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WAEC SSCE - English Language - 1993 (Objective)

Question 1 Report

From the words or group of words lettered A to E below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word or group of words.
As a result of the terrible sufferings he had undergone, he became very despondent about the future
Answer Details
The word that is nearest in meaning to "despondent" is "hopeless". "Despondent" means feeling extremely low in spirits due to loss of hope or courage. In the context of the sentence, the person had undergone terrible sufferings which made him lose hope and become very low in spirits. Option A, "mischievous", means causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way, which is not related to the meaning of "despondent". Option B, "agitated", means feeling or appearing troubled or nervous, which is also not related to the meaning of "despondent". Option C, "desperate", means feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with, which is somewhat related to the meaning of "despondent", but not as close as "hopeless". Option D, "aggressive", means ready or likely to attack or confront, which is not related to the meaning of "despondent". Option E, "hopeless", means feeling or causing despair about something, which is the closest in meaning to "despondent". In summary, the correct answer is "hopeless" because it is the word nearest in meaning to "despondent".