Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: virtuous
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is about antonyms, words with opposite meanings. The word pervert is often used to describe someone whose behaviour, especially in a moral or sexual sense, is regarded as seriously wrong or distorted. In this question, we are clearly dealing with moral character, so we must find a word that represents the opposite type of character, that is someone whose conduct is morally upright.
Given Data / Assumptions:
The stem and options give several character related words.
Concept / Approach:
To find an antonym, we first recall that pervert here refers to someone whose behaviour is morally twisted or depraved. The direct opposite would be a person who is morally good and behaves according to high ethical standards. The adjective virtuous captures that idea of moral excellence and purity. By contrast, libertine, deviant, debauchee, and corrupt all describe people with bad or uncontrolled behaviour, so they are closer to synonyms of pervert rather than opposites.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by checking typical uses. A virtuous person is praised for honesty, self control, and goodness, while a pervert is condemned for twisted or depraved actions. Words like libertine and debauchee refer to people who habitually indulge in immoral pleasures, especially of a sexual nature, which puts them on the same side as pervert, not the opposite side. Deviant similarly describes behaviour that departs from accepted norms, often in a negative way. Corrupt refers to someone who is dishonest or morally compromised. All these align more with pervert than with its opposite.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Libertine describes a person who behaves without moral restraint, especially in sexual matters, which is similar in tone to pervert. Deviant means someone whose behaviour differs significantly from accepted social or moral standards, again suggesting negative deviation rather than virtue. Debauchee refers to a person who is excessively fond of sensual pleasures and overindulgence. Corrupt is used for dishonest or morally degraded individuals. None of these words express moral goodness or uprightness, so they cannot serve as antonyms for pervert.
Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse context and choose a word that is merely different, not truly opposite. Another is to be distracted by the slightly positive sound of certain words without checking their meanings carefully. In antonym questions, it is helpful to restate the original word in a simple way, such as morally twisted person in this case, and then look for the option that clearly says morally good person. This quickly leads to virtuous as the correct choice.
Final Answer:
The best antonym of pervert in the context of moral character is virtuous.
Discussion & Comments