CHAPTER 14: MAXIMUM and MINIMUM

One of the common themes we find in the section of antonyms is the contrasting of maximizing and minimizing  ideas or the ideas of decrease and increase. The following are a few such problems of antonyms that appeared in earlier GREs.

OF DECREASE & INCREASE

1. MINIMIZE

A. report

B. imagine

C. repair

D. overestimate

E. investigate

     

To OVERESTIMATE is to MAXIMIZE 

2. DISTENSION

A. release

B. dilution

C. implosion

D. angularity

E. compression

DISTENSION refers to maximizing and COMPRESSION minimizing

3. ASCEND

A. go down

B. take apart

C. overturn

D. conceal

E. return

ASCEND  is to increase and GO DOWN to decrease

4. BULGE

A. depressed region

B. tilted plane

C. steep slope

D. rippled surface

E. short line

BULGE is a maximized area and DEPRESSED REGION a minimized area

5. BURGEON

A. retreat

B. evolve

C. wither

D. sever

E. minimize

BURGEON is to increase and WITHER is to decrease in vigor.

6. BOMBASTIC

A. understated

B. unimpressive

C. derivative

D. enigmatic

E. complex

BOMBASTIC is maximized in speech and UNDERSTATED minimized

7. ABATE

A. attach

B. alter

C. absent

D. assist

E. augment

ABATE is to decrease and AUGMENT to increase

8. DISTEND

A. constrict

B. concentrate

C. deteriorate

D. fold

E. weaken

 DISTEND is to increase in size and CONSTRICT to decrease.

9. DWINDLE

A. accept

B. esteem

C. exaggerate

D. combine

E. increase

DWINDLE is to decrease  

10. BURGEON

A. subside

B. esteem

C. placate

D. tempt

E. wean

BURGEON is to grow and SUBSIDE to decrease

11. BALLOON

A. regain completely

B. decrease slowly

C. respond rapidly

D. survey thoroughly

E. request humbly

 BALLOON is to increase fast.

12. CONSTRICT
A. expiate

B. deviate

C. dilate

D. accelerate

E. vindicate

CONSTRICT is to decrease in size and DILATE to expand

13. INFLATE

A. converge

B. inhibit

C. audit

D. minimize

E. detect

 

 INFLATE is to MAXIMIZE

14. HYPERBOLE

A. equivocation

B. criticism

C. understatement

D. pessimism

E. skepticism

 HYPERBOLE is maximizing statements.

15. DILATE

A. narrow

B. strengthen

C. bend

D. push

E. soften

DILATE is to EXPAND

16. DEPOSITION

A. process of congealing

B. process of distilling

C. process of eroding

D. process of evolving

E. process of condensing

 DEPOSITION refers to a slow increase and ERODING to decrease.

17. ACCRETION

A. ingestion of a nutrient

B. loss of security on a loan

C. discernment of subtle differences

D. reduction in substance caused by erosion

E. sudden repulsion from an entity

 ACCRETION is gradual increase

18. ACCRETION

A. disinterest

B. disagreement

C. exactitude

D. adhesion

E. attrition

ATTRITION refers to gradual decrease in substance