Question

Choose the word which is closest to the opposite in meaning to the italicized word.
That was an exquisite piece of art which won the admiration of one and all.
A) Ugly
B) Cheap
C) Old
D) Expensive

Answer 1

Hint: The word antonym is sometimes used interchangeably with opposite, but it also has other, more narrow meanings. Graded (or gradable) antonyms are word pairs with opposing meanings that fall along a continuum (hot, cold). Complementary antonyms are word pairs with opposing meanings that do not fall on a continuous continuum (push, pull).

Complete answer:
Exquisite means - extremely beautiful and appealing.
Exquisite person - A person who puts on a display of being sophisticated and conscientious about taste, etc.
Antonyms of Exquisite are – Rough, careless, ugly, inelegant, flawed, and many more.

Option A) Ugly : Ugly means – It is difficult to look at or listen to; it is unappealing, quite displeasing or unattractive to the eye, annoying to one's sense of beauty.
Exquisite refers to something that is exceptionally lovely and delicate. Ugly, disgusting, or repulsive, particularly in appearance, is the exact opposite of exquisite. Hence, this option is correct.

Option B) Cheap : Cheap means - Cost low, Costing less amount of money, establishing low prices.
A "cheap person" is someone who dislikes spending money, especially in circumstances where he can and should. "Cheapskate" is a slang word for someone like this. One of the meanings of the word 'cheap' is to describe someone who is of little value. Cheap doesn’t have the same meaning as the antonym of exquisite. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option C) Old : Old means - that has been around for a long time; linked to the past, having spent a long time on this planet.
A person who is old has lived for a long time and is no longer a child. When you say ancient, you're referring to the number of days, weeks, months, or years that someone or something has lived or existed. When he was three months old, his father abandoned him. Old doesn’t have the same meaning as the antonym of exquisite. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option D) Expensive : Expensive means requiring a large amount of money, Expensive nearly means costly, fancy, high, lavish, valuable, extravagant, overpriced, pricey, upscale, dear, excessive, exorbitant, holdup, immoderate, inordinate.
If someone says to you, "I have expensive taste," it means they enjoy expensive items, whether they are bought or simply enjoyed in a store window. Expensive concepts. adjectival phrase high-priced or charging high-priced products. Expensive doesn’t have the same meaning as the antonym of exquisite. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: Synonyms are described in terms of specific meanings of words: a pupil is the opening in the iris of the eye, not a student. Similarly, he died and he expired are the same thing, but my passport has expired and my passport has died are not interchangeable. choice, dainty, delicate, elegant, and unique are all synonyms for exquisite.