Select the most appropriate ANTONYM for ‘copious’ in the given sentence.To be a successful writer, you need to have plenty of words; otherwise you will write a meagre novel which won’t receive good response from the readers.

Question

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM for &lsquo;copious&rsquo; in the given sentence.To be a successful writer, you need to have plenty of words; otherwise you will write a meagre novel which won&rsquo;t receive good response from the readers.

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Understanding the Antonym of Copious

The question asks us to identify the most appropriate antonym for the word 'copious' based on its usage in the provided sentence: "To be a successful writer, you need to have plenty of words; otherwise you will write a meagre novel which won’t receive good response from the readers."

Meaning of Copious and Meagre

Copious: The word 'copious' means abundant, plentiful, or large in amount or number. In the sentence, 'plenty of words' is used, which is a synonym for 'copious words'.
Meagre: The word 'meagre' means small in amount, size, or number; scanty; inadequate. The sentence contrasts having 'plenty of words' (or copious words) with writing a 'meagre novel'. This contrast highlights 'meagre' as the opposite of 'plenty' or 'copious'.

Therefore, based on their meanings, 'meagre' is an antonym for 'copious'.

Analysing the Options

Let's look at the given options:

Successful: This word relates to achieving a desired outcome. It is not related to quantity or amount, so it is not an antonym of 'copious'.
Plenty: This word means a large amount or number. As discussed, 'plenty' is a synonym for 'copious', not an antonym.
Meagre: This word means small in amount or number. It is the opposite of 'copious' (plentiful/abundant). This fits the context of the sentence where a 'meagre novel' is contrasted with having 'plenty of words'.
Response: This word refers to an answer or reaction. It is not related to quantity or amount, so it is not an antonym of 'copious'.

Comparing the options, 'meagre' is the only word that represents the opposite of 'copious' or 'plenty' in terms of quantity or amount.

Word	Meaning	Relationship to 'Copious'
Copious	Abundant, Plentiful, Large in amount	Original word
Successful	Achieving desired result	Unrelated
Plenty	Large amount or number	Synonym
Meagre	Small in amount, Scanty	Antonym
Response	An answer or reaction	Unrelated

Conclusion

Based on the definitions and the context provided in the sentence, the most appropriate antonym for 'copious' is 'meagre'.

Revision Table: Key Vocabulary

Word	Type	Meaning	Example Usage
Copious	Adjective	Abundant; plentiful; large in amount or number	She took copious notes during the lecture.
Meagre	Adjective	Small in amount, size, or number; scanty	The prisoners received a meagre ration of food.
Antonym	Noun	A word opposite in meaning to another word	'Hot' is an antonym of 'cold'.
Synonym	Noun	A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word	'Happy' is a synonym of 'joyful'.

Additional Information: Understanding Antonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Learning antonyms is a great way to expand your vocabulary and improve your understanding of word relationships. Antonyms can be simple opposites like 'big' and 'small', or they can be more complex depending on the context in which a word is used.

Sometimes, a word can have multiple antonyms depending on the specific sense in which it is used. For example, the antonym of 'light' could be 'dark' (opposite of bright) or 'heavy' (opposite of not heavy). However, in the case of 'copious', which primarily relates to quantity, 'meagre' is a common and direct antonym meaning small or scanty in quantity.

Understanding the context of a sentence is crucial when choosing the most appropriate antonym, as shown in the analysis of the question where the contrast between 'plenty of words' and a 'meagre novel' strongly indicates the intended opposite meaning related to quantity.