Choose the correct antonym of the following underlined word:
Mr. Naren relinquished his luxurious life to indulge in humanitarian service.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → retained
- Relinquished means gave up or let go of something willingly. It comes from the Latin relinquere (to leave behind). Mr. Naren gave up his life of luxury to serve others.
Example: The king relinquished his throne in favour of his son. - Retained means kept or continued to have something. It comes from the Latin retinere (to hold back). So the roots themselves are opposites: "leave behind" against "hold back". Keeping is the opposite of giving up, so retained is the antonym of relinquished.
Example: She retained her title in the national chess championship.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: forsake — Incorrect. Forsake means to give up or abandon; it is a synonym of relinquish, not an antonym.
Example: He would never forsake his old friends.
Option 2: revelled — Incorrect. Revelled means enjoyed something very much; it describes pleasure, not keeping or giving up something.
Example: The children revelled in the snow.
Option 4: inherited — Incorrect. Inherited means received from someone after his or her death; it tells how something is got, not whether it is kept or given up.
Example: He inherited a farm from his grandfather.
| Synonyms (Relinquish) | Antonyms (Relinquish) |
|---|---|
| forsake | retain |
| give up | keep |
| surrender | hold on to |
| renounce | maintain |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| relinquish | 22-05 S2 30-05 S1 | 21-05 S1 | – | 26-05 S1 06-06 S1 | 17-08 S1 |
| forsake | – | – | – | – | 16-09 S1 |
| revel | – | 14-05 S2 | – | – | – |