Antonym – Choose the option that best expresses the opposite meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence below. Sentence: Mala was often teased as “corpulent” by her friends. Target word: corpulent (meaning: excessively fat or fleshy)

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question asks for the antonym (opposite) of the highlighted word corpulent in the sentence “Mala was often teased as corpulent by her friends.” Corpulent is a descriptive adjective for someone who is very overweight or fleshy. To answer correctly, we must locate a word that conveys the opposite body build—thinness or leanness—rather than an unrelated personality trait.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: corpulent = very fat, fleshy, stout.
• Context: a remark about physical build, not temperament or talkativeness.
• Answer choices: fat, belligerent, garrulous, gaunt.

Concept / Approach:
Identify the semantic field (physical build). Then, find the choice that directly reverses the notion of heaviness. Among common antonym pairs for corpulent are thin, lean, spare, and gaunt. Avoid choices that shift to personality (belligerent) or speech habits (garrulous), because antonyms should oppose the same attribute.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase the sentence with the opposite: “Mala was often teased as gaunt.” This flips the sense from overweight to very thin and sounds natural as an antonymic replacement in the same context.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• fat: This is a synonym of corpulent, not an antonym.
• belligerent: Means aggressive or hostile; unrelated to body build.
• garrulous: Means very talkative; unrelated to physique.

Common Pitfalls:
Test-takers sometimes grab any negative-sounding adjective (e.g., belligerent) or a near-synonym (fat). Always align the semantic dimension—here, physique—to find a true opposite.

Final Answer:
gaunt