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Difficulty: HardSynonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

Read the sentence below and determine the word nearest in meaning to 'aggressively hostile and quick to argue' that appropriately completes the formal statement. Which word best fills the blank?

Answer:The committee's deliberations were repeatedly stalled by the senior delegate's 【truculent】 attitude toward any proposed administrative compromise.

Answer

The word that best completes the sentence is 'truculent' (or its contextual synonyms 'belligerent', 'pugnacious', 'combative'), which means aggressively hostile, defiant, and quick to argue.
The sentence requires an adjective describing a disposition that actively stalls progress by being aggressively hostile and combative. 'Truculent' precisely conveys fierce hostility, eager combativeness, and defiance in formal discourse.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual clues in the sentence stem.
The phrase 'repeatedly stalled' alongside a refusal to accept an 'administrative compromise' indicates an uncooperative, fierce, and aggressively hostile disposition.
Understanding context is critical to selecting the correct lexical item that fits both meaning and register.
2
Identify the precise vocabulary term matching the target meaning of aggressive hostility and combativeness.
'Truculent' fits the high-level formal register and directly signifies being aggressively defiant, combative, and eager to argue.
JAMB UTME Lexis testing at difficulty level 4 requires selecting words with exact contextual nuance and formal academic/socio-political register.

Key Concept

Contextual Synonyms and High-Level Lexis
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Synonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

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