Question

His sententious reply impressed the visitor.
Choose the word which best expresses the meaning of the italicized bold part of the sentence.
A) sharp
B) quick
C) insipid
D) meaningful

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym is a term, morpheme, or phrase that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, morpheme or phrase from the same language. For example, the term "bad" is equivalent to synonyms for "awful," "terrible," and "dreadful."

Complete answer:
The term 'sententious' refers to a person's attempt to look smart and educated, as well as excessive moralising. We have to find a word that means the same as ‘sententious’.

Let us look at the given options:
A) sharp: This option is incorrect because it is not a synonym of ‘sententious’. The word 'sharp' means 'suddenly or abruptly.'
B) quick: The term 'quick' refers to anything that is 'fast to comprehend and clever.' This option is incorrect because it is not a synonym of ‘sententious’.
C) insipid: The word "insipid" implies "without flavour, feeble, or tasteless." This option is incorrect because it is not a synonym of ‘sententious’.
D) meaningful: 'Meaningful' refers to something that is serious, significant, or worthy. It has the same meaning as ‘sententious’. Therefore, it is the correct answer.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (D) Sententious.

Note: The simplest basic criteria for synonymy is substitution: given a sentence, one form can be replaced with another without changing the context. When an author avoids employing synonyms for the same phrase in close proximity, he or she creates elegant diversity. A synonym is, in essence, the antonym's polar opposite. When studying a language, it is critical to be aware of synonyms and antonyms of terms.