Which of the following words can fill in the blank suitably in the following sentence?
The employees refused to follow the rules of the company. They have been called ____.
(A) amiable
(B) recalcitrant
(C) obstreperous
(D) obsequious
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (B) and (C) only
(A) amiable — Incorrect. Amiable means friendly and pleasant; it does not describe employees who refuse to follow the rules.
Example: Our new neighbour is an amiable man.
(B) recalcitrant — Correct. Recalcitrant means refusing to obey rules or authority, which is what the employees did.
Example: The recalcitrant students would not follow the school rules.
(C) obstreperous — Correct. Obstreperous means noisy and difficult to control; employees who defy the company's rules are unruly in this sense.
Example: The obstreperous crowd shouted down the speaker.
(D) obsequious — Incorrect. Obsequious means too eager to please or obey, the opposite of refusing to follow rules.
Example: The obsequious clerk agreed with everything the manager said.
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amiable | 12-05 S2 22-05 S2 25-05 S1 | 23-05 S2 02-06 S1 | – | – | 20-08 S1 |
| recalcitrant | – | 21-05 S2 | 19-07 S1 | – | – |
| obsequious | – | 03-06 S2 | – | – | – |