Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank in the following sentence:-
The ____ rumble of the thunder hinted at the approaching danger, filling the air with a sense of unease.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → portentous
Complete sentence: The portentous rumble of the thunder hinted at the approaching danger, filling the air with a sense of unease. The rumble of thunder "hinted at the approaching danger" and filled the air with unease, so it was a portentous rumble.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) pretentious | trying to seem more important or cultured than one is (it describes people and their manners, not thunder) | He used pretentious words to impress the guests. |
| (2) contentious | likely to cause an argument (a sound of thunder does not cause disagreement) | The new fee rule is a contentious issue among parents. |
| (3) tenuous | very weak or slight (a faint rumble would hardly fill the air with unease, and the word is used mostly of links and arguments) | The link between the two cases is tenuous. |
| (4) portentous (answer) | warning that something bad is going to happen, ominous | The portentous black clouds made the farmers hurry home. |