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Difficulty: Very hardAntonyms and Words Opposite in Meaning

Read the sentence below carefully and complete it by supplying a word in the blank that is directly OPPOSITE in meaning to the bold word.

Answer:Rather than displaying a SUPERCILIOUS attitude toward the junior researchers, the distinguished professor proved to be exceptionally 【humble】, treating everyone's ideas with genuine respect and modesty.

Answer

The word opposite in meaning to 'SUPERCILIOUS' in this context is 'humble' (or 'modest', 'unpretentious', 'deferential').
In this context, 'SUPERCILIOUS' describes an arrogant, disdainful, or haughty demeanor. The phrase 'Rather than displaying...' establishes a direct contrast between supercilious behavior and the character trait needed to fill the blank. The words 'humble', 'modest', 'unpretentious', or 'deferential' accurately represent the exact opposite of arrogance and fit the formal register of the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the meaning of the target word 'SUPERCILIOUS' within the sentence context.
'SUPERCILIOUS' means behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others; arrogant, haughty, or disdainful.
Determining the precise contextual meaning of the target word is the essential first step before establishing its opposite.
2
Identify the contrast clue provided by the sentence structure.
The introductory clause 'Rather than displaying...' creates an explicit contrast between a supercilious attitude and the professor's actual behavior of 'treating everyone's ideas with genuine respect and modesty.'
Syntactic indicators such as 'Rather than' signal that the word filling the blank must be an exact antonym of supercilious.
3
Select an appropriate antonym matching the formal register and contextual meaning.
Words such as 'humble', 'modest', 'unpretentious', or 'deferential' denote the quality of having or showing a low estimate of one's own importance and respecting others.
These terms fit both the grammatical requirements of the sentence and the semantic demand for an opposite to arrogance.

Key Concept

Contextual Antonyms and Semantic Contrast
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Topics

Antonyms and Words Opposite in Meaning

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