1. OBSEQUIOUS:
A. Ubiquitous
B. Obnoxious
C. Presumptuous
D. Preposterous
E. Deferential
2. PERSPICACIOUS:
A. Intelligent
B. Oblivious
C. Perpetual
D. Pernicious
E. Arrogant
3. ASPERITY:
A. Mildness
B. Hopefulness
C. Eagerness
D. Acrimony
E. Acerbity
4. RUDIMENTARY:
A. Polite
B. Essential
C. Elemental
D. Complicated
E. Straightforward
5. HEGEMONY:
A. Homogeneity
B. Heterogeneity
C. Superiority
D. Squalor
E. Surrender
6. LOQUACIOUS:
A. Reticent
B. Garrulous
C. Salubrious
D. Centralized
E. Eloquent
7. ISOLATE:
A. To bury
B. To freeze
C. To combine
D. To set apart
E. To admit tardiness
8. SUPERANNUATED:
A. Enduring
B. Excessive
C. Best
D. Omnipotent
E. Omniscient
9. SANGUINE:
A. Melodic
B. Ludicrous
C. Saccharine
D. Humorous
E. Pessimistic
10. ODIUM:
A. Burden
B. Aroma
C. Variety
D. Delight
E. Humor
Answers – Antonyms
1. C: Obsequious means fawning, groveling, submissive, or compliant. Presumptuous means arrogant, overconfident, or presuming too much, and is the closest antonym for obsequious. Ubiquitous means found everywhere. Obnoxious means annoying or unpleasant. Preposterous means ridiculous. Deferential is a synonym for obsequious.
2. B: Perspicacious means perceptive or observant. Intelligent is another synonym. Oblivious means unaware or ignorant, and is the nearest opposite. Perpetual means constant, continuing/ongoing, always, or forever. Pernicious means harmful or bad. Arrogant means conceited, prideful, or overconfident.
3. A: Asperity means irritability or bad temper. The closest opposite is mildness. (Other antonyms include happiness, kindness, and calmness.) Hopefulness is a synonym for aspiration, not an antonym for asperity. Eagerness is another synonym for aspiration. Acrimony and acerbity mean bitterness or harshness, and are both synonyms for asperity.
4. D: Rudimentary means basic, fundamental, elementary, or simple, so complicated is an antonym. Polite is an antonym of rude, not rudimentary. Essential, elemental, and straightforward are all synonyms of rudimentary.
5. E: Hegemony means dominion, power, authority, or dominance; surrender is an antonym. Homogeneity means sameness or uniformity. Heterogeneity means variety or diversity. Superiority means being better than, predominance, or advantage, and is a synonym for hegemony. Squalor means wretchedness, filth, poverty, or seediness.
6. A: Loquacious means overly talkative. Reticent means silent, reserved, or not talking much, and is an antonym. Garrulous is a synonym for loquacious. Salubrious means healthful, wholesome, beneficial, or salutary. Centralized, as in government, means under one central control, and is an antonym of localized or local, not loquacious. Eloquent contains the same root (Latin loqui, to speak), but is not an antonym or synonym of loquacious. It means fluent, articulate, or expressive.
7. C: To isolate is to set apart, separate, or detach. To combine is the opposite. Isolate does not mean to bury something. The word is not related to ice, and does not mean to freeze. To set apart is a synonym, not an antonym. To admit tardiness would be “I so late,” not isolate.
8. A: Enduring, meaning lasting or continuing, is the opposite of superannuated, which means obsolete, out of date, too old, or retired. Excessive means too much, extra, or supernumerary. A synonym for the best is superlative. Omnipotent means all-powerful. Omniscient means all-knowing. (Note: the Latin prefix super— means over or above.)
9. E: Sanguine means confident, positive, cheerful, or optimistic. Pessimistic is the opposite. Sanguine is not related to “sang” or melodic, meaning musical or related to tune or melody. Ludicrous means ridiculous. Saccharine means sugary, sickly, or sentimental. Humorous means funny, and is neither an antonym nor a synonym of sanguine.
10. D: Odium means hatred, intense dislike, or repugnance. Delight is an antonym for odium, as are love, liking, affection, etc. A burden is something heavy and unwanted; onus (not odium) is a synonym (not an antonym). Aroma is a smell or fragrance. Variety is difference, diversity, or change; tedium (not odium) is an antonym meaning monotony. Humor means funniness, or one’s temperament or disposition.