VOCABULARY — Choose the antonym (opposite in meaning) of the highlighted word. Sentence: “Everything about him, especially his talkative nature, proclaims his EFFEMINACY.”

Introduction / Context:“Effeminacy” refers to the exhibition of traits culturally associated with women when used to describe a man (e.g., delicacy, softness). The standard antonym in traditional usage is “manliness.”

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sociolinguistic, older-register vocabulary is being tested.
• We aim for lexical opposites as historically paired terms.
• Distractors include unrelated traits.

Concept / Approach:While modern discourse avoids stereotyping traits by gender, the exam pairing remains “effeminacy” ↔ “manliness.” “Aggressiveness” and “boorishness” are behavioral and value-laden, not core antonyms; “attractiveness” addresses appeal, not gendered traits.

Step-by-Step Solution:1) Define “effeminacy”: traditionally feminine traits in a man.2) Identify codified antonym: “manliness”.3) Eliminate distractors that are not direct semantic opposites.

Verification / Alternative check:Older dictionaries and exam prep texts list “manliness” as the set antonym of “effeminacy.”

Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) “aggressiveness” — temperament, not antonymic pair.B) “attractiveness” — aesthetic quality; unrelated.D) “boorishness” — rudeness; unrelated.E) Not needed since a direct antonym is present.

Common Pitfalls:Equating stereotypically “masculine” behaviors (e.g., aggressiveness) with the core meaning. The lexical pair in tests remains effeminacy ↔ manliness.

Final Answer:manliness