The two words that are the closest antonyms in the list provided are "felicity and discontent."
Felicity refers to great happiness or bliss, while discontent signifies a lack of satisfaction or happiness, making them opposing in meaning.
Cracking the Color Code
News: World Beat
Got a passion for red or a predilection for yellow, or are you keen on green or besotted with blue? If you have strong feelings about colors, you're not alone. For people all over the world, colors stir up emotions, convey meaning, and evoke memories.
Why that's the case is a bit complicated—just like that perplexing shade of purplish blue (or is it bluish purple?!) that we call periwinkle, our impressions of colors are the result of a mixture of different elements. Scientists think some of our reactions to colors may be innate, but mostly we form our opinions through cultural influences and individual experiences. If you're crazy about crimson, for instance, it might be because your culture views it as auspicious, your favorite sports team wears it, or your favorite food is strawberries…or all three.
Let's take a look at the moods, meanings, and emotions some colors signify.
Beloved Blue
If there was a popularity contest for colors, blue would snag first place and go home with the blue ribbon because, all around the world, study after study has found blue to be the most common favorite color. This universal people-pleaser is the color of sunny skies and halcyon lakes and oceans, and it's often described as calming and peaceful. People in the U.S. tend to associate it with safety, trustworthiness, and dependability, and in some Asian countries it connotes health or immortality.
But blue's not all about clement weather and contentment—it's also linked with sadness, which is why people in a melancholy mood may say they're "feeling blue."
Earthy Green
Green, the second-most popular color, calls to mind plants and spring, so people see it as related to the earth, health, life, and renewal. In fact, the color green so strongly suggests nature that it's now invoked to describe anything that's environmentally friendly, for example "green energy," which is generated from renewable sources, such as sunlight or wind, and creates less pollution.
But green can have certain un-friendly associations as well. English speakers call jealousy "the green-eyed monster," and if a student were to covet a classmate's spiffy new backpack or stupendous soccer skills, they might say he's "green with envy."
Eye-Catching Yellow
Yellow, often viewed as the brightest of the bunch, is the go-to hue for calling attention to what's important and advising caution. Students who are reading might be asked to highlight key facts and ideas in yellow, and in the U.S. yellow is used for traffic warning signs, like yield or pedestrian crossing.
Americans tend to think of yellow as cheerful, hopeful, and warm. After all, it's the color of sunshine, smiley emojis, and those buoyantly perky rubber duckies. But for such a bright color, yellow's got a real dark side. In English, the slang word "yellow" means cowardly, and in Europe the color has historically been linked with jealousy and treachery.
Raging Red
Stop! Sit up and take notice—we've arrived at red, arguably the most arresting color in the spectrum. We rely on red, which is traditionally associated with blood and fire, to signal danger or urgency, so you'll spot it on stop signs, hot water faucet handles, and fire trucks.
But there's more to red's reputation than peril and pain—this vibrant color has a rich array of connotations. Red communicates power and strength, which may be why it's featured on more national flags than any other color, and in Chinese culture, red symbolizes good luck and is believed to bring felicity, prosperity, and longevity.
Red's traditional connection to love and romance makes it a Valentine's Day mainstay, but many also relate it to rage. When people say they're "seeing red," you might want to get out of their way—they're furious.
So, what's your view of colors—what do they mean to you and how do they make you feel? Because when it comes to colors, there are as many opinions as there are pairs of eyes.
Video Transcript: Color My Mood
Video credit: Achieve3000
QUESTION 7
7 / 8
Which two words are the closest antonyms?
covet and garner
longevity and notoriety
vibrant and ethereal
felicity and discontent
1 answer