Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word in the given sentence.

Many died in captivity and many suffered appalling brutality.

gentleness

The most appropriate antonym of the underlined word brutality in the given sentence is gentleness.

• Brutality means "extreme violence or cruelty."
• Gentleness means "kindness, mildness, and tenderness."

The other words do not have the same meaning as brutality, so they are not its antonyms.

• Ferocity means "savageness or fierceness."
• Cruelty means "inhumane or violent behavior."
• Sensitivity means "the ability to feel or be affected by things."