“Pragmatic” is an adjective that means sensible and prudent while “idealistic” is an adjective that means unrealistic in one's goals. So, “pragmatic” and “idealistic” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of a pair of antonyms. While “dolorous is to ecstatic” and “serene is to calm” might both look like a potentially correct answer, “serene” is an adjective that means peaceful, making it a synonym, not an antonym, of “calm.” So, “serene is to calm” cannot be the correct answer. “Dolorous,” however, is an adjective that means sorrowful, while “ecstatic” is an adjective that can mean extremely happy. Because “dolorous” is an antonym of “ecstatic” just as “pragmatic” is an antonym of “idealistic,” “dolorous is to ecstatic” is the correct answer.

An "imbecile" is a fool, an extremely stupid person. A "mastermind" is a genius, someone who is the brains behind a plan or operation. These two words are therefore antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is opposite in meaning to "periphery." Well, "periphery" means the fringes, on the edge, not in the center of something. So, the correct answer is "hub," which means center of activity. Additionally, "terse" means brief, 'to the point'; "fringe" means edge; "nadir" means low-point; "zenith" means high-point, moment of great personal triumph.

"Doleful" means very sad, and "jubilant" means very happy, so to solve this analogy you know you must identify the best available antonym for "tentative," which means to be unsure and careful as a result of that uncertainty.

"Vindictive" means bitter, spiteful, seeking revenge, refusing to forgive. "Magnanimous" means generous and forgiving, accepting in victory and defeat. These two words are antonyms of one another, so to solve this problem you are looking for the answer choice that has the opposite meaning to "opulent" which means fancy, luxurious, extravagant. The correct answer is "spartan" which means bare, lacking anything but the essentials, poor and barren. Additionally, "flustered" means overwhelmed and confused; "perfidious" means disloyal; "impressionable" means naive and innocent, easily misled; "awry" means amiss, 'out of place'.

“Nemesis” is a noun that can mean either “the inescapable agent of someone’s or something’s downfall” or “a long-standing rival; an archenemy.” So, a superhero and a nemesis form a pair of rivals, and we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of two nouns which form a pair of rivals. While “ally is to friend” and “competitor is to rival” might each look like a potential correct answer, “ally” is a synonym of “friend,” so the two words cannot represent a pair of rivals and “ally is to friend” cannot be the correct answer. “Hero” and “villain,” however, do form a pair of rivals like “superhero” and “nemesis,” so “hero is to villain” is the correct answer.

To "adulterate" something means to make something impure. To "decontaminate" something means to make something pure again, to make something no longer contaminated. As such, these two words are antonyms. Which of these answers is an antonym of "verify" (prove is true)? The correct answer is "debunk" which means prove is untrue. All of the other answer choices are all also antonyms of "debunk" and synonyms of "verify."

"Florid" means ornate, excessively elaborate and decorated. It is therefore an antonym of "plain," so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an antonym of "thrifty." Well, "thrifty" means not inclined towards spending money, using money efficiently. So, the correct answer is "prodigal," which means wasteful, spending money freely and without concern. Additionally, "slovenly" means (of someone's appearance) messy and dirty, untidy, scruffy; "acclaimed" means widely praise; "enthralled" means captivated by and attracted to; "torpid" means lethargic, lacking energy.

"Leery" means overly cautious, wary. "Rash" means hasty, reckless, not thinking before acting. These two words are antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words has the opposite meaning to "herculean." Well, "herculean" means (of a task) very difficult and exhausting to accomplish. So, the correct answer is "facile," which means easy. Additionally, all the other answer choices are all synonyms of "herculean," they all refer to a job that is very difficult and tiring.

To be erudite is the opposite of being ignorant; it means to be smart and knowledgeable. In order to solve this analogy you have to identify the best antonym for palpable. Palpable describes something that can be felt and is distinctly present. Palpable is a synonym for tangible and is therefore an antonym for “intangible” which is the correct answer. For clarification, "incoherent" means not able to be understood; "illusory" means deceptive, not real.

“Preceding,” when used as a adjective, means coming before or going ahead of. (One can infer this from the presence of the prefix “pre-“, which means before, in “preceding.”) “Following,” however, when used as an adjective, means coming after. So, “preceding” and “following” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice which consists of two words that represent a similar relationship—being not only antonyms, but if possible, having the first word be associated with “before” and the second with “after.” While all of the answer choices have to do with “before” and “after,” we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is associated with “before.” So, considering “introductory,” “final,” “last,” “interim,” and “concluding,” only “introductory” (acting as an introduction to something) is associated with “before” or coming before other things. “Subsequent,” the second word in the “introductory is to subsequent” answer choice, is an adjective that means coming after. So, because “introductory” is associated with coming before and “subsequent” with coming after, just as “preceding” is associated with coming before and “following” is associated with coming after, “introductory is to subsequent” is the correct answer.