Vocabulary – Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence. Sentence: The bullet wound proved to be “fatal” and the soldier died immediately.

Introduction / Context:
“Fatal” injuries are those that cause death. The sentence itself states the soldier died immediately, reinforcing the death-causing sense. We must pick the closest synonym that specifically encodes lethality, not just severity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: fatal.
• Context clue: “died immediately.”
• Distractors refer to severity without necessarily implying death.

Concept / Approach:
Choose the synonym that denotes “causing death.” “Deadly” precisely matches. Words like “serious,” “dangerous,” and “grievous” indicate severity or harm but do not mean death is certain or has occurred.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase: “The wound proved deadly” is idiomatic and preserves the factual outcome, confirming the equivalence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• grievous: Very severe/painful; not necessarily fatal.
• dangerous: Poses risk; may or may not cause death.
• serious: Severe or significant; does not entail lethality.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating intensity with lethality. Only “deadly” guarantees the “causes death” meaning in a single adjective.

Final Answer:
deadly