Start here · the first lesson of Odd word among four
Odd word among four
Odd One Out (words) · for IPMAT Indore, IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT
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The idea
Four words are given; three share a category or a shade of meaning, and one does not. Rohtak asked two such questions in 2024 (JIPMAT puts "odd man out" in its LR section).
Textbook vs exam method
Textbook method
Find the common feature of most of the words and pick the word without it.
Exam method
- Name the group. that three words clearly share.
- Check the outsider. it should fail that group for a clear reason (a lake among rivers, a shrub among trees).
- Look for a rival grouping. origin, region, suffix, positive vs negative meaning. Prefer the most specific, natural category.
- For near-synonyms, check connotation. one word usually carries disapproval (stingy, nosy, notorious, obstinate).