Match the words given in LIST-I with their synonyms given in LIST-II:
| LIST-I Words | LIST-II Synonyms | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Evanescent | I. | Profound |
| B. | Esoteric | II. | Make worse |
| C. | Exacerbate | III. | Annoying |
| D. | Exasperating | IV. | Fleeting |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A - IV, B - I, C - II, D - III
| List-I | List-II | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) Evanescent | (IV) Fleeting | Evanescent means quickly fading, lasting a very short time; fleeting means lasting a very short time. The two are synonyms. | The evanescent colours of the sunset faded within minutes. |
| (B) Esoteric | (I) Profound | Esoteric means understood only by a small group with special knowledge; profound means very deep, needing serious thought. Both describe ideas that are hard to grasp, so profound is the synonym among the options. | The lecture on quantum theory was too esoteric for most of the audience. |
| (C) Exacerbate | (II) Make worse | Exacerbate means to make a problem or a bad situation worse. | Scratching the bite will only exacerbate the itching. |
| (D) Exasperating | (III) Annoying | Exasperating means extremely annoying; the two are synonyms. | Waiting in the long queue was exasperating. |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| evanescent | 26-05 S1 | 16-05 S1 29-05 S1 | – | – | – |
| esoteric | 15-05 S1 18-05 S1 | 21-05 S2 24-05 S1 | – | – | – |
| exacerbate | 14-05 S2 | 15-05 S2 | – | – | – |
| exasperate | 18-05 S1 | 30-05 S1 | – | – | – |