Question

Select the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
Many people suffer because of pride.
A)Lowliness
B)Submission
C)Humility
D)Obedience

Answer 1

Hint: Pride is thinking very highly of oneself. It is usually about putting yourself ahead of the other person. It is a noun in the given context.

Complete step-by-step answer:

As we already know from the hint, pride is thinking very highly of oneself. It is usually about putting yourself ahead of the other person. The opposite of it should mean, being humble and modest.
 Lowliness means thinking low of self in comparison to others. It is similar to our description of the opposite meaning of our word in question, ‘pride’. Hence, we can consider Option A to be a possibly correct answer.
 Submission means giving into someone’s authority or commands. It might not necessarily be free of pride. Hence, we shall rule out Option B to be a possibly correct answer.
Humility means being humble and having a low view of self. It is similar to our description of the opposite meaning of our word in question, ‘pride’. Hence, we can consider Option C to be a possibly correct answer.
Obedience means listening to someone’s instructions, commands or orders. It might not necessarily be free of pride. Hence, we shall rule out Option D to be a possibly correct answer.
As we can observe, lowliness and humility are synonymous to each other. Hence, both can be considered as correct options. However, Humility is a quality of choice just like pride, whereas, lowliness isn’t a quality of choice. Thus, Option C is the correct answer.

Note: Humility and pride are virtues of a person that person could choose from. Lowliness is often developed due to lack of confidence and hence, doesn’t fall in the same category as that of humility and pride.