Question

Choose the word that is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word given in capitals.

CAPTIVATED

• A. Repelled
• B. Seized
• C. Free
• D. Enchanted

Hint:

Captivated shares its root with captive, meaning held by fascination. The opposite must mean released, not held at all.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Look at the root of the word CAPTIVATED. It comes from the Latin captivus, meaning prisoner, the same root that gives us captive and capture. So captivated really means held prisoner by charm or interest. The opposite word should undo that idea of imprisonment.

1. Repelled: This shares the same root idea as disgust, describing a strong push away from something. It answers a different question, dislike versus attraction, not the question of being held versus being released.
2. Seized: This word shares the same capture family of meaning as captivated. Someone who is seized is grabbed and held, so this option sits on the same side as captivated, not the opposite side.
3. Free: Nothing in this word's meaning involves any hold, restriction, or capture. It stands for full release, which is exactly the reverse of held prisoner by fascination. This is the clean opposite of the captive root.
4. Enchanted: This word describes being placed under a charm or spell, which is another way of saying captivated. It cannot be the opposite of the very word it restates.

Since captivated is built on the idea of imprisonment by fascination, its true opposite must describe release from any such hold, which is exactly what free means.

Let's summarize:

• Captivated shares its root with captive and capture, meaning held by fascination.
• Seized belongs to the same captive family, and Enchanted restates the same idea.
• Free is the only option describing release, making it the correct opposite.

So option (3), Free, is the right answer.