Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word. Praise

Concept

An antonym is a word whose meaning is opposite to that of a given word — the two words describe contrasting ideas within the same domain, such as approval versus disapproval, or presence versus absence.

Application

The given word “Praise” means to express approval, admiration, or commendation. Its direct opposite — a word that expresses disapproval or points out faults — is “Criticise”, which means to condemn or find fault with someone or something. This approval–disapproval contrast makes “Criticise” the antonym of “Praise”.

Contrast

• “Grasp” means to hold something firmly with the hand, or to understand something mentally — this belongs to the domain of physical or cognitive action, not approval–disapproval, so it is unrelated in meaning to “Praise”.

• “Forbid” means to order someone not to do something — its natural opposite is “permit” or “allow”, a domain distinct from approval–disapproval.

• “Expand” means to increase in size, scope, or extent — its natural opposite is “contract” or “shrink”, a domain of quantity or size rather than approval–disapproval.

Checking each option against the approval–disapproval domain confirms that only “Criticise” shares that domain with “Praise” — “Grasp” concerns holding or understanding, “Forbid” concerns permission, and “Expand” concerns size, none of which oppose the sense of praising. Hence “Criticise” is the correct antonym.