Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word. My husband has committed a very heinous crime.
Delightful
Finding the Antonym of Heinous
The question asks us to identify the most appropriate antonym for the word "heinous". An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word.
Let's first understand the meaning of the word "heinous".
- Heinous: describes an act or crime that is utterly odious, wicked, or evil; extremely bad. Think of actions that are shockingly wrong or terrible.
Now, let's examine the given options and their meanings:
- Gruesome: Causing repulsion or horror; grisly. This word describes something unpleasant, often related to injury or death. It is similar in tone to heinous but focuses more on the horrific visual or feeling rather than the moral wickedness.
- Appalling: Causing shock or dismay; horrific. Similar to gruesome and heinous, it describes something dreadful or terrible.
- Cynical: Believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity. This word describes a person's attitude or perspective, not the nature of an act itself as good or bad in a moral sense related to wickedness.
- Delightful: Causing delight; charming, very pleasant. This describes something enjoyable, pleasing, or lovely.
We are looking for a word that means the opposite of utterly wicked or evil. Comparing the options:
- "Gruesome" and "Appalling" are close in meaning to "heinous" (synonyms or near-synonyms), describing something terrible or horrific. They are not antonyms.
- "Cynical" describes a mindset or attitude, which is unrelated to the moral quality of an act being heinously wicked. It is not an antonym.
- "Delightful" describes something pleasant, charming, and enjoyable. This is the direct opposite of something that is utterly odious, wicked, evil, or shocking.
Therefore, "delightful" is the most appropriate antonym for "heinous". A heinous crime is extremely bad and unpleasant, while something delightful is extremely good and pleasant.
Understanding Antonyms and Synonyms
Understanding synonyms and antonyms helps expand vocabulary and improve comprehension. Synonyms are words with similar meanings, while antonyms are words with opposite meanings.
Let's look at the relationship between the words:
| Word | Meaning | Relation to Heinous |
| Heinous | Utterly wicked or evil | Target word |
| Gruesome | Causing horror/repulsion | Synonym/Similar |
| Appalling | Causing shock/dismay; horrific | Synonym/Similar |
| Cynical | Distrustful of sincerity | Unrelated |
| Delightful | Causing delight; charming | Antonym |
Based on the meanings and relationships, "delightful" is clearly the antonym we are looking for.
Conclusion on the Antonym
To find the antonym of "heinous crime", we needed a word that describes something good, pleasant, or the opposite of evil and wicked. Out of the given options, only "Delightful" carries this opposite meaning.
Revision Table: Key Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
| Heinous | Utterly wicked or evil | Committing a heinous crime is severely punishable by law. |
| Gruesome | Causing horror; grisly | The scene of the accident was gruesome. |
| Appalling | Causing shock; dreadful | The working conditions were absolutely appalling. |
| Cynical | Distrustful of sincerity | He had a cynical view of politicians. |
| Delightful | Causing delight; charming | We had a delightful evening at the park. |
Additional Information: Expanding Vocabulary
Building vocabulary is essential for language proficiency. Learning synonyms and antonyms is a very effective method. When you encounter a new word, try to find words with similar meanings (synonyms) and opposite meanings (antonyms). This helps you understand the nuances of language and use words more precisely.
For example, knowing that "gruesome" and "appalling" are synonyms for terrible things helps you describe different kinds of bad experiences or sights. Knowing "delightful" is the antonym of "heinous" helps you understand the extreme contrast between something evil and something lovely.
Always consider the context in which a word is used, as this can sometimes affect its precise meaning or the best antonym/synonym choice.
Important Questions from Miscellaneous
A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20 m high building with a speed of 12 m/s. It hits the ground at a distance R from the building. Taking g = 10 m/s2 and neglecting air resistance will give :
A mass is attached to a spring that hangs vertically. The extension produced in the spring is 6 cm on Earth. The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon is one-sixth of its value on the surface of the Earth. The extension of the spring on the Moon would be:
Directions: Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words (a), (b), (c), and (d). Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word and mark your response in your Answer Sheet accordingly.
The deluge affected the population.The major source of vitamins and minerals for vegetarians is
Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots Commission is/are correct?
1. The Commission did not hold enquiries in the districts which were not affected.
2. The Commission did record the statements of ryots, sahukars and eye-witnesses.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
