Jummai is cruel to her husband?

Analyze the question: You are asked for the word opposite in meaning (an antonym) to "cruel" in the sentence "Jummai is cruel to her husband." Note that the underlined word is not marked in your text, but from the sentence it is clearly "cruel."

Concept: Cruel means causing pain or suffering to others without pity, being harsh, merciless, or unkind. Its antonyms include kind, gentle, compassionate, and merciful.

Check each option:

• A. harsh means severe or unkind. This is a synonym of cruel, not an opposite.
• B. brutal means savagely cruel. This is also a synonym.
• C. passionate means showing strong feeling or intense emotion, and in relationships it often suggests warmth and deep affection. It is not a perfect antonym of cruel, but it is the only option that does not mean the same thing, and it is closest to showing warmth rather than coldness.
• D. ferocious means fierce and violent. This is a synonym.

Conclusion: Three options (harsh, brutal, ferocious) all mean the same as "cruel," so none of them can be the opposite. That leaves **C.

Honest note: "Passionate" is not a textbook antonym of "cruel." A word like "kind" or "tender" would be better. In this question, though, the examiner is using the process of elimination: with three synonyms among the options, the odd one out is the answer.

Exam tip: In antonym questions, first sort the options into synonyms of the given word. If three options mean the same thing as the word, they cannot be its opposite, and the odd one out is usually the answer.