Question

Exacerbate : Mitigate :: ___________
Choose the option with the correct pair of words to fill the blank.

• A. Aggravate : Alleviate
• B. Alleviate : Precipitate
• C. Aggravate : Precipitate
• D. Emancipate : Exonerate

Hint:

Exacerbate means to worsen and mitigate means to lessen, so look for an option that is also a worsen-versus-lessen pair of opposites.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

This question tests vocabulary through analogy. We first need to work out the relationship between the given pair of words, "exacerbate" and "mitigate", and then find the option whose two words share the exact same relationship.

"Exacerbate" means to make a bad situation worse. "Mitigate" means to make a bad situation less severe, or to lessen its harm. So the given pair is a pair of opposites (antonyms): one word means to worsen something, the other means to ease or reduce it.

1. Aggravate : Alleviate: "Aggravate" means to make something worse, and "alleviate" means to make something easier to bear or less severe. This is exactly the same worsen-versus-ease relationship as exacerbate and mitigate. This matches.
2. Alleviate : Precipitate: "Alleviate" means to ease a problem, but "precipitate" means to cause something to happen suddenly. These two words are not opposites of each other, so the relationship does not match.
3. Aggravate : Precipitate: "Aggravate" means to worsen, but "precipitate" means to bring on suddenly, not to ease or lessen. These words are not antonyms of each other, so this pair fails the test.
4. Emancipate : Exonerate: "Emancipate" means to set free from control, and "exonerate" means to clear someone of blame. These two words are close in meaning, not opposites, so this pair does not fit.

Only option (A), Aggravate : Alleviate, is a genuine pair of opposites, matching the worsen-versus-ease relationship of exacerbate and mitigate.

Let's summarize:

• Exacerbate (worsen) and mitigate (ease) are antonyms.
• Among the options, only aggravate (worsen) and alleviate (ease) form the same kind of antonym pair.
• The other three options either pair unrelated words or pair words that are close in meaning rather than opposite.

So the correct option is (A): Aggravate : Alleviate.