NDA (I) 2021 General Ability Test · Question 18 of 149

Correct — A, shrivel. This is an antonym item — the opposite of 'grow' (to increase in size, flourish) is 'shrivel', which means to shrink and wither, so it is the word most nearly opposite in meaning.

• (b)stretch — 'Stretch' means to extend or lengthen, which is closer to growing than to its opposite.
• (c)spread — 'Spread' means to extend over a wider area — again a kind of increase, not the opposite of grow.
• (d)enlarge — 'Enlarge' means to make bigger, a near-synonym of grow, so it is the reverse of what an antonym needs.

This is an antonym item — choose the word most nearly opposite to the underlined 'grow'; that is 'shrivel' (to shrink, wither).

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Select the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to 'expand'.

  • (a)widen
  • (b)contract
  • (c)inflate
  • (d)extend

  Answer(b) contract — 'expand' means to grow larger, so its opposite is 'contract' (to shrink).

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Select the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to 'flourish'.

  • (a)thrive
  • (b)bloom
  • (c)wither
  • (d)prosper

  Answer(c) wither — 'flourish' means to grow well, so its opposite is 'wither' (to dry up and decay).