Question

Choose the word that gives the antonym of the word italicized.
From his acts of hunting, it can be inferred that he is a wicked man.

a) Innocent
b) Decent
c) Pious
d) Peaceful

Answer 1

Hint: An antonym refers to a word that is opposite in meaning to another word. Example- Happy is the antonym of sad.

Complete answer:

‘Wicked’ refers to someone who is sinful and morally corrupt. The word ‘wicked’ has been derived from the German word- Wieche, which means wick yarn.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word ‘wicked’. Now, let’s look at its usage-
Example- The wicked woman locked her children in the room. Here, we can understand that an evil and a sinful woman locked her children in the room.
Let’s examine the given options-
Innocent- It refers to someone who is guiltless or blameless. It is different in meaning to wicked. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Decent- It refers to something that is acceptable or satisfactory. It is different in meaning to wicked. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Pious- It refers to someone who is righteous and sincere. It is opposite in meaning to wicked. Hence, it is the correct option.
Peaceful- It refers to someone or something that is calm and pleasant. It is different in meaning to wicked. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
So, the correct answer is “Option c”.

Note: Do not get confused between antonyms and synonyms. Antonyms have the same function as opposites, whereas synonyms have the same meaning as another word.