Finding the Antonym of 'Trivial'

The question asks us to identify the most appropriate antonym for the underlined word 'Trivial' in the sentence, "Trivial issues have always interested our boss." An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word.

Understanding the Word 'Trivial'

The word 'trivial' means of little value or importance. It describes something that is insignificant, minor, or inconsequential. In the given sentence, 'trivial issues' refers to problems or matters that are considered small or unimportant.

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at the meanings of the given options to find the word that is opposite in meaning to 'trivial':

• Fierce: This word means having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness. It is used to describe something wild, violent, or intense. This is not related to the importance or value of something.
• Hopeful: This word means feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event. It relates to feelings and expectations about the future. This is not related to the importance or value of something.
• Significant: This word means sufficiently important or noteworthy to merit attention. It describes something that is large, important, or consequential. This is the opposite of being of little value or importance.
• Common: This word means occurring, found, or done often; prevalent. While something common might sometimes be trivial, the words do not have opposite meanings. Something common can also be very important (e.g., common sense, common health issues).

Identifying the Correct Antonym for 'Trivial'

Comparing the meanings, 'Significant' is the word that means important or noteworthy, which is the direct opposite of 'Trivial' meaning of little importance.

Therefore, the most appropriate antonym for 'Trivial' is 'Significant'.

Definitions and Comparison

The sentence talks about "Trivial issues", meaning unimportant issues. The antonym would refer to important issues, which are "Significant issues".

Conclusion

Based on the meanings of the words, 'Significant' is the most appropriate antonym for 'Trivial'.

Revision Table: Antonym of Trivial

Additional Information: Expanding Vocabulary for Antonyms

Understanding antonyms is a key part of building strong vocabulary for language proficiency and exams. When learning a new word, it's helpful to also learn its synonyms (words with similar meanings) and antonyms. This helps in understanding the nuances of meaning and improves ability to use words effectively.

Some synonyms for 'Trivial' include: unimportant, insignificant, minor, petty, small, inconsequential.

Some synonyms for 'Significant' include: important, notable, noteworthy, major, consequential, substantial.

Practice identifying antonyms by reading widely and paying attention to word meanings in context.