Choose the word which is nearest in meaning to the given word. The target word is "penchant", which is commonly used to describe a strong liking or preference for something.

Introduction / Context:
This is a synonym question focused on the word penchant. The word appears frequently in essays, biographies, and opinion pieces to describe a person's strong and often habitual preference for something, such as a penchant for music or a penchant for punctuality. To answer correctly, you need to connect penchant with the idea of liking, rather than urgency, inability, or lack of interest.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The word to define is "penchant".
We assume the standard meaning: a strong, sometimes unusual liking or fondness for something.
The correct synonym must clearly express preference or liking, not disability or awkward behaviour.

Some options are negative or unrelated traits deliberately included as distractors.

Concept / Approach:
Penchant comes from French and is used in English to indicate a strong inclination, fondness, or liking for something. For example, someone may have a penchant for classical music or a penchant for sweets. Liking fits this meaning well. Eagerness suggests enthusiasm to act but does not always mean a stable, ongoing preference. Disability refers to a limitation, awkwardness to clumsiness or social discomfort, and indifference to lack of interest, which is the opposite of liking.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that a penchant is a strong preference or fondness, not just a momentary desire. Step 2: Identify option A Liking as the one that directly expresses a positive feeling or fondness towards something. Step 3: Option B Eagerness expresses energy or impatience to do something now, which is slightly different from a stable preference. Step 4: Option C Disability refers to a limitation in physical or mental ability and is completely unrelated in meaning. Step 5: Option D Awkwardness relates to clumsiness or social discomfort, not to having a strong preference. Step 6: Option E Indifference is almost the opposite: it means a lack of interest or concern, not a fondness.

Verification / Alternative check:
Use the word in an example: "She has a penchant for spicy food" clearly means she likes spicy food a lot. If we say, "She has a liking for spicy food", the sentence still makes sense with nearly the same meaning. But "She has an eagerness for spicy food" sounds less natural and suggests excitement rather than preference. Likewise, replacing penchant with disability or indifference completely changes the meaning and contradicts the original sense. This confirms that liking is the best synonym among the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B Eagerness focuses on enthusiasm or keenness at a particular time, not necessarily a long-term liking.
Option C Disability is a serious and specific term for physical or mental limitations and has nothing to do with preferences.
Option D Awkwardness describes clumsiness or social unease, which is unrelated to fondness or liking.
Option E Indifference describes a lack of interest or concern, which is the opposite of the positive interest that a penchant implies.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates associate penchant with eagerness because both can appear in contexts where someone does something often. However, the subtle difference is that penchant is about what someone tends to like or choose, while eagerness is about how strongly they want to act at a given moment. When you see penchant in exam passages, think of it as stable liking or preference, which will guide you to synonyms like liking or fondness.

Final Answer:
The word nearest in meaning to "penchant" is liking.