Pause Challenge: the answers

Which word means the same as necessary?

essential, unusual, optional, expensive

essential

Necessary and essential both mean something is really needed.

Which word means the opposite of rational?

sane, logical, reasonable, irrational

irrational

Rational means based on clear thinking and good sense; irrational means based on feelings or silly ideas rather than sense.

conductor is to baton as judge is to …?

verdict, jury, court, gavel

gavel

A conductor uses a baton, and a judge uses a gavel.

Which is the odd one out?

delicious, revolting, disgusting, vile

delicious

Revolting, disgusting and vile mean very unpleasant; delicious means tasting very good.

Which is spelt correctly?

oportunist, opportunnist, opportuniste, opportunist

opportunist

Opportunist is spelt o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-s-t.

holiday + ? makes one word

cuckoo, maker, brooch, cinema

maker

Holiday and maker make holidaymaker.

Too much ____ can distract people from kindness.

materialism, supercilious, effusion, indigent

materialism

Materialism (noun): Caring too much about money or possessions. So the word is materialism.

Look at that tortoise. ____ shell is huge.

Its, It's, It, Its'

Its

Its means belonging to it: "its shell". Read it back as "It is shell is huge." and it makes no sense.

Which word means the same as reticent?

retired, reserved, talkative, restless

reserved

Reticent and reserved both mean quiet and slow to share your thoughts or feelings.

Which word means the opposite of noise?

racket, sound, din, silence

silence

Noise is sound; silence is having no sound at all.

sheep is to flock as wolves is to …?

pack, howl, den, cub

pack

A group of sheep is a flock, and a group of wolves is a pack.

Which is the odd one out?

salmon, sparrow, trout, herring

sparrow

Salmon, trout and herring are fish; a sparrow is a bird.

Which is spelt correctly?

sagicious, sagecious, sagaccious, sagacious

sagacious

Sagacious is spelt s-a-g-a-c-i-o-u-s.

? + hole makes one word

tractor, ticket, pot, treacle

pot

Pot and hole make pothole.

The coach will ____ the runners to give their best.

exhort, phenomenon, discredit, liberty

exhort

Exhort (verb): To urge someone strongly to do something. So the word is exhort.

The jar was full ____ marbles.

off, have, had, of

of

Of joins "full" to what it is about: "full of marbles". Off means away from something, as in "fell off".

Which word means the same as thirsty?

soaked, sweaty, hungry, parched

parched

If you are very thirsty, you are parched.

Which word means the opposite of concave?

convex, hollow, sunken, dented

convex

A concave surface curves inwards; a convex one curves outwards.

damp is to drenched as dirty is to …?

clean, filthy, wash, dust

filthy

Drenched is much more than damp, and filthy is much more than dirty.

Which is the odd one out?

prohibit, forbid, permit, ban

permit

Forbid, ban and prohibit all mean saying something may not be done; permit means allowing it.