Which one of the following combinations is incorrect? A. Acquiescence - Submission B. Wheedle - Roundabout C. Flippancy - Lightness D. Profligate - Extravagant

GATE 2015 · General Aptitude · Word Pairs · hard

Answer: B. Wheedle - Roundabout is the incorrect pair; Wheedle means to coax/flatter, not to be indirect.

1. Verify each pair: A. Acquiescence (passive consent) - Submission (yielding) => CORRECT synonym pair. C. Flippancy (casual lightness) - Lightness (lack of seriousness) => CORRECT. D. Profligate (wastefully extravagant) - Extravagant (spending excessively) => CORRECT.
2. Identify the incorrect pair: B. Wheedle means to coax or cajole using flattery. Roundabout means indirect, circuitous, or going around a topic. These two words belong to completely different semantic fields: Wheedle is about persuasion tactics, while Roundabout is about directness/path. They are NOT synonyms.