Question

Choose the word/phrase which is opposite in meaning to the bold word/phrase in the sentence.
Professors are generally serious about what they say.
A)jolly
B)thoughtful
C)smug
D)insincere

Answer 1

Hint: Serious refers to being thoughtful or subdued in manner or appearance.

Complete step-by-step answer:

In the given question, we have to identify the opposite of the word serious. To do this we need to understand its meaning first. It refers to acting or speaking in an earnest and not joking manner.
Let us now take a look at the meanings of the given options.
Option ‘A’, jolly refers to being happy or cheerful
Option ‘B’, thoughtful refers to careful and reasoned thinking.
Option ‘C’, smug refers to the act of showing or having extreme pride in one’s achievements.
Option ‘D’, insincere refers to not expressing genuine feelings or opinions.
From the above options, we can understand that options ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ are incorrect. This is because the meaning of ‘A’ through a possible opposite to the given word, in the given context it is incorrect, ‘B’ is similar in meaning to the given word and ‘C’ has a meaning that is unrelated to the given word in any way.
Hence, the correct answer is option ‘D’, insincere as it has the exact opposite meaning.

Note: Serious can mean both being stern or speaking about something earnestly. In the given context of professors, it's about speaking earnestly, and hence, insincere is the appropriate opposite.