Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardGreek Roots

Despite working together on the committee for several years, the two delegates harbored a deep and persistent antipathy toward each other.

In the sentence above, what does the word antipathy most nearly mean?

  1. A
    an outdated or antiquated viewpoint
  2. a strong feeling of intense dislike or hostilityAnswer
  3. C
    a state of total indifference or emotional numbness
  4. D
    a deep sense of affection and mutual understanding

Answer

a strong feeling of intense dislike or hostility
The word 'antipathy' derives from the Greek prefix 'anti-' (against) and root 'pathos' (feeling), denoting a settled aversion, hostility, or intense dislike.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the morphological structure of the target word 'antipathy'
The word breaks down into the Greek prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against' or 'opposite') and the Greek base morpheme 'pathos' / '-pathy' (meaning 'feeling', 'emotion', or 'suffering').
Etymological segmentation reveals the foundational meaning of the compound word.
2
Synthesize the morphemes and evaluate the contextual clues
Combining 'against' and 'feeling' yields 'a feeling against' or strong aversion. The context of delegates harboring persistent tension despite years of working together reinforces a state of mutual hostility.
Morphological analysis combined with context confirms that 'antipathy' means deep-seated hatred, aversion, or hostility.

Key Concept

Greek Morpheme Analysis: 'anti-' (against/opposite) and 'pathos' (feeling/emotion)
Rate this question

Topics

Greek Roots

More questions from this topic