VOCABULARY — Choose the antonym (opposite in meaning) of the highlighted word. Sentence: “ADVERSITY teaches man to be humble and self-reliant.”

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: prosperity

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
“Adversity” denotes hardship, misfortune, or difficult circumstances. The antonym should represent favorable conditions and success.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Semantic field: life conditions (hardship vs flourishing).
  • We need an opposite at the level of circumstances, not emotions or traits.
  • Choices include attitude words and one condition word.



Concept / Approach:
“Prosperity” is the natural antonym: it implies wealth, success, and favorable outcomes. The other options are unrelated states of mind or interpersonal feelings.



Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Define “adversity”: misfortune/hardship.2) Locate opposite condition: “prosperity”.3) Exclude distractors that do not map to condition-level opposites (e.g., “sincerity”, “animosity”, “curiosity”).



Verification / Alternative check:
Common collocations contrast “adversity and prosperity,” especially in proverbial statements, confirming the pairing.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A) “sincerity” — honesty; unrelated.B) “animosity” — hostility; unrelated.C) “curiosity” — desire to know; unrelated.E) Not applicable because a correct antonym exists.



Common Pitfalls:
Mistaking positive-sounding words for true antonyms. Polarity alone (positive vs negative) is insufficient; the domain must match.



Final Answer:
prosperity

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