Question

Select the synonym for the following word from the options given below:
CONTRADICT
a) imitate
b) deny
c) refute
d) defy

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘contradict’ refers to ‘deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite'. This word is usually used as a verb and its noun form is ‘contradiction’. Another synonym of this word is ‘counter’.

Complete answer:
 A synonym is a word/phrase that has the exact or nearly the same meaning as another word/phrase in the same language, for example ‘talk’ is a synonym of ‘chat’, as they convey the same exact meaning as each other, which means that they can replace each other in a sentence.

Now, we know the meaning and the usage of the given word. Let’s look at the given options-
a) imitate - The word ‘imitate’ refers to ‘take or follow as a model’, so this word has a very different meaning to the given word. It cannot be the synonym of the given word ‘contradict’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) deny - The word ‘deny’ refers to ‘state that one refuses to admit the truth or existence of', so this word has a very different meaning to the given word. It cannot be the synonym of the given word ‘contradict’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) refute - The word ‘refute’ refers to ‘prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove', so this word has the exact same meaning as the given word. It is the synonym of the given word ‘contradict’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) defy - The word ‘defy’ refers to ‘openly resist or refuse to obey’, so this word has a very different meaning to the given word. It cannot be the synonym of the given word ‘contradict’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
 Synonyms refer to words that mean exactly the same. Understand the meaning of the given sentence. Look through the options to find the word with the exact same meaning as the given word.