Question

Choose the option which best expresses the meaning of the given word.
DELETERIOUS
a. Morose
b. Devious
c. Harmful
d. Remorseful

Answer 1

Hint: There are certain words that can function in place of others without changing the gist of a sentence or circumstance. Such words are referred to as synonyms. One word can have more than one synonyms. Deleterious is a word that usually describes another word (adjective) by the definition of injurious. It is often related to situations that cause hurt or inflict any kind of pain on someone or something.

Complete answer:
Now, from the options given above,
Morose: That which is dull or gloomy can be associated with the word morose. Hence, this is not the answer. Eg: His morose behavior destroyed the mood of the game.
Devious: That which is not straightforward and is not definite; can also be referred to as something crooked. Hence, this cannot be the answer to the question. Eg: The cunning uncle has such devious ways to handle a situation.
Harmful: That which causes hurt and is injurious; dangerous for someone. This is the most similar to the word given in the question. Eg: Playing with a knife is harmful to health.
Remorseful: that which filled with pity and compassion; as well as regret. Hence, this is not the answer. Eg: He was remorseful after realizing his mistake.

Hence, Option c, harmful, is the answer to the given question.

Note: The catch in the above question is that all four options are of negative connotations. But, the only option that relates to danger or harm is harmful. Devious can seem similar, but it doesn’t give the same context as deleterious.