Question

PROFLIGATE: SOLVENT::

• A. mercurial: committed
• B. caustic: rational
• C. indecisive: confused
• D. cautious: uncertain
• E. practical: seemly

Hint:

When faced with difficult vocabulary, try to determine the positive or negative connotation of the words. "Profligate" is negative (wasteful), while "solvent" is positive (financially stable). Look for an answer pair that also has a negative:positive or positive:negative relationship. "Mercurial" (unpredictable) is often seen as negative in contexts requiring stability, while "committed" is positive.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an analogy question relating two adjectives. Based on the words, the relationship is likely to be one of antonyms.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's define the words in the stem. - PROFLIGATE: Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate person spends money wildly. - SOLVENT: Having assets in excess of liabilities; able to pay one's debts. A profligate person is likely to become insolvent (the opposite of solvent). Therefore, PROFLIGATE and SOLVENT are antonyms in the context of financial behavior. A profligate person is not solvent. The relationship is antonyms.
Now let's analyze the answer choices to find another pair of antonyms:

(A) mercurial: committed - MERCURIAL means subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind (like the god Mercury). COMMITTED means dedicated and unwavering. These two are clear antonyms. A mercurial person is not committed.
(B) caustic: rational - Caustic means sarcastic in a scathing way. Rational means based on reason. These are not antonyms.
(C) indecisive: confused - These are near-synonyms. Someone who is indecisive may also be confused.
(D) cautious: uncertain - These are related concepts. Being cautious often stems from being uncertain.
(E) practical: seemly - Practical means concerned with practice rather than theory. Seemly means proper or appropriate. They are not antonyms.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The relationship "PROFLIGATE is the opposite of SOLVENT" is analogous to "MERCURIAL is the opposite of COMMITTED."