English: Word Usage Questions Set 21

Directions (1-10): In each of the following questions one sentence is given with a word in bold, choose the most similar meaning of that word and mark it as your answer.

1. Tenebrous: a tenebrous night with no moon
   A) alight
   B) murky
   C) beaming
   D) intelligent
   E) None of these
   
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      Option B
   Explanation: Tenebrous (Adj):- dark and gloomy. Synonyms: Stygian, tenebrific, tenebrious
   
2. Expurgate: The producer agreed to expurgate some of the R-rated scenes so that the movie could be shown on network television.
   A) accede
   B) allow
   C) censor
   D) recognize
   E) None of these
   
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      Option C
   Explanation: Expurgate (V):- to remove objectionable material. Synonyms: bowdlerise, bowdlerize, castrate, shorten.
   
3. Tendentious: I left my church because of the minister’s tendentious attitude about the importance of rejecting nonmembers.
   A) impartial
   B) just
   C) horizontal
   D) partisan
   E) None of these
   
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      Option D
   Explanation: Tendentious (Adj):- likely to lean towards a controversial view. Synonyms: tendencious.
   
4. Mellifluous: Lata Mangeshkar has Mellifluous voice!
   A) jarring
   B) mellow
   C) brassy
   D) discordant
   E) None of these
   
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      Option B
   Explanation: Mellifluous (Adj):- smooth and sweet-sounding. Synonyms: dulcet, honeyed, mellisonant, sweet
   
5. Propitiate: Only an idiot believes he can propitiate his way into heaven by giving the church all of his money.
   A) aggravate
   B) annoy
   C) assuage
   D) irk
   E) None of these
   
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      Option C
   Explanation: Propitiate (V):- to placate or appease. Synonyms: appease, soothe, plac
   
6. Eviscerate: The compromise among the parties eviscerated the bill that had been proposed.
   A) reside
   B) radiate
   C) offend
   D) gut
   E) None of these
   
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      Option D
   Explanation: Eviscerate (V):- take away a vital or essential part of; surgically remove a part of a structure or an organ. Synonyms: disembowel, draw, resect.
   
7. Suffuse: The sky was suffused with a warm pink color.
   A) drizzle
   B) permeate
   C) dry
   D) deplete
   E) None of these
   
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      Option B
   Explanation: Suffuse (V):- cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across. Synonyms: perfuse.
   
8. Repine: While in prison the man did nothing but repine for his freedom.
   A) acclaim
   B) affable
   C) languish
   D) contended
   E) None of these
   
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      Option C
   Explanation: Repine (V):- express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness.
   
9. Temerity: The correspondent must have lost the playbook and had the temerity to ask him to explain.
   A) modesty
   B) shy
   C) cowardice
   D) audacity
   E) None of these
   
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      Option D
   Explanation: Temerity (N):- the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger. Synonyms: audaciousness, audacity
   
10. Unassailable: DNA evidence is unassailable and cannot be disproven..
    A) crossable
    B) secure
    C) susceptible
    D) porous
    E) None of these
    
    View Answer

       Option B
    Explanation: Unassailable (Adj):- not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question. Synonyms: impregnable , inviolable , secure , strong , unattackable