Question

Find out a word which is nearest to the opposite in meaning to the word given in capitals.
HEINOUS

• A. hateful
• B. odious
• C. lousy
• D. desirable

Hint:

When resolving antonym problems, classify words by their emotional or ethical valence. 'HEINOUS' has a highly negative valence ($-$), whereas 'desirable' has a positive valence ($+$). This immediately isolates it from the other negative options.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept: An antonym question demands identifying a word whose semantic profile is directly converse or diametrically opposed to the prompt word.

Step 1: Defining the target capital word.
The word

HEINOUS is an adjective defined as utterly odious, wicked, abominable, or highly reprehensible. It is typically associated with terrible crimes or shocking wrongdoings (e.g., "a heinous offense").

Step 2: Checking the synonym/antonym alignment of options.
Let us analyze the semantic weight of each option relative to the target definition:

• Option (A) hateful: This means arousing or deserving of strong dislike or hatred. This is a clear synonym to heinous, not an antonym.

• Option (B) odious: This means extremely unpleasant or repulsive. It operates as a direct synonym to heinous.

• Option (C) lousy: This is an informal word meaning very poor, bad, or unpleasant. It aligns generally in negative connotation with heinous.

• Option (D) desirable: This means worth having or seeking; pleasing, excellent, or highly appealing. This represents a strongly positive quality, which is the exact polar opposite of something that is wicked or abominable (heinous).

Step 3: Conclusion.
Since a heinous item is completely repulsive and unacceptable, a desirable item is welcoming and worth wanting. This provides the most exact contextual opposite. Thus, Option (D) is correct.