Question

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.
BACCHANAL
a) cautious
b) grave
c) cunning
d) sober

Answer 1

Hint: The word bacchanal comes from the word bacchanalia which is actually a set of Roman festivals which was celebrated to worship the Roman God Bacchus. In such festivals, people used to drink a lot. Thus, the word bacchanal means a celebration where people get very drunk.

Complete answer:

Since we have to find the opposite of the word bacchanal, we have to find a word which means the condition of a person when they are not drunk. The condition of a person when they are not drunk is called sober. Sober people are people who have not consumed any liquor or alcohol. Thus, the correct option is option d, that is, sober. The word bacchanal is a noun and can be used to refer to festivities where people drink a lot. The bacchanals organized in the office had a bad effect on the new interns.
Now, let us see why the other options are not correct by understanding their meaning.
Option a is cautious. Being cautious means being careful. It’s always good to be cautious in life. The opposite of caution is reckless. When he heard the loud noise downstairs, he proceeded with caution. Therefore option a is wrong.
Option b is grave. Anything grave is serious. It was a grave situation in the school after a student tried to commit suicide. The opposite of the grave is trivial. Trivial things are unimportant things. When the fact that someone was stealing chalk was reported to the teacher, she dismissed it as something trivial. Option b is incorrect as well.
Option c is cunning. Someone who is cunning is very sly. They are wicked too. Cunning people are very smart but in a negative way. They want to harm others. The opposite of cunning is naive. Naive people are very honest. Option c is wrong.
So, the correct answer is “Option d”.

Note: Make sure to read the main question properly. A lot of students make the mistake of writing a similar word instead of writing the opposite when the question has asked for a word that is opposite to the given word.