All HSPT Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Antonyms: Verbs About Rules, Decisions, And Progress
Accede is the opposite of __________.
subscribe
endorse
acquiesce
disallow
disallow
"Acquiesce," "endorse," and "subscribe" are all synonyms of "accede." "Accede" means to give consent, approval, or adherence.
"Disallow" means to refuse to permit, or reject.
Example Question #24 : Antonyms: Verbs
An antonym for tame is __________.
terror
wild
frightening
caged
carnivorous
wild
A number of the options provided for answers are likely tempting. When something is not tame, it likely must be caged. Similarly, it is a terror and frightening. Indeed, something “carnivorous” (meat eating) might be thought not to be tame; however, in all of these cases, the words do not directly oppose the notion of being tame. Only “wild” adequately opposes the notion of being “tame” in the sense of being “domesticated,” that is, “house broken” (like a pet). While the others are not unrelated, they are not sufficient antonyms either.
Example Question #1 : Antonyms: Verbs About Rules, Decisions, And Progress
An antonym of "corrupt" is __________.
ameliorate
exalt
distance
misuse
approve
ameliorate
We tend to think of corruption in terms of moral decay. This is a true use of the word, but it is a restricted meaning. Primarily, the term indicates the deterioration of something from a state of purity. In contrast to such corruption, the "bettering" of something would be an excellent antonym. The word "ameliorate" indicates just such improvement. It comes from the Latin "melior," meaning better. It literally means to make better.
Example Question #2 : Antonyms: Verbs About Rules, Decisions, And Progress
An antonym of "waver" is __________.
belittle
persist
straighten
bemoan
militate
persist
The word "waver" is derived from the physical act of moving in a wave pattern. However, it most often indicates the psychological state of going "back and forth" between two options without being able to make a decision. Often too, a wavering person is filled with doubt. In contrast to this, a person who persists shows a sureness that is quite the opposite of the phenomenon of wavering. Among the options provided, this is the best option for an antonym.
Example Question #3 : Antonyms: Verbs About Rules, Decisions, And Progress
An antonym of "impede" is __________.
diminish
destroy
crescendo
facilitate
accept
facilitate
When something is impeded, it is prevented from doing its activity. The word literally comes from the Latin roots meaning to place something on the foot. (The word "pedestrian" has the same "pede" in it.) An antonym for impede would express the activity of helping something on its way. Among the options provided, the best such word is "facilitate," meaning to make easier. The "facil-" prefix means easy, as in "facile."
Example Question #125 : Antonyms
An antonym of "sanction" is ___________.
reduce
corrupt
levy
incarcerate
proscribe
proscribe
The word "sanction" can have two meanings when it is used as a verb. On the one hand, it can mean to threaten with a penalty. On the other hand, it can also mean to approve. Luckily, none of the wrong answers are an antonym for the meaning of threatening with a penalty. Therefore, we must assume that it means to approve. In contrast to this, to "proscribe" can mean to outlaw or to forbid.
Example Question #1 : Antonyms: Verbs About Existence, Ownership, And Quantities
An antonym of "transfer" is __________.
relocate
convey
retain
grant
disdain
retain
The word "transfer" literally means to carry across (as in carrying across a border). When someone transfers goods or money, he or she sends them to someone else (or to another place). In contrast to such conveyance, we could consider an antonym to be "to hold on to." The word "retain" means just this, namely to keep something in someone's own possession (instead of giving it).
Example Question #126 : Antonyms
An antonym of "subsist" is ___________.
burgeon
meander
survive
accede
obscure
burgeon
When someone is said to "subsist" on something, he or she barely survives—only well enough to keep together his or her physical being. This comes from the old philosophical notion of subsistence, which indicates the basic existence of a being—though not necessarily implying any great flourishing. In contrast to this, "burgeoning" growth is great, fruitful growth. When something or someone is burgeoning, that thing is greatly flourishing. This is a good contrast to merely "subsisting."
Example Question #1 : Antonyms: Other Verbs
An antonym of "extol" is __________.
laud
neglect
acclaim
deride
disclaim
deride
The word "extol" means to praise. Several options among the answers are synonyms for this—"laud" and "acclaim". The word "disclaim" is not an antonym. It means to deny. This is not the opposite of praising, however. The word "deride" means to show contempt about something. It is related to "ridicule" and "ridiculous"—the idea being that "deriding" means to make fun of something.
Example Question #31 : Antonyms: Verbs
An antonym of "jeopardize" is __________.
reckon
support
estimate
preserve
miscalculate
preserve
When we put something "into jeopardy," we put that thing at risk. The verb "jeopardize" merely signifies the act of putting something into such a risky situation. The best contrast to this is to protect the thing. Among the options provided, only "preserve" has this sense of protecting in contrast to endangering the thing in question.
All HSPT Verbal Resources
