Question

Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word/ words.
Due to the postal strike, the outgoing mail got delayed.
A. Urgent
B. Incoming
C. Ordinary
D. Speedy

Answer 1

Hint: Antonyms are opposite words. In this case, we have to find a word whose meaning is completely different than that of ‘outgoing’.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 As we have seen before, antonyms are also known as opposite words. Anything that is opposite differs in its meaning completely from the given word. If the word is bravery, its opposite would be a word that implies a lack of bravery i.e. cowardice. Similarly, if the word is dark, its opposite would be a word that implies the absence of darkness i.e. light.
In the given question, the word is ‘outgoing’. Outgoing can be described as an instance of going out. Now, that we know what the word means, we must find a word whose meaning is the opposite of ‘outgoing’. Logically, this means that we would have to find a word that means to be in the process of coming in. Out of all the given options, the word incoming which means to arrive at a place is the correct match of this opposite meaning. Hence, Option B is the correct answer.

Note: This is a fairly straightforward question with an easy answer. To reach the correct answer, you must carefully consider the context of each option. If you do not know the meaning of a particular word, you may use a dictionary or a thesaurus for help. Eliminate the options that are unrelated or similar in meaning until only the correct option remains.