Question 1

Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to PLACID.

"The placid waters of the lake reflected the morning sky beautifully."

Accepted Answer

PLACID (adjective) means calm, peaceful, and undisturbed. It comes from Latin 'placidus' meaning gentle or mild. In the given sentence, it describes still, peaceful water. SERENE is the correct synonym, meaning tranquil and peaceful. TURBULENT means chaotic and stormy (opposite meaning). MURKY refers to darkness or cloudiness (different semantic field). SHALLOW describes depth, not calmness (irrelevant). The word 'placid' frequently appears in SSC CGL comprehension passages when describing calm nature or peaceful settings.

Question 2

Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to TACIT.

Accepted Answer

TACIT (adjective) means understood or implied without being stated explicitly; silent or unspoken. From Latin 'tacitus' (silent). Regularly appears in SSC CGL reading comprehension and vocabulary sections, especially in formal/legal contexts.

Question 3

Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to BENIGN.

Accepted Answer

BENIGN (adjective) means kind, gentle, and not harmful; also used in medicine to describe non-cancerous tumours. From Latin 'benignus' (kind). This word appears frequently in SSC CGL reading comprehension passages discussing character traits or medical conditions. The correct answer is HARMLESS because both mean not causing harm or damage. MALIGNANT means harmful/cancerous (opposite). BLAND means dull/tasteless (unrelated). BENEVOLENT means charitable/kind (similar but narrower in scope).

Question 4

Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to the word 'MITIGATE' as used in the sentence: 'The government took several measures to mitigate the impact of the flood on the affected villages.'

Accepted Answer

'Mitigate' comes from Latin 'mitigare' meaning 'to soften or make mild'. It means to make something less severe, serious, or painful. 'Alleviate' is the closest synonym, meaning to partially remove or reduce pain/suffering. 'Aggravate' is its antonym (to worsen). 'Obliterate' means to destroy completely — a common distractor because of its similar ending. 'Justify' has no semantic overlap and is placed as a meaning-trap distractor.

Agniveer Army Clerk SKT Word Usage in Context

Word Usage in Context — Practice Questions