Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
It may seem unbelievable, but Walter’s enthusiasm, laughter and confidence are really infectious.
A. Dangerous
B. Contagious
C. Beneficial
D. Prone to relapse
E. Subject to quarantine

Answer 1

Hint: In this question we need to look for the synonym of the given word ‘infectious’. Let us first understand what synonyms mean – Two words with a nearly common meaning or same meaning words are called synonyms.

Complete answer:
The word infectious means: disease causing liability to be transmitted to people can be easily passed to each other, etc.

Now let’s examine and understand the given option above.
> Dangerous: something which causes injury, damage, or any activity that could harm you, etc. As this word has different meaning so it can’t be an appropriate option.
Synonym: threatening, savage, etc.

> Beneficial: Profitable, favorable, useful effect, etc. As this word has different meaning so it can’t be an appropriate option.
Synonym: useful, favorable, etc.

> Prone to relapse: The return of ill health after partial recovery, to lapse back into a former state, etc. As this word also has different meaning so it can’t be an appropriate option.
Synonym: get ill, worsen, etc.

> Subject to quarantine: A period of time when an infected person keeps himself/herself away from a healthy person. As this word also has different meaning so it can’t be an appropriate option.
Synonym: separation, segregation, etc.

> Contagious: Here the word contagious has the same meaning “type of disease which spreads from one another widely or worldwide, disease causing liability to be transmitted to people, can be easily passed to each other, etc”. As it is related and defines the sentence in the most appropriate way, so the suitable synonym will be option [B] Contagious.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: For choosing the correct option knowing actual meaning is necessary of the given question because synonym is something which defines the word having the same meaning. Try to identify the meaning of the word and evaluate whether it has a positive negative or neutral connotation.