Question

Choose the appropriate synonym of the given word:
Subjugate

a) Capitulate
b) Conquer
c) Wither
d) Confuse

Answer 1

Hint: To subjugate someone means to bring someone under your control usually through conquests. It is a term that was very prevalent in ancient times when kings used to subjugate other kingdoms.

Complete answer:

A synonym is a word that means similar to other words. We have to find the synonym for ‘subjugate’. To subjugate someone means to bring him under your power. Thus, the correct option is option b, that is, conquer. The King of Ayodhya subjugated the neighboring kingdoms.
Let us see why options a, c and d are wrong.
Option a: To capitulate means to surrender. The American army capitulated to the British army.
Option c: To wither means to dry up. The grass in our backyard withered due to lack of rainfall this summer.
Option d: To confuse means to make someone unsure of something. He confused me about the topic with his unnecessary explanation.
We can take a few examples of synonyms. For example, the synonym of adjust is ‘modify’. Both adjust and modify means to make a few changes to suit your purposes and needs.
Similarly, the synonym of vision is sight. Vision refers to what you can see. Sight also means the same. When two words are similar in meaning, they are synonyms.

Note: It can be seen that the word “conquer” is not the exact meaning of the word “subjugate”. Subjugate actually means to dominate. People dominate after conquering something. However, the correct option will be “conquer” because we have to see which given option is the closest in meaning. It may not be the exact meaning. We need to compare and contrast with the other options to find out the best possible answer.