More Questions from Selecting Words

Vocabulary in context: choose the best adjective to describe a secret love affair Context: The lovers met each other secretly; soon everyone came to know about it. Complete the sentence meaningfully: "The lovers were meeting each other secretly, but their ______ affair was soon known to everyone." Choose the correct option.

Verbal Ability Selecting Words Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
  • A
    clandestine
  • B
    covert
  • C
    unknown
  • D
    candid

Answer

Correct Answer: clandestine

Explanation

Given data

  • Lovers met secretly.
  • The affair later became widely known.

Concept/ApproachClandestine means kept secret, especially for illicit purposes. It strongly collocates with affair (“a clandestine affair”).

Option analysisclandestine — correct; commonly used for secret relationships. ✅covert — hidden/concealed in general, but the fixed collocation “covert affair” is less idiomatic than “clandestine affair.”unknown — merely “not known”; weaker and not idiomatic with “affair.”candid — frank/open; the opposite of secret.

Common pitfalls

  • Choosing a near-synonym without considering collocation strength.

Final Answerclandestine

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