Question

Select the opposite of the given word:
Sympathy
a. Pity
b. Empathy
c. Abhorrence
d. Apathy

Answer 1

Hint: When two things are completely different or contrary to each other they are opposite of each other. Therefore, here you need to find words that contrast in meaning with sympathy.

Complete answer:
Before you jump to the solution you need to understand the meaning of the word – sympathy. So, what does sympathy mean? – When you feel or show care, sorrow or pity for someone else’s misfortune or bad luck you are showing sympathy toward them.
Now, as we have looked into the meaning of the word, we need to find the most appropriate word from the options which will indicate the opposite of sympathy, right?

For that let us look into the given options –
Pity – when there is a feeling of sorrow, regret, disappointment and compassion caused by the sufferings and misfortunes of others.
Empathy – it is the ability of understanding the feelings of others and sharing their emotions.
Abhorrence - can be defined as feeling of revulsion, disgust or loathing towards someone or something
Apathy – can be understood as lack of feeling, concern, interest or emotion.
Here, two of the options indicate something that is contrary to sympathy. They are option c & d, but option c, i.e. abhorrence is more of a negative to be considered as an opposite for sympathy. Therefore, that leaves as with the option d, which is the correct solution for the given question.

Note: When you get stuck with two options that may be correct try to connect with the meaning and then find the one that most suits the requirements of the given question.