"Mitigate" means improve, while "exacerbate" means make worse. So, "mitigate" is an antonym of "exacerbate." "Lengthen" is an antonym of "shorten," so "lengthen is to shorten" is the correct answer. "Blade" can mean a leaf of grass. "Edify" means educate. "Yell" and "scream" both mean to cry out with a loud voice. A "warlord" is a military leader. "Command" means order.

The best choice is "mean." The relationship between "grandiloquent" and "simple" is that they are antonyms. The word "grandiloquent" means speaking in a lofty or pompous style. Grandiloquence typically involves complex language. "Simple" is the opposite of "complex." Likewise, "mean" is the opposite of "nice."

"Deter" is a verb meaning discourage or prevent. Since "deter" is an antonym of "encourage," we need to pick out an answer choice which includes two words that have opposite meanings. While "condone is to approve" might look like a good answer choice, "condone" actually means accept and support. Since "condone" and "allow" are synonyms, "condone is to allow" cannot be the correct answer. The answer choice "cease is to start," however, includes a pair of antonyms: "cease" is a verb meaning end, making it an antonym of "start." Because "cease" and "start" are antonyms just like "deter" and "encourage" are antonyms, "cease is to start" is the correct answer.

“Pragmatic” is an adjective that means sensible and prudent while “idealistic” is an adjective that means unrealistic in one's goals. So, “pragmatic” and “idealistic” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of a pair of antonyms. While “dolorous is to ecstatic” and “serene is to calm” might both look like a potentially correct answer, “serene” is an adjective that means peaceful, making it a synonym, not an antonym, of “calm.” So, “serene is to calm” cannot be the correct answer. “Dolorous,” however, is an adjective that means sorrowful, while “ecstatic” is an adjective that can mean extremely happy. Because “dolorous” is an antonym of “ecstatic” just as “pragmatic” is an antonym of “idealistic,” “dolorous is to ecstatic” is the correct answer.

“Preceding,” when used as a adjective, means coming before or going ahead of. (One can infer this from the presence of the prefix “pre-“, which means before, in “preceding.”) “Following,” however, when used as an adjective, means coming after. So, “preceding” and “following” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice which consists of two words that represent a similar relationship—being not only antonyms, but if possible, having the first word be associated with “before” and the second with “after.” While all of the answer choices have to do with “before” and “after,” we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is associated with “before.” So, considering “introductory,” “final,” “last,” “interim,” and “concluding,” only “introductory” (acting as an introduction to something) is associated with “before” or coming before other things. “Subsequent,” the second word in the “introductory is to subsequent” answer choice, is an adjective that means coming after. So, because “introductory” is associated with coming before and “subsequent” with coming after, just as “preceding” is associated with coming before and “following” is associated with coming after, “introductory is to subsequent” is the correct answer.

"Premeditated" is an adjective that means planned beforehand and is often used in reference to crimes. "Spontaneous" is an adjective that means impulsive, done without being thought-out beforehand. "Premeditated" and "spontaneous" are antonyms, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is an antonym of "parsimonious," an adjective that means frugal and stingy. While "stingy" is an answer choice, it is a synonym of "parsimonious," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Generous," however, is an antonym of "parsimonious," just like "premeditated" is an antonym of "spontaneous," so "generous" is the correct answer.

"Ebullient" is an adjective that means full of excitement and enthusiasm. This is an antonym of "miserable," so to solve this analogy you need to determine which answer choice is an antonym of "forgiving." The best answer is "vengeful," which means desiring revenge. For clarification, "taciturn" means silent or uncommunicative, and "merciful" means showing mercy.

To "laud" something means to praise it. To "condemn" something means to criticize it or declare it to be incorrect. These two meanings are opposites, so to solve this analogy, look for the antonym of "disparage." "Disparage" means criticize or express disdain or disgust. The best available antonym for criticize is "praise."

This is a word game analogy. "Raze" and "raise" are homonyms, but they mean opposite things. To "raze" a structure is to destroy it, or to level it to the ground, but to "raise" a barn is to build it.

To "spurn" someone is to reject that person completely. For instance, one could say, “Herbert spurned any contact with his poor relatives, for he thought them wholly worthless and unintelligent, unworthy of any time.” This is quite the opposite of “accept” and is thus an antonym to the latter. Thus, we are looking for an antonym of “hamper.” Now, you might use the word “hamper” in discussing a type of basket for storing dirty clothes; however, there is no such option among the words provided. (Even the case of “garbage” is not useful, as it is definitely not an antonym). The word “hamper” can also mean to obstruct or make difficult, as when one says, “Thomas decided to hamper the progress of the group by tying their legs together while they sleep. He did not want them to progress on the trip.” The best option among those given is thus “aid,” which is quite the opposite from obstructing or making difficult.