Synonym of ABATE — Synonyms & Antonyms Aptitude Question
Synonym of ABATE: Choose the word closest in meaning to ABATE: The storm began to abate by midnight. Answer and worked solution on CodeKairo.
- Topic: Synonyms & Antonyms
- Section: Verbal Ability
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time target: 40 seconds
Question
Choose the word closest in meaning to ABATE:
The storm began to abate by midnight.
Options
- Subside
- Persist
- Scatter
- Intensify
Show the answer and the worked solution
Correct answer: A. Subside
Worked solution
- Abate means to become less intense or widespread.
- Subside carries the same sense of dying down.
- Intensify and persist are opposites; scatter describes direction, not strength.
Answer: Subside.
The idea
Read the word inside its sentence before looking at the options — context rules out half of them. Then eliminate opposites and words that describe a different quality altogether.
Shortcut. Link abate to rebate, a reduction: abate means to lessen. Only Subside describes something weakening; Intensify is the reverse and Persist means no change.
Common trap. Intensify is the reverse of the meaning; it tempts a candidate who confuses abate with abet (as in 'aid and abet'), which means to encourage or egg on.