Question

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the italicized word:
Ranjeet drove to the place by a circuitous route.
A) Short
B) Roundabout
C) Direct
D) Obvious

Answer 1

Hint:Antonyms are the words that are opposite in meaning to another. The root words for the word 'antonym' are the words 'anti' meaning 'against' or 'opposite' and 'onym' meaning 'name’. For instance: the antonym of ‘hot’ is ‘cold’.

Complete answer:
The meaning of the word bl circuitous ‘longer than the most direct way or roundabout or indirect’. So, as per the question we must find the word which is opposite in meaning to the word circuitous.
Option A) Short - is an incorrect answer because the meaning of short is ‘measuring a small distance from end to end or brief or small or tiny or little’ and this is not antonym of the word circuitous. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.

Option B) Roundabout - is an incorrect answer because the meaning of roundabout is ‘a road junction at which traffic moves in one direction round a central island to reach one of the roads converging on it or rotary or traffic circle’ and this is not antonym of the word circuitous. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.

Option C) Direct - is the correct answer because the meaning of direct is ‘extending or moving from one place to another without changing direction or stopping or straight or undeviating or shortest or quickest’ and this is the antonym of the word circuitous as they have different meaning or they are opposite in meaning to each other. Thus, this is the correct answer.

Option D) Obvious - is an incorrect answer because the meaning of obvious is ‘easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, or apparent or clear or plain or crystal clear or evident’ and this is not antonym of the word circuitous. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note:Antonyms are the words that are opposite to each other i.e. antonym of circuitous is direct, and synonyms are the words that are similar in meaning. So, the synonym of circuitous is roundabout (Option B already given in the option). Thus, Option C is the most appropriate answer as compared to the other options as they do not have the opposite meaning to the given word.