Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Industrious
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is an analogy based on antonyms, or opposite meanings. The pair Thick : Thin shows two words that are opposite in meaning. You are asked to apply the same idea to the word Idle and choose the option that stands as its opposite in sense. Questions like this are common in verbal ability sections and test your knowledge of English vocabulary and word relationships.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The relationship in the base pair is straightforward antonymy. Thick is the opposite of thin, so the second word reverses the quality of the first. For idle, which means not working or lazy, the opposite is someone who is active, busy or hardworking. Among the options, Industrious best captures this opposite meaning, as it describes a person who works hard and is diligent. Inactivity is close in meaning to idle, Virtuous refers to moral goodness and Business is a noun referring to trade or work, not a direct adjective describing a person's diligence. Thus, Idle : Industrious mirrors the pattern of Thick : Thin.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Thick and Thin are opposites. Thick objects are broad or dense, while thin objects are narrow or less dense.
Step 2: Identify the pattern as “word : antonym”.
Step 3: Recall the meaning of Idle. An idle person is not working, is lazy or not engaged in useful activity.
Step 4: Look for an opposite. A suitable opposite would describe someone who is hardworking, energetic or always occupied with useful work.
Step 5: Examine the options. Inactivity describes lack of activity and is similar to idle, not opposite. Virtuous concerns moral qualities, not work habits.
Step 6: Business is a noun referring to commercial activity or work, not a direct opposite adjective for idle in character sense.
Step 7: Industrious describes a person who is hardworking and diligent, which is the clear opposite of idle.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, try constructing example sentences. “He is idle and does not want to work” contrasts naturally with “She is industrious and works very hard”. The words clearly oppose each other in meaning. On the other hand, “He is idle and does not want to work” does not oppose Inactivity, because inactivity describes his state rather than contradicting it. Virtuous would contrast with words like corrupt or immoral, not with idle. Business may be used in phrases like “He is in business”, but that does not directly define his work ethic. Therefore, Industrious is the only option that is a strong and direct antonym of idle.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Inactivity is almost synonymous with idle and describes the same lack of action, so it cannot be an opposite. Virtuous belongs to the domain of morality and is unrelated to laziness or diligence in its primary meaning. Business is a noun and typically refers to an activity or organization, not to a personal trait opposite to idleness. None of these alternatives reproduce the precise antonym pattern seen in Thick : Thin.
Common Pitfalls:
Some students may confuse related words with opposites, especially when the options include words from the same topic area. Because inactivity and idle often appear together, it is easy to mistake them as opposites. Others may look at business and identify it loosely with work, but it does not function grammatically or semantically as the direct opposite of idle in the same way that industrious does. Always focus on whether the meaning is truly reversed, not merely different or associated.
Final Answer:
Thick is opposite to thin, and in the same way idle is opposite to industrious, so Industrious is the correct answer.
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