Identify the option closest in meaning to the underlined word:
The movie star's biography is a glossy, sycophantic portrayal.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → flattering
Sycophantic means praising someone too much in order to please them or gain favour. A glossy, sycophantic biography shows the movie star only in a bright light and praises them without any criticism. Its synonym is flattering.
Example: The sycophantic clerk agreed with everything his boss said.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) cowardly | lacking courage (a biography may avoid hard truths, but the word for over-praising is not cowardly) | Running away from the fight was a cowardly act. |
| (2) domineering | trying to control others in a bossy way (nearly the opposite of a sycophant, who tries to please) | His domineering father decided everything for him. |
| (3) flattering (answer) | praising someone more than is true or deserved, or making them look better than they are (a sycophantic portrayal is a flattering one) | The magazine printed a flattering photo of the actor. |
| (4) insolent | rude and disrespectful (the opposite of flattering) | The insolent student talked back to the principal. |
| Synonyms of sycophantic: flattering, fawning, servile, obsequious Antonyms of sycophantic: insolent, candid, critical, frank Also asked in CUET (UG): domineering – 02-07-2023 Slot 3 insolent – 21-05-2026 Slot 2 |