GRE Verbal Antonyms Intro1

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ANTONYMS I

Each verbal section of the paper-and-pencil GRE contains eleven antonym problems, usually Questions 28-38. Like most of the paper-and-pencil test, the antonyms ascend in difficulty. Problems 28 to 30 are easy, problems 31 to 35 are medium, and problems 36 to 38 are difficult. It is important to note a problem's number because a straightforward analysis will probably give you the correct answer to an easy problem, but will probably lead you to a trap on a difficult problem.

There are about 9 antonyms on verbal section of the CAT. The questions are mixed in with the analogies, sentence completions, and reading comprehension.

Put The Word In Context.

In our daily speech, we combine words into phrases and sentences; rarely do we use a word by itself. This can cause words that we have little trouble understanding in sentences to suddenly appear unfamiliar when we view them in isolation. For example, take the word "whet." Most people don't recognize it in isolation. Yet most people understand it in the following phrase:

To whet your appetite

"Whet" means to stimulate.

If you don't recognize the meaning of a word, think of a phrase in which you have heard it used.

Change The Word Into A More Common Form.

Most words are built from other words. Although you may not know a given word, you may spot the root word from which it is derived and thereby deduce the meaning of the original word.

Example: PERTURBATION: (A) impotence (B) obstruction (C) prediction (D) equanimity (E) chivalry

You may not know how to pronounce PERTURBATION let alone know what it means. However, changing its ending yields the more common form of the word "perturbed," which means "upset, agitated." The opposite of upset is calm, which is exactly what EQUANIMITY means. The answer is (D).

Test Words For Positive And Negative Connotations.

Testing words for positive and negative connotations is probably the most effective technique for antonyms. Surprisingly, you can often solve an antonym problem knowing only that the word has a negative connotation.

Example: REPUDIATE: (A) denounce (B) deceive (C) embrace (D) fib (E) generalize

You may not know what REPUDIATE means, but you probably sense that it has a negative connotation. Since we are looking for a word whose meaning is opposite of REPUDIATE, we eliminate any answer-choices that are also negative. Now, "denounce," "deceive," and "fib" are all, to varying degrees, negative. So eliminate them. "Generalize" has a neutral connotation: it can be positive, negative, or neither. So eliminate it as well. Hence, by process of elimination, the answer is (C), EMBRACE.

• Any GRE Word That Starts With "De," "Dis," or "Anti" Will Almost Certainly Be Negative.

Examples: Degradation, Discrepancy, Discriminating, Debase, Antipathy

• Any GRE Word That Includes The Notion of Going up Will Almost Certainly Be Positive, and any GRE Word That Includes The Notion of Going Down Will Almost Certainly Be Negative.

Examples (positive): Elevate, Ascendancy, Lofty

Examples (negative): Decline, Subjugate, Suborn (to encourage false witness)

Watch Out For Eye-Catchers.

On medium and hard problems some answer-choices will catch your eye by reminding you of some part of the original word or some common meaning of the word. Be wary of these choices--they are eye-catchers.

Example: SUFFRAGE: (A) absence of charity (B) absence of franchise (C) absence of pain (D) absence of success (E) absence of malice

SUFFRAGE is a hard word. It appears to come from the word "suffer." The opposite of suffering would be an absence of pain. However, that connection would be too easy, too obvious for this hard problem. "Absence of pain" is a trap. In fact, SUFFRAGE means "the right to vote." And FRANCHISE is a synonym for "vote." Hence, the answer is (B), ABSENCE OF FRANCHISE.

Be Alert To Secondary (Often Rare) Meanings Of Words.

On problems of average difficulty (the middle third), the GRE writers often use common words but with their uncommon meanings. An example will illustrate.

Example: CHAMPION: (A) relinquish (B) contest (C) oppress (D) modify (E) withhold

The common meaning of CHAMPION is "winner." It's opposite would be "loser." But no answer-choice given above is synonymous with "loser." CHAMPION also means to support or fight for someone else. (Think of the phrase "to champion a cause.") Hence, the answer is (C), OPPRESS.

The parts of speech in an antonym problem are consistent throughout the problem. Hence, if the given word is a verb, then every answer-choice will be a verb as well. This fact often helps you determine whether a word is being used in a secondary sense because words often have different meanings depending on their use as nouns, verbs, or adjectives.

Example: AIR: (A) release (B) differ (C) expose (D) betray (E) enshroud

AIR is commonly used as a noun--indicating that which we breathe. But every answer-choice is a verb. Hence, AIR in this case must also be a verb. A secondary meaning for AIR is to discuss publicly. The opposite is to ENSHROUD, to hide, to conceal. Hence, the answer is (E).

Note: Hard problems (the last third) have hard answers. Hence be wary of common words on hard problems. But don't eliminate them for that reason alone: they may still be the answer. So if the given word is totally unfamiliar and none of the previous techniques have helped, then choose the hardest or most unusual word.

Never spend more than 30 seconds on an antonym problem! If you don't know the given word, use the above techniques to eliminate as many answer-choices as possible; guess from the remaining ones; then move on.

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