Opposites

Replace the words in bold in these sentences with a word from the box which has an opposite meaning.

VERBS

withdrew (v-rút, rút khỏi) • fell (v-hạ, đốn) • rewarded (v-thưởng) • loosened (v-tháo, nới ra, lỏng) • refused (to let) • set (v-đặt, để)

denied • deteriorated (v-làm xấu hơn, giảm giá trị) • abandoned (adj-từ bỏ) • forbade (v-forbid cấm) • lowered (v-hạ thấp, hạ xuống)

demolished (v-phá hủy, đánh đổ) • retreated (v-rút lui) • refused • simplified (v-làm đơn giản) • defended (v-bảo vệ khỏi, phòng ngự) • rejected (v-từ chối, loại bỏ)

1. They accepted the offer of a ceasefire (lời đề nghị thỏa thuận ngừng bắn).

2. He admitted telling lies in his original (adj-ban đầu, gốc) statement.

3. The army slowly advanced, leaving (v-để lại) a trail of devastation (n-sự tàn phá, phá hủy) in its path.

4. They agreed to meet to discuss the future of the organisation.

5. The minister attacked his party’s policies in a speech in Parliament (n-nghị viện, quốc hội).

6. The apartments blocks they built were the ugliest in the city.

7. He complicated matters (v-phức tạp hóa vấn đề) by rewriting the original proposal.

8. They continued with their plans to assassinate (v-ám sát) the king when he opened the parliament.

9. He deposited £7,000 - half his college fees for the forthcoming year (adj-sắp đến, tới).

10. Relations between the two countries have improved considerably (adv-đáng kể, nhiều) in the last year.

11. He permitted us to present our petition (n-kiến nghị, sự thỉnh cầu) directly to the President.

12. The members of the commune were punished (v-bị trừng phạt) for their part in the revolution.

13. He raised (v-nêu ra, đưa ra) the overall (adj-toàn bộ) standards of the company within two months of his appointment.

14. As soon as the sun rose, the demonstrators (người biểu tình) began to appear on the streets.

15. Prices rose sharply (phv-tăng vọt) in the first three months of the financial year.

16. As soon as he had tightened  (v-thắt chặt) the knots (n-gút thắt), he pushed the boat out.

ADJECTIVES

scarce (adj-khan hiếm) • easy • approximate (adj-xấp xỉ) • dim (adj-mờ, ko rõ rệt) • compulsory (adj-ép buộc, bắt buộc)

delicate (adj-tinh tế) • innocent (adj-vô tội) • detrimental (adj-có hại) • reluctant (adj-miễn cưỡng) • crude (adj-thô, chưa luyện)

even • marked (adj-đã đánh dấu) • graceful (adj-duyên dáng) • clear • flexible (adj-linh hoạt)

1. The meaning of his words was very ambiguous. (adj-mơ hồ, nhập nhằng)

2. According to his colleagues, he’s a very awkward (adj-khó khăn) person to deal with. (để đối phó)

3. When she first started dancing, she was very awkward. (adj-khó xử)

4. His policies were beneficial (adj-có ích lợi) to the economy as a whole. (nói chung)

5. We need exact figures (con số) before we embark on (v-bắt tay vào việc) a new venture.

6. The jury (hội thẩm đoàn) decided he was guilty (adj-phạm tội) of the crime.

7. Add up all (v-cộng tất cả) the odd (adj-lẻ) numbers between 1 and 20 to get a result. (nhận được một kết quả) 

8. Despite the weather, supplies of food after the harvest (n-thu hoạch) were plentiful. (adj-phong phú, dồi dào)

9. The laws protecting the green belt (n-vành đai) around the city are very rigid. (adj-cứng nhắc, ko linh động)

10. There is a slight difference in the way the company is run these days compared with a few years ago.

11. The device is very sophisticated (adj-tinh vi, phức tạp) and should only be operated by someone who is familiar with it. (quen thuộc với nó)

12. The spices (n-gia vị) used in the production of some international dishes have a very strong flavour (adj-hương vị).

13. The strong light from the torch (ngọn đuốc) picked out (phv-làm nổi bật ra) details on the walls of the cave.

14. Attendance at afternoon classes should be voluntary. (adj-tự ý, tự nguyện)

15. A lot of students are willing (adj-sẳn sàng, vui lòng) to attend classes on Saturday morning.

Answers:

Verbs: 1. rejected 2. denied 3. retreated 4. refused 5. defended 6. demolished 7. simplified 8. abandoned 9. withdrew 10. deteriorated 11. refused (to let) 12. rewarded 13. lowered 14. set 15. fell (we can also say dropped) 16. loosened

Adjectives: 1. clear 2. easy 3. graceful 4. detrimental (we can also say harmful) 5. approximate 6. innocent 7. even 8. scarce 9. flexible 10. marked 11. crude (we can also say primitive) 12. delicate (we can also say mild) 13. dim 14. compulsory (we can also say obligatory) 15. reluctant

Note: A lot of words have more than one opposite, depending on their meaning (for example, the opposites of strong are weak / feeble (if you are talking about physical strength), delicate / mild (if you are talking about taste), dim / faint (if you are talking about light) or just weak (if you are talking about the strength of a drink). Use a dictionary to check if you are not sure.