CHAPTER 15: THE CASE OF GRAVITY

In today’s post we take up the word “GRAVE.”

GRAVE, as an adjective, means SERIOUS. 

Let’s have a look at other well known SYNONYMS of SERIOUS: 

SOLEMN

SEVERE 

GRIEVOUS 

SIGNIFICANT 

SUBSTANTIAL 

CONSEQUENTIAL 

All the above words are SERIOUS in various ways. 

Let’s take a look at a few ANTONYMS that were earlier asked: 

GRIEVOUS x SLIGHT 

SUBSTANTIAL x TENUOUS (thin, insubstantial) 

GRAVE x BLITHE (light-hear ted, happy) 

NUGATORY (insubstantial) x CONSEQUENTIAL

From ‘GRAVE’, we can derive GRAVITY (seriousness). 

GRAVITY is the exact opposite of LEVITY (light-heartedness). 

GRAVITY x LEVITY 

Let’s now look at a few SYNONYMS of LEVITY: 

FLIPPANCY 

FRIVOLITY 

PUERILITY 

CHILDISHNESS 

INFANTILISM 

All the above terms indicate not being serious in situations in which you are expected to be serious, i.e., childish. 

When we’re CHILDISH, we can also be called 

PUERILE 

INFANTILE 

FRIVOLOUS 

FLIPPANT 

FLIP 

All these terms mean CHILDISH, not serious. 

When we’re FLIP or FLIPPANT, we do not RESPECT the GRAVITY of the situation, just as when we’re NONCHALANT (APATHETIC, INDIFFERENT, UNCONCERNED), we have no CONCERN or feelings for others. 

Hence, 

FLIP: RESPECT 

is similar to 

NONCHALANT: CONCERN  

Let’s revert to GRAVE and GRAVITY.

When we increase the GRAVITY of a situation, we AGGRAVATE it. 

To AGGRAVATE is to increase the seriousness of a situation. To AGGRAVATE is also EXACERBATE, to intensify the harshness or severity, i.e., WORSEN a situation. 

For example, take the following Sentence Completion problem. 

It was her view that the country’s problems had been ------------- by foreign technocrats, so that to invite them to come back would be counterproductive. 

A. foreseen

B. attacked 

C. aggravated 

D. ascertained 

E. analyzed 

The writer, in the second part of the sentence, says that inviting the technocrats would be destructive (counterproductive). That means the technocrats would be worsening the problem, rather than solving them, i.e., the technocrats would AGGRAVATE the problems.

When we IRRITATE people, we AGGRAVATE the situation rather than lighten it. Here are a few SYNONYMS of IRRITATE: 

GRATE 

VEX 

ANNOY 

NAG

EXASPERATE

PESTER 

IRE 

PIQUE

Now, let’s take a look at a few ANTONYMS we were earlier asked. 

GRATE x SOOTHE 

IRE x ALLEVIATE (soothe) 

CONSOLE (soothe) x AGGRAVATE GRIEF 

To PESTER, as we have seen, is to IRRITATE. 

PESTER is from PEST, irritating creature. 

Just as an EXPERT is a PROFICIENT (skillful) person, a PEST is an IRKSOME (irritating) person or creature. 

EXPERT: PROFICIENT 

PEST: IRKSOME