Question

Choose the word that is most nearly the opposite in the meaning of the word given in capital.

CONSPICUOUS

a)Indifferent
b)Harmless
c)Insignificant
d)Unknown

Answer 1

Hint: Opposite words are words whose meanings are the complete opposite of a given word. They are also known as antonyms.

Complete answer:
Conspicuous means attracting notice or attention. If something is conspicuous, it is clearly visible. The word conspicuous is derived from the Latin word conspicere.

Let’s look at its usage.
For example - The red tent in the circus was decorated with conspicuous white polka dots. This caused a lot of children to visit it.
Here, we can see that the red tent with easily noticeable white dots attracted a lot of children due to its visibility.

Let’s examine the given options.

Option ‘a’ indifferent means having no particular interest or sympathy. This word is a distractor option as it isn’t opposite in meaning to conspicuous. Therefore, it is an incorrect answer.

Option ‘b’ harmless means unlikely to cause harm. This word is a distractor option as it isn’t opposite in meaning to conspicuous. Therefore, it is an incorrect answer.

Option ‘c’ insignificant means too unimportant to be worth consideration. This word is opposite in meaning to conspicuous. Therefore, it is the correct answer.

Option ‘d’ unknown means to be unfamiliar. This word is a distractor option as it isn’t opposite in meaning to conspicuous. Therefore, it is an incorrect answer.

Option ‘c’ is the correct answer.

Note: Insignificant means to be too small to attract attention whereas unknown means to be obscure and concealed.