Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Agitate
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on antonyms in English vocabulary. The word "soothe" is widely used in both spoken and written English to describe calming, comforting, or relieving pain and distress. Examinations often test antonyms because they show how well you understand not only the direct meaning of a word but also its relation to other words in the language.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Soothe means to calm, comfort, or relieve pain and discomfort. Its opposite should express the idea of disturbing, upsetting, or making someone more restless rather than peaceful. To find the correct antonym, we examine each option and ask whether it means to reduce pain and distress or to increase them.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine the sentence "The music helped to soothe his nerves". If we replace soothe with "agitate", the meaning reverses to "The music helped to agitate his nerves", which is the exact opposite. Replacing soothe with mitigate or heal does not reverse the sense; instead, those words preserve or reinforce the idea of relief. Hence, "agitate" is clearly the required antonym.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose "quench" because they only think of physical actions like putting out a fire and assume any strong action must be opposite to soothing. Others may feel that any word that does not sound gentle could be an antonym. However, a true antonym must reverse the core idea of the original word. Since soothing calms and reduces distress, agitating, which stirs and increases unrest, is the correct opposite.
Final Answer:
The antonym that is opposite in meaning to "SOOTHE" is Agitate.
Discussion & Comments