Fill in the blank with the word that completes the oxymoron:
At Didi’s farewell before she left for her hostel in Pune, Ma stood at the gate with a ________ smile.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → tearful
Complete sentence: At Didi’s farewell before she left for her hostel in Pune, Ma stood at the gate with a tearful smile. An oxymoron puts two opposite words side by side. Ma is proud of Didi, but she is also sad to see her go.
| Option | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) warm | not the opposite of “smile”, so “warm smile” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | Nani welcomed us at the station with a warm smile. |
| (2) wide | not the opposite of “smile”, so “wide smile” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | The baby gave a wide smile when she saw her mother. |
| (3) shy | not the opposite of “smile”, so “shy smile” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | The new student gave us a shy smile. |
| (4) tearful (answer) | the opposite of “smile”: tears come with sadness, and a smile comes with happiness | At the vidaai, the bride’s father gave a tearful smile. |