Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: boon
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests a candidate understanding of antonyms, focusing on the word snag. In everyday English, a snag is a small obstacle, a hitch, or an unexpected difficulty that stops smooth progress. The task is to choose the word that expresses the opposite idea, that is, something helpful or beneficial rather than something that obstructs.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
An antonym of snag should denote something good, helpful, or advantageous instead of a problem. Among the options, boon means a blessing, benefit, or something extremely helpful. Hurdle, bug, glitch, and setback all refer to types of obstacles, errors, or delays. Therefore, they are near synonyms of snag rather than opposites. The strategy is to classify each option as either problem related or benefit related and choose the one from the second group.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the meaning of snag as a problem, difficulty, or obstruction.
Step 2: Examine option b, boon, and recall that it means a blessing or something very helpful and beneficial.
Step 3: Recognise that benefit is the opposite idea of obstacle, making boon a good antonym for snag.
Step 4: Analyse option a, hurdle, which means a barrier or obstacle, clearly similar to snag.
Step 5: Observe that bug, glitch, and setback all represent types of problems, errors, or delays, so they are also close to the meaning of snag.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can test the words in a sentence. Consider the expression There was a snag in the plan, which indicates a difficulty. Its opposite would be There was a boon in the plan, which is unusual phrasing but carries the idea of some positive advantage. If we substitute hurdle, bug, glitch, or setback, the meaning remains negative, confirming that they cannot be antonyms. This simple test reinforces that boon is the only word going in the opposite direction.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, hurdle, is another word for obstacle and is often used metaphorically to describe difficulties, so it matches snag rather than opposes it. Option c, bug, is usually used for a defect in software or a small problem. Option d, glitch, means a minor fault or malfunction and again is a type of snag. Option e, setback, refers to a reversal or delay in progress, another difficulty. Since all of these describe problems or obstacles, they cannot serve as antonyms for snag.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes misinterpret antonym questions and accidentally select a synonym because they focus only on the problem based context and forget they are looking for an opposite. Another pitfall is not being fully sure of the meaning of boon, which appears less frequently in casual speech. Learning that boon means blessing or great benefit can help you recognise it quickly in exams as the opposite of many problem related words.
Final Answer:
The word most nearly opposite in meaning to snag is boon, so option b is correct.
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