Question

Choose the word that is opposite in meaning to the given word :
Mitigate
a) Intensify
b) barricade
c) Investigate
d) Personify

Answer 1

Hint:Opposite or antonyms are words that are completely different or contrary in meaning to another word. Example- Proud is an antonym of humble.

Complete answer:
 ‘Mitigate’ refers to diminishing or weakening something to make it less harmful or painful.
We know the meaning of the word ‘mitigate’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
Example- The government has set up committees to mitigate the problem of corruption. Here, we can understand that the government has appointed committees to weaken or diminish the problem of corruption.
Let us decipher the meaning of each of the words in order to reach the correct answer of the given word ‘mitigate-
Option a- ‘Intensifies’ refers to something that increases or becomes very intense in its approach. For example, His dedication towards his work has intensified. It is the opposite in meaning to mitigate. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option b- ‘Barricade’ refers to something that is forbidden and unwelcomed. For example, In Kashmir, a lot of barricades have been put up to avoid the movement of the people. It is different in meaning to mitigate. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Investigate’ refers to highlighting or focusing on something. For example, Police investigated the murder deeply to avoid any mistakes. It is different in meaning to mitigate. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘Personify’ it is a literary device that is used to indicate non-human qualities. It is commonly used in literature to denote human qualities to the non-living things. For example, The sun comes up early in the morning (personification).
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note:
Students should carefully analyze each word in order to choose the right option and avoid any mistake. Also, some of the commonly used antonyms or opposites of mitigate are; Aggravate, increases, etc.