In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the word opposite in meaning to the word given: Refulgent.

Introduction / Context:
This antonym question asks you to pick the word opposite in meaning to refulgent. Refulgent is a slightly advanced word that usually appears in descriptive or literary English. Knowing its meaning and its contrast helps in reading poetry, descriptive passages, and higher level vocabulary contexts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: Refulgent.
• Options: Dark, Loud, Rough, Sweet.
• We must choose the option whose meaning is opposite to refulgent.
• Refulgent is generally used to describe something that is shining brightly or radiant.

Concept / Approach:
Refulgent means shining very brightly, radiant or gleaming. For example, one might describe a refulgent sun or refulgent armour. The opposite of bright and radiant in the context of light is dark or dim. Among the options, dark is the only word dealing with the presence or absence of light. Loud, rough and sweet relate to sound, texture and taste respectively, which do not form natural antonyms for a word describing brightness.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall: refulgent describes intense brightness or radiance.Option Dark: refers to a lack or low level of light, making it a natural opposite to brightness.Option Loud: refers to high volume of sound, not brightness.Option Rough: refers to coarse texture or uneven surface, unrelated to light.Option Sweet: usually describes taste or sometimes pleasant personality, not visual brightness.Therefore, Dark is the clear antonym of Refulgent in this list.

Verification / Alternative check:
Think of a contrast in a descriptive sentence: “The refulgent stars lit up the sky” versus “The dark sky had no visible stars.” In the first, refulgent emphasises their brightness; in the second, dark emphasises the absence of such light. This shows that dark effectively reverses the core idea expressed by refulgent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Loud relates to sound, not light. Rough relates to texture, not brightness. Sweet mainly describes taste or sometimes a gentle character. None of these directly oppose the idea of shining or glowing. Vocabulary questions often mix different sensory domains in the options; your job is to match or oppose the right sensory field. Here, only dark belongs to the visual and light related domain.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may not know the meaning of refulgent and try to guess based on sound alone, but the word has Latin roots related to reflecting or shining back light. In exam preparation, it helps to build small clusters of words: radiant, luminous, refulgent, gleaming contrast with dark, dim, gloomy. Recognising such clusters makes antonym questions easier and faster to solve.

Final Answer:
The word opposite in meaning to “Refulgent” is Dark.