Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
Savage enemy swept across the region and ruthlessly killed everybody on the way.
a. Without stopping
b. Without weapons
c. Without pity
d. Without warning
e. Without purpose

Answer 1

Hint: Synonyms are meanings of words similar to each other in the same language. The word synonym sounds close to the word ‘similar’. Happen and occur are examples of synonyms of each other. Synonyms may be words or phrases.

Complete answer: Let us look at the underlined word ruthlessly. Ruthlessly comes from the word ruthless. A ruthless person is a person who has no pity. They can kill anybody without a second thought. They do not take mercy on anyone.
Therefore, the correct answer is option c, that is, without pity. Thus, the given sentence means that the enemy swept through the region and killed everybody on their way without any mercy.
Option a is wrong because ‘without stopping’ is not the correct answer. Ruthlessly means in a very cruel manner.
Option b is wrong because a person can be ruthless even without weapons. A ruthless person can do evil acts without weapons too.
Option d is wrong because ‘ruthlessly’ and ‘not giving a warning’ have nothing to do with each other. Therefore, the answer is wrong.
Option e is ‘without purpose’. The phrase is not similar to the meaning of ruthlessly. Thus, it is not the correct answer.

Note: While a lot of options can seem to be appropriate according to the sentence given, it is important to know the actual meaning of the word. Knowledge of the actual meaning can help to identify the correct synonym.