IXL | Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context

Read the passage. Then, select the antonym of the word in bold.

In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man, spends Christmas Eve alone. That night, the ghost of his dead business partner and three other spirits materialize in Scrooge's home. They teach him important lessons. By the time the spirits disappear, Scrooge has decided to reform his selfish ways.

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question

Read the passage. Then, select the antonym of the word in bold.

I often chide my husband about his cell phone addiction; he always checks his messages in the middle of dinner and even at the movies. If he tried to limit his cell phone usage every now and then, I would applaud him for his efforts.

key idea

When you encounter unfamiliar words, you can often use antonyms as context clues to help determine the words' meanings. Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.

Although the bank's employees thought that the currency looked real, the federal investigator easily determined that the bills were counterfeit.

Here, the antonym real can help you figure out that counterfeit means fake or forged.

solution

The antonym applaud helps you understand the meaning of chide.

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