Select the antonym (word opposite in meaning) of the adjective "amenable".

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: unsusceptible

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question asks you to find the antonym of the word amenable. Antonyms are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings. Knowing both the meaning and the opposite of common adjectives is very useful in competitive examinations and in reading comprehension, where subtle differences in attitude or behaviour are often expressed through such terms.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    - Target word: amenable. - Options: responsive, pliable, docile, unsusceptible. - Only one option should express a meaning opposite to amenable. - The context is normally used about people who are open to influence, advice, or control.


Concept / Approach:
Amenable usually means willing to be influenced, open to suggestion, or easily controlled. An amenable person cooperates and is responsive to advice or authority. Words like responsive, pliable, and docile are very similar in meaning: they all suggest readiness to respond, flexibility, or submissiveness. Therefore, the antonym should indicate resistance or immunity to influence. Unsusceptible has this sense, meaning not easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that amenable describes someone agreeable and open to suggestions or to being controlled. Step 2: Examine responsive. A responsive person reacts positively and quickly, which is similar to amenable, not opposite. Step 3: Look at pliable. It means easily bent or easily influenced, again very close to amenable in the figurative sense. Step 4: Consider docile, which describes someone quiet, submissive, and easily taught or controlled, another near synonym. Step 5: Study unsusceptible, which means not easily influenced or affected, suggesting resistance to outside forces. Step 6: Conclude that unsusceptible is the only choice that stands opposite to amenable in meaning.


Verification / Alternative check:
Think of example sentences. A sentence like The committee is amenable to change means the committee is open to change. If we replace amenable with unsusceptible, the meaning reverses: The committee is unsusceptible to change suggests that it resists change. Replacing amenable with responsive, pliable, or docile hardly changes the meaning and definitely does not create an opposite. This quick comparison confirms that unsusceptible is the antonym.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Responsive describes someone who reacts readily and positively to suggestions or stimuli, very similar to being amenable. Pliable conveys flexibility and readiness to be shaped or influenced, again aligning with rather than opposing amenable. Docile suggests gentle obedience and willingness to be taught, which is another near synonym. Because all three express cooperation or openness, they cannot be antonyms.


Common Pitfalls:
In antonym questions, learners sometimes pick the most difficult or least familiar word, hoping it must be correct. However, difficulty is not a reliable guide. A more accurate strategy is to identify the exact meaning of the given word, then consciously look for an option that contradicts that meaning. Making quick mini sentences and checking whether the emotional or behavioural picture reverses is an effective way to avoid traps.


Final Answer:
unsusceptible is the correct antonym of amenable.

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