Select the antonym of the adjective therapeutic, that is, a word meaning harmful rather than healing.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests the ability to identify antonyms, that is, words opposite in meaning. The target word is therapeutic, an adjective most often used for something that heals, cures, or is beneficial for health and well being. To answer correctly, the learner must pick the option that describes something harmful or damaging rather than curative. Antonym questions are important in competitive exams because they require a clear understanding of word meaning, not just a vague sense of familiarity with the word form.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: therapeutic.
• Options: ameliorative, analeptic, salubrious, inimical.
• The task is to find the opposite meaning, not a synonym.
• We assume standard usage of these adjectives in the context of health and benefits.

Concept / Approach:
Therapeutic describes something that has a healing effect, such as therapeutic treatment, therapeutic massage, or therapeutic exercise. The antonym should therefore express the idea of harming, injuring, or working against health or benefit. The options ameliorative, analeptic, and salubrious all describe positive, improving, or health giving effects. The word inimical, however, means harmful, hostile, or unfriendly. In medical or general contexts, inimical to health or inimical to recovery clearly stands opposite to therapeutic. Recognising the roots and connotations of these words allows us to choose the correct antonym.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider example phrases. A therapeutic remedy helps in recovery, while an inimical remedy would be harmful to recovery. In contrast, an ameliorative treatment improves a condition, an analeptic drug stimulates and restores, and a salubrious climate is good for health. All three positive words are aligned with or similar to the idea of therapy and benefit rather than standing against it. Therefore, inimical clearly functions as the antonym because it indicates something that works against health, well being, or desired outcomes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Ameliorative means tending to improve or make better, especially a bad situation, so it is closer to therapeutic than to its opposite.
• Analeptic refers to a drug or agent that restores health, strength, or alertness, again a positive and restorative meaning.
• Salubrious means health giving or beneficial, often used to describe air, climate, or environment, which is clearly similar in direction to therapeutic.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to pick a word simply because it is unfamiliar or sounds complicated. Many candidates assume that strange or technical sounding options must be negative. Another pitfall is not reading the question carefully and accidentally choosing a synonym instead of an antonym. To avoid such mistakes, always spend a moment recalling what the target word means and then look for a word that directly contradicts that meaning, not just any difficult adjective. Linking inimical with hostile and harmful in your memory will help you quickly spot it as the correct antonym when therapeutic appears in any exam.

Final Answer:
inimical