Question

Choose the correct word which is closest in meaning to the word/phrase in bold in the given sentence. Indicate your option.
The young boy is quite sanguine about the result of his competitive examination.
a) Depressed
b) Pessimistic
c) Anxious
d) Optimistic

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘sanguine’ refers to ‘positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation’. This word is usually used as an adjective. Another synonym of the given word ‘sanguine’ is ‘hopeful’.

Complete answer:
The word ‘sanguine’ is used as an adjective in the given sentence and it describes the noun ‘the boy’. It is used to describe the state of mind of the boy, to illustrate how he feels.
Now, in order to change the word and keep the meaning of the sentence intact, we need to
find the synonym of the word ‘sanguine’. A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example, shut is a synonym for close.

Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given word. Let’s look at the available options:

a) depressed - The word ‘depressed’ refers to ‘(of a person) in a state of unhappiness or despondency’. This is not the exact meaning of the given word. It is not the synonym of ‘sanguine’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) pessimistic - The word ‘pessimistic’ refers to ‘tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen'. This is not the exact meaning of the given word. It is not the synonym of ‘sanguine’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) anxious - The word ‘anxious’ refers to ‘feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome'. This is not the exact meaning of the given word. It is not the synonym of ‘sanguine’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) optimistic - The word ‘optimistic’ refers to ‘hopeful and confident about the future'. This is the exact meaning of the given word. It is the synonym of ‘sanguine’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.

Note:
Make sure to understand the meaning of the question and the word given. Go through all the given options, and pick out the option that is closest in meaning to the highlighted word.