Question

Identify the meaning of the phrase/word:
Dona didn’t attend classes today. She was feeling under the weather.

a) as though she were under clouds
b) unwell or sick
c) protected and comfortable
d) very restless

Answer 1

Hint: The phrase ‘under the weather’ refers to a specific situation. It is the reason why Dona couldn’t attend classes, so the meaning will be relevant to that fact.

Complete answer:
An idiom is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. For example, the idiom ‘over the moon’ refers to extreme happiness.

These phrases are usually not easily understood, and they require context. The given idiom ‘under the weather’ refers to being ‘slightly unwell or in low spirits’.
In the given sentence, it refers to the subject ‘Dona’ being ill and not being able to attend the classes.

Now, we know the meaning and the context of the given phrase. Let’s look at the given options:

a) as though she were under clouds - This phrase refers to the literal meaning of the given idiom. It suggests that the idiom means being under actual clouds. However, this is not what the idiom means. It does not have the same meaning as the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) unwell or sick - This phrase refers to being ill. This phrase has the exact same meaning as the given idiom. This is the required answer.So, the correct answer is “Option b”.
c) protected and comfortable - This phrase refers to being relaxed and feeling safe. However, this is not what the idiom means. It does not have the same meaning as the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) very restless - This phrase refers to being uncomfortable. This is not exactly the meaning of the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Try to understand the meaning of the sentence. This will clear up the context in which the phrase is being used. Then, go through the given options and choose the required option accordingly.