Concept:
Identifying antonym pairs involves evaluating lexical couples to determine whether the two words express binary, polar, or complementary semantic opposites. An antonym pair represents mutually exclusive states or opposite extremes on a semantic continuum. Words that are synonyms, near-synonyms, or merely associative descriptors do not constitute valid antonym pairs.
Step 1: Detailed Analysis of Each Pair:
- Pair A (feisty, frisky): “Feisty” means touchy, aggressive, or high-spirited, while “frisky” means playful, lively, and energetic. These words share overlapping connotations of energetic vigor; they are related in meaning and do not oppose each other.
- Pair B (feasting, starving): “Feasting” denotes consuming food in lavish abundance and celebratory excess, whereas “starving” denotes extreme deprivation of sustenance, severe hunger, and emaciation. They represent opposite extremes of food consumption and nutritional state, forming a true antonym pair.
- Pair C (feline, cunning): “Feline” means cat-like or relating to the cat family, whereas “cunning” means sly, crafty, or exhibiting deceitful ingenuity. Although cunning is colloquially attributed to cats, they are entirely different parts of speech/concepts and not antonyms.
- Pair D (fecund, barren): “Fecund” denotes high fertility, intellectual productivity, or prolific reproduction. In contrast, “barren” denotes sterility, incapacity to produce offspring, or total lack of vegetation/ideas. These represent polar opposites regarding fertility and productivity, forming a classic antonym pair.
Step 2: Evaluating the Option Combinations:
Since only Pair B and Pair D are authentic pairs of antonyms, the valid grouping is “B and D only”.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct choice is Option (B).