A. Punish
B. Forgive
C. Praise
D. Reward

Explanation:

The word pardon means to forgive someone for a mistake, offense, or crime and not punish them.

In simple words: to excuse or forgive a person.

The opposite of pardon is punish, which means to give a penalty or punishment for wrongdoing.

So, Punish is the correct antonym of Pardon.

Real-Life Example

Imagine a student breaks a school rule:

• If the teacher forgives the student and gives no penalty, the student is pardoned.
• If the teacher gives detention or another penalty, the student is punished.

Forgive = Pardon
Penalize = Punish

Main Points for Exams

• Pardon means to forgive or excuse someone.
• It is often used in legal, official, and everyday situations.
• Forgive is a synonym of pardon.
• Punish means to give a penalty for wrongdoing.
• Therefore, Punish is the correct antonym of Pardon.
• This type of vocabulary question is common in PPSC, FPSC, CSS, PMS, NTS, IELTS, TOEFL, and other competitive exams.

Quick Memory Trick

🙏 Pardon = Forgive
⚖️ Punish = Penalize

Forgive ↔ Punish
Pardon ↔ Punish ✔️