Question

Choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word:
'Zealous'

• A. Ardent
• B. Jealous
• C. Furious
• D. Impatient

Hint:

Beware of homophones and words that sound similar but have different meanings.
"Zealous" (passionate) and "Jealous" (envious) are common distractors used in exams due to their phonetic similarity.
Remember that "Zeal" relates to enthusiasm, while "Jealousy" relates to envy.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to identify the word that is a synonym or closely shares the same meaning as the word "Zealous".
This test assesses vocabulary strength and the ability to differentiate between similar-sounding words.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Zealous: This adjective describes someone who has or shows great energy, passion, or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause, objective, or activity. It is associated with positive devotion and earnestness.

• Ardent (Correct Option): Ardent means very enthusiastic, passionate, or characterized by intense emotion or devotion. Since both "zealous" and "ardent" share the core meaning of deep passion and enthusiasm, they are direct synonyms.

• Jealous: Jealous refers to feeling or showing envy of someone else's achievements, advantages, or possessions. Although "zealous" and "jealous" sound phonetically similar, their meanings are entirely different.

• Furious: Furious means extremely angry, or full of wild, intense anger. It has a negative connotation of anger, which does not match the positive passion of zealous.

• Impatient: Impatient means having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked by delay or opposition. It describes a lack of patience, which is distinct from being enthusiastic.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Since "Ardent" best represents the meaning of passion and devotion represented by "Zealous", the correct option is (A).