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Question

Four words have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the word that is different.

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2020 Tier-II (English) Previous Year Paper (29-Jan-2022)
The correct answer is

Vivacious

Finding the Different Word Among Vivacious, Sluggish, Lethargic, Torpid

This type of question asks you to identify the word that does not belong to the same group as the others. Three words share a common characteristic or meaning, while one word is distinct.

Understanding the Meanings of the Words

To find the different word, we first need to understand the meaning of each term:

  • Vivacious: This word describes someone or something that is lively, animated, and full of energy and spirit.
  • Sluggish: This describes a state of being slow-moving, inactive, or lacking energy.
  • Lethargic: This means feeling a lack of energy or enthusiasm, often feeling sluggish and apathetic. It implies a state of inactivity or dullness.
  • Torpid: This word describes being inactive or sluggish. It can also refer to a state of dormancy, like animals in hibernation.
Word Meaning
Vivacious Lively, full of energy, animated
Sluggish Slow-moving, inactive, lacking energy
Lethargic Lacking energy/enthusiasm, sluggish, inactive
Torpid Inactive, sluggish, dormant

Identifying the Group and the Different Word

Let's look at the meanings we've defined:

  • Sluggish, Lethargic, and Torpid all share a common theme: they describe a lack of energy, movement, or activity. They suggest being slow, inactive, or dormant.
  • Vivacious, on the other hand, describes the opposite state: being full of life, energy, and animation.

Therefore, Vivacious is different from the other three words because it signifies energy and liveliness, whereas Sluggish, Lethargic, and Torpid all signify a lack of energy and activity.

Conclusion: The Odd Word Out

Based on the meanings, Sluggish, Lethargic, and Torpid are synonyms or closely related in meaning, describing inactivity or lack of energy. Vivacious is antonymous to these words, describing energy and liveliness.

Revision Table: Key Differences

Group (Inactive/Slow) Different Word (Lively/Energetic)
Sluggish Vivacious
Lethargic
Torpid

Additional Information: Exploring Antonyms

Understanding antonyms (words with opposite meanings) is key to solving many verbal reasoning questions. In this case, Vivacious is an antonym to words like Sluggish, Lethargic, and Torpid. Knowing common antonym pairs and groups of synonyms can greatly improve your ability to identify the odd one out in vocabulary-based questions.

Other words related to being energetic might include lively, active, spirited, animated, and vibrant. Words related to being inactive or slow might include slow, idle, inert, dormant, and listless.

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Similar Questions

  1. Four words have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the word that is different.

  2. Select the option that is related to the third word in the same way as the second word is related to the first word. (The words must be considered as meaningful English words and must not be related to each other based on the number of letters/number of consonants/vowels in the word)

    Pain : Agony :: Anger: ?
  3. Select the option that is related to the third word in the same way as the second word is related to the first word.

    Conceit : Modesty : : Despair : ?

  4. Select the word-pair in which the two words are related in the same way as the two wordsin the following word-pair.

    Dirty : Filthy
  5. Select the word-pair in which the two words are related in the same way as are the two words in the following word-pair.

    Apathy: Enthusiasm

  6. ‘Cinema’ is related to ‘Audience’ in the same way as ‘Church’ is related to ‘_____’.

  7. Select the option that is related to the third term in the same way as the second term is related to the first term.

    Happy : Glad ∷ Sad : ?
  8. ‘Dumbness’ is related to ‘Speech’ in the same way as ‘_______’ is related to ‘Memory’.

  9. Select the option in which the words share the same relationship as that shared by the given pair of words.

    Blunder : Error
  10. ‘Criticise’ is related to ‘Condemn’ in the same way as ‘solidarity’ is related to ‘_____’


Important Questions from Meaning Based

  1. In the following question, a pair of words is given followed by four pairs of words as alternatives. The candidate is required to choose the pair in which the words bear the same relationship to each other as the words of the given pair bear.

    Apostate : Religion

  2. Select the word-pair that best represents a similar relationship to the one expressed in the pair of words given below.

    (The words must be considered as meaningful English words and must not be related to each other based on the number of letters/number of consonants/vowels in the word.)

    Admit ∶ Deny

  3. Find the odd number/letters from the given alternatives.

  4. Find the odd word from the given alternatives.

  5. In the question, select the related word pair from the given alternatives.

    Dullness : Exhaustion :: ?

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