Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
The ancient Egyptians viewed cats as sacred and honoured them in art forms.
a. Holy
b. Pure
c. Intact
d. Haughty
e. Wicked

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym refers to a word that is similar in meaning to another word.

Complete answer:

  Sacred means to be linked with God and to be venerated for that very reason. Anything that is sacred garners a lot of respect and reverence. Sacred is derived from the Latin word sacrare which means holy.

Let’s look at its usage:
Example- The sacred temples of India attract pilgrims from all over the world. Here, we can see that the holy temples of India attract pilgrims all over the world.
Let’s examine the given options:
a. Holy – This option means to be dedicated or consecrated to God. It is similar in meaning to sacred. Hence, it is the correct option.
b. Pure- This option means to be free from contamination. It is different in meaning to sacred. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c. Intact- This option means to be whole. It is different in meaning to sacred. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
d. Haughty- This option means to be arrogantly superior or disdainful. It is different in meaning to sacred. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
e. Wicked - This option means to be morally wrong. It is different in meaning to sacred. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is option ‘a’.

Note: Holy things are often considered to be pure in essence. However, pure is a distractor option as it doesn’t mean the same thing as sacred.