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Question

Difficulty: Very hardAntonyms and Words Opposite in Meaning

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with a word that is MOST NEARLY OPPOSITE in meaning to the bold word MUNIFICENT.

Answer:Although the philanthropist's initial donations to the university library were praised for being munificent, his subsequent contributions toward student scholarships were criticized for being surprisingly 【parsimonious】.

Answer

A word opposite in meaning to 'munificent' in this context is 'parsimonious' (or 'penurious', 'miserly', 'stingy').
The word 'munificent' signifies extreme generosity or lavishness in giving. Because the sentence uses the contrastive conjunction 'Although' to oppose 'praised' with 'criticized', the required word must denote the exact opposite quality—extreme stinginess, frugality, or reluctance to spend, best captured by terms like 'parsimonious', 'penurious', or 'miserly'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual meaning of the target word 'munificent'.
In this sentence, 'munificent' describes donations that are extraordinarily generous, bountiful, or lavish.
Understanding the context clue ('praised for being munificent') establishes the positive, high-magnitude generosity of the initial act.
2
Identify the contrast indicator in the sentence structure.
The conjunction 'Although' signals a direct contrast between the early praised donations and the later criticized contributions.
Syntactic contrast requires the missing word to express the opposite characteristic of generosity.
3
Determine the precise contextual antonym to complete the blank.
The direct antonym of munificent or generous is parsimonious (or penurious/miserly), indicating extreme frugality or stinginess.
Inserting 'parsimonious' fulfills the structural contrast and accurately completes the semantic requirement of the sentence.

Key Concept

Contextual Antonyms for Advanced Lexis
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Topics

Antonyms and Words Opposite in Meaning

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