Antonyms

An antonym must reverse the same property on the same scale. Most wrong options are simply unrelated words with a negative flavour.

1. Direct opposites. transparent ↔ opaque, barren ↔ fertile, benevolent ↔ malevolent, frugal ↔ extravagant.
2. Prefix opposites. un-, in-, im-, dis-, mis-, non-, ir- — but only where the language actually formed the pair.
3. Gradable vs absolute. Between hot and cold lie warm and cool; the exam wants the far end, not the middle. Between alive and dead there is nothing.
4. Context antonyms. In "a light load" the opposite is heavy; in "a light room" it is dark. Read the noun before choosing.

The single most common mistake is trusting the prefix. English is full of pairs that look like opposites and are not: invaluable means priceless, not worthless; inflammable means it burns easily, exactly like flammable; infamous means notorious, not unknown; ingenious means clever, while ingenuous means innocent.

How to check: say your answer and the original word in one sentence — "The glass is not transparent; it is opaque." If the sentence sounds like a genuine contrast rather than a change of subject, the option is right.

Reverse the same property on the same scale · take the far end, not the middle · do not trust the prefix: invaluable = priceless, inflammable = burns easily, infamous = notorious · context decides (light load → heavy, light room → dark)

Choose the antonym of "transparent". Options: coloured / opaque / invisible / fragile. → opaque. "Transparent" means light passes through, so the opposite must be that light does not pass through, which is exactly "opaque". Sanity check: "coloured" changes the property to colour, "invisible" is on the wrong scale altogether, and "fragile" is about strength. Only one option reverses the same property.