Synonyms: Most Common Questions Video Lecture | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) - CAT

0:0:0: are you preparing for the cat exam and
0:0:2: wondering why synonyms matters so much
0:0:5: learning synonyms can potentially
0:0:7: increase your cat percentile as a strong
0:0:10: vocabulary is an important component of
0:0:12: the verbal ability and reading
0:0:14: comprehension section of the cat exam
0:0:17: every year three to four questions comes
0:0:20: from vocabulary
0:0:21: by knowing synonyms you can better
0:0:24: understand the meaning of words in
0:0:26: context which can help you answer
0:0:28: vocabulary based questions with greater
0:0:30: accuracy
0:0:32: here is what we will cover in this video
0:0:34: definition and importance of synonyms
0:0:37: then we will look at strategies to
0:0:40: approach synonym based questions
0:0:42: then we will see most common synonym
0:0:44: based questions in cat
0:0:47: after this we will see synonyms and
0:0:50: importance of understanding word types
0:0:53: and finally we will look at previous
0:0:55: year cat questions
0:0:57: so let's start with the basics
0:1:0: a synonym is a word that has the same or
0:1:2: nearly the same meaning as another word
0:1:5: understanding synonyms is essential
0:1:8: because it can help you improve your
0:1:9: vocabulary and communication skills
0:1:13: here are a few examples of synonyms
0:1:17: happy and joyful both of these words
0:1:19: Express a feeling of happiness or
0:1:21: contentment
0:1:23: while happy is a more general term
0:1:25: jawful implies a more intense feeling of
0:1:28: happiness
0:1:29: courageous and brave these words both
0:1:32: describe a person who is willing to face
0:1:34: danger or difficulty
0:1:36: why courageous is a more formal term
0:1:39: Brave is a more common word used to
0:1:41: describe someone who is willing to face
0:1:43: a challenge
0:1:45: overall synonyms are words that have
0:1:47: similar meanings and can be used
0:1:49: interchangeably in a given context
0:1:52: the examples given for synonyms are a
0:1:55: fundamental definition but in reality
0:1:57: the cat exam presents more complex and
0:2:0: challenging questions related to
0:2:2: synonyms
0:2:3: these questions require a deeper
0:2:6: understanding of context and usage
0:2:8: making them more difficult than the
0:2:10: basic examples given
0:2:13: so let's look at some strategies to help
0:2:16: you approach synonym based questions in
0:2:18: cat read the question carefully and try
0:2:20: to understand the context in which the
0:2:23: word is being used understanding the
0:2:25: context in which a word is being used is
0:2:27: crucial when solving synonyms
0:2:30: synonyms are words that have similar
0:2:32: meanings but they may not be
0:2:34: interchangeable in all contexts
0:2:37: for example the word spring can refer to
0:2:39: a season a mechanical device or a source
0:2:43: of water
0:2:44: depending on the context different
0:2:46: synonyms may be more appropriate
0:2:49: when solving synonyms it's important to
0:2:52: read the entire sentence or passage to
0:2:54: get a sense of the context in which the
0:2:56: word is being used
0:2:58: this can help you identify the
0:3:0: appropriate synonym that fits the
0:3:2: context and conveys the intended meaning
0:3:5: let's look at a question
0:3:7: question what is a synonym for the word
0:3:10: rare in the following sentence the
0:3:12: diamond was so dashed that it sold for
0:3:14: millions of dollars at the auction
0:3:17: a common B skills C frequent D soft
0:3:23: the correct answer is B scares
0:3:26: in this context rare means something
0:3:29: that is uncommon valuable and in high
0:3:32: demand
0:3:33: scarce is a synonym of rare that means
0:3:35: something is in short supply or not
0:3:37: easily obtainable which fits the context
0:3:40: of the sentence
0:3:41: option a common is the opposite of rare
0:3:45: and therefore not a synonym
0:3:47: option C frequent is also an antonym of
0:3:50: rare and does not have the same meaning
0:3:53: option D soft is not related to the
0:3:56: meaning of rare in this context
0:3:59: therefore the correct answer is option b
0:4:2: scarce which is a synonym of rare in the
0:4:4: context of the sentence
0:4:7: identify the type of word you are
0:4:9: dealing with verb adverb noun or
0:4:12: adjective
0:4:14: when solving synonyms it's important to
0:4:16: understand the type of word you're
0:4:18: working with as different parts of
0:4:20: speech have different functions in a
0:4:22: sentence
0:4:24: for example if you are looking for
0:4:26: synonyms for a verb like run you would
0:4:28: want to look for other verbs that
0:4:30: Express a similar action or occurrence
0:4:32: example Sprint jog race
0:4:36: if you are looking for synonyms for an
0:4:38: adjective like happy you would want to
0:4:40: look for other adjectives that describe
0:4:42: a similar feeling or mood example jawful
0:4:45: content elated
0:4:47: by understanding the different parts of
0:4:50: speech you can effectively identify and
0:4:52: use synonyms in your writing or speech
0:4:56: let's look at a question
0:4:58: which of the following words is a
0:5:0: synonym for happy and adjective
0:5:3: a joy be quickly C laugh D Run character
0:5:9: answer is option a joy
0:5:11: the question asks for a synonym for the
0:5:14: adjective happy
0:5:15: option a joy is also an adjective that
0:5:18: can mean feeling or expressing great
0:5:20: pleasure or happiness
0:5:22: option b quickly is an adverb that means
0:5:26: at a fast speed or in a short time
0:5:28: option C laugh is a verb that means to
0:5:32: make the sound and movement of your face
0:5:34: that shows you are happy or amused
0:5:37: option D run is a verb that means to
0:5:40: move quickly on foot
0:5:43: look for clues in the surrounding words
0:5:45: phrases or sentences that can help you
0:5:48: identify the synonym when trying to
0:5:51: identify a synonym for a word it's
0:5:53: important to pay attention to the
0:5:55: surrounding words phrases or sentences
0:5:58: as they can provide helpful Clues to
0:6:0: determine the meaning of the word and
0:6:2: find the suitable synonym
0:6:4: by paying close attention to the context
0:6:7: in which a word is used you can identify
0:6:9: synonyms that are similar in meaning and
0:6:12: use them effectively in your writing or
0:6:14: speech
0:6:15: let's take this question for example
0:6:18: the meaning of the word was dashed to
0:6:21: everyone in the room
0:6:22: the definition was so clear you could
0:6:25: understand it immediately
0:6:27: a ambiguous B obscure C Lucid D
0:6:32: complicated
0:6:34: the correct answer is C lucid
0:6:37: the sentence provides clues that suggest
0:6:40: that the word that fits in the blank
0:6:42: should mean clear or easy to understand
0:6:45: the phrase the definition was so clear
0:6:47: you could understand it immediately
0:6:49: reinforces this idea
0:6:51: options A and B ambiguous and obscure
0:6:54: are antonyms of the meaning conveyed in
0:6:57: the sentence
0:6:58: these words mean unclear or hard to
0:7:0: understand
0:7:2: option D complicated also goes against
0:7:5: the meaning conveyed in the sentence as
0:7:7: it means complex or difficult
0:7:10: therefore the best answer for the blank
0:7:13: is option C Lucid which means clear and
0:7:16: easy to understand
0:7:18: use process of elimination and eliminate
0:7:20: the options that don't fit the context
0:7:22: or meaning the process of elimination is
0:7:25: a useful strategy when trying to solve
0:7:27: synonyms because it allows you to narrow
0:7:30: down the options and eliminate those
0:7:32: that don't fit the context or meaning of
0:7:34: the word you are trying to replace
0:7:36: to use the process of elimination you
0:7:39: should start by identifying the word you
0:7:41: want to replace and then looking at the
0:7:43: options provided
0:7:45: you should then read through each option
0:7:47: and consider whether it fits the context
0:7:50: or meaning of the original word
0:7:52: let's look at this question
0:7:55: which of the following is a synonym for
0:7:57: excessive
0:7:58: a scant b abundant C limited D modest
0:8:4: answer is B abundant
0:8:7: to answer this question we need to
0:8:10: determine which of the options is a
0:8:12: synonym for excessive
0:8:13: option A scant means inadequate or not
0:8:17: enough so it can be eliminated
0:8:20: option C limited means restricted or
0:8:23: restrained which is the opposite of
0:8:25: excessive so it can be eliminated
0:8:28: option D modest means humble or moderate
0:8:31: which is the opposite of excessive so it
0:8:34: can be eliminated
0:8:36: that leaves us with option b abundant
0:8:39: which means plentiful or inexis making
0:8:41: it the correct answer
0:8:43: these strategies can help you approach
0:8:45: synonym based questions with confidence
0:8:48: and improve your chances of selecting
0:8:50: the correct answer
0:8:53: now let's take a look at the most common
0:8:55: types of synonym based questions you
0:8:58: will come across in cat
0:9:0: identifying the synonym of a given word
0:9:3: for example
0:9:5: question choose the synonym of the word
0:9:7: only from the options below a excitement
0:9:10: B bottom see confusion D anger the
0:9:15: correct synonym for Envy is boredom
0:9:17: which is option b onvi refers to a sense
0:9:20: of boredom or dissatisfaction that comes
0:9:22: from a lack of Interest or stimulation
0:9:25: it suggests a state of mind where a
0:9:28: person feels disengaged uninterested and
0:9:31: apathetic about the activities they are
0:9:33: involved in
0:9:34: boredom on the other hand also refers to
0:9:37: a feeling of disinterest lack of
0:9:39: Engagement a monotony that arises when a
0:9:42: person is not engaged in activities that
0:9:45: are interesting or fulfilling to them
0:9:48: option A excitement is the opposite of
0:9:50: Envy as it refers to a feeling of
0:9:53: enthusiasm or arousal
0:9:55: option C confusion refers to a state of
0:9:58: being uncertain or perplexed which is a
0:10:0: different meaning than on V
0:10:3: option D under refers to a feeling of
0:10:5: strong displeasure or hostility which is
0:10:8: also a different meaning than Envy
0:10:10: therefore the best synonym for the word
0:10:13: envy from the given options is option
0:10:15: boredom as it is the closest in meaning
0:10:18: to the feeling of weariness or
0:10:20: dissatisfaction that only conveys
0:10:23: choosing the word that is most similar
0:10:25: in meaning to the given word from a list
0:10:27: of options
0:10:28: for example
0:10:30: question which word is most similar in
0:10:33: meaning to the word jovial from the
0:10:35: options below a salon B grouchy see
0:10:39: cheerful D irritable
0:10:42: jovial is an adjective that describes a
0:10:44: person who is friendly outgoing and in
0:10:47: good spirits
0:10:48: it is often used to describe someone who
0:10:51: is happy and full of energy
0:10:54: cheerful is another adjective that
0:10:56: describes a similar state of being
0:10:58: characterized by happiness friendliness
0:11:0: and a positive outlook
0:11:3: in contrast sullin and rauchi are
0:11:6: antonyms of jovial meaning that there
0:11:8: are words with the opposite meaning and
0:11:10: describe someone who is Grumpy or
0:11:12: unfriendly
0:11:13: irritable is also an antonym of jovial
0:11:16: as it describes someone who is easily
0:11:19: annoyed or angered
0:11:21: therefore the correct answer to the
0:11:23: question is option C cheerful
0:11:27: completing a sentence with a suitable
0:11:29: synonym from the options given
0:11:31: for example
0:11:33: question the dash building towered over
0:11:36: the smaller buildings in the city
0:11:38: a small be huge C tiny D insignificant
0:11:44: the suitable synonym for the word large
0:11:47: in this sentence is option b huge
0:11:50: this is because the sentence is
0:11:52: describing a building that is towering
0:11:54: over smaller buildings in the city which
0:11:56: implies that it is significantly larger
0:11:58: than them
0:12:0: huge is a synonym of large that
0:12:2: specifically conveys a sense of great
0:12:4: size or magnitude making it the best
0:12:6: option to complete the sentence in a
0:12:9: meaningful way
0:12:10: options a c c and d small tiny and
0:12:14: insignificant all convey the opposite
0:12:16: meaning of large and would not make
0:12:18: sense in the context of the sentence
0:12:21: therefore they can be eliminated as
0:12:24: possible answers
0:12:26: now that we know the most common types
0:12:28: of questions let's move on to synonyms
0:12:31: and importance of understanding word
0:12:33: types
0:12:34: when it comes to synonym based questions
0:12:36: it's crucial to pay attention to the
0:12:39: type of word you're dealing with
0:12:41: language consists of four major word
0:12:44: categories nouns verbs adjectives and
0:12:47: adverbs
0:12:48: these categories have unique functions
0:12:51: and play a crucial role in communication
0:12:54: nouns nouns are words that refer to
0:12:57: people places things or ideas
0:13:1: examples of nouns include dog car book
0:13:4: happiness and John
0:13:7: nouns can be categorized as proper nouns
0:13:9: or common nouns
0:13:11: verbs words are words that describe an
0:13:14: action or state of being
0:13:16: examples of verbs include run eat sleep
0:13:20: write and be
0:13:22: verbs can be categorized as action verbs
0:13:25: or linking verbs
0:13:27: adjectives adjectives are words that
0:13:30: describe or modify nouns or pronouns
0:13:33: examples of adjectives include red happy
0:13:37: tall delicious and smart
0:13:40: adjectives can be categorized as
0:13:42: descriptive adjectives or limiting
0:13:44: adjectives
0:13:46: adverbs adverbs are words that describe
0:13:49: or modify verbs adjectives or other
0:13:52: adverbs
0:13:53: examples of adverbs include quickly
0:13:56: happily very extremely and will
0:14:0: adverbs can be categorized as Mana
0:14:2: adverbs time adverbs Place adverbs or
0:14:6: degree adverbs
0:14:8: if the word in question is a verb its
0:14:10: synonym will most likely also be a word
0:14:13: similarly is the word in question is an
0:14:16: adverb its synonym will also be an
0:14:18: adverb
0:14:19: the same holds true for nouns and
0:14:22: adjectives
0:14:23: for example
0:14:25: question choose the synonym of the word
0:14:27: quickly from the options below a fast be
0:14:31: rapidly see hurry D swiftness
0:14:35: the synonym of the word quickly in this
0:14:38: sentence is option b rapidly
0:14:40: this is because rapidly is an adverb
0:14:43: that describes the speed at which
0:14:45: something is happening just like quickly
0:14:48: both rapidly and quickly are adverbs
0:14:51: that modify the verb in the sentence
0:14:53: indicating the manner in which the
0:14:55: action is being performed
0:14:57: option a fast is also a synonym of
0:15:0: quickly but it is an adjective that
0:15:2: describes a quality of the noun not the
0:15:5: word
0:15:6: therefore it is not the best choice in
0:15:8: this context
0:15:10: option C Hari is a verb that describes
0:15:13: the act of moving quickly or doing
0:15:15: something quickly but it is not a
0:15:17: synonym of quickly itself
0:15:19: option D swiftness is a noun that refers
0:15:23: to the quality of being fast or quick
0:15:25: but it is not an adverb that can be used
0:15:27: to modify a verb in the same way that
0:15:30: quickly or rapidly can
0:15:32: therefore option b rapidly is the best
0:15:35: synonym of quickly in this context
0:15:38: knowing the type of word you're dealing
0:15:40: with and matching it with its synonym
0:15:42: type can help you narrow down your
0:15:44: options and improve your chances of
0:15:46: selecting the correct answer
0:15:48: now let's look at some previous year cat
0:15:51: questions on synonyms
0:15:54: this was asked in cat 2019 question
0:15:57: identify the synonym of the word obviate
0:16:0: from the given sentence the new
0:16:2: irrigation scheme will obviate the need
0:16:4: for any farmer to depend on rain for
0:16:7: their crops
0:16:8: a encourage be prohibit C Prevent D
0:16:13: encumber
0:16:14: the synonym of the word obviate in this
0:16:17: sentence is option C prevent
0:16:19: this is because obvious means to avoid
0:16:22: or prevent something and in this
0:16:24: sentence it is being used to describe
0:16:26: how the new irrigation scheme will
0:16:28: prevent Farmers from having to depend on
0:16:30: rain for their crops
0:16:32: option A encourage is the opposite of
0:16:35: obviate and does not fit the context of
0:16:38: the sentence
0:16:39: encouraging something would be
0:16:41: encouraging Farmers to depend on rain
0:16:43: which is not what the sentence is saying
0:16:46: option b prohibit means to forbid or
0:16:49: prevent something but it does not fit
0:16:52: the context of the sentence
0:16:54: the sentence is not saying that the
0:16:56: irrigation scheme will forbid or
0:16:58: prohibit Farmers from depending on rain
0:17:0: but rather that it will make it
0:17:2: unnecessary
0:17:3: option D encumber means to burden or way
0:17:6: down and it is not a synonym of obviate
0:17:10: in fact it is the opposite of what is
0:17:13: happening in the sentence
0:17:14: the new irrigation scheme is relieving
0:17:17: farmers of the burden of depending on
0:17:19: rain not adding to it
0:17:21: therefore option C prevent is the best
0:17:25: synonym of obviate in this context as it
0:17:28: accurately captures the meaning of
0:17:30: avoiding or preventing something
0:17:33: another question asked in cat 2016
0:17:36: identified the synonym of the word
0:17:38: pulchritude
0:17:39: a beauty B ugliness C disgust D Chan
0:17:46: the synonym of the word pulchritude is
0:17:48: option A Duty
0:17:50: this is because pulchritude is a noun
0:17:52: that means physical beauty or
0:17:54: attractiveness and beauty is a synonym
0:17:56: that carries the same meaning
0:17:59: option b ugliness means the opposite of
0:18:2: pulchritude and does not fit the context
0:18:4: of the sentence
0:18:6: option C discussed means a strong
0:18:9: feeling of dislike or aversion and it is
0:18:11: not related to the concept of physical
0:18:13: Beauty
0:18:15: option D charm means a pleasant or
0:18:18: attractive quality but it is not an
0:18:20: exact synonym of pulchritude
0:18:22: therefore option a beauty is the best
0:18:25: synonym of pulchritude in this context
0:18:29: final question of the day asked in cat
0:18:31: 2015 choose the synonym of the phrase to
0:18:34: keep at Bay
0:18:36: a to keep in check B to keep in custody
0:18:39: C to keep in abeyance D to keep at hand
0:18:44: the synonym of the phrase to keep at Bay
0:18:46: is option A to keep in check
0:18:49: this is because to keep at bay means to
0:18:51: prevent something or someone from coming
0:18:53: too close or causing harm and to keep in
0:18:56: check means to control or restrain
0:18:58: something or someone to prevent it from
0:19:0: getting out of control
0:19:2: both phrases imply a sense of control or
0:19:5: prevention
0:19:6: option b to keep in custody means to
0:19:9: hold someone in detention or
0:19:11: imprisonment and it is not a synonym of
0:19:14: to keep at Bay
0:19:15: option C to keep in abeyance means to
0:19:18: hold or keep something in a state of
0:19:20: temporary suspension or delay and it is
0:19:23: not related to the idea of preventing
0:19:25: something from getting too close or
0:19:27: causing harm
0:19:28: option D to keep at hand means to keep
0:19:31: something within reach or readily
0:19:33: available and it does not fit the
0:19:35: context of preventing something or
0:19:37: someone from causing harm
0:19:39: therefore option A to keep in check is
0:19:43: the best synonym of to keep at Bay in
0:19:45: this context as it accurately captures
0:19:47: the idea of controlling or restraining
0:19:50: something to prevent it from causing
0:19:52: harm
0:19:53: to summarize synonym-based questions are
0:19:56: an important part of the varc section in
0:19:59: cat and mastering them can significantly
0:20:1: improve your overall score
0:20:4: remember to approach these questions
0:20:6: strategically by reading the question
0:20:8: carefully identifying the type of word
0:20:11: and using context clues
0:20:14: however simply memorizing a few synonyms
0:20:17: won't cut it
0:20:18: to truly harness the power of synonyms
0:20:21: we must practice and develop a deep
0:20:24: understanding of the words we use
0:20:26: by doing so we can confidently select
0:20:29: the perfect word to convey our intended
0:20:31: meaning and avoid dull and repetitive
0:20:34: language
0:20:35: edurov offers a wide range of resources
0:20:38: such as books online practice tests and
0:20:41: word lists to help you build your
0:20:43: vocabulary and improve your
0:20:45: understanding of word types
0:20:47: thank you for joining us today and we
0:20:49: wish you the best of luck in your cat
0:20:51: 2023 Journey
0:20:54: keep working hard stay consistent with
0:20:56: your preparation and remember that
0:20:58: edurev is always here to help you
0:21:1: achieve your dreams
0:21:2: on