Heed means to pay careful attention, while Neglect means to ignore. In a similar antonym based analogy, Pacify is opposite to which of the following words?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy question tests knowledge of antonyms and the ability to spot opposite relationships. The pair Heed : Neglect shows that Heed means to pay attention, whereas Neglect means to ignore or fail to care for something. The second pair Pacify : ? asks for a similar contrast. Pacify means to calm, soothe, or bring peace. We must therefore find the word that represents the opposite idea of stirring up trouble or excitement. Such questions are common in verbal reasoning sections and require a clear understanding of the emotional or action based meanings of words.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Heed means to pay attention or take notice of.
• Neglect means to ignore, fail to care for, or pay insufficient attention.
• Pacify means to calm, reduce anger, or bring peace.
• The options are Allay, War, Victory, and Incite.
• We assume standard dictionary meanings for all choices.

Concept / Approach:
The first pair is clearly an antonym pair. Heed and Neglect stand in opposition regarding attention. For the second pair, Pacify is a verb that means to make someone calm or peaceful. The antonym must therefore express the act of arousing anger, excitement, rebellion, or conflict. Among the options, Incite is a verb that means to stir up, urge, or provoke people to act, often in a negative or violent way. War and Victory are nouns, and Allay means to reduce fear or worry, which is similar to Pacify rather than its opposite. Hence Pacify : Incite completes the analogous opposite relationship.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Heed and Neglect form an antonym pair: paying attention versus failing to attend. Step 2: Assume that the second pair must also contain antonyms. Step 3: Recall that Pacify means to calm or soothe a person or situation, reducing anger or tension. Step 4: Examine the options. Allay also means to reduce fear or worry and is close in meaning to Pacify, so it cannot be the opposite. Step 5: War is a state of conflict, and Victory is success in such conflict, but neither is a verb directly opposite to Pacify. Step 6: Incite means to provoke, stir up, or encourage people to act, often creating disturbance or violence. This is directly opposite to calming them. Step 7: Therefore, select Incite as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by imagining sentences. Leaders may pacify a restless crowd by speaking calmly and making concessions. In contrast, irresponsible leaders may incite a crowd to violence with provocative words. The actions are opposite: one reduces unrest and the other increases it. Allay fear means to reduce fear, which is again a calming action similar to pacifying, not the reverse. War is a state that may arise, but Pacify is an action verb, so matching a verb with a noun breaks the parallel structure of the analogy. Victory is also a noun describing success in battle or contest, not an act that opposes Pacify. Hence Incite remains the only verb that stands in clear opposition to Pacify, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Allay: Allay means to relieve or reduce fear, pain, or worry, which is similar in effect to calming or pacifying, not opposite.
War: War is a noun meaning large scale armed conflict. It is not a verb opposite Pacify and does not fit the grammatical pattern of the analogy.
Victory: Victory is a noun referring to success in a struggle, again not an action verb that directly opposes the act of calming or pacifying.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose War because it appears opposite to peace, and peace is associated with pacification. However, the analogy compares actions, not states, and Pacify is a verb. The direct opposite action is to Incite. Another pitfall is to overlook the meaning of Allay and think that any unfamiliar word is likely opposite. Understanding that Allay also means to calm or reduce negative feelings prevents this error. Focusing on both meaning and part of speech helps to correctly match Pacify with Incite.

Final Answer:
Heed is the opposite of Neglect, and similarly Pacify is opposite to Incite, so Incite is the correct option.