Antonym – Choose the option that best expresses the opposite meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence below. Sentence: Like poverty, “affluence” can sometimes create its own problems. Target word: affluence (meaning: great wealth; abundance of money or resources)

Introduction / Context:
Affluence denotes wealth or material abundance. The task is to pick its opposite. In socio-economic vocabulary, the standard antonym is indigence or poverty, referring to extreme financial hardship or deprivation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: affluence = wealth.
• We need a direct opposite in the wealth–poverty spectrum.
• Options include both a synonym and unrelated affective terms.

Concept / Approach:
Select the antonym along the same economic axis. Indigence is the formal word for extreme poverty. Opulence is a synonym (luxury, lavish display). Sorrow and exuberance refer to emotions, not finances, so they are off-axis for antonymy here.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Rephrase with opposite: “Like poverty, indigence can create its own problems” keeps the socio-economic frame and inverts affluence properly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• opulence: Synonym of affluence; not opposite.
• sorrow: Emotion; not an economic state.
• exuberance: High energy/enthusiasm; unrelated to wealth.

Common Pitfalls:
Picking opulence due to “big word” bias. Synonyms are common distractors in antonym questions—always check the axis.

Final Answer:
indigence