Complete the analogy.
harm is to destroy as like is to
love
kind
want
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is “love.”
Here’s the explanation: In analogies, the relationship between the first pair of words should be similar to the relationship between the second pair. The word “harm” is associated with the action of “destroy,” as harm typically leads to destruction or damage. Similarly, “like” is commonly associated with “love” because liking someone or something is often a step toward or an expression of love. Love is a deeper or more intense feeling than simply liking something.
Let’s break it down further:
- Harm: This term refers to causing injury or damage to something or someone. When you harm something, you typically intend to or result in its destruction. Destruction is the final outcome of harm, as it renders something completely ruined or unable to exist in its previous form.
- Destroy: Destruction involves complete damage or ruin, usually irreversible. This mirrors the effect that harm can have when taken to its extreme.
- Like: Liking something can be seen as a positive feeling toward someone or something, but it is not as intense or as committed as love. To like something is to have a favorable or appreciative opinion of it, but it doesn’t necessarily carry the depth or commitment that love implies.
- Love: Love, on the other hand, is a much stronger, deeper, and more profound feeling. It involves affection, attachment, and a desire for the well-being of the person or thing you love, and it often leads to actions or behaviors that reflect those deep feelings.
Thus, the relationship is based on intensity and depth. Harm leads to destruction, and like can evolve into love, making “love” the most fitting completion of the analogy.