Question

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.
Vanquish
a. Surrender
b. Debase
c. Destroy
d. Ruin

Answer 1

Hint: Vanquish means to defeat thoroughly. There is no chance for the opponent to win once they are vanquished.

Complete answer:
Vanquish comes from the old French word veincre which means to conquer. It is usually used to refer to battles where one army achieves victory over another army. Let us find the correct opposite by using the elimination method.
Option c is destroy. Since the meaning of vanquish means to defeat or to conquer, option c is the wrong answer. It is the very meaning of the term vanquish. It is a word similar to the given question and not opposite to it.
Now we are left with options a, b and d.
Option d is also to be eliminated because to ruin something means to destroy something. If I say my brother ruined my painting, it means he destroyed it and I have to paint a new picture. Thus, it is a word similar to vanquish.
Between options a and b, we have surrender and debase respectively. Option b, that is debase means to reduce the quality or value or something. Thus, option a, that is surrender is the only option left.
Now let us see whether surrender is the correct option. We can check that using it in a sentence.
The British army vanquished the enemy. This means the British army completely destroyed and defeated their enemy.
Let us use our chosen option, that is, surrender and see if the sentence means the opposite. The British army surrendered to the enemy. This means that the British army lost.
So, yes, it makes sense. The correct answer is option a, surrender. Surrender is the opposite of the word vanquish.

Note: Using the word in a sentence of your own is always helpful because it helps you understand the meaning and the context of the word.