Which one of the following words is opposite in meaning to Alleviate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Aggravate
Alleviate means to make pain, suffering or a problem less severe. Its antonym is aggravate.
Example: The medicine alleviated her headache within minutes.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Exaggerate | to describe something as bigger or worse than it really is (it is about how a thing is told, not about making it actually worse) | He exaggerated the size of the fish he had caught. |
| (2) Aggravate (answer) | to make a pain, problem or bad situation worse (alleviate lessens a trouble and aggravate increases it) | Running on the injured knee only aggravated the pain. |
| (3) Relieve | to reduce pain or trouble (it is a synonym of alleviate, not an antonym) | A cold drink relieved his thirst. |
| (4) Lighter | less heavy or less serious (if anything, it is close to the idea of alleviate, not its opposite) | My bag felt lighter after I took out the books. |
| Synonyms of alleviate: relieve, ease, lessen, soothe Antonyms of alleviate: aggravate, worsen, intensify, exacerbate Also asked in CUET (UG): alleviate – 18-05-2026 Slot 2, 14-05-2026 Slot 2, 03-06-2025 Slot 2, 19-05-2025 Slot 2, 13-05-2025 Slot 1, 06-06-2023 Slot 2, 06-06-2023 Slot 1, 23-05-2023 Slot 2 aggravate – 03-06-2025 Slot 2, 13-05-2025 Slot 1, 09-06-2023 Slot 2, 09-06-2023 Slot 1, 06-06-2023 Slot 1 |