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Question

Difficulty: EasyVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below carefully:

"Despite the heated arguments during the parliamentary session, the minister insisted that he did not harbour any personal animosity toward his political rivals."

In the excerpt above, what is the contextual meaning of the word harbour?

  1. bearAnswer
  2. B
    shelter ships from the sea
  3. C
    protect criminals from prosecution
  4. D
    announce publicly

Answer

The word 'harbour' in this context means 'bear' (to hold or entertain a feeling internally).
In the given excerpt, 'harbour' is used figuratively as a verb meaning to hold or bear a particular feeling internally. Replacing 'harbour' with 'bear' preserves the precise meaning of the statement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context surrounding the highlighted word
The word 'harbour' acts as a verb modifying 'personal animosity', which is an internal emotion.
Determining the object of the verb clarifies whether the word carries a physical, legal, or emotional sense.
2
Substitute potential synonyms into the sentence
Replacing 'harbour' with 'bear' yields: 'he did not bear any personal animosity', which maintains correct sense and grammar.
Semantic substitution verifies that 'bear' captures the intended contextual meaning.

Key Concept

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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