Choose the correct antonym of the underlined word from the options given below:-
The grim look on her face was anything but encouraging.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → benign
Grim means serious, stern and unfriendly in appearance. The sentence says her grim look was "anything but encouraging", that is, not at all encouraging. Its antonym is benign.
Example: The doctor came out with a grim face.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) benign (answer) | kind, gentle and pleasant (a stern, forbidding look and a kind, gentle one are opposites) | The old teacher gave the nervous boy a benign smile. |
| (2) stern | serious and strict (close in meaning to grim, so it is a synonym) | The principal gave the late comers a stern warning. |
| (3) grotesque | strange and ugly in a frightening or comic way (it is not the opposite of grim) | The temple walls had grotesque carved faces. |
| (4) appalling | shocking and very bad (it is nearer grim than its opposite) | The hostel food was appalling. |
| Synonyms of grim: stern, severe, forbidding, gloomy Antonyms of grim: benign, cheerful, genial, pleasant Also asked in CUET (UG): benign – 14-05-2026 Slot 2, 31-05-2025 Slot 1, 21-05-2025 Slot 2 grotesque – 11-05-2026 Slot 2 |