Question

: Choose the correct antonym of the given word:
Guilty
a. Innocent
b. Heaven
c. Proud
d. Dull

Answer 1

Hint: Antonyms are opposite words. In this case, we must find a word whose meaning is completely different than that of ‘guilty’.

Complete step-by-step answer:

As we have seen before, antonyms are also known as opposite words. Anything that is opposite differs in its meaning completely from the given word. If the word is ignorance, its opposite would be a word that means information and skills acquired through education or experience i.e., knowledge. Similarly, if the word is sum, its opposite would be a word that means a quantity by which amounts differ i.e. difference.
In the given question, the word is ‘guilty’. Guilty is an adjective that is derived from the Old English word ‘gyltig’. Guilty means to be responsible for a crime or a wrong doing. Now, that we know what the word means, we must find a word whose meaning is the opposite of ‘guilty’. Logically, this means that we have to find a word whose meaning is to not be responsible for a crime or a wrongdoing. Out of all the given options, the word innocent, which means to not be guilty of an offence, is the correct match of this opposite meaning. Hence, option ‘a’ is the correct answer.

Note: This is a fairly straightforward question with an easy answer. If a student has a vague idea of the meanings of the options, he/she may struggle with selecting an answer. Hence, it is important that the students know the meanings of all the words listed in their lessons and that they learn their respective antonyms.