In this word analogy, “Opposite is to Identical as Lengthy is to ______”. Choose the word that stands in the same antonym relationship to Lengthy that Identical does to Opposite.

Introduction / Context:
This verbal analogy tests understanding of antonyms (opposite meaning words) rather than synonyms. The pair “Opposite : Identical” shows a relationship in which the second word is the antonym of the first. To complete the analogy, “Lengthy : ?”, we must identify the word that is an antonym of Lengthy in the same way that Identical is an antonym of Opposite. Such questions are widely used in English language and reasoning sections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Example pair: Opposite and Identical. • Target pair: Lengthy and an unknown word. • Options: Tedious, Longish, Elongated, Short. • We use standard dictionary meanings of these adjectives.

Concept / Approach:
The key is to recognise that Opposite and Identical do not share similar meanings. Instead, they express contrary notions: something that is opposite is very different, while identical means exactly the same. Thus, the relationship is antonymic. For consistency, the second word in the pair involving Lengthy must be an antonym of Lengthy. Lengthy means long in duration or extent, so the correct antonym will express the idea of brevity or small extent.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Analyse the first pair. Opposite describes things that are contrary or very different. Identical describes things that are exactly the same. They therefore stand in an opposite meaning relationship. Step 2: Clarify the meaning of Lengthy. Lengthy means long in terms of time or physical extent. For example, a lengthy speech is a long speech. Step 3: Evaluate each option. Tedious: Means boring and tiresome, often because something is too long, so it is related but not opposite to Lengthy. Longish: Means somewhat long; this is clearly similar to Lengthy, not opposite. Elongated: Means stretched out or made longer, again similar in sense to Lengthy. Short: Means little in length or duration, which is the natural antonym of Lengthy. Step 4: From this analysis, Short is the only genuine antonym.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can restate the relationships as simple sentences. If something is not opposite, it may be identical, which reverses the idea. Similarly, if something is not lengthy, it is short. The other options all lean toward the idea of something that is long or seems long: tedious, longish, and elongated all reinforce the idea of length rather than oppose it. Thus the pattern clearly requires Short as the second word.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Tedious: Describes emotional response (boring) rather than physical length and often co exists with Lengthy instead of opposing it. • Longish: Directly implies some degree of length and is closer in meaning to Lengthy, not its opposite. • Elongated: Literally means made longer, again reinforcing the idea of length.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates are tempted by Tedious because lengthy tasks often feel tedious. However, analogy questions require exactly the same type of relationship, not merely contextual association. If the first pair is a pure antonym pair, the second must also be antonymic. Focusing on exact meaning relationships rather than emotional impressions is critical.

Final Answer:
The word that correctly completes the analogy is Short.