Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: composed
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Antonym questions check how well you can identify the opposite meaning of a given descriptive word. The adjective "fidgety" is often used to describe people, especially children or nervous adults, who cannot sit still and keep moving restlessly. Understanding such descriptive adjectives and their opposites helps in reading narratives and in describing behaviour accurately.
Given Data / Assumptions:
• The target adjective is "fidgety".
• The options are "composed", "restive", "twitchy", and "antsy".
• Only one option should represent the opposite quality of calmness and self control.
Concept / Approach:
"Fidgety" describes a person who is restless, nervous, or constantly moving. The opposite would be someone who is calm, relaxed, and steady. Among the options, "composed" fits best because it means calm and in control of one's emotions and behaviour. The other options, "restive", "twitchy", and "antsy", all suggest restlessness or nervous movement and are therefore close in meaning to "fidgety", not opposite.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Paraphrase "fidgety" as "unable to sit still, restless, and nervous".
Step 2: Identify that the antonym should express calmness or steadiness.
Step 3: Examine "composed". It means calm, self possessed, and not easily disturbed, which is directly opposite to fidgetiness.
Step 4: Check "restive". It describes someone who is hard to control or restless, especially when waiting, which is similar to being fidgety.
Step 5: Look at "twitchy" and "antsy". Both words suggest nervous movements or impatience, again close to the original word.
Step 6: Conclude that "composed" is the only true antonym among the options.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can test this by placing the words in a sentence. "The child was fidgety in his seat during the long ceremony" gives a clear image of restlessness. The opposite sentence would be "The child was composed in his seat during the long ceremony", which conveys calm and controlled behaviour. Using "restive", "twitchy", or "antsy" in place of "fidgety" would produce similar images of impatience, not opposites.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Restive" means unable to remain still, difficult to control, especially because of boredom or dissatisfaction; it is close in meaning to "fidgety".
"Twitchy" suggests nervous movements or small jerks, often associated with tension or anxiety and therefore similar to fidgety behaviour.
"Antsy" is an informal term for being agitated, impatient, or restless, again aligned with "fidgety" rather than opposite.
Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to choose a word that "feels" strong or expressive without checking whether it actually expresses the opposite meaning. Another error is to confuse near synonyms for antonyms just because they all describe emotional states. The key is to mentally picture the behaviour described by each option and ask whether it is the same or the reverse of the original word. Building short mental images for such descriptive adjectives can greatly improve accuracy in vocabulary questions.
Final Answer:
The correct antonym of "fidgety" is composed.
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