Select a synonym from the given options to replace the underlined word in the following sentence:-
My grandmother is unable to hold a glass of water, as her hands have become gnarled with age.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → twisted
Gnarled (the "g" is silent) means rough, knotted and bent, as old tree roots or old hands become. The grandmother cannot hold a glass because age has bent and knotted her fingers. Its synonym is twisted.
Example: The farmer leaned on a stick held in his gnarled hands.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) slippery | smooth or wet and hard to hold (it describes the surface, not the shape the hands have taken with age) | The floor was slippery after it was mopped. |
| (2) dormant | inactive for a time, as if asleep (it is used for volcanoes or seeds, not for aged hands) | The volcano has been dormant for a hundred years. |
| (3) twisted (answer) | bent out of its natural shape (hands that are gnarled with age are twisted) | The storm left the iron gate twisted. |
| (4) delirious | confused and restless because of fever or excitement (it describes a state of mind, not hands) | The patient was delirious with high fever. |
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