In this one-word substitution question, select the single word that best replaces the phrase 'a man devoid of kind feeling and sympathy'.

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of one-word substitutions for personality traits. Instead of using a long descriptive phrase like 'a man devoid of kind feeling and sympathy', English often employs a short, precise adjective to summarise that character. Recognising such words not only helps you in vocabulary sections of exams but also improves your descriptive writing and reading comprehension.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Phrase to be replaced: 'a man devoid of kind feeling and sympathy'.
- Options: 'Callous', 'Credulous', 'Gullible', 'Bohemian'.
- Exactly one option should correctly capture lack of kindness and sympathy.
- The question focuses on emotional hardness and insensitivity.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase describes someone who has no kindness, no warm feeling and no sympathy for others' suffering. The appropriate one-word substitution therefore must convey hardness of heart, emotional insensitivity or cruelty. To solve such questions, you must know the core meanings of each option and select the one that matches the emotional description, ignoring unrelated traits like being easily tricked or having an unconventional lifestyle.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Analyse the phrase 'devoid of kind feeling and sympathy'. This indicates a person who is hard-hearted and indifferent to others' pain. Step 2: Consider 'Callous'. This adjective means unfeeling, insensitive, and showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others. Step 3: Consider 'Credulous'. This means too ready to believe things, easily convinced, or too trusting. Step 4: Consider 'Gullible'. This is similar to 'credulous' and describes someone who can be easily cheated or tricked. Step 5: Consider 'Bohemian'. This refers to a person, especially an artist, who lives an unconventional, nontraditional lifestyle.

Verification / Alternative check:
Replace the phrase with each option in a test sentence: 'He is a man devoid of kind feeling and sympathy.' If we say 'He is a callous man', the meaning remains accurate, emphasising his lack of sympathy. Saying 'He is a credulous man' or 'He is a gullible man' shifts the focus to being easily fooled, not to emotional hardness. Describing him as 'a bohemian man' instead refers to lifestyle, not compassion. Hence 'Callous' is the only word that correctly summarises the original description.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
'Credulous' is wrong because it refers to being too willing to believe others, which may even be linked to kindness but certainly not to lack of sympathy. 'Gullible' is wrong for the same reason; it emphasises naivety, not cruelty or indifference. 'Bohemian' is wrong because it refers to unconventional living and artistic freedom, not moral or emotional insensitivity.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose a word that simply 'sounds negative' without checking whether the negativity matches the specific description. Another pitfall is mixing up emotional hardness (callousness) with intellectual weakness (gullibility). To avoid confusion, always break the phrase into its key ideas—in this case, the complete lack of kindness and sympathy—and then match those ideas carefully with the option meanings.

Final Answer:
The correct one-word substitution for 'a man devoid of kind feeling and sympathy' is Callous.