Select the word that best expresses the meaning of the given word. DEVOUR
2017
Select the word that best expresses the meaning of the given word.
DEVOUR
- A.
Assign
- B.
Despise
- C.
Consume
- D.
Design
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
A synonym question asks for the word closest in meaning to the given word. To solve it, fix the core sense of the headword, then test each candidate for the same core sense rather than a loose association.
Application
The headword "DEVOUR" means to eat or swallow up hungrily and completely; by extension it means to use up or take in entirely. Its core sense is therefore "to take in or use up completely".
Among the candidates, "Consume" carries exactly this core sense — to eat, drink, or use up entirely — so it matches DEVOUR most closely.
Contrast
Assign — means to allot a task or give out; it concerns distribution of duties, not eating or using up.
Despise — means to look down on or regard with contempt; it is an attitude of scorn, unrelated to the act of consuming.
Design — means to plan, sketch, or devise; it concerns creating a plan, the opposite of using something up.
Only "Consume" preserves the core sense of taking in or using up completely, so it is the best synonym for DEVOUR.