Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSynonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

After a long day of tedious administrative work, the inspector gave only a perfunctory glance at the remaining financial records.

Which of the following words is nearest in meaning to the underlined word?

  1. cursoryAnswer
  2. B
    thorough
  3. C
    irritated
  4. D
    official

Answer

The word nearest in meaning to 'perfunctory' in this context is 'cursory'.
In the given sentence, 'perfunctory' describes a glance made hastily and without enthusiasm or detail. The word 'cursory' means brief, hasty, and superficial, making it the exact synonym in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context
The phrase 'after a long day of tedious administrative work' indicates fatigue and lack of deep focus when looking at the records.
Contextual clues reveal that the glance was done routine-wise without thorough inspection.
2
Define the target word 'perfunctory'
'Perfunctory' describes an action done quickly, routinely, and with minimal effort or care.
Identifying the core meaning helps isolate accurate synonyms.
3
Evaluate option meanings against target definition
'Cursory' means hasty and superficial, which exactly matches 'perfunctory'.
Matching contextual synonyms ensures selection of the correct option.

Key Concept

Contextual Synonyms and Vocabulary
Rate this question

Topics

Synonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

More questions from this topic