Read the following poem and attempt the question :
Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore -
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over -
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
What do you mean by the word 'deferred'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → delay
- Deferred means put off to a later time, postponed. A dream deferred is a hope whose fulfilment keeps being postponed.
Example: The meeting has been deferred till next Monday. - Delay means to put off or postpone, a postponement. To defer something is to delay it, so delay gives the meaning of the word.
Example: Heavy fog caused a delay in all morning flights.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: different — Incorrect. Different means not the same as another. It only looks a little like "deferred" and has nothing to do with time.
Example: The twins have very different tastes in music.
Option 2: dusk — Incorrect. Dusk is the time of evening just before dark. It is a noun naming a time of day, not the act of postponing.
Example: The street lights come on at dusk.
Option 4: dark — Incorrect. Dark means with little or no light. It describes light, not time put off.
Example: It was too dark to read without a lamp.
| Also asked in CUET (UG): defer – 07-06-2026 Slot 2, 12-05-2026 Slot 1, 02-06-2025 Slot 2, 31-05-2025 Slot 1, 22-05-2025 Slot 2, 11-06-2023 Slot 1 |