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Question

Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four options. Select the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word. 

His language is political and  vitriolic .

This question was previously asked in
NDA II 2019 GAT Previous Year Paper (17-Nov-2019)
The correct answer is

abusive

Understanding the Meaning of Vitriolic Language

The question asks us to find the word that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word 'vitriolic' in the sentence: "His language is political and vitriolic." To answer this, we need to understand the meaning of 'vitriolic'.

The word 'vitriolic' is an adjective used to describe language, writing, or speech that is filled with bitter criticism, malice, or ill will. It suggests language that is harsh, cutting, and intended to cause harm or pain.

Let's examine the given options:

  • Imaginative: This means having or showing creativity or inventiveness. It relates to creativity and ideas, which is not related to the harshness or bitterness implied by 'vitriolic'.
  • Sprightly: This means lively, energetic, and cheerful in appearance or manner. This is the opposite of harsh or bitter language.
  • Vivacious: This means attractively lively and animated (typically used of a woman). Like 'sprightly', it suggests energy and cheerfulness, which is not the meaning of 'vitriolic'.
  • Abusive: This means using or exhibiting harsh and injurious language or treatment. Abusive language is language that is offensive, insulting, or harmful.

Comparing the options to the meaning of 'vitriolic', we see that 'abusive' is the closest in meaning. Vitriolic language is essentially a type of abusive language characterized by its bitterness and malice.

Word Meaning Relation to Vitriolic
Vitriolic Filled with bitter criticism or malice; harsh, cutting. Target word
Imaginative Creative; inventive. Not related
Sprightly Lively; cheerful. Opposite meaning
Vivacious Lively; animated. Opposite meaning
Abusive Using harsh and injurious language. Nearest meaning

Therefore, the word nearest in meaning to 'vitriolic' is 'abusive'.

Revision Table: Key Vocabulary

Word Definition Example Sentence
Vitriolic Bitterly abusive or scathingly critical. The politician faced a stream of vitriolic attacks from his opponents.
Imaginative Having or showing creativity or inventiveness. She wrote a highly imaginative story about a talking tree.
Sprightly Lively and full of energy. Despite her age, she had a sprightly step.
Vivacious Attractively lively and animated. He was charmed by her vivacious personality.
Abusive Using harsh and injurious language; characterized by misuse. He received abusive comments online.

Additional Information on Word Meanings

Understanding synonyms and antonyms is crucial for improving vocabulary and comprehension. When encountering an unfamiliar word like 'vitriolic', try to look at the context in which it is used. The sentence "His language is political and vitriolic" tells us that the word describes a type of language, likely related to the intensity or tone of political speech.

Identifying root words, prefixes, and suffixes can also sometimes help, although 'vitriolic' doesn't have easily identifiable components in this way for beginners. Primarily, expanding vocabulary relies on reading widely and using resources like dictionaries and thesauruses.

For competitive exams, focusing on words commonly found in reading comprehension passages or sentence completion questions can be very beneficial. Words describing emotions, tone, or style of communication, like 'vitriolic', 'sarcastic', 'benevolent', 'indifferent', etc., are frequent exam topics.

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