the meaning of the word?
[IIFT 2015]

Gaffe

(1) Blunder (2) Loud laughter (3) Iron hook (4) House

Solution

A gaffe is an unintentional mistake, which causes embarrassment to the originator.

The option which has this meaning is option (1) – blunder. This is the correct choice, and the other options are not relevant.

Answer: (1) Blunder

Example 14

Identify the origin of the following word
[IIFT 2019]

Voracious
To devour

(1) Hebrew (2) Greek (3) German (4) Latin

Solution

Voracious comes from the Latin word vorare, which means to devour (eat quickly or hungrily).
For instance – he is a voracious eater; she is a voracious reader and is never seen without a book.

Thus, the correct choice is option (4).

Answer: (4) Latin

Example 15

Identify the origin of the following word
[IIFT 2019]

Aegis
Under the protection of

(1) Russian (2) Greek (3) French (4) Arabic

Solution

Aegis comes from the old Greek word aigis, which was the shield of Zeus (the king of the gods in Greek mythology).
For instance – we cannot harm the knight as he is under the aegis of the king.

Thus, the correct choice is option (2).

Answer: (2) Greek

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