In this antonym question, choose the word that is opposite in meaning to Commiserate.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Indifferent

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Here you are asked for the antonym of the verb “Commiserate”. Such questions test your ability to understand emotional states and attitudes expressed by verbs. “Commiserate” is often used in contexts involving sympathy, condolence, and shared sadness.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Target word: “Commiserate”.
  • Options: “Debatable”, “Empathize”, “Indifferent”, “Legion”.
  • We assume the standard meaning of “commiserate” as to express sympathy or sorrow with someone.
  • We must choose the word that stands in direct contrast to this meaning.


Concept / Approach:
To commiserate with someone means to show that you feel sorry for them and share their suffering or disappointment. The core idea is sympathy and emotional involvement. Therefore, the opposite must be a lack of sympathy, emotional distance, or not caring about someone’s suffering. Words that show similar emotions (like “empathize”) are synonyms, not antonyms.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the definition: “to commiserate” means to express or feel sympathy or pity. Step 2: Examine “Empathize”. This means to understand and share another person’s feelings, especially their suffering. It is very close in meaning to “commiserate”, so it cannot be an antonym. Step 3: Examine “Indifferent”. This adjective describes a person who does not care much one way or the other; they are unconcerned or apathetic. Step 4: Compare the two ideas. Commiseration shows deep concern and shared sadness, while indifference shows no concern at all, which makes them opposites. Step 5: Consider “Debatable”. This simply means “open to debate” or “arguable” and is unrelated to feelings of sympathy. Step 6: Consider “Legion”. This means “very many” or “numerous”, again unrelated to emotional response to someone’s suffering. Step 7: Therefore, “Indifferent” is the correct antonym.


Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine the sentence: “We commiserated with him after his loss.” This clearly shows that we felt sorry for him. Now imagine the opposite: “We were indifferent to his loss.” In the second case, no sympathy is shown, which is exactly the opposite attitude. Replacing “commiserated” with “empathized” would keep the meaning similar, which shows that “empathize” is actually a synonym rather than an antonym.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Debatable: refers to issues that can be discussed or argued; has nothing to do with sympathy or emotional support. Empathize: means to share and understand another person’s feelings; it is very close in meaning to “commiserate”. Legion: means very numerous; not connected to emotional attitudes toward someone’s suffering.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose “empathize” because it “feels emotional” like “commiserate”. However, in antonym questions you must look for the opposite, not just any emotionally coloured word. Another pitfall is to select a difficult-looking word like “legion” without knowing its meaning. In vocabulary questions, guessing purely based on how unfamiliar a word looks is risky and often wrong.


Final Answer:
The word opposite in meaning to “Commiserate” is Indifferent.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion