GATE EC 2017 Set 1 — Question 61

MCQ+2 / -0.67EasyVocabulary (Words, Idioms, Phrases in Context)Verbal AptitudeGeneral Aptitude

General Aptitude → Verbal Aptitude → Vocabulary (Words, Idioms, Phrases in Context)

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

"If you are looking for a history of India, or for an account of the rise and fall of the British Raj, or for the reason of the cleaving of the subcontinent into two mutually antagonistic parts and the effects this mutilation will have in the respective sections, and ultimately on Asia, you will not find it in these pages: for though I have spent a lifetime in the country, I lived too near the seat of events, and was too intimately associated with the actors, to get the perspective needed for the impartial recording of these matters". Here, the word 'antagonistic' is closest in meaning to

Correct answer (D) hostile Solution The word 'antagonistic' refers to showing or feeling active opposition or hostility towards someone or something. (A) impartial means neutral or unbiased. (B) argumentative means given to expressing divergent or opposite views in a heated way. (C) separated means moved or kept apart. (D) hostile means showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly. Thus, 'hostile' is the closest synonym in the context of the subcontinent being divided into opposing parts. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (D) hostile Solution The word 'antagonistic' refers to showing or feeling active opposition or hostility towards someone or something. (A) impartial means neutral or unbiased. (B) argumentative means given to expressing divergent or opposite views in a heated way. (C) separated means moved or kept apart. (D) hostile means showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly. Thus, 'hostile' is the closest synonym in the context of the subcontinent being divided into opposing parts.

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