Question

Choose the word which means the opposite of the underlined word in the sentence-
The General Manager is quite tactful and handles the workers union very effectively.
a)Incautious
b)Discreet
c)Strict
d)Disciplined

Answer 1

Hint: Tactful refers to being understanding and thoughtful while dealing with others or a problem.

Complete step-by-step answer:

The word tactful was first used in the mid-19th century.
We know the meaning and origin of tactful, let’s look at its usage:
Example- It was tactful of him not to scold me in front of my parents. Here, we can understand that ‘X’ considers ‘Y’ to be thoughtful and sensitive, as ‘Y’ didn’t scold ‘X’ in front of his parents.
Now, let’s examine the given options to find the antonym/opposite of tactful:
a)Incautious- It refers to being thoughtless and reckless while dealing with others or a problem. It is the exact opposite of tactful. Hence, it is the correct option.
b)Discreet- It refers to being careful and cautious in conduct and speech. It has the same meaning as tactful. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c)Strict- It refers to being authoritarian and harsh in behavior. It has a different meaning from tactful. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
d)Disciplined- It refers to having a strict form of behavior. It has a different meaning from tactful. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note: Use the elimination method to eliminate the word that is least likely to be the opposite of tactful.