Question

Select the word or group of words that is most opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters- LENGTHEN
a)Protract
b)Brighten
c)Abandon
d)Shorten

Answer 1

Hint: Lengthen refers to expand or increase something in length.

Complete step-by-step answer:

The word lengthen has been derived from 15th-century Greek word- Length, which means to make longer.
We know the meaning and the origin of lengthen, let’s look at its usage:
Example- He takes proper care of his car to lengthen its life. Here, we can understand that ‘X’ takes proper care of his care to increase its life.
Now, let’s look at the given options and find the antonym/opposite of lengthen-
Protract- It means to extend or lengthen something. It has the same meaning as lengthen. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Brighten- It means to illuminate or lighten something. It has a different meaning from lengthen. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Abandon- It means to vacate or leave a place or a person. It has a completely different meaning from lengthen. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Shorten- It means to reduce or decrease something. It is the opposite of lengthen. Hence, it is the correct answer.
Hence, the correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note: Eliminate the words that are least likely to be the opposite of lengthen.