Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined word:
The insurmountable pressure at his workplace made him quit his job.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → something that is too great to overcome
Insurmountable means too great or too difficult to be overcome (in- = not, surmount = get over). The pressure at work was so great that he could not cope with it and quit.
Example: The team faced insurmountable problems and had to give up the project.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: something that makes one miserable — Incorrect. Such pressure may well make one miserable (very unhappy), but that is its effect, not the meaning of the word.
Option 3: something that is indifferent — Incorrect. Indifferent means having no interest or concern; it describes an attitude, not the size of a difficulty.
Example: He was indifferent to the result of the match.
Option 4: something that is unnecessary — Incorrect. Unnecessary means not needed; the word says how hard the pressure is to overcome, not whether it is needed.