Question

Choose the word that is opposite in meaning to the given word.
Uncouth
a. Crude
b. Awkward
c. Courteous
d. Refined

Answer 1

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

Complete 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 adult, its opposite would be a word that implies a young human i.e., child. Similarly, if the word is aggressive, its opposite would be a word that implies a submissive and yielding attitude i.e. passive.
In the given question, the word is ‘uncouth’. Uncouth is an adjective. Uncouth is derived from the Old English word ‘uncuth’. If someone is uncouth, they lack good manners and grace. Now, that we know what the word means, we must find a word whose meaning is the opposite of ‘uncouth’. Logically, this means that we have to find a word whose meaning is having good manners and being graceful. Out of all the given options, the word refined, which implies to be elegant and cultured in appearance is the correct match of this opposite meaning. Hence, option ‘d’ is the correct answer.

Note: Let us consider the problematic areas of this question. Students may mistake option ‘c’ courteous as the correct answer as it implies having good manners. However, this word isn’t the exact opposite of uncouth as it doesn’t cover the scope of being elegant and graceful. Unless it is mentioned explicitly, the question will only have one right answer.