Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word:
Frequent minor ailments keep Mrs. Collins from work.

a) Irritations
b) Young children
c) Sickness
d) Falls
e) Excuses

Answer 1

Hint: We are asked to find the word that means the most exact to the underlined word. The ailment is the term we use to denote illness, particularly the minor ones.

Complete answer:

 The minor illness is usually described using the term ‘ailment.’ It is a noun that we use particularly to describe some physical sickness.
Example: She suffered a stomach ailment yesterday night.
The first of the given options is ‘irritations.’ It means the state or feeling of being annoyed, slightly angry, or impatient. As this possibly cannot be the right synonym, we can mark off this option.
Young children in option b explicitly cannot be the synonym to the ailment.
Sickness in option c proves right as it describes the state of being ill.
Options d and e are also wrong. Falls in option d is the verb that we use while describing someone’s sickness. Example: He falls ill every time he goes out in the rain.
Meanwhile, ‘excuses’ in option e are the reasons one state to free oneself or others from a claim or accusation. It also means to let one go off from duty.

Note: Students should be able to identify the different words used for ailments. Apart from sickness; illness, disease, disorder, and malady are also used as synonyms to the ailment.