Choose the correct antonym for the underlined word in the following sentence:
The politicians took advantage of the credulous voters by making exaggerated promises during their campaign.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Skeptical
Credulous means too ready to believe what one is told, easily fooled. The politicians took advantage of voters who believed their exaggerated promises. Its antonym is skeptical.
Example: The credulous old man believed the caller who said he had won a lottery.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) pragmatic | practical and realistic in dealing with problems (about action, not about belief or doubt) | We need a pragmatic solution to the water shortage. |
| (2) cynical | believing that people act only out of self-interest, distrusting their motives (a general low opinion of people's honesty) | Years of broken promises had made the voters cynical about politics. |
| (3) Skeptical (answer) | doubting whether something is true, not easily convinced (believing too readily and doubting are opposites) | Scientists were skeptical about the claims of the new medicine. |
| (4) gullible | easily tricked or fooled (a synonym of credulous) | The gullible tourist paid ten times the real price. |
| Synonyms of credulous: gullible, naive, trusting, unsuspecting Antonyms of credulous: skeptical, suspicious, distrustful, incredulous Also asked in CUET (UG): credulous – 18-05-2026 Slot 1, 29-05-2024 Slot 1 pragmatic – 30-05-2026 Slot 2, 19-05-2025 Slot 1, 13-05-2025 Slot 1, 23-05-2023 Slot 2 skeptical – 17-08-2022 Slot 2 gullible – 03-06-2025 Slot 1, 19-05-2025 Slot 1, 25-05-2023 Slot 1, 23-05-2023 Slot 2, 21-05-2023 Slot 1 |