English Language · Lesson 3

Synonyms & antonyms strategy

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: Vocabulary development: synonyms, antonyms, words in context, idioms

WAEC: Lexis and structure: synonyms, antonyms, words nearest/opposite in meaning, collocations, homonyms, word families

NECO: Lexis and structure: synonyms, antonyms, words nearest/opposite in meaning, collocations, homonyms, word families

What you will learn

Identify synonyms and antonyms of words in context.
Use the part of speech and context to eliminate wrong options.
Work out unfamiliar words from prefixes, roots and suffixes.
Recognise connotation and choose words with the right tone.
Use common collocations correctly.
Apply a reliable 4-step method to WAEC and JAMB lexis questions.

Key points

Read the instruction: NEAREST = synonym, OPPOSITE = antonym.
Meaning depends on context; distractors are often other dictionary meanings of the word.
Keep the same part of speech; endings (-tion, -ous, -ly, -ise) help.
Prefixes and roots unlock unknown words (bene-, mal-, -cide, chron-).
Watch connotation: positive vs negative words.
Collocations: make progress, commit a crime, heavy rain, pay attention.
Beware confusables: affect/effect, eminent/imminent, stationary/stationery.

Start here: Why lexis carries so many marks

In WAEC English Paper 1, and in JAMB Use of English, questions on words nearest in meaning and words opposite in meaning make up a large share of the objective marks. They are also the fastest marks to gain, because once you know the method, each question takes under 30 seconds.

Many students treat vocabulary as luck: "either I know the word or I don't." That is not true. Good test-takers use context, word parts and elimination to answer correctly even when they have never seen the word before. This unit teaches those skills.

Synonym: a word that means the same, or nearly the same, as another (happy → glad). Antonym: a word that means the opposite (happy → sad).

Think of a Nigerian family. Synonyms are like siblings. They look alike, but each has a slightly different personality. "Slim", "thin", "skinny" and "slender" all describe a person who is not fat, but "skinny" sounds unkind while "slender" sounds like a compliment. Exams test whether you can tell siblings apart.

Worked example 3.1

Choose the word nearest in meaning to the underlined word: "The minister gave a candid account of the crisis." A. secret B. frank C. brief D. false

Context: an account of a crisis, given by a minister. Candid describes the account.
Predict: candid means honest and open.
Match: B, frank.
Test: "a frank account of the crisis" makes sense ✓

B. frank

⚠️ Common mistake: choosing a word that is merely related to the topic. "Secret" is linked to politics but not to the meaning of candid. In fact it is closer to the opposite.

Try it yourself. Opposite in meaning: "His remarks were relevant to the discussion." A. important B. suitable C. immaterial D. long

Show solution

C. immaterial (not connected, of no importance to the matter).

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Practice questions

1. Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word in italics: The principal gave a terse reply.

brief
rude
loud
long

Show answer

A: brief
Terse means brief and to the point.

2. Nearest in meaning: The minister's explanation was lucid.

confusing
lengthy
dishonest
clear

Show answer

D: clear
Lucid = easy to understand, clear.

3. Nearest in meaning: Ada was elated when her JAMB result came out.

worried
relieved
overjoyed
surprised

Show answer

C: overjoyed
Elated = extremely happy.

4. Nearest in meaning: The suspect remained reticent throughout the interrogation.

confused
reserved
aggressive
talkative

Show answer

B: reserved
Reticent = unwilling to speak much, reserved.

5. Nearest in meaning: The team made a futile attempt to equalise.

useless
brave
late
successful

Show answer

A: useless
Futile = producing no result.

Key words

Lexis: The vocabulary (words) of a language.
Synonym: A word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another.
Antonym: A word with the opposite meaning.
Context: The words and situation around a word that fix its meaning.
Part of speech: The grammatical class of a word: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and so on.
Prefix: Letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning (un-, re-).
Suffix: Letters added to the end of a word (-ness, -ly).
Root: The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning.
Collocation: Words that habitually go together, such as "make a decision".
Homonym: A word with the same spelling or sound as another but a different meaning (bank of a river; bank for money).
Connotation: The feeling a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning (slim is positive, skinny is negative).
Register: The vocabulary used in a particular field or situation.

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