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Difficulty: Very hardAntonym Context Clues

Despite the executive board's explicit demand for independent thinkers who would aggressively challenge the status quo, the newly appointed consultant remained entirely obsequious during the strategy meetings.

Based on the context clues provided in the sentence, what is the meaning of the underlined word?

  1. Excessively submissive and eager to pleaseAnswer
  2. B
    Openly defiant and confrontational
  3. C
    Respectful and professionally courteous
  4. D
    Intensely observant and watchful

Answer

Excessively submissive and eager to please
The sentence begins with the contrast marker 'Despite', indicating that the consultant's behavior was the opposite of what the board wanted. The board wanted 'independent thinkers who would aggressively challenge the status quo'. The direct opposite of this behavior is being excessively submissive and eager to please, which is the definition of the target word.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast marker in the sentence structure.
The word 'Despite' at the beginning of the sentence serves as the contrast marker.
Contrast markers signal that the upcoming clause will represent an opposing idea to the initial clause.
2
Locate the contextual clue that sets up the contrast.
The phrase 'independent thinkers who would aggressively challenge the status quo' represents the board's preference.
This establishes the baseline behavior that the consultant's actual behavior will contradict.
3
Determine the opposite meaning of the contextual clue.
The opposite of being an independent, aggressive challenger is being completely submissive, agreeable, and unwilling to push back.
Because of the contrast marker, the meaning of the unknown word must be the direct opposite of the established clue.
4
Evaluate the given choices to find the exact match for connotation and definition.
The option stating 'Excessively submissive and eager to please' perfectly matches the derived opposite meaning and captures the negative connotation.
This aligns the definition correctly with both the sentence structure and the precise definition of the target vocabulary word.

Key Concept

Using contrast transition words (like 'Despite') to determine the meaning of an unknown word by finding the antonym of the provided contextual clue.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Antonym Context Clues

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