Dim : faint : : chilly : __________ hot snow cold
dim : faint : : chilly : __________ hot snow cold
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Analogy Completion:
dim : faint :: chilly : cold
Correct Answer: cold
Explanation
Analogies test the relationship between pairs of words. To solve “dim : faint :: chilly : ?”, we must first understand the relationship between dim and faint, and then apply the same logic to chilly and the answer choices.
- Analyzing the first pair:
- Dim and faint are synonyms. Both words describe something lacking intensity.
- Dim describes low light.
- Faint describes something weak, unclear, or barely perceptible—often light, sound, or even feelings.
- In this case, dim and faint both imply weakness or low intensity, particularly in terms of visibility or presence.
- Dim and faint are synonyms. Both words describe something lacking intensity.
- Applying to the second pair:
- Chilly describes mild cold—not extreme cold, but noticeably cool.
- Among the answer choices (hot, snow, and cold), we need the one that has the same relationship to “chilly” as faint does to “dim.”
- Evaluating the options:
- Hot: This is the opposite of chilly, so it cannot be the correct answer.
- Snow: While related to cold, it is not a synonym of chilly. It’s a noun, not an adjective like “chilly,” and refers to a weather condition, not a temperature sensation.
- Cold: This is a synonym of chilly, just as faint is a synonym of dim. “Cold” can be considered a stronger version of “chilly,” just as “faint” can be seen as a softer version of “dim.”
Therefore, the correct analogy is:
dim : faint :: chilly : cold
Both pairs are related through synonymy, where the second word describes a similar quality, typically at a slightly different intensity level.
