Understanding the Word Exorbitant

The question asks for the word that is opposite in meaning to "Exorbitant". To find the opposite, we first need to understand what "Exorbitant" means.

The word Exorbitant is an adjective. It is used to describe something, usually a price or amount, that is excessively high or unreasonable.

Think of it like this: If something costs way, way more than it should, you could say the price is exorbitant.

Examples:

• The hotel charged an exorbitant price for a simple bottle of water.
• He was asked to pay an exorbitant fee for cancelling the service.

Analyzing the Given Options

We need to look at each option and see which one has a meaning that is the opposite of being excessively high or unreasonable.

1. Expensive: This word means costing a lot of money. While an exorbitant price is always expensive, "expensive" doesn't necessarily imply the same level of unreasonableness or excessiveness as "exorbitant". It is more of a similar meaning (a synonym or near-synonym) than an opposite.
2. High: This word simply means having a great amount or level. An exorbitant price is high, but "high" itself is not the opposite of "exorbitant". It is also a similar meaning or aspect of exorbitant.
3. Cruel: This word means willfully causing pain or suffering to others. This meaning has absolutely no relation to the cost or amount of something. Therefore, it is not the opposite of exorbitant.
4. Modest: This word can have several meanings, but when referring to amounts or costs, it means not excessively large, elaborate, or expensive; moderate in size or amount. Something modest is reasonable and not over the top. This sounds like the opposite of being excessively high or unreasonable.

Identifying the Correct Opposite

Let's compare the meaning of Exorbitant (excessively high, unreasonable) with the meaning of Modest (moderate, reasonable, not excessive).

An exorbitant amount is far too much. A modest amount is just right or reasonable.

Therefore, Modest is the word that is opposite in meaning to Exorbitant.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the meanings, the word opposite to Exorbitant is Modest.

Revision Table: Antonyms of Exorbitant

Additional Information: Antonyms and Synonyms

Understanding antonyms (words with opposite meanings) and synonyms (words with similar meanings) is a key part of building your vocabulary for exams.

• Antonyms: Words that have contrasting or opposite meanings. Finding the antonym requires understanding the core meaning of the original word and then identifying a word that expresses the lack of or the opposite of that quality.
• Synonyms: Words that have similar meanings. Sometimes questions ask for synonyms instead of antonyms. For "Exorbitant", synonyms could include "excessive", "extravagant", "unreasonable", "prohibitive" (especially for costs).

Practicing with lists of antonyms and synonyms can greatly improve your ability to tackle vocabulary questions in tests.