Antonyms
~12 min read
- What: Antonyms in NDA English asks you to pick the option most nearly opposite in meaning to an underlined word in a sentence. Like Synonyms, sense in context decides the answer.
- Why it matters: Every NDA paper from 2015 onward carries a dedicated Antonyms block — usually 5 items. Combined with the Synonyms block, vocabulary accounts for ~25 marks per paper, or one-fifth of the English score.
- Key habit: "Most nearly opposite" matters as much as "most nearly". An option that is unrelated is wrong; one that is mildly contrasting is wrong; one that is the direct reverse in the sentence's sense is right.
Antonyms is the twin sister of Synonyms. The format, the directions, and the difficulty curve are identical — only the direction of the answer reverses. Almost every habit that works on Synonyms works here, with one extra discipline: you have to resist the strong pull of look-alike synonyms that share the underlined word's spelling but mean nearly the same thing.
This page is built from NDA Previous Year Questions, 2015-I through 2024-II — every Antonyms block we extracted from sixteen papers. The method, traps and word bank below all draw from what NDA has actually asked. Pair this page with Synonyms (mirror format) and Paired Words (which sharpens the same word-discrimination skill).
What Antonyms Tests in NDA
The block is identifiable at sight:
NDA Antonyms — Question Format
- Item type: One sentence with one underlined word. Four options labelled (a)–(d), each a single word or short phrase.
- Instruction: "Select the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word."
- Number: 5 items per paper, almost always grouped under a single Directions header. Some papers go up to 7–10 in the early years (2016-I, 2017-II).
- Difficulty: Roughly 1 easy + 2 medium + 2 hard per block. The hardest items are not rare words — they are common words whose opposite has shifted with context.
Exam Pattern & Weightage
Antonyms has been one of the most stable sections in NDA English for a decade. The block sits right next to Synonyms in almost every paper.
| Year / Paper | No. of Antonym Items | Sample Underlined Words |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-I | 4 | shabbily, urbane, thrifty, pride |
| 2015-II | 5 | concealed, denounced, skeptical, coherent, altruistic |
| 2016-I | 7+ | deft, urbane, timidity, mammoth, engrossed, preceding, shrewd |
| 2016-II | 5 | varied register |
| 2017-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2018-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2019-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2020-I | 5 | (2020-II not held — COVID merge) |
| 2021-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2022-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2023-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
| 2024-I/II | 5 each | continued stable pattern |
From 2017 onwards, NDA fixes the Antonyms block at 5 questions. Plan a 2.5-minute window for the entire block. If you cannot eliminate two options within 25 seconds on any item, mark it and return — the rest of the section moves quickly if you do not get stuck.
The Antonym Method — 3 Quick Checks
Antonyms are easier than Synonyms in one specific way: only one option is usually a true reverse. The trap options tend to be near-synonyms of the target word, weakly-related words, or unrelated distractors. Use this three-check sequence:
- Read the sentence and pin down the target word's sense. Urbane can mean polished (manners) or relating to a city. Sentence selects one.
- Predict the opposite in plain English. Before looking at (a)–(d), say to yourself: "Opposite of polished manners = rude / unrefined."
- Match — and reject all near-synonyms. If any option is a synonym of the target word, kill it immediately. Antonym questions are rich in synonym-traps.
The "Most Nearly Opposite" Principle
- Unrelated is wrong. An unrelated word is not an antonym, just a distractor.
- Mildly contrasting is wrong. If two options point opposite, pick the one that is more directly opposite, not just on the other side.
- Same word, different sense — caution. If the option uses the target's other sense (urbane = of the city), it is wrong. Stay in the sentence's sense.
Three Kinds of Opposites
Recognising which kind of opposite the question wants speeds up elimination.
Kind 1 — Gradable opposites
Hot/cold, thrifty/extravagant, coherent/disconnected. The opposite sits at the other end of a spectrum. Both extremes can coexist with middle ground (warm, lukewarm). For NDA, pick the option furthest from the target.
Example: "It is necessary to develop thrifty habits…" — Options: expensive, extravagant, economical, good. Closest pair: thrifty ↔ extravagant. (2015-I, answer: extravagant.)
Kind 2 — Complementary opposites
Alive/dead, concealed/revealed, preceding/following. No middle ground — you are one or the other. These are the cleanest antonyms; if you spot the complement, it is almost always right.
Example: "He concealed his thoughts very cleverly." — Options: emphasized, expressed, affirmed, revealed. (2015-II, answer: revealed.)
Kind 3 — Converse / relational opposites
Buy/sell, teach/learn, denounce/commend. One side performs the action, the other receives or reverses it. Common in NDA when the target word names a social act.
Example: "The proposal was denounced by one and all." — Options: renounced, recommended, announced, commended. (2015-II, answer: commended.) The look-alikes (renounced, announced) are traps.
Worked Examples from NDA PYQs
Each example walks the 3-check sequence on a real NDA Antonyms item.
Worked Example 1 — urbane (NDA 2015-I, Q48)
Stem: "The new manager of the Bank is urbane in his manners."
Options: (a) civilised (b) slow (c) rude (d) foolish
Check 1 — Sense: Urbane modifies manners — so the sense is "polished, sophisticated", not "of a city". The polished-manners sense is in play.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite of polished manners = rude / boorish.
Check 3 — Match: (a) civilised is a synonym, not opposite — kill. (b) slow is unrelated. (d) foolish is mildly contrasting but not "opposite in manners". (c) rude is the direct reverse.
Answer: (c) rude.
Worked Example 2 — altruistic (NDA 2015-II, Q26)
Stem: "It was no altruistic motive that prompted him to help her."
Options: (a) selfish (b) inhuman (c) brutal (d) wicked
Check 1 — Sense: Altruistic = unselfish, concerned for others.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = selfish, self-centred.
Check 3 — Match: (a) selfish is the direct complement. (b), (c), (d) are all negative qualities but they describe cruelty, not selfishness. Don't be misled by general negativity.
Answer: (a) selfish.
Worked Example 3 — preceding (NDA 2016-I, Q15)
Stem: "These are the main points of the preceding paragraph."
Options: (a) following (b) previous (c) first (d) last
Check 1 — Sense: Preceding paragraph = the one before. Complementary pair.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite of "before" = "after / following".
Check 3 — Match: (b) previous is a synonym — synonym-trap, kill. (c) and (d) are positions in a sequence, not opposites of "preceding". (a) following is the complement.
Answer: (a) following.
Lesson: Synonym-traps are the most common single trap in NDA Antonyms. Always scan for one and eliminate first.
Worked Example 4 — timidity (NDA 2016-I, Q12)
Stem: "His timidity proved costly."
Options: (a) arrogance (b) boldness (c) skilfulness (d) cunning
Check 1 — Sense: Timidity = lack of courage, shyness.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = courage, boldness.
Check 3 — Match: (a) arrogance is overconfidence — not the direct opposite of timidity. (b) boldness is the cleanest complement. (c) skilfulness is unrelated. (d) cunning is a different trait.
Answer: (b) boldness.
Lesson: When two options sound like opposites, pick the one whose category matches (here: courage scale, not pride scale).
Worked Example 5 — denounced (NDA 2015-II, Q23)
Stem: "The proposal was denounced by one and all."
Options: (a) renounced (b) recommended (c) announced (d) commended
Check 1 — Sense: Denounce = publicly condemn.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = praise / approve / commend.
Check 3 — Match: (a) renounced = formally gave up — a look-alike, not opposite. (c) announced = made public — look-alike, not opposite. (b) recommended and (d) commended both mean "speak in favour". Of these two, commended is the cleaner mirror of denounced (both name a public verbal act with opposite valence).
Answer: (d) commended.
Lesson: Three of four options sound like the target — a classic NDA trick. Ignore sound, focus on meaning.
Worked Example 6 — shabbily (NDA 2015-I, Q47)
Stem: "John is always shabbily dressed."
Options: (a) decently (b) beautifully (c) extravagantly (d) scantily
Check 1 — Sense: Shabbily dressed = poorly, untidily, in worn-out clothes.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = neatly, well, decently.
Check 3 — Match: (a) decently is the direct opposite — properly, in acceptable style. (b) beautifully is too strong (shabby ≠ ugly; opposite of shabby is not "beautiful"). (c) extravagantly is a different axis (cost, not neatness). (d) scantily = lightly clothed — different axis entirely.
Answer: (a) decently.
Lesson: Match the axis first. Shabby/neat is a tidiness axis, not a cost or quantity axis.
Worked Example 7 — coherent (NDA 2015-II, Q25)
Stem: "The answers to the question were coherent."
Options: (a) relaxed (b) loose (c) consistent (d) disconnected
Check 1 — Sense: Coherent = logically connected, joined-up.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = disconnected, incoherent.
Check 3 — Match: (c) consistent is a synonym — synonym-trap, kill. (a) and (b) are weakly related. (d) disconnected is the clean complement.
Answer: (d) disconnected.
Worked Example 8 — shrewd (NDA 2016-I, Q16)
Stem: "He made a shrewd guess."
Options (sample): (a) thoughtful (b) careful (c) foolish (d) wise
Check 1 — Sense: Shrewd = sharp-witted, perceptive.
Check 2 — Predict: Opposite = unwise, foolish.
Check 3 — Match: (a), (b), (d) are positive — synonym-traps. (c) foolish is the direct reverse.
Answer: (c) foolish.
Across 16 papers we extracted (2015-I to 2024-I), Antonym blocks carried ~85 distinct items. Of those, roughly 55% had a synonym-trap option — at least one option that meant nearly the same as the target. This is the single most common trap design in NDA Antonyms. Train to scan for the synonym-trap first.
Four Traps NDA Exploits
- The synonym trap. One of the four options is a synonym, not an antonym, of the target. Easy to miss when reading fast — always pause to ask "is this option a synonym?" before marking. (Seen in: preceding/previous, coherent/consistent, urbane/civilised.)
- The look-alike trap. Three options share spelling with the target but mean different things. (Seen in: denounced/renounced/announced.)
- The wrong-axis trap. Two options point opposite-ish but on the wrong axis — quantity vs. quality, cost vs. neatness. (Seen in: shabbily/extravagantly.)
- The intensity-mismatch trap. One option is opposite but milder; another is opposite but extreme. Pick the one that matches the target's strength. (Seen in: timidity/arrogance vs boldness.)
Before marking any Antonym answer, run a 3-second synonym scan: "Is this option a synonym of the target?" If yes, kill. If no, confirm it's an opposite. This single habit catches the majority of NDA Antonym traps.
High-Frequency NDA Antonym Word Bank
Drawn from the 2015-I to 2024-II Antonym blocks. Each row gives the NDA target, its closest opposite, and the sentence sense in which NDA used it.
Bank A — Character & Attitude
| Word | Closest Antonym | NDA Sample Sense |
|---|---|---|
| altruistic | selfish | motive for helping |
| shrewd | foolish / naïve | a guess, judgement |
| candid | guarded / evasive | opinions, statements |
| timidity | boldness | cost of being timid |
| arrogant | humble | tone of behaviour |
| thrifty | extravagant | spending habits |
| urbane | rude / boorish | polished manners |
| diligent | idle / slothful | work effort |
| vivacious | dull / listless | personality |
| magnanimous | petty / mean | generosity of spirit |
Bank B — Communication & Thought
| Word | Closest Antonym | NDA Sample Sense |
|---|---|---|
| denounced | commended / praised | a proposal |
| concealed | revealed | thoughts |
| skeptical | certain / convinced | about a drug |
| coherent | disconnected / incoherent | answers |
| articulate | inarticulate / tongue-tied | a speaker |
| verbose | concise / terse | writing style |
| candid | guarded / evasive | (see Bank A) |
| lucid | obscure / unclear | explanation |
| persuade | dissuade | a course of action |
| affirm | deny | a statement |
Bank C — State, Quality & Position
| Word | Closest Antonym | NDA Sample Sense |
|---|---|---|
| preceding | following | paragraph order |
| engrossed | inattentive / distracted | in work |
| mammoth | tiny / small | a gathering |
| deft | clumsy | handling a machine |
| scarce | plentiful / abundant | resources |
| genuine | fake / counterfeit | document, feeling |
| permanent | temporary / transient | an arrangement |
| frequent | rare / occasional | visits |
| profound | shallow / superficial | thought |
| obscure | famous / prominent | a poet |
Bank D — Action & Result
| Word | Closest Antonym | NDA Sample Sense |
|---|---|---|
| condemn | condone / commend | an action |
| console | distress / aggrieve | a grieving friend |
| defend | attack / assail | a position |
| retreat | advance | military movement |
| accept | reject / refuse | a proposal |
| permit | forbid / prohibit | an act |
| delay | hasten / expedite | a process |
| weaken | strengthen / fortify | a position |
Bank E — Common Synonym-Traps to Resist
These pairs are synonyms of each other, not antonyms. NDA loves to drop the partner-word as an option in the antonym block. Memorise these as "do not pick" pairs.
| Target | Synonym (NOT the antonym) | True Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| preceding | previous | following |
| coherent | consistent | disconnected |
| urbane | civilised | rude |
| shrewd | wise / thoughtful | foolish |
| concealed | hidden | revealed |
| genuine | authentic | fake |
| frequent | recurring | rare |
| profound | deep | shallow |
Preparation Strategy
Synonyms and Antonyms share a vocabulary base. Prepare them together — every word you learn for Synonyms is a free Antonym item too, and vice versa.
4-Week Antonyms + Synonyms Plan
- Week 1: One Synonyms block + one Antonyms block per day from PYQs. Bank A and B vocabulary.
- Week 2: Bank C and D vocabulary. Add three new "synonym-trap" pairs to your personal list daily.
- Week 3: Bank E (synonym-traps). Mixed 10-item daily drills (5 syn + 5 ant) under 5-minute timed conditions.
- Week 4: Full-block timed practice at exam pace. Target 4/5 minimum on each block.
The single most useful habit
Keep an A-4 sheet titled "Synonym-traps in Antonym blocks". Every time you fail an Antonym item by picking a synonym, add the pair. By exam day this sheet — typically 30–60 pairs — is worth more than any commercial word list.
Drill NDA Antonyms with Method
NDA-pattern Antonym blocks with synonym-trap traps flagged in every explanation. Real PYQs from 2015 onward plus close-pattern items.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
How many antonym questions come in NDA English?
Five items per paper since 2017. Earlier papers (2016-I, 2017-II) occasionally carried 7–10. Plan for five.
Should I prepare antonyms separately or with synonyms?
Together. Every synonym you learn is also a potential antonym partner. Build one combined vocabulary list with three columns — word, closest synonym, closest antonym — and revise it as a single asset.
What is the single biggest mistake candidates make in Antonyms?
Picking a synonym instead of an antonym. In our PYQ scan, ~55% of NDA Antonym items had at least one synonym-trap option. Train the synonym-scan habit (see the alert box above).
How "opposite" does the answer have to be?
"Most nearly opposite". If two options are both opposite in direction, pick the one that is more directly opposite — same axis, matching intensity, fitting the sentence's sense.
Are antonyms harder than synonyms in NDA?
Slightly easier on average, because antonym items have fewer "two-options-both-close" dilemmas. The trade-off: antonym items have more synonym-traps. Net difficulty: similar.
What vocabulary book is best for NDA Antonyms?
S.P. Bakshi (Chapter 4 of Part B) has a keyword-Syn-Ant table built for objective exams. Pair it with the past ten years of NDA PYQs. Avoid generic SAT/GRE word lists — their range is wider than NDA's.
Which NDA English topics connect to Antonyms?
Synonyms is the direct mirror — same format, opposite direction. Paired Words trains the look-alike discrimination. Word Meanings reinforces vocabulary range.