Which word nearest in meaning to 'taciturn' correctly completes the sentence below?

Answer:Despite the bustling environment of the editorial board, the senior investigator remained remarkably taciturn, rarely joining in idle conversation; in other words, he was naturally 【reticent】.

Answer

reticent (or reserved)

The adjective 'taciturn' describes a person who is disinclined to talk or habitually reserved. The context indicates that the investigator rarely engages in conversation, making 'reticent' or 'reserved' the exact word nearest in meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

Analyze context clues within the sentence stem

The clause 'rarely joining in idle conversation' indicates a tendency to speak very little and stay quiet.

Contextual clues reveal the specific behavioral nuance of the target word.

Determine the synonym of the target word 'taciturn'

'Taciturn' means habitually quiet, reserved, or uncommunicative in speech, making 'reticent' or 'reserved' the word nearest in meaning.

Matching the formal lexical definition with the identified contextual clue.

Key Concept

Identifying synonyms and words nearest in meaning in context

Estimated Time:1m 0s

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