Question

Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word:
He wrote an incisive article on corruption in politics.
a. Vague
b. Penetrating
c. Trenchant
d. Precise

Answer 1

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

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 honesty, its opposite would be a word that implies fraudulent conduct i.e., dishonesty. Similarly, if the word is capable, its opposite would be a word that implies an inability to execute something i.e. incapable.
In the given question, the word is ‘incisive’. Incisive is an adjective. If something is incisive, it is characterized by analysis and clearly thought out ideas. Now, that we know what the word means, we must find a word whose meaning is the opposite of ‘incisive’. Logically, this means that we have to find a word whose meaning is lacking clarity or unclear. Out of all the given options, the word vague, which means communicating ambiguous ideas, is the correct match of this opposite meaning. Hence, the option ‘a’ is the correct answer.

Note: Let us consider the problematic areas of this question. It is important that the student reads the question carefully and understands the direction given. If a student mistakes a synonym for an antonym, he/she may choose option ‘b’ penetrating, instead of choosing the correct antonym which is vague. Therefore, understanding the direction given in the question is very important.