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Difficulty: HardIsolated Word Synonyms

OBDURATE most nearly means which of the following?

  1. A
    durable
  2. unyieldingAnswer
  3. C
    compliant
  4. D
    obscure

Answer

The word obdurate most nearly means unyielding.
The word 'obdurate' describes a person or attitude that is stubbornly resistant to persuasion or influence. 'Unyielding' accurately conveys this exact sense of inflexible resistance and firmness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target word 'OBDURATE' to determine its part of speech and primary definition.
The word 'obdurate' is an adjective derived from the Latin 'obdurare' (to harden), defining an individual or stance that is stubbornly resistant to moral influence, persuasion, or softening.
Establishing the precise definition and grammatical function is necessary to identify the equivalent synonym.
2
Evaluate the provided options against the target definition of stubborn inflexibility.
'Unyielding' precisely matches the meaning of refusing to bend, submit, or alter one's position.
A direct synonym must preserve both the exact semantic denotation and the adjective form.
3
Eliminate distractors based on antonym status, morphological confusion, and phonetic false friends.
'Compliant' is an antonym, 'durable' misapplies root semantics to physical longevity, and 'obscure' is a false friend.
Eliminating common distractor patterns confirms that only one option represents the accurate synonym.

Key Concept

Identifying isolated word synonyms through vocabulary recall and root differentiation
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Topics

Isolated Word Synonyms

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