Firm is related to Flabby as Piquant is related to which contrasting taste quality?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy checks understanding of adjectives and their opposite meanings. Firm and flabby are opposites when we describe physical texture and tone. In the same pattern, we apply this idea of contrast to piquant, a term that describes taste. Your task is to locate the taste related word that best contrasts with piquant in the same way that flabby contrasts with firm.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Analogy: Firm : Flabby :: Piquant : ?
• Options: Pleasant, Bland, Small, Salty.
• Firm suggests hard or well toned, while flabby suggests soft and loose.
• Piquant describes food that is pleasantly sharp, spicy, or stimulating in taste.
• We are looking for a word meaning tasteless or dull as a taste contrast.

Concept / Approach:
Firm and flabby form a pair of opposites in texture. Therefore, Piquant must be paired with its opposite in taste. Piquant means lively, sharp, or spicy in flavour. The natural opposite is bland, which means lacking strong taste, dull, or insipid. Pleasant is positive but not opposite, small relates to size, and salty is just one kind of strong taste, not the opposite of piquant.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Verify the first pair. Firm often describes something tight or well toned, and flabby describes loose or soft flesh. The two words are contrasting adjectives. Step 2: Identify the relationship type: antonym relationship based on opposite qualities. Step 3: Understand the word piquant. It refers to food that has a pleasantly sharp or spicy flavour that stimulates the palate. Step 4: Find the best opposite taste description from the options. Bland refers to food that lacks strong flavour and is dull to taste. Step 5: Confirm that bland is the most direct opposite to piquant, as both are taste adjectives focusing on the intensity of flavour.

Verification / Alternative check:
Express the complete analogy: Firm : Flabby :: Piquant : Bland. In both cases, the first term has a strong, intense quality, while the second term refers to weakness or lack of intensity in the same area. This symmetry supports the selection of bland as the correct contrasting taste quality for piquant.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pleasant: Piquant flavours can be pleasant, so pleasant is not an opposite. It is too broad and not a contrast. Small: Small is an adjective of size, not taste, and does not contrast with piquant. Salty: Salty is another strong taste, not the absence of taste. It is closer in spirit to piquant than opposite to it.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is choosing salty because both salty and piquant can describe strong flavours. However, analogies based on opposites require a term that negates the quality, not one that shares it. Students may also be tempted by pleasant because piquant food is often considered pleasant, but the question asks for a contrasting pair, not a similar one.

Final Answer:
Piquant, which means sharply flavoured, contrasts most directly with Bland, which means lacking flavour.