Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: LAZY
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This synonym question asks you to choose the word that best matches the meaning of lethargic. The capital letters indicate that the target word is being tested directly. Lethargic is commonly used to describe a person who feels unusually tired, slow, or lacking in enthusiasm. You must pick the option that comes closest to this sense.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Lethargic describes a state of sluggishness, low energy, and inactivity. A lethargic person moves slowly, finds it hard to concentrate, and often appears lazy or uninterested. Among the options, lazy is the closest in meaning because it describes a person who does not like to work or move, often appearing slow or inactive. Energetic is the opposite of lethargic. Lethal means deadly, and legal refers to something allowed by law, neither of which is connected to low energy or sluggishness.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Fix the meaning of lethargic as very tired, slow, and lacking energy or enthusiasm.Step 2: Compare this with lazy, which describes a person who avoids work and prefers inactivity.Step 3: Notice that both lethargic and lazy involve slowness and lack of action, though lethargic can also have medical causes like illness or lack of sleep.Step 4: Examine energetic; this describes someone full of energy and activity, which is the direct opposite of lethargic.Step 5: Reject lethal and legal as they relate to danger and law, not to the level of physical or mental energy. Thus, lazy is the best match available.
Verification / Alternative check:
Think of example sentences. A doctor might say The patient feels lethargic because of the fever. In casual speech, you might say I feel so lazy today when you lack energy and do not want to move. You cannot substitute energetic, lethal, or legal in these contexts without completely changing the meaning. This shows that lazy and lethargic share a similar area of meaning, making lazy the best answer choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Energetic is almost the opposite of lethargic. An energetic person is lively, active, and full of enthusiasm. Lethal means deadly and is used about weapons, poisons, or injuries, for example a lethal dose of a drug. Legal refers to what is permitted by law, as in legal tender or legal action. These words are unrelated to the idea of tiredness or lack of energy and therefore cannot be correct synonyms for lethargic.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates misread the question and think it asks for the opposite in meaning, leading them to choose energetic. Always pay attention to whether the question asks for the word that best expresses the meaning or the one which is opposite in meaning. Another trap is to be distracted by similar looking words like lethal and legal, but spelling similarity does not guarantee semantic similarity. Focus on the core meaning instead.
Final Answer:
The word that best expresses the meaning of LETHARGIC in this list is LAZY, so option B is correct.
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