Question

Choose the word which is closest to the opposite in the meaning to the italicized word
He harboured a feeling of malice towards his younger brother
A) Concern
B) Rancour
C) Spite
D) Goodwill

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given sentence and decipher what it means, this will also give you a rough idea of the meaning of the italicized word. Now go through the given options and recall what each of them mean. Choose the one which means the opposite or is closest to meaning the opposite of the italicized word.

Complete answer:
Antonyms refer to the opposite meaning of the given word, therefore, we have to find an antonym for malice to arrive at the answer. Malice refers to the desire to cause harm/ think ill of someone.

Let’s now see which one fits in well:
Option A- Concern refers to a matter of interest or important to someone. But here we are not talking about interest or importance. Therefore, this is an incorrect answer.
For example: She was concerned about her consecutive bad performances.
Option B- Rancour refers to a feeling of animosity or hostility, which is a synonym for malice. Therefore, even this is an incorrect answer
For example: The elections were held with remarkably little rancour.
Option C- Spite refers to a desire to hurt, offend or annoy someone. This word can also be considered as a synonym.
For example: Dussehra is a festival in India to commemorate the victory of good over spite.
Option D- Goodwill refers to a friendly, cooperative and helpful attitude. Therefore, this can be considered as the correct answer because it is opposite to the word ‘malice’.
For example: Her goodwill towards every employee in the times of pandemic was appreciated by many.

Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Note:
a) Here are a few synonyms of Malice:
-Malevolence
-Cruelty
-Ill will
b) Here are a few antonyms of Malice:
-Benevolence
-Spite