Question

Select the opposite of the given word-
Nervous
a) Bold
b) Doubtful
c) Timid
d) Shrewish

Answer 1

Hint: Nervous refers to being anxious or hysterical about something. Nervousness is our body’s response to stress.

Complete answer:
The word nervous has been derived from the Latin word- Nervus, which means sinew.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word nervous. Now, let’s look at its usage:
Example- He was feeling nervous on the stage. Here, we can understand that X was feeling anxious about the stage.
An antonym or opposite refers to a word that is contrasting in meaning to another word. Example- Grotesque is an antonym of beautiful.
Let’s examine the given options-

Bold- It refers to someone who is fearless and confident. It is opposite in meaning to nervous. Hence, it is the correct option.
Example- The bold girl spoke against the bully.

Doubtful- It refers to feeling irresolute or hesitant about something. It is different in meaning to nervous. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Example- Mother seemed to be doubtful of the weather.
Timid- It refers to someone who is faint-hearted or lacks confidence. It is similar in meaning to nervous. Hence, it is the correct option.
Example- My sister is often scolded for her timid behavior.
Shrewish- It refers to someone who is bad-tempered or sharp-tongued. It is different in meaning to nervous. Hence, it is the correct option.
Example- The shrewish woman attacked the employee.
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note: Use the elimination method to remove the words that are least likely to be the opposite of nervous.