Question

Choose the antonym nearest in meaning to the word.
Facetious

• A. serious
• B. uneasy
• C. pleasant
• D. cross

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understand the given word
The word "facetious" means treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor, or being flippant and joking when seriousness is expected. For example, if someone cracks jokes during a serious discussion, that person is being facetious.

Step 2: Identify what an antonym should convey
Since "facetious" indicates joking, playful, or humorous behavior in situations that demand seriousness, the antonym should convey the opposite quality — sincerity, gravity, or earnestness.

Step 3: Test the options (focus on the given correct one)
(A) Serious → This means thoughtful, earnest, and not joking. This is directly opposite in meaning to "facetious," because a serious person would treat issues with importance instead of making light of them.
Other possible options (if they existed) like "solemn" or "sincere" would also be correct, but "serious" is the simplest and nearest antonym.

Step 4: Apply to the context
If someone is being facetious in a meeting, they are making jokes. The opposite behavior would be being serious, focusing on the matter at hand without humor.

Final Answer: The correct option is (A) serious because it is the most direct antonym of "facetious."