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CSS 2015 — Synonyms & Antonyms (Solved)

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Answer key: Synonyms 1-d · 2-c · 3-d · 4-b · 5-b · 6-a · 7-a · 8-d · 9-c · 10-a │ Antonyms 1-a · 2-a · 3-b · 4-c · 5-d · 6-a · 7-a · 8-a · 9-a · 10-d. This was the last paper of the old scheme; the antonyms were unusually easy everyday words.

(a) Synonyms — choose the word nearly most SIMILAR in meaning

1. FLAGRANT

(a) Expensive (b) Common (c) Clerical (d) Glaring

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Answer: (d) Glaring

  • Urdu: کھلم کھلا، صریح، واضح (غلطی/جرم)
  • Meaning (adj.): (of wrongdoing) conspicuous and shocking
  • Synonyms: glaring, blatant, obvious, outrageous, brazen, shameless
  • Antonyms: hidden, concealed, subtle, minor, covert
  • Sentences:
    1. The ruling was a flagrant violation of the constitution.
    2. It was a flagrant foul, and the player was sent off.
  • Trap: don't confuse it with fragrant (sweet-smelling).

2. IMMINENT

(a) Important (b) Historical (c) Impending (d) Inopportune

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Answer: (c) Impending

  • Urdu: سر پر کھڑا، قریب الوقوع
  • Meaning (adj.): about to happen
  • Synonyms: impending, approaching, forthcoming, looming, near, upcoming
  • Antonyms: distant, remote, far-off, unlikely, delayed
  • Sentences:
    1. The Met Office warned of an imminent cyclone.
    2. The government's collapse seemed imminent.
  • Trap: don't confuse it with eminent (famous).

3. ASTUTE

(a) Tedious (b) Illogical (c) Aggressive (d) Shrewd

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Answer: (d) Shrewd

  • Urdu: زیرک، ہوشیار، دانا
  • Meaning (adj.): able to assess situations accurately and turn them to one's advantage
  • Synonyms: shrewd, sharp, perceptive, canny, clever, discerning
  • Antonyms: stupid, naive, obtuse, foolish, gullible
  • Sentences:
    1. An astute businessman spots opportunities early.
    2. Her astute questions exposed the flaws in the plan.
  • 🔁 Also asked in 2024.

4. AVERSE

(a) Eager (b) Reluctant (c) Willing (d) Unresponsive

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Answer: (b) Reluctant

  • Urdu: بیزار، ناپسند کرنے والا، مخالف
  • Meaning (adj.): having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
  • Synonyms: reluctant, unwilling, opposed, disinclined, hostile, loath
  • Antonyms: eager, willing, keen, inclined, favourable
  • Sentences:
    1. The farmer was averse to using chemical fertilisers.
    2. I am not averse to a cup of tea.
  • Trap: don't confuse it with adverse (unfavourable).

5. PROGNOSIS

(a) Offering (b) Prediction (c) Warning (d) Advance

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Answer: (b) Prediction

  • Urdu: پیش بینی، (مرض کے) انجام کا اندازہ
  • Meaning (n.): a forecast of the likely course of a disease or situation
  • Synonyms: prediction, forecast, projection, outlook, prophecy, expectation
  • Antonyms: diagnosis (what is), hindsight, retrospect
  • Sentences:
    1. The doctor gave a positive prognosis after the surgery.
    2. The economic prognosis for next year is gloomy.

6. PUNGENT

(a) Sharp (b) Disagreeable (c) Smoky (d) Anesthetizing

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Answer: (a) Sharp

  • Urdu: تیز، تیکھا، چبھتا ہوا (بو/ذائقہ)
  • Meaning (adj.): having a sharply strong taste or smell; (of remarks) sharp and caustic
  • Synonyms: sharp, acrid, strong, piquant, biting, caustic
  • Antonyms: bland, mild, mellow, tasteless, sweet
  • Sentences:
    1. The pungent smell of garlic filled the kitchen.
    2. The columnist is known for his pungent wit.

7. FIDUCIARY

(a) Trustee (b) Assistant (c) Notary (d) Attorney

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Answer: (a) Trustee

  • Urdu: امین، امانت دار
  • Meaning (n./adj.): a person who holds assets in trust for another; involving trust
  • Synonyms: trustee, custodian, guardian, steward, keeper
  • Antonyms: beneficiary, owner
  • Sentences:
    1. Directors have a fiduciary duty to shareholders.
    2. The bank acts as a fiduciary for the orphan's estate.

8. PHILANDERING

(a) Spending (b) Exaggerating (c) Wandering (d) None

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Answer: (d) None

  • Urdu: عشق بازی، دل پھینک پن
  • Meaning (n./adj.): (of a man) having casual affairs with many women
  • Synonyms: womanising, flirting, dallying, promiscuity
  • Antonyms: faithfulness, fidelity, constancy, loyalty
  • Sentences:
    1. The drama's hero is a philandering landlord.
    2. His philandering ruined his marriage.
  • Why (d): none of the options matches. "Wandering" is only a sound-alike trap.

9. POIGNANT

(a) Precious (b) Tender (c) Intense (d) Sorrowful

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Answer: (c) Intense (FPSC key)

  • Urdu: دل سوز، پُراثر، دل کو چھو لینے والا
  • Meaning (adj.): evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret; deeply moving
  • Synonyms: touching, moving, intense, heart-rending, sad, affecting
  • Antonyms: unmoving, unaffecting, trivial, cheerful
  • Sentences:
    1. The soldier's letter home was deeply poignant.
    2. The film ends with a poignant farewell scene.
  • Note: sorrowful is also defensible; the published key chooses intense (sharp feeling).

10. CONTINGENT

(a) Conditional (b) Questionable (c) Argued (d) Rejected

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Answer: (a) Conditional

  • Urdu: مشروط، کسی بات پر منحصر؛ (اسم) دستہ
  • Meaning (adj.): subject to chance or dependent on something else; (n.) a group of people
  • Synonyms: conditional, dependent, subject to, provisional; (n.) detachment, group
  • Antonyms: independent, unconditional, certain, absolute
  • Sentences:
    1. The loan is contingent on reforms in the energy sector.
    2. A Pakistani contingent joined the UN peacekeeping mission.

(b) Antonyms — choose the word nearly most OPPOSITE in meaning

1. VETERAN

(a) Novice (b) Pious (c) Intellectual (d) Debutante

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Answer: (a) Novice

  • Urdu: تجربہ کار، پرانا سپاہی
  • Meaning (n.): a person with long experience in a field; a former member of the armed forces
  • Synonyms: old hand, expert, master, past master, old-timer
  • Antonyms: novice, beginner, tyro, newcomer, apprentice
  • Sentences:
    1. The veteran journalist covered five wars.
    2. War veterans were honoured on Defence Day.
  • Note: debutante (a girl making her social debut) is a distractor.

2. IMPORTANT

(a) Trivial (b) Clear (c) Turning (d) Wavy

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Answer: (a) Trivial

  • Urdu: اہم، ضروری
  • Meaning (adj.): of great significance or value
  • Synonyms: significant, crucial, vital, key, weighty, major
  • Antonyms: trivial, insignificant, minor, petty, negligible
  • Sentences:
    1. Water security is an important national issue.
    2. Don't waste time on trivial matters.

3. IRREGULAR

(a) Erratic (b) Prevailing (c) Difficult (d) Enticing

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Answer: (b) Prevailing

  • Urdu: بے قاعدہ، غیر منظم
  • Meaning (adj.): not even, balanced or following the usual pattern
  • Synonyms: erratic, uneven, abnormal, unusual, sporadic, inconsistent
  • Antonyms: regular, prevailing (usual), normal, standard, consistent
  • Sentences:
    1. Irregular rainfall damaged the wheat crop.
    2. The audit found irregular payments.
  • Why (b): "prevailing" = current and usual, the opposite of out-of-pattern · erratic is a synonym.

4. SPENDING

(a) Sober (b) Mute (c) Revenue (d) Spendthrift

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Answer: (c) Revenue

  • Urdu: خرچ، اخراجات
  • Meaning (n.): the action of paying out money
  • Synonyms: expenditure, outlay, expense, disbursement, payment
  • Antonyms: revenue, income, earnings, saving, receipts
  • Sentences:
    1. Government spending exceeded revenue again this year.
    2. Development spending was cut to meet IMF targets.

5. CLUMSY

(a) Foolish (b) Inept (c) Infer (d) Dexterous

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Answer: (d) Dexterous

  • Urdu: بھدا، بے ڈھنگا، اناڑی
  • Meaning (adj.): awkward in movement or handling things
  • Synonyms: awkward, inept, bungling, gauche, ham-fisted, ungainly
  • Antonyms: dexterous, deft, skilful, adroit, graceful
  • Sentences:
    1. The clumsy waiter spilled tea on the guest.
    2. The surgeon's dexterous hands saved the patient.

6. LAUDED

(a) Disparage (b) Applaud (c) Settle (d) Hesitate

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Answer: (a) Disparage

  • Urdu: سراہا گیا، تعریف کی گئی
  • Meaning (v.): praised highly
  • Synonyms: praised, acclaimed, extolled, applauded, commended, hailed
  • Antonyms: disparaged, criticised, condemned, belittled, censured
  • Sentences:
    1. The rescue workers were lauded for their bravery.
    2. Critics disparaged the film as shallow.

7. COWARDLY

(a) Brave (b) Poor (c) Intrepidly (d) Ignorant

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Answer: (a) Brave

  • Urdu: بزدلانہ، ڈرپوک
  • Meaning (adj.): lacking courage
  • Synonyms: fearful, timid, craven, spineless, pusillanimous, faint-hearted
  • Antonyms: brave, courageous, intrepid, valiant, fearless
  • Sentences:
    1. It was a cowardly attack on unarmed people.
    2. The brave constable stopped the attacker.
  • Trap: "intrepidly" is an adverb; the question word is an adjective, so the answer is brave.

8. PRAISE

(a) Censure (b) Tickle (c) Acclaim (d) Skip

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Answer: (a) Censure

  • Urdu: تعریف، ستائش
  • Meaning (n./v.): expression of approval or admiration
  • Synonyms: acclaim, commend, applaud, laud, compliment, extol
  • Antonyms: censure, criticise, condemn, blame, rebuke
  • Sentences:
    1. The teacher's praise motivated the class.
    2. The parliament passed a motion of censure.

9. CONFUSE

(a) Lucid (b) Extraordinary (c) Dirty (d) Muddle

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Answer: (a) Lucid

  • Urdu: الجھانا، گڑبڑ کرنا
  • Meaning (v.): to make unclear or bewildered
  • Synonyms: muddle, bewilder, perplex, baffle, confound, puzzle
  • Antonyms: clarify, explain, enlighten, elucidate (adj. form: lucid, clear)
  • Sentences:
    1. Too many rules confuse new students.
    2. The teacher gave a lucid explanation.
  • Note: the key pairs a verb with an adjective. "Lucid" is the only option opposed in meaning; muddle is a synonym.

10. NEGLECT

(a) Omit (b) Destroy (c) Mistake (d) Nourish

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Answer: (d) Nourish

  • Urdu: نظر انداز کرنا، غفلت برتنا
  • Meaning (v./n.): to fail to care for properly
  • Synonyms: ignore, disregard, overlook, omit, abandon, forsake
  • Antonyms: nourish, cherish, tend, care for, look after
  • Sentences:
    1. Years of neglect ruined the historic haveli.
    2. Parents nourish their children with love and food.

Source: 2015 paper with key (CSS Exam blog)