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Question

Directions: In this section, each item consists of sentence with a word underlined and is followed by four words. Select the word that is most opposite in meaning to the underlined word and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet accordingly.

Unlike his brother, he is affable .

This question was previously asked in
NDA I 2017 GAT Previous Year Paper (23-Apr-2017)
The correct answer is

irritable

Understanding the Word 'Affable'

The question asks us to find the word that is most opposite in meaning to the underlined word 'affable' in the sentence, "Unlike his brother, he is affable." To answer this, we first need to understand the meaning of 'affable'.

The word 'affable' describes someone who is friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to. An affable person is approachable and pleasant in manner.

Analyzing the Options for the Antonym of 'Affable'

We are looking for the word among the options that has a meaning most contrary to being friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to. Let's examine each option:

  • reserved: This word means keeping one's thoughts and feelings to oneself or being slow to reveal emotions or feelings. While a reserved person might not be as easy to talk to as an affable one, being reserved doesn't necessarily mean they are unfriendly or bad-natured. It's a degree of openness rather than a direct opposite quality of friendliness.
  • gullible: This word describes someone who is easily persuaded to believe something; naive. This trait has no direct relationship with being friendly or easy to talk to.
  • irritable: This word means easily annoyed or angered. An irritable person is typically not good-natured and is often difficult to talk to or be around because of their tendency to get upset quickly. This is a strong contrast to being friendly and good-natured.
  • lovable: This word means inspiring love or affection; delightful. A lovable person is likely to be affable, as friendliness and a good nature contribute to being lovable. Therefore, this word is closer in meaning (a synonym or related positive quality) rather than an antonym.

Identifying the Most Opposite Word

Comparing the meanings, 'irritable' stands out as the most direct opposite of 'affable'. An affable person is pleasant and easy to interact with, while an irritable person is prone to anger or annoyance and is thus difficult to interact with. The other options, 'reserved' and 'gullible', do not represent the core opposite meaning of being friendly and good-natured as strongly as 'irritable' does. 'Lovable' is closer to being a synonym.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the meanings, the word most opposite in meaning to 'affable' is 'irritable'.

Revision Table: Vocabulary Review

Word Meaning Type of meaning compared to 'Affable'
Affable Friendly, good-natured, easy to talk to Original word
Reserved Keeping feelings to oneself; not openly expressive Partial contrast (in ease of interaction)
Gullible Easily deceived or tricked Unrelated meaning
Irritable Easily annoyed or angered Strong opposite (in temperament and ease of interaction)
Lovable Inspiring love; delightful Similar/related meaning (positive trait)

Additional Information on Antonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Learning antonyms is a useful way to expand your vocabulary and improve your understanding of word relationships. Finding the most suitable antonym often depends on the specific context in which the word is used. In this case, 'affable' describes a person's disposition and ease of social interaction, and 'irritable' describes an opposite disposition that makes social interaction difficult.

Other possible antonyms for 'affable' in different contexts might include unfriendly, distant, or ill-tempered, but among the given options, 'irritable' is the best fit.

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