Select the word that is the antonym of the following word:-
Curtail
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Protract
- Curtail means to cut short or reduce something.
Example: The rain forced us to curtail our holiday. - Protract means to make something last longer than usual. Cutting short and drawing out are opposite actions, so protract is the antonym of curtail.
Example: The lawyers protracted the talks for several weeks.
Roots: curtail goes back to the Latin curtus (short), protract to the Latin pro- (forward) + trahere (to draw): cut short versus drawn out.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Shorten — Incorrect. Shorten means to make something shorter; it is a synonym of curtail.
Example: Please shorten your speech.
Option 2: Minimize — Incorrect. Minimize means to reduce something to the smallest possible amount; it is close in sense to curtail.
Example: Exercise helps minimize the risk of illness.
Option 3: Delimit — Incorrect. Delimit means to fix the limits or boundaries of something; it does not mean to lengthen.
Example: The treaty delimits the border between the two states.
| Synonyms (Curtail) | Antonyms (Curtail) |
|---|---|
| shorten | protract |
| reduce | prolong |
| cut back | extend |
| abridge | lengthen |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| curtail | – | 20-05 S2 | – | 18-06 S2 | – |
| delimit | 20-05 S1 | – | – | – | – |
| protract | 07-06 S2 | – | – | – | – |