Select the word opposite in meaning to the given word:- Enervate
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Vitalise
- To enervate is to weaken, to drain someone of energy. (It does not mean "energise", a common mistake.)
Example: The long, humid afternoon enervated the players. - To vitalise is to fill with life and energy. Draining energy and giving energy are opposites, so vitalise is the antonym of enervate.
Example: A short walk vitalises me after hours at the desk.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Petrify — Incorrect. To petrify is to frighten someone so much that they cannot move, or to turn into stone; it is about fear, not energy.
Example: The barking dog petrified the little girl.
Option 3: Gratify — Incorrect. To gratify is to please or satisfy; it has no link with strength or weakness.
Example: His praise gratified the young singer.
Option 4: Debilitate — Incorrect. To debilitate is to make weak, a synonym of enervate, not its opposite.
Example: The fever debilitated him for weeks.
| Synonyms (Enervate) | Antonyms (Enervate) |
|---|---|
| weaken | vitalise |
| debilitate | energise |
| exhaust | invigorate |
| sap | strengthen |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| enervate | 19-05 S2 20-05 S1 | 21-05 S1 | – | – | – |
| gratify | 24-05 S1 | – | – | 13-06 S1 | – |
| debilitate | – | – | – | 06-06 S1 | – |