Choose the correct antonym of the following word: Taciturn
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Garrulous
- Taciturn means habitually silent; saying very little. It comes from the Latin tacitus (silent), as in tacit.
Example: The taciturn farmer answered every question with a nod. - Garrulous means talking too much, often about unimportant things. A taciturn person hardly speaks; a garrulous person hardly stops, so garrulous is the antonym.
Example: The garrulous passenger talked all the way to Delhi.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Terse — Incorrect. Terse means using few words, often abruptly; it is close to taciturn, not its opposite.
Example: He gave a terse reply and left the room.
Option 2: Sententious — Incorrect. Sententious means fond of giving moral advice in a pompous way; it is about the kind of talk, not about talking much or little.
Example: The old man's sententious lectures bored the students.
Option 4: Secretive — Incorrect. Secretive means inclined to hide one's thoughts or plans; a secretive person also says little, so the word is nearer to taciturn.
Example: He is very secretive about his new job.
| Synonyms (Taciturn) | Antonyms (Taciturn) |
|---|---|
| reticent | garrulous |
| reserved | talkative |
| uncommunicative | loquacious |
| silent | voluble |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| taciturn | 12-05 S1 19-05 S1 06-06 S1 07-06 S2 | 14-05 S2 16-05 S1 21-05 S1 23-05 S1 | 29-05 S1 | – | – |
| terse | – | 24-05 S2 | – | – | 23-08 S1 |
| garrulous | 06-06 S1 07-06 S2 | 14-05 S2 21-05 S1 23-05 S1 | 29-05 S1 | – | 17-08 S1 20-08 S1 |