In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the word opposite in meaning to the word given: Skeptic.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Believer

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This antonym question focuses on the word skeptic. The word is common in discussions about science, religion, and general attitudes toward claims or beliefs. Being able to identify its opposite helps you understand arguments about faith, evidence and doubt in reading comprehension passages.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Target word: Skeptic.
  • Options: Believer, Erroneous, Nervous, Nihilist.
  • We must choose the word that is opposite in meaning.
  • A skeptic is usually someone who tends to doubt or question accepted opinions or beliefs.


Concept / Approach:
A skeptic is a person inclined to doubt or to question the validity of claims, often requiring strong evidence before accepting something as true. The natural opposite is a believer, someone who accepts and has faith in a claim or doctrine, especially without always demanding strong proof. The other options do not form direct opposites to a skeptical attitude or role.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall: skeptic describes a person who doubts, questions or withholds belief.Option Believer: describes a person who accepts or has faith in certain ideas, especially religious or philosophical ones, often without requiring proof.Option Erroneous: is an adjective meaning wrong or mistaken; it does not describe a type of person.Option Nervous: describes a state of anxiety or fear, unrelated to belief or doubt.Option Nihilist: describes a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects moral principles; this is a specific kind of belief, not simply the opposite of skepticism.Therefore, Believer is the correct antonym for Skeptic.


Verification / Alternative check:
Consider a sentence: “In matters of the supernatural, she is a skeptic, but her friend is a believer.” Here, skeptic and believer clearly stand as contrasting positions. The skeptic demands evidence and questions claims, while the believer accepts the claims as true or meaningful. This is precisely the contrast the exam question expects you to recognise.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Erroneous describes the quality of being wrong, not a person or attitude. Nervous is about emotional state, not belief. Nihilist is a person with a particular extreme belief that life has no meaning; a nihilist can still be skeptical about some things and believing about others, so it is not the general opposite of skeptic. None of these words directly address the axis of doubt versus belief in the way believer does.


Common Pitfalls:
Because nihilist sounds philosophical, some students assume it must be the right answer. However, questions about antonyms of personality or attitude terms usually pair a general stance with its straightforward opposite. Here, the core axis is doubt versus belief. Remember: skeptic doubts, believer accepts. Keeping this simple contrast in mind makes the question easy to solve.


Final Answer:
The antonym of “Skeptic” is Believer.

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