Synonyms and Antonyms are one of the most scoring sections in the GAT section of the NIFT exam. Check the important ones from the previous year NIFT GAT papers from this article.

From the GAT section of the NIFT exam, Synonyms and Antonyms are the ones that will help you to build your overall score. This topic will not only test your knowledge but also your depth in vocabulary. Moreover, in this section you can mostly get predictable patterns like prefixes and suffixes, domain-specific adjectives etc. In this article you will get the list of high-frequency vocabulary that are often asked in the NIFT exam. Check the Synonyms and Antonyms from Past NIFT GAT Papers here.
Also Read: Skills You Must Have to Crack NIFT CAT 2026 Exam
NIFT GAT Synonyms and Antonyms
Check the below table in detail.
Word | Synonym | Antonym | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
Abandon | Leave | Retain | She decided to abandon her old plans and start fresh. |
Abate | Lessen, Subside, Diminish | Intensify | The storm finally abated by morning |
Accurate | Precise | Inaccurate | The designer took accurate measurements before cutting the fabric. |
Adequate | Sufficient | Inadequate | The lighting in the studio was adequate for sketching. |
Ambiguous | Unclear, Vague, Equivocal | Clear / Explicit | The poem’s meaning is ambiguous. |
Anecdote | Story, Tale, Narrative | Exposition / Treatise (Formal) | He told an anecdote about his childhood. |
Adverse | Unfavorable | Favorable | The adverse weather delayed the fashion shoot. |
Ambitious | Aspiring | Unmotivated | She is an ambitious student aiming for NIFT top rank. |
Amiable | Friendly | Hostile | His amiable nature made him popular in class. |
Analogous | Comparable, Similar, Parallel | Dissimilar | The brain is often compared to a computer — analogous systems |
Ancient | Antique | Modern | The designer used ancient motifs in her collection. |
Annual | Yearly | Occasional | The annual fashion show draws huge crowds. |
Arduous | Strenuous, Taxing, Laborious | Easy | It was an arduous climb. |
Apprehensive | Nervous | Confident | She felt apprehensive before her GAT exam. |
Arrogant | Proud | Humble | His arrogant attitude alienated his teammates. |
Authentic | Genuine | Fake | The artwork was verified as authentic. |
Benevolent | Kind | Cruel | The benevolent teacher helped every student. |
Brisk | Quick | Sluggish | The model took brisk steps down the runway. |
Candid | Frank | Secretive | She gave a candid opinion about the designs. |
Cease | Stop | Continue | The rain did not cease throughout the day. |
Coherent | Logical | Illogical | Her presentation was coherent and well-organized. |
Comprehensive | Complete | Incomplete | The report gave a comprehensive overview of trends. |
Concur | Agree | Disagree | Both designers concurred on the color scheme. |
Confident | Self-assured | Shy | He looked confident before his portfolio review. |
Contemporary | Modern | Traditional | Her collection had a contemporary touch. |
Deficient | Lacking | Sufficient | The design lacked creativity and was deficient in originality. |
Diligent | Hardworking | Lazy | A diligent student always practices sketching. |
Discreet | Cautious | Indiscreet | Be discreet about sharing your design ideas. |
Eloquent | Expressive | Inarticulate | The designer gave an eloquent speech. |
Enhance | Improve | Diminish | Proper lighting can enhance the garment’s look. |
Erroneous | Wrong | Correct | His calculations were erroneous. |
Evade | Avoid | Face | He tried to evade responsibility for the mistake. |
Fabricate | Invent | Destroy | The story was fabricated to attract attention. |
Fluctuate | Vary | Stabilize | Prices of textiles fluctuate frequently. |
Fragile | Delicate | Strong | The glass accessories were too fragile to handle. |
Genuine | Real | Fake | The gemstones used were genuine. |
Gratify | Please | Disappoint | The results gratified all the hard-working students. |
Hinder | Obstruct | Assist | Lack of materials hindered the progress of the project. |
Imitate | Copy | Originate | Students should not imitate others’ designs. |
Infer | Conclude | Misinterpret | From her sketches, we can infer her unique style. |
Ingenious | Clever | Foolish | His ingenious idea won the design challenge. |
Innocent | Pure | Guilty | The artist was innocent of plagiarism. |
Irascible | Short-tempered | Calm | The irascible mentor lost patience quickly. |
Jeopardize | Endanger | Protect | Missing deadlines could jeopardize your project. |
Jovial | Cheerful | Gloomy | Her jovial mood brightened the classroom. |
Lucid | Clear | Confusing | Her explanation was lucid and easy to follow. |
Magnify | Enlarge | Reduce | The mirror magnified the details of the fabric. |
Malicious | Spiteful | Kind | He made a malicious remark about her work. |
Meticulous | Careful | Careless | The designer was meticulous with every stitch. |
Naive | Innocent | Experienced | Her naive approach showed lack of industry experience. |
Negligent | Careless | Attentive | The negligent student forgot to submit his sketchbook. |
Optimistic | Hopeful | Pessimistic | He remained optimistic about clearing the exam. |
Ornate | Decorative | Simple | The ornate embroidery added richness to the fabric. |
Palpable | Tangible | Intangible | The excitement in the studio was palpable. |
Peril | Danger | Safety | Crossing deadlines put the project in peril. |
Placid | Calm | Agitated | The placid lake inspired her fabric design. |
Prudent | Wise | Reckless | It was prudent to double-check the measurements. |
Reluctant | Unwilling | Eager | She was reluctant to share her ideas. |
Resilient | Tough | Fragile | The resilient student bounced back after failure. |
Scarce | Rare | Abundant | Good quality fabric was scarce in the market. |
Serene | Peaceful | Turbulent | The serene surroundings inspired her creativity. |
Tedious | Boring | Interesting | Cutting patterns can be tedious but necessary. |
Tranquil | Calm | Noisy | The tranquil studio helped her focus on sketching. |
Versatile | Adaptable | Limited | She is a versatile designer with diverse skills. |
Vulnerable | Weak | Strong | New designers are often vulnerable to criticism. |
Why Synonyms and Antonyms NIFT GAT Important?
You can check the following points.
- High Scoring Area- In order to improve your overall performance you can score in this section particularly the synonyms and antonyms.
- Predictable Questions- Another aspect in this section is that the questions are mostly predictable as they are based primarily on prefixes and suffixes and domain-specific adjectives.
- Measure of Language Precision- Often it is necessary for NIFT aspirants to use language very precisely. This section analyses whether you can identify the near synonyms while choosing the correct answer.
Common Types in NIFT Exam
Here are the common type of words in the exam.
Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Common everyday words with tricky alternatives | the test often offers near-synonyms where one choice is slightly more apt (e.g., subtle vs faint vs vague). |
Academic/formal words | words that appear in design criticism and theory (e.g., aesthetic, canonical, idiosyncratic). |
Prefix-negation antonyms | pairs created with un-/in-/im-/dis- (e.g., relevant / irrelevant), sometimes used as distractors. |
False friends / near-opposites | pairs that look related but aren’t (e.g., sanction can mean approve or penalize). |
Multi-meaning words | words whose synonym/antonym depends on context (e.g., temperate — moderate vs. mild). |
Collocation-dependent words | some synonyms are correct only in particular collocational frames (e.g., rich soil vs wealthy person). |
Also Read: 3 Month Study Plan for NIFT Entrance Exam 2026
NIFT GAT Synonyms and Antonyms Preparation Strategy
Follow this preparation strategy.
Week | What to Study? |
|---|---|
Week 1 — Core bank & roots |
|
Week 2 — Pairs & nuance |
|
Week 3 — Active recall & mixed practice |
|
Week 4 — Context drills & past-paper simulation |
|
For detailed information about NIFT exam feel free to call us on our toll free number 1800-572-9877. For specific NIFT admission related doubts and queries reach out to us through our QnA zone .
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FAQs
Use mnemonics, root-word techniques, and context-based learning. For example, “bene” means good — so benevolent (kind), benefit (gain), benign (harmless).
They assess your language proficiency, reading comprehension, and communication skills — all crucial for a design student. Strong vocabulary also helps in the Situation Test and Design Portfolio presentations later.
Typically, 4–6 questions are asked from synonyms and antonyms in the General Ability Test (GAT) English section. However, their difficulty level may vary each year.
NIFT GAT usually asks direct vocabulary-based questions where you must choose the correct synonym or antonym of a given word from four options. These test your word knowledge, context understanding, and usage in sentences.
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