In each of the following sentences, there is one word underlined and one gap. From the list of words lettered A – D, choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentences.
Okon’s business is flourishing while his father’s is………..
-
declining
- progressing
- withering
- vanishing
The correct answer is: A
Explanation
The sentence contrasts Okon's flourishing business with his father's business, so the opposite of "flourishing" (which means thriving or growing well) should be something that suggests a business is not doing well. So the opposite is "declining".