Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
That house on the hill has a mysterious air of serenity about it.
a. Melancholy
b. Joy
c. Sadness
d. Calmness
e. Calamity

Answer 1

Hint: Serenity is the state of peacefulness and composure. For example, serenity got restored in the country after the peace treaty was signed. Here we are referring to the peaceful mindset of the people after signing the treaty with the hope of resolving future disputes in a peaceful manner.

Complete answer:
A synonym is a word that has a meaning similar to another word. Let us see from the given options which word has a similar meaning to the word ‘serenity’.
Since serenity refers to a peaceful state, the synonym of the word is option d, that is, calmness. Calmness refers to the state of being free from any violent or aggressive emotions, in a peaceful state. This is the same characteristic of a serene mind. Therefore, the answer is option d.
Option a is wrong because melancholy is used to describe a feeling of sadness without any particular cause. The synonym of melancholy is sadness or desolation, not serenity.
Option b is incorrect because joy is a great feeling, the synonym being happiness which is unlike peacefulness or serenity.
Option c is not a synonym of serenity because sadness is an unhappy feeling of sorrow or cheerlessness.
Option e is wrong because calamity is an event causing massive damage while serenity refers to a peaceful state of mind.

Thus, the correct option is d.

Note: Though “house on the hill” and “mysterious air” gives the idea that the word “serenity” has a negative meaning, it is not so. Sometimes the context of the sentence is to mislead the students. Be careful while choosing your answer.