Choose the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.

MUTILATE

Preserved

The most appropriate antonym of the given word MUTILATE is PRESERVE.

• Mutilate means to injure, disfigure, or make imperfect by removing or irreparably damaging parts.
• Preserve means to keep or maintain something in its original condition.

Therefore, the antonym of mutilate must mean the opposite of injuring, disfiguring, or making imperfect something. Of the above choices, only preserve has the opposite meaning of mutilate.

The other choices are not antonyms of mutilate.

• Idiotic means very stupid. This is not the opposite of mutilate, as mutilate does not refer to intelligence.
• Straightforward means easy to understand or deal with. This is not the opposite of mutilate, as mutilate does not refer to difficulty in understanding or dealing with something.
• Confuse means to make someone unable to think clearly or to understand something. This is not the opposite of mutilate, as mutilate does not refer to clarity of thought or understanding.