Question

Select the word or group of words that is farthest in meaning to the word given in capital letters.
DIVULGE
A) Reveal
B) Hide
C) Tell
D) Inform

Answer 1

Hint: The word having the farthest meaning or the most contrasting meaning is also called the opposite meaning. Two or more words that have contrasting or opposite meanings are said to be antonyms. Antonyms can either be graded or complementary. Examples of graded antonyms are heavy-light, good-bad etc. E.g. of complementary antonyms are ‘dead-alive’, ‘male –female’.

Complete answer:
The word ‘divulge’ means to make some private or sensitive information known to others. Let us look at the options and find the word with the most dissimilar meaning.
Option A) Reveal – The word ‘reveal’ means to make something known to others or to show something that was previously hidden. For e.g. The clouds moved and revealed a clear blue sky. This word has almost the same meaning as ‘divulge’. Thus, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Hide – ‘Hide’ means to cover or remove from sight or prevent something from being known. For e.g. Go and hide all the money in the cupboard. This word has the exact opposite meaning from ‘divulge’. Thus, this is the correct option.
Option C) Tell – It means to inform something to someone. It may or may not be sensitive or private. For e.g. You should tell your child a story before she goes to bed. This word is similar in meaning to ‘divulge’. Thus, this option is wrong.
Option D) Inform – ‘Inform’ means to tell something which is generally formal or some sort of news or any other important data. For e.g. Don’t worry, I’ll inform you about what the condition is. This word also has a similar meaning to ‘divulge’. Thus, this option is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option ‘B’.

Note: Sometimes, antonyms can be created just by added prefixes. For e.g. dis-, un-, in/im/ir/il, non, etc. All the prefixes mean ‘not’. They negate the words to which they are added. For e.g. Like-Dislike, interested-uninterested, possible-impossible, etc. Sometimes we can add two different suffixes to the same word, but their meanings are completely different. For e.g. ‘Dislike’ means ‘hate’ whereas ‘unlike’ means ‘not similar to’.