Choose the most appropriate word from the given options to fill in the blank.
Whenever there is a crisis Rekha displays______________ behaviour.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → hysterical
Hysterical means in a state of uncontrolled emotion, such as panic, fear or wild excitement. The sentence speaks of how Rekha behaves "whenever there is a crisis": she loses control of her feelings.
Example: The passengers became hysterical when the plane began to shake.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: hedonistic — Incorrect. Hedonistic means devoted to pleasure; it describes a way of life, not a reaction to a crisis.
Example: He gave up his hedonistic lifestyle after his illness.
Option 2: historic — Incorrect. Historic means important in history, famous for a long time; it does not describe behaviour.
Example: The moon landing was a historic event.
Option 3: historical — Incorrect. Historical means connected with history or the past; it only looks and sounds like "hysterical". (Historical and hysterical sound alike: historical is "of the past", hysterical is "wildly emotional".)
Example: The museum has a large collection of historical documents.
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hysterical | – | 23-05 S1 | – | 21-06 S1 | – |