Answer: Option A
Solution: One word substitute is Ablutions
The term ablutions refers to the act of washing oneself, often with a connotation of ritual or ceremonial cleansing, especially in religious contexts. It encompasses the act of washing various parts of the body, such as the face, hands, and feet, and can also be used in a more general sense to refer to washing oneself for cleanliness. The word originates from the Latin “abluere,” meaning “to wash away,” or “to wash off”. It is frequently used in a formal or literary style.
(A) Ablutions: This term precisely fits the definition of “the act of washing oneself”.
(B) Solutions: This term refers to answers to problems or homogeneous mixtures of substances. It is unrelated to washing.
(C) Steaming: This refers to the act of producing or applying steam, often for cooking, cleaning, or relaxation. It is not synonymous with the general act of washing oneself.
(D) Bathing: While bathing is also a form of washing oneself, it typically implies washing the entire body, often by immersing it in water. Ablutions can refer to a more focused or ritualistic washing of specific parts of the body, or simply the general act of washing oneself.
Therefore, ablutions is the most precise and formal term for “the act of washing oneself”.

Answer: Option B
Solution: One word substitute is Mint
A mint is an industrial facility where coins, medals, and tokens are manufactured. The process involves various stages like designing dies, creating blanks from metal strips, and then striking the blanks with the dies in high-pressure presses to imprint the design on both sides of the coin or medal.
(A) Office: An office is a room or building where people work, especially in a professional or administrative capacity. It is not a place where coins and medals are made.
(B) Mint: This is the correct term for a place where coins and medals are manufactured.
(C) Mine: A mine is a place where valuable minerals, such as coal, gold, or diamonds, are extracted from the earth. While some of the raw materials for coins come from mines, a mine itself is not where the coins are formed or minted.
(D) Barn: A barn is a large farm building used for storing hay, grain, or farm animals. It is unrelated to the production of coins or medals.
Therefore, the most accurate term for a place where coins and medals are made is a mint.

Answer: Option A
Solution: One word substitute is Mausoleum
A mausoleum is a large, stately, and often impressive building that houses a tomb or group of tombs. These structures are typically built above ground, often made of stone, and can be quite elaborate and expensive, serving as monuments for deceased individuals or families. Famous examples include the Taj Mahal and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
(A) Mausoleum: This term accurately describes a very expensive and elaborately built tomb.
(B) Cemetery: A cemetery is a burial ground or graveyard, an area of land used for burying the dead. It is a place containing tombs or graves, not a single, elaborately built structure in itself.
(C) Mosque: A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. While some mosques may be near or contain tombs, the word itself refers to a religious building, not a tomb.
(D) Masterpiece: A masterpiece is an outstanding work of art, craft, or achievement. While an elaborately built tomb might be considered a masterpiece, this term describes the quality of the work, not the type of structure.
Therefore, the most accurate term for “a very expensive and elaborately built tomb” is a mausoleum.

Answer: Option B
Solution: One word substitution is Ascetic.
An ascetic is a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstains from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons, in order to attain salvation or spiritual enlightenment. The term describes someone who renounces worldly pleasures and lives a life of simplicity and rigor. Ascetics often follow a path of detachment from material possessions and physical comforts, focusing on prayer, fasting, or meditation to achieve their spiritual goals. This lifestyle is found in various religious and philosophical traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
(A) Sceptic: A sceptic is a person who doubts the truth or value of an idea or belief. This term is related to questioning beliefs, not practicing self-discipline for spiritual goals.
(B) Ascetic: This term precisely fits the description of someone who renounces the world and practices self-discipline to attain salvation.
(C) Devotee: A devotee is a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about someone or something, often a religious figure or a cause. While a devotee may be committed to a religion, the term does not explicitly imply the practice of self-discipline for salvation.
(D) Antiquarian: An antiquarian is a person who studies or collects antiques or antiquities. This term is unrelated to renouncing the world or practicing self-discipline for salvation.
Therefore, ascetic is the most accurate term for a person who renounces the world and practices self-discipline to attain salvation.

Answer: Option A
Solution: One word-Substitution is Apostate.
An apostate is a person who abandons or renounces a religious or political belief or principle that they once held or professed. The term comes from the Greek word “apostasia”, meaning defection or revolt. While it can be used in political or ideological contexts, it is most frequently used in a religious sense, referring to someone who has formally disaffiliated from, abandoned, or renounced their religion.
(A) Apostate: This term accurately describes someone who has abandoned their religious faith. For example, after years of practicing Islam, a person who leaves the religion altogether would be considered an apostate.
(B) Prostate: This refers to the prostate gland, an organ in the male reproductive system. It is unrelated to religious faith or abandonment.
(C) Profane: To be profane means to treat something sacred with disrespect or to be secular rather than religious. It describes an action or attitude towards religion, not the abandonment of faith itself.
(D) Agnostic: An agnostic is a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known about the existence or nature of God. An agnostic does not necessarily abandon their religious faith, but rather takes a stance of uncertainty or unknowability regarding religious beliefs.
Therefore, apostate is the most precise term for someone who abandons their religious faith.

Answer: Option D
Solution: One word-substitution is Misologist
A misologist is a person who hates knowledge and learning, or distrusts or hates reason and reasoned discourse. The word is derived from the Greek “misologia”, meaning “hatred of argument or reasoning”. A misologist may be skeptical of logical reasoning and critical thinking, often preferring to rely on emotions or intuitions instead.
(A) Bibliophile: A bibliophile is a person who collects or has a great love of books. This is the opposite of hating knowledge and learning.
(B) Philologist: A philologist is a scholar who studies language in written historical sources; a linguist. Philology is the study of language and its structure, including the history and development of languages. This involves a love of learning and language, not a hatred of it.
(C) Misogynist: A misogynist is a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women. This term is related to the hatred of women, not knowledge or learning.
Therefore, misologist is the most accurate term for one who hates knowledge and learning.

Answer: Option C
Solution: The one word substitution is Alliteration.
The term alliteration refers to the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. It is a literary device used to create a rhythmic effect and emphasize certain words or phrases. For example, the phrase “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” is an example of alliteration because of the repeated “p” sound at the beginning of several words.
Let’s examine the other options:
(A) Theist: A theist is someone who believes in the existence of a God or gods. This term relates to religious belief, not to the structure of words in a sentence.
(B) Heretic: A heretic is a person who holds beliefs or opinions that are contrary to the generally accepted or official beliefs of a particular religion or group. This term relates to religious or doctrinal beliefs.
(D) Fanatic: A fanatic is a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause. This term describes a person’s behavior and intensity of belief.
Therefore, alliteration is the most appropriate term for the commencement of words with the same letter or sound.

Answer: Option A
Solution: The one word substitution is Parasol.
A parasol is a type of lightweight umbrella primarily designed to provide shade from the sun. Traditionally, parasols were often seen as a fashionable accessory for ladies, especially in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The word “parasol” is derived from the Latin words “para” (to shield or protect) and “sol” (sun), emphasizing its function as a sunshade. Parasols are typically constructed from lighter, more decorative materials like lace, silk, or cotton, and may or may not be waterproof.
Let’s examine the other options:
(B) Granary: A granary is a large building or storehouse for storing threshed grain or animal feed. It is unrelated to an umbrella or sunshade.
(C) Epitaph: An epitaph is words written or said about a dead person, especially words on a gravestone. It is a memorial inscription, not an umbrella.
(D) Aviary: An aviary is a large enclosure or structure specifically designed for keeping birds. It is unrelated to umbrellas or sunshades.
Therefore, parasol is the most accurate term to describe a lady’s umbrella, particularly one used for sun protection.

Answer: Option C
Solution: The one word substitution is Legend.
While epic specifically refers to a long poem about gods and heroes, a legend is a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated, often featuring heroes or extraordinary events and sometimes involving supernatural or fantastical elements. Many cultures have legends that feature old-time gods or heroes. For example, the stories of King Arthur and Robin Hood are considered legends. Although “legend” doesn’t strictly refer to long poems about gods and heroes like “epic” does, it can encompass stories involving old-time gods or heroes. Some sources even suggest that the distinction between myths and legends is fluid.
Let’s examine the other options:
(A) Lyric: A lyric is a poem that expresses the personal emotions or feelings of the poet, not a long narrative about gods or heroes.
(B) Epic: An epic is a long poem that narrates the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the past history of a nation. While epics often feature old-time gods or heroes, the question asks for a general term for the story itself, and “legend” can fit this broader description in many cases.
(D) Romance: This term can refer to a genre of literature, film, or popular culture that emphasizes love and relationships, or to a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.
Based on the options, and acknowledging that there can be some overlap, “legend” is a plausible choice as a general term for a story of old-time gods or heroes, particularly when focusing on the narrative aspect rather than the specific poetic form.

Answer: Option C
Solution: The one word substitution is Dirge.
A dirge is a mournful song or piece of music, typically composed or performed in memory of a deceased person, often as part of a funeral rite or burial ceremony. It is characterized by its sad and solemn nature, expressing sorrow, grief, and lamentation. Dirges are usually slow and can be accompanied by funeral marches. For example, a dirge for a loved one might help express the deep sense of loss experienced by those in mourning.
Let’s examine the other options:
(A) Ditty: A ditty is a short, simple song, often light-hearted or whimsical. It is not necessarily sad, and often has a playful or casual tone.
(B) Knell: The term knell refers to the sound of a bell being rung, especially slowly, to announce a death, a funeral, or the end of something. While associated with sadness and death, it is a sound, not a song.
(D) Lay: In a musical context, a lay can refer to a short song or melody, or a ballad or short narrative poem, especially one intended to be sung. However, it does not specifically denote a sad song.
Therefore, dirge is the most accurate term for a sad song, particularly one expressing grief or mourning.