Choose the most appropriate antonym of the underlined word:
The teachers appreciated her for giving a concise answer.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → elaborate
- Concise means saying what is needed in a few well-chosen words. The teachers praised her for a short answer that came straight to the point.
Example: Write a concise summary of the chapter in fifty words. - Elaborate (adjective) means long and full of detail. A short answer and a long, detailed one are opposites, so elaborate is the antonym of concise. The roots show the contrast: concise comes from the Latin concisus (cut short), elaborate from the Latin elaborare (to work out fully, from labor, work).
Example: He gave an elaborate account of his journey.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: exact — Incorrect. Exact means precise and correct in every detail; it says nothing about the length of an answer.
Example: I need the exact time of your arrival.
Option 2: brief — Incorrect. Brief means short; it is a synonym of concise, not its opposite.
Example: The principal gave a brief speech.
Option 4: pointed — Incorrect. Pointed means direct and plainly aimed at someone (a pointed remark); like concise, it suggests directness, so it is not the opposite.
Example: She made a pointed remark about his late arrival.
| Synonyms (Concise) | Antonyms (Concise) |
|---|---|
| brief | elaborate |
| succinct | lengthy |
| terse | wordy |
| pithy | verbose |