Word-Meanings with their usage
The word conspicuous is derived from the root word ‘spic,’ which, like ‘spec,’ stands for ‘see,’ ‘vision,’
etc. The suffix ‘ous’ suggests rightly that the word is an adjective. Something conspicuous is something
that is right in the line of vision and therefore bound to be seen and observed. Conspicuous
consumption is associated with the newly-rich who overspend just to show that their economic status,
and therefore social status, has gone up. And an absent man whose presence everyone desires can be
said to be conspicuous by his absence. This is because this man’s absence is noted by everyone, and to
this extent the fellow makes his presence felt through his absence.
‘Pyrrhic,’ always capitalized, is an adjective, as suggested by the suffix ’ic.’ The word is capitalized
because it is derived from the name of a mythological character of. It is typically used as a modifier for
the noun ‘victory’ to get the noun phrase ‘Pyrrhic victory,’ which is an unwanted victory, the sort that
causes loss to the victor. Thus legendary wrestler Sohrab’s victory over Rustom was a Pyrrhic victory
because the latter was the former’s son, and it was a sort of Pyrrhic victory for Brutus who had to
conspire and bring down close friend Caesar by stabbing and killing him. Even emperor Ashoka’s victory
over Kalinga in war was Pyrrhic to the extent that the bloodshed pained him greatly.
‘Noticeable’ is an adjective. Noticeable things are not just things that are capable of being seen, as is the
soul in comparison to the body. Rather noticeable things are remarkable and therefore conspicuous.
‘Remarkable’ is closer as a synonym of ‘noticeable’ compared to ‘visible’ because remarkable things are
things that stand out, to the extent that their presence can be noted even in their absence. Thus, for
instance, a solar eclipse is physically visible, but honesty in the midst of temptation is remarkable rather
than visible behaviour. Note that honesty is a principle, i.e. an abstraction that is not visible in the
manner of a material thing.
‘Hospitable’ is an adjective that means ‘friendly,’ ‘with a welcoming attitude towards guests,’ etc.
Hospitable people would thus be conspicuous by their hospitality. And a hospitable environment would
be the kind of environment that is mild and thus comfortable from the point of view of those that live or
work in that environment. For instance, in the days when there was no penicillin, it was the hospitable
mountain air that helped tuberculosis patient recover and live a better, longer life.
The adjective ‘pacific’ comes from pac, the same as plac, which means ‘peace.’ People with a pacific
temperament would be those that want things done without disturbance or violence, i.e. in accord, not
in discord. The Pacific Ocean is so called because it gave the appearance of being an endless expanse of
calmness and tranquility when British admiral and pirate Francis Drake looked at it with his binoculars
standing atop a hill on the western coast of America. Gandhiiji was a pacifist because he abjured
violence not to run away from it like a coward but to face it with noble, unshakeable composure.
Limpid, as the suffix ‘id’ suggests, is an adjective. It means clear and transparent, as are the waters of
unpolluted mountain rivers and the eyes of some people. Poets are sometimes so besotted by the
fairness of a maiden that they end up wishing they could take dips in the depths of her limpid eyes.
Likewise, though writer Munshi Premchand’s stories deal with lofty issues like idealism admit adversity,
their limpid prose made them understood by commoners and learned alike.
Directions: The following question is in the form of a word in capitals flowed by five words as options.
The right answer is the option that is either a synonym or an antonym of the word in capitals.
CONSPICUOUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pyrrhic
Noticeable
Pacific
Hospitable
Limpid
Answer: 2
The word conspicuous is derived from the root word ‘spic,’ which, like ‘spec,’ stands for ‘see,’ ‘vision,’
etc. The suffix ‘ous’ suggests rightly that the word is an adjective. Something conspicuous is something
that is right in the line of vision and therefore bound to be seen and observed. Conspicuous
consumption is associated with the newly-rich who overspend just to show that their economic status,
and therefore social status, has gone up. And an absent man whose presence everyone desires can be
said to be conspicuous by his absence. This is because this man’s absence is noted by everyone, and to
this extent the fellow makes his presence felt through his absence.
1. ‘Pyrrhic,’ always capitalized, is an adjective, as suggested by the suffix ’ic.’ The word is
capitalized because it is derived from the name of a mythological character of. It is typically used
as a modifier for the noun ‘victory’ to get the noun phrase ‘Pyrrhic victory,’ which is an
unwanted victory, the sort that causes loss to the victor. Thus legendary wrestler Sohrab’s
victory over Rustom was a Pyrrhic victory because the latter was the former’s son, and it was a
sort of Pyrrhic victory for Brutus who had to conspire and bring down close friend Caesar by
stabbing and killing him. Even emperor Ashoka’s victory over Kalinga in war was Pyrrhic to the
extent that the bloodshed pained him greatly.
2. ‘Noticeable’ is an adjective. Noticeable things are not just things that are capable of being seen,
as is the soul in comparison to the body. Rather noticeable things are remarkable and therefore
conspicuous. ‘Remarkable’ is closer as a synonym of ‘noticeable’ compared to ‘visible’ because
remarkable things are things that stand out, to the extent that their presence can be noted even
in their absence. Thus, for instance, a solar eclipse is physically visible, but honesty in the midst
of temptation is remarkable rather than visible behaviour. Note that honesty is a principle, i.e.
an abstraction that is not visible in the manner of a material thing.
3. ‘Hospitable’ is an adjective that means ‘friendly,’ ‘with a welcoming attitude towards guests,’
etc. Hospitable people would thus be conspicuous by their hospitality. And a hospitable
environment would be the kind of environment that is mild and thus comfortable from the point
of view of those that live or work in that environment. For instance, in the days when there was
no penicillin, it was the hospitable mountain air that helped tuberculosis patient recover and live
a better, longer life.
4. The adjective ‘pacific’ comes from pac, the same as plac, which means ‘peace.’ People with a
pacific temperament would be those that want things done without disturbance or violence, i.e.
in accord, not in discord. The Pacific Ocean is so called because it gave the appearance of being
an endless expanse of calmness and tranquility when British admiral and pirate Francis Drake
looked at it with his binoculars standing atop a hill on the western coast of America. Gandhiiji
was a pacifist because he abjured violence not to run away from it like a coward but to face it
with noble, unshakeable composure.
5. Limpid, as the suffix ‘id’ suggests, is an adjective. It means clear and transparent, as are the
waters of unpolluted mountain rivers and the eyes of some people. Poets are sometimes so
besotted by the fairness of a maiden that they end up wishing they could take dips in the depths
of her limpid eyes. Likewise, though writer Munshi Premchand’s stories deal with lofty issues
like idealism admit adversity, their limpid prose made them understood by commoners and
learned alike.
It is thus clear that the right answer is option 2 (noticeable), which is a synonym of ‘conspicuous.’ No
other listed option is a synonym or antonym of ‘conspicuous.’