Deference Meaning and Antonym Analysis

The word "Deference" means respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, or will of another person. It implies showing respect and honoring someone's status or authority.

Finding the Opposite Word

We need to find the word from the options that is most nearly opposite in meaning to "Deference". Let's analyze the options:

• Aversion: This means a strong dislike or feeling of opposition. While it's negative, it doesn't directly oppose the act of yielding respectfully.
• Resignation: This means the acceptance of something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about, or the act of retiring. It implies yielding, but often passively, not necessarily disrespectfully.
• Suspicion: This means a feeling of distrust or uncertainty. It relates to lack of trust but isn't the direct opposite of showing respect and yielding.
• Contempt: This means the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. This is the direct opposite of showing respect and deference.

Conclusion on Deference Antonym

Comparing the meanings, "contempt" is the most suitable antonym for "deference" as it represents disrespect and the view that someone is worthless, contrasting sharply with the respect and yielding implied by deference.