The jollof rice served at the wedding reception was [malodorous]

Analyze the question: You need the option that is opposite in meaning to malodorous.

Explain the concept: "Malodorous" comes from the Latin prefix mal- (bad) + odorous (having a smell). So it means foul-smelling or having a bad odour. Its antonym would be something that smells good or is pleasant.

Go through the options:

• A. small but palatable: "Palatable" means pleasant to taste, but it's about taste, not smell. The "small" part is irrelevant, so this doesn't match.
• B. unpalatably big: "Unpalatable" means unpleasant to taste, and "big" has nothing to do with smell. This is wrong.
• C. pleasant: This is the opposite of unpleasant-smelling, so it is the best antonym of "malodorous."
• D. stale and smelly: This is a synonym, not an antonym. Stale and smelly food is malodorous.

Answer: The best opposite of "malodorous" is C. pleasant.

Exam tip: Break difficult words into parts. Mal- always signals something bad (malnutrition, malfunction, malicious), so malodorous = "bad smell." Also, in antonym questions, watch for options like D that are actually synonyms. The examiner often includes them as traps.