In the following one-word substitution question, choose the word that best replaces the phrase: "Seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury."

Introduction / Context:
This one word substitution question tests your knowledge of personality adjectives that describe someone's attitude and intentions towards others. The given phrase describes a person who wants to harm someone as a reaction to a perceived wrong or injury. You must choose the single word that captures this desire for revenge or retaliation, rather than kindness or friendliness.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Phrase to be replaced: "Seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury."
• Options: "Affable," "Cordial," "Vengeful," and "Benign."
• The key ideas in the phrase are "seeking to harm" and "in return for a perceived injury," indicating revenge.
• The question asks for the best one word substitute.

Concept / Approach:
The word "vengeful" describes a person who wants revenge, who has a strong desire to harm someone who has harmed them or who they believe has harmed them. It fits perfectly with "seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury." The other options all suggest positive or gentle character traits: "affable" and "cordial" mean friendly and pleasant, while "benign" means kind, gentle, or harmless. They are the opposite of someone who is looking for revenge.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the core meaning of the phrase: a person wants to hurt someone because they feel wronged. Step 2: Recall vocabulary related to revenge: "vindictive," "revengeful," "vengeful." Step 3: Recognise that "vengeful" is the standard adjective that means "having or showing a strong desire for revenge." Step 4: Check the other options and see that they all indicate friendliness or kindness, not revenge. Step 5: Select "Vengeful" as the precise one word substitute.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider example sentences: "He is a vengeful person; he never forgets an insult" clearly matches the idea of seeking harm in return for injury. By contrast, "She is an affable host" means she is friendly and pleasant, which is the opposite of vengeful. "A cordial relationship" describes warmth and goodwill, not revenge. "A benign attitude" suggests kindness and harmlessness. None of these options other than "vengeful" imply the intention to harm someone as payback. This confirms that "vengeful" is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Affable: Means friendly, easy to talk to, and pleasant; nothing to do with revenge or harm.
• Cordial: Means warm and friendly, again the opposite of revengeful or harmful.
• Benign: Means kind, gentle, or not harmful; sometimes used in medicine to describe non dangerous tumours; the exact opposite of seeking to cause harm.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may confuse "vengeful" with "vindictive," which are very close in meaning; both would be acceptable in other contexts, but here only "vengeful" appears among the options. Others might be tempted by words they recognise more frequently, such as "cordial," without checking their meanings properly. In one word substitution questions, always match the emotional tone and the key action described in the phrase, rather than just picking a familiar word.

Final Answer:
The correct one word substitute for "Seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury" is Vengeful.