Question

Select the word which is opposite in meaning to the given word-
Noxious
a) Notorious
b) Harmless
c) Shadow
d) Anxious

Answer 1

Hint: Synonyms are the words that have the same or nearly the same meaning of the word in the same language. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings in comparison to the other.

Complete answer:
 the word 'noxious' originated in the late 15th century from Latin noxius (from noxa 'harm') + -ous. Noxious means harmful and poisonous. For eg. Although this plant is known to be inedible and even noxious, some foolish people make a tea out of it to get high.
We will look at each option carefully and try to find out the meaning and figure out the answer through it:
Option 'a' is notorious which means well known for something bad. For eg. Her life was notorious for intrigue and perfidy.
Option 'b' is harmless which means not able or not likely to cause damage or injury; safe. For eg. My dog is harmless.
Option 'c' is a shadow which means a dark shape on a surface that is caused by something being between the light and that surface. For eg. The little boy was so lost in his shadow that he hardly saw his mother coming towards him and calling him
Option 'd' anxious means worried and afraid. For eg. I began to get anxious when they didn't arrive till 9 o'clock.
After analyzing each option carefully and their meaning, we came to the point that option “b” is the right answer. So the word opposite to the word 'noxious' is 'harmless'.

Note:
All the other options are plausible distractions. Don't confuse between 'anxious' and 'harmless'. They both are opposites in some way.